Chapter 1: Dumped into another world
Ian walked up the stairs of the apartment complex. A tiring day at college, followed by an even more exhausting part-time job, had left him drained.
He saw a text from his girlfriend, Monika. It read:
"We need to talk, now!"
He looked up, seeing the door to her apartment building.
"God, what a day," Ian muttered as he opened the door to his apartment.
There she stood. The girl he loved.
"Hey, how's it going?" he said softly.
"What do you mean, how it's going? Are you serious?!" Monika's voice cut through the air, sharp with disgust and anger.
Ian, confused, began, "Are you o—" but she didn't let him finish.
"Don't even try! I know what you've been doing. I should've noticed it sooner!" Her words hit him like a slap.
He hadn't even taken off his jacket or his shoes yet.
"Are you cheating on me?" Monika's question hung in the air, heavy and accusing.
"What? Absolutely not!" Ian replied, utterly shocked.
"LIAR!" Monika's voice cracked, echoing through the apartment. "You're lying!"
Ian froze, too stunned to speak.
"All these late nights are because of some girl you're seeing behind my back!" Monika shouts.
Ian looked down, he knew she was wrong, but being yelled at wasn't suiting his tired self right now.
He gazed over the floor, his eyes darting to the shoes on the floor.
There was a pair he didn't recognize right next to Monika's shoes.
But, before he could say anytging, Monika speaks.
"Out! Go! I never ever want to see you again!" Monika pushed him toward the door and slammed it shut.
Two years down the drain. For it to end with a false accusation… Ian's chest tightened as disbelief and numbness washed over him.
And those shoes...who's were they? Ian wondered.
Was she the one...cheating on him?
He stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened, the city lights outside blurring around him.
He dragged himself home with heavy steps. Once he got there, he didn't leave his room once.
Schoolwork piled up, missing calls from parents everyday, until they stopped calling entirely.
All of this. Just because he was dumped?
It had been 2 months now, time passed by watching anime and ordering takeaway all day but barely eating.
He eventually got a knock on the door.
He pulled himself together and answered.
It was the landlord.
"I want you out in 3 days or there will be consequences, understood?" Was all the landlord saud before turning away and disappearing down the stairs.
Ian couldn't even react in time before he left.
Eventually, 3 days passed. It turned to 4, then 5.
On the 5th day, another knock was heard.
Ian didn't dare to answer, but he gave in when they wouldn't.
There stood 3 guys. All with metal baseball bats in their hands.
Behind them, stood the landlord.
"I warned you, Briar."
The men stepped in and Ian was hit over the head, knocking him uncouncious in a whiff.
He woke up on the sidewalk a street or two away.
"Damnit...im such a whimp..." Ian uttered.
He felt pathetic. He let Monika ruin his life just cause of a break up.
Thoughts spun helplessly of memories of laughter, late-night study sessions, small arguments that all now seemed meaningless.
Though, there was an underlying anger in him.
Ian stood up from the sidewalk, the cold night air biting at his skin.
He walked without direction, his mind spinning.
A group of college students laughed loudly on the sidewalk.
He walked past them, ignoring their glances.
At a convenience store, he paused briefly, staring blankly at the rows of snacks before shaking his head and before deciding to go inside.
He pushed at the door. It didn't move.
So he tried again.
Nothing.
Until he saw a note that said "pull".
He tried pulling, the door opened.
He cursed to himself as he stepped in.
The lights inside flickered eerliy, as if the world knew he had a bad day. Or perhaps a sad reality.
Ian keep staring at the shelves, but all he saw is the space where she used to be.
He felt betrayed, like she had killed a part of him.
He looked around, only seeing an older lady by the fruit section and a man around his 40s in the chark section of the store.
Of course it would be almost empty. It was around 9 o'clock after all.
Ian didnt even know why he walked inside, he didn't need anything.
Anything but one thing.
Ian needed clarity.
All he wanted was to see the world through the eyes he did before.
Ian walked up to the counter awkwardly.
The cashier sent a cold glare his way as if to tell him he's wasting her time since he turned up empty handed.
He walks out, a street musician's violin cut through the night air. The melody was sad, almost familiar. Ian stopped, listening, and for a moment, memories of happier days crept in.
But they were shoved aside by the sting of Monika's accusations.
"Seriously? What's the timing?" He muttered to himself.
