Chapter 3 – Between Two Worlds

The pain was the first thing she understood.

It pulsed hot and deep in her side, every throb pushing her closer to the edge of darkness. Her fingers—too thin, too small—pressed desperately against the wound, but no matter how much pressure she applied, the warmth kept spilling through them.

Elena’s mind screamed this isn’t possible, but her body… this frail, alien body… was dying.

She tasted blood in her mouth, coppery and sharp. The cold dirt beneath her cheek was rough, and the night air slid icy fingers down her back. The sky above spun in dizzying arcs, stars blurring into streaks of light. She remembered falling from her chair, the crushing weight in her chest, the fluorescent lights in her office—then nothing—until this.

Where am I? Whose hands are these?

A shadow moved above her. Torchlight flared, briefly revealing three frightened faces. Not the mocking sneers she’d expected, but wide-eyed horror. A boy’s voice cracked as he spoke.

“She’s—she’s still breathing!”

Another voice, sharper, older. “Go get the healer! Hurry!”

Boots pounded away, fading into the distance.

Elena tried to speak, to tell them she wasn’t who they thought she was, but only a weak gurgle escaped her lips. She tried to push herself upright, but her limbs gave way instantly. The effort made the pain explode white-hot in her side, and her vision swam.

Rough hands—calloused from labor—slid under her shoulders. A man’s face hovered above, jaw tight, eyes scanning her wound. His clothes were plain: a linen tunic, worn leather belt, trousers dusted with dry earth.

“She’s lost too much blood,” he muttered. “We’ll have to carry her.”

Two sets of hands lifted her carefully, but the movement tore a cry from her throat. Her head lolled against a stranger’s chest as they moved through the dark. The flicker of torchlight revealed narrow dirt paths lined with squat houses—walls of rough timber, roofs thatched with straw. Chickens scattered at their approach, clucking in protest. The air smelled of smoke, damp earth, and something faintly rotten.

Her mind spun. This isn’t the city. This isn’t anywhere I know.

They pushed through a low wooden door into a dimly lit space that seemed both home and shelter. A fire smoldered weakly in the hearth. Wooden shelves lined the walls, holding clay jars, bundles of dried herbs, and a few crude tools. A low table sat in the center, its surface scarred by years of use.

They laid her on a straw mattress. The sharp rustle and the faint scent of hay made her stomach twist. A woman hurried over—middle-aged, hair pulled back in a loose braid, her dress plain but clean. She knelt beside Elena, hands steady as she peeled back the blood-soaked fabric.

“Gods above…” the woman whispered. “It’s deep.”

Elena tried to focus, but her eyelids drooped. Her thoughts tangled—half her mind screaming in disbelief, the other half trapped in the reality of this frail body’s pain.

The woman pressed a folded cloth to the wound, firm but gentle. “Stay awake, Saren. Stay with me.”

That name again. It rang in her ears like a bell she didn’t want to answer. She wasn’t Saren. She was Elena Reyes—an agricultural specialist from a world with concrete buildings, irrigation systems, and solar panels. But here… here she was bleeding out in a stranger’s bed, surrounded by people who thought she was someone else.

Her breathing slowed. The fire’s light blurred. Somewhere in the haze, she caught snatches of their hushed conversation—words like village, drought, poor harvest, healer’s away.

And then, as her mind fought to hold on, something strange happened. A wave of warmth washed through her—foreign, yet comforting. The sharp pain dulled just enough for her to breathe. The room around her sharpened, every detail clear: the soot on the hearth stones, the cracks in the clay jars, the frayed ends of the woman’s braid.

Her heart pounded. She didn’t know if she was dying or waking up. But one thing was certain—she wasn’t in her world anymore.

And whoever this Saren had been… her life was now Elena’s to live.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***