Callum gaped beneath his face wrap, marveling at the sight of Lynn in front of him while he stood atop a hill.

  It’s what Callum imagined a medieval fantasy town to look like. Houses with wooden beams, a bustling open market, towers, and parks. They all looked amazing to Callum. Though it couldn’t compare to Earth’s technological advancements, something about its rustic yet lively nature resonated with him.

  “Well, aren’t you coming?” Nicholas asked him, Sabrina excitedly pulling Callum's hand as he stayed rooted in awe.

  “Uh, Yeah,” Callum blinked, breaking out of his stupor.

  During their travels, he learned much about Nicholas and Sabrina. The girl particularly liked Callum, having forgotten completely about his domineering presence when they first met. With a grin on her face, she kept pulling him, practically running as they neared the entrance to the town.

  When they got there, they saw a line forming at a checkpoint. Guards in helms were checking each person before letting them inside. Among them were people with the same white skin as him.

  “So that’s why you didn’t question my skin,” Callum muttered.

  “What?”

  Nicholas, who was beside Callum, turned a questioning brow at him.

  “I thought it weird that you didn’t ask about my skin.”

  “Why would I? There are a lot of races that come and go in these parts. I just thought that you’re one of those Goliath races from the north.”

  Now that he thinks about it, Callum took another look at the line.

  I guess he’s right not to question my race.

  He could see people with pointed ears like those of an elf, dwarves with stout bodies and bushy beards, a family of gnomes carrying packs of who-knows-what, and, lastly, a couple of Goliaths with ashy skin towering over everyone in the line.

  With this variety of people inhabiting this part of the region, Callum grew excited at the chance of finally coming back to civilization—so excited that he forgot his own predicament.

  Though he doesn’t have to worry about his ashen skin, his eyes are a different matter altogether. Feeling his face, Callum reached a quick realization.

  The people in the line didn’t wear anything to cover their faces, and those who did were required to show them to the guards watching over the gate leading inside the town.

  “Is it mandatory for them to check faces?” Callum asked in a hushed tone.

  “Most of the time, yeah. Why?” Nicholas answered, looking at Callum and realizing why he asked the question.

  “Oh, right. Your face,” Nicholas winced.

  Seeing his reaction, Callum grew nervous. His mind started to race, coming up with excuses as the line kept getting shorter.

  “I don’t think it’s much of a problem if they see your face,” Nicholas reassured.

  “No. I’m telling you, it’s going to cause a huge problem if they see what I look like,” Callum said in a hurry, his heart pounding in his chest with each person let through.

  “Is it really that ugly? I mean, no offense, but-”

  “No, I mean, yes. I mean-” Callum grumbled, deciding whether to tell the siblings the truth about his undead nature or camp outside until he figured out a way to get in.

  One thing he learned about the undead was their dead giveaways from Nicholas. And one of them is the revenants and their eyes. Eyes akin to the abyss that leads to oblivion. The same eyes he has now.

  “I think they won’t mind,” Nicholas said.

  “You don’t get it. If they see me, they might cause some trouble,” Callum explained.

  “Wait, you’re wanted?” Nicholas gasped, eyes widening at Callum.

  “No, I’m not,”

  “Then why hide your face?”

  “Because-”

  “Next!”

  The guard called out motioning for both Callum and the siblings to move forward in line.

  If Callum could still sweat, his back would have been drenched. Fear gripped his heart as he failed to take a step forward.

  “I think you two should go first,” Callum said in a low voice.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Next!” The guard yelled again, his voice now tinged with annoyance.

  Callum nodded at Nicholas, giving him a little push towards the checkpoint. It consisted of a table with what looked like books stacked on top, completed by a quill dipped in ink. It was situated just before the gate of the entrance, an old stout man sitting at the desk. The guards greeted the siblings, telling them the procedures. However, Callum was too tense to hear what they were saying.

  Is this how they find out? Maybe I’ll just say I have contacts on. Wait. Does this world even have contacts?

  Callum’s thoughts ran as he saw both siblings be let into the town. They stayed on the other side, waiting for Callum to follow them.

  With shaky legs, he stepped forward. His movements were rigid, too conscious of the way he was walking.

  “Bag,” the guard said, hands reaching for Callum’s travel bag.

  “Right,” Callum muttered, taking the bag from his shoulders and giving it to the guard.

  “State your business,” The man behind the desk said.

  “Trying to find a job?” Callum answered unsurely.

  The man nodded, writing something down on the book in front of him.

  “Are you affiliated with any guild?”

  “No,”

  The man checked something off from the parchment.

