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I wake up to the sound of rain.

Cold water drips onto my face.

For a few seconds, I don’t move.

I just lie there.

My clothes are soaked through.

My body feels heavy.

My head hurts.

And something rough is grating against my cheek.

It’s the ground.

I slowly open my eyes.

A gray sky stares back at me.

“...What happened?”

I push myself upright.

Rain drips from my hair and onto my face.

I look around.

A street.

Cars.

Buildings.

People walking past me.

Everything looks normal.

I stare at the road in front of me.

No purple sky.

No creatures.

Just an ordinary city street.

“Am I back…?”

< Yes. >

Her voice.

Inside my head again.

But she’s nowhere to be found.

“Where did you go?”

< I am still here. >

“I know. I mean…”

I glance around again.

“I can’t see you anymore.”

< I have simply returned to my usual state. >

“Your usual state?”

< Within you. >

“So you can’t appear anymore?”

< I can. >

< I am simply conserving energy for now. >

“Conserving energy?”

< Maintaining my physical form requires both your capability and my own energy. >

< Under our current circumstances, however, the burden falls primarily on me. >

I think back to the street.

Her translucent form.

The way she had flickered before teleporting us out.

“So it takes more out of you right now?”

< Considerably more. >

< You have only just received my power. Your capability is still insufficient to sustain my form on its own. >

I go quiet.

< Ideally, you will eventually become capable of doing so yourself. >

< Until then, there is little reason for me to expend my energy when my presence is not necessary. >

That makes sense.

If she can stay inside me without using that energy, there’s no reason for her to keep appearing.

“Especially after what just happened.”

< Precisely. >

Her voice sounds composed as ever.

As if using almost all her strength to save me was nothing worth mentioning.

< I would rather conserve my strength until the situation truly demands it. >

“Fair enough.”

Wait.

There’s something that’s still bugging me about this dynamic that we have.

“Say…”

< Yes? >

“So I understand that you can get tired, but do you ever sleep or anything?”

< No. >

“Right…”

I pause.

“Then… what happens when I’m asleep?”

< I remain within you. >

“Doing what?”

< Nothing. >

I stare ahead.

That answer somehow makes me feel more uncomfortable.

“Can you see what I can see?”

< More impressive, I can perceive what you perceive. >

I freeze.

“...All the time?”

< If I wish to. >

That could be a problem.

“So if I need to go to the bathroom or something…”

I don’t really want to think about it, but it seems important to bring up.

< You needn’t worry. >

I glance upward.

< If you require privacy, I can simply withdraw my perception. >

“Withdraw?”

< You will still see normally. I simply won’t. >

“...Oh.”

That’s a relief.

“So you can just leave me alone when you want to?”

< If that is what you require. >

I nod.

“Wait, does that mean I can also withdraw from—.”

< No. >

“Understood.”

I look around again.

The rain hasn’t stopped. It even seems to be getting worse.

Cars continue passing by.

People walk along the sidewalks.

Everyone is going about their day as if nothing happened.

I watch them for a while.

A man hurries beneath an umbrella.

A woman waits at a crosswalk.

Someone runs into a convenience store to escape the rain.

Normal.

Everything is normal.

I take a slow breath.

Just a few minutes ago, I was surrounded by monsters.

I thought for sure that I was going to die.

Now I’m standing on an ordinary street, watching people struggle with the rain.

What a strange feeling.

I spent so long trying to survive that place that I forgot what normal was supposed to feel like.

I look down at my hands.

They’re still trembling slightly.

I close them into fists.

I’m still alive.

That should be enough for now.

For a while, I just stand there.

The rain soaks through my clothes.

I should probably go home and wash up.

Well…

Maybe I can go to a public bathhouse or something instead.

After everything that happened, I’m not exactly eager to go back there just yet.

I can’t exactly relax.

There’s something else that’s bothering me.

Normally, a Manifestation engulfs a huge area.

If I was supposedly in a place that looked like my neighbourhood, then there should’ve been more people there besides me.

A lot more.

Yet I never saw a single person.

Not one.

I thought it was strange at the time, but I had more important things to worry about.

Now that I’m back, it bothers me even more.

If that place really was a Manifestation…

Then where was everyone else?

And if it wasn’t…

Then what exactly was it?

< Do you intend to stand there all day? >

Her voice cuts through my thoughts.

Right.

“...No.”

< Then you should get moving. >

I take one last look at the street.

Then I start walking.

I’m not really sure where I’m going.

I just know I don’t want to stand there anymore.

The rain continues to fall around me.

For a while, neither of us says anything.

Then something occurs to me.

“Hey, you there?”

< Yes? >

“There’s something I should probably ask.”

< What is it? >

I hesitate.

“...What am I supposed to call you? You have to have a name, right?”

I’ve been calling her “you” this whole time.

It feels a little strange now that I think about it.

I kind of just accepted the fact that I have a voice in my head.

< You may address me however you wish. >

“That’s not very helpful.”

