A Few Weeks Ago
The evening breeze blew softly through the market district, carrying the faint scent of the sea mingled with the aroma of spices and baked bread. Mr. Gharrick stood in front of a simple house on a corner street, staring at the wooden door he had knocked on many times over the past few weeks.
It had been over a month since the incident in the cave. Since Neir lay unconscious with fragments of the green pendant scattered around her. Since he himself left that cave with a weary body and a head full of guilt. Since Mariela began closing her door to him.
He still remembered the first time he came here after hearing Neir had regained consciousness. Back then, he brought a small pouch of refreshing herbs and a few rolls of warm cloth—simple tokens of good intent. But all he got was Mariela's voice from behind the door.
"Thank you, Mr. Gharrick, but Neir is better now."
Cold. Not rude, not angry, but not inviting either.
The following days, he tried again. He came to the market, stood in front of Mariela's fish stall, ordered Kahlun fish as usual. Yet, Mariela just lowered her head and said flatly, "I'm not selling you fish today."
Not anger. But reluctance.
Mariela wasn't the type to cast blame without reason. She never yelled at him, never cursed. But she also didn't accept his presence like she used to.
It wasn't because she hated Mr. Gharrick, but because her trust had been eroded.
Mr. Gharrick took a deep breath. Today, he tried again. Not to apologize once more or explain something that might be beyond repair, but at least to make sure—to see for himself that Neir was truly alright.
His hand rose, knocking on the door that felt heavier each time he approached it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
As before, silence answered him. But this time, Mariela's voice came from inside—more tired than usual.
"Mr. Gharrick… I know you're a good person. But please, don't come anymore."
Mr. Gharrick closed his eyes for a moment.
"I just want to know how Neir is. I want to apologize."
"Neir is fine." Her words sounded certain, but her tone was as if she herself was still trying to believe it.
Mr. Gharrick clenched his fists at his sides. "I… I wanted to tell her about the open school. I wanted—"
"Please, don't." Mariela sighed, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to talk about this. I… I just want to protect Neir."
This time, he couldn't answer.
Silence hung between them. Then, slow footsteps were heard from behind the door, moving away. Mr. Gharrick didn't try knocking again. He just stood there for a few moments, then turned and left.
No anger, no tears.
Only a growing distance.
Mr. Gharrick already knew.
He knew that Neir had finally entered school. Somehow, that information reached him—maybe from the volunteers, maybe from an acquaintance on the city council. He didn't inquire further.
Actually, a month ago, Mr. Gharrick had wanted to mention the open school. But before he could, the attack from the witch shattered everything. His focus at that time was solely on saving Neir, and after the incident, talk of school was forgotten.
Now, since hearing the news that the little girl had actually enrolled, he felt relieved… and, strangely, a small emptiness in his heart.
Present Day – Mr. Gharrick
It had been two days since Neir started school. Two days of restraining himself from visiting, from disturbing, from finding excuses to speak with the girl. Not because he didn't care—quite the opposite. He wanted to make sure Neir was alright, that she could enjoy her school life without feeling burdened by the past.
But this morning, the urge was too strong.
So, with the intent of meeting Neir, Mr. Gharrick prepared. He had taken his coat, checked if he had something to give—perhaps a small book, as a gift. However, as he was about to step out, his eyes caught something odd.
A woman.
He didn't recognize her face, but her movements were too suspicious. She stood across the street, occasionally glancing towards his house, then pretending to be busy with something in her hands.
Mr. Gharrick pretended not to notice. Calmly, he went back inside and closed the door tightly. But as he locked the door, his bad feeling grew stronger.
And he was right.
It didn't take long before light footsteps were heard approaching. Then, a click sound—the locked door now opened easily.
Mr. Gharrick waited.
He heard the steps moving down the hallway, approaching the interior of his house. When the sound reached the kitchen, he moved.
Swift. Fast.
The fight happened in an instant. No words, only instinctive movements and hard impacts echoing in the narrow space. The woman fought back—agile, trained, clearly not an ordinary person. But Mr. Gharrick was no weak old man to be underestimated.
Until finally—
The man sat leaning against a table, breathing heavily. His clothes were disheveled, torn in places, and blood stained his bandaged arm. One of his hands still firmly gripped someone—the woman now lying face-down on the wooden floor.
The woman struggled, her body writhing slightly, but Mr. Gharrick quickly pinned both her hands behind her back. She let out a soft scream, her face contorted in pain.
"Mercy... I just wanted to find Mr. Gharrick... I swear, I meant no harm..." her voice was hoarse, almost crying.
And right at that moment—
The door opened.
Mr. Gharrick looked up, then froze.
In the doorway stood a small girl with red hair.
Neir.
Mr. Gharrick actually wanted to ask.
