Part 1 Two Lives, One Problem
Adrian didn't sleep not properly, anyway. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling, watching the faint cracks in the paint as if they might suddenly rearrange themselves into answers. They didn't.
"...Cool, Love that for me."
The apartment was quiet...too quiet. Normally, he would hear traffic, people, and the distant hum of the city doing what cities do. Tonight, however, everything felt slower. Or maybe that was just him.
He turned his head slightly and looked down at his hand resting on his chest. As he flexed his fingers, there it was again: that delay. It was a faint, almost invisible stretch, as if his body hadn't fully decided what it was yet.
"...Half slime," he whispered. It was a sentence that simply should not exist, and yet, here he was. He wasn't questioning if it had happened anymore; he was just trying to figure out what it meant.
He let out a slow breath and sat up.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Step one: don't lose your mind. Step two: test everything before something else tries to eat me."
The kitchen light flicked on with a soft click. His grandmother stood at the counter, already halfway through making breakfast as if it were any normal morning as if yesterday hadn't been... whatever yesterday was.
She glanced over her shoulder. "You're up early."
Adrian leaned against the doorway. "...Didn't really sleep."
She gave him a sharp look. "You look like it."
"Thanks. Very supportive."
She huffed softly, turning back to the stove. "Sit. Eat something."
Adrian hesitated for a second before obeying, because no matter how strange things got, that part of his life still made sense. He sat down at the small table, watching her move around the kitchen with practiced ease. She was normal, grounded, and real. It almost made everything else feel like a bad dream again. Almost.
She placed a plate in front of him filled with eggs, toast, and something that smelled way better than he deserved right now.
"You're quiet," she said, sitting across from him.
Adrian picked up a fork. "...Just thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"Yeah, I'm starting to notice But I am an overthinker."
She studied him for a moment. Her expression wasn't suspicious or worried, just attentive. "You look like you didn't sleep," she repeated.
Adrian took a bite, chewing slowly. "I had..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "...a very productive day."
She raised an eyebrow. "That so?"
"Oh yeah. Learned some new skills. Met new people. Almost died."
She didn't react immediately, letting the words hang in the air. Finally, she sighed. "...You've been reading too much again."
Adrian smiled faintly. "Probably."
He ate in silence for a moment, then glanced at the clock on the wall. Time here was normal, unchanged, and regular.
"...Hey," he said casually, "how long was I out yesterday?"
She frowned slightly. "Out?"
"Yeah, after I left for work."
"You weren't 'out,'" she said. "You came back not too long after. Maybe... seven hours? You rushed out, then came back looking like you forgot something."
His grip tightened slightly on the fork. Seven hours here meant forty-nine hours in the other world. "...Right," he said slowly. "That tracks."
She gave him a searching look. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Adrian met her gaze. For a second, he almost told her everything: the forest, the monsters, the fire, and the fact that reality had apparently decided to split itself in half just to inconvenience him personally. Instead, he leaned back slightly and smiled. "Yeah. Just tired."
She didn't look fully convinced, but she let it go. "For now," she said. "Eat."
"Yes, ma'am."
Later, the storage unit looked exactly the same, which, considering everything else, felt deeply suspicious. Adrian stood in front of it for a moment, keys in hand.
"...Alright," he said quietly. "Round two."
He unlocked the unit and pulled the metal door open. Inside, there was only dust, stacked boxes, and old junk. Nothing else. There was no glowing doorway, no ancient artifact, and no dramatic music.
"...Of course, That would be too easy."
He stepped inside slowly and closed the door behind him, plunging the space into silence. "...Okay," he said, turning in a slow circle. "If I were a magical, world-hopping portal... where would I be?"
Nothing answered him. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Great. Love that."
He walked deeper into the unit, scanning the room again. It was the same boxes, the same junk, and the same weird hockey mask. "...You're still creepy," he said to the mask, then moved on.
He stopped exactly where the door had been where he knew it had been. "...Alright," he said, taking a breath. "Let's try this."
