《Trespassing: Into Another Dimension》 Chapter 1 The piercing sound of his alarm brought him back from the dead of sleep. 7:35¡­ I¡¯m late for work, again. It¡¯s the second time this week - or is it the third? Either way, I should probably get up now. Jake leaned over and turned off the alarm. ¡°One more minute shouldn¡¯t hurt,¡± he said to himself as he snuggled back under the sheets. He could already hear Mr. Gilbert, his shift manager, babbling about how he¡¯d fire him if he didn¡¯t get his act together and stop being so lazy. It was a common misconception to consider him lazy; he never thought of himself as that, rather, ¡°He just really enjoys doing nothing¡±. And it had been like that for a while. He didn¡¯t have any physical features that stood out. Average height, standing at around 5''10¡±. His hair was scruffy, jet black, falling in medium-length waves around his face. He wasn¡¯t necessarily that muscular, but then again, he¡¯d probably be able to hold his own against most opponents his age. Ever since Jake could remember, he could never be bothered to participate in energetic activities. He never saw the point in them. Yet, for some unknown reason, he once signed up for his school¡¯s track team. For the life of him, he couldn¡¯t remember what was going through his mind his last year in middle school, but for the first time, he found something he was good at. He easily passed the tryouts, ranking 2nd out of the dozen of participants. The track team went on to fail miserably at the nationals that year. It was the most attraction he¡¯d ever gotten, but for all the wrong reasons. That was the last time he ever participated in any sort of activity that wasn¡¯t out of necessity. He dropped out of high school only 3 years later as a Junior. The stress, anxiety, and work exerted into something he couldn¡¯t care less about had gotten the best of him. A few months later, he moved out of his parents¡¯ house. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point of no return. To them, he could only be described as a burden. At some point, he stopped believing anything mattered. You¡¯re born, you grow up, get married, have kids, get old and die somewhere along the way. Whether you were completely poor or the richest guy alive, everyone shared the same beginning and ending. Therefore, nothing mattered, right? Everyone always seemed to make a big deal out of what they wanted to be when they grew up, when statistically, only the bare minimum accomplished that dream of theirs. Take him, for example, if when he was a kid they asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he probably wouldn¡¯t have said a fast-food worker. He found himself a job at a local fast food place, which barely provided the funds to afford his current half- crappy apartment. But that wasn¡¯t going to last long¡­ I wonder if today¡¯s the day I¡¯ll finally be fired. He glanced at his clock and was sure of it. Yup, today¡¯s my last day. 8:10 AM Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. *** It was 8:30 AM when Jake finally stepped foot at work. To his surprise, instead of being greeted by his severance pay in a manila envelope, he was met by Lynn, a co-worker of his. She was actively speaking on a POTS telephone¡ªbecause that¡¯s still a thing, apparently¡ªwhen he abruptly entered the office. After a few ¡°¡± and ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to do that¡± she finally hung up and looked his way. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said. ¡°The manager called in sick today. I¡¯ll be in charge. I managed to cover up for you, but you won¡¯t be so lucky next time.¡± All Jake managed to do was scratch his head and raise his hand in an apologetic sort of gesture. Lynn sighed and, just before leaving the room, playfully punched his arm, ¡°At least try to be on time next time¡­ please.¡± If he didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d think she was worried about him. That would be a first. The following hours were like any other. He worked, lazed around, interacted, and left. At no point did he do something that wasn¡¯t out of necessity. 