Chapter 2 A New Body and a Cruel Mistress
"Wake up and stand straight, you fool! The Duke is about to speak!"
A rough hand slammed against my back, making a loud metal clanging sound.
I blinked my eyes open, gasping for air. The terrifying feeling of falling through space vanished in an instant.
I looked down, expecting to see blood, broken glass, and the front of a delivery truck.
Instead, I saw a pair of polished leather boots resting on smooth ground.
I looked at my hands. They were huge, covered in thick calluses, and wrapped in metal gloves. I touched my stomach.
The soft, shaking fat that I had carried my entire life was completely gone. In its place was a hard chest and broad shoulders.
I was wearing full body armor, and it felt surprisingly light on my frame.
What is this voodoo magic? I thought, my heart thumping wildly inside my chest. Didn't I just die in a store crash? Where am I?
"Hey, are you listening to me?" the guard next to me whispered angrily. He was a lean guy with messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
He looked young, maybe my age. "Why are you staring at your own hands like you have never seen them before, Leo?"
"Leo?" I muttered. My voice sounded different. It was deeper, smoother, and much more steady than my old, shaky voice.
"Yes, Leo! Who else?" the blonde guard hissed, shaking his head. "Get it together.
If the Captain sees you zoning out right now, he will make you run laps until you throw up."
I looked around the area, and my jaw almost dropped. I was standing in a massive courtyard filled with bright sunshine.
Hundreds of people were packed into the space, all wearing old-fashioned, historical robes and tunic clothes.
Surrounding us were giant walls and towers that looked like they belonged in a history museum.
This cannot be real, I told myself, panic bubbling up in my throat. Am I dreaming? Did I go crazy right before I died?
Before I could ask the blonde guy another question, a tall man walked out onto a high balcony overlooking the courtyard.
He had a massive build, graying hair, and deep scars across his face. He looked incredibly scary and powerful.
The moment he appeared, the entire crowd of hundreds of people went completely silent. You could hear a pin drop.
"Who is that?" I whispered to the blonde guard.
The guy looked at me like I had grown a second head.
"Are you out of your mind? That is Duke Solaria! Did you get hit on the head during morning practice or something?"
Up on the balcony, the Duke cleared his throat. His voice boomed across the courtyard without even using a microphone.
"Soldiers of the Solaria Empire," the Duke announced, his face stern and unmoving. "Our family honor relies on your strength.
The dark forces beyond our borders are growing restless.
We must keep our defenses perfect, and we must ensure that the bloodline of this house remains safe from any threat."
As the Duke spoke, I noticed something strange. The other guards standing in my row kept glancing at me from the corners of their eyes.
Their expressions were full of deep respect and even a bit of fear. I could tell from the way they held themselves that they thought I was some kind of elite warrior.
I swallowed hard. They think I am strong. But I don't even know how to hold a sword! If a fight breaks out right now, I am going to die all over again.
"And now," the Duke’s voice echoed again, interrupting my panic. "Let us welcome the future of our family."
Another person walked out onto the balcony, standing right next to the Duke.
My breath caught in my throat. It was a young woman, around nineteen years old. She was incredibly beautiful, with long silver hair that caught the sunlight and vivid green eyes.
But her face completely ruined her beauty. Her mouth was twisted into a cold, mean scowl.
She looked down at the crowd of soldiers like we were disgusting bugs on the ground. There was nothing kind or gentle about her. She looked like pure trouble.
"That is Lady Bella," the blonde guard whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
"Man, she looks extra angry today. I pity whoever has to serve her."
"She looks like a nightmare," I murmured back honestly.
"Shh! Shut up, Leo! Do you want to get executed?" the guard gasped, turning his head away quickly.
A large man in heavy armor stepped out in front of our ranks. He had a scarred jaw and a very rigid posture.
"Attention!" the Captain barked. All the soldiers stood up perfectly straight, their metal boots clicking against the ground.
I quickly copied them so I would not stand out.
The Captain pulled out a piece of paper and started reading names for new duties.
"Jax! You are assigned to the main gate guard!" the Captain shouted.
The blonde guy next to me sighed with relief. "Yes, Captain!" he called out.
So, his name was Jax. At least I knew one person here.
The Captain kept reading names, assigning people to the walls, the kitchens, and the outer borders.
With every name called, my anxiety grew. I still did not understand how I got into this athletic body, or what this world even was.
I just wanted to hide in a corner and figure things out.
Finally, the Captain stopped. He rolled up the paper and turned his eyes directly toward me.
The weight of his gaze felt like a physical slap.
"And for the final, most critical assignment," the Captain bellowed, pointing his finger straight at my chest. "Leo!"
I felt every single eye in the courtyard turn to look at me.
My back went stiff. "Yes, Captain?" I managed to say, trying to keep my deep voice from cracking.
The Captain turned toward the high balcony, pointing up at the silver-haired girl with the hateful expression.
"By the direct order of the Duke, you are being moved from the regular ranks," the Captain announced, his voice ringing through the entire space.
"Guard Leo, from this day forward, you are the personal bodyguard of Lady Bella Solaria. Protect her with your life."
My heart stopped. Me? The guard for that terrifying woman?
Up on the balcony, Lady Bella slowly leaned over the railing.
She locked her sharp, green eyes right onto my face.
A cold, cruel smile formed on her lips, and a sudden shiver ran down my spine.
Her gaze was so intense it made my blood run completely cold.
I was stuck in a strange world, inside a body I didn't know, and I had just been handed over to a monster.