He focused, not on the physical place or the door itself, but on the feeling. He looked for that pull, that shift, and that exact moment where everything had folded. Still, nothing happened.
"...Okay. Cool. That's fine. I didn't want to go back anyway." He waited. Still nothing. "...Right."
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down. Think, he told himself. Not panic, not frustration. Think. What had triggered it last time? Contact? Intent? Desperation?
"...Probably all three."
He closed his eyes and focused again, this time without forcing it, just letting the sensation come.
Suddenly, there was a faint flickergolden and barely visible. "...Oh that's cool."
The runes didn't fully form like they had before. They were just fragments: faint, unstable, but definitely there. Adrian's eyes opened slowly.
"...Okay. So you're still there."
He stepped forward slightly, and the flicker reacted, growing faintly brighter.
"...Intent," he said quietly. "You respond to intent."
He reached out. He wasn't touching anything, just... reaching. The symbols pulsed in response, but then they faded, completely gone.
Adrian blinked. "...Seriously?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. So not instant, not free, and not reliable. Fantastic."
He took a step back, exhaling slowly. "Okay. New plan."
He straightened his posture and focused again. It was clearer this time no more testing, no more poking around. He was deciding. I'm going back, he thought. He didn't say it out loud, but inside, the thought was firm and certain.
The air shifted. This time, the runes didn't flicker; they formed clearly and sharply.
Return Path — Available
Adrian's breath caught slightly. "...There we go." He hesitated for half a second before steeling himself. "Alright."
Accepted.
The world folded again, but it was smoother this time and far less disorienting, as if his body finally recognized the sensation. Suddenly, he was back in the forest. It was the same one, with the same air and the same weight. Adrian stood still for a moment, letting the transition settle.
"...Okay," he said quietly. "That's... consistent at least."
He looked around, far more alert and aware now. He wasn't panicked or confused anymore, just incredibly careful.
"...Step three, Learn how not to die."
He flexed his fingers again, feeling that strange, elastic sensation. It was still wrong, but it was still his. "...And figure out what I can actually do."
The forest was quiet, but it wasn't empty. He could feel it now—a subtle presence, like something just beneath the surface of everything was watching and waiting.
"...Yeah," Adrian said under his breath, a faint smirk forming despite everything, "this is definitely where something goes wrong."
He stepped forward anyway.
Part 2 — The Lake of Scars
The forest felt different this time not safer, just clearer. Adrian moved carefully between the trees, his steps quieter and his eyes sharper. The panic from yesterday was completely gone, replaced by something far more useful: awareness.
"...Alright," adjusting the small pouch at his side. "Goal for today: no running, no screaming, and preferably no near-death experiences." He paused. "...Let's aim for one out of three."
He reached the edge of the treeline and stopped. The lake stretched out before him, wide and still...too still. The surface looked like polished glass, reflecting the sky so perfectly that it almost didn't look like water at all.
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "...Yeah," he said quietly, "this is definitely where something goes wrong."
Before he could investigate further, voices approached from behind him.
"Hey—watch it!"
Adrian glanced over his shoulder as a small group of three adventurers pushed through the trees. They wore light, travel-worn gear and looked highly alert. One of them recognized him immediately.
"...You."
Adrian gave a small wave. "Me."
"The Thornmaw guy."
"...I'm really hoping that's not my official title now."
Another one crossed his arms, staring him down. "What are you doing here?"
Adrian held up his quest paper. "Herb collection. Simple, peaceful, and definitely not cursed."
The adventurers exchanged amused looks before one of them snorted. "You picked the lake job?"
Adrian turned his gaze back to the eerie, glassy water. "...I'm starting to feel like I made a mistake."
"Yeah," the third adventurer said flatly. "You did."
Adrian sighed. "Good. Love early feedback."
They approached the shoreline together, though "together" was a generous term. It was more like they were cautiously sharing the same bad decision. The herbs were right there, growing in clusters along the edge of the water just beneath the surface. They were easy to reach far too easy.
Adrian crouched slightly, staring at the glassy surface. "...Alright," he said. "No movement, no ripples, no birds... yeah, this is a trap."
