In this quiet, fragile space, the silence was only broken by the rhythmic, mechanical hum of Claval’s gauntlet. It began as a soft glow, then deepened into a rhythmic pulse—a slow, amber heartbeat that seemed to pull the atmosphere of the room toward it.
Claval rose slowly, her movements languid and deliberate, shedding the heavy wool blankets like a snake shedding its skin. As she stood, the golden radiance from her gauntlet intensified, casting long, distorted shadows across the timber walls.
"Ah... I suppose it’s time," she murmured, Claval’s voice thick with the remnants of sleep but gaining a sharp, crystalline edge. "The Goddess has work to do. Are’nt you?" She spoke with a lightness that bordered on mockery, but as Yu watched her profile in the dawn light, he saw the subtle tightening of her jaw. There was a resolve there, cold and metallic, that didn't match the carefree persona she broadcasted to the real world.
"Claval," Rize called out, the word escaping her before she could think to stop it. She remained seated on the floorboards, her hand hovering as if reaching for a shadow that had already begun to fade.
Claval stopped, her hand already on the latch wood door. She turned her head, her silver hair catching the morning light like spun glass.
"Don't mind, Rize," Claval said, her tone softening just enough to be dangerous. "I'll be back soon. After all, I finally found a place worth returning to. Just like you."
The door creaked open on iron hinges, and a rush of the freezing morning wind flooded the hut, scattering the dust motes and snuffing out the warmth of the dying hearth. Claval stepped out into the mist without a backward glance. There was a sudden, sharp flash—a burst of light that seared the back of Yu’s retinas—and when he blinked away the spots, she was gone. Only a few drifting particles of fading mana remained, shimmering in the air like falling stars before winking out into nothingness.
Claval has her own world. Her own duty. Her own name. The realization was a dull ache. It was a fact he had always known. Which world is the one I’m supposed to return to? The question was a lead weight sinking into the pit of his stomach. Yu looked at his hands, the hands that had reached through the sky to seize a satellite, and wondered if they could ever comfortably hold a pen in a classroom again.
Standing besideYu, Rize adjusted her sword belt with a sharp clack of leather. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to shake off the lingering tension of the night.
"Let's go, Yu," Rize said, her voice anchoring him back to the present.
Yu nodded slowly, his movements stiff. He followed her out of the hut, leaving behind the faint, floral scent of Claval’s perfume that still drifted in the air. As they began the long walk back toward the town, the sun finally crested the mountain peaks, turning the world into a blinding, golden expanse.
?
By the time walls of town loomed over them in the midday warm, the quiet of the forest felt like a distant memory. The town was a cacophony of life, a jarring shift from the stillness of the mountain hut.
The Guild’s central dining hall was a storm of noise and heat. The air was light—a heavy soup of roasted meat, spilled ale. The sound of heavy ceramic plates clattering against long wooden trestles provided a rhythmic percussion to the chaos.
"Hm? ...Yu! Is that you!?" Naz stood up so abruptly his heavy oak chair shrieked across the stone floor with a sound that made Yu wince. The massive man’s eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and predatory relief.
"Jeez! Do you have any idea how much I worried?!" Hanara sighed. Beside Naz, Hanara broke into a bright, sharp laugh, waving her hand frantically to catch their attention.
Roa, who had been leaning over a map, her shoulders dropping in a visible, heavy release of tension.
"I'm glad you're safe." Roa said, walking toward them with her usual measured, silent stride.
"I'm sorry for worrying you all.” Yu said. Welcomed by the three members of Team Jask, Yu felt a sudden, sharp lump form in his throat. He bowed his head, his posture shrinking in genuine apology.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The tension that had been coiled in Naz’s massive frame seemed to evaporate. He grinned, a wide, boisterous expression that seemed to light up their corner of the hall. The warmth of the group was palpable, a physical sensation that felt more like "home" than the cold, Yu returned to in Japan. As Yu took his seat, the scent of steaming soup drifted through the air. Wrapped in the warm air, he felt the tension deep in his chest slowly unravel.
He began to recount the events, though he chose his words with the caution of a man walking through a minefield. He told them of the rift, the struggle to find a way this world, his cooperation with Claval and he focused on his Trait—[Bind].
Roa listened in silence, her chin resting on hand, her eyes tracking the steam rising from cup. When Yu finished, having heard the story, Roa lowered her eyes. "Interesting," she laughed, with a mix of admiration.
Naz nodded, reaching over to deliver a slap to Yu’s back that nearly sent him face-first into his soup. "Impressive,Yu! ... that’s some high-tier luck, or some serious grit."
"Common sense doesn't mean much when you're jumping between realities, does it?" Hanara leaned back, her arms crossed over her chest, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.
