Part 1 The Wrong Forest
The world felt wrong.
Adrian Cole stood completely still for a long moment, just breathing. He wasn't panicking—not yet.
The air was the first thing he noticed. It wasn't just fresh; it moved differently, carrying a distinct weight, as if something unseen brushed against his skin with every inhale. The forest around him stretched tall and ancient, populated by trees thicker than anything he had ever seen back home. Their bark wasn't simply smooth or rough it pulsed faintly, as if actual veins ran beneath the surface.
"...Alright," Adrian muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Either I finally snapped... or I'm very far from Johannesburg."
Silence was his only answer. There were no cars, no distant voices, and no city noise. There was only the wind, and a strange, deeper resonance humming beneath it.
He shifted his weight and took a cautious step forward, then paused. Something felt off.
He looked down at his hand. At first glance, it looked perfectly normal. But when he flexed his fingers, something lagged just slightly as if his hand weren't entirely solid.
"...Nope," he said immediately, dropping his arm. "Don't like that."
He reached out and pressed his palm against the nearest tree. For a second, nothing happened. Then, his hand stuck. It wasn't glued or trapped it was just... adhered.
"...Excuse me?"
He pulled back. The surface resisted not strongly, but just enough to feel completely wrong. When his hand finally came free, there was a faint stretch, like pulling away from something elastic.
Adrian stared at his fingers. "...Yeah. Definitely not normal."
He wiped his hand on his jeans out of pure instinct, even though nothing was actually there. "Cool. Great. Love this for me."
He started walking. He had no real direction, just movement, because standing still in a forest that felt alive wasn't high on his list of good decisions. Leaves crunched underfoot. The deeper he went, the quieter it became...too quiet.
"Alright," Adrian said under his breath, "if something jumps out and tries to eat me, I'd really appreciate a warning first."
Something rustled in the bushes ahead. He froze.
"...That counts."
The movement was small, a subtle, faint shifting of leaves. Adrian slowly crouched down, keeping his eyes on the brush as he picked up a small branch from the ground. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.
The bushes parted, and something stepped out. Adrian blinked. "...Oh."
It was... cute. A tiny creature, no bigger than a housecat, with a round body, soft-looking fur, and big, curious eyes. Its tail flicked lazily behind it as it sniffed the air.
Adrian straightened slightly, lowering the stick. "...Okay. That's not so bad."
The creature tilted its head. Adrian exhaled, the tight tension in his chest finally easing. "Hey there, little guy."
It took another step forward. Still harmless. Still adorable.
Adrian smiled faintly. "See? This is good. This is the part where the strange forest gives me a cute companion and—"
The creature stepped fully out of the bushes, and Adrian's brain completely stopped. The rest of it had just come into view.
Its body wasn't small, it wasn't harmless, and it wasn't even remotely normal. From the neck down, the beast was massive easily over five feet tall when it straightened up. Muscle was layered over thick muscle, its limbs powerful and heavy. Long, sharp claws curved from its hands, looking very much capable of removing a human limb.
Its small, cute head sat right on top of the monstrous body like a terrible joke.
Adrian stared. "...Oh, you're adora—"
The creature's eyes snapped toward him, its massive body tensing as a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within its chest.
Adrian's expression dropped instantly. "...—Wait."
The creature took a single step forward, the ground cracking slightly beneath its sheer weight. Adrian pointed a finger right at it. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
It lunged. Adrian turned and ran. "NOPE! NOT TODAY! NOT EVER!"
Branches whipped past his face as he sprinted blindly through the forest, his heart slamming hard against his ribs. Behind him, heavy footsteps thudded against the dirt. They were fast—far too fast.
"WHY ARE YOU BUILT LIKE THAT?!" he shouted over his shoulder, but a thunderous roar was his only answer. "THAT'S NOT A NORMAL SQUIRREL!"
He pushed himself even harder, his legs burning as the adrenaline kicked in fully. The forest blurred around him as he went left, right, and jumped over a fallen log. Don't trip. Don't fall. Don't die.
"Okay, okay, think," he muttered frantically. "There has to be—"
Voices echoed ahead. Human voices. Adrian's eyes widened with hope. "YES!"
He burst through a dense line of trees and nearly collided with a group of four people. They turned in complete shock: a woman in light armor, a tall man with a spear, a cloaked figure, and another warrior with a sword already halfway drawn.
