Lucas gathered the empty plates with an efficiency that suggested this routine had played out many times before. Jake watched the bones disappear into the kitchen, only then realizing how thoroughly he had cleaned his meal.
Wait. When did I even start eating?
The memory came back in fragments. The smell of cooked meat. The hunger gnawing at his gut. Then nothing. Just silence and warmth.
He shook the thought away. Worrying about missing minutes would not help him survive a new world.
Jake stood and motioned for Luna to do the same. "We might as well become friends now, don't you think?"
It felt awkward saying it out loud. He was shorter than her, thinner too, and the angle made him feel oddly juvenile. Luna only smiled, bright and genuine.
"That is how these stories usually start," she said, extending her hand.
Jake took it. Her grip was firm. Confident.
"We will be siblings in arms," he said dryly.
"Hell yeah," Luna replied without hesitation.
Lucas returned from the kitchen, clearly unimpressed by their moment. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The next few months will be unpleasant. You will learn the Stellan language, local customs, basic survival, how not to die in the wilderness, and how not to get executed by imperial patrols."
Jake blinked. "That was… specific."
Lucas turned toward the staircase. "Most important part comes first. We need to find out what you are."
He stopped beside the stone supports beneath the stairs and pressed several rocks in a precise sequence. The stones vibrated, then slid apart with a low grinding sound. A hidden opening revealed itself, just wide enough for a person to step through.
Jake stared. "Cool secret tunnel."
Lucas stepped aside. "Try not to shout down there."
The stairway beyond sloped steeply underground. Lanterns lined the walls, glowing with a steady blue light that cast long shadows across carved stone. The air was cooler, dry, and carried the faint smell of minerals and oil.
As they descended, Jake realized the cottage above was exactly what it appeared to be. A mask. Comfort and warmth on the surface. Preparation and survival beneath.
At the bottom, the passage opened into a network of corridors and reinforced doors. Symbols were etched into the stone, not decorative but functional, pulsing faintly as they passed.
"This place has been expanded over years," Lucas said. "Each addition came after a close call."
Jake did not ask what those close calls were.
They stopped at a door marked with a red cross carved into the wood.
Lucas knocked twice. "Emily. Two new beyonders. Ready for evaluation."
A crash sounded from inside, followed by a hoarse groan.
Jake bit back a laugh. Luna did not. She doubled over, trying and failing to contain herself.
The door swung open.
"Hey Lucas," Emily said, then looked them over. "Hello, you two."
Her tone toward Lucas was noticeably warmer. Emily was small, petite, with golden hair pulled into a messy bun. A lab coat hung loosely over her shoulders, sleeves rolled up. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes, but her smile was easy and unforced.
"Come in," she said.
The room beyond was orderly chaos. Wooden drawers lined the walls, labeled in careful script. Turquoise baskets woven from unfamiliar leaves were stacked neatly. The faint scent of herbs and metal filled the air.
Emily handed each of them a basket. Inside was a smooth stone and a folded white cloth.
"Before anything physical," she said, "I need to know about mental changes. Mood swings. Emotional dampening. Heightened aggression. Anything at all."
Jake spoke first. "I feel… calm. Too calm. Even when I probably should not be."
Emily's eyes sharpened slightly. "And before you arrived here?"
"I had to stay calm a lot," Jake said. "Bad situations. At home."
Emily nodded slowly. "What were you best at on Earth?"
"Thinking under pressure," he answered. "Not panicking."
She closed her eyes for a moment. "That tracks."
Emily gestured toward the door. "That will do for now. Lucas, take him outside."
Jake obeyed, pausing just beyond the threshold.
"Hey, Lucas," he said. "What was that sword you used earlier? It seemed to stop at the Wolfken's neck?"
Lucas glanced down at the blade at his side. "This? Good for slashing. Bad for clean cuts. Also you named the monster?"
"It looks like a wolf and a chicken."
"Wolfken," Lucas said smoothly. "Sounds like MY original term."
Jake sighed. "Of course it is."
"The monster's real name is Haichong," Lucas continued. "Means vermin."
"That thing is considered vermin?"
"It eats livestock and pets," Lucas replied. "Scale is irrelevant."
The door opened behind them.
Luna stepped out, pale and wide eyed. Emily followed, wearing an expression that bordered on sympathy.
"I am giftless," Luna announced, grabbing Jake by the shoulders and shaking him. "Completely giftless."
Jake stared at her, then barely managed to keep a straight face.
Emily cleared her throat. "No detectable mental or physical changes. Frankly, she is already in excellent condition."
Jake agreed silently.
Lucas folded his arms. "Unfortunate, but not fatal. Gifts are not everything."
Luna sniffed. "So this means… a training arc?"
Lucas allowed himself a tired smile. "Yes. A training arc."
Jake exhaled.
Whatever this world intended to throw at them next, it was clear one thing was certain.
Nothing would be easy.