He nearly walked straight into a streetlight pole, fumbling to catch his balance, then continued down a darker alley to avoid the crowd.
Trash rustled behind him, a stray cat darted out, hissing. Ian barely registered it, too lost in thought.
Turning a corner, he saw a brightly lit intersection. Cars zoomed past.
One horn blared right as a truck came into view. Time seemed to stretch.
He froze, realizing too late where he was standing.
"Shit..."
Pain. Sharp. Blinding. All-consuming.
Ian could feel his bones crushing and dislocating from the sudden force. Until he couldn't feel anything at all.
The story of Ian Briar was over.
1.1
Ian rubbed his eyes as the sudden light dispersed, waiting for his vision to adjust.
When he could see clearly, he realized he was standing inside a clothing store.
"Hey, can I help you with something?" a young woman asked.
Her outfit wasn't modern—it looked much more classical, almost out of another time.
"Uh… no, I'm fine, miss…" he murmured quietly.
The woman, seemingly oblivious, repeated her question.
"Sir? Are you there?"
This time, Ian replied more firmly. "Yes, yes, I'm here. I'm perfectly fine."
She nodded and left him to the section where he was standing.
Blinking a few times, Ian suddenly noticed an overwhelming display of women's underwear in front of him.
Heat rushed to his face. Was he… in the panties section?
"No wonder she asked if I was okay…" he muttered, covering his face.
A voice from nearby called him a creep, making his embarrassment skyrocket.
Panicking, he grabbed a pair of panties and dashed toward the counter.
He placed them on the desk.
"Is that all?" an older woman asked—the cashier—barely glancing at him.
"Y-yeah… that's all," Ian stammered, still burning red.
The woman studied the panties in silence for a moment.
"That'll be three bronze… sir," she said, trying to suppress a smile.
Ian placed a single coin on the counter. One coin from Earth.
The woman took it without hesitation, assuming it was a gold coin.
Ian quickly grabbed his purchase and left, panties in hand, his face still hot with embarrassment.
Stepping out of the store, Ian squinted against the sunlight. He expected the street to look like any ordinary city, but the cobblestones were uneven and the air smelled faintly of horses, bread, and smoke.
The square before him buzzed with life.
Merchants called out from wooden stalls draped with colorful fabrics, fruits, and trinkets, while townsfolk in tunics, gowns, and cloaks hurried past.
A fountain gurgled at the center, water sparkling in the sun as children darted around its edge.
Wooden carriages rattled over the stones, drawn by horses whose hooves clopped in rhythm with the marketplace.
Ian blinked, still clutching his… purchase. "Hm… streets sure smell different around here…" he muttered.
A pang hit him in the chest. Even amidst this strange new world, his thoughts drifting to Monika for a second.
The way she'd said goodbye, the cold finality in her eyes. The shoes in the hall.…
Ian shoved the thought down, but it lingered, making the bustle of the square feel oddly distant.
He wandered between stalls, barely registering the colorful fabrics or the fruits that looked alien.
Merchants waved, trying to catch his attention, but Ian only nodded absently.
He barely noticed the clang of a blacksmith hammering at an anvil, or the scent of freshly baked bread.
He consumed was he by the mix of awkwardness and lingering heartbreak.
A boy ran past, chasing a chicken, and the bird squawked loudly.
Ian stumbled back into a cart stacked with barrels, earning a sharp glare from the driver.
"Sorry! Sorry!" he muttered, cheeks burning, both from embarrassment and the heat of his lingering emotions.
"It's alright son, just be careful." The merchant responded before riding off.
A minstrel strummed a lute by the fountain. Ian paused, listening to the melody.
For a moment, he felt almost human again, the tune tugging faintly at something inside him.
A reminder that life still moved on, even when heartbreak hit hard.
He dropped a single coin from his pocket into the minstrel's hat without thinking, and the musician didn't even blink, counting it as a donation.
Ian moved on, still wandering aimlessly, trying to distract himself.
He stared at the wooden wheels of carriages, the pottery stacked neatly at a stall, the shiny metal pots, anything to keep his mind off the gnawing emptiness left by her.
"Maybe… maybe I should just find a quiet spot and think," he muttered, half to himself.
From across the square, a carriage driver shouted something incomprehensible. Horses snorted.
