Part 1 - The Weight of a Name
The guild hall felt entirely different, and Adrian noticed the shift before he even stepped inside. It was an impressive feat, considering he usually didn't notice things until they actively tried to kill him.
"...Great," as he pushed the heavy wooden door open. "I can already tell I'm about to heavily hate this."
The noise in the room didn't completely stop that would have actually been much easier to handle. Instead, the atmosphere simply shifted. Conversations dipped just slightly, not creating total silence, but just enough that a wave of eyes turned toward the door. Some people quickly looked away the moment he caught them, while others much worse...just kept staring.
"...Yeah," Adrian sighed, stepping fully inside the threshold. "Definitely hate this."
He walked toward the counter exactly like normal, maintaining the same steps, the same pace, and the same desperate please-don't-make-this-weird energy. It did not work at all.
"...That's him."
"Looks entirely normal to me."
"He actually hit the Dread Wolf..."
"Apparently."
"What do you mean, apparently?!"
Adrian stopped halfway across the floor, the whispers washing over him. "...I heavily regret every life decision that brought me here," he said under his breath.
Behind the counter, the receptionist looked up from her ledger, paused for a fraction of a second, and then straightened her posture slightly. "Adrian," she said, her tone noticeably more formal than before. "You're here early."
Adrian blinked. "...It's ten o'clock," he replied.
"That is early for an adventurer," she said deadpan.
"Well...fair."
He leaned his forearms against the polished counter. "So," he said, glancing subtly around the room, "is this the part where everyone stares at me until I do something incredibly impressive, or can I just... quietly exist?"
The receptionist hesitated. "...Both?" she offered.
"...Fantastic."
A heavy leather pouch of coins slid across the counter toward him. "Additional compensation," she explained. "For the merchant escort."
Adrian looked down at the silver, then back up at her. "...We actively ran away," he pointed out.
"You survived a Tier 3 encounter," she replied calmly. "In this town, that more than qualifies."
"...I'm slowly learning that the bar for success here is significantly lower than I expected."
"Lower than your standards, perhaps."
The voice came sharply from his side dry, calculated, and entirely unimpressed.
Adrian turned his head. "...You again,"
Lyra was leaning casually against a nearby pillar, her arms crossed over her chest and her glowing guitar strapped across her back as if it were a natural extension of her body.
"Me again," she said with a sharp grin. "Miss me?"
"Deeply," Adrian replied, completely deadpan. "I was honestly hoping for significantly less chaos today."
"Then you came to the absolute wrong building," she countered.
"...That's becoming a painful pattern but what else can I expect."
She pushed herself off the pillar and walked closer to the counter, her eyes scanning him up and down. It wasn't her usual casual or joking look; she was actually studying him with intense focus.
"...You feel different," Lyra noted, her fox ears twitching.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Do I now?"
"Yeah," she said, her voice dropping slightly. "Sharper. Like your magic finally stopped tripping over its own feet."
Adrian considered the hours he had spent scribbling in the library and refining his focus. "Lets just say...I've been practicing."
"Clearly," she replied. "You don't accidentally land a hit on a creature like the Dread Wolf."
"...I'm still actively working on the 'not doing it accidentally' part," Adrian muttered.
Before Lyra could respond, a loud, violent crash echoed from the street outside. It was the unmistakable sound of metal crushing, wood splintering, and something large breaking apart.
Adrian let out a long sigh. "...I literally just got here."
"Perfect timing," Lyra replied instantly, her chaotic energy sparking to life. "Let's go."
"I didn't actually agree to—"
But she was already walking toward the entrance.
"...Of course you are," Adrian grumbled, falling into step behind her anyway. "Why do I constantly follow people like this?"
"Because you have phenomenally poor decision-making skills," Lyra called back over her shoulder.
"That feels highly targeted."
"It is." Lira Says Calmly
Outside the Guild
A small, tense crowd had already gathered near the edge of the stone street. People were backing away from the scene—not running in a full panic quite yet, but definitely giving whatever was happening a very wide berth.
Adrian stepped through the crowd to get a clear view and immediately stopped in his tracks. "...Oh," he said.
A frantic group of creatures was currently darting between several overturned merchant crates. They were small, incredibly fast, and moved with sharp, jittery movements. They looked vaguely gremlin-like, but they weren't the standard ones he'd encountered before. These creatures were leaner, significantly quicker, and moved with an unsettling amount of coordination.
