"Dear Heavens!" He exclaimed, his voice strange and deeper than he remembered, echoing throughout the throne room.
Sion stood motionless, staring at the reflection in the polished glass. His thoughts raced in a frantic loop. His mind, already battered by the shock of being transported to another world, teetered on the brink of collapse.
He couldn't look away.
'This is not me. This cannot be me. I don't look like this; what on earth?!'
The mages raised their brows and exchanged puzzled looks, not knowing what had disturbed him so deeply. They leaned in, confused, unable to understand why he was so upset.
'This cannot be happening to me right now.' Is this what she meant by that? By changes? This must be some sort of twisted joke. The universe loved to play games with me before; this could be just another form of it,' He thought, his mind racing with all sorts of possibilities.
He slowly raised his hand and brought it to his chest. It felt firm, strong—unlike the weak body he had grown to know back in the hospital. He gave it a poke.
Pain.
Real pain.
His hand trembled as he looked down at his new form—tall, lean, muscular… nothing like his old self. His eyes widened even further, it was a surprise they did not pop out of their socket.
That was when he began realizing, this was not a dream. Not a game. This is reality in its most messed-up form possible.
"This… this is not so bad if it were a dream," he muttered, half to himself, half in disbelief. "But it's not. Someone tell me this is a dream…"
He glanced at the watching mages. None answered. Everyone was too quiet now for his liking; he wanted answers and a bit of clarity, which none seemed to have at the time.
"You don't just swap bodies overnight! This... all of it defies every rule of logic and biology!" he snapped, frustration curling into his voice. "And yet here I am, standing here, like I have been created all over again. Someone tell me what is going on; I will not repeat myself."
He took a shaky breath, words spilling from his mouth faster than he could control them.
"What the hell is going on here? Why do I look like this? Why am I someone else now!?"
The panic beneath his confusion erupted. The truth was surreal, even cruel. He, an awkward, average guy who couldn't hold a conversation with a girl, was now in a body that appeared to have been designed by a female goddess with a thing for handsome men, crafted to her liking. A face suitable for magazines. He had never had a girlfriend. A virgin who now resembled a mythical hero.
Nonetheless, he had never felt more lost.
This isn't just a body change. This is identity theft by the universe itself.
"This has to be a prank of some sort," he muttered. "A really messed-up, high-budget prank…"
"I'm sorry," one of the mages finally said, confused but polite. "But we do not understand what is troubling you. This is no prank or whatever it is you are calling it."
Something inside Sion cracked when he heard the man speak; he was already damaged as it is.
The hope he didn't realize he had been holding onto shattered once again. This may have been another chance, but he could already tell it was going to bring a lot of hurt.
He turned to glare at the mage, who instinctively stepped back.
'Of course they don't understand. They didn't lose everything. I did. Though it is not their fault either, they will not understand because they do not know the truth about me, hence all of this,' He thought.
Once a man with dreams, now a stranger in his own skin, Sion stood surrounded by opulence and alien eyes. A moment many might fantasize about… yet to him, it was a waking nightmare. A cruel joke played by gods with a warped sense of humor.
He glanced around, swallowing hard. The room still buzzed with tension. Every face was unfamiliar. Every glance was measured. He had no allies. No understanding of this world. He didn't even know the rules, but he knew he would have to learn them; he would have to work together.
But one thing was clear.
This world is dangerous and if he did not find a way of survival fast, he was going to end up six feet under.
Magic. Nobility. A king on a throne, already scrutinizing him like a threat. The laws of reality bent into fantasy, and in this realm… only the strong survived.
"I don't know what's going on here, but we have wasted enough time," the king's voice rang coldly across the chamber. "Bring him to me. I want to know why he, of all people, was summoned, and after that, the and I will be having a chat."
The mages nodded, then cautiously approached Sion while the knights were in their posts, their gaze scanning all of his movements.
"You are now a servant of His Majesty," one said. "You were summoned for a purpose, one you are expected to fulfill."
Sion looked toward the king. The man's gaze narrowed, piercing and unkind.
'Servant? I just got here and I'm already beneath him? Oh, hell no, there is no way I am listening to this arrogant fool,' He thought.
He looked down, trying to think.
'I need time to figure this out. I need answers… And why does he already look like he hates me? What did I ever do to him or did I owe him?' She wondered, then exhaled deeply.
Then it occurred to him.
He had no clothing on. He was as naked as when he was born. His gaze darted to the magic circle, but the fog-like glow kept his body modest. That, and the long, silky hair that fell down his shoulders and back.
His face turned pale.
Before he could respond, a command echoed:
"Restrain him."
The king's order fell like a blade.
Sion's instincts flared.
"Run," A faint voice whispered in his mind.
The magic circle flared abruptly, its fog thickening. Gasps rang out throughout the room. Panic. Magic surged.
The king's eyes flashed crimson.
Sion did not hesitate. He could not afford that mistake.
He snatched a robe from one of the astonished mages and threw it around himself in one quick motion. His bare feet slapping the marble floor as the chaos erupted behind him, he ran without another thought.
He had no idea where he was heading. He was unsure of whom to believe.
However, one thing was for sure.
He needed to get away as fast as he could.