Why's it foggy...
That was the first thing he felt when he woke up. A fog in his mind that was dense and thick. A mist that held his mind hostage before it slowly started to fade, retreating so that he could think but not remember.
Where... am... I...
He slowly opened his eyes, his mind shifting numbly as he sat up and looked around—a single room with a single mattress and a toilet in the corner. A sink to the left held a mirror above it, cracked towards the bottom corner like someone took a hammer to it.
Where am I?
The last thing he remembered was... what was it again?
There was a bright light...
He remembered that much; he remembered a bright light. A bluish-white light, so bright and brilliant it was like looking into the sun. He had it burned into his memory, and immediately after it, he remembered...
Pain...
A bone-chilling pain.
It was cold...
He remembered an excruciating pain that made him feel like his body was freezing to the bone. That felt like ice had clawed its way into his muscles and was spreading, converting him into an icicle from the inside out...
He remembered that pain, but he remembered it fading eventually...
Then it was dark, and now it was just...
Foggy.
What else... there's got to be something else... right?
He was sure there had to be something else, but he couldn't remember it. He just recalled light and cold and pain and...
And...
That's it?
That was all he remembered, nothing before and nothing after.
He didn't remember anything else...
Well, except for a few things.
This is so weird...
He at least remembered basic things, like words and language. He remembered what things were called; thankfully, his body remembered how to function correctly.
He would have been screwed if he had forgotten how to breathe.
So he guessed he was lucky, since he remembered all the basic things about... well, about living, but nothing specific. Nothing that told him who he was or where he was...
He really wanted to know where he was if he was being honest.
What room even is this...
There was only one door from the looks of it, and he didn't even have a bed. He was sitting on a dingy mattress on the ground, and that was all. Everything was cartoonishly big, too, for whatever reason.
Why is it so-
'Click'
He flinched as he heard the door to the room click open, moving his head toward it on instinct. Pausing, he saw an incredibly tall person walking into the room. His strange, red, priest-like robe gave off bad vibes, especially with the baggy red mask that covered his face and fell over it, making it so that there wasn't an inch of skin out in the open. A straight back and regal gait that screamed professionalism and confidence, like he owned this room and everything in it.
Why's he so tall? And why is he wearing that? Is he like a weird spirit doctor?
His question went unanswered as the person, who he decided to call the doctor, looked over to him, his head tilting in what could have been considered a sneer, "Well, glad you're awake, Number 17. You almost gave us a scare."
He blinked in surprise, his voice quieter than he remembered, "Number 17? But I'm not Number 17... I'm-"
"SHUT UP!"
He froze as the doctor yelled at him, his body subconsciously curling in on itself as the doctor walked towards him. He realized a second too late that a boot was heading toward his face.
Why am I...
He raised his arms to defend himself, realizing too late that his arms were smaller than he remembered. His fingers were tiny and underdeveloped, and he suddenly knew all too well why the sink was too big, and the man was too tall.
I'm younger...
The revelation did little to help him as the doctor kicked him out of the mattress, his body flying onto the ground as he felt a bone crack. His breath sped up as the scientist kept kicking his prone form; he could only curl into a ball and try to weather the storm.
What's going on?
The question rang through his head as the doctor continued his assault, finally stopping as he lay limply on the ground. The doctor scoffed at his trembling figure before dusting himself off and speaking in an icy voice.
"Listen, Number 17. I don't care what you think. You have no name. You have no beliefs. You are nothing and will do as your told, or next time we won't bother saving you, do you understand."
He gulped, his body aching as he nodded. His mind was sluggish from the pain, but the fear he felt almost instinctively kept him from speaking. A warning so clear and crisp he could have sworn it was etched somewhere on his brain.
If I speak, it'll only get worse...
So he stayed quiet as the doctor scoffed, "Good. Now you'll have a break for the rest of the day; the experiments will continue tomorrow. We'll mark you as defective if you talk about anything like a name, freedom, or anything like that. Is that clear?"
He nodded again as he kept his eyes on the floor. He only breathed a silent sigh of relief when he heard the doctor turn away from him. The slow and measured footsteps that walked away from him sounded like church bells to his ears.
"Ah yes, since you seem to have forgotten some of your memories, let me tell you a few things..."
He tensed before he looked up at the doctor waiting by the door, "Don't bother thinking or doing anything. Just be useful."
He nodded, his mind racing as the scientist started chuckling. His confusion only deepened as he saw the scientist roll up the sleeves of his lab coat and point an open palm at him.
