When Vantias opened his eyes, he found himself in a wheat field. The tall, golden stalks swayed gently with a soft, cool breeze drifting through them. Everything felt surreal, like a dream. The world around him was hazy and distant, as though painted in the colors of memory.
With a voice full of wonder and curiosity, he said:
"Where is this place? It feels like a dream..."
Vantias began to walk slowly, dragging his fingers lightly over the tops of the wheat. The sensation was something between a dream and a memory. Suddenly, a sound caught his attention.
It was the sound of laughter—playful, childlike laughter, coming from somewhere within the field. A group of children had come to play. Their giggles carried waves of warmth and energy that filled Vantias' heart, stirring something deep within him.
His heartbeat quickened.
"Who are those kids?"
Three children were running and playing in the wheat field. But they didn't notice Vantias—as if they couldn't sense his presence at all. Two boys, one of them a perfect younger version of Vantias himself: same face, same features. The other was slightly older—perhaps six to eight years older—with similar black eyes and dark hair. A girl, seemingly the same age as the older boy, also shared the same family features. It looked like the three were siblings.
Vantias smiled and slipped his hands into his pockets.
"This must be a memory from my childhood..."
A gentle breeze rustled through the tall wheat stalks. The children ran barefoot through the soft earth, their laughter echoing through the warm afternoon air. Then, a motherly voice called from afar:
"Kids! Come on, lunch is ready!"
The three children, lying in the wheat and laughing, quickly stood up. The older brother helped the younger Vantias to his feet. Then all three shouted together:
"Coming, Mom!"
The sister yelled with excitement and a playful tone:
"Hannibal! Vantias! Whoever gets there first gets to take a bite of the other's food!"
Hannibal replied with a mischievous laugh:
"Ana, do you really think you can outrun me?"
Vantias, arms crossed and grinning, said:
"Don't underestimate me... I may be small, but I'm sharp!"
Then the three of them ran off laughing, racing through the wheat field toward their mother. The older Vantias stood still, smiling as he watched the scene unfold.
Until...
Vantias blinked.
Everything changed.
It was still the same wheat field—but now it was engulfed in flames. Fiery tongues rose between the golden stalks. Thick, choking smoke darkened the sky, and the crackling of burning wheat filled the air like a silent, deadly storm.
Vantias stood frozen, heart pounding, eyes wide. The heat didn't scorch his skin, but terror blazed within him.
Then came a child's scream from far away—a sound that tore through him like a blade.
With panic in his chest, he began to run. His feet sank into scorched, muddy earth, but he didn't stop. Screams, crying, the clash of steel, and the roar of fire echoed all around him.
He reached the edge of the field—where the village once stood, with its wooden huts and homes. Now, everything was ablaze. Several bodies lay scattered on the ground. Raiders in leather armor shouted and ran, waving blood-stained swords.
Vantias' eyes widened at the horror:
"Oh my God... this is horrible..."
The three children, the same ones who had been laughing just moments ago, now stood amidst ash and blood: the sister, the older brother, and the younger Vantias.
The young Vantias was on his knees, face smeared with blood and dirt, his hand placed on the lifeless body of their mother. The father lay a short distance away, his eyes open and unblinking.
The sister and older brother knelt beside him. All three were crying—not loudly, but with broken faces and shattered hearts.
The older Vantias stepped back, his breath caught in his chest, choking him.
Everything began to blur. Sounds faded, light dimmed, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
And then...
Everything went black.
---
Vantias awoke with a gasp, drenched in sweat, his hands trembling violently.
For a few moments, he simply breathed and looked around. He was still in that room. Still in that world.
But now... with a memory from a past life. A memory that may not have been his—or maybe, now it was.
Vantias, still shaken and horrified by what he had seen, said:
"That was terrifying... I don't know why, but I feel awful... Maybe because this body isn't mine? I feel bad for Vantias..."
He lowered his head, lost in thought.
"This memory belongs to this body... I bear no responsibility for it. And yet, I can't ignore it... What can I do?"
He looked up at the ceiling and whispered quietly:
"I need a bit of time to adjust... I should give my mind some space."
He got up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and tried to leave the room.
His body still ached, and the bandages wrapped around him only made him feel heavier. He began to remove them. There were no visible wounds, but the pain remained. Why?
It didn't seem like much time had passed since the dungeon incident, yet the wounds had healed remarkably fast.
Running his hand over the places where he had been bandaged, Vantias murmured:
"This doesn't make sense..."
He had so many questions but chose to set them aside for now and stepped out of the room.
A voice in his mind whispered:
"But you don't know your way around. Where are you going? Wouldn't it be better to wait for your friends?"
Vantias ignored it.
"At the very least, I can stay nearby so I don't get lost."
---
When he opened the door, it was like stepping into another world. Slowly, he walked into the street. Everything was unfamiliar and new.
Creatures walked by—humanoid in shape, yet clearly different. They had animal-like ears, and some even had tails!
They wore woolen clothes and strolled down the street. Carts and wagons filled with animals or fruits passed by. Children ran and played joyfully in the streets.
Vendors shouted, trying to attract customers:
"Come to this side of the market! I've got the finest goods!"
Vantias smiled as he walked and said happily to himself:
"It's like a fantasy world… So much more vibrant than my old one. It feels like the Renaissance era from the books I've read, but more magical and colorful."