The universe waited exactly three hours after Leah Clearwater imprinted on me before deciding that wasn't enough chaos.
I was in my living room.
On the couch.
Mind blank.
Alice was pacing.
Rosalie was pretending not to pace.
Lily was aggressively sipping tea like it personally offended her.
Petunia was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, witch instincts screaming this timeline is wrong.
Leah sat in a chair across from me.
Rigid. Guarded. Angry.
Bond very much active.
Silence thick enough to choke a vampire.
And then—
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Sign-In Available.]
I froze.
Everyone froze.
Alice's head snapped toward me.
"…Why did the air just do that thing," she asked cheerfully.
Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "That was a system thing."
"Yes," I said slowly.
Lily set her cup down. "Adam."
"Yes?"
"Please tell me you're not about to pull another world-ending artifact out of thin air."
"I make no promises."
Leah blinked. "What are you talking about?"
I looked at her.
"…You might want to sit tighter."
She frowned. "I am sitting."
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION (SECOND PUNCH)
[Main Quest – Twilight World – Available.]
The room temperature dropped.
Carlisle wasn't here, but I felt his hypothetical headache anyway.
"…Main quest," I muttered.
Petunia swore softly in a way that implied she'd read enough magical theory to know that main quest was never good news.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION (THE HAT TRICK)
[Title Function Unlocked.]
I closed my eyes.
"No," I said.
The system, as always, ignored consent.
The Girls React (Badly)
Alice clapped her hands.
"Ooooh! Titles!" she said. "That sounds important."
Rosalie crossed her arms. "That sounds dangerous."
Lily tilted her head. "That sounds like something gods use."
Petunia muttered, "That sounds like propaganda."
Leah looked between all of them.
"…Why do you all look like this is normal."
"It's not," I said. "We've just learned to cope."
Her eyes snapped back to me. "You're telling me this bond thing wasn't even the main problem today?"
I met her gaze honestly.
"No."
She stared.
Then laughed once, sharp and humorless.
"Figures."
Leah Imprint Fallout (a.k.a. The Stare Olympics)
Rosalie was the first to walk up to Leah.
Not aggressively.
Not threateningly.
Just… present.
"So," Rosalie said calmly. "You imprinted."
Leah stiffened. "I didn't choose it."
"Neither did we," Lily added, smiling politely but with danger.
Petunia nodded. "Yes, welcome to the club of 'the universe decided.'"
Leah frowned. "Club?"
Alice popped up behind her.
"We meet on weekends," she said brightly. "There are snacks."
Leah nearly jumped out of her skin.
"What the hell—"
Alice giggled.
Leah turned to me, eyes blazing. "Explain. Now."
I raised both hands. "Later. I promise. Right now—"
The system chimed.
Summon Ticket Burns a Hole in Reality
[Reward Pending: Summon Ticket.]
Lily's eyes sharpened.
Petunia straightened.
Rosalie sighed.
Alice's smile widened in that oh no way.
Leah looked confused. "What's a summon ticket."
I glanced at her.
"…You might want to stand back."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why."
"Because last time I used one, two sisters from an alternate universe appeared in my living room."
Lily waved. "Hi."
Petunia nodded. "He's not exaggerating."
Leah opened her mouth—
—and the ticket materialized in my hand.
Black.
Runes burning crimson.
The air screamed.
"Oh come on," I muttered. "At least let me finish my sentence."
Decision Time (a.k.a. I Did This to Myself)
I looked around the room.
At Alice and Rosalie, already emotionally invested.
At Lily and Petunia, summoned proof that this could go very wrong.
At Leah, imprint bond buzzing like a live wire.
I looked at you.
"You see this?" I asked. "This is what happens when you don't ignore system pop-ups."
The ticket pulsed.
Impatient.
"…Fine," I sighed. "Let's get this over with."
I crushed it.
Summoning Event: Absolutely Not Okay
The world tore.
Not exploded.
Not cracked.
Tore.
Purple light flooded the room.
Runes layered over runes.
The smell of blood, iron, and ancient battlefields filled the air.
Every vampire in the room stiffened.
Every witch felt it.
Leah took a step back, instincts screaming predator.
And then—
She stepped out of the summoning circle.
Tall.
Lean.
Long violet hair cascading like a banner of war.
Red eyes sharp enough to cut fate itself.
Clad in dark armor that looked ceremonial and practical at the same time.
A woman who radiated violence, wisdom, and "I will train you until you cry."
She looked around once.
Then smiled.
"Oh?" she said pleasantly. "A new world."
I stared.
My soul left my body.
"…Fuck."
Scáthach Has Arrived
Alice whispered, "She's scary."
Rosalie nodded. "I like her."
Lily went pale. "That's a god."
Petunia swallowed. "No. Worse. A teacher."
Leah stared openly.
"…Who," she demanded, "is that."
Scáthach's gaze settled on me.
Her smile sharpened.
"You," she said, voice smooth and lethal, "are interesting."
I raised a hand weakly.
"Hi. Adam. Multiversal problem."
She stepped closer.
The imprint bond between Leah and me reacted violently.
Scáthach paused.
Her eyes flicked to Leah.
Then back to me.
"…Oh," she said softly.
Everyone felt it.
That oh.
The one that meant this just got worse.
She laughed.
Rich. Amused. Dangerous.
"A bonded soul," she mused. "And shadows that reek of death."
She leaned in slightly.
"This world," she said, "will be fun."
I looked at the ceiling.
"Bastard author," I whispered.
The system chimed once more, cheerful as ever.
[Summon Successful: Scáthach – Land of Shadows.]
Leah crossed her arms.
"…You better start explaining," she said.
I nodded.
"Oh, trust me," I replied. "That's next."
Scáthach smiled wider.
And somewhere deep in the narrative—
The main quest woke up.
[Chapter Twenty-Five Complete.]