Adrian didn't even slow down. "SORRY—RUN!" He flew right past them.
They blinked, utterly confused. Then, the monstrous creature burst through the treeline directly behind him, making the ground shake. The group froze for a fraction of a second before all four of them turned and bolted.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" one of them screamed.
"WHY IS IT CHASING YOU?!" another demanded.
Adrian kept his eyes forward. "NOT IMPORTANT—RUN FASTER!"
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
"STILL NOT IMPORTANT!"
The creature roared again, rapidly closing the distance. Adrian risked a quick glance back a terrible idea. It was closer. Much closer.
"...Okay," he breathed, panic rising. "That's bad. That's very bad."
Then, something flickered directly in his vision. A warm, golden light and ancient symbols materialized not in the air in front of him, but right inside his head.
He stumbled slightly under the sudden mental weight. "...What?"
The world seemed to dim for a split second as the ancient, unreadable symbols formed in his mind yet, somehow, they were perfectly understood.
[ Inferno Construct — Acquired (Incomplete) ]
Adrian blinked. "...You're kidding."
Another ferocious roar snapped him back to reality. The creature was nearly on him; there was no more running. He skidded to a sudden stop, causing the group behind him to nearly crash straight into his back.
"What are you doing?!" one of them shouted.
Adrian turned slowly to face the oncoming beast. "...Testing something," he said.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
"Very possible."
The creature lunged. Adrian raised his hand, having no logical idea how he knew what to do. He just... did. Something dense began to gather rapidly in his palm—not light, and not fire, but a crushing pressure and immense heat, as if the air itself were being compressed into a single point. It grew, condensing until a sphere formed, glowing faintly with a deep orange core. The air warped around it, and the ground beneath his feet cracked slightly.
Adrian stared at the magic for half a second. "...That is pretty cool."
The creature was almost on him now, its sharp claws raised and its monstrous mouth wide open. Adrian took a breath. "Sure."
He thrust his hand forward. "Inferno Ball!"
The sphere launched. It wasn't blindingly fast, nor was it slow; it was just... inevitable. It struck the creature dead center. For a split second, there was nothing. Then impact.
A massive burst of compressed heat and kinetic force exploded outward. The creature's immense body snapped backward mid-lunge, lifted entirely off its feet, and was thrown violently across the clearing. It hit the ground hard, tumbling once, twice, before settling into complete stillness.
Silence returned to the forest. There was no wind, no sound, just the faint crackle of scorched earth.
Adrian stood there, his arm still extended toward the clearing. Slowly, he lowered it. "...Okay." He looked at the creature, then at his hand, then back at the creature. "...That worked way too well."
Behind him, no one spoke.
He turned slightly to find the group staring at him, wide-eyed, with their weapons still drawn. No one moved.
Adrian scratched the back of his head. "...So," he said casually, "good news problem solved."
Still, no one responded. After a long, heavy pause, one of them finally found their voice. "...What... are you?"
Adrian let out a slow breath. He looked out at the ancient forest, then at the stunned faces of the adventurers, and finally back down at his own hand.
"...Honestly?" he said, a quiet beat passing between them. "I was hoping you'd tell me."
Part 2 Stonehollow
For a long moment, no one moved. The creature lay where it had fallen, its massive body half-buried in the dirt with smoke faintly rising from the scorched impact point. The forest, which had moments ago been filled with chaos and frantic shouting, now felt unnaturally still.
Four pairs of eyes remained locked onto Adrian, measuring him and rapidly re-evaluating everything they thought they knew. Adrian, for his part, shifted his weight slightly under the intense scrutiny and glanced down at the beast once more.
"...So," he said, casually brushing invisible dust off his sleeve, "that's dealt with."
There was still absolutely no response. He sighed. "Tough crowd."
The woman in light armor was the first to move. She stepped forward carefully, her hand still resting on the hilt of her weapon, her eyes sharp and cautious. "You killed it in one strike." Her tone wasn't impressed; it was suspicious.
Adrian shrugged lightly. "Yeah, well... it tried to eat me first. Felt fair."
"That was a Thornmaw," the tall man with the spear added, his voice tight. "They don't just die like that."
Adrian blinked. "Good to know. I'll make sure the next one takes longer."
That earned him a very unimpressed look.
The cloaked figure let out a quiet breath. "You're not from around here."
