The second guard continued his tale in a low, steady voice:
"At that moment, one of the scientists asked the commander curiously:
– 'So, did that creature help you?'"
The commander responded, a mix of bitterness and sarcasm shadowing his expression:
– 'Help me? They arrested me.'
He continued, his voice calm but heavy with memory:
– 'When I first saw the creature from afar, more of them appeared… same armor, same features. They all looked similar—and judging by their voices, most of them were women. They approached me cautiously, their eyes cold, as if I were some threat. They spoke a strange language I couldn't understand. One of them, clearly angry, kept yelling at me—barking what seemed like orders. Then, two of them came forward, restrained me tightly, and dragged me away. I tried to resist, but the wound from that beast made it nearly impossible.'
– 'I tried to speak with them—gesturing, explaining, even shouting. Nothing worked. They ignored me entirely, except that same woman who kept shouting at me, now demanding silence.'
– 'They were a large group, all armed—some with swords, others with bows, and a few carried a strange presence… like they wielded powers I couldn't comprehend.'
He paused briefly, then added:
– 'The only remotely kind act I experienced… was when one of the women came close, whispered something I didn't understand, and placed her hand gently over my wounds. I felt a warm sensation flow through me. Slowly, my pain began to ease and the injuries started to heal. She had some kind of healing power—something I've never seen before.'
One of the investigators interrupted:
– 'Where did they take you?'
The commander replied:
– 'I remember walking for a long time through a dense forest—towering trees, unfamiliar foliage. Eventually, we reached a massive wall made of tightly woven branches, almost as if it were alive. One of them stepped forward, whispered something under her breath, and the wall split open. Behind it was a gate that led to what I can only describe as a vast colony.'
– 'Inside… it was another world. Houses suspended from the trunk of an enormous tree, layered like a rising tower. On the ground below, life bustled—some were training with swords, others practicing what appeared to be magical arts, and a few were tending crops.'
Lowering his voice, the commander added grimly:
– 'But what shocked me most… was that the workers were human. Just like us—people from our world, being treated harshly, forced to serve these creatures.'
The scientists exchanged uneasy glances. One of them quickly began scribbling notes into a journal.
– 'Sometime later, inside the colony, they blindfolded me and pulled me roughly through narrow passageways. I was shoved, stumbled to the ground several times—each time feeling sharp pain as if I were being dragged across rocks. Finally, I heard a heavy door slam shut behind me.'
– 'When I removed the blindfold, I found myself in a dim prison cell lit only by faint torches along a corridor. I sat down, breath ragged, and looked through the bars. There were faces—so many human faces. Men and women of different backgrounds and races.'
He fell silent for a moment, then said with a voice filled with regret:
– 'And I thought to myself… is this the fate of all who vanish from our world? Slaves… in theirs?'
The commander clenched his fists, cursing under his breath, clearly beginning to regret volunteering for the mysterious experiment.
The first guard let out a sarcastic chuckle:
– 'Heh… well, it really wasn't his lucky day, was it?'
-No
One of the investigators turned to a nearby scientist and asked for his opinion on the strange creatures described by the commander.
One of the investigators responded sharply,
"Whoever—or whatever—they are, they're most likely not our friends."
Another investigator stepped forward and directed a question at the commander:
"How many of them were there?"
The commander replied,
"There were many… I couldn't fully understand how they lived, since I spent all my time within the colony. But what I did observe was that a large portion of them were women. The males mostly served as guards or handled transport duties."
After a short pause, he added,
"But one thing is certain—they have civilizations… like us humans."
An investigator scoffed and muttered sarcastically,
"So their dominant labor force was female? That's laughable."
Another investigator signaled the commander to continue his story—specifically, to recount what happened while he was imprisoned.
The commander began, his voice steady:
"I spent my first night in the cell without food. Sleeping on an empty stomach wasn't just difficult—it was pure torment."
He went on:
"At dawn, they woke us up… with shouting and unbearable noise. The creatures looked human… but they weren't."
The first guard, listening in, whispered in disbelief,
"Wow… Were the elves that brutal back then? I always thought they were noble beings."
The second guard replied calmly,
"Back then, things were different."
Then he continued narrating the commander's tale:
"When the commander rose from his sleep, they offered him food… just a bit of soup and some bread—barely enough. Then the day began with forced labor: farming, heavy work, intense physical training."
"Back then, it seemed the elves viewed humans as strange, unpredictable… perhaps even dangerous. They treated them like threats—like animals."
"But amidst that hell, there was one benefit: what the commander learned during the three months he spent as a slave. Escape was impossible. Every path out of the colony was sealed off by towering, twisting branches. And work was mandatory… the commander refused several times, and his punishment was starvation."
"He tried, now and then, to speak with the other humans—planting seeds of hope for freedom. But they were too afraid of the consequences, especially of the elves' magical powers."
