His eyes opened.
It was dark — darker than anything he had ever seen.
He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. Then, he felt a force pulling him downward.
A sound followed.
Water.
Bubbling.
Like someone drowning.
Then… silence.
The sound vanished.
A new noise replaced it — mechanical, heavy, like a bulldozer lifting something massive. Distant voices echoed next. Not one, but several — two, three, maybe more. They spoke in a strange, ancient language, unfamiliar yet unsettling.
His eyes opened again.
This time, he was in a bed.
Restraints bound his arms and legs.
His vision was tinted red — the room, the air, everything seemed drenched in crimson. His ears rang sharply.
"Where am I?" he thought.
"Why is everything red?" he muttered.
The door creaked open.
A figure stepped inside.
Slowly, his vision returned to normal, colors settling back into place. He tore free from the restraints and stood up, his gaze landing on a window.
He walked toward it.
Outside, he saw that he was inside a mountain — high up, nearly nine floors above the ground.
"You have woken up, sir," a woman said behind him.
Her language was foreign, yet somehow, he understood her perfectly.
Without hesitation, Ron turned and rushed toward the window. It wasn't meant to be opened — just a solid glass barrier carved into the mountain.
He punched it.
His fist shattered a chunk of rock instead.
Without looking back, he leaped out.
The woman screamed for help.
Below him stretched a dense forest. Ron hit the ground hard, but he didn't falter. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up and sprinted through the trees.
Moments later — he was surrounded.
Armed men stepped out from all directions.
"Who are you?!" Ron shouted.
"Easy there."
A man stepped forward calmly.
"Let's not make this worse than it needs to be. My name is Locki."
He held out his hand.
"Now… take a breath. And tell me your name."
He hesitated for a second.
Then, said,
"…Ron."
Locki smiled faintly.
"Welcome, Ron. To Hero Town."
Later
Ron sat in the same room he had fled from earlier.
His clothes were old, worn, and stained with dirt. He hunched forward, eyes fixed on the floor, lost in thought.
Can I trust these people? They seem good… but everything here is so different. This era… these people… it's foreign. Too foreign.
The door creaked open.
The same woman appeared, holding neatly folded clothes.
"You should change, Mr. Ron," she said softly.
Ron didn't look up.
She placed the clothes on the cupboard and left without another word.
Ron stared at the garments. Black pants. A crisp white shirt. Smooth, clean, completely unlike anything he had ever worn.
We never used to wear these… he murmured. The fabric felt strange beneath his fingers, almost alive in its perfection.
He changed quickly, stepping in front of the mirror. His reflection stared back at him — a stranger in a stranger world. His emotions were tangled: confusion, disbelief, and a small spark of curiosity he didn't fully understand.
The door opened again. Locki entered, his presence firm, commanding, impossible to ignore.
"Mr. Ron, you look amazing in those clothes," Locki said with a hint of a grin. "If a woman saw you now, she might just fall for you."
Ron said nothing, his eyes still locked on his reflection.
Locki cleared his throat. "Shall we… take a tour of the town?"
Ron nodded. "Fine."
They stepped into the hallway together. Ron noticed the maids, the blonde-haired man, and the same woman who had brought his clothes.
"Mr. Ron, allow me to introduce everyone properly," Locki began. "I am Locki — head of the Police in Hero Town." He gestured to the blonde man. "This is Finian, my brother."
Finian waved energetically, a broad grin on his face. "Hey!"
"He's outgoing, friendly, and… talks a lot," Locki added, a faint chuckle in his voice.
Locki turned to the woman. "And this is our sister, Liora."
Ron looked at them carefully. "You… look different from Finian and your sister."
Locki nodded. "We have different mothers. Finian and Lyra share the same one."
Ron simply nodded in understanding.
"You'll be staying here, Mr. Ron," Locki said.
Finian stepped forward, placing a hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Welcome to the family, dude."
Ron blinked. A family…
For the first time since he woke up, a small, genuine smile touched his lips.
Everyone froze for a moment in surprise.
Then Finian laughed heartily, patting him lightly on the head. "Hahaha! That's what I like to see."
"Let's go, Mr. Ron," Locki said.
"Are we going somewhere?" Finian asked.
"Yes. I'm going to show Mr. Ron this town," Locki replied.
They walked down the hallway toward the garage. Inside sat a sleek, polished car. Ron froze. He had never seen such a machine — smooth metal, glass, and something that seemed alive with power.
Locki slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. The roar made Ron's heart jump.
The passenger door opened. "Get in," Locki said.
Ron hesitated for only a moment before climbing inside. The seat was soft, the vibrations of the engine running beneath him strange and exhilarating.
The car shot forward, gliding through the streets faster than any horse or carriage he had ever seen. Trees, buildings, and people blurred past his eyes. He could feel the wind whipping against his face, hear the distant hum of modern life, and yet… there was something almost too perfect about it.
Locki pulled into a parking lot. Ron climbed out and glanced at the sign:
James's Café.
He looked around. Houses, shops, lights, people bustling — the world seemed alive, buzzing with energy he had never known.
"Come on," Locki said, leading him inside.
They sat at a table near the window.
Locki leaned back. "So, Mr. Ron… what do you think?"
Ron studied the crowd, the café, the streets beyond. "…People have progressed a lot."
Locki nodded, a faint smile on his face. But Ron's eyes lingered on the shadows across the street, the flicker of movement that didn't quite belong. Something about Hero Town was… different. Not just advanced, but… strange.
And Ron felt, deep in his gut, that this was only the beginning.