"That obvious?"
"Yes."
Adrian nodded slowly. "Yeah, fair."
Another pause settled between them. The tension hadn't gone away; if anything, it had shifted from raw fear to pure calculation. The swordsman finally lowered his blade, though not completely.
"You ran straight into us with that thing behind you," he noted, "and then turned around to fight it."
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. "In my defense, running didn't seem like a long-term solution."
"...You're either brave," the woman said, narrowing her eyes slightly, "or incredibly stupid."
Adrian gave her a small, tired smile. "Why not both?"
That almost...almost broke the tension. The man with the spear exhaled slowly, looking at the others before turning his attention back to Adrian. "...You said you're not from here."
"Correct."
"Where are you from?"
Adrian opened his mouth, then paused. It was a very good question. "...Far," he said finally. "Very far." It wasn't a lie, just entirely unhelpful.
The cloaked figure studied him for another second before speaking. "We should take him to Stonehollow."
The others hesitated, exchanging glances, before finally nodding in agreement.
Adrian raised a hand slightly. "I'm assuming that's a place and not a prison?"
"...It depends," the swordsman muttered.
"Comforting."
The walk took much longer than Adrian expected—not because of the distance, but because of how often he found himself staring at his surroundings. As they moved forward, the forest slowly thinned, giving way to a worn path that clearly saw regular travel. The air shifted again; it wasn't necessarily lighter, but it felt noticeably less oppressive. Civilization, or at least something close to it, lay ahead.
He kept pace with the group, though no one walked particularly close to him. It wasn't raw fear keeping them back, but they were definitely giving him space and watching his every move.
"...So," Adrian said after a while, breaking the quiet, "Stonehollow. Big place? Small place? Somewhere in between 'don't blink or you'll miss it' and 'you need a map to find your way out'?"
The woman glanced at him briefly. "...It's a frontier village."
"Ah. So somewhere between 'cozy' and 'probably gets attacked regularly.'"
"...Yes."
"Nice."
Another stretch of silence followed them until the trees finally parted, and Adrian stopped dead in his tracks. "...Oh."
Stonehollow wasn't massive, but it wasn't small either. It spread across a wide clearing, surrounded by rough wooden walls reinforced with heavy stone. Watchtowers stood at key points, with guards stationed at the top to scan the horizon. Inside the perimeter, there was movement, life, and people.
But it wasn't just ordinary people. Adrian's eyes widened slightly as he took it all in. A man with wolf-like ears and a matching tail walked past one of the gates, carrying hunting gear over his shoulder. Nearby, a short, heavily built figure clearly not human—argued loudly with someone over a set of tools. Further in, he caught sight of someone with long, sharp features and striking silver hair moving through the crowd with quiet grace.
"...Okay," Adrian muttered under his breath, "...either I'm dreaming... or reality has officially given up."
"What was that?" the spear-wielder asked.
"Nothing," Adrian said quickly, shaking his head. "Just... processing."
They approached the gate, and the guards straightened up slightly as the group came into view. One of them frowned. "You're back early."
"We ran into a Thornmaw," the woman replied flatly.
That got their attention immediately. "And?" the guard asked, bracing himself.
She tilted her head slightly toward Adrian. "...He killed it."
The guard looked at Adrian, scanning him up and down before looking back at her. "...You're serious."
"Unfortunately."
Adrian gave a small wave. "Hi."
The guard didn't wave back.
"Right," Adrian dropping his hand. "Still adjusting."
After a brief exchange between the guards and his escorts, they were finally allowed through. And just like that, Adrian stepped into Stonehollow.
The noise hit him first voices overlapping, metal clanging, sudden laughter, and heated arguments creating the general hum of a place that was very much alive. The smell came next, a mixture of hot food, woodsmoke, cured leather, and rich earth. It was completely overwhelming, but not unpleasant. It just felt entirely real.
He turned slowly, taking everything in. Beastkin, humans, dwarves, and elves all shared the same space. It wasn't perfectly harmonious he could catch subtle undercurrents of tension in certain interactions but it was functioning. They were existing together.
"...Huh, That is very intresting" he said quietly.
"Never seen a mixed settlement before?" the cloaked figure asked from beside him.
"Not like this," Adrian admitted honestly.