Did Neir's school let out early today?But seeing the current situation, he knew that question was pointless.
So,he just looked at Neir for a moment, then sighed.
"...Alright then."
For now,that question was unimportant.
---
Dani woke up with a heavy head. His vision was still blurry, and the white light from the room's lamp pierced his eyes. As his consciousness slowly returned, he realized he was lying on a hospital bed. An IV line was stuck in his hand, and the sound of medical monitor beeps echoed softly in the background.
"What happened to me…?" he thought, trying to remember the last events. Then—
BZZT!
Like an electric shock, his head was suddenly filled with a strange surge. The sensation was so intense he almost screamed. A foreign voice echoed in his ears, a voice not from this world.
—"DANI!!"
That voice… Neir?!
Dani reflexively grabbed his throbbing head. It was as if something had reconnected him to another world, and suddenly—his vision changed!
Before him, an old man with white hair stood with a look of utter surprise. Mr. Gharrick? Why could he see him?!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Neir was experiencing the same thing. She was immensely shocked, her body trembling as if struck by an electric current.
"I-I can hear you again!" Neir's voice was clear in Dani's head.
Dani was still half-conscious, but this… this meant their sensory exchange had happened again!
Mr. Gharrick, who was near Neir, quickly looked at her sharply. He seemed to realize something was happening.
"Neir, is that him?" he asked seriously.
Neir nodded quickly. "Yes! Dani is awake!"
The old man sighed in relief, then stared sharply as if wanting to speak directly to Dani.
Dani was still confused by all this. "What the hell… I just woke up, and I get welcomed like this?"
But before he could think further, the door to his hospital room opened.
A nurse entered, carrying a clipboard and a thin smile on her face. Dani, who had just lifted his head, froze.
That nurse… he knew her. They had also met when Dani was at the hospital some time ago.
"Hello, Mr. Dani. Awake, are we?" her voice was soft, but to Dani, it felt like a thunderclap on a clear day.
He, who was usually laid-back, now became flustered. His gaze darted elsewhere, while his hands clutched the blanket.
"Uh… Y-yeah… I… um… I am," he stammered.
The nurse gave a small smile, seemingly used to seeing nervous patients in front of her. "Be more careful next time, don't let us meet here again," she said half-jokingly.
Dani swallowed, still unsure how to respond. "Uh… y-yeah… th-thanks, nurse… uh… stay healthy, okay?"
After speaking, he immediately wanted to slap himself. Stay healthy?! Was she the one who was sick?!
The nurse just chuckled softly. "Yes, thank you. But I'm the one working at the hospital, why are you worried about me?"
Dani grew more embarrassed. "Uh… I-I don't know what to say…"
The nurse just smiled before finally checking Dani's IV. Dani himself kept his head down, feeling his face grow hot.
For a moment, he completely forgot about Neir and Mr. Gharrick. But in the corner of the room, someone else was also waiting for him—Mr. Karyo.
The man looked at Dani with a relieved expression. "Thank goodness you're not seriously hurt."
Dani felt really awkward, but what could he do. In a slightly stiff voice, he finally said, "Uh… yeah, Sir. Thanks…"
"Rizal was the one who helped you," said Mr. Karyo.
Dani was immediately shocked. "Huh?! Rizal?!"
Mr. Karyo nodded. "He was the one who found you first. Even though he's a bit sharp with you, he still acted quickly."
Dani fell silent for a moment, not expecting that. Rizal, who was usually sarcastic, actually cared.
"Where is he now?" asked Dani.
"I told him to get back to work," answered Mr. Karyo. "For now, you rest. Don't think about work until you're fully recovered."
Dani sighed. "Yeah… I understand."
Mr. Karyo smiled slightly. "Your family has been notified. They were shocked, but I told them you're safe."
Dani just nodded slowly. He was still trying to process everything.
---
Meanwhile, in the other world, Neir watched Dani's conversation intently. Through the sensory exchange, she tried to convey everything to Mr. Gharrick—about Dani's accident, about Rizal helping him, and the strange names she heard for the first time.
Mr. Gharrick initially listened attentively, but gradually his brows furrowed. "Hmm… Rizal… Karyo… Dani…"
Neir looked at him, confused. "What is it, Mr. Gharrick?"
The old man stroked his beard with a thoughtful expression. "I'm trying to guess which part of Aurië that boy is from. These names… don't sound familiar."
Mr. Gharrick grew more serious, his eyes narrowing. "Or perhaps… he's from Beysolun? Or even further? Hm… I think I need to look for a map—"
Neir hurriedly interrupted. "W-wait, Mr., no need to bother! Besides, Dani himself is confused about where he is now."
Mr. Gharrick sighed. "Hm… true enough. The world is full of mysteries…"
Neir nodded, but suddenly she heard Dani mumbling softly, his voice a bit awkward.