9:12 PM If it hadn¡¯t been for Lynn, Jake would¡¯ve been catching some zzz''s in his apartment by 5. Instead, she insisted that he should work overtime as compensation for his morning tardy and he figured he¡¯d use less energy if he agreed rather than argue. He had lost the key to his single-bedroom apartment. If not for the typical ¡®under-the-carpet backup key¡¯, he would¡¯ve slept outside instead of going back to work to find it. He entered the apartment to be greeted by the piles of dishes in the sink. How¡¯d they even get there? He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he used plates. Good luck to the future me who¡¯ll have to deal with it. He went straight to his room, not bothering to undress. Suddenly, there was a loud crack of thunder, and the lights flickered before going out altogether. Strangely, the power outage didn¡¯t faze him as he sat in the silent darkness, listening to the downpour. Something about a rainy night comforted him. Perhaps it was the fact that it matched his mood. He was just about to lie flat down on his bed when he heard the doorbell ring for the first time in weeks. Who could it be? He thought to himself. The landlord? Is he coming for an inspection this late at night? During an electric shortage? Jake almost chuckled, something he hadn¡¯t done in a while. Could never be me. Against the will of his entire soul, he sighed and went to the door. What he saw through his peephole took him aback. He opened the door. ¡°Oh, hey Lynn, what gives?¡± ¡°Um, hey Jake,¡± her pretty hair was drenched in water. ¡°You forgot these at work, so I thought I¡¯d bring them to you.¡± She said as she handed him a small bag that probably contained his wallet, phone, and key. ¡°Well damn, can¡¯t believe you went through the trouble of bringing them all the way here. You should come inside and dry yourself,¡± is what he meant to say. Instead the words stumbled out awkwardly, ¡°Oh, uh, thanks. I can¡¯t believe-¡± The bag slowly slipped away from his grip. Something is wrong. Then, the world tilted. Furniture scrapped across the floor. Objects inside the apartment flew. Loose change, clothing, utensils¡ªlifted. Gravity had¡­ shifted? He felt something unfamiliar. He staggered, holding onto the door for dear life as he heard a big thud from inside. Lynn was outside, just barely clinging onto a nearby pole, her eyes wide with terror. Jake looked down. His feet were no longer touching the floor. Was it an earthquake? No. The apartment stretched, warped, and collapsed inward. It was instead as if a black hole had torn open right in the middle of his apartment. His skin burned, depleting away as he gradually lost consciousness. Fear. Raw and in it¡¯s purest form, it clawed through his chest. His grip on the doorframe slipped. His body lurched forward into the cold, endless void. What a hell of a way to die. Life sure is transient. Chapter 2 Everything seemed so far as he was dragged into the hole. His body felt as if it was slowly being dismantled only to be rebuilt repeatedly. His vision went dark. This is it? Death? It wasn¡¯t as bad as he expected. There was no ¡°Life flashing before your eyes¡±, there were no loved ones to think back to, and no fairy-tale princess he could whisper the words ¡°I love you¡± to. It was just¡­ warm. The thought of his boring life finally ending was pleasing. The end¡­ right? Sadly, whether his ¡®amazing¡¯ luck or a greater entity had decided it, his death was not meant to be. He was plunged back into reality as his entire body was slammed into a solid concrete wall and fell to the ground. He was sure he had broken at least a few ribs. He groaned under his breath. He opened his eyes and immediately felt as if the sun had poured blazing acid into them. The sun? He jolted upwards, sending several mysterious barrels rolling over. He looked around and questioned his sanity. Where am I? It¡¯s daytime? He found himself in an alleyway, one he most definitely hadn¡¯t gotten himself into. As he looked around, he caught a glimpse of very antique discarded furniture, empty liquor bottles, and broken glass. He almost gagged. The smell of rotting garbage and animal waste overwhelmed him. It was no time to whimper about his situation. He needed answers to his questions immediately: Where the hell am I? What happened to Lynn? Was this some sick joke? A well-elaborated reality TV show, maybe? The more he thought about it, the more it perplexed him, but he wasn¡¯t in a position where he could just sit around feeling homesick. He had to figure out what was happening. To his surprise, he stood up fairly easily. Now, where do I start? If this really is some back street alley, there should be a road nearby. He made it his priority to find a road, more or less to escape the unbearable stench of the alley. As he wandered aimlessly, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the rubble walls, the type you¡¯d expect to see in an old European city¡ªweathered by time, with ivy creeping through the cracks, but he decided not to ponder over it. