Alfred's bed shook beneath him as though the ground itself was alive. His body stirred, and then a blinding light poured in from all directions. Groaning, he forced his eyes open.
At first, everything was a haze, shapes melting together, colors bleeding into one another. Strange voices reached his ears, sharp and foreign, none of it making sense.
Blinking rapidly, his vision began to clear. His breath hitched. He was still lying on his bed, his blanket tangled around him, but the room he knew was gone. Instead, he was surrounded by a wide circle etched with glowing patterns, pulsing like veins of fire — a magic circle.
"Ilembor mel hashis?" one of the robed figures asked, their voice firm yet cautious.
"What? What language are you even speaking?" Alfred's voice cracked with confusion.
He froze, then rubbed his temples, suddenly wearing an expression as if he recognized what was happening. Slowly, he sat up, elbows resting on his knees, hands pressed against his head.
"Translation on," he muttered.
A metallic voice echoed in his skull: [Translation turning on]
The noise around him shifted, Instantly, the murmurs around him shifted into words he could understand.
Alfred exhaled, half in disbelief, half in relief. So… that's what this is. A dream, he thought.
Lifting his right hand lazily, he said, "Give me a glass of water."
The moment the words left his lips, the crowd erupted in whispers.
"Didn't you hear the hero?" a commanding voice boomed. "Bring our hero a glass of water!"
Alfred blinked, then chuckled. "Ha ha ha…"
'A hero? Really? Must be the side effect of watching too many animes. I should've listened to my father and stopped watching them.'
"Our hero is beautiful."
"He is hot."
"What a handsome man."
The murmurs overlapped, filled with awe and admiration.
'Handsome? Me? I never even admired my own face… Maybe I really was beautiful. Ah, but right, it's a dream.'
He rose slowly from the bed. The movement only intensified the whispers around him.
'They're commenting on every single thing I do.'
A woman in a maid's dress stepped out from the crowd, hands trembling as she held out a silver goblet of water. "S-Sir Hero, here is your glass of water."
Alfred took it with a faint smile. "Thank you."
The maid instantly flushed red and hurried back into the crowd. Alfred tilted the goblet in his hand but didn't drink. Instead, his gaze swept across the gathered people.
"Where is the king? And who summoned me here?"
The question silenced the room. For a long breath, no one spoke, until finally a man dressed in noble attire stepped forward. His posture was refined, his clothes immaculate, though his eyes carried unease.
"Our king resides in the capital city, Sir Hero," he said respectfully. Then, after a pause, he added, "And… no one here summoned you. You came to us on your own. You arrived automatically, Sir Hero."
'I guess that's how it would be in a dream.'
Alfred lowered his gaze to the goblet in his hand. It wasn't just a plain cup, the craftsmanship was flawless. Etched into the silver was the coiling form of a dragon, its eyes glinting as though alive under the glow of the circle.
He tilted it, about to take a sip, when something brushed against his eyes. Long strands of hair. He frowned and moved them aside, then froze.
The hair wasn't his usual dark brown. Under the reflection of the water, it shimmered pure white.
"A… white hair," he muttered without thinking.
Everyone looked at him, so he quickly added, "Sorry."
'White hair? Wow… how would I even look like this? I've never imagined myself with this kind of style. Actually… it looks kind of cool.'
Setting the goblet down, he lifted his chin. "Bring me a mirror."
Instantly, the command was echoed by the crowd. "Bring our Sir Hero a mirror!"
Alfred pinched the bridge of his nose. 'How many times are they going to call me Sir Hero? If this dream keeps going like this, I might lose my mind.'
Before the mirror arrived, the nobleman stepped forward again, bowing slightly. "Where are you from, Sir Hero?"
Alfred smirked. "I'm from a planet called Earth. Have you ever heard of it?"
The noble's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, Sir Hero, I understand now! I have heard the legends of Earth, how brave warriors from that distant land were summoned in ages past to defend our world from great peril. Your arrival gives us hope that such heroes still walk among us."
Alfred leaned back a little, holding in a laugh.
'So they really are going with the cliché… Heroes from Earth saving their world. Classic dream logic. This is straight out of an anime script.'
Then the mirror arrived. This time another maid stepped forward, holding it carefully with both hands. Her eyes wouldn't meet his.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Alfred said with an easy smile.
Just like the first maid, her cheeks turned crimson, and she retreated quickly back into the crowd.
Alfred slowly lifted the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, familiar, yet not.
'Is this me? Oh no… this isn't me. Wait. My face shape is almost the same, but my hair… it's completely white. And longer than usual.'
He tilted his head, letting the long strands fall across his shoulders.
'Maybe it's because this is a dream?'
Lowering the mirror, he looked at the nobleman. "What is my purpose in this world? What am I supposed to do?"
The nobleman stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Sir Hero, the demon horde draws nearer with every passing day. Towns fall, families scatter, and despair grows in every heart. Without your strength to stand against them, our world will surely be lost."
Alfred blinked.
'Really? Do I have to face demons? Hell no. I'll wake up before the night even ends.'
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Of course. I'll save your world. Don't worry about anything."
He said it almost mockingly, but the people gasped in relief, their faces lighting up with hope.
Alfred's eyebrow twitched.
'Really?'
Then, a spark of curiosity flickered in his eyes.
'I'm in a dream world. Anything is possible. So… let's try some magic before I wake up.'
Alfred pointed his hand straight at the crowd. "Move," he said calmly.
The people in front of him instantly shuffled aside without hesitation.
'Okay… at least that worked.'
Then he raised his arm higher, voice louder and more confident. "Avra Kedabra!"
He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for a flash, a spark, anything. Slowly, he opened one eye. Nothing.
The nobleman tilted his head. "Sir Hero… what are you doing?"
Alfred cleared his throat. "Nothing. Just testing the place, that's all."
He turned his head slightly, muttering under his breath. 'I guess it doesn't work like that.'
The noble stepped closer. "Sir, may I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure," Alfred said, trying to look important.
"What is your name, Sir Hero?"
Alfred smirked to himself.
'Great. I was already tired of hearing this "Sir Hero" thing. And finally, the moment I always wanted in the real world. Even if this is just a dream, I'm going to say it. The name reveal moment of a hero.'
He straightened his back. "I am the one who went toe to toe with Zeus himself."
The crowd immediately broke into whispers.
"Who is Zeus? Do you know who he is?"
"No… maybe he's an evil man."
Alfred froze.
'Oh, crap. They don't know him. Strange, they live inside my memory, but don't know Zeus. All right… let's try something new.'
"I'm the one who survived the Battle of Judgement, the past and the future."
Gasps rippled through the hall.
'Looks like that one worked. Good. Let's keep going.'
"Faced the blood-sucking demons for many years and won each time."
'…I meant the nurses taking my blood samples.'
"And the only one who faced the most dangerous evils even at my weakest times."
'This one's personal. That presentation I did while having a viral fever.'
He drew a breath, then raised his chin dramatically. "I… am… Dracula."
'…I totally blew it.'
A heartbeat of silence, and then the room erupted.
"All hail Sir Hero Dracula!"
Just like that, Alfred Miller, a high school kid, son of a former gangster became Dracula in another world.