"Uh, umm… yeah, thanks, Nurse… I mean… yeah, I'll be careful… hehe…"
Neir blinked. "Mr. Gharrick, Dani is talking to someone. It seems… he's acting all shy?"
Mr. Gharrick raised an eyebrow. "Shy?"
Neir nodded. "Yes! His voice sounds like… like someone who doesn't know what to say!"
Mr. Gharrick thought for a moment, then clicked his tongue softly. "Hm… it seems even though he's from another world, teenage troubles are the same everywhere."
Neir was still confused. "What do you mean?"
The old man just gave a faint smile. "You'll understand when you're older."
Neir grew even more confused. But oh well, the important thing was Dani was now busy with his own affairs.
---
Dani was finally discharged, sitting quietly in Mr. Karyo's car. The atmosphere inside the car felt silent—no conversation, just the sound of the engine and the passing road. Mr. Karyo remained focused on driving, while Dani was lost in his own thoughts.
His normal eye stared blankly out the window, while his left eye—the one exchanged with Neir—he closed slowly. Honestly, there was too much to process today.
Earlier, through Neir's vision, he had seen Mr. Gharrick. The old man's face looked serious, full of calculation. And now, Neir was busy reporting their recent conversation, which, to be honest, was a bit annoying for Dani who was still half-asleep. But at least… the old man seemed intent on helping them. That was far more important.
In Aurië…
The sky was beginning to darken. Mr. Gharrick finally realized it was time for Neir to go home. He squinted at the little girl, then in his signature metaphorical tone, said, "The sun has closed its book, and the moon is arranging its desk. Little girl, do you wish to challenge the night without your mother's permission?"
Neir blinked, confused as usual whenever Mr. Gharrick spoke like that. "Huh?"
The old man sighed. "In short, go home. Your mother must be looking for you."
Neir was just about to protest, but before she could, Mr. Gharrick scooped her up!
"H-hey! Mr. Gharrick! I can walk by myself!"
"This is faster," said Mr. Gharrick lightly, then without further ado, he sprinted like lightning. Neir almost screamed, startled by the old man's speed.
Dani, who could see all this through his left eye, could only gape in his own world. "Damn… that old man runs like a young guy."
Just before disappearing into the distance, Mr. Gharrick still managed to shout, "We'll continue tomorrow! And in the days to come, I will search for a solution myself!"
In a short time, they arrived in front of Neir's house. Mr. Gharrick knocked firmly on the door.
CREAK!
"Ugh— this old man, gosh my head's spinning even more," Dani muttered in his heart.
The door opened, revealing Mariela already prepared with a "Young lady, where have you been all day?" expression.
Neir swallowed. "Uh… I…"
But before she could explain, pinch! Mariela already grabbed her ear.
"Neir! Why are your clothes so messy?! Where have you been all day?! I told you not to stay out until dark, didn't I?"
"Ouch ouch! Mom, that hurts!"
Mr. Gharrick, feeling his escort mission was complete, vanished before he could get scolded too. Neir could only groan in annoyance seeing him flee.
Meanwhile, on Earth…
Dani was still watching all this through Neir's left eye. Seeing Mariela worried and scolding Neir somehow made his heart feel… warm. There was something in that woman's voice that felt… familiar.
"So this is what it feels like to have someone who genuinely cares?"
Dani sighed and smiled slightly, although on the other hand, he was also holding back laughter seeing Neir panicking while getting her ear pinched.
But not long after, the car he was in stopped.
"We're here," said Mr. Karyo casually.
Dani got out of the car and immediately saw his family waiting in front of the door. Their faces were mixed—relieved, anxious, and… well, angry too.
"You, seriously!" His mother immediately approached, looking at him with teary eyes. "Making us worry like that! You go to work and end up getting hurt?!"
"We thought something happened to you, Son," his father added, his voice heavy but full of concern.
Dani lowered his head slightly. "Sorry…"
Even though greeted with scolding, he could feel… the same warmth.
In the other world, Neir was still trying to free herself from her mother's pinching. Dani chuckled softly.
They both got scolded, huh?
But maybe… it wasn't that simple.
---
However, unbeknownst to them, someone was watching in silence.
On top of one of the old buildings near the Beysolun open school, a man stood rigidly. His robe was tattered, blown by the night wind, but his gaze was sharp and full of hatred. His eyes never left that school… and the town hall in the distance.
In his hand, a strange mushroom with a greenish light pulsed slowly, as if alive.
His fingertip brushed its surface, then he whispered, his voice almost swept away by the night wind.
"It's time… they've been left alone for too long."
The hand gripping the mushroom tensed slightly, and a moment later, the light from the mushroom grew stronger—pulsing like a heart preparing for something.
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