A man around 22 years old lay unconscious in a morgue, about to be dissected. Suddenly, with a gasp, he woke up, startling everyone present. "Am I dead? No... where am I?" he exclaimed. But the intense throbbing in his head overwhelmed him, and he passed out again. The morgue attendants, unsure of what had just happened, decided to inform the man's family that he was still alive.
Moments later, men in white robes, exuding an eerie presence as if they weren't entirely there, appeared from thin air. They placed shackles all over his body, causing him to fade away as they retreated into the shadows.
A man with slightly long, dark black hair and pitch-black eyes shot open, looking around in confusion. "Aren't I supposed to be dead? If I am, this doesn't resemble hell at all. I know I'm not getting through the pearly gates, so this must either be an afterlife I'm unfamiliar with or I'm in another world.
That would be the best-case scenario—unless I'm in a time period where humans lacked complex language. After all, I'm no genius who can do anything on my own."
Once Nathaniel finished speaking, he noticed that nothing attacked him, nor did anything pop out of nowhere. He didn't lower his guard; instead, he became more vigilant. To gather more information, he climbed a tree, careful not to go too far up, and noted the absence of any marks indicating the presence of living creatures.
Surveying the scene where he first woke up, he thought, This place feels too artificial. I should at least see some type of insect here—maybe an ant—but there's nothing. Time for plan D. Slowly preparing his throat, Nathaniel began to speak.
Taking in a few deep breaths, he lay back on a sturdy branch, basking in the sun. I don't have a plan D, so I'll just lie here and wait for something to happen. Maybe muttering different things will bring out whoever brought me here.
Yeah, no way I survive this. I'm probably going to die here since I've found no bugs, no bird droppings, nothing. Just me, alone, with no food, water, or humans. But hey, at least I can prepare myself for whatever hell I get thrown into. After all that voodoo magic stuff, that's definitely where I'm headed.
With a brief sigh, Nathaniel opened his eyes. "You know, I appreciate the relaxing sunbath, but I would greatly appreciate it if you just showed yourself. And don't pretend you can't understand me; I've used quite a number of words already."
When nothing happened, he closed his eyes again, trying to shake off the embarrassment of talking to thin air. What's the point of trying to act cool if you just cringe about what you said right after?
Suddenly, a somewhat emotionless voice, belonging to a woman, resonated from below him. "Perspective, however, that doesn't matter. I am not the one who put you here. In fact, I don't know why I am here myself, though I'm quite curious why you believe I would understand your language so easily."
Nathaniel, trying to maintain his composure, replied casually, "It's simple. Even if someone didn't devote their all to learning English, it would take about two to three weeks to understand it. The language isn't that hard—unless you're trying to write it, which has its own confusing rules. But enough of that. Do you have a name or title that you go by?"
He didn't expect an answer, thinking, Depending on whether they respond, I'll decide if I should use my real name. This could be a world where knowing your real name gives someone power over you, which would be annoying. Coming up with a fake name instead of using my own sounds exhausting.
Seemingly indifferent, the figure with a girlish voice spoke again. "That I can answer. I am Gwenddydd, but that wouldn't sound right in the language we are using, so you can refer to me as Ganieda, which should mean roughly the same."
Nathaniel opened one eye, intrigued but cautious. Similar names to that one's sister. It could be a coincidence, but their ability to adapt to English so quickly is concerning. I should avoid using Latin and instead mix Morse code with binary to safeguard my name.
But that's not all. It would be much easier if this were a normal world. Given their ability to hide from me even when I was actively looking, it suggests this is a world of superpowers and magic—or possibly both. What truly matters is their willingness to talk, which is good. However, judging by how they speak, they won't be easy to manipulate...
Right in the middle of his thoughts, his eyes widened as he got up. Squinting, he climbed higher in the tree, careful to conserve stamina just in case Gwenddydd tried something while he wasn't fully focused on her. When he reached a vantage point, he was shocked by what he saw.
How could something like this exist? It's too futuristic. Those dots—those have to be humans or creatures resembling humans. I must inform her of this at once; I don't want to be jumped, raped, or tortured!
Not caring about the shock of jumping from a substantial height, Nathaniel immediately informed Gwenddydd of what he had seen, keeping his eyes closed afterward. She stopped him mid-sentence, asking, "Why do you have your eyes closed?" tilting her head.
In the most casual tone he could muster, Nathaniel replied, "I was, of course, looking at the sun when I was doing that."