"Chrizzlings," someone muttered nervously from the crowd nearby.
"Of course they are," Adrian said, rubbing his temples. "Even the name sounds annoying."
"They are," Lyra replied, her hand drifting toward her back. "And they always travel in groups weak alone but very tough as a group."
Adrian watched them tear through another crate. "...Yeah, I noticed."
One of the Chrizzlings suddenly lunged fast, frantic, and heading straight at a nearby merchant. Before Adrian could even think to move, a lethal blur cut through the open space. It was clean and perfectly precise. A flash of steel caught the light, and the creature was split completely in two before its body even hit the ground.
Adrian blinked. "...Okay," he said slowly, tracking the blood on the cobblestones. "That was incredibly efficient."
The savior landed lightly on her feet between the terrified crowd and the remaining pests, her wings folding tightly behind her back with a soft rustle. Her sword was already moving in a fluid guard, her shield angled perfectly to deflect any incoming threats.
It was Lilly. She didn't bother to announce herself, she didn't hesitate, and she certainly didn't slow down to evaluate.
Another Chrizzling lunged at her flank. She stepped directly into the attack not back, but aggressively forward. Her blade cut clean across its midsection in a brilliant arc. A second strike followed instantly a brutal, precise shield bash that sent a third creature crashing violently into the stone street.
"Stay back," Lilly said calmly, her focus entirely locked on the alleyways. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight that it didn't need to be.
Adrian watched her form carefully, his mind actively analyzing her technique. "...She's not wasting a single Movement," he noted quietly.
"Not a single movement," Lyra replied from his side, her usual chaotic tone turning respectful. "That's exactly why she's still alive in a place like this."
"...Good strategy. I should take notes." Adrian says sarcastically
Before they could plan further, another wave of Chrizzlings rushed out from the shadows. There were too many of them, and they were moving too fast. Lilly moved to engage, but Adrian's sharp perception picked up a slight shift in her pacing. She was a fraction slower this time, her step just a bit heavier.
"...She's getting surrounded," Adrian warned.
Lyra didn't answer verbally. She just turned her head and gave him a pointed, expectant look.
"...Don't," Adrian said, reading her mind.
"Do it," Lyra replied, her grin returning.
"I literally just got comfortable standing here." Adrian Says Annoyed
"You'll live and it will be entertaining."
"That is absolutely not a guarantee anymore."
Suddenly, a Chrizzling broke clean past Lilly's faltering defense, heading straight for a frozen civilian in the crowd. Adrian let out a sharp, tired sigh. "...Fine."
His hand shot upward. There was no hesitation this time, no internal delay, and no instability. Fire formed instantly in his open palm clean, dense, and perfectly controlled.
"INFERNO BALL!"
The fiery sphere shot forward like a rocket, moving fast and incredibly precise before slamming directly into the leaping creature mid-air. The projectile exploded into a concentrated blast of flame, the violent impact sending the charred beast crashing harmlessly away from the screaming crowd.
A brief, sharp silence settled over the street. Lilly turned her head, her analytical eyes landing squarely on him. She wasn't surprised or overtly impressed; she was just intensely aware of him now.
She stepped back slightly into a defensive posture as the remaining Chrizzlings hesitated, looking at their fallen packmates. Sensing the shift in momentum, the surviving pests turned and retreated, vanishing back into the dark network of alleys as quickly as they had arrived.
The threat was gone, just like that. Adrian lowered his hand slowly, watching the smoke clear from the alleyways.
"...Okay," he said under his breath. "That worked pretty well."
Lilly walked straight toward him with measured, controlled steps. Every single movement she made was entirely deliberate. She stopped a few feet away, her posture rigid as she studied him with intense focus.
"You hesitated." Lilly said flatly.
Adrian blinked. "I did not- well...A little," he admitted.
"You shouldn't," she replied.
"You talk a lot for someone who literally just met me," Adrian countered.
"You talk too much for someone who almost didn't act at all," Lilly shot back without missing a beat.
Lyra snorted with laughter from behind his shoulder. "...I definitely like her."
"That is absolutely not comforting," Adrian muttered.
Lilly's gaze shifted slightly, her sharp eyes taking in his stance, his posture, and the lingering traces of his mana. "You're unstable, most likely mentally" she said bluntly.
"...Thank you," Adrian replied, completely deadpan. "I try my best hard to be this talented."
"But you are effective," she added.
"I geuss...I'll take that."
