"Goodbye, village of unfortunate architectural choices," Markle says, giving a mock salute to the ruins behind them. "Next time, consider building everything out of stone. Wood and fire don't mix well."
"How insensitive," Miya remarks, though her lips curve into a smile. "Those were people's homes, you know."
"Sorry," Markle responds, not sounding particularly apologetic. "Dark humor is how I cope with... well, everything about this situation."
They crest a small hill, the destroyed village disappearing behind them. The blocky landscape stretches before them—a patchwork of biomes under the square sun.
"So where to now?" Miya asks, her silver hair floating slightly in the digital breeze. "Back to your zombie friends for dragon resurrection duties?"
Markle shakes his head. "Not yet. I'm not ready to face the Brotherhood again. I need somewhere to settle first, to think."
"Settle?" Miya arches an eyebrow. "Getting comfortable in your new digital existence, are we?"
"Just being practical." He scans the horizon thoughtfully. "The zombies gave me thirty days. I need a base of operations."
They walk in companionable silence for a while, passing through a small oak forest into a sprawling plains biome dotted with flowers and the occasional tree.
"What about there?" Markle points to a gentle rise overlooking a small lake. "Good visibility, water source, flat building space."
Miya follows his gaze, her head tilted in consideration. "Hmm. Not bad, but a bit exposed, don't you think? Any passing monsters would spot us immediately."
"Better to see them coming," Markle argues. "Besides, we can build defenses."
Miya shrugs, her patchwork robes shifting with the movement. "It's your home. I'm just the mysterious companion along for the adventure."
"Our home," Markle corrects before he can think better of it. "At least for now. If you're coming with me, you need somewhere to stay too."
Something flickers across Miya's face—surprise, perhaps, or calculation. She recovers quickly, her mischievous smile returning.
"How chivalrous. Fine then, our home." She strides ahead toward the hill. "Let's see what we have to work with."
They explore the area together, Markle noting tactical advantages while Miya seems more concerned with aesthetic considerations.
"We could build the main structure here," Markle says, marking out a rough rectangle on the hilltop. "With windows facing all directions for visibility."
"And a tower," Miya adds, pointing to the highest point. "For stargazing. And perhaps magical experiments, if you ever figure out those powers of yours."
Markle gives her a suspicious glance. "You're very interested in my supposed magical abilities."
"Of course I am." Miya doesn't bother denying it. "A man from another world with dormant powers? What's not interesting about that?"
She begins collecting dirt blocks, stacking them efficiently in her inventory. "So, what are you thinking? Stone cottage? Wooden mansion? Underground bunker?"
"Something impressive," Markle decides, breaking apart a tree with methodical punches. "If I'm going to be stuck here, I might as well live comfortably."
"A mansion it is." Miya's eyes light up with enthusiasm that seems genuine. "Front yard, backyard, the works. Very suburban apocalypse chic."
They spend the next few hours gathering materials—wood from nearby trees, stone from a small quarry they discover, coal for torches.
Markle notices how efficiently Miya works. Her movements are practiced, almost professional. She mines stone faster than should be possible with her slender arms.
"You're pretty good at this," he comments, watching her extract an iron ore vein without a single misdirected swing. "How long have you been in this world?"
Miya shrugs, not meeting his eyes. "Long enough to learn the basics. Time works differently here, as I said."
Her evasiveness triggers Markle's suspicions again, but he pushes them aside. For now, her help is too valuable to question.
By midday, they've amassed an impressive collection of building materials. Markle crafts a workbench, placing it at the center of their chosen building site.
"So, architect," Miya says, hands on her hips as she surveys the flat hilltop. "What's the plan?"
Markle crouches, using a stick to draw in the dirt. "Main structure here, two stories. Stone foundation for durability. Wood for the upper floors and detailing."
"Boring." Miya crosses her arms. "We need something with more character."
"Like what?" Markle sits back on his heels, looking up at her.
"Like this." She takes the stick from him, erasing his simple rectangle and drawing something far more elaborate. "Rounded towers, interesting angles, maybe even some redstone mechanisms."
Markle studies her design with growing interest. "You know about redstone engineering?"
"I know many things." Her smile turns secretive. "Some of which might surprise you."
They compromise on a design—a main structure of stone and wood with two small towers and a partially walled garden area. Ambitious, but achievable.
