Chapter 2: Confusion

A shadow loomed over Joshua.

He barely had time to react before a massive figure stepped in front of him, blocking his path like a living wall.

The man was enormous—easily over two meters tall, his shoulders broad enough to make Joshua feel like a child in comparison. Muscles rippled beneath dark, weathered skin, his arms as thick as tree trunks. In his hands, he held a long wooden spear, its steel tip gleaming ominously in the sunlight.

Joshua instinctively took a step back, his own 185 cm frame feeling utterly insignificant in the face of such raw physicality.

The man's voice rumbled like distant thunder.

"Var'zu korthas jin?"

Joshua blinked. He didn't understand a word.

The man's grip on the spear tightened, his stance shifting into something unmistakably aggressive.

"Shen vak n'kor!" he barked, jabbing the spear slightly forward in a clear warning.

Are you fucking serious?!

Joshua raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. If he spoke in his own language, would it make things worse?

Thinking quickly, he pointed to himself, then made a confused expression, shaking his head. He mimicked walking, then turned his hands upward, as if asking for directions.

"I don't understand you," he said slowly, enunciating each word carefully. "I… lost. Wanderer."

The man narrowed his eyes.

Joshua tried again, tapping his chest. "Joshua." Then he gestured around. "Here?" He pointed to the village, then to the land beyond. "Where?"

The man watched him for a moment, then scowled. With a grunt, he grabbed Joshua by the arm—his grip like iron shackles—and dragged him forward.

"Hey! Wait, wait—!" Joshua protested, but the man wasn't listening.

The villagers turned to watch as Joshua was half-dragged, half-marched through the dirt paths of the settlement.

People whispered, their eyes filled with curiosity, suspicion, and wariness. Children peeked from behind wooden fences, some wide-eyed with curiosity, others hiding behind their parents.

Joshua barely had time to take in the village's details. Simple wooden houses, thatched roofs, a communal well in the center—this place was primitive, yet functional.

Finally, they arrived at a large wooden structure, clearly the most important building in the village.

The massive man banged his spear against the door, announcing their arrival. Moments later, the entrance creaked open, and two figures stepped out.

The first was another towering man, even broader than the one who had captured Joshua. His hair was a mix of gray and black, a thick beard covering half his face. Despite his age, he carried himself like a warrior—his presence alone commanded authority.

But it was the second figure who stole Joshua's breath away.

A woman—easily the most beautiful he had ever seen.

She moved with an effortless grace, her dark hair cascading in loose waves past her shoulders. Her skin was a smooth bronze, her features sharp yet delicate. But what stood out the most were her piercing emerald eyes, intelligent and intense.

She studied Joshua, then turned to the man who had brought him in.

"N'varu?" she asked.

The man grunted something in response.

Joshua groaned internally. Still don't understand.

Then, to his surprise, the woman stepped forward, her eyes never leaving his.

She raised a delicate hand—

—and tapped his forehead.

Pain exploded in Joshua's skull.

It was as if a thousand searing-hot needles had been driven directly into his brain. His knees buckled, his vision swam, and a strangled gasp escaped his lips as he collapsed to the ground.

The pain didn't stop.

Words—foreign, incomprehensible—poured into his mind like a relentless flood. Symbols, sounds, meanings—everything blended together in an overwhelming storm of information.

Joshua curled into himself, clutching his head as he rolled on the dirt floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Minutes passed. Or was it hours?

Slowly—agonizingly—the pain receded.

And with it, the words began to make sense.

He could hear voices now. And for the first time—

He understood them.

A soft, calm voice reached his ears.

"Can you understand me now?"

Joshua pried his eyes open.

The woman knelt beside him, her gaze unreadable.

Still panting, he forced himself to nod. "...Yeah." His voice was hoarse.

She smiled, satisfied. "Good."

The older man crossed his arms. "Who are you?" His voice was deep, commanding.

Joshua swallowed. "My name is Joshua. I am… a traveler." He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then added, "I lost my memory."

The warrior chief studied him for a long moment.

Beside him, the woman tilted her head. "You woke up alone?"

Joshua nodded. "On a hill. Not far from here."

She hummed in thought.

"I am Maydee," she finally said. "Daughter of the village chief."

Joshua turned to the large man beside her. So this was the chief.

The older warrior nodded. "I am Amador, leader of Irene."

Joshua tried to push himself up, but his limbs were still weak. Maydee surprised him by offering her hand.

He hesitated, then took it.

Her grip was firm, yet gentle.

Joshua rubbed his temples. "What… what the hell was that? The pain?"

Maydee chuckled softly. "Magic."

He looked at her, confused.

She gestured toward his forehead. "The words you could not understand—I cast a spell to implant the universal language into your mind."

Joshua's eyes widened. A language implant?

Maydee continued. "The pain was… necessary. Your mind resisted the knowledge. But now, you can speak and understand our tongue."

Joshua exhaled slowly. "That's… insane."

The chief grunted. "You claim to have no memory. Then you are an outsider."

He narrowed his eyes. "Outsiders bring trouble."

Joshua raised his hands. "I swear, I mean no harm. I just want to understand where I am."

Maydee glanced at her father, then back at Joshua. "You are in Irene."

She gestured around.

"A small village, in the middle of nowhere. We are farmers and hunters. We trade with the nearest town every few months, exchanging animal hides and crops for supplies."

Joshua processed the information.

A self-sufficient village in an isolated region. No visitors. No outsiders.

And yet, he had just appeared out of nowhere.

Maydee turned to her father. "I sense no lies in him."

The chief grunted. "Perhaps." He eyed Joshua, then exhaled. "You are not welcome."

Joshua tensed.

"…But you are not unwelcome either."

The warrior chief turned and gestured toward the entrance. "Come."

The guards immediately stepped aside.

Joshua blinked. That was… fast.

He turned to Maydee, who merely smiled. "You should be honored. My father does not invite outsiders into his home often."

Joshua released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

For now, at least, he was safe.

But something told him…

This was only the beginning.