A heavy pause settled over the three of them. "You're the one who managed to hit the Dread Wolf," Lilly said. It wasn't a question; it was a cold statement of fact.
Adrian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "...Yeah," he sighed. "That's apparently my entire new personality around here."
Lilly gave a single, firm nod. "If you're going to fight it again," she said, turning slightly to leave, "make sure you don't hesitate next time."
She stepped right past him, her feathers and wings shifting slightly as she moved down the cobblestone street. "...And try not to die before I get bored," she added over her shoulder.
Adrian watched her walk away, then let out a long, exhausted sigh. "...Why does everyone in this world say 'not dying' like it's a completely optional feature and why So they don't get bored or less entertained?"
Lyra stepped up right beside him, her grin widening. "Because it is, sometimes" she said simply.
"...That is somehow so much worse, Guess I should be glad I am...entertaing" Adrian replied.
He looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers carefully. Fire didn't immediately burst out of his palm this time. Good. It was still not that easy to summon, but it was getting closer.
"...Yeah," Adrian letting his arm drop to his side. "This is getting incredibly complicated."
Part 2 - Something Like a Team
The clearing outside Stonehollow wasn't meant for training, which made it absolutely perfect. It had no structure, no rules, and zero expectations. There was just uneven ground, scattered trees, and enough open space for things to go horribly wrong without immediately taking out a residential building.
"...This feels incredibly unsafe," Adrian said, looking around the isolated area.
"Correct!" Benjamin said brightly. "That's exactly how you know it's effective training!"
"...That is not reassuring at all," Adrian replied.
Benjamin stood proudly in the center of the clearing, his staff planted dramatically into the damp ground. Kazer lounged nearby in the grass, his tail lazily flicking at bugs, while Jok was currently doing... something up in a tree. No one had asked what the creature was doing, mostly because no one actually wanted to know.
"You," Benjamin said, pointing his finger directly at Adrian, "are a walking magical contradiction."
Adrian folded his arms across his chest. "Well...I've been called significantly worse so contradiction is...slighty better."
"Probably by people who barely survived you," Benjamin countered. "Now! Show me your fire."
"That sounds highly illegal," Adrian flexing his fingers
"Your magic, my boy!" Benjamin corrected sharply. "Inferno Ball!"
Adrian exhaled a slow breath. He focused his mind, raised his hand, and fire formed instantly above his palm. It wasn't explosive or unstable this time; it was just... there. It was a perfectly contained sphere of heat and pressure resting in his hand.
Benjamin's eyes widened, his dramatic posture melting away for a fraction of a second. "...Oh," he whispered. "Oh, that is absolutely delightful."
Adrian glanced at the pulsing sphere. "...Yeah. It's getting a lot easier to call forth I am am cool like that." Adrian says with a smirk
"Easier?" Benjamin repeated, pacing forward. "You just entirely skipped three fundamental stages of mana shaping!"
"...I'm going to pretend I understand what that means," Adrian replied, completely deadpan.
Benjamin began to circle him slowly, inspecting the fire from different angles. "You're not building the structure piece by piece," the wizard observed. "You're... pulling it together all at once."
Adrian frowned, keeping his hand steady. "...Is that bad?"
"It is deeply concerning, magic in this world is all to what your imagination can come up with but there are steps involved" Benjamin said cheerfully. "But you do not need those steps also it is entirely fascinating!"
"...Great. I'm fascinating. That always ends wonderfully for the person involved."
"Again!" Benjamin ordered suddenly.
Adrian sighed. "Of course I aim to please."
He dismissed the flame with a thought, then immediately raised his hand a second time. The Inferno Ball formed even faster this time, appearing cleaner and brighter than before.
Benjamin clapped his hands together once with a sharp smack. "Marvelous! Now control!"
"Define control in this specific context," Adrian said.
"Do not throw it immediately," Benjamin instructed.
"...This is already significantly harder."
Adrian held the spell in his open palm, the heat pulsing slightly against his skin. It wavered, reacting directly to the shift in his focus.
"Stabilize the outer layer," Benjamin instructed, leaning closer. "Think of it like a shell!"
"...A shell, " Adrian repeated, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
"Yes! A boundary! Fire must be fully contained before it can be properly directed!"
Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly, filtering out the distractions. He focused his mind not on the roaring heat of the core, but entirely on the outer edge. In response to his intent, the flame tightened, condensing into a smaller, far denser sphere.
"...wow, look how perfect the circle is" Adrian said quietly, staring at the perfectly contained magic.
