Lumine's POV
The first thing I felt from my senses was pain and soreness all over my body. And tired if you count it too. I just woke up, so I still can't remember or estimate what has happened or is happening. However, when I discovered that my body was in this condition, it was clear that I had been unconscious for a very long time.
I tried to open my eyes, even doing so felt very painful, especially if I tried to move my whole body. But I'm a strong girl, at least that's what people tell me. And stubborn if that counts as a positive point. I forced myself to open my eyes even with the pain I felt.
After my eyes opened, the first thing I saw was green. Yes, you heard that right. It's green that I see. When my eyeballs started to clear my vision, what I saw were leaves along with branching stems. This made me believe that I was under a shady tree. I tried to look in another direction and I found that the ground where I was lying was grass. But what surprised me was that there was a cloth as my bed, and another cloth that covered my body like a blanket.
What really happened? Am I stranded somewhere and then rescued by local residents? Or was it that passersby thought I was a corpse, but because they didn't have time to bury me, they covered my body with a cloth? OK, that last one was a little dark but my confusion is undeniable. I don't really remember what happened and there are so many questions in my mind, but my head is still too dizzy to think about it.
I tried to move my body. It felt heavy, but I forced myself to at least position my body. After trying hard, I was finally able to change my position to sitting with my back against the tree trunk. I breathed a sigh of relief after succeeding then looked around and finally I got a better view of my surroundings.
From the sky which looked a bit darker, and from the temperature of the wind that hit my face, I could say that it was now about 30 minutes after sunrise. At least the day was bright enough for me to be able to see my surroundings, which were grasslands decorated with rocks, plants and trees around me. I heard a sound to my left and I saw flowing water which made me realize that I was on the side of a river. I looked around again and the thing that caught my attention was a fireplace not far from me which was still slightly lit with a boiling pot. But that wasn't where my attention was, but rather the figure who sat around the fireplace reading a book, a person.
From the stature, I estimate that person is an adult man, approximately 180 cm tall and slightly muscular. The clothes he was wearing were very... covering. from below he wears black boots, pants and belt with a waist bag on the left and right sides of his waist. He also wears black gloves and a white shirt covered by a black jacket with a gray stripe on the shoulder and a rook chess piece logo on the left shoulder. His head is also covered with a kind of mask with a visor that covers his entire face and a hoodie is added up to cover his head.
Now listen, I don't want to sound rude, and I also know that everyone has their own taste. But I have to admit, the outfit that person is wearing makes him feel very mysterious. Especially with the fact that he was wearing a kind of mask that completely concealed his identity, it was no wonder that I felt suspicious of him. Plus I was in a condition where I wanted to answer 101 questions and he was the first person I hoped could give the answer.
He seemed to notice my gaze and turned to me, making me flinch slightly. "Hey, you! You're finally awake." He said in a friendly tone. He closed the book he was reading and pocketed it in his jacket. He then took a plastic bowl and a ladle and scooped the contents from the pot into the bowl with the ladle. He walked towards me then handed me the bowl which I saw contained soup.
"Here, eat it. To restore your strength." He said. I was a little doubtful, but I knew what he said was true. Plus my stomach felt very hungry, I took the bowl and started slurping the soup.
"Bland." My comment. I know I should be grateful, but I can't help commenting on how bland this soup is. Plus it has a little...unique taste that reminds me of herbal spices.
Hearing my comment, he scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "I'm sorry because I don't have any seasonings with me. I'm also not very good at cooking, in fact most of my lunches are instant food. And I make it without strong flavors so that your stomach doesn't get upset when it is given nutrition suddenly with your body still not recover." He answered and I nodded accepting his explanation while returning to sipping the soup.
And it's true, even though it feels a bit strange, my strength is starting to recover little by little. Even the dizziness I was experiencing earlier started to disappear. Honestly, I'm impressed. I wonder if he is a doctor...
"By the way, may I know you? You can call me 'Doctor'" ... Now that is definitely a surprising coincidence guess. But that can answer the scientific answer from the soup I'm eating right now.
"Lumine." I introduced myself. "But may I ask, 'Doctor' who?" What I'm asking here is his name. He only introduced his title. There is no other name behind it. I didn't even see any kind of name tag indicating his identity.
Hearing my question, he just chuckled slightly. "Just call me 'Doctor'. That's what everyone calls me, both my colleagues and my friends." he answered which made me raise an eyebrow, but I don't think too much about it.
After a few minutes, I finished my soup. "How's your feeling now?" He asked while checking all my body parts. Not in perverted sense, but more towards a professional doctor who examines his patient.
"Pretty much...fine." I answered honestly. Whatever was in the soup was really effective. Even though I still have a headache and my body aches, I feel better than before. I even started to be able to move smoothly. "Thank You." I said sincerely while smiling.
