“Yes… Hello and I am…um…”

“I know this must be so very confusing to you Sir Hero but I assure you we mean you no harm. We seek your aid and companionship. Once your duty is done, you have a choice to return to your realm of Earth or you may stay as Queen Ida of Rozen had decided.”

I’m still not understanding anything.

I nod and smile. At least I think I am. Do they think I understand right now or am I deluding myself and they’re thinking I’m probably the dumbest person here.

Probably the latter. How dare they.

I really don’t want her to repeat her whole speech she said just a few minutes ago but I really need her to reiterate because I have absorbed absolutely nothing.

“I’m… sorry… but where am I-who are you people and why is whatever this is happening? Or better yet, is this a cult?”

I think I just watched her die a little inside, the gleam in her eyes briefly disappears and she gives me a disturbing blank stare. She trances for a moment before returning as quickly. She blinks, holds her head and looks at me with questions painted on her face.

She takes hesitant steps, offering her hand as she towered over me. “Unhand him. I received a message. I must confirm something myself.”

The guards who I forgot were holding me did not let me go on her command. It took a look from the ginger lady for them to let me go. I fall with a plop on the floor. The coldness internally stabbing me with a bunch of knives. I don’t like it. Please stop. Stop it floor.

“Dottie, be careful. We don’t know what he is.” What. I am a person. Excuse you.

“I am careful. Saint Rubaine would not put me in a dangerous situation. I put my life in her hands.” That is a lot of blind faith. Good for you. I wish I could trust someone like that. Or maybe I could. I trust Doc Mcstuffins with my life.

But I am still offended. I am regarded as a danger? Me? Bare bummed me? I don’t even know self defence. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a fight before. Never been to the gym. Didn’t have to because I had the full experience in high school. I was the punching bag. 

“Please, take my hand, Sir Hero. Do not think, simply… feel whatever comes to you.”

I obliged and took her small soft hands, holding them as gently as I could because they seemed so delicate.

Blank to black then there’s light.

Big bright text pops up in my mind, the light overtakes every corner. I feel a presence. Daunting and haunting, I couldn’t breathe. But I can feel their breath.

[Lustrous Julias.JEWEL]

Lustrous Julias?

[My Greatest Creation.]

My Greatest Creation?

[Hello. To verify your identity please state; “A Jewel, shining so bright, luminous and holy beyond compare. One would not gaze upon, none would dare. But all wish to take, all wish to keep. Duty be noted what is sow, tis what is reaped. For one must not keep nor take what they did not make.”]

That was a long sentence. I don’t think I have that memorised. Can you repeat that?

[...]

Please?

[Hello.]

Hi?

[Hello. How have you been?]

Not sure how to answer that with the amount of events that have taken place in the course of what I assume is an hour. I don’t know. I was never good at minding time.

[You’re a smart boy, you will understand.]

I don’t actually but thank you for having faith in me… I guess? I mean I was a genius in middle school.

[You’re not on Earth anymore little one.]

Ho is that a quick swerve of a conversation. Can we go back to the introductions? I am getting severely weirded out and I have not a single idea how to place my emotions. Reset. Bring me back to the cave. Or better yet, take me back home. I really need my emotional support trail mix.

[Trail mix?]

Nuts and berries and chocolate. I don’t like chocolate. Aunt Amettie likes chocolates. So I always give her the choc… I am swerving off the conversation. Conversation? Who am I talking to right now? Am I moving my mouth? No. Am I? No. No I’m not. What? I am so fucking confused right now.

[You have such colourful thoughts.]

Thoughts? I’m thinking?

[Wonderful and colourful thoughts.]

My thoughts have colours?

[You’re not on Earth anymore. Welcome to Gemma Flaris. Everything here is yours for the taking. May you present yourself as the Patron of Salvation by being the Successor of Desolation.]

What?

The text disappears and so does the darkness that it left. I was back in the room with everybody staring at me.

The lady wasn’t holding my hand anymore. She was just looking at me like she was trying to understand what she was looking at. Aunt Amettie used to look at me like that. I’d think with the years we’ve spent together she would’ve figured me out by now.

I want to go home. I want Aunt Amettie.

“What did you see?”

What did I see?

[...]

[Lustrous Julias]

“Lustrous…Julias?”

Jade eyes sighs a breath of relief, offering me her hand once more, pulling me up to my feet. Blondie claps her hands and a little girl comes rushing in with a piece of cloth practically overtaking her tiny frame. She passes the cloth, a robe to jade eyes and jade eyes makes me wear it. Not a word said, she just motions for me to slip my body into whatever hole in the cloth was presented. She ties the ribbon around my waist, tightening it until I take in about 3 sharp breaths. The robe wasn’t exactly comfortable. Skin tight. I don’t like it. I still feel naked. And everybody’s still staring at me.

“Thank you for bearing the responsibility of saving our world. We will send you back as complete as you are to Earth when the time comes.”

Saving what?

“You’re welcome?”