What's he talking about? Magic? That's insane. What's going on? And why is he...
"Smoke Magic: Daydream"
His thoughts stopped as he saw a glowing circle coming out of the man's hand. A purple smoke billowed out of it as his consciousness started to fade.
Why did that look familiar?
He didn't know, and he couldn't remember why he didn't know. Yet, for some reason, he knew that the doctor had lied to him. He knew it because one of the few things he remembered clearly was his name...
My name isn't 17...
He remembered that clearly and thought it to himself even as he succumbed to the dark depths of his sleeping thoughts.
My name's Vera.
Even as he dreamt of a magical story called Fairy Tail.
The second time Vera woke up, he was still in the place the scientist had left him, probably asleep for a couple of hours since the bruises still stung. None of that mattered, though, as the most pressing thing in his mind was something far more critical.
I'm in Fairy Tail...
He had realized it after seeing the magic circle the doctor used; it was evident since he had the story carved into his psyche along with his name.
Holy shit, I'm in Fairy Tail.
Vera took a second to fully process that he was in the fun and kind of stupid story he had read... or maybe he watched it? He couldn't remember; it was a little fuzzy...
Everything was a little fuzzy.
Ugh...
Vera groaned as he got a stinging pain in his head as he tried to think further on the details, shaking his head as he decided to move on. Realizing that the more he tried to pry into his foggy memories, the more it hurt.
Dammit...
Vera shook his head, gritting his teeth as he stood up. He took a moment to orient himself before glancing at his small arms and tiny fingers with a frown.
"How old am I anyway?"
Vera frowned as he heard his voice, lighter yet dryer than he remembered. He rubbed his throat before deciding to stop speaking so his voice could rest.
It sounds like I'm young...
Vera stored that thought for later before he looked at his arms, fully internalizing that they were smaller. Smaller and thinner, just like the rest of his body. They moved like a memory of his younger self, except that a closer inspection revealed they were covered in tiny scars, some crescent in shape and some flatter. Almost like...
It looks like fingernails... and the others look like bite marks?
Vera shivered, tapping one and forcing down a swell of nausea as he saw the lining of his fingernail fit in like a puzzle piece. A horrifying puzzle piece that fits with the other tiny puzzle pieces to paint a grim picture.
Ugh... I'm going to be sick...
Vera had to force himself not to vomit, shaking his head as he tried to focus on something else. His mind was still whirling as he moved toward the mirror to see what he looked like.
Wow...
Vera's breath caught in his throat as he caught his pale and thin reflection, the cracked mirror reflecting the dark bags under his eyes and his sickly disposition.
I look awful...
Vera wouldn't be surprised if he keeled over at any moment; he was surprised he was even standing correctly. If he saw a kid with this kind of body...
A kid...
Wait, how old was he?
Am I ten? Maybe eleven...
Vera was smaller than he thought he was supposed to be, almost like a sixth sense telling him his arms should be longer and heavier. A sixth sense that whispered he should have more meat on his bones and more muscle to keep him upright.
Am I sick?
He was wearing a light blue gown that sickly patients would usually wear, and his skin was still as pale as usual, with onyx black hair to match it. His eyes were a deep red and held the same bright shade that had been a foggy memory of his past.
Honestly, everything's the same... well, mostly...
He glanced again at his arms; the clean expanse his sixth sense told him that he once had, was now completely covered in small scars. It was a sight that made him shiver; even as he lifted his gown and saw that they were the only scars left on his tiny body...
Or at least the only ones that stayed...
Vera frowned at the stray thought, shaking his head as he looked back at the mirror. For some reason, he knew that the kid staring back at him probably should have had more scars than the ones on his arms.
It was a hunch, a feeling that came as naturally as the numb sensation from the bruises the doctor had left on him. It was the only reason he could stand without screaming in pain; it just didn't...
It didn't feel out of place.
Like his body had sported those bruises so often, it got used to carrying them around.
Then why did the scars stay... were they from the 'incident' that doctor talked about?
That was his best guess; the scars felt a little tender still, so maybe the 'incident' was the reason for them.
What was the 'incident'?
Vera felt he should know what it was, but he didn't. He didn't remember it, but he did remember one thing, at least instinctively.
The 'incident' is probably why my memory is foggy...
Vera felt that was a reasonable assumption, even if he couldn't confirm it.
How bad was the incident then... how... ugh... it's hurting again.
Vera winced as his head started pounding, rubbing his temples as he ignored the mystery of the 'incident' and instead focused on the information he had at the moment.
