The air outside the cavern hit like a slap,cool, open, alive. Marceline blinked against the light, her skin pale against the breeze, still wrapped in the oversized tunic Kaiser had tossed her. She walked ahead, silent, leading him along the narrow path that wound through jagged rock and out toward the treeline.
Only one path. One destination.
In the distance stood the outline of a mansion. Or what was left of one.
Cracked stone, collapsed roofing, vines curling down like veins through rotting wood. A skeletal estate forgotten by time, barely holding itself together. Whatever bloodline Kaiser had landed in, it wasn't flowing with gold.
He offered his hand as they crossed a fallen fence post. She hesitated a moment, then took it. Her fingers were soft, but her grip was firm. She walked close, her bare thighs brushing against his side as the tunic shifted with each step. He glanced down, noticing how the tunic clung to her as she walked, revealing just enough to make his focus waver. Whether it was the cold or the tension, he didn't ask.
Neither of them spoke.
By the time they reached the broken steps of the main entrance, Marceline's breathing had deepened slightly. Whether it was exertion or something else, Kaiser didn't ask.
An old man stood at the door, dressed in the fraying remains of butler's attire. His back was stiff, his expression strained, but the moment he saw Kaiser, the color drained from his face.
He stepped forward, stumbling slightly. "Master Adam… you're alive."
Kaiser froze.
So that was his name in this world. Adam.
"I am," he said coolly, then gestured to Marceline. "This is my new wife. We'll need clothes. And privacy."
The butler starred, first at Marceline, then at Kaiser's hand still wrapped around hers. His eyes locked on the succubus's legs, the flash of bare skin where the tunic didn't quite cover her fully. A visible pulse of discomfort rose in his throat.
"I… Forgive me, my lord. The second floor, your room is still intact."
"Good," Kaiser said. "Don't follow."
They entered the hollowed-out mansion without another word. Dust hung in the air like ash. The floorboards creaked beneath their steps. Tattered portraits watched from cracked walls. As they moved through the hallway, the butler's voice followed them, half questions, half hesitation, but Kaiser shut it all down with a slammed door.
The room was cold. Bare. A cracked mirror leaned in the corner, a single bed pushed against the wall. A wardrobe stood half-open, its contents thin and colorless.
Marceline walked in first and sat on the bed, quiet. The tunic draped loosely over her, her legs still bare, her hair falling around her shoulders like black silk. Her cheeks were flushed now. Not just from the walk. Something in her had shifted. The silence was heavier than before.
Kaiser moved to the wardrobe and began sorting through clothes. Tunics, belts, worn-out boots. Nothing impressive. He muttered to himself, "Noble blood, my ass."
He glanced over his shoulder. "Mind giving me that top back? I need something that fits."
No answer.
He turned.
Marceline sat with her back straight, her legs together, hands gripping the edge of the bed. Her breath was shallow. Her eyes were locked on him, not his face, lower. She looked like she was trying not to move. Trying not to speak.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
She licked her lips, then exhaled. "I don't know what exactly is happening. A few minutes ago, we were in a cave, and now here... and you seem like a whole different person."
Kaiser raised a brow, folding a tunic over his arm. "I was sent to kill you, right? I don't think you were able to see who I was 'before'."
She shook her head. "No. But you were… scared. Shaking. Barely able to speak." She looked up at him, studying his face. "And now you're calm. Confident. Like… someone else."
Scared? That didn't make sense.
Why send someone afraid of a succubus to kill one?
Was I a pawn? I am disposable?
He sat on the edge of the bed, just close enough to feel the tension still rolling off her body.
"Whatever happened in that cave, rest in that cave, I am a brand new person," he muttered. "And a backup plan I guess."
Marceline looked away, pressing her hands between her knees. "I'm not prepared for… this. Talking to humans. This much conversation." Her voice wavered. "The longest I've ever spoken to one without killing them was… thirteen seconds."
He stared at her. "Seriously?"
She nodded, flushing deeper. "This is overwhelming."
They sat in silence for a few beats. Kaiser pulled the tunic over his head and fastened a belt. The clothes fit poorly, too loose, too plain. He looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror and scowled.
Brown hair. Soft skin. Barely any muscle. A noble's body, untouched by real work.
This wasn't him.
Behind him, Marceline finally spoke. "Who are you?"
He turned slowly.
"I mean…" she hesitated. "You're not the man who walked into that cave. You're not Adam."
Kaiser met her eyes. "You want the truth?"
She nodded.
He stepped closer. "Then don't laugh."
"I won't."
He held her gaze. "Would you believe me if I told you I came from another world? One where people lived in towers made of glass and steel. Where the sky was filled with flying machines. Where war was waged across screens. A world covered in concrete."
Marceline didn't speak. Her lips parted slightly, eyes wide, but unreadable.
"I died there," he said. "Betrayed. And now I'm here, in this fragile little body, wearing a dead noble's name, holding hands with a succubus I was supposed to kill."
He let the silence settle.
Marceline's breath slowed. She didn't move. Didn't blink.
Then, softly: "I don't think you're lying."
He let out a dry chuckle. "Good. Because I'm not sure I could fake all this weirdness if I tried."
She smiled faintly.
Kaiser looked at his reflection again. "This body reminds me of someone I knew. Weak. Uncertain. Not me."
He clenched a fist, testing its strength. "But I'll make it mine."
Marceline watched him with something close to awe. Or maybe fear. Or both.
"You're strange," she said.
"Rude," he muttered.