I sat outside at a table far from anyone else. The warmth of the sun bathed my neck, as I enjoyed the taste of my scone. The fruit preserve topping tasted as fresh as if I was eating it ripe. The warm tea was just the right temperature. The flavors bloomed inside my mouth ushering a sense of nostalgia for my homeworld. I longed to return imagining the impossible.

A strong wind whipped my hair towards my face, breaking my trance. Chills ran down my spine. The skies were clear, so the presence of wind was illogical. Though I tried to placate my mind, my body wouldn’t move. My heart was racing. I could hear something large crash against the wall behind me. However, it seemed as if none of the other patrons had heard anything. Was I being illogical? I turned around my curiosity finally getting the best of me. Nothing was there. I couldn’t have imagined it all. Unnerved, I recalled the prudent proverb, if you ignore your worries, they will eventually go away. Thus, I finished my scone and decided I would head to the city archives to learn more about the world.

Once I entered the archives, I began searching for any book that could help me better acclimate. My eyes focused on Epicus əv Cæb, a summary of the creation of Cæb, and its most important history. It read:

“ Mother Cæb was lonely as she was a desolate land,

she wished to her maker that from her womb she could spring new life.

Out of the grounds spat uni-and mazi and their counterparts

kako and chori. They begat children.

As life began to prosper, kako and chori began to covet

all things for themselves, in a fit of rage,

they murdered uni-and mazi upsetting mother world Cæb.

Kako and chori were cursed and transformed into monstrous creatures,

cursing their seed for all eternity.

However, mother Cæb also declared that she would bless those in the land,

whose hearts were pure with magic.

In hopes that the opposing attributes would one day lead to

her children's reconciliation, as she bestowed her blessing mother Cæb’s

life force faded away”

The story of the creation was touching but monsters and magic were a bit much. I recalled the many mangas I had read. It rarely ended well for the protagonist. I held back vomit. Why did I have to land in a world with monsters and even if I did have some sort of magic, how would I know how to use it? I decided I had done enough reading for the day, I was going to head back to my bed and wallow in self-pity. I returned the book to its shelf. As I was replacing it, a strong draft chilled the room, pushing my hair forward and causing a few the books to fall. Again! I hollered. The archivist signaled for me to quiet down. Anyone would react like this I presumed. Did she not notice what had just occurred? Nonetheless, I now knew it was not my imagination , I was sure that something malevolent was toying with me.