Where Am I?

"Ugh."

Groaning I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, my head spinning as the world around me tried to come into focus. A dull, persistent pain still lingered around my neck, a reminder of the claws that had torn into me moments before. It wasn't unbearable, but it was enough to make me wince with every shallow breath.

'Where am I?'

I tried to move, but my body felt different and weak like I hadn't used it in days. As my surroundings came into view, I realized I was lying on a cold, uneven stone. A chill ran through me, and I pushed myself up, forcing my legs to obey as I slowly stood. The space around me was dim, almost suffocating, and the air felt stale, thick with the weight of something... wrong. I could make out rough stone walls surrounding me, the faintest trickle of sunlight breaking through small cracks far above. It felt like a cave.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog in my mind. What had just happened? The last thing I remembered was the creature. The black, monstrous figure that had killed me, crushed the life from me in an instant.

But… I was alive.

A flicker of panic gripped me, the memory of my death still fresh, a haunting presence in the back of my mind. My heart thundered in my chest as I staggered forward, my legs unsteady beneath me.

'Was I dreaming? Did I somehow… survive?'

The darkness felt heavier, pressing in from all sides, but in the distance, I noticed something—light. Weak, faint rays of it. It might be the exit. Relief flooded through me. Whatever this place was, I needed to get out. Maybe there was an explanation waiting for me outside.

"Finally, I can get out of here," I muttered under my breath, my voice raspy. Each step felt uncertain, the ache in my body not gone, but somehow manageable as I moved toward the growing light.

As I neared the opening, my heart pounded with anticipation. My body moved on instinct, pushing forward faster, eager to see what lay beyond. But as I stepped into the light, everything came to a crashing halt. My breath caught in my throat.

I froze.

My eyes widened in disbelief. I blinked twice, rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't imagining it.

It was an underground area with a huge opening in the ceiling, through which rays of light streamed down, illuminating the destroyed structures below.

I pushed forward slowly. My legs ached, but I didn't care. I had to get out. As I moved, ruined structures came into view, strange symbols etched onto them. The scene reminded me of dungeons from the games I used to play.

Shaking off the thought, I continued between the structures. Suddenly, a strange white glow caught my attention. It was further ahead, deep within the ruins. I followed the light, and before I knew it, I was in a vast open area, surrounded by broken walls.

In the center, a round table-like structure stood. The floor beneath it was engraved with symmetrical patterns. A massive metallic door stood nearby, and the glowing symbol I'd seen earlier was etched onto it. Triangular, with several lines running across, the symbol pulsed with a strange white light.

I couldn't tear my gaze away. It felt like something was pulling me toward it. A strange heat spread in my chest as if hot water was running through me.

I clutched my chest, the sensation growing stronger.

"Huff..."

"Huff..."

Breathing became harder. It felt like my lungs were on fire. I fell to my knees, still clutching my chest, and after a few moments, the pain began to subside, fading completely.

I stood, shakily, and straightened myself. The glow from the symbol had stopped. The heavy door creaked open with a loud metallic groan.

I moved forward, limping slightly. Approaching the table, I saw that it held water. I reached out and touched the edge, leaning in to look.

My heart stopped.

"What the hell!?"

I stumbled back, falling onto the ground.

'Who is this?'

I slowly stood, my hands trembling, and looked back into the water. Dark auburn hair, dirt-streaked, framed a sharp jawline. Green, emerald-like eyes stared back at me—eyes that weren't mine. No matter how I looked at it, this face wasn't mine. It was too fucking handsome to be mine.

I touched my face and my reflection on the water followed.

"What is happening?" I muttered, my head throbbing.

"Sigh"

I exhaled and started moving again towards the large metal door that was now open.

*

After getting past the metal door, I continued walking for a while. Eventually, I reached the exit. The bright sunlight hit my face, blinding me for a moment. Instinctively, I shielded my eyes with my arm. Slowly, I opened them to see what lay ahead—a vast forest stretched before me. Tall, towering trees surrounded me, their yellow leaves drifting to the ground like autumn's slow descent.

'Where should I go from here?' I thought. I had no idea where I was. My face wasn't mine, my body wasn't mine, and one more thing…

'Why the hell am I naked!?'

