Dark Curtain

"In that case, I'll come to pick you up in the evening, that won't ruin your sleep hours. Right?"

Den simply smiled at Shin, who had the urge to comment, "Harassing me at night ruins it enough," but ultimately decided not to say anything and responded with a smile of his own as he watched Den walk away calmly. Afterward, he let out a small sigh and turned to look at his home. He could see that it had a architecture quite similar to the modern era, with brick walls, but the roof seemed to have a more medieval design, mainly made of wood, combining aspects of both eras, which left the young man feeling somewhat perplexed. He didn't know in which era he was standing, and this uncertainty was a constant theme in most things that seemed to exist in an in-between state.

As he turned his gaze toward the windows, he could see a couple of the rooms. His home consisted of only one floor, so some rooms lacked windows. His residence seemed to have a decently spacious front yard and a small backyard. There was a noticeable gap between each house, but having a home of his own was a privilege that came with the fact that his deceased father had been a wealthy merchant. Most people usually had to reside in apartments, and those even lower in the social hierarchy lived in public houses provided by the churches or directly in the parks, trying to avoid the officials or staying on the outskirts of the city.

Some things don't change no matter the world.

While Shin entered his home, he could notice that his younger sister had gone to her classes earlier before he had gone out to talk to Den, and his younger brother was the first to leave the house. His home was completely empty except for himself, which gave him a strange feeling in his heart. A sense of melancholy gently flowed through his body without a clear explanation.

Is this... my own feelings? No, it's Shin's feelings, the ones he left behind...

It's certainly troublesome to deal with these emotions left by him. Even though I don't quite understand why they still exist even after his death. Is it something related to this world? It wouldn't be so strange, to be honest. Since I arrived here and even when I was interrogated using magic, it was always "Shin Hin" that was detected, never "Frank Sanz." It's as if I never existed in the first place.

Shin's steps quickened as his mind pondered various things to avoid the sudden surge of emotions. He soon dressed in his work attire, which consisted mainly of light armor based on chainmail, with certain areas like the shoulders and hands covered by gloves that extended up the arm, or steel shoulder pads, respectively. The rest consisted of long black pants covered by chainmail and a pair of metal plates on each leg, finishing with thick black boots and a leather belt on his hip with small openings to hold things like a sword or a knife. After getting ready, he simply left his home to head to his workplace on the outskirts of the city.

***

The night had finally fallen, and as usual, Shin was the last to arrive home after his hours of work. There was nothing particularly noteworthy to mention. It was a simple security job, and nothing unusual happened, unlike the sounds described in the original Shin's diary. To some extent, he was worried because he could deduce that the sources pointed directly to an Enchanter who wasn't benevolent. He could already imagine the scene of being killed again just by thinking about it.

The door of his house opened, and he found his two younger siblings preparing a bit of food. Ein, on one hand, seemed somewhat irritated as he tried to figure out how his sister skillfully mixed vegetables and chopped the meat. At times, Shin had to admit that his sister had great manual skills, although it wasn't very surprising to him, considering she did woodworking. Shin turned his gaze to the already set plates on the wooden table in the living room. It was a simple soup with some vegetables and a bit of meat. Meat was quite valuable in this place, giving a distinct flavor to the meals, but compared to the food in his original world, it was somewhat inferior.

"I see you worked together this time."

"You told me real Guardians help their sisters cook!"

In response to the boy's comment, Mirai would smile slightly as she continued with her cooking. Shin simply sat down at the table with a small laugh.

So, he used tactics like mine too? Or maybe it has something to do with still sharing his customs and emotions. Yes, perhaps my idea was actually his.

Shin thought as he waited for his siblings to take their seats to start eating. Being from the contemporary era in his previous world and raised with values quite different from those in periods like the modern or medieval, he was certainly concerned. However, during his time at work, he had passed by the churches, and memories were being reconstructed. It appeared that in the city of Cobalt, the prevailing church believed in the "God of Stars and Constellations." According to their revelations, they denied any degradation of any person, as their Bible mentioned that "stars" existed within every living being, making everyone internally equivalent and deserving of the same treatment.

Of course, there were a couple of other churches corresponding to apparent gods called "Deity of Melodies and Myths" and "God of Fire and War." The church of the former seemed to indicate that gender shouldn't matter as long as the stories or songs they created were interesting. It seemed to be more about respecting any artist, regardless of their gender, and since everyone could potentially be an artist, they received a certain level of respect. Hence, many of its believers were poets, painters, or even writers. If someone chose a path outside of the arts, they were subtly rejected, as it was considered "barbaric." The latter god's followers placed power above all else, whether it stemmed from intelligence or strength. This made its followers arrogant and even annoying, excluding anyone who didn't excel in an area where power played a role. This generated discrimination against women who were less inclined toward power and men seeking peace or art. They were rejected by the followers of the Deity of Melodies and Myths, and the followers of the Morning Star Deity were neutral, respecting their beliefs but not following them.

"Was it a tough day today?"

Mirai's voice pulled Shin out of his thoughts, focusing on her. She had sat next to her brothers a while ago. He simply smiled as he began to eat.

"It wasn't too bad; nothing unusual happened, as usual."

Mirai, who had been attentive to her brother's response, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief upon realizing that nothing dangerous had occurred. Shin then looked at his two siblings.

"How was your day?"