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. After being faced with multiple dead ends repeatedly, he finally found an exit. From a distance, he could barely make out the figures and their muffled voices. People. Jake slowly made his way out of the alley. He cringed at the thought of having to be social and it didn¡¯t help that the closer he got, the less it sounded like a small group and more like a crowd. He squinted his eyes as the full sun came into view. And there they were¡­ people? What followed next could only be described as the most confusing moment of his life. And that said a lot, considering all Jake had been through so far. When he stepped out of the alley, what he saw was something he never thought he¡¯d one day have to wrap his head around. The unmistakable tiny sizes, Dwarves; the green figures, Goblins; and of course, the humans. All living in perfect coexistence. Out of sheer confusion, he caught hold of a nearby pedestrian. A middle-aged man wearing old and soiled rags. ¡°Excuse me, sir, where are we?¡± His breath reeked of alcohol. ¡°Huh?¡± The man gave him a look as if to ask, Isn¡¯t it obvious? ¡°Well, my friend, we¡¯re in the marketplace of Esterrosa.¡± ¡°Este-Esterrosa?¡± The man raised his hands to the air. ¡°YES!¡± He laughed. ¡°THE MIGHTY CITY OF !¡± The man staggered away, barely keeping his balance. ¡°More like the mighty city of crap,¡± He then said over his shoulder. ¡°I suggest you get the hell out of here, kid.¡± *** Asariel¡¯s desk tumbled over. His heart was throbbing. It felt as though it¡¯d rip open his chest at any moment. He could feel its presence. Anxiety like none other began welling up inside of him. Get a hold of yourself, he thought to himself. The door flew open as the city¡¯s warden barged into the chancery. ¡°ASARIEL!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Asariel replied as he regained his composure. ¡°Calmly evacuate the area and gather every troop in the city.¡± He walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll kill it myself if I have to.¡± *** Meanwhile, as he stood before the tiny glass window of a shop, Jake stared at his own unrecognizable reflection. He slipped his hand through his hair¡­ his now blue hair. It was completely different from his usual black, scruffy hair. Not only had it inexplicably changed into a vibrant blue, but it was also tied back into a short ponytail. Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get any crazier¡­ After initially getting lost in the marketplace, he wandered back into the alley where it all started, and for the following hours, he did what he loved most: Nothing. The truth was, he had no clue what to do next, and still had no idea how or why he was even there in the first place. It didn¡¯t seem to matter how many times he pinched his cheeks or smacked his head against a wall, he just wouldn¡¯t wake up. While he lay there helplessly, curled in the fetal position, his mind slowly strayed back to his time on Earth. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so bad after all. He chuckled nervously. At Least I had a bed, right? His forehead was doused in a sheen of cold sweat as reality settled in. From now on, this was his reality, wasn¡¯t it? His heartbeat raced and chest tightened. At that moment, whether he truly found humor in the situation or whether his mind had finally snapped and submitted itself to insanity was unknown, even to him. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It was, without a doubt, the most genuine laugh he¡¯d ever had. Chapter 3 It was dark, almost midnight if he had to guess. The commotions, brawling, and even the alley¡¯s stench had faded away. He felt all alone in the world, As he stared into the starry night, he was fascinated by what he saw. It was like a scene from a fairy-tale. Two moons hung in the lonely sky. They seemed as though they were longing for each other. It was hard to explain, but Jake could hear them. They hummed a melody, a melody far greater than any lullaby even the greatest minds in his previous world could produce. It was beyond their potential. Jake could¡¯ve spent the rest of eternity listening to the moons¡¯ symphony, but he knew better, no pleasure lasted long. The clinking of the chain mail startled him. City guards. Out of instinct, Jake hopped into an empty barrel. Throughout the night, he had spotted at least a dozen of them scouting the marketplace, but none had gotten this close . As the clinking approached, he could hear a pair chatting. ¡°I think Asariel has gone mad,¡± the first guard said. ¡°We have been patrolling the city for hours. Do you not think such a dangerous threat would have already made an appearance? We had to evacuate the whole damn area for this, so where in the name of the gods are the citizens supposed to sleep?