I have travelled across worlds enough times to establish one universal truth.
World Gates hate me personally.
There is no graceful arrival.
No majestic descent.
No dramatic heroic landing.
Only falling.
Violently.
Preferably into something expensive.
This time, it was lightning.
I crashed out of the gate in the middle of a thunderstorm so violent it felt like the sky itself had declared war.
Cold rain slammed into me.
The wind howled like angry spirits.
And before I could properly appreciate my suffering—
Lightning struck three feet to my left.
I made a very dignified noise and rolled down a muddy hill like destiny's least favourite chosen one.
When I finally stopped moving, I was lying face-first in black ash and wet grass, staring at a sky split open by silver storms.
Above me floated massive iron islands chained together by glowing bridges of blue lightning.
Cities in the sky.
Forge towers burning through the rain.
Floating warships shaped like thunder beasts.
And at the centre of it all—
a giant golden forge suspended beneath storm clouds like a second sun.
I sat up slowly.
"Of course."
Because apparently normal kingdoms were illegal.
ARINA's voice echoed.
"World Arrival Confirmed."
A blue panel unfolded.
Realm: Skyforge Realm Primary Sovereign: Lei Mira Current Status: Active / Hostile Territory World Stability: 52% Threat Level: High
Hostile territory.
Excellent.
At least this realm was honest.
I stood and immediately regretted gravity.
Every previous injury had apparently followed me across dimensions like unpaid debt.
I brushed ash from my coat and pulled out Professor Mehra's journal.
The thunder mark on the page was glowing faintly.
Definitely here.
Definitely terrible.
Somewhere above me, thunder cracked again.
Then shouting.
I looked up.
Across the broken cliffside overlooking the valley, armoured riders on mechanical wolf-like beasts were racing through the storm.
Steel armour.
Blue lightning cores in their chests.
And in front of them—
Someone was running.
No.
Fighting while running.
A woman.
Tall.
Red-gold armour cracked across one shoulder, black hair whipping through the storm, a massive hammer strapped across her back like she considered mountains a reasonable target.
She turned mid-run and punched one of the riders directly off his mechanical beast.
I watched silently.
"…that might be her."
Because normal people did not solve cavalry problems by fist.
The lead rider shouted,
"Seize the traitor! By order of the Iron Council!"
She responded by grabbing a broken spear from the ground and throwing it hard enough to send both rider and machine off the cliff.
Definitely her.
I respected the efficiency.
Then she looked down.
At me.
Standing in the valley.
Covered in mud.
Holding a journal.
Probably looking like a suspicious idiot.
Our eyes met across thunder and rain.
Golden.
Bright.
Absolutely judging me.
She pointed.
At me.
And shouted—
"You! Outsider! Move!"
I blinked.
Fair request.
Then I looked up.
There was a war machine falling directly toward me.
I moved.
Poorly.
The mechanical wolf crashed where I had been standing half a second earlier, exploding into sparks and broken steel.
I stared at the smoking crater.
"…I was already having a difficult day."
The woman landed beside me with enough force to crack stone.
Definitely the sovereign.
No one else was allowed to arrive like that.
She was taller than I expected.
Stronger-looking than anyone I had met so far.
Not cold like Yue Xiang.
Not burning like Lian.
She felt like standing too close to a storm and realising the storm had opinions.
Her gaze swept over me once.
Fast.
Sharp.
Assessing.
Then she frowned.
"You smell like moonlight and bad decisions."
Honestly?
Fair.
"I've had a complicated month."
She looked at the Phoenix Mark.
Then, at the moon sovereign's crest hanging at my side.
Then at the Crimson Sigil.
Her expression became deeply suspicious.
"…why do you have gifts from two sovereigns?"
That sounded much worse out loud.
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Because there was no version of that answer that made me sound sane.
She crossed her arms.
"I am giving you one chance to explain before I decide you are either a spy or incredibly stupid."
I considered my life choices.
"Can it be both?"
She stared.
The storm paused.
Even thunder seemed interested.
Then—
to my complete surprise—
She laughed.
Loud.
Sharp.
Real.
Not elegant like Yue Xiang.
Not quite like Lian.
This was the laugh of someone who solved diplomacy with hammers.
I liked her immediately.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The favourability panel blinked.
Target Identified Name: Lei Mira Title: Thunder Sovereign Favourability: -10 Mental State: Aggressive / Curious / Highly Dangerous
Only negative ten?
Honestly, best opening so far.
Huge progress.
Before I could speak again, the riders above regrouped.
More this time.
Dozens.
War machines descending through the storm.
The lead commander raised a glowing spear.
"By decree of the Iron Council—capture the exile and eliminate all outsiders!"
Lei Mira sighed like a woman deeply offended by administrative incompetence.
"See?"
She grabbed the massive hammer from her back.
Blue lightning erupted across the weapon.
"This is why I dislike politics."
I pointed at the army.
"They seem very motivated."
"Yes."
She looked at me.
"Try not to die. I just decided you might be entertaining."
That was either trust or a threat.
Possibly both.
Then she launched herself into the storm.
Not metaphorically.
Actually.
She jumped into the lightning.
The hammer came down like divine anger with excellent posture.
The battlefield exploded.
War machines shattered.
Thunder answered thunder.
And standing in the rain, watching the Thunder Sovereign personally introduce diplomacy to violence—
I realised two things.
First:
This woman was absolutely a disaster.
Second:
This realm was going to be a problem.
Honestly—
I was starting to feel at home.