The doctor said they saved my life... that means I'm at least a little valuable to them.
If he were as close to death as the doctor had claimed, they wouldn't have saved him unless he had a purpose. That meant his life wasn't in danger now; the only problem was...
What do I do?
Assuming Vera was in Fairy Tail like he thought he was, he didn't know where he was in the story. Hell, he didn't even know where he was in general. He might not even be in Fiore; if that was the case, he was screwed.
Seriously... my luck is the worst...
He was in whatever dark part of Fairy Tail that never got mentioned or brought up. Dark guilds or something like that, and from what he could tell...
I'm a nobody...
He didn't recognize his character, at least not at the point he had gotten to in the story.
Where was I in the story anyways...
Vera frowned as he concentrated on what he remembered, gritting his teeth as he pushed through his messed up mind and got to the last point in the story he remembered.
The S class trials...
Vera vaguely remembered the middle of the S class trials, which gave him a few arcs of knowledge to work with—things he immediately used to try and figure out where he might be in the story.
Ok... assuming that everything I know about the story is accurate and that I'm even remotely close to when the story takes place, I don't show up at all...
He was sure there wasn't a person like him in the story, with black hair, red eyes, and a dark past. He didn't remember anyone like that...
Unless he was secretly Gajeel's long-lost, less muscular, less healthy, non-dragon slayer cousin.
No... definitely not in the story. Unless I showed up later...
It was a possibility, but he wouldn't bet on it. The odds weren't looking good from his point of view, and even if he did end up appearing in the story...
He would most likely end up being a villain.
If he went off the little speech the doctor gave him, this place wasn't intended to raise human beings. They wanted things without emotions, which would obey them without question or thought.
They want me to be robotic... maybe I'm supposed to be a weapon for them to use? Or a slave of some kind? Shit, I don't know but one thing for sure...
That only left him with one option.
I have to escape.
Once he escaped, he could join Fairy Tail and live a life of peace. He'd have to learn magic, sure, and he'd have to fight, but there was little to no chance of him dying while in Fairy Tail, at least not from the significant villains that the story was hinting at.
The story was all 'the power of family' and stuff like that... I feel like they would protect me if I went there...
It wasn't like Vera was expecting his life to be perfect in Fairy Tail, but he knew he would have a decent chance at survival. If he didn't join, he'd risk being caught up in the actual dangers of the world before he was ready.
At least in Fairy Tail, I know I won't get killed by some unknown wizard...
It wasn't as full proof of a plan as he would like, but it was his best idea. He would escape and join Fairy Tail, and in the process, try to make a place for himself in the story he found himself in.
That's all I can do for now...
So with a semi-hopeful plan in mind, Vera walked over to his mattress and plopped onto it. His mind slowly drifted to sleep as he tried and failed to get a peaceful rest.
Vera woke up early, almost like his body was programmed to.
Rise and shine...
Vera groaned as he sat up, wiping the tiredness out of his eyes as he looked around his single room. The four walls stared back at him before he could shake himself awake. After recounting yesterday's terrible events, he tested his voice to see if it was better.
"Well, this sucks..."
Vera winced as he felt his throat sting a little, pushing past it as he walked over to the sink and turned it on. He was gulping water greedily before turning it off, looking at himself in the mirror with a downcast expression.
"Alright... first things first..."
Vera knew he needed to escape, meaning he had to learn about this strange place. He had to learn all he could and ensure the robed doctor had no reason to get rid of him.
"I'll have to pretend to be numb around him..."
Vera wanted to avoid testing his luck with how valuable the doctor honestly thought he was. He would lay low until he knew enough to try and escape...
That meant playing whatever role the doctor wanted him to play.
"They want a puppet..."
Vera was sure of that; they wanted a puppet, one they could pull the strings of whenever and however they wanted.
"Then I'll give them one."
That was Vera's best chance to survive; he had to do whatever they said without emotion or hesitation.
"Just let them..."
Vera looked into the mirror, focusing on his red pupils as he tried to get lost in them. He forced himself to ignore the rest of his body with surprising ease. To think simply and quickly, not focusing on things too complex...
To be numb, like the world was just a passing moment.
"Pull my strings."
Vera stayed longer than he wanted to admit, just looking at the mirror and letting his thoughts glaze over until he heard the door click open.
"Number 17, it's time for your evaluations."
Vera turned towards the door; his mind muted as he waited for further instructions. A small part of him noted how the doctor seemed to tilt his head in surprise at his actions.