Doctor nodded. "Now that I can confirm that your physical condition has improved, perhaps you are ready to have a question and answer session." seeing my confused face, he continued. "Do you remember the last thing that happened to you?" Hearing his words surprised me for a moment, before I started thinking and trying to remember what happened previously. At that time...
"UGH!" I winced in pain until I held my head. My body started to sway but the Doctor quickly caught me. My whole body started to heat up, my breath hitched and my head throbbed as image after image started to appear in my mind. About how me and my brother arrived in this world. About how me and my brother met and were intercepted by some kind of 'Unknown God'. About how me and my brother fought that entity. About how me and my brother... MY BROTHER!
"AETHER!" I shouted my brother's name after I started remembering the incident where I saw my twin brother, Aether, trapped by the power of that Unknown God before I ended up like him, and that ended what was the last thing I remembered.
"No. No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!" I gripped the Doctor's shoulders tightly while shaking him. "Doctor! Have you seen my twin brother? Please tell me you saw a young man with a face similar to mine before!" I asked the Doctor with a face full of worry. He seemed silent for a moment before shaking his head which made my hopes dwindle.
"Sorry, Lumine. But I only found you yesterday. After I took you to a safe place, I checked the surrounding area to see if I can get some clues. But I didn't find anyone, let alone someone who looked like you." The answer immediately made me despair. My body went limp making me release my grip from his shoulders and making me fall to my knees.
Before I knew it, tears started falling from my eyes. I covered my face with my palms and started sobbing. Now I lost my brother, in a world I don't even know. I don't even know if he is okay or not. What if we never meet again? What if he didn't survive and now he-
Before I could finish my thought, I felt something big and warm wrap around my body. I opened my eyes and saw that it was the Doctor who had been in front of me and was watching me kneeling while embracing me.
This surprised me, but for some reason my arms started to hug him and I started crying uncontrollably on his shoulder. With the condition of my heart which was currently filled with anxiety and despair, it gradually reliefs when he comforted me.
We continued like this for several minutes until finally my crying started to subside. I let go of my hug and looked at his face, or at least the mask that was on his face. "Thank You." I said shyly and slightly blushing. I usually only cry loudly like this in front of my family, but I didn't expect to cry in front of a person I just met. Plus crying on the person's shoulder while being emraced by him is really embarrassing.
He didn't seem to mind as he nodded. "It's okay. I guess that's a normal reaction when someone has just separated from someone close to them suddenly without knowing the news or their location." He said in a professional but very gentle accent, which calm my heart. "If I may ask, what really happened?" he asked.
I leaned against the tree trunk while hugging my legs and looked at him. "You probably won't believe me." I said.
The Doctor just look at me funnily. "oh believe me. I have my own share of bizzare adventure. What crazy thing could possibly make me not believe you? Plus it seems so serious the condition you are experiencing right now." I laughed a little at his response in such a ridiculous tone, but I also felt relieved to hear it. I immediately told everything that happened to the Doctor.
After a few minutes, I finished telling my story and while holding his chin, the Doctor appeared to be in deep thought. "I know this sounds strange. I wouldn't even blame you if you thought I was crazy. And-"
"No. I believe you." The Doctor's answer cut me off. "Honestly, it all makes sense. I had already theorized that you weren't from this world, but I had to confirm it first. I'm glad my speculation was right." He answered calmly as if he had expected my answer, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"How?" Hearing my question, he answered.
"First is your clothes. Not only do they have motifs that are unfamiliar to the culture of this world that I have studied, there are also fabric fibers that I don't think could possibly exist in this world." He answered while raising one as his index finger.
"Second point, I found this beside you when I found you." He said as he took something out of his other pocket and showed me some thing that surprised me. It was the same object that trapped me and my brother. "This object is the same as what you described. I've also asked local mineral miners and even they don't know what this is." He answered while holding the object and putting it back into his pocket.
"The third point is that when I found you, literally, your body was behind the vines under an old tree with lots of mushrooms, moss and tall grass covering you. It was as if you had been there for hundreds of years, but your body showed no signs of aging. Even the mushrooms and the moss around doesn't stick to you. At the very least you just got some dirt on your clothes." His answer made me drop my jaw.
I know I'm not an ordinary person. And my body is unique so it can maintain my health and longevity for the long term. But how long have I been unconscious!? And what happened during that period!?
"And the final reason is..." he looked at my face, and I also looked back at him where I could see my reflection through the visor of his mask. "...I'm not from this world either." The connection surprised me.
Questions started popping up in my mind. He's from another world? How could he be here? Does his presence here have anything to do with The Unknown God? Or is he also an Outlander like me and my brother? Thinking about all those questions made my head throb, making me wince in pain.
He realized this and tried to calm me down. "Calm down. I know you have a lot of questions, and I will answer them. But your condition is still not fully recovered. So don't push yourself too much yet." He smeared a flower and a few mint leaves on his hand then held it in front of my face. I inhaled the scent of menthol and flowers from his hands and gradually, my headache began to subside.
