Someone else's memories ran like a vintage film reel in my head even in the still darkness of unconsciousness. Alice. Her first memory was of a woman she never knew; it came in a shower of colors akin to a firework and painted my heart with feelings of safety and comfort. Her mother, I assumed. As the reel continued her image died away and she never showed again, instead, Lucia took her place. We have that in common; the sting of abandonment soothed with the love of a foster parent. Tears filled my eyes, but I couldn't wipe them away or ignore them.
I watched for what felt like hours on a constant loop with no sound or color as Alice grew before me. She had few close friends, mostly from the orphanage she was raised in, Coral House, and often went to see a local mage with a pet slime. Her life was exciting, more than mine, but at age ten her memories faded. Her last one was the day I came. She was resting out on the dock before dinner, staring out at the sea before her memories ended in a burst of white. Then, the loop began again.
What did it mean? Was I reincarnated as Alice? It felt so real. I somehow absorbed her memories and took over her body. But she wasn't absent from me; we were one. She was deep inside me, somewhere in my soul. The fear and confusion we felt were massive, but there was also something else; an aroma. It smelled savory like cooked meat; warm and mouthwatering. My eyes opened and for a moment, I laid in bed tired and sore. Where am I?
I groaned as I eased into a sitting position. My head didn't hurt as much as before – thank goodness – but a tender pain stung the back of my head and eyes as I looked around the room I woke up in.
The brick walls were an old beige color, bare as far as I could tell with round and narrow gothic-styled windows allowing natural light into the room. There was a 4-shelf bookcase to my right next to a door carved from hickory and stained dark. A set of six beds lined the walls, three on one wall and three on the opposite, with mine being the one closest to the door. It was a plain bedroom, but from it, I felt a sense of warmth.
There was nothing more to take into account, other than a chair beside my bed with a bowl of hot stew resting on it; the source of the aroma. My mouth watered as I stared at it, choosing to eat. I hadn't eaten in who knows how long; floating in the darkness gave no indication of time. Setting my feet on the icy floor I swayed as I stood. Damn. I'm still light-headed. I sat back on the edge of the bed, taking an uneasy breath. Perhaps I got up too fast.
The hickory door opened suddenly and Lucia walked in carrying an enamel washbasin. Her eyes widened then narrowed in relief.
"I'm so glad that you've woken, my dear. You gave me a fright," she said with a smile.
My heart swelled with joy. Lucia meant a lot to Alice; I felt her love.
"I didn't mean to worry you," I retorted.
Lucia laughed and brought the basin over to the bed, setting it on the floor. She leaned up with a grunt and glanced at the bowl on the chair, resting her hands on her hips.
"Now that's a bit worrying. You love my stew," she mentioned.
Alice agreed.
"I'm light-headed," I admitted. "But I am hungry."
Lucia hummed, bringing the bowl to me. I thanked her and ate in silence as she moved the chair closer, using a rag and warm water to clean my feet.
"I'm always telling you to wear something on your feet if you plan to go outside, but you never listen to me," Lucia scolded me.
My face heated up in embarrassment. She reminded me of my foster parent, Ann. The said woman was nice, but always quick to scold me for not listening to her. Alice must have been a wild child like me. I smiled. Ann was a great parent; a bit too nit-picky at times, but she meant a lot to me. I missed her.
My eyes filled with tears as I thought about how news of my death must have reached her already. She and I hadn't spoken in months; it was my fault for letting my studies become my life. I hope she knew that.
"Alice, dear," Lucia called.
She rested her hand on my face and wiped away the stray tears.
"I'm not mad, just concerned. I don't want you to catch an illness," Lucia assured me.
I know. Smiling I continued to eat. My head was starting to become clearer.
"Besides, Gianni just healed you," she brought up.
A face came to mind; the mage. He was in Alice's memories. Healed me? Was I, or Alice sick? I had no memory of it.
"I feel better now," I admitted.
Lucia snorted.
"That may be so, but I want you to take it easy from now on. Sometimes you play too hard."
I nodded.
"May I go back out once I finish eating?" I asked.
Perhaps I can find out more about where I am. There might be a way for me to get home if nothing happened to my body.
I don't remember much about the moment I died, only that it was instant. It's too soon to say, though. But maybe there is a way to find out.
"I don't know," Lucia said in honesty. "If not for Gianni being near, then you might have been worse off."
"I will put my shoes on this time," I promised.
Lucia laughed.
"Fine. But don't be out long, and remember the rules."
