Chapter 2 A new world

TWO DAYS EARLIER.

Samuel's pov

I'm falling into an endless, dark pit. I didn't know how it started, but I just found myself here. I am surrounded by nothing, just complete darkness. The rush of cold air made my teeth chatter. The darkness was overwhelming. I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn't tell which way was up or down, and I was spinning out of control. I felt like I was in an abyss with no escape. There was no way out, and I felt like I was in a constant free fall. My mind couldn't make sense of anything; I was beyond terrified. My body was getting nauseated from all the spinning and turning, and I was getting dizzier by the minute.

I'm not sure for how long I've been falling, but it felt like an eternity. I felt so numb and empty. My mind was blank; I couldn't recall anything, and I don't know how I ended up in this situation. All I knew was that I wanted it all to end.

The air hit me hard, causing me to close my eyes. Through the rush of the wind, I heard someone whisper. Though I did not know what it was saying, the voice calmed me like a drug and gave me instant inner peace, as if I had been released. It felt like witchcraft. I opened my eyes, smiling, to see who it was that whispered to me in such a gentle tone. However, terror overtook my face as I saw a gigantic, hideous-looking monster. My eyes bulge with fright as it opens up, revealing its huge, razor-sharp teeth, and swallows me whole.

****

PRESENT DAY (IN A WORLD CALLED MUJARO)

"Wake up, Jeremy."

"Jeremy," An unfamiliar voice called, and I looked up, glancing at a blurry figure. I allowed my swollen eyes to adjust to the bright light seeping in through the window. When I sat up, I looked at her again, staring straight into a woman's warm brown eyes that twinkled with hope.

"Jeremy? Who's that?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face as I looked around me.

"You had an accident, so for now you won't remember anything," she explained with a smile. "Accident?" I froze up. Wait a minute, wasn't I falling endlessly into a pit just a second ago?

"Excuse me, but who are you and where am I?" I was perplexed.

"Look, like I said, you won't be able to remember anything for now, so I advise you to rest some more. Your parents will be here by..." She paused for a moment to glance at her wristwatch. "4:44," she finished.

"My... wait, did you just say my parents?" I was slack-jawed. I didn't know why her words sounded so strange to me. She chuckled at my reaction. "Yes, Jeremy, they will arrive at any time to pick you up," she said, smiling heartily. I was still in shock, but I tried not to show it. I needed to calm down to understand my situation.

After a minute of checking some files, she stood up to adjust her scrubs.

"So then, I'll take my leave, and if you need anything, press that button," she says, directing my eyes towards a red button.

"Ok," I answered shortly, and when she left, I hunched my shoulders, darting my eyes around the room repeatedly until they landed on an object.

My body was different; I felt like I just woke up in another person's body, and what is this strange feeling? I felt like a high school kid on drugs or something. I looked down at my legs. "They are so long," I muttered.

I swiftly got off the bed, swaying on my feet a little. When I was steady enough, I walked towards the only mirror in the room. When I stood in front of the mirror, I stiffened. I stared at my reflection with a cold curiosity because I didn't know who or what was standing before me. I slowly leaned forward to examine the image, and wow! What happened to me? I looked so young and had lean muscles. Taking a closer look at my face, I noticed that my eyes were light blue.

I was quite tall (about 6'2"), and my hair was strawberry blonde.

I felt so strange; it was as if every part of my memory had been wiped out completely. Although I could still recall the endless falling, I did not remember anything after that; my mind was completely blank after that.

The door immediately opened, startling me. My brows knitted as I saw who came in; it was a white-haired boy, and he looked very strange with big green eyes. And oddly, we both looked alike.

"I heard from the nurse that you woke up, but I didn't expect you to be fully healed immediately." His forehead furrowed as he examined me.

"Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but who the hell are you?" I gave him a once-over and watched as he raised an eyebrow. "I am your brother, Jade; actually, I'm your little brother, but people get confused because I'm more mature and smarter than you." He smirked, strutting towards the bed.

My baby brother? What was going on? I looked around me. Was I in another universe or something? ...

"Here, I brought you a change of clothes," he said, giving me a black turtleneck and denim jeans. I took it gladly; I was getting sick of the gown I was wearing. I watched as his eyes lit up. "Hurry up and put it on; our parents will be here any minute."

Everything he said and the way he talked to me, like we'd known each other all our lives, felt so alienating. But nevertheless, I shouldn't act out of character, so I silently nodded, getting ready to undress, but his smile quickly faded. "What are you doing?" he asked flatly. "Undressing," I replied nonchalantly, making him crinkle his nose. "That's weird; you never do that," he muttered to himself. Now I was confused. Never do what?

I didn't know where I was or who the people around me were. However, I needed to play along until I figured everything out. As a result, I had to be careful not to get into any trouble. Since the nurse told me I had lost my memories, I would use that information to my advantage and blend in perfectly.

I knit my eyebrows. "Never do what?" I asked quietly.

"It's extremely unusual seeing you suddenly shift overnight," he remarked. "Normally you'd burn the things I give you to crisp at first glance just to irritate me, then later you use your abilities to do it yourself."