"Oh? It seems you're memory has come back 17. That's good... although..."
Vera didn't move an inch as the doctor waltzed toward him, moving his arm up and revealing a firm hand from under the sleeves of his red robe. The doctor gripped his face with a brutal grip, his words mocking as he moved his head from side to side like he was inspecting it.
"It's a shame I don't get to train you again..."
Vera buried the instinctive shiver that ran down his spine, forcing himself to appear relaxed and unbothered as the doctor gave a small chuckle. Letting go of his face and turning around with a bit of amusement in his voice, "Follow me 17. We have a long day ahead of us."
Vera gave a silent nod, relying on his body to respond as he followed with deathly silent footsteps. Following at a pace that felt almost practiced as the doctor led him through the near-empty hall, through twists and turns that seemed to go on endlessly.
The walls are clean, there are few closed rooms on each side, each turn he takes seems deliberate, and the building is probably designed like a maze...
Vera noted every little thing he could, his thoughts never reaching his face as he followed the doctor. Their trip cut short as they got to a door, and the doctor held his hand out, a faint hum around his palm before the door slid open.
Magic must be the key to opening most doors...
The doctor revealed a small room with a few other robed people standing and waiting. The only notable differences he could see between them and the doctor were the white color of their robes instead of the doctor's red.
"Get the machine ready; we need to check 17's condition after the incident."
The doctor's voice rang over the room, making Vera sure he held some authority. The theory was confirmed when he saw the white robes start scattering around and getting things ready.
As well as moving 'the machine' into place, the primary contraption in the center of the room almost made Vera faint at the sight.
Oh no...
Vera looked at the table in the center of the room, loaded with cables connected to the walls and floors. A single light rested over it from an ungodly machine that hovered over the table like an eye coming down from the ceiling. Mechanical arms moved out of the side of it with multiple syringes and blades on the end of them.
"Get in place 17; it's time to start."
The doctor's words threw Vera out of his stupor, Vera flinching before he buried the gnawing fear and dread under his skin. He stepped forward without hesitation towards the machine, only for his mind to stop dead as he saw the wrist and leg restraints bolted on the table.
"Is something the matter 17?"
Vera froze as he heard the doctor's almost hopeful voice, refusing to look back for fear of what would show on his face. Instead, he moved with his head level, placed himself on the table, and let the white robes click the restraints into place.
Don't think...
Vera could only look up into the blinding light as he heard the doctor grunt disappointment before the light dimmed...
It'll only make it worse.
The light dimmed, and he could see the machine in all its terror. Hanging a few inches from his face like an impending calamity, each blade and needle pointed towards him...
Each one meant for only one purpose.
"Begin the experiment."
That was the last thing Vera heard before his screams filled the room, the pain unbearable as the machine picked him apart. It was poking and prodding him, filling him with something that felt like lava under his skin—burning him until he couldn't even think, his voice going hoarse from the raw agony.
"Noise Magic: Silence"
The dimming part of his mind, the slim portion that could think through the agony, was stunned when his screams fell out of the world. The room was silent even as his throat burned from his muted cries, with only the sound of pencil scratches and the thrum of machinery to fill the void left by them.
"Well, isn't that better."
As well as the mocking voice of the doctor, he grew to hate with every fiber of his being.
Author's Note: Hey this is my first time writing a story on here so I wanted to leave a note. I usually don't like doing it on chapters because I feel it takes readers out of the moment, but I do want to comment on this one. First, this story will be longer than all my others on Wattpad combined. That being said I've only written up to chapter thirty and am still editing them so updates will come slowly. I'll try to update at least once a week but if it ends up taking longer, it's because I don't want to publish a chapter I'm not happy with. As for the story itself, this one is probably my favorite and might be tied with Reflection. Either way, I hope you guys like it. Also, I want to shout out Boulevard by BrokenDreams21 (story: Say Yes to Heaven), PSIness11 (Story: Speeding through Life), BETAsatchel (Life's Illusion), and BANIX (story: The Aegis Of Fairy Tail). These stories were the most inspirational in coming up with the idea for this one, especially Aegis, and I'm also a fan of some of their other works, so it felt nice to shout them out in this. Anyway, that's all. I hope you guys liked the first chapter, and don't worry, this will probably be the last A/N unless I feel like adding another one eventually. Who knows.
P.S. Adding this because I forgot to earlier, this story will not include stuff from 100-year quest, I personally haven't read it.