One of the adventurers glanced down at him. "You always talk like that?"
"Only when I'd like to keep all my limbs."
He reached toward the water, then stopped dead. Something moved deep below the surface fast, and gone in a second.
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "...Okay."
The others saw it too. Their postures shifted instantly as weapons came out.
"Back up," one of them ordered.
Adrian didn't budge. "...Too late for that, I think."
The water broke as a fin sliced through the surface, fast and clean, beginning to circle them. Adrian's eyes widened slightly. "...Oh, come on."
The fin vanished, and then something surged upward. Adrian's body moved before his brain could even catch up.
"WATCH OUT SHARK!"
The others froze, completely baffled. "A what?!"
Another voice snapped back immediately, correcting him: "Scar!"
The creature exploded out of the water. It was sleek and massive, with rows of jagged teeth snapping as it lunged toward the nearest adventurer. The name made sense instantly; its body was covered in jagged ridges and old bite marks, layered over each other like it had survived a hundred fights and won every single one of them.
It hit the ground with incredible force, moving fast far too fast. The adventurers scattered immediately.
"Don't let it drag you into the water!" one of them shouted.
Adrian stepped back, his eyes locked onto the creature. "...Scar," he muttered. "Right. Cool. Still basically a shark."
The creature turned toward him, its gaze locking onto his face. It was predatory and hungry. Adrian exhaled slowly. "...Yeah. I liked the herb idea better."
It lunged. This time, however, he didn't run. His body shifted slightly, instinct guiding him as he dodged to the side. Fins tipped with blade-like edges cut through the empty air where he had just been standing. It was fast, precise, and deadly.
"...Okay," Adrian said, steadying himself on his feet. "So we're doing this."
The Scar turned sharply, water dripping from its massive body as it prepared to strike again. Behind him, one of the adventurers shouted a warning: "It's Tier 2 High! Don't fight it head-on!"
Adrian didn't look back. "...Noted do not have much of a choice."
The creature lunged a second time. Adrian raised his hand, instinctively reaching for the same feeling he had experienced before. He looked for the heat, the pressure, the fire but something else answered instead. It was different. It was colder and sharper.
The world seemed to dim for half a second. Then, the runes flickered into view, appearing much clearer than before.
— Skill Fragment Detected —
Frost Construct (Incomplete)
Below the notification, a technical breakdown hovered in his vision:
Structure Integrity: 41%
Mana Efficiency: 36%
Optimization Possible
[Dissect] [Store] [Reject]
Adrian stared at the floating text for a split second. "...You've got to be kidding me."
The Scar was already mid-lunge. With absolutely no time to think, he made a snap decision. "Store!"
The runes pulsed once and vanished, but something shifted deeply inside him. It felt cold, sharp, and intensely focused. Adrian raised his hand, and the air around him dropped in temperature instantly as frost bloomed along his fingertips.
"...Alright," he said, steadying his stance. "Let's try this."
The water near the shoreline trembled, pulled upward, and condensed. It shaped itself not smoothly, and certainly not perfectly into a jagged, unstable, but very real spear. Adrian gripped the icy weapon. "...Yeah, that feels about right."
The Scar hit the ground again, charging straight at him. It was moving too fast for a normal human reaction, but Adrian didn't hesitate or panic. He stepped forward instead of back.
"Okay," he said quietly, then unleashed the magic: "Ice Spear."
He threw it. The world seemed to slow for a split second as the pale blue streak cut through the air. The Scar lunged with its mouth open and its teeth ready, right into the path of the projectile.
Impact.
The spear drove straight through the creature's upper jaw, piercing deep into its skull. The sheer force carried the monster backward, sending an explosion of water upward as it crashed back into the lake. Then, stillness returned. Ripples spread across the surface and slowly faded into complete silence.
Adrian stood on the shore with his arm still extended. His breathing was steady. He wasn't panicked or shaking; he was just focused.
"...Okay," he said after a second, finally lowering his hand. "...That worked."
Behind him, no one spoke. He glanced over his shoulder to find the three adventurers staring at him with wide eyes and lowered weapons.
