When Worlds Clash: Reincarnated with the Arcane Register

"Kaiair?" The girl muttered.

Kai was immediately elated. Wait! So this gorgeous female specimen actually knew him. Or at least knew the real owner of this body. In the light of that, he quickly realised that her expression was in fact not one of curiosity but of surprise. She was surprised to see him.

Kai immediately began to panic. He knew nothing about the owner of his host body's past life. He did not even know what he was to this redhead here.

But then, he got his wits together as quickly as he could. He knew that something had happened to Kaiair. That much was certain, if he jumped ahead, he could still take charge of the conversation.

So he immediately began to rub the back of his head and to look as weak as he possibly could.

The girl rushed forward immediately, concern written all over her delicate features.

"Kaiair, are you okay?"

Kai however masterfully crumbled to the ground before she got there and pretended to pass out.

"Kaiair! Kaiair!" He heard her call once, twice before she turned around and yelled to someone else.

"Grandma, please come and help me. I found Kaiair here and he just fainted. He looks so pale."

Kaiair winced within himself. So it was not his incredible acting skills that was doing the job. In fact, he looked so pale that the girl had no trouble believing that he had actually fainted. It hit him then that he still did not actually know how he looked. So much was going on that he did not remember that fact. He should have looked into the murky waters of the fountain when he had the chance.

In the meantime, another set of feet approached. "What did you say Luna?"

Luna. So that was her name. Ah, he was making progress.

In the meantime, Luna was explaining herself again. "I thought I saw movements and I was wondering who was out so early in the day and what he was doing out here. So I ventured outside and found Kaiair just standing here staring at the fountain or something. What do we do now, Grandma?"

"Poor child." He heard grandma exclaim. "But you know we aren't supposed to be out here now ourselves." She sounded worried. "Oh, if only Erin was around, I would ask her to carry him in but she isn't here."

At that point, Kai decided it was time to 'wake up.' He did not know why these dear people were so afraid of being outside but he wasn't going to prolong their misery any further. He first coughed before he popped an eye open. The both of them had turned to him and were peering at him concernedly. Grandma, he could see, was your typical old woman with wrinkled face and snow-white hair. But there was something very maternal and warm about her that made Kai like the old woman instantly.

Luna too was still standing there, brushing her curls as it fell into her eyes.

"Kaiair, are you okay?" She asked and knelt beside him. "You know we need to get off the street. Can you walk?"

Seeing that Kai was in fact pretending to be weak, he could move just as well as anybody. Besides, he suddenly realised that his reputation was taking a major hit before this beautiful girl. The result was that he jumped to his feet a little more forcefully than he had initially intended.

The both of them looked at him skeptically and enquired whether he was truly fine enough to go on but he insisted that he was good.

For their minds to be at rest, he let them support him. And besides, the chance to lean into the gorgeous Luna, he would not be passing that up. And so, the strange party of three set off to a shack that was just a few yards away.

The shack in terms of size and exterior was not much different from the one he had woken up in. But the interior was much different. The furniture was threadbare and very well worn but it had more of a home feel than his own shack. The fireplace looked warm and recently used. There was a couch, an armchair and a settee. In another corner was a cooking area and an aroma of something nice wafted over to his nostrils.

"Go and lie on the couch Kaiair." Grandma commanded. "Luna, help him." She added.

Luna seemed only too glad to be of help. Kai knew that step one of his plan was in place. They saw him as weak. The next thing he had to do now was make them be comfortable with the fact that 'Kaiair' would soon not be able to relate with most of the things they would say.

"I am physically okay." He whispered to Luna. "But my head feels so fuzzy. Did something happen to me? I don't remember much."

He saw Luna and her grandmother exchange a concerned look.

"How did you get back from the forest?" Grandma asked. "I am so sorry for what happened Kaiair. I'm really so sorry."

Kai did not have the faintest idea what she was talking about. But both the old woman and Luna looked really crestfallen so he tried his best to look as sad as they were while desperately hoping that one of them would say something more. Something that would give him a clue.

"It's a sad thing, the thing that happens to our dear town." Grandma went on again, a wistful look in her eyes. "A sad thing that happenned to Pomegron in particular. My old bones do not deserve to see this desolation. But for people to be cut down in their prime like that. So sad."

Okay, that was progress. Some people had been killed. People close to him. Probably his family members. He was supposed to be really and truly sad then. And he did not think he looked sad enough. Luna's next statement confirmed it.

"Grandma, he looks like he's still in shock about what happened. Don't talk about it anymore." She turned to Kai and patted his cheek softly. "Oh poor Kaiair."

Kai lay on the couch thinking furiously. He had to find out information without letting them suspect any foul play. And the only way to do it was to continue along the lines of his original plan: to first feign amnesia and then come clean about it.

Luckily, Grandma gave him the space to do it when she suddenly got up and announced that she was leaving the shack.

"Where are you going?" Her granddaughter asked, fear written all over her face.

"I don't like the way Kaiair looks so pale." She complained. "I'm going to ask Tavaria if she still has some of those sine leaves. It would help him."

"Will it be safe, will you be safe?" Luna looked so worried.

"I'll be fine my child." The old woman said firmly. "It's been daylight for a while now. If anything wanted to happen, it would have happened by now. Of course if Erin was here, she would have gone for me."

Erin.

This was the second time he was hearing that name. Earlier, out there, Grandma had said Erin would have carried him inside if she had been around. That Erin sounded like a very interesting character but of course, it was one thing at a time.

Luna continued fussing over him immediately her grandmother stepped out.

"Look Kaiair, if you don't want to talk about what happened. Whether what happened at your home or whatever happened to you when you went into the forest, it is fine."

Kai took the opportunity and plunged in.

"But that exactly is the problem Luna," he said, trying his best to look as confused and as blank as possible. "I don't remember much of anything that happened. I think I must have hit my head in the woods or something."

He waited tensely wondering if those beautiful emerald eyes would widen in suspicion. But it didn't. In fact she just grabbed his head and began to examine it.

"Oh why didn't you say something since! We could have started treating you immediately we found you."

He squirmed uncomfortably as she pulled his hair this way and that.

"Stay still you monkey." She cried out. "I am looking for an injury."

And sure enough, she found one. Kai was not even aware anything was there. But when she pressed it, a tiny twinge of pain shot through him.

The resulting wince was little but it was enough for Luna and it was definitely enough for Kai. At least she was convinced now that he was telling the truth.

"So what exactly do you remember?" Luna asked. "Where does your memory stop?"

Kai knew that if he said he remembered nothing, it would look very suspicious indeed so he tried something.

"The attack where my family members died, was anyone else in the town hurt? Did they... did they hurt anybody else?"

Or course he had no idea who the 'they' were. He had no idea if it was even his family members who had died but he hoped that if he was right, it would prompt Luna to start talking about the attack itself and he would finally get some much needed insight as to whatever the hell was happening out here.

Now, he waited with tensely. If he was wrong about anything, things might become uncomfortable. But if he was right...

Luna's eyes pooled with tears. "Oh Kaiair, I'm so sorry. It was horrible. Those bloody night beasts!"