Lucian's eyes shot open.
A strange ceiling stared back at him, nothing like the one he remembered. His heart thudded.
"Where am I…?"
"Haaugh… ughhh…" Lucian groaned, pushing himself upright.
His name was Lucian Gratus well, used to be. Back in his old life, he was just another guy from the modern world. Now, for reasons unknown, he was inside the body of a boy on the Blue Sky Planet a place of monsters, magic, and frighteningly advanced technology.
Not that the world was in chaos right now. It wasn't post-apocalyptic dangerous. But every day here was still a balancing act the people living under the constant shadow of threats beyond the walls of their cities.
Lucian tried to get out of bed, but a sudden wave of agony slammed into his skull. His knees buckled, and he crashed to the floor, smacking his head in the process.
Then the flood came memories, emotions, sensations both his own and the ones belonging to this body's original owner.
The truth wasn't exactly inspiring. The boy he now inhabited had been sickly, frail, and… an obsessive anime lover with a side-hobby of extreme tech research.
(T.L. note from the author: "Ew, anime lover jk, same.")
"This body's fragile…" Lucian muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Looks like the guy forgot that humans need food, sleep, and sunlight… not just anime marathons and endless research."
Still aching, he noticed a pile of clothes on the floor. He dressed quickly, then headed downstairs.
The kitchen was empty a lone table and a few mismatched chairs. Not even a crumb of breakfast in sight.
"Huh… guess he was living alone. Or maybe an orphan."
In the hallway, Lucian spotted a framed photo the boy's face smiling beside a couple who looked genuinely happy.
For a moment, he wondered what kind of life the boy had really lived.
Lucian ate a quick, lonely breakfast and decided to step outside. That's when someone called out to him.
"Lucian!"
It was a boy about his age, waving from across the street.
"Yo, you're coming to school, right? Today's the day! The descent ceremony!"
Lucian blinked. "The… what?"
"You know when people get sent to other worlds! They say sometimes they're even like anime worlds. Man, you really hit your head hard if you forgot that."
At those words, something inside Lucian stirred a fragment of memory. The reason the original Lucian had died. The hopelessness. The lack of talent. The failed first attempt at… descending.
Without fully understanding why, he followed his friend to school. The teachers gathered everyone, going over rules, dangers, and a whole list of things not to do unless you wanted to die fast.
Then, one by one, the students were called.
When Lucian's turn came, the world began to twist. Light and sound warped around him.
And thus began… the descent.