Unexpected Meet-up

Chapter 2

Zane opens his eyes and sees himself in a dark space.

"What is this place, I can't see anything. It's very dark, this must be hell."

"Sleep," a faint, soft voice whispers in Zane's ears.

Zane falls asleep quickly again.

…

Zane wakes up in the middle of a road out of nowhere, only a kingdom insight. He looks around to see if he can ask for a ride. He looks behind him and sees a carriage behind him.

"What the? What am I supposed to do with a carriage in the middle of a road? and a castle? Seriously? Is this even life?" Zane starts to question his reality.

Without hesitation, Zane pulls the carriage on his back as he thinks there are valuable things in it. He goes towards the kingdom immediately to see if he spots anyone familiar.

A few minutes later, Zane arrived at the entrance of the castle where there's a long line. He sees everyone getting inspected and gets asked for a pass of some sort.

Zane quickly tries to find his pass of some sort in his pockets, he even hurries to check all the luggage and stuff in his carriage. 

Before Zane realized it, it was his turn. that guard asked, "what are you doing? Put your hands up. We're going to check your pass." Zane seems confused but he just raises his hands about further trouble.

The guard swipes left and opens a tab that opens a file about Zane and details about him. He sees his status in life, and other important details. The guard then asked, "First time?"

"Y-yeah," Zane replied nervously.

"Go on, just head straight and you'll find the town center, I bet that's where you're going anyway," the guard instructed precisely.

"Thank you," Zane continued and gave a big sigh, and walked towards the town center.

…

"Are you sure this is where the hero is supposed to appear? How sure are you?" Somebody asked.

"I'm really sure, sit down and just wait. He'll be here anytime now, and the destiny gem shall glow bright blue," the other person responded.

…

Zane overhears the conversation and looks behind him, seeing two figures covered in brown robes and whose faces are not visible. 

The two noticed that the destiny gem is glowing and pulsing rapidly. They stand up and look around, they notice Zane is staring at them. They approached him.

The person grabs Zane's shirt by the neck and asks, "what are you looking at?! Mind your own business," the person angrily said.

The other person behind pulls her hood down and taps the person in front, "Clarisse look, the destiny gem. It stopped pulsing, it must be him!"

"Lucia, there's no way this foolish looking person is the next reincarnation of the hero," Clarisse insisted.

Zane being caught up in the situation doesn't know what to say and resisted saying, "whoever you two are looking for it's not! Now let me go!"  Zane struggles against Clarisse's grip.

"It's him," Lucia says before casting a spell. She then says softly, "Ge Nu." And Zane instantly falls to sleep.

Clarisse puts Zane in the carriage he was pulling, and gets out of the kingdom immediately heading to the woods.

…

A few minutes later… Zane wakes up, and the first thing he sees is the two girls waiting for him to wake up.

Clarisse walks toward Zane and draws her sword pointing it to him, "who are you? Imposter of the hero!"

Lucia sees this and immediately runs in front of Clarisse's blade and says, "he is the hero! The Destiny gem isn't busted, I checked it three times now."

Clarisse sheaths her sword, and Lucia kneels and says, " you don't need to be scared. I'm Lucia, a battle mage. And this is Clarisse, Knight of Esperia member. And you are?"

Zane is nervous and can only think of how to run away from the two. He then responds, "Zane… just Zane, call me Z."

"Nice to meet you, it's a pleasure to meet the new hero!" Lucia joyously says, lending a hand to Zane to stand up.

"You better make sure you're right about him being the hero, Lucia," Clarisse grumpily says.

"Hero?! Wait wait wait, I'm no hero. I don't even know what I am. There has got to be an understanding here," Zane confusedly says.

"You're a human aren't you? You're a reincarnated one in this case," Lucia explains. 

Lucia opens Zane's palm and puts the destiny gem in it, "see how it glows? It's a destiny gem. This one is fused with magic that glows bright blue when it's in contact with the reincarnated hero. In this case, it's you," Lucia explains further.

"This can't be, I'm jus-"

"The entire world will be obliterated along with everyone in it," Clarisse said, cutting Zane.

"Everyone will die? But what can I possibly do? I'm sure I'm reincarnated here as a 'merchant'. I can't do anything," Zane worryingly said.

"Although, I don't want to experience death once again. That's why I'm trying to turn a new leaf here."

"The two of us are here. We're your right hands," Lucia said, clearing a little bit of confusion on Zane's head.

Zane, out of anger, stomps the ground and is frustrated. He says, "GOD! Stupid idiot life! I'm a son and I'm a millionaire for fucks sake!"

"He's weird," Clarisse whispers to Lucia.

"We'll have to get used to it. For the world to be saved, we must adapt," Lucia bluntly said.

Zane turns around, "I don't want to save the world because of everyone here. I want to save it for selfish reasons and because I don't want to die. Is that clear, Lady Sift cosplayer and Gentle witch something," he said, mocking the two.

Clarisse was pissed off and grabbed Zane's cloth by the throat again and said, "whoever that person is. You don't have permission to mock me!"

Lucia was nervous and tried to break the fight saying, "Clarisse, 'Halt!' Don't hurt the hero," and Clarisse couldn't move and was forced into a halt posture.

"Argh! Fine!" Lucia drops the spell and Clarisse is free.

"It's Lucia by the way. Please don't call me gentle witch something," Lucia nervously requested.

"I do what I want! And call you whatever way I'm fine with," Zane says in a mean way.

Lucia was saddened. Zane doesn't seem to care how he would act towards the two. Clarisse was pissed again hearing Zane's response but just kept it to herself this time.

Zane goes in front of his carriage and picks it up and continues dragging it along, he also shouted, "Hey you two! We're going back to the town center! I need some equipment if we're gonna start this adventure!"

The two follow Zane from behind towards the kingdom's town center.