The Blue Dragon

Chapter 1

I woke up in a wooden dormitory beside my two best friends, Noon and Maurice, as well as five other young people. With no idea where we were, we moved with an automatic intent. Somehow, we knew what tasks to perform that day, what routine to follow, what patterns to go along with, as if we were robots. However, this place didn't seem to have an ounce of technology. From what I could gather along the day, we were in some sort of medieval military complex and didn't have any important posts, since we mostly indulged in cleaning the facilities.

Just the day before, I recalled being in my room studying for my engineering finals, watching anime while having my meals and video calling my family and friends. At that moment, as in some prank, I was in a medieval environment, cleaning stables, folding sheets, making beds and then, having an indistinguishable stew for dinner.

I could sense the interrogation and confusion on my friends' eyes, but all the words we were able to form were part of a blubbering mess of a chitchat. "How was your day? Did you get a reprimand? This stew is gross" kind of chitchat. It was like there was a barrier we had to break in order to mention our past and modern lives, but at the slightest thought of asking about our mysterious circumstances, there'd be a surge of fear that'd flood my mind. My hands started shaking and my heart racing, I lost track of our small talk and my mouth remained open, as an invisible prison trapped all the words I wanted to say, all the words I wanted to scream.

By looking at my friends' expressions, I could gather they were going through the same. Noon's hands were shaking more than mine, so much her spoon dropped in the stew with a splash. Her eyes didn't show as much fear as Maurice's, as they seemed rather paranoid and frustrated. Him, on the contrary, was paralyzed by fear and was unable to move a muscle, except for a chill that made his dark curls jiggle.

I hated seeing my friends like this. I hated it so much, my rage started overcoming my terror and the barrier that stood between ignorance and the truth started wavering, presenting cracks all over my mind. All I had to do was look at how Noon was on the verge of crying and Maurice on the verge of passing out and, finally, a screamed question escaped my mouth:

- Just where the hell are we?!

At the same time, Noon and Maurice broke out of their equally terrifying trance and sighed like they were expelling all the air in their lungs.

- That's what I was meaning to ask all along, but...- he started, unable to keep going as the memory of his fear invaded him.

- We couldn't ask anything, it was like we were under a spell. There was a huge wall of panic on my mind every time I wondered what had happened to us and you freed us from that prison, Phi. Thank you...- a knowingly look shined on Noon's green eyes, as she explained what she felt - Have we maybe travelled dimensions?

- Or maybe we were hypnotized and kidnapped? - I suggested, responding to her thanks with a caring look.

- Then how would you explain that we're all together? We weren't even on the same geographic place yesterday, we we're miles away from each other. How would they know our connections and why kidnap all of us three? I mean, what value have we for them? - Maurice tried to hypothesize and neither me nor Noon could respond to these options, since a middle-aged man interrupted us. He was dressed in black military attire but didn't carry an armour, and there was a snake-like circle embroidered in his left forearm sleeve.

- You three should come with me. Everything will be clear in no time.

We promptly obeyed, not wanting to take any risks and exchanging alert looks between us.

"It seems he was listening to our conversation", I thought, as we followed the man through stoned corridors illuminated by torches, flames wavering as we passed by. He led us to a room with the configuration of an office. There was a table with several written documents and some candles as well as a chair resting between it and the blazing fireplace. Before sitting, the grey-haired man poured us some chamomile tea from a pot that was being heated by the fire. The gesture was somehow enough to tranquilize us, and I could hear Noon sighing from relieve. Maurice, however, was on his guard, as was I.