I woke up in a bed.
An actual bed.
Blanket. Pillow. Frame that did not smell like livestock.
Yesterday: hay. Today: bed.
…Upgrade.
I allowed myself a full minute to appreciate that before remembering I had two copper and required food to continue living. Reality has terrible timing.
I went downstairs.
The inn woman was behind the counter.
SCRUB. SCRUB. She wiped the same spot repeatedly.
"Breakfast is two copper."
"I have two copper."
She nodded once. "Then you have breakfast."
Efficient.
Bread. Eggs. No garnish. No optimism.
I ate slowly. A man with zero copper after this should not rush.
CLINK.
I put the spoon down. Checked my hand.
Nothing.
No copper. No backup plan. No emotional support.
I stood.
CREAK.
The chair sounded more financially stable than me.
I went to the guild.
The receptionist looked up. "Oh. You again."
"I'm concerned about that."
She gestured to the board. I scanned. Herbs. Three copper. Delivery. Five. Wolf tracking. Fifteen. Big drawing. Immediate no.
Then—
Picture of a person at a podium.
Eight copper.
I stared. Eight copper to stand near magic. …Survivable.
"I'll take this."
The square was busy. Voices overlapping. Footsteps. Coins clinking.
On a small platform stood a girl. Purple robes. Hat too large. Staff. Book. She looked like she trusted preparation more than luck.
I found the coordinator. Clipboard man.
"Demonstration assistance."
He looked me over. "...Hand these out."
Leaflets. Mosquito with a line through it.
"...What's she demonstrating?"
"Vein-based pest repellent. Months of work."
He said it confidently. That worried me.
I handed out leaflets. One. Two. Three. Four refused. I respected their autonomy.
She opened her book.
FWIP.
Found her page. Deep breath.
"Good morning. Today I will be demonstrating a Vein-based pest repellent formula."
She raised the staff. The book glowed.
WHUM.
Light flowed. Page → hand → staff. Smooth. Precise. The circle spread outward. Beautiful.
And then—
…
Nothing.
It just stayed there.
A man raised his hand. "Is it working?"
"Yes."
"How can we tell?"
"There are no mosquitoes."
"...There weren't any before."
Silence.
COUGH.
Someone left. Then another. Then—
SHUFFLE. SHUFFLE. SHUFFLE.
The crowd dissolved.
She didn't lower the staff. Didn't move. Eventually—
exhale
She lowered it. Closed the book. Walked off. Sat on the fountain.
I had eight copper waiting. I didn't leave. I sat nearby.
Silence. Water trickling.
"Wrong time of day," I said.
"I know."
"Mosquitoes are worse in the evening."
She looked at me. "...That's true."
"Did you tell him?"
"Three times."
We both looked at the empty platform.
"The spell looked clean."
"You understand Vein work?"
"No. It just looked balanced."
She stared. Silence.
I stood. "There's a tavern behind the square. Cheap. I'm going."
I walked. Step. Step. Step. Step.
footsteps behind me
The tavern door opened.
CREAK.
Warm air. We sat. She set the book down carefully.
thud
Removed the hat. Hair fell forward. She looked younger. Human.
We ate. Quiet.
She opened the book.
flip
Didn't read.
"Your mother's?"
She snapped up. "How did you know."
"The way you hold it."
She closed it. "It's mine now."
That sentence had weight.
"What's your name?"
"...Senna."
"Kael."
She nodded.
"Your clothes are wrong."
"I've noticed."
"The stitching isn't from here."
"I'm not from here."
She waited.
"I'm not from this world."
Spoon.
CLINK.
"...That's not something people say casually."
"I'm not saying it casually."
Silence.
"Another world."
"Yes."
She reached for my sword. Violet shimmer formed.
shimmer
Drifted. Stopped. Nothing.
She pulled back. Opened the book.
scratch scratch scratch
"Is that bad?"
"Everything carries Vein trace."
She looked again. "Yours has nothing."
"That sounds concerning."
"It sounds impossible."
She kept writing.
"Do you believe me?"
She closed the book. Pause.
"I think you're either telling the truth…"
"...or you're the strangest liar I've ever met."
"That's not a yes."
"No."
She put the hat back on. Still too big.
We left. Leaflets blowing.
flap… flap… flap…
Still no mosquitoes.
As we walked, something clicked. She didn't mock me. Didn't dismiss me. Didn't leave. She wrote me down.
And somehow—
that felt more dangerous than disbelief.