They led him down the main path of the village, weaving through the bustling crowd with practiced ease. Eventually, they stopped in front of a large building. Unlike the surrounding structures, this one was built with heavy, reinforced stone. A painted sign hung above the entrance, depicting a sword crossed with a shield.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "...Let me guess."
"The Adventurer's Guild," the woman said, gesturing toward the doors.
"Of course it is."
Inside, it was even louder and far more chaotic. Tables were filled to capacity with people clad in armor, flowing robes, and everything in between. A massive board covered one entire wall, layered with overlapping papers and notices. At the far end sat a long counter, where a few workers moved quickly handling requests, handing out tasks, and managing the constant flow of people.
Adrian glanced around, taking in the classic tavern atmosphere. "...Yeah, this tracks."
They approached the counter, and one of the staff members looked up from her ledger. "Back already?"
"Change of plans," the spear-user explained, leaning against the wood. "We need a room for him. Temporary."
The staff member's eyes flicked over to Adrian, pausing as she assessed him. "...He's new."
"Very," Adrian said helpfully, offering a polite smile.
The staff member sighed slightly. "Of course he is."
After a brief exchange and a few coins changing hands, the arrangements were finalized, and Adrian was handed a small key. He turned the metal over in his fingers, staring at it. "...Well," he said, "this is officially the weirdest day of my life."
"You'll get used to it," the swordsman said.
"...That's what I'm afraid of."
Before he could say anything else, a presence shifted in the room. It was subtle but deeply noticeable not loud or overwhelming, but just... there. Adrian's gaze lifted slightly, scanning the crowd. Near the back of the guild hall, partially obscured by the movement of others, stood a man. He was older, completely calm, and watching him. It wasn't an open stare, but it was highly intentional.
Their eyes met for a brief second, and something in Adrian's chest tightened. It wasn't fear, but rather a sudden jolt of recognition. Of what, he didn't know.
The older man looked away first, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
"...You'll be staying upstairs," the staff member said, breaking the moment.
Adrian blinked and looked back at the counter, shaking the fog from his head. "Right. Room. Yes. That's good. I like rooms." He turned back to the group of adventurers. "...Thanks. For, uh... not letting me get eaten."
The woman gave a small nod. "Don't die before we figure out what you are."
"...Comforting," Adrian said dryly.
With that, they left. There was no dramatic goodbye and no lingering conversation; they were just gone. Adrian stood there for a moment, key in hand, watching the doors close behind them. "...Alright then."
The room upstairs was simple. It contained a bed, a small table, and a window overlooking a portion of the village. It was nothing fancy, but it was safe. He stepped inside, closed the heavy door behind him, and leaned his back against it.
Silence, finally.
He exhaled slowly, letting the tension leave his body. "...Okay."
He walked over to the bed, sat down, and then lay back to stare at the wooden ceiling. "New world," he muttered to the empty room. "Almost got eaten by a... whatever that was. Learned how to throw a fireball." He paused, then added under his breath, "...Productive day."
He lifted his hand slightly, staring at it and flexing his fingers. It still felt off, as if he were still not entirely solid or completely human.
"...We'll deal with that later," letting his arm fall back onto the mattress. "...Hopefully."
The exhaustion hit him all at once physical, mental, and everything in between. His eyelids grew heavy and started to close. "...Alright," he whispered into the gathering shadows. "Tomorrow... we figure things out. ...Maybe."
Darkness took him.
Part 3 — Two Worlds
Morning came too fast. Adrian opened his eyes slowly, staring at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling above him. For a split second, everything felt perfectly normal, but then it all came rushing back: the forest, the monster, the fireball, and somehow... not dying.
"...Right," dragging a hand down his face. "Not a dream. That's... unfortunate."
He sat up, stretching slightly and immediately paused. That same strange sensation lingered in his body. It wasn't pain or weakness; it was just different. He flexed his fingers again, feeling that same faint delay and subtle, unnatural elasticity.
"...Yeah," he sighed "We're definitely not human anymore."
He swung his legs off the bed and stood, carefully testing his balance. He was stable, which was a good start. "Step one," he said under his breath, "don't panic. Step two... figure out literally everything else." A brief beat passed. "...Great plan."
The guild hall was already bursting with life when he stepped downstairs, filled with overlapping voices, movement, and early morning activity. But the atmosphere changed the exact moment he walked into the room. Heads turned not all of them, but enough to make it obvious.
