Kazuki attempted to sit up, wincing as his body protested. His clothing was strange—a rough linen shirt and trousers, nothing like the modern attire from his memories of Tokyo. No lab coat. No watch. No phone.
"What the hell?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Footsteps approached from beyond the wooden door, keys jangling. Kazuki tensed, instinctively pressing back against the wall.
The door swung open with a ponderous creak. Two men entered guards in leather armor with swords at their hips, their faces hard and suspicious. Behind them came a woman, her bearing immediately marking her as different from her escorts.
She wore a deep blue dress with silver embroidery at collar and sleeves, its quality evident even to Kazuki's untrained eye. Her dark hair was partially braided and pinned with silver ornaments, the rest falling in waves past her shoulders. She carried herself with calm authority, though she couldn't have been more than twenty-five.
"Leave us," she instructed the guards. Her voice was melodic but firm, accustomed to being obeyed.
The taller guard frowned. "Lady Reina, the prisoner is suspected of conspiring with the Masked Ones. The Captain instructed"
"I'm aware of the Captain's concerns," she interrupted, her tone cooling. "However, as I've been tasked with determining whether this man poses a medical threat to the court, I require privacy for my examination. You may wait outside the door."
The guards exchanged glances but bowed respectfully and withdrew, leaving the door slightly ajar.
The woman Lady Reina approached Kazuki's pallet, studying him with amber eyes that missed nothing. She carried a leather satchel, which she set on the floor as she knelt beside him, maintaining a careful distance.
"You are awake," she observed. "The guards reported you've been unconscious for two days. Can you understand my words?"
Kazuki nodded slowly. "Yes. Where am I? What is this place?"
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze intensifying. "Interesting. Your accent is unusual, yet you speak the common tongue." She opened her satchel, removing a small crystal vial. "You are in the royal dungeons of Castle Crystallis, in the Kingdom of Azuria. Three days ago, you appeared in the midst of the Spring Festival market. Witnesses claim you materialized in a flash of blue light, collapsing immediately afterward."
Kazuki stared at her, processing this information against his fragmented memories. "That's impossible," he said finally.
A slight smile touched her lips. "Many things once thought impossible occur regularly in our realm. The question is not how you arrived, but why." Her smile faded. "And whether your arrival is connected to the recent activities of the Masked Ones."
"The Masked Ones?"
"A cult of sorts. They've been growing in influence these past months, experimenting with forbidden magics and spreading disease in the outer villages." Her eyes narrowed. "Shortly before your arrival, our patrols intercepted a message mentioning an 'arrival from beyond' that would 'herald their ascension.'"