"During labor or rest periods, the commander would eavesdrop, observe them, and try to decipher their language. Day by day, he picked up meanings through gestures, expressions, and commands. He etched words into the dirt of his cell, attempting to connect the pieces."
"He noticed strange writings on signs and along the corridors. From those, he gathered letters and slowly learned some of their words—secretly. Most of it wasn't useful… just insults and mockery toward humans."
"But the commander didn't care about that… his goal was simple: to learn their language."
Suddenly, the commander spoke aloud in a bizarre, alien tongue that left the scientists and investigators in stunned silence. Then, returning to his normal tone, he said:
"That is their language."
He continued, describing his injuries on the day he returned to his home world:
"It was a blazing hot day. They lined me up with a group of human men. From what I gathered, they were at war with other creatures in that world… beasts, spirits… There was clear tension among the races."
"They wanted to conscript humans to reduce their own casualties. So, they tested us… forced two humans to fight each other."
"The fight began. Brutal punches, heavy blows… a bloody brawl. One emerged victorious, the other fell. There was no hatred between them, only fear—fear of the unknown."
"The winner was taken away… not knowing what awaited him."
The first guard interrupted, incredulous:
"So… to survive, you'd have to lose on purpose?"
The second guard answered coldly,
"That's exactly what one of the investigators asked the commander. And the commander considered that possibility too. But the truth was the opposite… In that trial, the loser was executed."
"What?!"
"Yes. The commander said the loser's head was severed in an instant—cut clean by an elf's blade. That was when he understood the vast difference in skill between humans and elves in swordsmanship."
"He realized that the only way to survive… was to win."
"Then came the commander's turn. He felt a deep sorrow for what he was about to do to another human. But he had no choice. Within seconds, the battle ended. The commander, a seasoned warrior who had once slain monsters, claimed victory."
"His opponent's head was sent flying, and the commander was consumed by fury and anguish… for his fallen human brother. But there was nothing he could do."
"Tears streamed down his face—tears he wasn't used to shedding. He rarely cried. But the cruelty of the elves had broken something inside him."
"Without a shred of empathy, they led him toward a carriage… and night fell."
-
-
-
Later that night, the wagons were gathered. They set off after shackling me and the rest of the men—those broken in spirit by what had happened. The wagon moved forward in heavy silence, while we sat bound, confused, and trembling under the weight of helplessness.
Time passed since the journey began, until the commander heard one of the elven soldiers scream. From the few words he understood, it became clear: they were about to enter combat. And then it began. He heard the growls of beasts, the clash of steel, the slicing of flesh, the cries of the dying. Then—an eerie silence. Moments later, laughter echoed—elven women laughing with triumph, as though they had claimed victory with blood.
But then...
The commander recounted,
"While I was still listening to their laughter, something happened—something so sudden it knocked me unconscious. I couldn't understand what had struck. When I awoke, I was gravely wounded, surrounded by the corpses of those who had been with me. There was no trace of the elven warriors who had been laughing just moments earlier. That's when I realized… our convoy had been annihilated—torn apart by some monstrous being, or perhaps a creature beyond my understanding. All the wagons were shattered into pieces… and I… I was the sole survivor."
There was no time to think—he had to escape. He tried to stand, but his leg was severely injured, and his hands were still bound. Yet the primal urge to survive surged within him. He spotted a sword lying on the ground. Using it, he cut through the ropes, then picked up the blade and leaned on it for support.
He began to run—staggering, faltering—relying on the sword to keep him upright. The land around him was barren, strange, scattered with jagged stones that pierced the soles and threatened every step.
As he stumbled forward, on the verge of collapse, he tripped. The only thing that kept him from falling was the sword, which he drove hard into the earth beneath him. He lacked the strength to pull it free again. For a moment, he stood still, gathering the last remnants of his strength. Then he rose—without the sword—and started to walk.
The sun was rising, casting light on his half-conscious mind.
Then, by the will of the divine, salvation appeared.
His weary eyes caught a faint ripple in the air ahead. He stretched out a trembling hand. The moment his finger touched the wavering air, he collapsed—his breath shallow and rapid. His vision was clouded. But when he lifted his head, he saw a figure—not a twisted creature from the other world, but a human knight, speaking in a language he understood perfectly.
It wasn't a monster. It wasn't a hallucination.
It was a man. A rescuer.
Only then did he realize—he had returned to his own world.
He smiled faintly before falling unconscious once more.
The second guard, having told the tale, looked at his companion and said:
"So, my friend… that was the first story of humanity's past encounters with those otherworldly powers."
The first guard replied in a calm voice:
"Truly… you've turned a dull night into something memorable. Seems like you've been studying well, Karl."
Karl smiled.
"Yes," he said. "But there are many stories yet to be told about humanity's past. And the most important among them... is the story of The Ruler ."