Daniel and David

In another world was a family. A world where death was more present in the body, rendering them inmovil. A world where those who are meant to pass have nowhere to go other than back on earth. There Daniel lived. Almost as if he did not fear death, for his young age and rather lack of experience in those matters led him to not even consider death as an option. Both of his parents were of good health, his younger sister full of energy, uncles and aunts did not vanish, and both sets of his grandparents could brag of their long life and years set to come.

Daniel started his day as any other. He woke up. Got ready for the day. Argued with his sister for hogging the bathroom. Walked in when she finally left. He walked into the kitchen. Grabbed a box of Coco Pops cereal. Served himself a bowl and placed a spoon into it. He reached for the milk in the fridge and attempted his best to avoid any spills. It was when he picked up the bowl that he noticed the sudden disappearance of a kitchen counter. In fact, when he looked up, the sudden disappearance of the kitchen he had walked into became all too obvious.

He was in a forest. Daniel couldn't really remember any forests being near his home and was absolutely certain that he hadn't made his way to the forest. He looked down at the bowl, still held by him, and walked through his daily routine. Nothing had been out of normal and, upon lifting his fingertips and attempting to conjure something, he became certain that he had no magical powers that had suddenly transported him to another world.

"Ok." He muttered, looking around and finding a small rock that seemed somewhat clean enough. Daniel sat down and slowly ate, chewing slowly enough to let the cereal in his bowl soak the milk. He didn't enjoy soggy cereal. As he ate his eyes turned to the environment around him. It was a forest. If he knew everything about trees he could've been able to tell the type of forest he currently found himself in. It was a forest. The trees were tall and the sky was a blue he had never seen before.

There were no roads as far as he could see. No city in the distance or human voices. He didn't know why he expected human voices, especially since he seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Panic began to rear its ugly head. He took a deep breath and lifted the bowl to his lips, drinking the milk as slowly as possible until he found himself forced to deal with the reality of his sudden… displacement.

Daniel took a nap. He hoped to wake up from the dream he was in. He was late for nothing. Most of his days were always spent by him simply walking through his house, pretending he had something to do. By the time he woke up it was due to someone poking at his cheek with a stick.

"Oh you're awake." A voice said as Daniel opened his eyes, his vision blurry for a couple of seconds before he eventually saw the stick pressed against his skin. The person holding it seemed to be about his age, if not a few years older. "It's dangerous to just nap around the forest. Criminals might steal your…" The person turned his dark, essentially pitch black, eyes to the bowl Daniel was holding. "Bowl." The person tilted his head slightly. "I have been told that they might strip you down to your knickers so you might want to be careful."

"My?" Daniel asked, slowly removing the stick and putting some distance between them. "Who are you?"

The person smiled brightly and stood up, placing his right hand palm against his chest. "I am Prince David of Piria, first of my name. It is good to make your acquaintance."

Daniel nodded silently. "Ok. Tell me-" He looked down at his cereal bowl. The red rim and the cartoon animal on the bottom seemed somewhat ridiculous when sitting before someone dressed in what seemed to be very expensive clothing. Golden hoop earrings from his ear, several rings across his fingers. "Small question. Where are we?"

"We're in the woods between the coast and Nati."

Daniel nodded. "And that is?"

"In Altlan." Prince David muttered, somewhat confused. "Do you feel alright?"

Daniel shook his head before deciding to nod. "Sort of." He said. "What continent is Altlan in?"

Prince David did not know the answer. "Somewhere around the South?" He removed a folded piece of paper from his sleeve. "Southeast?" David tried to unfold it, struggling to do so and only getting it right after the first five attempts. It was a map of a country Daniel did not recognise, the words written on it were ones he couldn't read. Even as the prince showed him where they currently were, according to him, and where he wanted to move towards, none of it was familiar. And Daniel felt as though he needed to fall asleep.

He could think of it later. Leave the issue to his future self.

"Now that I think about it. What is your name?" David said.

"Daniel."

"Well Daniel, it was a pleasure to speak to you but I must get going." David said as he placed his phone back into his sleeve. The narrow opening allowing it to remain there. "It is dangerous for someone of my stature to be alone at night." Daniel nodded, not really responding and simply allowing himself to stare blankly into the distance for a few minutes. He couldn't really think. If he tried to do so there would be pressure against the front of his head, forcing him to close his eyes in an attempt to get relief. Any sort of relief.

Deep breaths weren't helping. The inside of his ears felt as though it were burning and he almost feared as though he were going insane. No. Maybe not insane. Maybe he had been swallowed by a different world. Isekai. His sister had talked about getting isekai by getting hit by a truck. Except he hadn't been hit by a truck. No. He'd been standing in his kitchen. Maybe that had been his issue. He shouldn't have been in his kitchen, then again there wasn't anything all that weird from just standing in your kitchen.

He took a deep breath. Feeling as though his heart were about to burst from his chest. "Can you read a map?" David's voice interrupted him, forcing him to open his eyes and see the new world he had suddenly found himself in.

"Yes?" He muttered.

"Stupendous." David said. "Come with me to Nati. It is better to be lost in company than alone. That way we might get somewhere and thieves might consider it twice before attacking us."

"Um…" Daniel muttered, looking around and struggling to find what to do with his bowl. "Sure?" He stood up, placing the bowl on the floor as he did and then picking it up. "Do you know-?"

"Just leave it." David told him.

David seemed to struggle telling his left from his right. He had always been the kind of person to take a moment to themselves when told to use their right hand, unable to actually tell which hand that was. "But I made it all the way here on my own. Did I not?" Prince David said, waving his hand in the air. "My parents would be ecstatic if they knew how far I have gotten. However, we are currently not on speaking terms."

Daniel did not interrupt, feeling much more interested in his surroundings and trying to not fall to his feet in desperation. He didn't want to panic but it seemed to be the better option. So far, he would try and get to a city and then, once he found somewhere safe, he would allow himself to try and think.

"An old man came to our palace and granted us a prophecy." David said, seeming slightly insulted. "I remember it, of course, but since it is confidential you can surely understand why I will not quote it to you. Instead I can give you a preview of what it said." Daniel simply nodded. "It spoke of the ending of the Evil Kingdom and that I would be responsible for it." He seemed oddly proud of it.

"I think we're close." Daniel muttered. Part of him wanted to scream at the fact that there were no signs, no roads. He could only hope he was walking in the accurate direction.

"Fantastic! I knew it was good of me to turn back and ask for your help." David practically jumped as he spoke. "There is a reason I was chosen to defeat the Evil King. Which I will do…" He had suddenly gone into the defensive. "Just not right now. There is no danger right now. And I must get to the Altlan Festival. It is a matter of great importance."

"I see." Daniel muttered, eyes on the map and moving slowly.

"Do you not believe me?"

Daniel stopped for a moment, turning to look at the prince and then back to the map. "Not to be rude… your highness? I don't think I care." Was his reply.

David's eyes narrowed and then settled, a bright smile appearing across his lips. "I'm in a good mood so I will let that go. Aren't I amazing?" The prince sighed. "No wonder the prophecy called for me. Someone as king as I is the best option when it comes to defeating the Evil King."

A groan escaped from Daniel's lips. His fingertips rising and digging into his forehead. He could only hope to wake up from his dream.

"Everything alright?" David asked, the tone of his voice one that told Daniel that he could really not care.

"Just a headache."

"Oh." David muttered. "You know I have never once in my life suffered from a headache."