?lyara silently followed the uniformed man through the narrow streets of the town.

  What had happened in the square only moments ago still hadn't settled in her mind.

  What had just happened?

  Where was this place?

  And the uniformed man… what exactly was he?

  She looked at the man walking ahead of her. As always, he moved forward with calm, indifferent steps. It was obvious that nothing that had happened in the square had surprised him in the slightest.

  So he must already be familiar with this strange kind of magic.

  As she walked, ?lyara continued to observe her surroundings with a mixture of fear and confusion.

  This couldn't be the world she knew.

  So, what was she supposed to do now?

  She had to go home. Someone had to be able to explain what was going on. But as long as the uniformed man was beside her, she felt that no one would dare speak to her.

  For some reason, everyone seemed afraid of him.

  Wherever they turned, people stepped back as if they had seen a monster. They avoided eye contact, turning their heads away and changing their paths. Even the grey-armored guards averted their gazes.

  No one seemed to dare block his way.

  That only made ?lyara more uneasy.

  She cleared her throat.

  “I-I… A-r?n,” she said quietly.

  The uniformed man stopped abruptly. Then he slowly turned and looked at her.

  ?lyara flinched slightly. Standing before her, he looked enormous. Everything that had happened earlier still rattled her thoughts.

  Around them, people had also stopped walking and begun watching them. For some reason, every gaze seemed fixed on them.

  “Do you know where we are?” she asked.

  For a moment, the uniformed man stared directly into ?lyara’s eyes, as if searching for something there.

  “Yes,” he finally said.

  “This is a small town in Neera.”

  A murmur spread through the crowd around them. People looked at one another in surprise.

  “Neera…” ?lyara repeated.

  She hesitated.

  “Then… have you ever heard of a planet called Earth?” she suddenly asked.

  The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

  It sounded incredibly stupid.

  “What’s that?” the uniformed man said indifferently.

  “I’ve never heard of a place called Earth in Neera.”

  ?lyara looked into his eyes for a while longer, searching for the smallest sign of a joke, a flicker of expression.

  But there was nothing.

  Emptiness.

  A deep darkness.

  A shiver ran through her.

  She shook her head, as if trying to free herself from that gaze.

  “Thank you… for everything,” she said at last, her voice sincere.

  “If you hadn’t been there, I never would have made it this far on my own.”

  She glanced toward the crowd and noticed people gathering again.

  “But I think this is where we should part ways,” she continued.

  “I shouldn’t keep you from wherever you were going.”

  She extended her hand toward the uniformed man.

  He first looked at ?lyara.

  Then at the hand she had offered.

  ?lyara was smiling.

  But when no response came, the smile slowly faded from her face.

  Suddenly she grabbed the uniformed man’s hand herself and shook it.

  “If a woman offers her hand, you’re supposed to take it,” she said, trying to smile lightly.

  The uniformed man lowered his head and looked at the hand he was holding. He didn’t lift his gaze for a long time.

  Whispers began spreading through the crowd. Some people covered their mouths as they spoke.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The grey-armored guards moved their hands toward the hilts of their swords. They looked ready to attack at any moment.

  ?lyara cleared her throat again. She tried to pull her hand away, but the uniformed man didn’t let go.

  He was still staring at their hands.

  This time, ?lyara used her other hand to free herself from his grip.

  Grey-armored soldiers drew their swords halfway from their scabbards.

  “Thank you again,” ?lyara said.

  Then she turned and began to walk away.

  The uniformed man, however, remained where he stood.

  He was staring at the hand now empty at his side.

  Someone in the crowd whispered,

  “Morhena… why is he standing like that?”

  The grey-armored soldiers moved at once, pushing the crowd away from the uniformed man.

  ?lyara tried not to look back. As she kept walking, she noticed the way people stared at her—questioning, uneasy.

  She ignored it.

  People had always looked at her that way.

  Ever since she was little. To ?lyara, they were just people—no different from anyone else.

  She was alone again.

  In truth, she had always been alone.

  A faint bitterness rose inside her chest, but she didn’t linger on it. Lifting her head, she continued walking through the streets of the town.

  The people… or whatever they were… seemed happy. That caught ?lyara’s attention.

  Couples walked side by side. Some laughed, others whispered quietly to each other. A woman nearby was performing one of those strange spells again, a thin strand of light curling between her fingers. The man beside her held her hand, as if supporting her.

  Seeing it, ?lyara smiled faintly.

  It looked rather romantic.

  “Are you the one walking around with a Morhena?”

  ?lyara stopped.

  She looked around but couldn’t see who had spoken.

  “Hey! I’m here. Don’t ignore me.”