"We'll need a lot more materials," Markle calculates, mentally tallying their resources. "This could take days."
"Good thing you have twenty-nine left before your zombie deadline," Miya quips, already sorting their building blocks into organized piles.
They begin with the foundation, placing stone blocks in a precise pattern according to their agreed design. The work is methodical but satisfying.
"In my old life, I never built anything," Markle says as they work side by side. "Just pushed papers around a desk, made reports no one read."
"And now you're building a mansion and planning to resurrect a dragon." Miya places a corner stone with perfect alignment. "Quite the career change."
The sun arcs across the sky as they work. By mid-afternoon, the foundation is complete—a solid stone base that outlines what will become their home.
"Not bad for day one," Markle says, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. His digital body doesn't tire the way his real one would, but the gesture comes naturally.
Miya stands at the edge of their work, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We should add a basement. For storage. And perhaps... other purposes."
"Other purposes?" Markle asks. "Like what?"
"Experiments," she says vaguely. "If we're going to figure out your magic, we'll need space away from the main living area."
Markle considers this. "Makes sense. But let's focus on getting walls up first. Night will come eventually."
They continue working until the square sun begins its descent. The first level walls rise steadily, a testament to their efficient partnership.
"Why are you really helping me?" Markle asks suddenly, placing another stone block. "You barely know me."
Miya doesn't pause in her work. "I told you—you're interesting. In a world full of predictable patterns and behaviors, you're something new."
"There's more to it than that," Markle insists. "Nobody helps a stranger build a house just because they're 'interesting.'"
She turns to him then, her silvery hair catching the fading light. "Perhaps I'm lonely too, chosen one. Did you consider that?"
The vulnerability in her voice sounds authentic, but something in her eyes remains guarded, calculating. Markle isn't sure what to believe.
"I guess we all need allies in this world," he concedes, returning to his work.
"Exactly." Miya's smile returns, enigmatic as ever. "And who knows? Perhaps I can help you more than you realize with your dragon problem."
As the sun begins to set, they place torches around their partially built structure. The warm light pushes back the encroaching shadows, creating a haven of illumination.
"We should craft beds," Markle suggests, eyeing the darkening sky. "Unless you want to spend the night fighting off monsters."
"Already done." Miya produces two beds from her inventory with a flourish. "I salvaged them from the village before we left."
Markle raises an eyebrow. "You think of everything, don't you?"
"I try to." She places the beds inside their incomplete house, in opposite corners where walls will eventually provide privacy. "Planning ahead keeps one alive."
They sit on the edge of the foundation as night falls completely, watching as distant monsters begin to spawn on the darkened plains below.
"Tomorrow we'll continue with the walls and start on the second floor," Markle says, planning aloud. "Maybe begin one of the towers."
Miya nods absently, her attention seemingly fixed on a group of zombies wandering the plains below. Her fingers move subtly at her side, and the zombies abruptly change direction, moving away from their hilltop.
"Did you see that?" Markle asks, leaning forward. "Those zombies just—"
"Just randomly changed direction, as they often do," Miya interrupts smoothly. "Their pathfinding isn't very sophisticated."
She stands before he can question further. "We should rest. Building a dream home requires energy, even in a digital body."
Markle follows her inside, still thinking about the zombies' strange behavior. Another coincidence, or something more?
"This is going to be quite impressive when it's finished," Miya says, gesturing to their outlined mansion. "A worthy base for the chosen one and his mysterious companion."
"If it doesn't collapse around us first," Markle jokes, testing his bed with a cautious sit. "I'm not exactly a master builder."
"No," Miya agrees, her eyes reflecting the torchlight in an almost predatory way. "But you might be a master of other things, given time."
She settles onto her bed, her silver hair spreading against the pillow like liquid moonlight. "Rest well, chosen one. Tomorrow we build our fortress."
"And then?" Markle asks, lying back on his own bed.
Miya's smile is the last thing he sees before she blows out the nearby torch, plunging their shelter into darkness.
"And then we prepare you to meet your destiny," her voice comes through the darkness. "One way or another."
As Markle closes his eyes, he can't decide if her words sound like a promise or a threat. Either way, he's no longer alone in this strange world—though whether that's a comfort or a concern remains to be seen.