"YES!" Benjamin shouted, throwing his arms up. "You see?! Structure!"
"...Don't yell," Adrian warned, his eyes still locked on the pulsing energy. "It makes me incredibly nervous."
"I am simply excited!" Benjamin replied. "This is absolute excellence!"
Adrian let the flame slowly fade into nothing before shaking out his aching hand. "...Okay. So less raw explosion, more... refined control."
"Precisely!" Benjamin said.
"...I heavily preferred the explosion."
"I am entirely unsurprised by that."
A soft, sudden breeze moved through the clearing. It was too gentle and entirely too controlled to be natural. Adrian turned his head slightly toward the treeline.
Elena stood near the edge of the shade, watching them.
"...You've been standing there a while, haven't you?" Adrian asked.
"A few minutes," Elena said calmly as she stepped out into the sunlight.
Benjamin straightened his posture immediately, snapping back into his dramatic wizard persona. "Ah! The ever-graceful Elena! Perfect timing!"
Adrian raised an eyebrow, looking between the two of them. "...You invited her here, didn't you?"
"Of course I did," Benjamin replied without a shred of shame. "You need proper balance!"
"I was doing completely fine on my own," Adrian said.
"You were improvising," Elena corrected gently as she closed the distance.
"...That too."
She stepped fully into the clearing, her sharp eyes briefly scanning the churned ground, the layout of the trees, and the direction of the wind. "You rely entirely on reaction," Elena said, locking her gaze onto Adrian. "Not anticipation."
Adrian gave a casual shrug. "Reaction has kept me from dying so far."
"It won't keep you alive against the Dread Wolf," Elena replied deadpan.
The statement landed heavily between them. "...Yeah," Adrian said quietly, his humor fading. "I figured as much big old puppy he is."
Benjamin clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! We are all in perfect agreement! You are absolutely not ready!"
"...Great, Very motivating environment we've built here."
Elena raised her hand slightly. Instantly, the air shifted around her form. Wind gathered in a tight spiral not violently or wildly, but with precise, surgical control.
"Show me your wind," Elena instructed.
Adrian blinked. "...I have wind magic?"
"You used a fragment of it before," she reminded him.
"...Right. That whole thing."
He cleared his mind and focused, tapping into a different sensation this time. It wasn't the suffocating heat of the flame or the heavy density of the earth; it was pure, uninhibited movement. The air responded to his thoughts. It started slow at first, then grew sharper until a faint, localized current was visibly forming around his outstretched hand.
"...Okay," Adrian said, watching his sleeve flutter. " ...Okay Think WIND! FWOOSH FWOOSH" Adrian mimic the wind.
"Shape it," Elena said.
"...I literally don't know how, but I will take you're word for it" Adrian replied.
"Then try."
Adrian let out a long sigh. "...Everyone in this world has a terrifying amount of confidence in me for someone who has absolutely no idea what he's doing but I digress"
He focused harder, making sure not to force the energy but instead gently guiding its trajectory. The current sharpened to a razor edge, compressing tighter and tighter until—
SLICE.
A thin, pressurized arc of wind shot forward like a blade, clipping a thick nearby tree branch cleanly in half.
A stunned silence fell over the clearing.
Adrian stared at the severed branch lying in the grass. "...Okay. That was absolutely not supposed to work that well."
Benjamin stared at him blankly for a long moment, completely speechless. "...You are deeply upsetting," he said finally.
"Thank you, ain't I wonderful" Adrian replied, entirely deadpan.
Elena gave a small, discerning nod. "Better," she evaluated. "But still largely uncontrolled."
"...That really feels like a recurring theme in my life," Adrian noted.
She stepped closer to him closer than she had been before. "Again."
Adrian hesitated for a fraction of a second, clearing his thoughts before trying one more time. The wind formed significantly faster this time around. It was sharper, cleaner, and while it wasn't absolutely perfect, it was undeniably closer to proper form.
"Good," Elena said.
Adrian blinked, lowering his hand. "...That's it? Just a flat 'good'?"
"Yes," Elena replied smoothly.
"...I worked incredibly hard for that single syllable, you know."
"I know," she said, her expression softening just a fraction.
"...Alright fine I'll take it."
Benjamin suddenly raised a dramatic finger into the air, his energy snapping back to a high frequency. "Now! Theoretical application!"
Adrian groaned, rubbing his temples. "...This heavily sounds like a lecture."