  “Okay. Now, could you take off your mask?” The man requested, eyes looking away from his book and onto Callum.

  “Is it necessary?”

  “Yes. It’s to make sure you're not some wanted criminal. Always have to make sure to keep the people safe, right? And since you’re from the North, we’d have to make doubly sure.” The man joked, reassuring Callum that he wouldn’t mind what he looked like one bit. Even if they thought Callum was from the North because of his complexion, the guard doesn't seem to be put off by it. Other than a little caution because of him coming from this supposed 'North', the guard was amicable.

  Yet, it did nothing to dissuade Callum’s worries. If anything, it only made them worse.

  His breath quickened, bordering on hyperventilation. His hands shook as he slowly reached toward his face coverings. He gulped as Callum prayed to any God for a miracle, hoping that his abyssal eyes could be chalked up as some weird aesthetic niche.

  However, before he could take off his face coverings, an arm wrapped around Callum’s shoulder, making him jump in shock.

  “Tristan, my man. No need to scare my friend here. Can’t you see he doesn’t wanna show his face?” a boisterous man said loudly beside Callum.

  “I’m just doing my job, Morrick. Now if you’d please show us your-”

  “C’mon, Tristan. I’ve seen you let masked people in. Can’t you just let this slide?”

  “No,”

  As they started to bicker, Callum was left stunned. He looked at the man, thoughts still jumbled as he tried to make sense of the situation.

  Morrick looked young, his head reaching only to Callum’s shoulders. His face is sharp in just the right places, his mouth wearing a charming smile. He had short brown hair, his eyes greenish in color. They wore leather armor, a bow strapped over his chest, and a quiver on his back. However, what caught Callum’s attention was a scar running down their neck. It looked nasty, and he only saw it since he was so close to the man.

  “It seems like it’s come to that point, huh?” Morrick sighed.

  “Procedures are procedures. If you have a problem with that, take it to the mayor of this town,” the man, whose name was Tristan, said tiredly.

  Morrick walked up to the old man, beckoning him to lend him his ear. With a grumble, Tristan obliged, albeit reluctantly. Morrick whispered something, and Tristan’s eyes widened with each word that left the young man’s mouth.

  When finished, he walked back beside Callum, leaving behind a sweaty Tristan.

  “Fine. But please, keep that a secret,” The old man requested, eyes begging Morrick to take what he’d just revealed to his grave.

  “You know I always keep to my word,” Morrick said proudly, pounding his right hand to his chest.

  With a sigh, the old man looked at Callum, eyes holding suspicion and a hint of anger as he let them into the town proper. Callum could only nod his head in appreciation as he passed through.

  “Man, that old coot really needs to stop going to the pub. He’d die an early death I tell you,” Morrick said as he finally let go of Callum.

  “Uh, thanks?” Callum said.

  He still tried to understand the man. He knows it’s too good to be true, but his mind is kind of lagging behind in trying to calm his nerves.

  Nicholas walked up to them, with Sabrina in tow.

  “What happened there? And who are you?” Nicholas questioned, casting a wary eye towards the stranger.

  “Ah, that was rude of me. Name’s Morrick,” He introduced himself, holding his hand out for a shake.

  Nicholas looked at it.

  “Nicholas,” he said, leaving the man’s hand hanging.

  Callum took it instead. He knows too well how painful it was to be left hanging like that. He’d experienced it so many times before he died.

  “Callum. And again, thank you for the help back there,” He thanked again.

  “A good thing too, since your hand is ice cold. You were that nervous to show your face?” He asked.

  Another unique nature of the unliving is their body temperature. His body was that of an undead, so of course he wouldn’t be able to produce any heat. If he isn’t careful, people will catch on quickly, something Callum is trying to avoid at all costs.

  Callum released the man’s palm, hiding it behind him as he regarded Morrick.

  “You could say that,” Callum answered.

  From his first impression, Morick seems like a nice guy. He already knows the guards of this city, meaning he has some kind of influence. Though he doesn’t understand what Morrick’s motive was for Callum, their interaction so far has been okay.

  “Anyways, why did you help me?” Callum asked.

  Morrick thought about his answer, making a thinking pose before looking back at Callum.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Just a hunch,” he shrugged.

  “Well, if you don’t mind, we’ll be on our way,” Nicholas said as he motioned for Callum to follow him.

  “Ah, sure. Sorry for keeping you guys occupied. But, if you need something, just ask the guild for my name,”

  “What guild?” Callum asked in curiosity.

  “The Adventurer’s Guild. Should be hard to miss,”

  So there really was an Adventurer’s guild.

  Callum thought giddily.