Yu found himself laughing, a genuine, light sound that surprised even him. Despite Hanara's sharp tongue, he could feel the underlying acceptance in her tone. She wasn't treating him like a fragile guest anymore; she was treating him like a comrade who had survived. The laughter of Team Jask blended into the background noise of the Guild, a warm, vibrant shield against the darkness he had faced. For the first time since the "Observation" began, Yu felt the heavy weight in his chest lift. He was back.
?
As the boisterous conversation at the table began to settle into the comfortable lull of post-meal fatigue, Rize stood up. Her movements were sharp, decisive.
"...I'm going to take a look," she said, her eyes fixed on the far wall.
The Request Board was a massive slab of dark wood, nearly obscured by the throng of adventurers crowding around it. Hundreds of yellowed parchment slips were pinned to its surface, a chaotic mosaic of subjugation orders, escort contracts, and gathering requests. It was the heartbeat of the town, a place where risk was bartered for gold.
Yu’s gaze followed her as she wove through the crowd. He watched the way she carried herself—shoulders back, chin up, her hand resting naturally near the hilt of her sword. Only a few weeks ago, she had seemed so precarious, a girl walking on a wire, terrified of a single misstep. Now, there was a dignity to her, an aura of quiet competence that demanded respect.
Rize is truly living here now. The thought was bittersweet. As Yu watched her scan the notices, he felt a strange, surging pride, but it was tempered by a cold sense of distance.
"Don't rush yourself, Rize," Roa called out softly, though her voice was easily lost in the tavern's roar. "She's pushing hard. Too hard, maybe."
"She won't stop now, Roa. She’s finally found her footing. She’s tasted what it’s like to survive the impossible, and she wants more." Naz nodded in agreement, his expression unusually solemn.
"That's how women are, Naz. Once we decide on a direction, we move faster than any of you men. She's not looking for safety anymore; she's looking for her own strength." Hanara shrugged, a knowing smile on her face.
Rize pulled a request form from the board, her eyes scanning the ink with an intensity that seemed to ignore the world around her. Yu burned that image into his mind—the silver light hitting her profile, the unwavering resolve in her eyes. He felt a deep sense of reliability in her, yet at the same time, he felt a chasm opening between them. She was moving toward a future he couldn't see, toward a life that didn't require a bridge to real world.
"...I'll stop here for today," Yu drained the last of his lukewarm tea and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"You're heading back already?" Rize turned around, the request paper clutched in her hand. A flicker of something—disappointment, perhaps—crossed her face before she masked it.
"Yeah," Yu said, standing up and smoothing out his clothes, which felt unnaturally clean and thin compared to the rugged gear of the Guild. "I have school tomorrow. And... a meeting I can't miss."
"I see." Rize looked at him for a long moment, then gave a short, sharp nod. The tone was lonely, a stark contrast to the bustling warmth of the hall.
Yu walked up to her, ignoring the curious glances of the nearby adventurers.
"I'll come again," he said, his voice low and firm. "Soon. I promise."
"I'll be waiting. And Yu... I'll be stronger by then." Rize narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile touching her lips.
A brief, heavy silence fell between them, a pocket of quiet amidst the chaos of the Guild. Yu felt the familiar, tingly sensation of mana beginning to pool at the edges of his consciousness. He reached for the threads of [Bind], preparing for the inversion of his senses.
Which world am I supposed to live in? Where does Yu Shiro actually belong? Without an answer, he took a step forward into the void. The world twisted. The smell of roasted meat and woodsmoke was replaced by the sterile scent of laundry detergent and dust.
?
Japan. Yu walked to his desk, his legs feeling heavy, as if the gravity of Earth were trying to crush the mana out of him. Lying on the desk, illuminated by the pale blue light of his display monitor, was a single sheet of paper.
[Career Aspirations Survey] The title stared back at him in bold, clinical font. Below it, the boxes for "Preferred University" and "Future Occupation" were glaringly white, a vast, terrifying emptiness.
Yu traced the edge of the paper with his fingertip. The texture was smooth, mass-produced, and utterly mundane. He had the power to bridge dimensions. And yet, he couldn't find a single word to write about his own future in the world he was born in.
Tomorrow, he had to face the reality of high school. He had to sit through a two-person interview with Mamiya-sensei. Yu sat in his chair and stared at the blank paper until the city lights outside began to blur into a single, meaningless smear of color.
Featured Serial
Sci-Fi Comedy First Contact
What to Expect:
- Surprisingly hard sci-fi grounded in real-world science
- Comedic human MC & serious alien MC
- Casual faster-than-light travel without hyper-advanced civilizations
- Plenty of alien-perspective humor
- No romantic elements at all