"It absolutely is!" Benjamin said proudly. He spun around, pointing dramatically toward the empty edge of the clearing. "The Dread Wolf!"
Adrian's posture stiffened out of pure instinct. "...It's not actually here, right?"
"No!" Benjamin clarified with a bright wave of his hand. "But imagine it!"
"...I heavily dislike this exercise already."
Benjamin began to pace back and forth across the grass. "It is fast! Powerful! Highly aggressive!" he lectured. "You simply cannot hope to overpower a creature like that with raw magical brute force!"
Adrian nodded slowly as the reality of their past encounters washed over him. "...Yeah. That definitely tracks."
Elena stepped into the center of the clearing, cutting in. "You must control the moment."
Adrian looked over at her, his brow furrowing. "...The moment?"
She gestured slightly with a fluid sweep of her arm. The wind responded instantly to the movement subtle, perfectly guided, and perfectly quiet. "You create a viable opening," Elena explained. "Not by forcing your way through but by executing flawless timing."
Adrian frowned slightly, turning the concept over in his head. "...So," he said slowly, "it's not about hitting it with something stronger... just putting the magic in a better place."
"Yes," Elena said.
Benjamin snapped his fingers sharply. "Exactly! And when you consider your fire magic—"
Adrian gave a slow, deliberate nod as the magical mechanics clicked together in his mind. "...The spell needs to hit completely clean."
Elena met his gaze, her sharp eyes unlocking the final piece of the puzzle. "And it needs help."
A heavy, realization-filled beat passed between the three of them. Adrian exhaled a long, slow breath as the core elemental physics fell into place.
"...Wind feeds fire," Adrian said quietly.
Elena nodded once in solid confirmation.
"...So we don't just try to hit it harder next time," Adrian continued, a familiar smirk finally touching the corner of his lips. "We actively amplify the strike if I send fire and you send wind right after it will stoke the fire higher."
Benjamin clapped his hands together enthusiastically once more. "BRILLIANT!" he declared. "Pure teamwork!"
Adrian looked between the eccentric wizard and the stoic guardian, letting out a long, slow sigh. "...This is actually starting to feel like a real plan."
Elena's expression softened slightly, a hint of reality tempering the moment. "Not yet," she said gently.
Adrian nodded, accepting the boundary. "...Not yet," he agreed.
In the distance, Kazer barked once, shattering the serious atmosphere. A loud rustle followed as Jok lost his footing and fell completely out of the tree, crashing into the bushes below. No one in the clearing reacted. No one even turned to look.
"...Yeah," Adrian muttered under his breath, taking a final look around at the bizarre group he had gathered. "This is definitely something."
They weren't quite a perfect team not yet, anyway. But they were uncomfortably close.
Part 3 - The Calm Before Something Stupid
The transition was much smoother now, and that was the first real problem. Adrian didn't stumble when the world shifted anymore; he didn't feel like his brain had been flipped entirely inside out, and he didn't even need a second to remember which reality he was standing in. It just... happened.
"...Yeah," Adrian muttered as his apartment ceiling came into view. "That's probably not concerning at all."
He lay there on the mattress for a moment, simply staring up, waiting for something to feel off, wrong, or different. Nothing did.
"...Cool," Adrian said, sitting up slowly. "Love absolute consistency."
The apartment was quiet with a normal kind of quiet a city quiet. It was the specific kind of silence that meant absolutely nothing was currently trying to eat him. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and suddenly paused mid-motion.
"...Okay," Adrian said, frowning slightly down at his hands.
The stretch felt... easier. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms experimentally. "...Feels Smoother."
The change wasn't overly dramatic or sudden, but it was entirely noticeable. His body felt lighter. He wasn't any smaller in frame, but everything felt significantly more efficient. "...I am absolutely not complaining," Adrian added quickly to the empty room. "Just acknowledging the weirdness."
Right on cue, the rich smell of food drifted in from the kitchen. Adrian stepped out of his bedroom to investigate. His grandmother stood at the stove, moving with that same calm, routine rhythm that always made him feel grounded.
She glanced over her shoulder as he entered. "You're up."
"Allegedly," Adrian replied, leaning against the doorway.
She turned around fully this time and paused. It wasn't a long hesitation, but it was more than enough. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she openly studied him.
"...What?" Adrian asked.
She walked closer to him, her steps slow and deliberate. "You look different," she said.
Adrian blinked. "...That's incredibly vague."
