Cris walked slowly along the cobbled path leading away from the strange house where he had woken up. His feet still felt uncertain, as if the ground might shift at any second. Birds chirped overhead in such rhythmic patterns that they sounded suspiciously rehearsed. Somewhere nearby, a tree waved at him.
Literally. One of its branches raised in a slow, graceful motion, gave a lazy wave, and then froze again. Cris stared. The tree coughed.
"Pardon me. Magical reflex," it said—and promptly turned back into a perfectly normal, silent tree.
He stared up at the sky, which now had clouds shaped like rubber ducks.
This wasn't Earth.
His path curved around a small hill, and when he crested the slope, he finally saw it—Lunaria.
The village looked like it had been designed by a tipsy fairytale artist and then brought to life by accident. Houses shaped like mushrooms, tea kettles, and upside-down boots were arranged in winding patterns, with a floating, upside-down fountain lazily spinning above the town square. It dripped glowing water that somehow evaporated before reaching the ground. The air smelled like cinnamon and curiosity.
As he descended into the village, still unsure whether this was an elaborate prank or some kind of fever dream, an old woman emerged from absolutely nowhere. She was tiny, hunched over, wore a chicken on her head like a hat, and carried a basket filled with glowing bottles that clinked softly with every step.
"You the new son of Valda?" she asked, peering up at him. "The one who dropped from the sky?"
"Uh… I—"
"Don't worry, she's been waiting. Your granny's gonna swat you with a broom for not showing up sooner."
Cris blinked. Granny?
Before he could ask anything, the woman grabbed his sleeve and dragged him through a network of twisting alleyways. At least two of them hissed when they passed, and one of them seemed to blink.
The house she pulled him to was large, crooked, and covered in strange signs like "DO NOT touch the cauldron unless you want to explode" and "This property is occasionally cursed."
Before he could knock, the door burst open and a whirlwind of scent and emotion crashed into him. Lavender, sugar, and something that might have been firecrackers. Arms wrapped around him.
"MY BABY BOY!" a voice cried, squeezing him so hard he saw stars. A woman with wild curls, flour-covered robes, and an apron full of enchanted utensils grinned at him. "I dreamed of you! You were riding a chicken shouting, 'Spice magic engage!' It was beautiful!"
Cris opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Behind her, a man with a scruffy beard and kind eyes stepped into view. "That's your mother. I'm your father. I know it's a lot to take in. But yes—we're your family now."
"She's… like this all the time?"
"Oh, this is calm," the man replied.
As if summoned by the chaos, a creaking sound came from upstairs. Moments later, a woman floated down the staircase on a broomstick, cackling like a firework.
"Granny," the man added, nodding.
The old woman hovered briefly before tapping Cris on the head with a bundle of herbs. "About time you showed up, boy. I had the table set two days ago."
Then came a tall, grizzled man in a robe, holding a steaming mug that read "Ex-Knight. Do NOT challenge before tea."
"That's Grandpa," said Dad. "Retired knight, undefeated in battle. Very grumpy without sugar."
Two voices shouted from outside as the front door swung open again.
"He took the last slice of enchanted pumpkin pie!"
"I claimed it first, you sword-addicted caveman!"
Two young men entered, clearly twins. One was all muscles and messy hair, dressed like he'd just finished sparring with a tree. The other was elegant, refined, wearing a floating book like a fashion statement.
"They're the twins. Opposites. Equally annoying," Granny muttered, sipping something that steamed and purred.
Before Cris could recover, a small girl zoomed down the stairs and latched onto his waist.
"You're my new big brother? I'm Cici! I'm gonna be the greatest mage ever and I'll protect you, okay?!" she said with absolute confidence and zero hesitation.
Cris just… stood there. In the span of minutes, he'd been claimed by a loud, loving, completely unhinged family. Somewhere between the floating ladles, the yelling twins, and the cackling grandmother, he felt something soften in his chest.
It felt like home. In a completely terrifying, explosion-prone way.
The rest of the day passed in a colorful blur. His father gave him a tour of the village—or rather, proudly introduced him to every single person they passed, including a talking flower named Jeff who sold tax advice and a goblin who bartered motivational speeches for toadstools.
Cris saw:
A butcher selling salamander bacon.
A poet who traded enchanted eggs for limericks.
A giant pigeon with a tourist guide badge that exploded into confetti when sneezed on.
A fairy gang engaged in a brutal glitter war.
Everything was alive—too alive. Buildings blinked. Fences giggled. A weather vane tried to tell his fortune.
And yet... the people smiled. Waved. Greeted him like an old friend.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in lazy pinks and blues, Cris finally sat down on a bench made of vines and humming stones.
And then, finally, the system decided to show its face again.
[MISSION 002 UNLOCKED]"Familiarize yourself with the local environment."Progress: 12%Note: Your grandmother is currently spying on you via enchanted mirror. Smile and wave.
WARNING: You have more relatives than the system can categorize.Suggested Response:[A] Ignore[B] Panic[C] Pretend this is normal
Cris didn't panic. He smiled, because somehow, despite the madness, it all felt weirdly… okay.
Maybe, just maybe, he really had landed in the right place.