Under stained glass, a crystal was embraced by the sunlight which filtered through decorated windows. Brittle, pitiful, resilient— it rested on top of a pedestal. Erika was alone in this room appropriate for a fantasy film. Was she in one piece? Her arms and legs sported no injuries. She checked her pockets and frowned. No phone, no identification. The young woman remembered how she ended up in this situation.
Jobs, interviews, taxes— all heavy weights on her shoulder. A family reunion she expected. And the moment she stepped into the building of nostalgia, they would pester her with questions: What are your plans? Did you get accepted into graduate school? Are you interested in someone? To escape the acceptance of reality, Erika walked into the comfort of nature. The earthy smell of trees and a gentle breeze allowed her to forget. It was to forget the meaning of "an adult."
The awakening of dusk guided Erika back, but she took a detour. As a result, she found a fairy circle; curiosity led her to step into the ring of mushrooms. Fireflies swarmed from the surrounding trees before a light swallowed her whole.
"Miiko, I think it would be best to listen to my proposal."
"Poison...huh. Did you talk to Ykhar about it?"
A woman and man headed in Erika's direction. She hid behind the pedestal and heard their footsteps stop nearby. With a racing heart, Erika stole a peek. This 'Miiko' wore attire as if she were someone out of a Japanese historical drama, minus the fox ears, tails and an unusual stave; the other a uniform suited for an organization of scholars. His pointed ears looked too realistic, however.
"It falls within our budget," he said.
"There's no precedent of investing into poison besides for medicinal purposes."
" Aren't you erring on the side of caution? What good is a leader with a crumbling spine?"
"You asked for my opinion, Ezarel."
"I didn't ask for an indecisive one."
In that moment, the woman glanced toward Erika's hiding spot. Whispering ensued, and she failed to catch even a word. Erika held her breath while footsteps headed in another direction. Doors shut. Were they gone?
"I won't bite. Unless you're interested in stabbing me from behind."
Someone grabbed Erika, and she tried to run; however, nails dug into Erika's arm. The kitsune threw her to the side, and fire overflowed from the hanging cage attached to Miiko's stave. It dripped to the ground and spread like liquid. A strange chant reached Erika's ears, but before she recovered, fire erupted around her. Miiko watched as the girl trembled within a cage of azure flames.
"Will you tell me your name?"
"...E-Erika."
"State your purpose."
"I-I don't know. There was this ring of mushrooms and t-then these lights appeared…"
"I see." After moments of contemplation, the cage dissipated and Miiko held out her hand toward Erika. "Would you like a room to stay in?"
"…What? Why are you-"
"You appear to need a place to collect your thoughts. Do you feel unwell? We have an infirmary headed by our best nurse."
"…No thanks."
The doors opened again. Miiko spoke in an unfamiliar language to the newly arrived group of Ezarel and others. Meanwhile, Erika covered her mouth as the stench of blood wafted into her nose. It came from one cloaked in gray and black who noticed her. He smiled and revealed two, prominent fangs.
"Jamon, take this woman to one our spare rooms and stand guard. She's not to leave unless you're escorting her," Miiko said.
The ogre of the group grunted and made a gesture toward Erika. Everyone else stayed silent until she and Jamon left the room.
"The girl looked quite delicious. If you haven't come up with a plan, why don't you let me deal with her?"
Miiko sighed. "Nevra, now's not the time to be thinking of dinner. I asked how the girl suddenly came here, but I doubt she told me the truth."
"Ho, not throwing them into a prison cell like before? I'm very impressed," he said. "Who's to keep an eye on her? We are all very busy with the Guard's examinations."
Miiko set her gaze on Ezarel. He muttered something before he forced a smile.
"All right. Since no one else" —he glared at everyone else— "is speaking up, I'll take responsibility. But I want to discuss other matters first since we're all gathered here."
"This is room. Not allowed to leave. Yell if need something."
With the door shut behind her, Erika felt relieved. As if her encounter with Miiko was jarring, weirder people stared at her when she walked through the corridor. Some gazes were out of intrigue, out of hatred, or out of killing intent. She plopped onto the bed and further relaxed in the soft mattress. She looked at the other pieces of furniture. The room's décor felt reminiscent of a garden— not a speck of dust to be found either.
What sort of cosplayer convention is this place? Or maybe it's a dream. Maybe she fell asleep while in the woods. It wasn't the first time it happened, and lucid dreaming wasn't a stranger to Erika. Before she could think further, someone knocked on the door. That person with the scholar outfit entered. Neither made the initiative to speak first. Unable to bear a stifling silence, Erika coughed.
"You are...?"
"If you have any questions, please ask." He paused. "Oh, we should introduce ourselves. Ezarel."
"Erika. Why are you here?"
"...A sort of friend, if you want to think of it like that. Consider me an ally at least."
"And what is this place?"
"Eldarya. Specifically, you're in the General Headquarters located in the City of Eel. A makeshift home to different types of Faeries."
"Wait, Faeries?!"
"Chimera, werewolves, mermaids. You can meet all sorts of fantastical and mystical individuals."
"You're kidding! There's no way…" Her attention was drawn to Ezarel's appearance again.
"I'm not an elf? Oh, I assure you, I am. You could even touch my ears and find they're real. Then again, I don't like being touched, so that's not an option."
"Are you serious? …Even if this whole…Eldarya-thing isn't a joke— "
"It's not a joke, I'm afraid. This is reality. A hopeless reality, but reality nonetheless."
After a long series of questions and answers, complicated feelings bubbled within Erika. All the information she learned from Ezarel was still in the process of being accepted: maana, magic, the Guard of Eel, etc. The click of a door caught her attention.
"Where are you going?"
"I have business to attend. Shouldn't you ask what you're going to do?" Ezarel took a step outside. "In the case you start feeling more comfortable and want something to keep yourself occupied, I could use some assistance. Tell Jamon I asked you to go to the alchemy laboratory. Goodbye."
Erika began to massage her temples, and she even pinched herself. This wasn't a dream as much as she wished. After organizing her thoughts, she decided on one priority— she had to return home.
A/N:Hi! So, I decided to try and retell the main game plot in my own way. Thank you for reading the first chapter of this small project. Don't be shy to review the story at any point. And if you like, feel free to share this with your friends! I'll also be using these notes to add in supplemental lore/wordbuilding content to my AU. Feel free to skip those if you want, haha.