¡± ¡°Listen mate, I don¡¯t make the rules here. If the chief says we gotta look, then we gotta look. At the end of the day, I have a family to feed.¡± Jake held his breath as the clinking noises increased. They were right next to him. ¡°Curse this city. I bet you 20 silver pieces this is the doing of those wretched goblins again. If it weren¡¯t for-¡± tik tok, tik tok, tik tok A loud noise that resembled a ticking clock abruptly interrupted their conversation. A long silence between the men ensued. Jake could tell they were contemplating something. ¡°Odd, the stone senses a strong presence close-by.¡± Is it me? Are they planning on killing me? ¡°The barrel¡­¡± the second guard said as he unsheathed his sword. Crap. Adrenaline kicked in and Jake jerked out of the barrel, barely dodging the sword as it crashed into the barrel. The first guard cried out as Jake banged his head into his jaw. ¡°YOU SON OF A WHORE!¡± With incredible speed, Jake blasted out of the alley. As he was about to motion his body to the left, Crap, crap, crap. There are at least forty of them. ¡°OVER HERE! WE FOUND HIM!¡± What the hell did I do to you people? In perfect synchronicity, all of them instantly chased him. The thought of stopping and explaining himself crossed his mind, but he figured if it came down to it, he¡¯d have a hard time describing how he got to their world. In fact, he didn¡¯t really know himself. After a while, it started to seem like he wouldn¡¯t have to explain anything after all. The distance between them was becoming more evident. One by one, he was losing them. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I¡¯m¡­ outrunning them? Was his experience as a track runner the deciding factor? He hadn¡¯t run in years. Could it really make this much of a difference? As things began to feel like child¡¯s play to him, an obstacle appeared. A hooded man stood ahead of his path and it sure didn¡¯t seem like he had any intention of scudding over. He¡¯s one of them, isn''t he? It was a do-or-die game of tag. Jake had to get past him, then he¡¯d be free. What next? Where would he go? What would he do? He didn¡¯t know. He was used to the unknown though, whatever awaited him, he¡¯d just have to improvise. In hindsight, that¡¯s how he lived his entire life. Faster. I have to go faster. I¡¯ll go so fast that he won¡¯t even have the time to register it. He was only a few meters away. Jake dropped his shoulders to the left. That was the moment the hooded figure reached out. Now. Jake faked left, then cut right at the last second¡ªjust enough to slip past. I actually did i¡ª Before he could even process his thoughts, a sharp pain shot through his gut and before he knew it, he was falling to the ground just as something cold and solid cracked against his skull, causing his vision to blur. Darkness swallowed him whole. Where¡¯d I go wrong? *** What¡¯s happening? His body was fighting for every last bit of air. Am I drowning? He weakly tried to push himself out of the water but to no avail. He couldn¡¯t move. It was almost as if his limbs were tied. As panic faded into numbness, his heartbeat slowed down. But somehow, he knew he wouldn¡¯t die. It didn¡¯t yet feel right. Something about drowning was almost inconceivable. And he was right. Out of nowhere, his head was aggressively pulled out of the water. He took the greatest gasp of air possible, so much so that he almost choked on it. His eyes were still blurred by the water, but it¡¯d be impossible for him not to tell where he was. A prison chamber. The chamber was dilapidated, poorly held together. Rats the size of puppies freely roamed the room. It was exactly the conditions you¡¯d expect a prisoner to be kept in. A metal door was the only apparent way out or in. He was kneed to the ground; his legs, arms, and even his neck were chained to the walls. The length of the chains was just long enough so they¡¯d be able to plunge his head into a