She reached up and grabbed his arm not gently, and not aggressively, but with the practiced grip of someone thoroughly checking up on him. "...You're lighter," she noted.
Adrian froze in place for half a second. "...Emotionally?" he offered, trying to lighten the mood.
She didn't laugh at all. "Don't joke with me," she said, her tone hardening. "Have you actually been eating?"
Adrian exhaled a quiet breath, keeping his voice steady. "...Yeah. Of course I have training real hard you know fighting spoons and mowing down hills."
She didn't let go of his arm immediately, her sharp eyes still scanning his face and frame. "You're getting slimmer," she insisted.
Adrian glanced down at himself, then back at her. "...I mean," he said, shrug-smiling, "you've been feeding me my entire life, Gran. This change was bound to happen eventually."
She huffed, utterly unamused. "That makes absolutely no sense."
"It doesn't really have to," Adrian replied smoothly.
A heavy pause settled over the kitchen. She finally let go of his arm, though she didn't look even remotely convinced by his excuses.
"Sit," she ordered, gesturing to the table.
Adrian sat down immediately because no matter how many elements he mastered or worlds he hopped, that was one rule that definitely hadn't changed.
A hot plate of food was placed in front of him perfect, comforting, and exactly what he needed. He took a bite and immediately relaxed slightly, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders.
"...Okay," Adrian said, savoring the taste. "This is still entirely undefeated."
She watched him eat, keeping a quiet vigil across from him. "...You're working far too much," she noted after a long moment.
Adrian didn't look up from his plate. "...I'm working just enough, Gran."
"That's absolutely not what I said," she shot back.
He paused, setting his fork down for a fraction of a second. "...I've got an incredibly busy week ahead," Adrian explained, keeping his tone measured. "Some overtime. Maybe even a short trip."
She raised a sharp eyebrow. "A trip?"
"Yeah," Adrian said, shrugging it off. "Just some work stuff."
"That's new for your line of work," she observed.
"...Yeah," Adrian replied quietly. "It is but is helping with my writing."
She leaned back slightly in her chair, her eyes still carefully tracking his movements. "...Just don't go disappearing on me," she said.
The words landed much harder than he expected, striking a deep, uncomfortable chord. Adrian finally looked up and met her eyes directly.
"...I won't," Adrian said. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't sarcastic, and it wasn't a deflection. It was just a cold, honest truth.
She nodded once, satisfied enough with his answer for the time being. "Eat," she said.
"Yes, ma'am."
Later
An hour later, Adrian stood alone in his bedroom with the door firmly closed against the rest of the apartment. Silence enveloped the space. He held out his hand, turning his palm slightly in the dim light as he focused his mind.
For a second, nothing happened. Then, a faint, unnatural shift rippled across his flesh. His fingers... softened. Just slightly, the crisp lines of his skin began to blur, refusing to hold a completely rigid shape. It wasn't fully formed and it certainly wasn't controlled, but it was undeniable.
He focused harder, trying to expand the sensation, and the liquid change began to spread barely a thin layer, as if his skin didn't fully agree with the concept of being solid anymore. Then, with a sudden, elastic jerk, it snapped right back into place.
Everything looked normal again.
Adrian blinked. "...Right," rubbing his hand. "We're clearly not quite there yet."
He flexed his fingers one more time. They were solid, human, and perfectly normal. "...Mostly," Adrian added under his breath.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, leaning forward slightly as he tested the boundaries of his double life. "...Fire," Adrian commanded quietly. Nothing happened.
"...Wind," he tried, concentrating on the air in the room. Still nothing.
He sighed, letting his arms rest on his knees. "Of course it doesn't work here," Adrian muttered to the floorboards. Different world, different rules.
But the physical strength and the internal efficiency? That had successfully stayed with him across the threshold.
"...Good to know," Adrian said.
He leaned all the way back onto the mattress, staring up at the familiar ceiling crack as his thoughts naturally drifted across dimensions. He pictured the towering Dread Wolf, Elena's fierce gaze, Benjamin's erratic pacing, and the frantic plan they were trying to build.
"...Yeah," Adrian said quietly to the shadows. "That's definitely going to be a massive problem."
A beat passed, and then a small, familiar smirk slowly formed on his face. "...Step one: don't die," Adrian lectured himself. He exhaled a long, tired breath into the quiet room. "...Step two: figure out how to successfully execute step one."
The room stayed entirely quiet...blessedly normal, for now.