"Today, some bullies tried to mess with me because I don't have a dad."

Ein said, which made Shin and Mirai feel a heavy heart for everyone present, and it was especially difficult for their little brother, who was the target of this persecution.

Should I teach those bullies a lesson? It's not like they would suspect me since they're Guardian candidates. It could be anyone. Plus, I'll make sure they don't talk about it...

Shin thought internally while Mirai approached to check her brother.

"Are you okay? You didn't tell me about this. Did they hurt you?"

Mirai tried to look for any visible injuries on her brother, but she noticed that he didn't have any. At that moment, Ein only smiled, quite proud of himself, and commented the following.

"I beat them up until they left. The practice with Shin allowed me to handle those idiots easily!"

That's my champion! "I see. But in the future, try not to always solve problems with force unless it's absolutely necessary. Okay?"

Shin commented with a smile that was filled with pride for his little brother's effective brawling skills. Mirai looked at Shin in acceptance. She wasn't particularly upset or against the use of force, as she understood that sometimes the only way to stand up to others is by showing that you're not an easy target. In a way, she also felt proud of her brother.

The conversation continued with Mirai discussing how her day at school had gone, her attendance in class, and various topics. As the family noticed the nighttime darkness enveloping their windows, they made preparations for sleep. Once their siblings had fallen into a deep slumber, Shin carefully left his home while waiting in his yard, which was adorned by the deep darkness of the night. It was his second night in this world, so this time, he paid more attention to his surroundings. When he looked up at the moon, he noticed that it was in the shape of a crescent since the other half was devoured by darkness. For some reason, he expected to see a crimson moon when he lifted his gaze, but it was a simple white color.

This world has quite a few similarities to the original one; there doesn't seem to be that much difference...

During his inspection, he suddenly heard a strange melody traveling through the air. As it reached him, it made him vibrate slightly, leaving a disconcerting feeling in this environment dominated by darkness itself. Within the shadows, the figure of a young man with a long dark blue trench coat approached, lightly whistling until he was fully revealed.

"How's my melody? To be honest, I thought I'd have to wake you up, but it seems you're dedicated."

I think silence would suit you better... "Haha, it's a habit of the Guardians."

"I need you to follow me. Not far from here, there's someone who will require your cooperation."

Isn't that what they tell everyone before an interrogation?

Shin and Den walked quietly through the darkened streets. It was a bit challenging for Shin to see the path in some places, but Den seemed to navigate without any issues. With skill and familiarity, he led the way farther from the central areas of the city. This continued for a while until they finally reached a dead-end alley near the city's outskirts. Seeing this, Shin looked around without understanding why they had stopped in such a place.

They're not going to "silence" me, right? "Where are we? I thought we were going to meet someone."

"Patience, come."

Den casually placed his hand on the wall and whispered a word that Shin couldn't hear. The section of the wall where the young man with light brown hair had placed his hand slowly formed an illusory door that materialized, as if that part of the wall were just an illusion. Gradually, the door swung open, revealing an interior with various furniture and shelves. That dead-end alley had opened into a fully decorated room.

"Ladies first."

Den said with a smile to Shin, who was trying to refrain from punching the annoying Enchanter. But considering that he was a real magic user, he would have to endure it for a while longer. Without responding, he walked into the room, where he found a figure reading a book. It was a man with long, black hair, and his attire consisted of an elegant suit composed of a white shirt and a black tuxedo, reflecting a style more common in the modern era. This suggested that he was part of the nobility because, as Shin remembered, only they could afford such extravagant clothing. It was a luxury rather than a rule.

"Shin Hin, correct?"

The man calmly commented in his tone, which made Shin feel less tense than before.

"That's right. How should I address you?"

"You can call me Mr. Dwan. I wouldn't want to waste your time, so I'll get straight to the point. As you were found at the scene of extreme violence, being the sole unharmed survivor, I've been called to get to the bottom of the matter. For that, I require your simple cooperation."

"I understand, I'll do what I can to help."

"Please take a seat, then."

Shin didn't object or feel offended by the mistrust. It was a suspicion he would have as well in a similar situation: a strange soldier who seemed to have no connection to magic survived an assault by an Enchanter in which everyone else was killed. When Shin took a seat, Dwan calmly observed him and gently closed his book. As the sound occurred, everything turned dark in Shin's vision, as if he were falling into a dream. However, he could remain lucid, and he noticed that his clothes were very different from what he had been wearing; in fact, they were the clothes he knew very well—his Earth attire!

Initially, he felt confusion as he walked through that sea of darkness. Gradually, small lights would bloom from the abyss, and upon touching them, memories of Earth would rush back. He saw himself playing video games, hanging out with friends, or talking to his parents. It was a vision that initially filled him with sadness but later with concern. He realized that if these were his memories, perhaps the magic the other person used was related to reviewing his memories. If they saw the memories of "Frank Sanz," his most intimate secret would be revealed, leading to unwanted situations. He looked around to see if he could spot a man with dark, long hair walking around, but to his surprise, he was alone in this place, baffled. He slowly walked through the area, guided by the lights of his own memories, which were like lanterns that could help him navigate this abyss. Finally, he reached the end of those small lights, which was the last memory he had before transmigrating—himself reading a novel before closing his eyes. In front of that memory, something stood out quite a bit.

Floating and expanding endlessly on either side was a dark curtain.

Chapter end