nearby bucket of water at will. But he couldn¡¯t ignore the elephant in the room: Fully armored soldiers surrounded him on all sides at sword point, waiting for even the slightest of errors on his part, waiting to mercilessly slaughter him. Their eyes were completely inhumane. They lacked any sort of natural pity. If he so much as breathed too hard, they¡¯d kill him. It was quite a predicament to place an introvert in. He knew he was on for one hell of a ride. Seconds, minutes, and hours inevitably passed by, but by then Jake had already lost his sense of time. Sleep was a no-go. A man clad in a black robe was in charge of violently whipping him if he dared close his eyes for over 5 seconds, and every now and then they¡¯d make sure to pour a few bottles of alcohol over his wounds. The exhaustion made his head droop despite the pain. Whether it was to avoid infection or inflict pain, he couldn¡¯t tell. He was almost relieved when, for the first time, the metal door of his torture chamber was opened. Two men walked in. One appeared much older in age than the other. He wore a bright purple open robe with turquoise boots and a violet top hat to match. He looked to be about 6¡¯4 with an outrageously long beard. If Jake went according to his knowledge on fantasy stereotypes, then there was no doubt the old man was screaming Wizard. The other man, on the other hand, looked very young, almost Jake¡¯s age. He wore very well-made and extravagant white clothes with gold lining. Around his waist, he also wore a knight¡¯s sword, which endued him with an intimidating air. He was slender and tall, but what stood out the most was his fiery red hair and sparkling eyes that could only be described as ¡°taunting¡±. With just one glance, anyone would be able to tell he was a cut above the rest. If they had met in a different setting, Jake would¡¯ve been jealous of his looks, but at the moment, that was the least of his worries. The old man gestured towards the soldiers in a way that probably meant ¡°get lost¡± because they did exactly that. It was only the three of them in the room, and Jake didn¡¯t like where it was going. The room felt bigger, emptier. But not safer. The young, red-haired man knelt down so that he was at eye level with Jake. ¡°I believe our last encounter was too spontaneous for a formal introduction,¡± he said. The light in his eyes was dazzling. Our last encounter? ¡°You may not recognize me, but I was the one to render you unconscious. Forgive me for the rude hostility. My name is Asariel¡­ Asariel Snowhart.¡± Chapter 4 With all the formalities out of the way, it was revealed that the young man, also known as Asariel, was actually the lord of the entire place. In other words, he was the highest ranking authority in the city of Esterrosa. As if his gallantry and ¡®handsome¡¯ face weren¡¯t enough. The old man turned out to be more of a counselor to Asariel and also the city¡¯s Grand Warden, not that Jake knew what that role actually fulfilled. His name was . ¡°So, let me in on why I¡¯m here again,¡± Jake said. ¡°I believe it is us that should be informed about your business in Esterrosa,¡± Asariel replied. ¡°Tell me, what is it that someone with such magical prowess as you seek?¡± ¡°Magical prowess? You¡¯re kidding, right? Unless laziness can be considered a magical trait, I promise I have nothing of that sort.¡± Asariel looked at him with disappointment. It was obvious he didn¡¯t believe a word Jake had said. ¡°Why conceal it? Anyone with at least a miniature drop of sensory magic would be able to tell you have enough aura to endanger this land. Who sent you, and what are you after?¡± ¡°Listen, I told you already! I have no magical powers, no one sent me, and I¡¯m after nothing. What does this place even have to offer, goddammit?! If I was looking for a pile of trash, I would¡¯ve-¡± His words were cut off by the sudden smack of Gellius¡¯ cane against his cheeks. ¡°Curb your ego, you foul pig. You are in no position to speak of Esterrosa in that manner.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back for that one, you bastard,¡± Jake said as he spat the blood out of his mouth. Seeing the confrontation, Asariel got in between the two. ¡°, I am sure our guest meant no harm to Esterrosa. He is understandably shaken by the circumstances he has found himself in.¡± He then turned to Jake, ¡°And you, sir¡­ uh-¡° ¡°Jake, just Jake.