"...What?" Adrian asked.
One of them finally found their voice. "...You're Tier 2."
Adrian nodded. "That's what I've been told."
"That was Tier 2 High."
"...Also noted."
A heavy pause settled over the group before the adventurer added, "...You used ice."
Adrian looked down at his hand, watching the faint frost already fading from his skin. "...Yeah," he said slowly. "...I'm starting to worry about that."
They didn't laugh, and they didn't relax. If anything, they looked at him differently now. It wasn't curiosity or confusion anymore—it was something else entirely.
"...That wasn't luck," one of them said quietly.
Adrian exhaled. "...Yeah, I was afraid of that."
The lake was quiet again...too quiet...but this time, nothing moved beneath the surface. Adrian glanced down at the water, then over at the herbs.
"...So," he said, crouching slightly, "are we still doing this or...?"
No one answered immediately. Then, one of the adventurers stepped forward cautiously. "...Quickly."
Adrian nodded. "Quickly it is."
Part 3 The Weight of Eyes
The walk back to Stonehollow felt... different. Adrian noticed it almost immediately. It wasn't the path or the trees that had changed, but the people. The three adventurers who had been with him at the lake kept their distance now not out of fear, exactly, but something uncomfortably close to it. It was a mix of respect, caution, and deep uncertainty. No one joked, no one complained, and no one even asked him a single question.
To Adrian, the silence was deeply uncomfortable. "...You know," he said after a while, glancing sideways at them, "this is usually the part where people talk."
One of them kept their eyes fixed forward. "...About what?"
"I don't know. The weather. The fact that we almost got turned into chew toys five minutes ago. Normal conversation topics."
Silence followed his attempt at small talk. Adrian sighed. "...Right. Tough crowd. Again."
Soon, Stonehollow came into view with its familiar walls, imposing towers, and guarded entrance. But as they approached, the guards at the gate straightened up. They didn't do it casually or out of routine; they snapped into position sharply. Their eyes scanned the group and then landed squarely on Adrian.
One of them frowned slightly. "...You're back."
Adrian gave a small nod. "I try to make a habit of it."
The guard's gaze shifted to the others. "...Report."
The lead adventurer hesitated for a moment before speaking. "...Scar. Tier 2 High."
The guard's expression tightened instantly. "And?"
After a brief pause, the adventurer said simply, "...He killed it."
The silence that followed was heavier than before. The guard looked back at Adrian, his gaze lingering longer this time, measuring and reconsidering the young man in front of him. Finally, he waved them through. "...Go."
They were let inside, but the weight of that look didn't leave. And once they were inside the village, the news spread much faster than Adrian ever expected. Whispers followed in his wake, glances lingered on his back, and people subtly shifted their posture the moment he walked past.
"...Okay, either I look worse than I thought, or something's going on."
No one answered him, of course. People were actively avoiding eye contact now. It wasn't dramatic or obvious, but it was just enough to notice and completely impossible to ignore.
The guild hall was even worse. The moment Adrian stepped inside, the general volume of conversation dipped. It wasn't dead silent, but it was noticeably quieter, as if someone had turned the volume knob down just a fraction.
He stopped near the entrance. "...Nope," he said softly. "Don't like that."
He stepped forward anyway, because what else was he supposed to do? Turn around and leave? That would only make things weirder.
As he moved through the room, the crowd shifted. No one jumped out of the way dramatically, but space opened up around him naturally and instinctively. A chair scraped slightly against the floor as someone adjusted their position, and a nearby group subtly angled themselves aside. A clear path practically formed itself.
Adrian slowed his pace. "...Okay," glancing around. "...That's definitely new."
No one met his eyes for more than a split second before looking away. He couldn't tell if it was respect or fear, but he intensely disliked both options.
When he reached the counter, the same staff member from before looked up and paused. It was only for a fraction of a second, but then they quickly composed themselves. "...Quest?"
Adrian held out the pouch of herbs. "E-rank. Lake job. Still not dead."
