Kael Ardenis didn't know which was colder — the floor of the rundown inn he woke up on, or the silence of a world that wasn't his.
The stone beneath him was rough, not tile. No ceiling fan. No blaring TV. No jeepneys honking in the distance.
Just the low crackle of a dying fireplace... and the unfamiliar scent of woodsmoke and damp wool.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Stone walls.
No ceiling light — just a flickering lantern hanging on a nail.
And in his ears: a voice. Deep in his memory.
> "You're not my son anymore. You wasted my money, my time, everything."
His father's voice.
The last thing he remembered hearing before that light swallowed him.
Then... darkness.
Now... this.
---
Kael sat up, his limbs stiff and heavy. He still wore the same jeans and black hoodie he had on when he got kicked out. His old school ID bounced against his chest.
Kael Ardenis. BS Criminology.
What use was that here?
He patted his pockets.
No phone. No wallet.
Only one thing had changed: a glowing mark on his palm. Faintly golden, softly warm. A symbol that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Then came the knock.
The door creaked open.
A woman with a headscarf and rough apron peeked in, carrying a wooden tray.
"Ah, you're awake," she said, her voice surprisingly kind.
Kael blinked. He understood her... but the language was foreign.
"You were found down by the riverbank outside Stonehall," she continued. "Lucky someone dragged you in before the wolves got you."
She set the tray down — bread, stew, and a flask of water — and left without another word.
---
Later that day, Kael stepped into the streets of Stonehall.
It was gray. Cracked. Lived-in.
Guards patrolled with worn leather armor and iron spears. Market stalls crowded the square. People haggled loudly in words he didn't know... but somehow still understood.
Magic was real here.
He saw a man light a pipe with his finger. A woman carried a floating crate. Glowing blue stones lit the alleys.
But what struck him more was the desperation.
People were dirty. Thin. Tired.
He heard murmurs about guilds — Blacksmith Guild, Mage Guild, Merchant Guild, even a Butchers' Guild — each controlling a trade, a city block, a corner of power.
But no one helped the people at the bottom.
---
That's when Kael found the job board.
A wooden slab nailed outside a leaning tavern.
Notices scribbled in ink and charcoal:
"Need escort to Drenwood."
"Rats in cellar."
"Bandits on south road."
No pay listed. No guarantee. Just desperate scribbles.
A mercenary tore one down and laughed.
"Not worth my sword swing," he sneered. "Peasants can rot."
Kael stared after him, jaw clenched.
So this was how it worked.
No one cared.
Unless you had money, magic, or a noble title... you were nothing.
He stepped forward, tore off a blank corner of a posted job, and grabbed a chunk of charcoal from the ground.
He scribbled:
> Need help? Work to offer? Talk to Kael.
Inside tavern, corner table. No charge.
He nailed it beneath the others and walked inside.
People stared.
Someone scoffed.
But no one tore it down.
---
Hours passed.
No one came.
Then — an old man entered the tavern. Leaning on a cane, shaking slightly.
He looked at Kael's note. Then at Kael.
"You're... taking jobs?" the old man asked, voice hoarse. "I can't pay much. But... my granddaughter. She went missing near the old mill. No one's come to look."
Kael didn't hesitate.
"Tell me everything," he said. "I'll find someone who will help."
And just like that, the first job was posted.
---
That night, Kael sat alone at his corner table. Bread crumbs, empty cup, and the fading warmth of purpose in his chest.
He didn't know how long he'd stay in this world.
But he knew this much:
He was needed.
Someone pulled the chair across from him.
He looked up.
A young woman with a hood and sharp green eyes smirked at him.
"I heard you're looking for people who do work others won't," she said.
Kael studied her — leather armor, twin daggers, confident posture.
"And you are?"
"Call me Elira."
"Thief?"
"Sometimes. I prefer 'professional retriever.'"
Kael smiled faintly.
"Only one rule," he said. "No killing, unless it's the only option."
Elira raised an eyebrow.
"New rules? This I gotta see."