¡± ¡°Jake? What a bizarre name. Anyway, Sir Jake, you must understand that Grand Warden has the underlying task of defending this city from danger, and until proven innocent, you are a danger.¡± Jake dropped his head down, drops of blood still dripping from his mouth. ¡°So that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be, huh?¡± It was the same as before. His mere presence was a bother. It didn¡¯t matter what he said or did, he would always be on the losing end. New world, but same crap. It¡¯s always going to be this way, isn¡¯t it? ¡°,¡± Asariel said as a response to the sudden silence. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for me outside?¡± grumbled, visibly annoyed, but made his way to the door. Once he was out, Asariel sat on the floor and addressed Jake, ¡°It would be far beneath me to persecute a man with no viable reason.¡± There was a brief pause. ¡°We¡¯ll restart from zero. You have my full, devoted attention. Who are you and where are you from?¡± His eyes held mere curiosity. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. At that moment, Asariel had given Jake something special. Something Jake felt was missing; a chance¡ªa chance to start over¡ª a chance to escape his fate. Jake had spent his whole life being dismissed, overlooked, and unwanted. But here, in this strange world, the most powerful man in Esterrosa was waiting for his story. Jake smiled. ¡°So where do I start? My name is¡­¡± *** ¡°JAKE!¡± Lynn was over his unconscious body, carefully shaking him for any signs of life. ¡°Please, Jake.¡± His head bled profusely. Her phone was dead, and the nearest hospital was miles away. It took everything she had not to panic at the sight of blood. ¡°Hang in there, I¡¯ll get you some help, I promise.¡± Before she had the chance to get up, Jake grabbed her arm; his first sign of life. ¡°W¡ªwhere am I?¡± His articulation was off, she could tell he was feeling dizzy. ¡°You¡¯re in your apartment. We have to treat your injuries,¡± she said. ¡°Stay still, I¡¯ll be back.¡± But he wouldn¡¯t let go of her. ¡°Apartment?¡± There was a hint of confusion in his voice. ¡°This can not be h¡ªhappening. I¡ª must¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down, Jake. You¡¯re losing a lot of blood, we need to find you help.¡± ¡°I do not go by that name. My name¡­¡± His voice was fading away. ¡°My name is¡ª.¡± His hand slipped off of her arm as he entered another state of unconsciousness. *** ¡°Wait, so you mean to tell me you have a version of Shakespeare¡¯s Romeo and Juliet in this world too?¡± Jake asked in disbelief. ¡°Such unusual names!¡± Asariel laughed, ¡°Do you perhaps mean and ? It¡¯s a staple in the land.¡± Jake was baffled by the parallelism of the two worlds. Never had he been so intrigued in literature. It didn¡¯t take long for them to stray off the topic of his life and into culture. He didn¡¯t blame him, after all, even watching paint dry must¡¯ve been more interesting than his life achievements. ¡°Wow, so it turns out this place isn¡¯t that much different from mine.¡± Jake said. ¡°I¡¯d beg to differ. We may but dream of soaring unto one of our moons. I envy your world.¡± ¡°Trust me, there isn¡¯t much to envy over there. It¡¯s just a horrible place.¡± Asariel leaned back on his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that to be the case. It must have been a wondrous realm, where humans from all corners, with their collective wisdom, accomplished deeds of grandeur. From what you¡¯ve told me, the geniuses of your world have already made such incredible advancements in technology.¡± ¡°In a way, I think magic is a much greater achievement than those 4 wheelie things we call cars.¡± Jake and Asariel shared a laugh. It was so unusual of him, yet he couldn¡¯t hold it in. It was almost as if he could call this man his friend. They had gotten so deep into the conversation that Jake had forgotten about his pain until a wincing chill chiseled his back. His face performed a terrible job at hiding it from Asariel. ¡°Well Jake, it¡¯s only fair that I release you.¡± Asariel stood up and crouched beside Jake. ¡°Oh, and beware, it¡¯ll sting.¡± At first, Jake didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant by that, but once Asariel engulfed his own hand in a ball of fire, probably using some sort of magic, things started to make sense. ¡°, you¡¯re not gonna¡ª¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this is the only way to set you free.