Way back

"Back already, children?" Nemo says, watching as I, Alex, Dan, and Helena and Clara, whom we met on the way, return.

Aside from my book about Hale and some food I decided to try, each of the kids was holding a package of some sort, showing that the outing had yielded a few souvenirs.

"Let's head back for today. Get in, youngsters," Nihil says, waving his hand, causing the same carriage from before to unfold from the ground.

"So, what'd you think of the outer square?" asks Joseph, who had already returned with Joh, as he gets into the carriage.

"Besides that bastard who almost tricked me, it was chill. There weren't that many, but it's really cool seeing different species, like the bunny girl selling candy apples or the elf librarian," Dan answers, sprawling tiredly in the carriage.

"We met a dwarf who sold enchanted accessories," Joseph replied, also excited about encountering new species.

With everyone inside the carriage, I see Joh, who was once again sitting across from me, pulling something from his pocket.

"Speaking of which... that dwarf sold us a protection necklace. I'd like to give it to you," Joh says, extending a necklace towards Helena, who confusedly inspects the oddly shaped pendant, not yet taking it.

"Is... this a heart necklace?" she says, frowning as she points to the pendant, which now obviously looks like a heart split in half.

"What? No, no. It's a protection necklace," Joh says, his voice going high-pitched.

"But you're wearing the other half of it right now," Helena says, pointing to the half-heart pendant necklace around his neck.

"..."

"..."

Little Tap

Joseph gives his faithful follower a light pat on the shoulder, as if consoling someone after a defeat.

⁂

"Ahh..." I groan as I throw myself face-first onto the soft bed.

Somehow, this castle has the perfect temperature: not cold enough to require heavy coats, not hot enough to need light clothing—basically, the perfect environment to cover up with a soft blanket and take a nap.

Bag rustling

Hearing the noise, I turn my head to the side and see Helena placing her purchases on one of the tables in the large room.

"Hey, don't you have your own room?" I ask, frowning.

"Why would I have a room all to myself?" she replies, confused.

"Because I need privacy?" I retort.

"Why do you need privacy?" she triples down.

What the fuck?

"AHHHH!..." I scream into the pillow.

I'm going insane.

I feel her get on the bed, and then, I feel my hair being stroked.

Shit, this has to be resolved.

Turning my head to the side, I try to speak, but I'm interrupted before I can even start by a kiss on the forehead.

"Oliver..." Helena begins to speak.

"I'm sorry for being so clingy. It's hard to swallow that you don't remember me, especially since you've always been a part of my life, and this is all so sudden," she says, still stroking my hair.

"I'm trying to stay strong, but this whole situation is still hard for me"—her shoulders slump with each word—"So, please, don't abandon me too," she concludes, her voice trembling slightly, throwing a spear right through my chest.

Ahh... shit. That's a low blow.

Sitting up, I hug the teary-eyed young woman, patting her on the head. "Okay, okay. It's going to be alright."

"Sigh..."

"But it's still inappropriate for us to stay in the same room, especially when I have no memory, don't you think?"

"But—" she tries to argue.

"No buts, Helena. This can't happen. You are—I mean, we are too young for this."

"But I won't be able to sleep alone," she insists.

"You can sleep with Clara... Don't you think she's just as scared and vulnerable as you are? You're her only friend, too."

"I..."

"No buts, Helena. I'm not going to abandon you, but we need rules, okay?" I ask, and she reluctantly agrees with a sad look.

"You know, it's not like I'll be far away. Clara is literally in the room next door," I say, making her expression brighten a little.

"But... can I spend time with you?"

"Of course, but knock on the door first... And no coming over at bedti—" I'm interrupted by a fierce little hug from her.

"Okay?" I run my hand through her hair, just to confirm she understood.

"Owhk.." I hear the muffled 'okay', as I feel her grip on my shirt tighten while she nods her head, buried in my chest.

Shit, she's cute... but I don't want to be a kid's babysitter.

⁂

Finally, some time alone. UFFH.

There's been a lot to process:

First, I get killed on my way to work... well, at least I wasn't killed AFTER work.

Then, I find myself in a strange place and realize I'm neither in my original body nor my original world.

And now I find out that the country I'm in will be destroyed soon.

Questions keep piling up faster than answers.

"Let's check this out," I murmur aloud as I leap out of bed.

The energy of being young really is different.

Rummaging through my bag, I find the book I rented from the cute elf, along with a box of sweets that... I didn't buy?

Helena, huh? I should have bought something for her too...

Taking the sweets and the book to the bed, I begin my study:

Operation - At Least Minimally Understand What the Fuck is Going On - Begin!

⁂

Far from there, at the top of a colossal magic tower, two old men in wizard robes face each other coldly as they circle one another, as if waiting for an opening.

Both have looks of mockery as they observe their opponent, clearly looking down on each other.

"Do you really think you can beat me with those half-assed skills of yours?" one mocks.

"Do you think you can beat me with those tiny hands?" the other retorts.

"Tiny hands?" he asks, confused.

"I cast: Teeniest Tiny Hands!" one of the old men shouts, launching a red spell toward his adversary.

"Ahh! You bastard!" the adversary says, raising his hands to see they've been turned into tiny baby hands.

Wasting no time, the man nimbly gestures with the tiny baby hand toward his enemy:

"I cast: Iron!"

A violet light shoots toward his enemy.

As the red-eyed enemy pats his own body, searching for changes and finding none, he asks, confused, "Iron?"

Tonk!

A sharp noise is heard as a metal anvil falls on his head.

"Nihiiiiilllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!"...