The wooden door of the cabin creaked behind him as it closed.
The ground beneath his feet was soft and springy with thick grass that rolled gently across the land in shallow slopes. To him, it was the the kind of meadow one only ever saw in old photographs or childhood memories that had been worn smooth with time. Somewhere in the distance he heard the low bleating of sheep and the mooing of cows. When he looked closer, he saw them small clusters of animals grazing lazily.
It looked like a farm. For a split second, it felt like Earth but then he looked up.
The sky was pitch black like an endless ocean of ink stretched above the world. And yet, strangely, the meadow wasn't dark. On the horizon sat an artificial sun, frozen at the edge of sunrise. It was wrong but in a beautiful way.
"That look on your face tells me you're either impressed or deeply confused."
Vastarael turned instinctively and found a young woman standing a few steps away from him. She held a rake casually over one shoulder, dressed in simple farm clothes. She had a loose shirt, sturdy trousers and boots worn from real work. Her auburn hair was tied back messily and she wore a relaxed smile that felt completely out of place in a realm like this. Her freckles made her even prettier.
And yet the moment he looked at her properly, he felt it. She was ridiculously powerful. Also she had a... country accent?
"You really are handsome up close. Hard to believe you were half-dead when Reynolds dragged you in."
"I... thank you? And who are you?"
"Miranda. Just Miranda." She tapped the rake lightly against the ground. "I'm a transmigrator. Same as you. Earth-born."
"Earth?"
"Yep. And this little slice of countryside is where I live with my husband Reynolds. Though you probably know him better as the Forgotten Architect."
"Then... he's the one who fixed me."
"Mostly. I helped where I could. Emotional support, haircut, minor meddling..."
"Haircut?"
"We'll get to that."
"Then thank you. Both of you. I owe him my life."
She waved a hand dismissively. "You should thank him directly. He's the one who dragged your shattered existence out of the Sucking Void and decided you were worth fixing. Though judging by your expression earlier, waking up wasn't exactly pleasant."
They both turned. Not far from the cabin, Asenane was tending to the sheep, moving quietly among them. She didn't look at him once.
"No. It wasn't."
Miranda watched him for a moment, then hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, I figured. Your daughters are here, by the way."
His head snapped back toward her. "They are?"
"Alive and stubborn. They're out with Miss Phaenora right now. They're still searching the Sucking Void for a way out."
"Out? But I thought-"
"No one gets out once they enter. That's the rule. They've been trying anyway. For six months."
Something warm and painful spread through his chest at the same time.
"Of course they are..."
Miranda chuckled softly. "That determination runs in the family I see."
They walked slowly together through the grass. The silence between them was surprisingly comfortable. After a moment, she glanced at him sideways.
"So, which era of Earth did you come from?"
"The twenty-first century."
Her steps faltered. She stopped completely and turned to him, her expression shifting from casual curiosity to seriousness.
"You... endured the apocalypse?"
"I endured watching Earth nuke itself."
Miranda inhaled sharply and let out a long breath. She looked at the frozen sun on the horizon.
"Then you really did suffer. Every transmigrator from the twenty-first century died in the apocalypse before they ever got a chance to come here. If you transmigrated after Earth was destroyed, then Greshina Emberforge must have gotten her hands on you."
"You know about her?"
Miranda scoffed. "Every twenty-first century transmigrator knows about her. She's the one who destroyed the world because she lost her toy."
"Toy?"
"That's what she called it. She's hated by every transmigrator. She is a deity after all."
They stopped near the cabin again, and Miranda gestured toward him.
"Oh, by the way? The haircut."
He touched his hair subconsciously. "You did this?"
"Guilty as charged. I loved haircuts in my past life. Couldn't resist. Thought you'd look good with a wolf cut."
"It does suit me."
"See? I have excellent taste."
He let out a quiet, genuine laugh-his first in a long time-and said,
"Then... thank you. For that too."
"I'll take the gratitude. I earned it."
"DAD!"
Runner was right behind Shimmer as both girls ran toward him at full speed, abandoning any sense of dignity or caution. Vastarael barely had time to turn before they collided with him. Their arms wrapped around his waist and torso so tightly it almost knocked the breath out of him. They clung to him like he might disappear again if they let go.
"Are you okay?" Shimmer asked, though her voice shaking despite how hard she tried to sound composed.
"Are you really awake?" Runner added, pressing her forehead against his chest like she was checking for proof. "You're not fading, right? You're not dying?"
He laughed softly and wrapped his arms around them without thinking.
"I'm okay, I promise. A little fatigued for being in a coma for too long but I'm fine."
They didn't let go.
"I thought you were gone," Shimmer muttered into his shirt.
"We both did," Runner said quietly. "You always say you'll come back, but this time you didn't."
That was when the apology rose to his throat. He opened his mouth, ready to tell them he was sorry for worrying them, for disappearing and for making them live with that fear-
And then Asenane crossed his mind.
The girls noticed immediately.
Shimmer pulled back first with her eyes narrowing slightly. Runner followed, studying his face the way only someone who had grown up with him could.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
He hesitated. Shimmer didn't give him the chance to think and changed the subject.
"Anyway! We've been living here on the farm. It's... weirdly nice?"
Runner nodded. "The sunrise never ends. It's always like this. Surprisingly, it doesn't get boring."
"And the Sucking Void is huge," Shimmer continued, gesturing broadly. "Like, really huge. We've been mapping it."
He smiled faintly, listening to them talk. Then someone sighed behind him. Before he could turn, a sound echoed sharply across the meadow.
Shimmer shrieked. Runner yelped. Miranda nearly dropped her rake. Vastarael staggered half a step forward.
Phaenora stood in front of him with a glaring expression.
"You fucking idiot."
Then she grabbed his collar, yanked him down, and kissed him hard. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his for just a second before shoving him away again.
"You really thought you could shoulder all of that alone? Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
He didn't even try to deny it. He couldn't hide anything from Phaenora. She already knew about Asenane and what she said. She also knew about the guilt, the blame and the way he accepted it without argument.
"It's okay. I can bear it."
Shimmer gasped. She planted herself in front of him like a shield.
"No, it is not okay! You can't just hit our dad!"
"He just woke up after six months!" Runner added, glaring at Phaenora.
"And he deserves every bit of that slap for making all of you worry."
Shimmer folded her arms. "You already kissed him. That's enough punishment."
Miranda coughed into her hand, clearly amused.
"So... family dynamics seem healthy."
Phaenora finally exhaled. "Mostly."
"Did you find a way out?"
"My theory was right. But, we should keep Darling on to speed first."