¡± As he spoke, an enormous column of fire formed. Without hesitation, Asariel went on to effortlessly disintegrate Jake¡¯s hand as an excruciating cry resonated throughout the cell. The flames spiraled across his arm. Jake flailed around and, although futile, begged Asariel to stop. He could only watch in horror as the black charcoal that was once his hand melted right off the bone of his right arm. Once he had nothing left to call his right hand, the flames were extinguished, almost as if it had never been there in the first place. The undeniable pain hadn¡¯t left him though, in fact, it was far worse. His right arm was finally free from its chain, but at what cost? Jake thought the worst had passed but Asariel had just gotten started, ¡°Onto the next one,¡± he said. Chapter 5 Jake stared agog at his hands. They¡¯re¡­back. He practiced clutching with each, ¡°Incredible,¡± they were as good as new. He could feel the hot blood flowing through them like never before. ¡°I did say they¡¯d grow back in a matter of seconds, didn¡¯t I?¡± Asariel said with a smirk as he patted Jake on the back. ¡°No, smug face, you didn¡¯t¡­¡± Jake said while rubbing his wrist and neck. ¡°Well now you know. At Least the neck chain had a key, otherwise you most likely wouldn¡¯t have your head attached.¡± The sudden shift from insufferable pain to an eerie sense of bliss was a feeling unlike any other. It was as though his body itself was conflicted as to what to feel. ¡°So now what? You¡¯re really going to let me walk out as a free man?¡± Asariel didn¡¯t respond, instead he just walked towards the door. His face was sedate, ¡°If everything I heard from you is honest, then it¡¯s safe to say you are currently in grave danger.¡± He lay his hand on the metal door. For a solid second, Asariel seemed to hesitate. Chances were he could turn around and kill Jake without breaking a sweat¡ªor he could gamble and open the door, exposing Esterrosa to possibly an astronomic threat. Once opened, there was no going back. ¡°I won¡¯t hold it against you if¡ª¡± The door screeched open, ¡°Like I said,¡± he looked over his shoulder. ¡°I trust you and I¡¯m willing to bet this city over that very trust.¡± Jake smiled. Very stupid of you, but I appreciate it. Thanks. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Jake felt the fresh breeze of the outside world. ¡°Hello you,¡± he told the world with open arms. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d say this, but I missed you.¡± Yes, I missed every bit of you¡­ He stepped out of the chamber and into a wooden haven. He enjoyed every detail of it, From the sun-dappled leaves to the tower-like trees that rose to the clouds. Nothing could possibly ruin this mome¡ª ¡°Asariel! What is the meaning of this?¡± Gellius said as he walked forward. When have I ever been right? Behind him were soldiers lined up in two rows and a chariot, with a beautifully bred horse attached. There was no doubt as to who it belonged to. Even his horse appeared gallant¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve determined that Sir Jake poses no threat to Esterrosa.¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting the entirety of the city at risk!¡± Gellius exclaimed. ¡°Gellius, my decision is made and it¡¯s final.¡± Gellius, realizing Asariel would stand firmly by his decision, reluctantly yielded to his choice. ¡°If it¡¯s what you have decided then so be it.¡± The young lord thanked him for his understanding and mounted his chariot. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°So this is it,¡± Jake said, grabbing Asariel¡¯s attention before he had the chance to disappear into the chariot. Jake bowed, ¡°Thank you for everything. I¡¯ll forever be grateful.¡± As Jake lifted his head, it seemed as though Asariel was holding back laughter, ¡°Sir Jake, perhaps I hadn¡¯t made myself clear enough when I mentioned your life being in extreme danger,¡± He paused and regained his composure. ¡°From this day on, you shall live under my strict protection. My household will provide you with all the basic essentials from food to clothing.¡± Huh? *** Heavily¡ªhe sighed, as he sat in the chariot, that was on course to bringing him to God knows where. ¡°Say, what exactly is the danger?¡± The question was expected by Asariel, ¡°So you finally decided to ask.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured it¡¯ll be better if I know what I¡¯m running from exactly.