Chapter 1: The Awakening
Chapter 1: The Awakening
The first sensation Alex Sterling registered was the cold. It spread across his body, biting into his skin like a damp chill. His head throbbed with a dull ache, and his limbs felt foreign, unresponsive. For a few moments, he simply lay there, eyes closed, his mind swimming in a strange fog. He remembered the explosion—a blinding flash of light and a sharp crack of electricity surging through the air in his lab. Then nothing. The world had gone dark. *Am I dead?*
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the sudden onslaught of light filtering through a high, unfamiliar window. Stone walls stretched around him, adorned with tapestries of faded green and gold. A simple wooden chair sat near the foot of a large bed, next to a thick, rough-hewn table cluttered with vials and clay pots. He shifted, and a blanket slipped off his shoulder, revealing a slender arm that wasn't his.
Panic shot through him as he bolted upright. His heart hammered in his chest as he looked down at his hands—small, pale, delicate. These weren't the hands of Alex Sterling, the brilliant British geneticist with years of meticulous lab work and research to his name. These were the hands of someone else, someone younger, softer, and weaker.
"What the hell..." he whispered, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet touching cold stone. His body felt... wrong. Light, unbalanced, as though every movement was a struggle to adjust. The panic simmering beneath the surface boiled over into confusion. He needed answers, and fast.
Taking a deep breath, he stood, wavering slightly before regaining his footing. His head spun, and a flood of unfamiliar memories rushed forward—fragments of faces, names, and places he had never known, yet felt disturbingly familiar. There was a name at the forefront of these thoughts: *Alden.*
The room around him became more detailed now that the initial shock was wearing off. Heavy curtains framed the window, and a faint breeze carried the scent of damp earth and herbs. It wasn't just the room that felt unfamiliar. It was the world outside—the sounds of distant birds chirping, the muffled clank of metal, and the low murmur of voices beyond the door. None of it belonged to the life he had known.
Alex—no, Alden—gripped the edge of the table, steadying himself as the memories flooded in. They weren't his, but they came with a disconcerting sense of belonging. He was Alden Harroway now, third son of a minor noble family in a kingdom he couldn't place on any map he knew. His family wasn't particularly wealthy or powerful, but they were respected in their corner of this strange, medieval world. And more importantly, in this world, magic existed.
Magic. The thought felt absurd, and yet, Alden could feel its presence in the back of his mind, like an elusive spark just beyond reach. It was an energy, a force that permeated the very air of this world. It was something he had never experienced before in his previous life, a world governed by science and logic. But here, magic wasn't just real—it was woven into the fabric of society.
Alden's head spun again as the duality of his life became clearer. He was Alex Sterling, the brilliant scientist who had once been on the verge of revolutionizing genetic medicine, a man whose work had been dedicated to decoding the intricate patterns of DNA. And yet, he was also Alden Harroway, a young noble in a world ruled by magic, far removed from the sterile precision of a laboratory.
He stumbled toward a small mirror propped up on the dresser, his reflection catching him off guard. The face staring back was not his. It was the face of a boy no older than fifteen, with tousled dark hair, pale skin, and sharp features that had yet to fully mature. His eyes, though—his eyes remained sharp, the same analytical gaze that Alex had cultivated over years of study.
Just as he tried to process the reality of his situation, the door creaked open. A young woman, dressed in plain woolen clothing with a white apron, stepped into the room, carrying a tray with bread and what smelled like broth. Her eyes widened when she saw him standing.
"You're awake, my lord!" she exclaimed, her voice high with surprise. "We were so worried. You've been feverish for days."
Alden stared at her, trying to make sense of the situation. "Where am I?" The words felt strange coming out of his mouth, spoken with an accent that wasn't quite his own.
The woman hesitated, looking confused. "You're at the Harroway estate, my lord. Your home. Do... do you not remember?"
His head swam as more pieces fell into place. This was Alden's world. His family's estate, a small castle in a remote part of the kingdom. These people expected him to be the Alden Harroway they knew, not the man who had lived in another world, with a different name and a very different past.
"I... remember some things," Alden said, his voice unsteady. "But it's all a bit foggy."
The woman—probably a servant—nodded quickly, her brow creasing with concern. "You've been ill, my lord. Perhaps you should rest a while longer."
Alden shook his head. "No, I need... I need to understand what's going on." He glanced around the room, trying to ground himself in the reality of this new world. "Is there... a place where I can read? A library?"
"Of course, my lord," she replied, still eyeing him with uncertainty. "The estate's library is just down the hall. But are you sure you—"
"I'm sure." Alden cut her off, more firmly this time. The panic was fading, replaced by the cold, rational drive that had defined Alex Sterling. He needed information. If he was going to survive here—if he was going to figure out how this world worked—he needed to start piecing together the puzzle. Science had always been his guide, and here, in this new life, it would be no different.
The servant bowed quickly and left the room. Alden took a deep breath, steadying himself. The world was new, unfamiliar, and terrifying. But somewhere within him, the old Alex stirred with excitement. This was a mystery, a challenge. And if there was one thing Alex Sterling had never been able to resist, it was a puzzle waiting to be solved.
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