Seeing that I've finally calmed down, he withdrew his hand again and answered. "I come from another world, a planet called Terra. From the information I got from the book that I read, we are in a world called Teyvat. I was also not aware of my transfer to this world, because when I opened my eyes, I was already in this world with you not far from where I woke up. But at least I woke up naturally and unharmed, so I'm not sure that the entity you call 'The Unknown God' is the reason I'm here." His words answered all the questions I was thinking about.
So he has nothing to do with The Unknown God, but he also doesn't seem to know why he's here. I only know about the name and existence of Teyvat but don't know anything about the things inside. But Terra? I've never heard of it, let alone been to that planet. And I have explored various worlds or at least know the names of worlds that I have never explored.
But still, now I'm in a world I don't recognize. It would be very risky to survive alone in conditions like this, especially with my powers gone.
The Doctor, as if reading my mind, answered. "I have an offer, how about I help you find your brother?" His words suddenly made me look at him. "When it comes to fighting, I might not be the right person. But if you need brains to do something, I believe that I'm your guy for that. Let's just say this is a situation that a person stranded in a foreign land must deal with." he said.
After thinking about it again, what he said did make sense. Plus he doesn't seem like an ordinary person. but his offer still makes me suspicious if he's really willing to make an offer without some kind of payment.
As if sensing my suspicion, he continued. "Tell you what. How about we make a deal?" His offer made me raise my eyebrows. "From your story, it seems like you can travel from world to world. We will be traveling companions and I will help you find your brother then in return when you get your powers back, I want you to take me back to my world, or until I know how to get back." He answered again while holding out his hand.
The offer was... quite convincing. He seems like an intelligent person but lack power, at least above average. The chances of his return to his world are either with my power or meeting someone else that can help. and I don't know if this world is at the level of civilization that has sufficient and appropriate technology or resources to make interstellar travel.
In other words, it's a win-win offer for both parties. Plus, I sympathize with him because I can understand how it feels to be far from home and separated from the people closest to you, just like what I'm experiencing now. But the difference is, I'm someone who can live longer with power to travel across galaxy, while he just a man without that kind of power.
I took his hand and we shook hands. "Deal." I said while smiling gently. Even though it's hindered by the mask, I'm sure the Doctor is doing the same thing.
The Doctor stood up. "Okay! Since we have become friends, let's celebrate with breakfast! I will look for fruit in the surrounding area. You wait here." He said as he walked away.
"Wait! Let me come." I said while standing up.
"Didn't I tell you that you need to rest?" He said in a teaching tone.
"I know, but don't worry! I'm strong!" I answered with a grin and posed like I was showing off my biceps. "Besides, I'm healing faster because my body is different from ordinary humans. I also really don't like to do nothing when other people are working. Plus, I want to repay your kindness by helping." I answered honestly.
"I'm a Doctor. It's only natural for me to treat my patients." He said in a professional tone. He put his finger to his chin, looking like he was thinking.
"Okay, if you insist. please look after my fishing pole over there." He said while pointing at the fishing equipment on the river bank. "This way you still can rest and help out at the same time, how does that sound?" Doctor said. I nodded in agreement. "Great! Then I'll look for vegetables too!" He said cheerfully which made me chuckle at how funny the Doctor's attitude changed quickly from professional and wise to silly and childish in just a matter of seconds.
I walked towards the fishing pole and sat next to him. While waiting, I saw the reflection of my face in the river flow while thinking about what had happened. Now I lost my brother, there was an entity separating and blocking us, stranded in this world, and my powers were gone.
Honestly, I could have given up hope with this situation, but there was something that gave me hope. I met someone who was in the same boat as me, stranded and far from home. And we agreed to travel together to achieve our goals. I smiled, realizing that not everything that happened was bad. So I can't continue to be sad.
A movement brought me out of my thoughts and I saw the Doctor's fishing pole moving uncontrollably. "Did I get something!?" I quickly took the fishing pole and tried to pull it.
To my surprise, the pull of the hooked fish is very strong! "Uwahg! This sure is huge!" I said surprised but also excited. I knew the Doctor had told me to rest, but I was determined not to let this fish get away with.
With the remaining strength I had, I forced the fishing rod and from the surface of the river, I saw a large shadow which I believed to be a fish, further increasing my enthusiasm. I pulled again, again and again until the shadow was very close. and with one last tug, I pulled the fish into the air and I saw it... wasn't a fish. But it was look like an unconscious child with white hair and clothes.
"Eh?"
And cut!
I finally come back after few years in hiatus. And yes, I'm still alive. I know I should continue my previous stories, but I can't get rid of this idea out of my head. But this story's still prototype since it's been a while I make story again. If you found mistake, let me know. If you want more chapter, let me know.