The gravity of the situation hit me hard. Before, I was too overwhelmed to notice, but now... this was just fucking absurd.

I massaged my forehead, "Sigh". I had two goals now—first, figure out whatever the hell was going on, and second, find some clothes. The cold wind was already biting at my skin.

-Grrrrrrrrrrr...

Oh yeah... and I needed to find food.

I trudged through the forest, minutes passing as I moved between the dense vegetation. I spotted a few rabbits and birds, but with no experience hunting, all I could do was chase after them in vain, my naked ass probably scaring them more than anything.

"Huff... Huff... Nothing. I got nothing."

-Step. Step.

The sound of footsteps from behind me made me freeze. My heart pounded as I turned around, readying myself for whatever was approaching. In my mind, I took a boxing stance, prepared for any kind of predator.

But instead of animals, two humans emerged from behind the vegetation. Both were wearing brown cloaks, their hoods pulled low over their faces. One had a bow slung across his back, a quiver of arrows hanging by his side. The other carried a lance with a sharp steel tip.

"Who are you?" one of them spoke, his voice low. It wasn't English, but I understood it perfectly.

"M-Me? I got lost..." I stammered.

The men narrowed their eyes, watching me carefully. An awkward silence settled between us. "Um... Can you please help me?" I asked, breaking the tension.

They exchanged glances before nodding.

Relief washed over me as I cautiously stepped toward them.

"Stop!" the man with the spear shouted, holding up his hand.

I froze on the spot. The archer removed his cloak, revealing a firm face with brown eyes and black hair. He wore leather armor beneath the cloak. A dagger hung from his belt. He tossed the cloak toward me with a look of disgust on his face.

"Do you have no shame? Put some damn clothes on," he muttered.

"Thanks," I mumbled, quickly wrapping the cloak around myself.

"So... who are you?" the man with the spear asked again removing his hood, his features similar to that of the archer like they were brothers. "And why were you naked?"

"My name is Lucian," I replied. "I got lost in the forest."

He raised an eyebrow. "And the naked part?"

"A wild beast chased me... tore my clothes off," I lied, trying to sound convincing.

"I see," the man grunted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

But before I could explain further, the man with the bow stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied me closely.

"Wait! Did you say your name was Lucian?" His face was suddenly inches from mine, his gaze piercing.

"Y-yeah," I replied, startled by his sudden proximity.

"Emerald eyes..." he whispered, his expression changing as he turned to the other man. "Oi, Hans! He has emerald eyes! This is our Young Sir from the Whiteclark family!"

"Whiteclark? What?" I started to ask, confused, but both men suddenly dropped to their knees.

"I, Hans, greets the young lord of the Whiteclarks!" the man with the spear proclaimed.

"And I, Giles, greets the young lord of the Whiteclarks!" the other echoed.

"Hey! Hey! What the hell is going on?" I blurted out, completely lost. "Why are you kneeling?"

"We couldn't possibly not greet the young lord of the Whiteclark Duchy!" Hans, the man with the spear, blurted out, his head still lowered.

'Young lord of the Whiteclark Duchy?' I thought, feeling a fresh wave of confusion. This body that I'm stuck in... is the young lord of Whiteclark Duchy? I facepalmed, my head spinning and utterly exhausted.

"But, Young Lord, if you don't mind..." Giles, the man with the bow, spoke up, lifting his head. "Why are you out here, far from the estate, without any knights?"

"I said I got lost, didn't I?" I replied, my palm still covering my face as I struggled to process the situation. It was becoming clear—this wasn't my world. It wasn't even remotely familiar. If anything, it looked like I had been thrown into some medieval European era.

'Transmigration?' Like the stuff from fantasy novels? Sure, that would have been thrilling, but why did it happen to me? What the hell triggered this? One thing was clear though—I was dead on Earth. Now, I was in this bizarre new world in the body of someone else.

'Neo... Uncle, Aunt...' The faces of my family flashed through my mind. Were they okay? I was left in a cloud of uncertainty. What if they also... No, Lucian. Think positive. They'll be fine... They have to be...

"Young Lord?" Hans' voice broke into my thoughts.