  “Anyways, see you guys around,” Morrick said as they started walking into the bustling town.

  It wasn’t until they were far enough away that Nicholas broke the silence.

  “Do you know that guy?” Nicholas asked Callum.

  “Not a clue. Seems like a good kid though,” he answered.

  Hearing him say kid to what people would call an adult raised Nicholas's brow, though he didn’t say anything about it. Instead, they continued walking, weaving through people and moving carts. Callum’s head swiveled from left to right as he took in the sights.

  Even though the sun was starting to set, the roads of Lynn were filled with life. He could hear vendors shouting their wares, and customers screaming their purchases just to be heard over the din. He saw children run around, laughing as they got yelled at by an old man running a stand. Callum took it all in, letting himself be taken by the flow while he followed behind the siblings.

  Seeing Nicholas and Sabrina smile as they talk made Callum feel relieved. They’ve just gone through a harrowing experience, something Callum couldn’t imagine how painful it must be. Though he had lost his father, it paled in comparison to losing a whole village. But seeing them happy was all Callum could hope for.

  He still needs to familiarize himself with this world, especially after he’d gone through his first instance of Aethos. The thought of people having the power to raze a city with a swing of their swords made him restless. He can’t afford to die again, he doesn’t want to experience the hell he’d been through. And with his undeadness, the chance of him being hunted down was likely.

  With a nod, Callum slowed his steps, coming to a stop beside a street corner.

  “I guess this is my stop,” Callum said to the siblings.

  “What do you mean?” Nicholas asked, looking behind to see Callum not following them.

  “There’s no need for me to stay with you guys anymore,”

  That had always been the plan he’d come up with when he decided to help them. Although he learned a lot about the siblings, Callum only saw them as people who were going to the same destination. There was no reason for him to accompany them from this point on. He wasn’t a relative, or anyone they’d know for long for that matter. He was just a stranger who came to their rescue. However, the look on Sabrina’s face gave him pause.

  “You’re not staying with us?” Sabrina asked with a frown.

  Seeing that expression made Callum’s heart ache. He kneeled, leveling himself to Sabrina as he smiled behind his face covering.

  “Sorry, Sabrina. But I have to go,” Callum said softly, gently holding her hands to comfort her.

  “But why?” Sabrina questioned, tears forming in her eyes.

  “Sabrina,” Nicholas warned.

  Callum looked at Nicholas, lightly smacking his leg to stop him from reprimanding Sabrina. A child should be allowed to feel what they feel.

  “Hey, we’ll still see each other, okay? I promise.” He assured, squeezing her hands gently. He’d learned a lot about dealing with kids, and usually, this trick always worked. Yet, it seemed to do the opposite of calming her down since she began to cry loudly.

  “Why are you leaving us?” She hollered.

  Her cries caught the attention of passersby, gaining them looks that were hard to understand. Seeing this, Nicholas kneeled beside Callum, switching places with him. He held Sabrina’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes as he started consoling her.

  “Sabrina, Callum has things to do too, okay? We can’t keep him with us,” Nicholas reassured, patting her head as he tried to stop her cries.

  “But mom said the same thing! And she didn’t come back!” She squealed, her cries growing louder.

  Callum’s chest tightened at her words, the raw pain in her voice cutting deeper than he expected. All he could do was watch as Nicholas gave her sister a hug, repeating ‘It’ll be alright, it’ll be okay,’ over and over again. He could see Nicholas struggling to keep himself from breaking, his body shaking as he tried and failed to stop Sabrina’s wails.

  Then, it hit him. Sabrina didn’t know the concept of death. She was just a little girl who lived her life in a small village. It was the only place she knew her entire life. But it was all taken away by monsters. Although he saw her cry next to Nicholas at the burial ground, it wasn’t because she was lamenting the loss of her village, she was crying because her brother was crying too.

  She had been keeping her emotions bottled up, hiding them in a facade of joy and laughter when deep down, she carried a burden much larger than what her young mind could take. It was only now when those emotions made themselves known that Callum saw the pain she had been holding this entire time.

  His grip tightened, knuckles turning white as his anger bubbled inside him. Though he doesn’t know who these Silver Swords Nicholas had mentioned during their travels, he still felt obligated to mete out some kind of justice. The thought was irrational, yet Callum still felt he should do something to make the crying girl in front of him happy.

  “Hey, you! Stop that brat’s hollerin’! It’s excruciating!” a man screamed.

  Hearing that, Callum couldn’t help himself but reply back. His bubbling anger momentarily clouded his judgment as he thought too late at what he said.

