Arin woke up on damp ground, covered with a thin layer of mist, and the air clung to his skin as if trying to prevent him from breathing freely.
He wasn't sure if what he was seeing was reality or an endless dream, a strange feeling pressing on his chest, making every step heavy.
Before his eyes stretched a dense, limitless forest, its trees intertwined as if whispering to each other, every movement appearing deliberate, as if it were watching him.
The silence was absolute, even his breaths sounded loud amid this strange stillness, as if the entire world monitored every heartbeat.
He looked around with hesitant eyes, trying to find any logic in what was happening, attempting to connect the previous moment in the narrow alley, the mysterious void he had seen, and the forest that seemed to have emerged from a living nightmare.
But what shocked him the most was his own body.
He raised his hand before his eyes, and his heart jumped suddenly.
His fingers were longer, his skin smoother, and his hair fell on his shoulders in a dark yellow shade.
He didn't recognize himself at that moment. His body wasn't his, his voice wasn't his… even the echo of his steps sounded strange.
"Who am I now? How did this happen? And why am I here?"
He whispered to himself, as if carrying the weight of the question with his entire being.
Then he noticed something in the mist.
A small, old cabin, leaning on the verge of collapse, among the silent trees, seeming like a destination from another world.
He hesitated for a moment, then pushed himself toward the cabin, his steps unsteady, reflecting both curiosity and danger at once.
The walls were covered with mysterious engravings, ancient symbols he didn't understand, yet they seemed… alive in a way, as if they were watching him.
When he placed his hand on the door, he felt a gentle warmth spreading through his skin, a strange warmth his mind could not explain.
He pushed the door slowly, and a long creak tore through the silence.
The darkness inside the cabin was dense, but it wasn't empty.
A slow, subtle movement, a feeling that someone was watching him from the depths.
When his eyes fell on the creature, Arin froze.
Unbelievable in size, terrifying in beauty, a presence that filled the entire space.
Then he heard the voice, deep, arrogant, yet carrying a strange gentleness:
"You're wondering about me… aren't you?
Even I don't know how you got here without sensing my presence.
You are now in my forest… the silent forest.
I didn't expect a human to dare enter.
Tell me, where did you come from? How did you arrive?"
Arin trembled, possessed by a strange feeling, a mix of fear and awe:
"Am I really hearing this? Is… it talking to me?"
The dragon continued, its voice like distant thunder, yet hinting at something peculiar:
"It seems you are still in shock. That's alright…
But what truly surprises me is your energy.
Why can't I sense all your mana?
Are you using some kind of magic to hide yourself?"
Arin felt a prick in his heart, as if the dragon knew more than it should:
"Magic… mana… what does he mean? And why is he watching me so closely?"
The dragon laughed, a laugh that shook the place, yet it was far from comforting:
"You don't know the meaning of mana and magic? This world is built upon them.
I am truly curious… I see… you are different.
Consider that for a moment, isn't it strange, human?"
Arin felt a strange prick, as if the dragon's words were not innocent:
"Is he telling the full truth… or trying to deceive me?
Yet he… sometimes seems sincere… but he pressures me in a hidden way."
Arin slowly regained his breath and began thinking internally:
"A world built on magic… then this isn't my world.
The events, the dragon, everything… strange, yet real.
If he discovers my full truth… I won't last long here."
The dragon interrupted him again, this time speaking lightly, yet still planting questions:
"You have arrived at exactly the right time,
It seems your presence here is linked to something you have yet to realize."
Arin raised his head cautiously:
"The right time? What does that mean?"
The dragon smiled, his eyes sparkling like stars:
"My name is Shane, one of the five legendary beings, known as the Nebula Dragon.
I am tired of this closed life, and I want to leave this endless cabin."
Arin felt cautious, recording every word:
"An endless cabin… or is it a trick?
He speaks confidently, yet hints at things… hidden things.
Is he trying to get me out? Or just testing me?
Everything seems calculated… carefully."
Arin stammered in astonishment:
"A world? We are inside a cabin… aren't we? What exactly is happening here?"
Shane responded calmly and majestically:
"What you see is not as it seems… this cabin is merely a shell.
Inside it is a vast, limitless world.
My solitude… and my boredom forced me to search for a companion.
You are now here, and you will be my companion. I need you."
Arin felt inner confusion, though he didn't show it:
"The words seem sincere, yet suspicious at the same time…
Every word carries a double meaning… or perhaps more than one meaning."
He lowered his head and whispered:
"My past life was hell… I will never return to it."
Then he lifted his gaze firmly, with a sharp look, and said:
"Alright, Shane… I will accept. I will be your companion.
But I must watch every step, every word… nothing will be as it seems."