  The voice came from directly in front of her.

  It was a little girl.

  A small flame danced between her hands. The fire flared suddenly, curling toward ?lyara’s face.

  ?lyara flinched and stepped back.

  “Oh, hey… calm down,” ?lyara said, raising a hand as if to signal her to stop.

  She still wasn’t used to this magic business.

  “You’re the girl who shook hands with that Morhena, right?” the little girl asked curiously.

  ?lyara thought for a moment.

  “I suppose so,” she said.

  “I’m the one who shook hands with that uniformed man.”

  “Where have you been? Didn’t I tell you not to let go of my hand? It’s almost evening.”

  A worried woman’s voice called out.

  The girl rolled her eyes.

  “Alright, Mom! Nothing’s going to happen here. We have a barrier.”

  ?lyara lifted her head and looked at the woman.

  She was young and beautiful, with red hair just like her daughter’s. Her long dress reached down to her ankles.

  Everyone here looked as if they had stepped out of a fairy tale.

  ?lyara glanced down at her own clothes.

  She grimaced.

  They were covered in mud and dirt.

  Maybe that was why people kept staring at her so intently.

  She tried brushing the dust from her clothes with her hand, but it made little difference.

  “We’re not bothering you, are we?” the red-haired woman asked.

  ?lyara immediately raised her hand.

  “No, not at all,” she said with a smile.“You have a very sweet daughter.”

  The woman inclined her head slightly.

  “You must be new here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around.”

  “Yes,” said ?lyara.

  “I won’t be staying long. I’m trying to find my way back home.”

  She paused for a moment.

  “Um… is this Neera?” ?lyara asked hopefully.

  “Yes.”

  The woman answered briefly and without hesitation.

  ?lyara lowered her head and scratched the back of her neck.

  What was she supposed to do now?

  She really was in another world.

  With that thought, the hand resting at the back of her neck began to tremble slightly.

  “You shouldn’t stay outside at night,” the woman said.

  “It’s dangerous.”

  Then she took her daughter’s hand and walked away.

  ?lyara watched them for a while. The sun was slowly setting. She needed to find somewhere to stay.

  She wandered through the town a little longer.

  There was a strange urgency in the streets. People were closing their shops quickly, and windows were being shut one by one.

  ?lyara watched this for a moment.

  “So, the shops close early here,” she thought.

  But something inside her told her that wasn’t true.

  This rush… didn’t seem ordinary.

  When she turned the corner, she noticed a building that looked like an inn. A wooden sign hung above the door, creaking softly in the wind.

  Without hesitating, ?lyara pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  The warmth inside surprised her.

  A few tables were occupied. People were quietly eating their meals. But what caught her attention most was the waitress.

  She was a young girl.

  She was carrying a tray… but it wasn’t in her hands.

  It floated in the air.

  As if an invisible hand were holding it, the tray drifted forward slowly while the girl merely guided it.

  ?lyara stood by the door and watched.

  “Well now, girl. Did you need something?”

  The voice pulled her from her thoughts.

  When she turned her head, she saw a broad-shouldered, middle-aged man. His stance was strong, as if he had spent years doing heavy work.

  ?lyara thought to herself:

  Why does everyone here look like they just came from a workout?

  She guessed he must be the innkeeper.

  “I-I mean… um…” she said awkwardly.

  “I was hoping to get a room and something to eat. But this is all I have.”

  She held out the gold necklace in her hand.

  The innkeeper looked at the necklace.

  Then he looked out the window.

  He stayed silent for a moment, still staring outside.

  “You shouldn’t be wandering around at night,” he said calmly.

  “Let me bring you a hot soup first. Then I’ll show you your room.”

  ?lyara was surprised by this unexpected kindness. An involuntary smile appeared on her face.

  She thanked him and chose a table near the window.

  Some of the people eating at the tables glanced at her. Quiet whispers began to spread.

  The innkeeper raised one eyebrow slightly.

  “Everyone mind your own food.”

  His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough authority.

  The whispers stopped immediately.

  After a while, the waitress brought the soup. The moment the bowl was placed on the table, ?lyara’s stomach growled.

  The sound was louder than she expected.

  The waitress smiled.

  Embarrassed, ?lyara lowered her head and dipped her spoon into the soup. When she took the first sip, she closed her eyes.

  For the first time in days, she was drinking something warm.

  It felt almost… like a luxury.

  She finished the soup slowly. When she was full, she lifted her head and looked out the window.

  It was completely dark outside now.

  The street was empty.

  Everyone had gone home.

  Just then, a scream rose from outside.

  “No—come here!”