  “Say that again and I’ll make sure you’re the one crying,”

  “What’d you say?!”

  The man walked towards him, fists balled as his face creased in anger.

  Hearing this, Callum sighed, having dealt with numerous rude people before on Earth. He stood up from where he kneeled, shielding the siblings with his body. However, what he saw when he looked back was a fist flying towards his face.

  Surprise was the first thing that came to mind, he didn’t expect his comment to agitate the man to the point of a fight. Especially not in front of a distressed child. However, the other thing that shocked him was how slow the fist flew. It’s like time stretched to a crawl, his mind sharp like a knife as he watched it come closer.

  With quick reflexes, Callum dodged the punch, making the man stumble forward. A small gathering of people was already forming because of Sabrina’s cries, however, their attention was redirected at the man instead.

  Some of the bystanders chuckled at the sight, which only irritated the man.

  They recovered quickly, turning around with a yell as he threw another punch. This time, Callum didn’t bother dodging. He lifted his right hand, catching the man’s attack with his palm. It thudded, and the man groaned in pain as he shook the pain off. It was like he had punched a tree, Callum’s body too hard for his meaty hands.

  Seeing how sturdy the masked man in front of him was, the rugged individual goes for a tackle instead. However, just like before, he was met with a wall.

  Callum didn’t even budge from where he stood, his arms to the side as he watched the man struggle to take him down. Some of the peanut gallery started laughing at this, the men in the crowd cheering as the guy tried his best to take Callum off the ground.

  “What are ya fuckin’ made of?” The man said through clenched teeth, veins popping out of his forehead as he tried to move Callum’s robust physique.

  “No swearin’ near the kids,” Callum said as he gripped the man’s waist under him. With a grunt, he lifted his opponent, throwing him over his shoulders and into the ground.

  The crowd winced, having just seen a man be regarded as a sack of potatoes by Callum. The man in question groaned in pain, his buttocks having taken most of the damage from both of their fall. When Callum sat up he looked around to see the siblings staring slack-jawed beside him. The spectacle seemed to have calmed Sabrina down, a relief to Callum as he stood back up again.

  “Someone should get that guy some help. He might’ve broken a few bones after the fall,” Callum yelled over the talking crowd.

  Some saw him as a brute, their eyes turning to the side as they started walking away. While some cheered, entertained by the show of strength he’d performed in front of the masses.

  “What’s with all the noise?!” A guard yelled over the crowd, their silver armor hard to miss inside the gathering.

  “We should go,” Callum said as he carried Sabrina.

  He doesn’t want his first day in civilization to be interrogated by the guards. That would be the worst possible outcome. They would surely question why he keeps his face hidden, forcing him to reveal his undead identity. If the people knew what he was, then it would be over. So, with quick steps, Callum escaped the gathering crowd.

  Nicholas followed behind him, his stares boring into his skull. However, his curiosity is something Callum couldn’t entertain right now, not when the guards are trying to follow them.

  They pushed through the throng of people, getting some curses thrown at them from their hurried stroll. He moved through corners and alleyways, making sure to get away as far as possible.

  It wasn’t until they turned their twelfth alleyway that Callum finally slowed down, his breath coming in quick as he tried to calm himself, having lost the guards that were pursuing them.

  “Phew, that was not the first thing I planned on doing when I entered my first town,” Callum laughed, tension leaving his shoulders.

  Though her face seemed forlorn, he could feel Sabrina hold her giggles in his arms.

  “What in the nine hells happened there?” Nicholas panted, his hands propped up on his knees.

  “Don’t know, but it did make me realize how out of touch I am,” Callum answered, his mouth creasing into a smile as his mind came to a decision.

  Callum put down the sulking Sabrina, her eyes not meeting him as she hurriedly hid behind her brother.

  “I’m sorry about Sabrina. She’s lost a lot. We’d lost a lot. And I think she saw you as someone who could protect her.” Nicholas said to Callum.

  “Don’t be. If anything, I wanted to ask you something,”

  “What is it?”

  “Can I stay with you guys for a few days?” Callum said, his hands rubbing the back of his neck.

  “You’re staying with us?” Sabrina asked meekly.

  “Why?” Nicholas followed.

  “Well, I don’t have any money with me. Also, I don’t have a place to sleep. Lastly, I don’t know this place at all, so I’ll count on you for a tour.” Callum informed Nicholas.

  Seeing how a small rude comment could get him in trouble, Callum needs to know the norm of this place. It also helps with healing Sabrina’s trauma, specifically her abandonment issues. If anything, his request kills two birds with one stone. He could learn about this world through Nicholas and Sabrina while also keeping an eye on their well-being. It also gives Callum a place to stay, that is if Nicholas is okay with it.

