Dourgon

Countless figures emerged from the shadows.

These were the same figures he had seen in his earlier dream.

But this time, they did not walk past him or merge together into one — they simply stopped a short distance away.

Each and every one of them had the same deep blue eyes, the same wrinkled skin, and the same general facial structure. Their hair was all shades of long and short, but always a stark, snowy white.

Their attire, however, varied wildly — from luxurious tailcoat suits to ragged beggar's clothes, and some were even dressed in women's attire.

Leon did as he was told and described the figure in front of him."Every one of them resembles you. They have different heights, hair styles, and clothing, but... they all look like you."

Leon watched as the old man beside him waved his hand in a swiping motion. A strong gust of wind blew forth, and the countless figures dissolved like mist.

Leon felt an odd sense of accepting what was happening in front of him, as if it were completely natural.

Internally, however, he knew he was unnaturally calm. He felt like even if someone lit him on fire, he would remain composed. His mind felt like a frozen lake — no matter how strong the winds blew, it refused to stir a wave.

He would be a fool not to take advantage of this state.

He thought deeply about when he first saw this old man. It was during an accident with a carriage. The man had been dressed like a beggar, and the carriage driver was cursing at him for getting in the way.

He saw the man for a second time that same evening, also involved in an accident, but this time people were helping him, and the carriage driver was apologizing profusely.

When he asked Lisa about the first accident, she didn't remember seeing the old man at all. But for the second one, she said she saw an old lady being hit by a carriage. Funnily enough, Leon remembered the old man being dressed in a black gown — attire worn by old women.

Today, Mathew and Bear had seen the old man as a young man and as a dog. Maybe they weren't wrong. To them, the old man appeared like an old lady, a dog, or a young man roughly the same age as Gill.

"Yes, you're right. It is you who's different," the old man said suddenly.

Leon looked beside him, blinking."It seems, sir, you're capable of reading my mind," Leon said with a polite smile.

"If that were true, I wouldn't have brought you here to interrogate, would I?" the old man replied.

"Why would you want to interrogate me?"

"Why?" The old man looked up at the stars. "You were the first one to see through my spell."

At those words, Leon's attention was captured by one specific word: spell.What does he mean by 'spell'? Does that mean this world has magic? That would certainly explain the oddities happening around me…

"Sir… by 'spell,' do you mean a magic spell?" Leon asked, staring with wide, astonished eyes.

The old man glanced at Leon, stroking his long beard."Yes. So tell me, who are you? Are you a devil from the underworld, or a demon?" His voice grew darker and more threatening with those words.

Around him, the space shimmered and bent as a staff made of wood appeared in the old man's hand. Its tip began to glow with a bright blue light, and Leon felt as if a mountain was pressing down upon him. He was rooted to the spot.

"Wait! Wait — I'm not a devil or a demon! I'm just human!" Leon yelled.

But the old man didn't listen. A beam of blue light erupted from the tip of the staff, piercing Leon's chest.

Pain unlike anything he'd felt before surged from deep within, and Leon screamed at the top of his lungs."Ahhhh! I AM NOT A DEMON!"

The pain felt like an eternity. Finally, the beam of light dimmed as the staff winked out of existence.

Leon was still sprawled across the bench, body twitching. Blood trickled from his nose, ears, and mouth. The agony was so intense it left permanent scars upon his nerves — he was unable to move or think, reduced to a motionless, quivering heap.

Then the old man stepped closer and touched Leon's head. As soon as he felt the old man's hand upon him, Leon's mind snapped back to clarity. The pain ebbed, replaced by a dull ache that settled deep within.

He looked up at the old man with unprecedented terror. His prior calm was gone.

"You're not a demon," the old man said quietly, staring deep into Leon's eyes. "You're not a devil either. You don't have the slightest trace of mana within you."

The old man placed a hand upon Leon's head. Even as Leon tried to run, his body refused to obey.

"It seems I can't read your memories either," the old man said, stroking his beard as those deep blue eyes narrowed.

"I'll ask one last time. Tell me who you are." As he spoke, the staff appeared in the old man's hand once more, its tip flaring with bright blue light.

Leon felt panic rise within him. Gritting his teeth, he blurted out:

"I am a transmigrator! I am not from this world. One day I died in my world and woke up in the body of a beggar child!"

The old man stared at him for a few moments, then a strange smile crept across his lips.

Then came laughter."Hahaha! After all this time… finally! Hahaha!"

The staff shimmered brighter as a beam of blue light surged forth."Ahhhhhhhh!" Leon screamed again.

"Oh, shut up," the old man said, still smiling. "It's a healing spell."

At the old man's words, Leon felt the agony dissipate. A warm sensation spread throughout his body, soothing every ache and pain until even the deep-seated sting was gone.

The old man smiled down at Leon's shocked expression."How many moons does your world have?"

"One," Leon replied shakily.

"How long is a day?""24 hours."

"Who discovered the theory of relativity?""Albert Einstein," Leon said, and a frown appeared upon the old man's face.

"Who discovered gravity?""Isaac Newton." The old man's frown deepened."Who is Michael Carman?"

"Uh… I don't know." At Leon's answer, the old man sighed deeply and looked up at the night sky.

"Are you from Earth?" he asked suddenly.

Leon felt fear grip his heart as he replied, "Yes."

"How many continents are there on Earth?""Seven."

The old man fell silent.

Leon mustered his courage and asked,"Why are you asking these questions? Are you too… from Earth?"

"Yes… and no," the old man replied quietly.

Leon looked at him, confusion furrowing his brow."What does that mean?"

The old man smiled faintly."I am from Earth… but not the same Earth as you."

A wave of understanding crashed down upon Leon."A parallel universe?" he blurted out.

"Exactly," the old man said, leaning closer until Leon instinctively pulled back.

The old man smiled, brushing a hand through his long beard."Sorry about earlier. I thought you were a demon."

The old continued

"I am Dourgon"