The staff member took it and checked the contents quickly. "...Completed."
They placed a small pouch of coins in front of him. Adrian picked it up, turning it over in his hand. "...You're not even going to ask?"
The staff member hesitated. "...We've already been informed."
"...Of course you have." He exhaled slowly. "Right. Efficient. Love that."
"Adrian."
The voice cut through the room. It wasn't loud or commanding, but it didn't need to be. Adrian turned to see the guild master standing near the back of the hall. He was in the exact same position with the same calm presence as before, but this time, he wasn't just observing he was waiting.
"...Yeah," Adrian said, slipping the coin pouch into his pocket. "Figured that was coming."
He walked over, and the subtle shifts in the room followed him the entire way. Space opened up, voices lowered, and that same faint, suffocating pressure returned. Adrian stopped a few feet away.
"...So," he said, folding his arms slightly, "I'm guessing this isn't about my charming personality."
The guild master studied him longer than before. He wasn't just looking at Adrian; he was reading him. "You fought a Scar," he said.
"Allegedly."
"You used ice."
Adrian shrugged. "It seemed appropriate."
The guild master's eyes narrowed slightly. "You are adapting and very few can use ice...almost no one except elfs."
Adrian blinked. "...That's one word for it and the ice well I guess I am lucky."
"Too quickly."
A heavy pause settled over them. Adrian tilted his head slightly. "Is that a problem?"
The guild master didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped slightly closer not invading Adrian's personal space, but close enough that the air shifted again. That same strange awareness from before returned, only this time, it was much stronger.
The guild master's gaze sharpened. "...Do you feel it?" he asked.
Adrian frowned. "Feel what?"
The guild master didn't look away. "...The way the room responds to you."
Adrian hesitated, then glanced around the hall. People weren't staring at him directly, but they were intensely aware of him. They were watching, listening, and being entirely too careful.
"...Yeah," Adrian said slowly. "...I noticed."
"That is not normal," the guild master said.
Adrian let out a small, tired breath. "That's becoming a theme."
The guild master's voice lowered slightly, cutting through the ambient noise of the hall. "Creatures hesitate around you."
Adrian's eyes flickered slightly. "...You noticed that too."
"You carry something," the guild master continued, his tone calm but absolutely certain. "Not power alone." He paused, letting the final word settle heavily between them. "Presence."
The concept hung in the air, heavy and unclear. Adrian frowned slightly. "...I didn't order that."
The guild master ignored the comment completely. "For now," he said, "it is faint."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "For now?"
The guild master stepped back, and the oppressive pressure in the air eased slightly. "But it will grow."
It wasn't delivered as a warning, nor was it meant as a reassurance. It was just stated as a cold, hard fact.
Adrian stood there for a moment long after the man had walked away. "...Cool, Love that. Very reassuring."
He ran a hand through his hair, glancing around the hall one last time. The room had mostly returned to normal, but not entirely. There was still that subtle shift in the air, that lingering space, and that deliberate distance everyone kept from him.
"...Yeah," he said under his breath. "This is going to be a problem."
Later that evening, Adrian was back in the safety of his room with the door firmly closed against the world. Silence filled the space. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands yet again. He flexed his fingers, watching that faint, unnatural delay in his movement.
"...Fire," he said quietly into the empty room. Nothing happened.
"...Ice." Still nothing.
He sighed heavily. "Of course it doesn't work like that."
He leaned back slightly, staring up at the ceiling. "...Adaptation," he muttered to the shadows. "Presence. Half slime." He paused, letting the absurdity of it wash over him. "...Great. I'm a walking identity crisis."
The air shifted faintly, giving off a soft, golden glow. The mysterious runes flickered back into his vision. They weren't fully forming this time; they were just reacting, watching, and waiting.
Adrian stared right back at them. "...You again."
They didn't respond of course they didn't. He exhaled slowly and finally looked away.
"...Yeah," he said quietly to the quiet room. "...Something's definitely wrong with me."
The runes flickered one final time, as if in acknowledgment, and then faded completely, leaving him entirely alone with the silence.