Whispers immediately followed him across the floor.
"...That's him."
"...The Thornmaw..."
"...One shot, they said..."
Adrian froze mid-step. "...I hate this already."
He forced himself to keep walking, desperately pretending not to notice the sudden attention. It didn't work. A few people openly stared, while others tried—and miserably failed—to be subtle.
"...Cool," Adrian muttered to himself. "Fame. Always wanted that."
He finally reached the relative safety of the counter. The same staff member from yesterday looked up from her paperwork. "...You're still alive."
"Against all odds," Adrian replied.
After a brief pause, he cleared his throat. "...I need to, uh... register. I think."
The staff member nodded. "If you're staying, you'll need to be officially recognized."
"Recognized sounds important."
"It is."
"...Good. Let's do that."
The process was surprisingly simple—too simple, in Adrian's opinion. The woman placed a small object on the counter. It was a necklace, plain and entirely unremarkable, except for the faint, steady glow embedded within the small gem at its center.
Adrian picked it up, weighing it in his palm. "...This is going to do something weird, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Great."
"Put it on."
"...Of course."
He slipped the cord over his head. The exact moment it settled against his chest, something shifted. It wasn't an external change, but an internal one. A faint, electric pulse ran completely through him, like an invisible wave scanning, measuring, and understanding his entire being.
Adrian tensed slightly under the sensation. "...Okay. Yep. Definitely weird."
The glow in the gem flickered wildly for a second, then stabilized into a solid hum. The staff member watched the necklace carefully before glancing down at a nearby device—a small, rune-etched plate resting on the counter. The symbols across its surface shifted and blurred, changing rapidly before snapping to a sudden halt.
The staff member's expression paused, her eyes widening slightly. "...That's... unusual."
Adrian sighed. "I'm getting that a lot lately."
Before either of them could say another word, a voice cut sharply through the surrounding noise. "Let me see."
The room didn't go completely silent, but it quieted down subtly and naturally. People made space in the crowd without even being told.
Adrian turned to look and recognized him instantly—it was the older man from yesterday, the one who had been watching him from the shadows of the tavern. He approached calmly, his presence steady and controlled. It wasn't loud or overwhelming, but it was entirely undeniable.
Adrian straightened his posture slightly without even meaning to. "...You're the Guild Master, I'm guessing."
The man stopped a few steps away. "...I am."
His eyes moved over Adrian not casually, but carefully. He was measuring him, but not just looking at his physical appearance. He was searching for something much deeper.
"Adrian," the Guild Master said.
Adrian blinked, caught off guard. "I don't remember introducing myself."
"You didn't."
After a brief pause, Adrian muttered, "...That's not concerning at all."
The Guild Master ignored the remark completely. "Step forward."
Adrian hesitated for half a second before taking a single step forward. The Guild Master reached out. He didn't actually touch him, but instead hovered his hand just slightly in front of Adrian's chest, right near the glowing necklace.
The gem flickered again, and the air around them tightened. It wasn't an intense pressure, but a sudden, heavy awareness.
The Guild Master's eyes narrowed just a fraction. "...Interesting."
Adrian folded his arms across his chest. "That's usually the part where someone explains what's going on."
The Guild Master lowered his hand, the tension in the air lifting. "You are not fully human."
Adrian blinked once, processing the blunt confirmation. "...Yeah," he said quietly. "Got that feeling."
"You are something else... layered over it," the Guild Master explained, his voice ringing clearly through the quiet space. "A hybrid."
Murmurs quickly spread through the hall.
"...Of course I am," Adrian muttered to himself. "Why not, at this point."
"What kind?" someone shouted from the side of the room.
The Guild Master's gaze didn't leave Adrian. "...Slime."
Total silence fell over the tavern. Then, the room erupted.
"...A what?"
"...That's not possible."
"...Slimes don't—"
Adrian raised a hand to cut them off. "Okay, hold on. I'm going to need you to explain that one."
The Guild Master finally looked away, addressing the room briefly. "Slimes are among the lowest forms of life. Mindless. Weak." He looked back at Adrian, his sharp eyes narrowing. "You are neither."
"...Well," Adrian said slowly, "that's... reassuring, I think?"
The staff member glanced back down at the rune plate, her eyes widening again. "And his rank..." Another heavy pause settled over the counter. "...Tier Two, Low."
