Blood filled Maliza's throat as she coughed, collapsing to her knees. Her fur was matted with ash and soot. In front of her, Zephrael, one of the strongest beings in existence, burned her village to the ground.
For no reason.
For fun.
Huts fell one by one. Flames consumed everything she had ever known. The smell of burning wood mixed with the stench of charred flesh.
Her vision blurred with tears as she saw her mother impaled by Zephrael's spear, her body tossed aside like trash.
She would never forgive him.
Maliza forced herself to stand, her claws digging into the ground.
"I'll make you pay," she hissed, then screamed with all the strength left in her lungs.
"MY NAME IS MALIZA! REMEMBER MY NAME! REMEMBER ME AS THE WOMAN WHO WILL HUNT YOU UNTIL YOU BEG FOR DEATH!"
Zephrael's golden eyes gleamed. He laughed, cruel and unbothered.
"Oh? A mere wolfkin dares bark at a god? How adorable."
He vanished, leaving behind a crackle of light.
Maliza's rage did not fade. It burned hotter.
She swore to the heavens she would find him, torture him, and make him regret ever touching her family, even if it meant tearing through every dimension in the infinite expanse of existence.
"Maliza…"
The voice was faint.
She turned to see her cousin Garde crawling across the scorched earth, leaving a trail of blood. His left leg was gone. His right eye was pierced and bleeding.
"No—no, no, no! Garde!" Maliza dropped beside him, cradling his head.
"I… don't wanna die…" he whispered. "I'm scared… it's so cold…"
She tried everything. She pressed her hands against his wounds, tore her clothes into bandages, and breathed air into his mouth, but nothing worked.
Garde died in her arms.
For a moment, the world was silent.
Then Maliza screamed.
"Why?! Why me?! Why them?! Are we that weak? WHY?!"
Her voice echoed across the ruined village, mixing with the crackle of fire.
She knelt in the blood-soaked dirt, hands clasped together in prayer.
"Oh great Father Azaleas, the Creator of All, lend me your strength. Lend me the power to kill your own son who has betrayed your vision for this world."
When she opened her eyes, they burned with determination.
She rose to her feet, gripping the fallen village chief's sword and shield. All around her, nothing remained except ashes, blood, and silence.
She would never forget this day.
This was the day the hero Maliza was born.
Music blasted from speakers, mixing with car horns and chatter. The summer heat reflected off the streets of the Bronx.
I took a sip of my drink as I walked toward school, already feeling tired of life.
"Life is so dull," I muttered. "Maybe I've done everything already. A wife? Kids? Sounds exhausting. And this is my last year of high school, too. So many responsibilities. Such a drag."
Lost in thought, I turned a corner and hit a dead end.
"You've got to be kidding me. Just because I insulted the world doesn't mean it has to punish me!"
I turned back, but something about the wall drew me in.
It felt wrong. Or maybe right.
Like the universe was whispering, Come back.
"Whatever. I'll check it out after school."
Classes passed in a blur. The bell rang, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the same wall again.
"Am I going crazy? Why do I feel like I have to be here?"
Nothing happened. I sighed, turned around—
And froze.
Humanoid monsters stood everywhere. Goblins carried drums, orcs laughed loudly, ogres chatted like businessmen. The air smelled of grass, campfires, and something sweet like wildflowers.
"This has to be a dream. It has to! I don't want to be in an isekai! Wait—if this is an isekai, did I die?! No… there wasn't even a truck!"
I turned back toward the wall. It looked different now, as if it were facing the opposite way.
"Wait… did I just cross some kind of border? That's impossible. The military would've found this place by now."
Before I could panic further, a goblin woman with a surprisingly impressive chest smiled at me.
"Are you lost, darling?"
"Uh… yeah. Yeah, I'm lost."
She giggled, looking me up and down. "You wear such strange clothes. I've never seen anything like them before."
"Uh, thanks? I guess."
"My name's Elixa. And you are?"
"Noah. Noah Zephyr."
"Well, Noah, I'll take you to my home. You look like you need a place to rest."
I hesitated, but followed. My mind raced.
If this isn't another world but just some hidden half of Earth, maybe I can make it back home.
Or… I could stay here and start a family with this beautiful goblin—
"Wait, what am I thinking?!"
"So, Noah dear," Elixa said, glancing back at me, "which nation are you from?"
"Nation? Uh… uh…" My brain blanked. "I… don't know the name."
"That's fine, darling. Oh, look—we're here."
Her home wasn't a hut; it was a massive mansion surrounded by glowing blue lanterns. The lawn looked impossibly green, like something out of a fantasy painting.
Inside, the walls were decorated with strange runes that pulsed faintly with light.
I sat down nervously as Elixa perched on a couch, crossing her legs. I, being the gentleman I am, offered my lap as a footrest.
"Oh my," she giggled. "You make a perfect footrest."
"Heh. I know."
I cleared my throat. "So, uh, Elixa… what is this place?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"This world. This… reality."
"Oh, just call me Elixa, dear. And as for the world…" Her expression turned serious. "Reality bends to the will of five beings. The strongest of the strong. Their existence fuels everything."
"Five beings…?"
"Yes. Long ago, this world was created by Azaleas, a being who existed before space and time. We all worship him."
I swallowed. "Well… I actually come from a different world."
"Oh, you mean the Other World?"
"You… know about it?"
"Of course. Our world is connected to yours b"We know about you, but you don't know about us."
I clenched my fists. "Then I need to get back."
Her smile softened. "I'll help you in any way I can, Noah."
"No. A woman shouldn't have to risk her life for a man. It should be the other way around."
The next day, I said goodbye to Elixa and set out on my own.
Of course, I immediately got lost.
The forest was quiet, too quiet. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting strange shadows. My instincts yelled at me to be careful.
After what felt like hours of wandering, I bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry—"
The man turned around.
Tall. Beautiful. Almost too perfect. His long hair glowed faintly, as if lit by starlight.
"Oh? A little human?" His voice was smooth, like velvet. He smiled faintly.
"My name is… Zephrael."