Eyes of destiny

Chapter 1: A New World

                     Part 1: Travelers

,,What should I do?" the boy whispered, exhausted and confused, leaning against the cold wall of one of the buildings. His thoughts spiraled, while the world outside pulsed with life. Bystanders were drawn to his strange clothing, or at least that's what Edo assumed. He, with his black hair and unusual accessories, appeared different among the half-human creatures passing by. He had never been the center of attention, and now this feeling was unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

He had always tried to blend in, enjoying his anonymous life. For as long as he could remember, he preferred to stay away from crowds, liked knowing what was happening around him, and when no one was paying him any attention, he could easily stick to the routine that gave him a sense of safety.

"Why are they staring at me like that? Am I really that ugly? Maybe it's this jacket or the headphones around my neck?" he thought, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Removing the headphones that had always bothered him brought momentary relief. The metal part connecting the headphones always pressed uncomfortably against his head. He shoved them into his jacket pocket and moved in the direction indicated by the lizard.

He hoped to reach the outpost that dealt with travelers. However, doubts swirled in his mind. What good would a visit to such a place do? How was he supposed to find his way in this new world? Throughout his life, he had avoided confrontation and action, and now he was facing a completely new reality. He realized how comfortable his old life had been, where everything had its place.

"Before I get there, I need to think a few things through. I probably ended up in this world without a way back, or maybe I have to meet some condition I don't know about, or find a place I have no idea where to find. Great," he grumbled internally. Though he had some solace—he could communicate with the local beings. His conversation with the lizard had been in a language he knew, maybe slightly modified, but that was probably due to the lizard itself. The creatures and people passing him spoke a language he understood. Only the writing he encountered was completely different. Symbols he couldn't comprehend added to his frustration.

"I wonder what that's about? Maybe coming to this world automatically gave me a built-in translator?" he wondered, feeling increasingly lost.

The pain in his eyes was becoming more unbearable, reminding him every few moments. "Here we go again, chasing the light, like an idiot," he muttered under his breath, drawing even more attention from onlookers. He was slowly getting used to their stares, but every sight of a cat, lizard, or other humanoid creature sent shivers down his spine.

The pain, growing in his right eye, was becoming unbearable, and small hallucinations started appearing around him. Edo felt surrounded by words he knew, but their sheer volume overwhelmed him, making understanding impossible. He didn't know where these visions were coming from, but they were certainly not a feeling he wanted to experience right now.

"Damn it, what are these symbols? Why do I see them? The flood of these damn signs is going to blow my head apart," he thought, growing impatient. Finally, he left the crowded alley where he had been wandering since his arrival in this world. Where there were fewer people, the pain slightly eased.

Before his eyes stood a building that stood out from the others. It was wooden, medieval in style, and around it gathered a mass of strange figures in various outfits, nothing like what he had known before.

"This must be the building the lizard mentioned," he said to himself, observing the symbols above the door, painted in four colors: red, green, white, and blue. Each color had its own symbol, but their meaning was a mystery to him.

Hesitating, he opened the door. They were lighter than he had expected. As he stepped inside, he felt a dense atmosphere, and his gaze was immediately drawn to the diversity of creatures sitting inside. On the right side was a reception desk combined with a bar. People drank, traded, or played various games whose rules he didn't know. On the left, he saw tables where others ate or waited for orders.