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± he tapped his book close. ¡°300 years ago, that¡¯s when it all began¡­¡± Oh boy, here comes story time. ¡°Back when war still raged on between the East and the West. On one side was the Adwaeweth Empire and on the other, the west, was the Nodith Empire. The latter, you see, up until then had been by far the most feared and ruthless empire. They¡¯d go so far as to impale every last one of their enemies on wooden stakes, and line them up along the border as scarecrows. Not just soldiers either¡­ Women, children, babies, every last one of them. In the end, it totaled well over 10 million.¡± ¡°10 million¡­?¡± ¡°In short, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. The Adwaeweth Empire, on the other hand, would be perhaps what you could call ¡®the good guys¡¯. Their king was highly favored by the people, one could even say their followers were the epitome of loyalty. But alas, all that loyalty amounted to nothing as the Empire was soon on the brink of defeat. It became apparent that their troops were slowly dying off. They were outnumbered. ¡°While the Nodith Empire flourished, Adwaeweth only sank deeper into the pit of despair, so it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that the Adwaeweth Empire was virtually erased from the face of the world. Not a single empire could dare consider them as one of theirs and how could you blame them, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that can¡¯t possibly be the end of the story¡­¡± Asariel smiled, ¡°I love your train of thought.¡± He leaned forward, ¡°It fell.¡± ¡°What fell?¡± ¡°The Nodith Empire. Quite literally overnight, they fell. The Adwaeweth Empire infiltrated and killed every single higher-up in the span of 3 hours.¡± Silence followed. Asariel stared at Jake, no doubt to see if he could guess what would come next. Jake picked up the thread, ¡°But all wasn¡¯t as it seemed, was it? If they had the resources to conduct such an operation, why hadn¡¯t they done it earlier in the war? Their downfall had to be a part of their plan from the beginning, it¡¯s the only possible explanation.¡± ¡°Precisely!¡± Asariel said with the satisfaction of a storyteller. ¡°To think that people believed an act of desperation had the strongest empire of all time crumbling down¡­outrageous is it not?¡± ¡°Yes, but still¡­ How? Even with their guard down, how would such an infiltration go unnoticed?¡± Jake was now fully hooked into the story. ¡°Here is where it gets interesting,¡± Asariel continued, ¡°Our history books will tell you the attack consisted of about 500 extremely skilled assassins. In the span of a few hours, they went on to kill the most prominent figures of the empire, including the Royal Family, Nobles, and etc. Next, an additional army, of thousands, was used to capture the royal capital and control the pandemonium amongst the confused people. The allies of the Nodith Empire saw this as an opportunity. With the higher-ups eradicated, the first to recapture the Nodith Empire¡¯s Royal Capital would surely proclaim themselves as King and with only a few thousand troops at the Adwaeweth''s disposal, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a challenge. ¡°The Adwaeweth were full of surprises though, as they went on to defend the Royal Capital from hundreds of attacks. Soon after, a truce was called. After regaining its former glory, The Adwaeweth Empire still stands to this day, stronger than ever.¡± Jake sat there, almost amazed at the history of this newly discovered world, but then it struck him, ¡°But what does any of that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Well, shortly after the war, The 05 Council was formed. 5 Mages with almost absolute authority, appointed by the king himself, were in charge of protecting the Empire.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re after me?¡± ¡°Yes, but of course, that in itself doesn¡¯t worry me. As I said before, the story you were just told was from history books. Although not far from the truth, something else occurred 300 years ago. You see, when Adwaeweth captured the Royal Capital, they never had an army of 500 assassins or any troops. Instead, the thousands killed after the Royal Capital was captured, was the doing of 5 Mages. The now 05 Council.¡± Wait¡­ Jake felt as though his mind had just been scrambled around, ¡°What do you mean the now 05 Council? Was it not 300 years ago?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still alive. The strongest mages in existence. Sir Jake, by entering our world, you¡¯ve committed the crime of Trespassing.¡±