3

I thought of a way to manipulate them and get some information out of them, so I gathered enough courage and approached them.

"Fiona is a good name. Do you want me to start calling you that from today?" I asked the girl, turning to the supposed daughter. She immediately pulled a face of disgust.

"Ewww. What's Fiona? And why would I share the same name as you? If you can't call me Iris, just forget it. Don't ruin my perfect name."

That meant my name was still Fiona. Perfect.

Iris? Perfect? It worked. That meant they weren't like my father or mother. They were mostly humans, then the lady spoke "hope you are done with the dishes I have to go to my shift, I wish someone would take my place"

Shift?? What's that, like a momentary turn while safeguarding a post? I think that's what she meant by that, that also would be a good opportunity for me to go out so fine I will use this for her..

"Should I help you with your shift today? I can grab something for you on my way back," I asked the woman who was seated at the table. All of them turned to look at me strangely.

"Yes, oh my God, this is why we are keeping you" she said. "But before going to the Daz dinner, don't forget to pick up the medication from Daz Dillinger Pharmacy, okay? Tell her it's for your mom. Don't say it's for your master, okay?"

Tsssk. Dinner? Master? What did she mean by that? If only they knew who I really was, they would fall to their knees and beg me to spare them. I scoffed silently.

She reached out her palm, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and handed it to me.

Mrs. Samson, Age 52, Blood Pressure

That must mean the man sitting next to the woman who called herself my mother was Mr. Samson. So they really were humans. I didn't care much for the woman who looked like Oma. All I wanted was to leave immediately and figure out what realm I'd landed in and what had happened to the strange boy I came here with. Was he a traveler too? Any clue, any sign…

On my way out, the woman called after me.

"Fionaaaa! Hold on!"

I stopped, and she handed me a small square thing. Or should I say, a weightless square-like object?

"Don't forget your wallet," she said, gesturing it toward me.

I took it. I'd seen something like it once in the dragon village, though that one was much bigger. There, they called it a bag. This one was smaller, but clearly used for carrying personal items.

I stared at it, then glanced back at the both of them, wondering why it looked smaller than usual. But I didn't linger I stepped outside.

And the outside world… was completely different.

Compared to the dragon village, where everything was coated in ice and snow and hard stones, this place was like another planet. Here, buildings stretched taller than some of the mountains back home. The ground was smooth no sand, no mud, no rocks just a neat pathway. I saw a shop with colorful flowers neatly gathered in front. No wild animals. Just a lady walking with a dog and even the dog was on a leash.

"Poor dog," I muttered and turned to continue walking.

"Where could he be?" I wondered about the boy I arrived with. "Did he not make it out? Did he… die?"

I kept walking, my mind running in circles. I needed information. How could I know where I was? Where was this so-called diner? What should I do next? Should I go back and pretend to be their maid again?

As I was lost in thought, I saw someone snatch a bag from an old lady and run. Back in Antarctica, this kind of thing happened too. My instincts kicked in I ran after him. I didn't even know how I did it, but suddenly, I was in front of him.

It was like the roads bent to help me, like they wanted me to catch him.

Maybe that old lady had been robbed a lot, and she already knew the shortcut because she'd pointed earlier, showing me a direction.

The thief was still looking back when he collided with me. I stretched my leg out, tripping him. He fell, hard, and the bag dropped. I quickly picked it up.

But when I turned around to retrace my steps, I realized… I had no idea where I'd come from. I was lost again.

Then the old lady walked over to me.

"Thank you so much for helping me get my item," she said kindly.

I didn't know what to say. But I felt this was my chance finally, someone older. Someone who might know more.

"Sorry… please," I began. "Can you tell me about this place?"

"This place?" she repeated, a little surprised.

"Yes. Do you know where I am? What this place is called?"

"This is Astania," she replied.

"Huh? Where is that… in?"

"Earth. Are you lost?" she asked, brows furrowed.

"Yes," I admitted softly. "Can you teach me about this place? How to use… this?" I handed her my wallet, showing the contents inside.

She looked at me for a while. Then, patiently, she explained everything. After a while, she walked away.

From what she told me, I was in a different realm not the Antarctica Earth Realm, but Astania Earth Realm. And not just a different realm… a different time.

Inside the wallet, there was a small photo card. According to the woman, it was called an "ID," and it said I was born in October 2002. My name was Fiona Alton.

Alton. My father's name.

So… those people at the diner they weren't my real family.

But then… how do I go back?

What happened to me?

Where is my real family?

If my last name is Alton, could my dad be in this realm too?

What if... he and my entire family are also here?

The thoughts swirled in my mind as I kept walking, eyes lowered in thought. That's when I suddenly stepped onto a road and a car screeched to a stop right in front of me. Several other vehicles honked loudly.

The old woman had told me I was supposed to cross when I saw green. But the light wasn't green. So why were they all shouting?

I stood frozen in front of the car that nearly ran me over. Then, the driver's door swung open.

A man stepped out.

He wore a navy blue outfit with a pale yellow shirt underneath, half-unbuttoned. He had on black sunglasses. His dark hair was styled perfectly. His lips were pink, full and his height…

He looked like a god.

"What's wrong with you?!" he shouted.

I just stared at him. Completely frozen. His presence hit me like a wave.

"Move out of the way and let me go!" he barked, gesturing impatiently.

Still stunned, I didn't move.

Then he stormed forward. That's when I saw someone else in the passenger seat.

And my heart skipped.

It was him.

The same man my father had saved.

The same one Aurora and I pulled from the snow in the dragon village.

Only now… he looked healthy. Normal. Like nothing had ever happened to him.

He didn't notice me.

The good-looking man shoved me aside and climbed back into his car, then sped off down the road.

"Whaaaat in the world…" I whispered, my mouth hanging open.

Cars were still honking. I was still standing in the middle of the road.

Then, suddenly, something or someone yanked me out of the way. Hard.

I hit the ground, dazed. My silver strands lit up faintly.

I froze.

I didn't have any powers here. My fire was gone. My red hair now had a faint strand of white. So why had it shimmered just now?

I was still staring at my hands, trying to understand the strange glow, when someone snapped their fingers in front of me.

Snapping me back to reality, I closed my eyes