Chapter 5 - Displacement

“We need to help Alina, she’s wounded,” Renji said with urgency.

Rovan looked at Renji with a puzzled expression.

Of course, he doesn’t understand me. Renji thought.

“I’m hurt. An arrow hit me in the leg.” Alina clarified.

Rovan gestured them toward a long bench.

Renji gently lowered Alina onto the bench. Alina sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth from the pain as he lifed her wounded leg onto the bench.

Renji placed his hand on her back. “Lie back.” Alina complied and he eased her down.

He caught himself draping the cloak over her waist and legs again. A habit, maybe — but she didn’t complain.

“Thank you,” Alina said softly, surprised by his thoughtfulness.

Renji nodded and carefully peeled away the soaked bandages.

“This will hurt. Sorry.” He grabbed a wooden spoon from the table and held it to her lips.

She understood instantly, biting down as he switched the multitool to pliers. He pinched the arrow stub and pulled gently. Alina groaned against the spoon as her fingernails dug into Renji’s arm.

Renji held steady, his free hand pressing lightly against her knee. “You’re alright,” he muttered. “Almost done.”

When the shaft was fully extracted from her leg, Rovan stepped in. He poured bright green liquid from a vial onto the wound. Within seconds, the torn flesh knit closed. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth.

Renji’s eyes widened. “No way… that actually healed it?” he muttered.

Alina spat the spoon out and sat up, still pale but smiling faintly. “Healing potion. Master’s an expert alchemist.”

Rovan studied Renji closely. “Alina, he’s the summoned subject? And he doesn’t understand our language?”

“Yeah. I had to link our minds.”

Rovan frowned. “That’s unusual. The summoning should have given him the ability. Did anything happen during the ritual?”

“Hmm.” Alina tapped her chin. “Two men appeared.”

“Two?!” Rovan’s eyes widened.

She nodded. “The other… he’s dead. Renji threw him out of the chamber. Then he exploded.”

“He exploded?”

“Yeah. That’s why I was locked up. Vaerina blamed me.”

“And you escaped with his help,” Rovan said, more a statement than a question.

He folded his arms, pacing the room.

“What is it, Master Rovan?” Alina asked.

“I can’t be certain, since the other man is gone. But I believe he was the target of the summoning. Not this man.”

“What?” Alina blinked.

Rovan didn’t answer immediately. He left the room, returning moments later with a flat stone, two inches across, a rune etched in the centre.

“Here. Hold this.” He handed it to Renji.

The stone glowed faintly in his palm.

“Can you understand me now?” Rovan asked.

Renji’s head snapped up. “Yes… I can.”

Rovan raised a matching stone. “And now I can understand you. Without this, the link would only be one-way.”

Renji stared at the stone. A translator… real magic. This is insane.

“Renji,” Rovan said, his tone measured, “I know you have questions. Alina and I will answer what we can. But first, you both need to clean up and eat. Alina, your room is as you left it.”

***

Twenty minutes later, the three of them were seated at the dining table. Rovan had lent Renji a tunic and trousers, while Alina wore clean mage robes. She sat beside her teacher, Renji opposite.

The bowls of stew with bread and cheese weren’t fancy, but after everything, they might as well have been a feast. Renji and Alina tore into the food like starved strays.

“Thank you,” Renji muttered once his bowl was empty.
“Yeah, Master. I was famished,” Alina added.

“Don’t mention it.” Rovan refilled their cups. His tone shifted, weightier now. “Now, Renji, I imagine you have questions. But you should brace yourself. The answers won’t be easy.”

Renji set down his spoon. “Try me.”

“First—you’re no longer in your world. You’re in the Great Labyrinth. That’s what we call this place. The surface became uninhabitable a thousand years ago. Everyone lives below, on floors like this.”

Renji froze mid-breath. “A thousand years? Underground?” His jaw tightened. “You’re telling me humanity lives in a bloody cave?”

Rovan’s expression hardened. “It is not by choice. But yes. And as for why you were summoned—”

“Summoned.” Renji’s hands curled on the table. “Yeah, let’s get to that part.”

“The ruler of this floor—Floor Twenty—is Duke Thorval. He’s bled the people dry for years. Rebellion brews, and he wanted a weapon to crush it.” Rovan shot Alina a glance. “He forced her to carry out the ritual.”

Alina lowered her eyes.

Renji’s voice sharpened. “You forced her?”

“No,” Rovan said quickly. “Thorval did. But Alina…” He paused. “She tried to fight back.”

Renji turned to her. “How?”

Alina’s fingers twisted in her lap. “The circle works by embedding traits into the summoned being. Strength, endurance, magical talent. Thorval demanded a warrior who feared nothing—not even death.”

Renji gave a short, humourless laugh. “So you made me fearless?”

“I only gave it that trait,” Alina admitted. “Hoping the result would be reckless, not powerful. If I’d made it too obvious—weak, clumsy—the Duke would’ve known I sabotaged it.”

Rovan added, “It doesn’t change you. It finds someone that possesses the traits.”

Renji leaned back, arms crossed. “Great plan. Real inspiring.”

Rovan cut in, voice firm. “Alina said two men appeared. What happened?”

Renji let out a slow breath. He explained about his role as a soldier, Jin Kuromori, the suicide vest, the detonator. He tried to keep it clinical, but his voice carried a bitter edge.

When he finished, Rovan rubbed his chin. “Then the other man… Jin… was the true target.”

Renji’s stomach dropped. “Meaning what?”

“The summoning would have granted him language. The fact you can’t speak ours proves it. You weren’t supposed to be here.”

Renji’s fists clenched. “So I was just… caught up in it. Wrong place, wrong time.”

“I’m afraid so.” Rovan’s tone carried a trace of pity.

Renji’s voice came out low, tight. “Then tell me how to get back.”

Rovan’s eyes dimmed. “There is no way we know of.”

The chair scraped as Renji stood, knuckles white on the table’s edge. “There has to be.”

Alina flinched. “I… I was the one who drew the circle. If you blame anyone—”

“I’m not blaming you!” Renji snapped, louder than he meant. His words spilled out raw, jagged. “But you’re messing with people’s lives! Do you have any idea what that means?!”

Alina’s eyes shone. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Her fists clenched tight in her lap.

Renji closed his eyes, forced a long breath through his teeth, then another. He sank back into his chair, burying his face in his hands.

Shouting won’t help. But the anger burned hot all the same.

Two days gone. Was he missing in action? Declared dead? No evac. No exfil. No support. Who was even the enemy here?

Damn this place. Damn this isekai bullshit.

Across the table, Alina reached toward him… but stopped, fingers curling back before they touched his shoulder.