That information seemed to settle things slightly. Some of the raw tension in the room eased, though the confusion certainly didn't.
"...Tier Two?" one of the adventurers muttered in the crowd. "But the Thornmaw—"
"Was Tier Two as well," another added from a nearby table. "Mid to High."
All eyes went right back to Adrian. He shrugged casually under the attention. "...I got lucky?" No one looked remotely convinced.
The Guild Master studied him for one final second, then turned away without another word. "Register him."
And just like that, it was over. There was no dramatic declaration, no intense interrogation, just a quiet acceptance. For now.
A short while later, Adrian stood near the massive quest board, a newly minted guild token tucked safely away. "...Alright," he muttered, scanning the overlapping papers. "Let's try not to die again."
Most of the requests were simple: deliveries, herb gathering, and basic tasks. He reached out his hand and pulled one free from the wood.
[ E-Rank — Herb Collection ]
"...Yeah," he said to the empty air. "That sounds safe."
The forest looked completely different during the day less threatening and far more manageable, though still entirely unfamiliar. Adrian crouched down slightly, inspecting a small cluster of forest plants.
"...Okay," he muttered, holding up the quest paper to compare. "Green leaves, red stem... that's definitely not it."
He moved on. The task took much longer than he expected, mostly because he kept second-guessing every single plant he looked at.
"...This one?" He paused, squinting at a dark leaf. "...Nope. Probably poisonous. Let's not die picking plants."
Eventually, he hit the jackpot. "Ah. There we go."
He carefully collected the correct herbs, placing them into a small canvas pouch before straightening up to look around. There were no monsters, no sudden chaos, and no roaring beasts.
"...You know what?" he said, a faint smile breaking through his caution. "This is nice. I like this. Let's do more of this."
Back in Stonehollow, the quest was completed without a single issue. The guild receptionist handed a small pouch of coins across the counter, and Adrian turned the heavy metal over in his hand. "...Alright. Officially employed in another world. That's new."
He made his way back upstairs to his room, closing the heavy door behind him until the quiet settled in again. He sat on the edge of the mattress, looking down at his hands—specifically at the faint, gelatinous shimmer that only he seemed to notice.
"...Grandma's going to be worried," he muttered into the silence. He paused, the reality of his double-life sinking in. "...Also, my boss definitely fired me by now." Another quiet pause stretched through the room. "...Fair."
He leaned back slightly, staring up at the ceiling. "...So, how do I get back?"
As if answering his thoughts, the air in the room suddenly shifted. A faint, golden, and deeply familiar warmth washed over him. The ancient runes appeared once more...not materialized in front of him, but flashing brightly inside his mind, clearer than they had ever been before.
[ Return Path — Available ]
Adrian stared at the floating words. "...Oh," he said slowly. "...That's convenient."
He sat up on the bed. "...Alright then. Let's see what happens."
He focused his mind and accepted the command. Instantly, the world folded around him—not violently or painfully, but simply vanishing until everything was gone.
Adrian blinked. Buzzing fluorescent light hit his eyes, revealing cold concrete walls and a layer of familiar dust. He was back in his storage unit. He stood there for a stunned second, looking around the cramped space.
"...Huh still very weird and unnerving"
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. The glass lit up with the time and date. He frowned, staring hard at the numbers. "...No way."
He did the math in his head very poorly. "...Eight days there... is one hour here?" He stared blankly at the screen. "...That does not seem right math is not mathing."
He moved fast, bursting out of the storage unit and jogging down the pavement toward his apartment. His heart was pounding—not from fear this time, but from a mix of pure urgency, confusion, and overwhelming possibility.
He threw the front door open. "Grandma?!"
From the kitchen, her voice drifted out perfectly calm. "I'm here! Why are you shouting?"
Adrian stepped inside, completely out of breath. She looked exactly the same calm, normal, and acting like absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
She frowned slightly, looking up from her task. "You just left for work an hour ago. Did you forget something?"
Adrian stopped dead in his tracks. "...I—"
He looked at her, then at the familiar walls of the apartment, and finally at everything else that hadn't changed at all. "...What?"
She tilted her head, her brow furrowing with genuine concern. "Are you alright?"
Adrian let out a slow, ragged breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to process the fact that his entire week of fantasy survival amounted to a single day on Earth. "...I have questions."