A dog barked. Ian shook his head and muttered, "Well… definitely not like home. But… not all bad, I guess."
He didn't notice the townsfolk staring curiously at him, or the way the world seemed slightly… fantastical.
All he knew was that he was here, alone, awkward, red-faced, holding panties, and oddly relieved that no one here knew who he was or who he had just lost.
1.2
Ian found a more secluded area of the city.
Every now and then, he pinched his arm, each time it hurt, confirming it wasn't a dream.
He sat down on an old bench someone had left out, looking around once again.
He had basically walked across the town square and is now sitting at the entrance of an alley going uphill.
A woman caught his eyes, but it ended with him looking down into his hand and seeing the panties he had stress bought.
"Damnit, why do i still have this?" He said, though he hesitated to throw them away.
Eventually, he tossed them aside.
"Im such an alien. I have different clothes, im wearing jeans and a sweater after all..." he said himself.
In an instance, Ian suddenly felt a jolt of energy, like being tazed but without the paralysis.
"Come on Ian!" He jolted to his feet, clapping his cheeks with his hand, leaving red marks as if he had been slapped.
"This is no time to be useless!" He shouted, nearby civilians turned away, embarasssed by him.
His enthusiasm slowed down as he saw a masked person following a woman with quick steps walking through the alley.
The mask was black without any noticeable features.
Ian's brows furrowed as he saw a sharp looking shining objects in the masked persons pocket.
"Hey!" He shouted.
"The hell are you doing?"
The masked person didn't respond, but he slowed down, turning to Ian.
He clearly didn't expect Ian to intervene.
"Are you deaf? What do you think you're doing?! Following girls with knives and stuff." Ian shouts again.
The person chuckled. "You have a sharp eye, boy." The voice was dark, it was probably a man if you look at the physique.
"Hey, you aren't setting a good example for me since I'm also a guy, you know."
The masked man laughed again, looking forward, he still saw the woman he wss chasing. She stood at the end of the alley, looking as shocked as the man might be under the mask.
"And, what will you do if I follow this fine lady?" The man said. The woman looked a little disgusted.
Ian walked forward. Punching the man straight in the face. He took a stumbled back a little.
"Damn...that was a good hit." He said. "It almost hurt."
The masked man then pulled out his knife, slicing the air for show. He was definitely smirking under the mask.
Ian went quiet, not saying anything, nor moving.
"Not so tough now, are ya?" The masked man said.
He striked, Ian dodged by just a hair.
He had definitely bitten off more than he could chew.
"Shit..." He muttered, realising his mistake.
But, he knew he couldn't just watch. He had to do something. He had to at least save the woman some time to get away. Or until the police got here.
Ian punched again, this time aiming at the alley wall.
"You missed, so you know." The masked man said, his words dripping with mockery as he stepped closer.
But as he got close, he fell to the ground.
Ian had sweeped him off the floor, giving him a chance to act as he tries getting up.
He rushes over to the panties he threw away, tackling the masked man still trying to get up.
He had dropped his knife as he fell, giving Ian a chance to act.
"What the..." The man said in shock, not expecting the tables to turn so quickly.
Ian grabbed the knife close by, while still holding the man down, he strikes him in the. Temple with the knives handle.
Though, the knife is missing a guard, so he ends up cutting the palm of his left hand as he does so.
Ian doesnt stop until the man stops resisting, proving his uncounciousness and a deeper wound in his palm.
"Damn that hurts..." Ian holds his left wrist while opening and closing his fist. It hurt even more. But he couldn't act weam after a desperate victory.
The woman, who was watching walks forward.
"Thank you, thank you so much...I was scared he'd get my ki-" She's cut off.
"No need to thank me. I couldn't just watch."
Ian says, hiding his lefy hand behind his back.
"Let me thank you buy helping you with your wound atleast. Let me see. Im a nurse." She reached out her hand, signaling for Ian to do the same.
As Ian reaches out his hand, he gets a proper look at the woman. She has blue eyes and long brown hair. Just like him, except the long hair of course.
A friendly expression as well. He could tell she was really thankful.
He struggles to keep his eyes open, the blood leak is pretty deep, and he overexcerted himself quite a lot.
"I'll fix it up for you...what's your nam- hey? Are you with me?" The woman says, most words sound like gibberiah to Ian right now.
He doesn't fight it and falls asleep.