"Yes?" I answered, lowering my hand.

"What should we do now?" he asked, his eyes locked onto mine, awaiting instructions.

"Hmm..." What should I do? I thought for a moment, then an idea hit me.

"Hans, Giles," I spoke firmly. "Take me back to the estate. I will see to it that you are rewarded."

They both glanced at each other before nodding in unison. Standing up, Hans gestured toward the direction they had come from. "Then follow us, young lord. Our cart is not too far from here."

"Thank you so much," I said, grateful for their assistance.

"You don't have to thank us, young lord! We are the ones grateful for being able to help you!" Hans replied, waving his hands dismissively.

"Shall we go then?"

"Yes, let's go."

I followed them through the forest. The walk was silent but not uncomfortable. After about ten minutes, we reached the cart. A black horse with white spots was hitched to it, standing calmly under the trees.

I stepped closer to the horse, gently running my hand along its neck, brushing the coarse hair. What can I say? I've always liked animals. I had a dog back on Earth when I was nine years old. He died, and it left a pretty deep scar on me. The horse nickered softly, clearly enjoying the attention. A faint smile appeared on my lips.

"Oh! She likes you, young lord," Hans remarked, noticing the horse's contented reaction to my touch.

"Is that so?" I asked, still stroking the horse's neck.

"Yes, she usually doesn't let anyone else pet her other than me," Hans replied with a mischievous grin. "One time, she even kicked Giles in the stomach."

"Pfft…" I couldn't help but snicker at the mental image.

"Hey, bastard! Why are you mentioning that?" Giles blurted out, clearly embarrassed.

The two of them started bickering like children, pulling at each other's collars. It took a bit of effort, but I eventually managed to calm them down. After they settled, we hopped onto the cart. Hans sat in the driver's seat, holding the reins, while Giles and I sat in the back, facing each other.

The ride was surprisingly pleasant, filled with casual conversation. Mostly, I asked them questions about the world we were in—since, well, I wasn't actually the young lord they thought I was. Inside, I was still me, Lucian from Earth, trying to make sense of this new reality.

From our talks, I gathered some useful information. We were in the Kingdom of Calonia, a vast territory on the continent of Atlan. The kingdom was ruled by King Marciel Thorne, also known as the Frost King. Under him were three powerful duchies. First, the Whiteclarks, my current body's family, who specialized in wind magic. Then, the Corallias, masters of water magic. And finally, the Blackstones, renowned for their earth magic.

After what felt like an hour, we finally arrived at the Whiteclark estate. The estate loomed large, with high walls bearing the Whiteclark banners—white hawks with their wings spread, a white blade and shield clutched in their talons. The sight was impressive, to say the least.

As we approached the entrance, a guard stepped forward, signaling for us to stop.

"Halt," the guard commanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "State your purpose."

Hans, unfazed, responded. "Sir, we are here with Young Lord Lucian."

"The Young Lord!?" the guard flinced.

His expression shifted from doubt to shock when he finally recognized me. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Hello," I greeted awkwardly, trying to maintain some composure.

The guard turned on his heel, shouting toward the estate. "Jacob! The young lord is back! Inform His Excellency and Her Excellency, now. Hurry!"

Another guard who had been standing beside him ran off into the estate, presumably to spread the news. The remaining guard approached me and kneeled. "I, Landon, greet the Young Lord."

"Yes, yes, please stand up. It's awkward for me," I muttered, feeling uncomfortable with the formality.

Landon stood as I requested, but his face was still clouded with concern. "But, sir, where have you been? The Duchess has been worried sick, and knights were sent out to search for you."

"I just got lost in the forest," I answered.

"Lost?" His brows furrowed, clearly not convinced.

"Yeah," I nodded, pointing toward Hans and Giles. "These two found me and brought me back."

"I see..." Landon muttered, though his concern didn't fade. His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed my cloak-covered form. "Then, sir, why are you... naked with only a cloak to cover you?"

"About that—"

"LUCIAN!"

Before I could finish my explanation, a woman's voice pierced through the air. I barely had time to turn around before she barreled into me, tackling me to the ground with surprising force. The world spun for a brief moment, and before I could even register what had happened, I was out cold.