< You are free to choose. >

“So you don’t want to tell me your name?”

< It is unnecessary. >

I sigh.

“Fine.”

I could just call her something simple.

But what?

She says I can call her whatever, but I have a feeling that she would get angry if I picked something she didn’t like.

A name or title fitting of a ruler.

“Queen?”

< … >

“Your majesty?”

< … >

I throw out a couple more suggestions but she doesn’t seem very receptive to any of them.

My ideas can’t be that bad, right?

It isn’t like the titles don’t fit her.

So why doesn’t she like any of them?

A deep sigh escapes me.

“How about Princess?”

There’s no way she will like this one.

It’s unfitting of somebody of her stature and authority.

“Actually never mind, that one was really ba—”

< I think that one shall suffice. >

I stop walking.

“Wait, seriously?”

< You chose it. >

“Yeah, but I thought you’d hate it.”

< I am indifferent. >

“Right…”

I guess I’m calling her Princess now.

I relish my small victory as I continue walking.

I haven’t really been paying attention to where I’ve been going, but my feet have just kept moving.

But before I know it, I recognize the street I’m on.

Then I see my house.

I stop.

“...Huh.”

I didn’t even realize I was heading home.

Seems I just can’t help but walk towards my home whenever I'm tired.

All those years at the office must have ingrained it into my body.

I stare at the house.

It looks exactly the same as I remember it.

I walk up the path.

My shoes splash through a puddle.

I look down at the water soaking through them.

“Man, I’m soaked.”

I guess I don’t have a choice but to go inside.

I reach into my pocket for my keys.

My fingers freeze.

I can’t help but hesitate.

I know this is my house.

I know I’m back.

But after what happened in that other place, walking through the door feels way too terrifying.

I take a breath.

“It’s just my house.”

I pull out my keys.

The lock clicks.

I open the door.

Nothing jumps at me.

No strange noises.

No creatures.

Just the familiar scent of aged wood from old furniture and floors.

It’s a smell I’ve known for as long as I can remember.

I step inside.

My shoes leave small puddles on the floor behind me, but for once, I don’t really care.

I close the door behind me.

The sound of the lock clicking into place feels oddly reassuring.

I stand there for a moment to take it all in.

“...I’m really home.”

My shoulders loosen.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

I could pass out right here, but I need to clean myself up.

My clothes are completely soaked, and I can feel the cold fabric clinging to my skin.

A hot bath sounds pretty good right now.

I make my way into the bathroom and turn on the water.

The tub slowly begins to fill.

I sit down on the edge and wait.

The sound of water rushing into the tub fills the room as steam begins to fog up the bathroom mirror.

My eyes feel heavier by the second.

I could probably fall asleep right here.

Once the tub is full enough, I turn off the faucet.

Time to hop in.

“Ahh…”

The warmth immediately spreads through my body.

I sink down until the water reaches my shoulders.

My muscles loosen almost instantly.

I close my eyes.

For the first time in what feels like forever, I don’t have to do anything.

No running.

No fighting.

Nothing is trying to kill me.

I just sit there.

The warmth of the bath slowly washes away the cold from my body.

< How nice. >

My eyes snap open.

“Huh!?”

< What seems to be the matter? >

“So… about the whole privacy thing.”

< Yes? >

“You said you could withdraw your perception if I needed privacy.”

< Correct. >

“...And you haven’t done that now?”

< You did not ask me to. >

“Right…”

I stare at the water.

“Um…”

I slowly look down.

“So… could you do that now?”

< Why? >

“I’m taking a bath and some privacy would be nice?”

< I am aware. >

< But I shall reject your request. >

“Why???”

< Because I am enjoying the bath. >

I stare blankly at the water.

“Wait, you can feel the bath?”

< Of course. >

I sink a little deeper into the bath.

“I don’t even know what to say to that.”

< No words are required. >

< Simply enjoy yourself. >

“Right…”

I lean my head back against the wall.

It’s a little hard to ignore her, but I don’t really have a choice.

I close my eyes again.

The sound of the rain outside and the warmth of the water quickly quell all my worries and embarrassment.

The exhaustion I’ve been holding back is really starting to catch up with me now.

I let out a quiet sigh.

“...I could stay here forever.”

< You would fall asleep and drown. >

“Let me have this.”

I smile faintly.

I really would love to stay here forever, but the water is starting to cool.

I reluctantly sit up.

“Time to get out.”

I step out of the tub and grab a towel to dry myself off before changing into some clean clothes.

My body feels lighter.

Not completely rested.

But better.

I leave the bathroom and walk down the hallway.

The rhythmic creaking of the floor is oddly soothing.

It’s familiar.

Just a few steps past the guest room and I’ll be there.

My room.

Everything is exactly how I left it.

My bed.

My desk.

The pile of clothes I never got around to putting away.

Nothing has changed.

I walk over to my bed and sit down.

The mattress sinks beneath me.

“...Finally.”

I stare at the ceiling for a moment.

Then I close my eyes.

I’m home.