I raised a brow in question. There were rules? Now would be a suitable time for Alice to help me remember. But nothing came to mind. I shook my head. Lucia took my word for it, leaving so that I could finish my lunch. I'd have to wing it and hope for the best.
Once I was done, I stood and tested to see if my strength had returned. I felt fine, a bit sore in the head, but that was to be expected given the years of memories that were crammed into my head at one time. Finding a pair of leather shoes near my bed, I put them on and left the bedroom. A set of stairs took me down to the living area where Lucia was, resting near the fireplace. But where were the other kids?
I ignored their absence and left Coral House, venturing out into the bustling city of Gondolia. My eyes widened in awe, seeing the canal in front of the orphanage. Small gondola boats akin to the ones in Venice, Italy floated in the clear water, which straddled the city from beneath it. A memory of Alice riding them filled my mind.
I hummed and walked across a narrow bridge to the left, stopping in the center of a long brick walkway that lay between two connected sections of the city. One end of the walkway led to a circular arena; the other led to the entrance of Gondolia. From what I could see, both sections were similar in appearance, except the side that I came from was a residential area with two to three-story brick houses. The other appeared to be the docks. I was there yesterday before I passed out. Where do I even begin?
Growing curious I wandered to the entrance of the city. A sense of hesitancy consumed me; Alice most likely, but I pressed on, opening a door to reveal a corridor illuminated by candles. There were no guards stationed at the entrance, or residence out to stop me, so I hurried to the end where another door sat, ajar.
The scent of wet soil permeated the air beyond the opening as I wandered through, humming in curiosity as the path led me to a shallow mire in a sea of moss trees. An air of eeriness surrounded it like a thick fog, but I ignored it, walking towards a ramp in the distance. A set of stairs led up into the branches of a tree to another platform, branching through the mire like an intricate treehouse.
As I stepped onto the ramp, something grasped my ankle, knocking me off balance. I fell onto my knees with a grunt and looked down to see a muddy hand had burst from the wet earth, and taken ahold of me. Its fingers were slimy but strong. Was it a monster? I gasped in fear and kicked free from its clutches, but once I stood and turned around to face it, I noticed that three more had appeared. What in the hell. Looking around in a panic I noticed that there wasn't anything to protect myself with. What do I do?
To my surprise, one of the hands lunged at me. However, a blue slime bounced between me and the monster, head butting it. The hand retreated, but a flash of light fried it, zapping the remaining three. I stared in wonder as they faded away in a cloud of purple dust, leaving nothing behind. What just ––
"Alice?! Is that you?" A voice asked.
I turned and saw the mage from Alice's memories standing on the stairs behind me. Gianni. His expression was a mix of surprise and anger as he stared at me.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Um... I––"
Gianni interrupted me.
"Does Lucia know you ran off again?"
"No," I uttered.
How was I supposed to react? I was an adult, but not here. I should feel bad about disobeying, but I didn't.
"The Laguna di Gondolia isn't a safe place for you to be exploring," Gianni mentioned. "I've told you this before."
A childlike annoyance consumed me.
"I want to learn more about the world," I argued.
He grunted.
"Erdrea is full of monsters, Alice. You are but a child; you cannot hope to survive with no training."
Erdrea? The name of the world I am in, I imagine. And it is teeming with monsters and magic, like an RPG. Interesting.
The slime nudged my foot. His sad eyes stared up at me. He sympathized with me, it seemed. Gianni was right though. I don't have the training to survive on my own. And in order to get home, or learn more about Erdrea, then I have to learn magic, or how to fight.
"Can you train me then?" I asked.
Gianni grunted.
"I haven't the time."
Liar.
The slime shot him a glare.
"Tempest disagrees with you," I retorted.
Gianni snorted, walking down the stairs and past me.
"Come along, Alice. Let's get you home before Lucia worries."
I reached down and picked Tempest up; his cold body melted into my arms. Turning, I pouted as I followed Gianni to the door.
The said man glanced over his shoulder.
"It's mean to team up on such a defenseless old man," he mentioned.
Taking an uneasy breath Gianni shook his head.
"But I suppose if Tempest vouches for you, then I have no reason to disagree. Though, if you show no talent in magic, I will deny your classes."
"You have a deal," I retorted with a laugh.
Gianni snorted.
With a determined smile, I hugged Tempest and followed my teacher back to the city. I'll learn magic, and the secrets of Erdrea, then I will go home. Wait for me, Ann.