Amidst this terrifying and beautiful world in the middle of the ominous fountain. Why there of all places? What were these places even...? It looked nothing at all with what little could be remembered from their previous… Location? World...?

They had to get up. What else could they do? They couldn’t just stand there forever. They had to act. In the distance, they could see someone standing there as if saying they knew exactly what’s going on. So haughty. There was nothing to lose. It’s almost like everyone else was avoiding them. Like everyone feared them. But they had to know the answers.

So he ran to them.

He ran through the fountain as if his life depended on it. They wanted to run away from it all. But it all seemed so distant. She did not at all react to the obvious loud sounds he was making. Was this all a dream? Could he wake up from this nightmare?

There was only one thing left for them to do. They jumped out from the fountain almost like a predator leaping towards their prey. He almost thought that they were going to collide with each other and stumbled his landing. Yet nothing. No response. Was she deaf? Was he dreaming? He had but only try. So he did.

“Stop!”

She slowly and gracefully turned around, just like she had earlier when looking around and saw a young boy gasping for air standing behind her. Well, more like he was holding on to his thighs with his hands while gasping wildly to catch his breath. His heart felt like it was about to burst before he couldn’t feel it anymore. He almost jumped because his first thought was it actually did do so, but instead in that moment, it had stopped instead. He couldn’t describe what he was seeing even if his life had depended on it.

Her pale smooth skin almost radiated as it redirected the sun rays and her royal posture made him feel pressure exerting itself on his shoulders as if hinting at him to bow. Her face was quite plain, but that did not keep away from its stunning beauty, yet quite the opposite, it solidified it further. It almost reminded him of those perfect, yet generic faces people have in all of the art media that he has seen, instead of the face of a living creature.

She had specific soft curves on the cheeks that went to an almost sharp chin and her nose was so small and petite that it was almost unnoticeable. It felt as if it mixed in with the bright light coming from her skin surrounding it. It was a beauty that inspired not desire, but admiration. It felt like he was under the presence of a goddess. Yet she just stood there, silently staring at him without saying a word and with a straight face. Was she testing him? Torturing him? It all felt the same. His nerves couldn’t handle it anymore. That moments glare lasted an eternity. An eternity while his heart had been waiting for it to end just so it can pound once more.

She was blinking from time to time. The only thing signifying he wasn’t under some sort of spell. Her mesmerizing eyes let his mouth agape. Once she even blinked twice in a row. At that moment it even almost seemed like her eyes gave off a deep blue glow then instead, but it simultaneously mixed perfectly with the red contrast so his brain must have just been confused from the rapid motion. Just then did he realise that awkward silence between them. He couldn’t just let this stand. She obviously didn’t have any intention of initiating and he was the one who had bothered her... Was she too shy to answer...? No, it didn’t seem so...

“E-excuse me b-but-”

“Is something the matter?”

What met him was something both completely unexpected and simultaneously the only expected thing for him to hear. Her mellow honey dipped voice. It sounded like it was caressing his ears with its gentle sounds yet it sounded stern and grounded, unshaking. It perfectly fit both her gentle looks and her regal stance.

“N-no, I u-uh...”

Sweat started pouring from his forehead. Why did he have to disturb her? How would he explain to her his mad mans thoughts...? Of how he didn’t even know where he was or what he was surrounded by. It felt like a fairy tale. A fairy tale gone wrong.

“If you have any questions you should ask the curators?”

That same honey laced voice calmed him down and brought him to his senses again.

“Curators...?” He mumbled quietly under his breath, but apparently it was enough for her to hear

“Yes, you see those people standing there a few meters away from the fountain? You can ask them anything that concerns you.”

“I-I see...”

He looked down. He got his answer, the girls’ concerned question was like a blessing from above, but what was he to do now? He had so many questions and they all probably sounded insane to these people... He was at a loss.

“I was just going there myself. Do you wanna come with me?”

He looked up at her surprised at what she had said. His next reply really didn’t have much thought put into it after that.

“-Su-ure”

“Okay, c’mon then.”

She proceeded to instantly turn around and started heading to the person in question. The boy behind her took a second to regain his composure and close his mouth and followed her with a quickened step to catch up to her.

After a short walk in silence, as obvious to any bystander, was awkward about it and couldn’t even walk properly, they finally reached the mysterious curator. Said person looked like a gorgeous human girl, with long and curly pink hair and an angelic smile to compliment her mesmerizing deep blue eyes. As she heard them approaching, she turned in their direction to greet them.

“Hello! How can I be of service to you?”

Her surprisingly cheerful and energetic voice (for someone who presumably stands in one place all day) broke the silence that had persisted till now.

Wait, service...?

“Hello” - The blonde girl responds. “We both just got here so I would like to know what the state of the city is and where the current party in power is located at.”

Wait, what does she mean we got here...? Is she in the same position as me...?

“Yes, of course! The city is currently being protected and watched by the guards on a daily basis. Trade and upkeep are steadily maintained, and no major accidents had happened in recent times.”

Wait, did she have to say that?! The last thing I need is some flags being triggered...

“As for the current powerhouse, the Adventurers Guild is the closest thing to it. It is located down this square, then right to the first major intersection and then left at the end of that T-section.”

“Thank you.” The blond girl responded, followed by her turning to face her companion. “Is there anything else you would like to know?”

The boy just stood there, confused at what had just happened.

“Um, what is this place...?”

The curator responds immediately “This is Erenia, one of the major cities located in Aytelia!”

The blonde girl added “It’s a big city housing a variety of many different kinds of residents that’s highly defended and with a big take in export and adventuring.”

“...

But why are we here...?”

“More importantly now that we’re here what are our options?” - His companion interrupted him.

“The city walls provide protection from immediate dangers and working on guard duty is good and appreciated work. You can also open shops or make use of other commercial endeavours. You can help the local populace or other institutions by also supplementing work there as well or joining one of the official or unofficial organisations like the Adventurers Guild, The Arena, Mages or Fighters Guild. You can also-“

The boy interrupts her this time, distressed. “But is there a way we can go back??”

“Sorry, but we cannot help you with that.” The Curator bowed deeply in response to that question.

“I-I see...” He says with a disappointed tone and looking down a bit. It seems it’s normal for people in his position to wind up here...

“If you are in need of any other help or have more questions please do not hesitate to ask!”

“Thank you. Then should we head over to the Adventurers Guild?”

“Uum, I don’t know...?” The boy responds nervously

“Then let’s do that. Thank you again for your help. We’ll be departing now.”

“Have a safe day.” The curator responds bowling.

The blonde girl just nods with her before she takes off in the directions giving to them. The boy soon follows as does the silence again.

After some time of thinking to himself had passed, he spoke up to his companion.

“What exactly is this place...?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Well, you seem like you know what to do here and don’t look worried in the slightest...”

“Ah...” after a moment’s pause “Well I guess we’ll see what this place is after we get to the Adventurers Guild.”

“I see...” he responds timidly and so the silence joins them again this time until they reach their destination.