  “We’ll be happy to have you as a company. But, we only have enough coin for one room,” Nicholas said with a wry smile.

  “That’s no problem for me. I don’t need much sleep anyways,”

  “Then it’s settled,”

  With that, Sabrina’s frown turned upside down, smiling as she held Callum’s hand again. He smiled beneath his face coverings as they walked back onto the street.

  ***

  The sky was starting to show stars when Callum stood in front of a particular wooden building. A sign hung just above its entrance, yet Callum couldn’t read it.

  At first, he thought it was Arabic, but the lines were too angular and foreign for it to be one. He knows most of the characters that were present in his world, courtesy of his degree in anthropology, but he never saw something like the script in front of him.

  The thought of learning a new language excites Callum. Though a daunting task, he always felt joy in putting pieces of words together.

  Thinking about it now, though he could understand others, their mouths moved differently. The same could be said of him, the language of this world having ingrained itself when he was revived. Yet another mystery that Callum could think of solving in the future.

  Though the script in question was unfamiliar, a symbol of a bed above the script was all Callum needed to understand what this establishment was.

  “Is this an Inn?” He asked.

  “What else would it be,” Nicholas replied as he pushed the door into the building.

  A bell chimed as they opened the door, filling the streets with warm orange light.

  The room they entered could only be described as simple. Some seating here and there, paintings of flowers hanging on the walls, and someone behind the counter just a few feet away from them.

  The floor creaked with every step they took, yet, it didn’t catch the innkeeper's attention. The innkeeper in question is a small gnome with comically large circular glasses adorning their face.

  She looked preoccupied, reading from some book as the group moved forward.

  “We’d like to stay over for the night,” Nicholas asked.

  The woman looked at Nicholas with lazy eyes, momentarily processing what he’d just said before reaching under her counter. She pulled out a key, plopping it down on the counter as Nicholas dropped a silver coin.

  When her eyes made their way to Callum, it widened slightly, though her expression went back to a bored one as she started reading again. Looks like having a masked person with white skin enter their establishment was something normal, which Callum felt relieved to know.

  “Thank you,” Nicholas muttered as he took the keys from the counter.

  They gingerly made their way up the second floor, noting how cramped the hallway was. Callum compared it to some of New York’s apartments when they got to their room.

  The room in question only held one bed made of straw big enough for one of them. There was a single small window that lit the room and a chair to accompany the table beside the bed. An unlit candle on a coaster and a lighter composed of flint and steel was the only thing on top of the table, and a wooden chest was placed at the foot of the bed.

  “Looks better than the forest,” Callum remarked as the siblings entered.

  “I’d much prefer the forest than this dingy room.”

  Nicholas slid his finger across the table, rubbing dust between them.

  “But it’ll do for the next couple of days.”

  Sabrina set the bag she had been carrying inside the chest. Then, she made her way to the top of the bed.

  “Thank you, Nicholas, for letting me stay with you guys,” Callum said with a nod.

  “Nick,”

  “Huh?

  “Just call me Nick,” Nicholas said as he sat beside the lying Sabrina.

  The fact that Nicholas wanted Callum to call him by his nickname didn’t escape him. It meant that he trusted Callum enough to consider him a friend, and knowing that, he smiled.

  Callum pulled out a blanket from his bag, handing it to Nicholas. He sat the bag down beside him as he made his way to the chair.

  “You guys should sleep,” Callum said as he picked up the flint and steel for the candle.

  “How about you?” Nick asked as he placed the blanket over the sleeping Sabrina.

  “I’ll sleep here,”

  “On the chair?”

  “I’ve slept in places worse than this,”

  “If you say so,”

  With that, Nick lay down beside Sabrina. It only took a few minutes until both siblings were fast asleep. The trip to Lynn had exhausted them. Now, they were awarded with the comfort of a proper bed, if a straw of hay could be considered proper.

  Callum listened to their breaths as he watched through the window outside. This is going to be his new world for the rest of his life. The thought of coming back to Earth was tempting, wondering what his friends throughout the world would think of his disappearance. However, that was behind him now. He had spent 98 years contemplating, and he’d accepted that there was no way back to the life he’d lived before.

  He had experienced death and what it could provide, changing him in ways beyond the physical. And now, he has the world as his oyster, full of new experiences he couldn’t wait to explore.

  He pulled at his face coverings, revealing his features.

  I guess the only thing I need to cover now is my eyes.

  With those thoughts, Callum waited. Hoping for tomorrow to come sooner rather than later.