I grabbed Erin's hand, and we ran outside.
The moment we stepped beyond the doorway, chaos greeted us.
Smoke curled into the sky. Several rooftops were burning. Villagers screamed as they scattered through the dirt streets, desperately trying to avoid the men tearing through their homes.
So this was what fear looked like here.
Not war.
Not soldiers.
Just helpless people waiting for someone stronger to decide their fate.
My hand tightened around my sword.
Not today.
A sharp voice cut through the noise.
"I demand my money, you old hag."
I turned.
An elderly woman was pinned against a wall. A bandit stood over her, his knife pressed tightly against her throat.
The woman spat directly into his face.
The bandit's expression twisted.
"You filthy—"
He raised the blade.
I moved.
Before he could react, I was behind him.
My sword pressed against his neck.
"Your move."
The bandit froze.
Then I kicked him hard in the back.
He stumbled forward and crashed headfirst into a barrel overflowing with raw sewage.
A laugh escaped me.
The bandit emerged coughing and furious.
"You bastard!"
His fingers moved quickly.
A magic circle.
Then he vanished.
My eyes widened.
A fist slammed into my stomach.
The air exploded out of my lungs as I staggered backward.
Teleportation.
Useful.
Annoying.
Erin rushed toward me.
"Ren!"
I held up a hand.
"I'm fine."
Barely.
I raised my left hand and traced a circle through the air.
Mana gathered instantly.
A fireball formed in my palm.
The bandit reappeared in front of me.
I launched it.
The flames struck him at point blank range.
He screamed.
For a brief second, his body became nothing but fire.
I stepped forward and swung my sword cleanly through his neck.
His body collapsed.
Silence.
Erin stared.
"You…"
I looked down at the corpse.
"I refuse to let someone burn alive."
She blinked.
"That was your concern?"
I shrugged.
"There are better ways to die."
Before she could answer, another voice shouted.
"You killed Phil!"
A second bandit stepped off a nearby bike, his face twisted with rage.
"He was my brother!"
I sighed.
"And?"
The bandit froze.
I pointed my sword at him.
"You terrorize villages."
"You extort people."
"You kidnap children."
I took a step forward.
"You're lucky I gave him mercy."
His expression darkened.
His lips began moving.
A chant.
My body froze.
I couldn't move.
Paralysis.
Damn it.
He teleported directly in front of me and drove his fist into my chest.
Purple liquid coated his knuckles.
Poison.
Wonderful.
My vision blurred.
No.
Not now.
I looked past him.
Erin.
The old woman.
They were watching.
Waiting.
Trusting me.
I clenched my teeth.
Come on.
What was it?
What was the spell my sister taught me?
Think.
A memory surfaced.
A quiet voice.
Her voice.
Steady your breathing.
Control your mana.
Break what binds you.
I closed my eyes.
Focused.
Breathed.
Mana surged through my body.
The paralysis shattered.
My eyes snapped open.
The bandit barely had time to react.
I traced a circle beneath my feet.
Teleport.
I appeared directly in front of him.
"Hello."
Before he could move, I drove my sword straight through his foot and pinned him to the wooden floor.
He screamed.
I crouched in front of him.
"Now."
I leaned closer.
"You're going to answer my questions."
He tried to spit at me.
I moved aside.
"Do you still have Erin's brother?"
No answer.
I pressed the blade deeper.
"Who is your leader?"
The bandit laughed.
Even with a sword through his foot.
"You want to meet our boss?"
He grinned.
"You're weak."
That annoyed me.
"Try me."
He laughed harder.
"Compound City."
My eyes narrowed.
"That where your leader is?"
"If you have a death wish."
He suddenly bit down.
Hard.
Blood poured from his mouth.
His body convulsed.
Then stopped.
I stared at him.
He had bitten through his own tongue.
Suicide.
"Coward."
I stood.
A third bandit was already running.
I chased him.
Too slow.
He vanished.
Teleportation again.
That was bad.
Very bad.
I exhaled and turned back.
Erin was kneeling beside the elderly woman, wrapping cloth around her neck.
The woman looked up at me.
"Thank you, child."
I knelt beside her.
"It was nothing."
"No."
She shook her head.
"It wasn't."
Her eyes moved to my sword.
"You're trained."
I nodded.
"My sister taught me."
The words came out quieter than I expected.
"She's gone now."
The woman lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
I looked toward the sky.
"It's alright."
No.
It wasn't.
But saying otherwise never changed anything.
"You learn eventually," I said softly.
"Not everyone gets to stay."
The old woman reached for my hand.
"But they still matter."
I looked at her.
Then smiled.
"Yeah."
They do.
I stood and walked toward an empty barrel, sitting heavily on top of it.
The adrenaline was fading.
The poison still burned in my chest.
And my thoughts were getting louder.
God.
What am I doing?
Erin walked over and sat beside me on another barrel.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then she smiled.
"You were kind of heroic."
I laughed.
"Kind of?"
She tilted her head.
"Okay. Very."
I leaned back.
"I was just following my own rules."
She looked at me carefully.
Then asked quietly.
"You're not from this world, are you?"
I nearly fell off the barrel.
"What?"
She folded her arms.
"You move differently."
She pointed toward the dead bandits.
"You fight differently."
Then she looked me directly in the eyes.
"And you weren't afraid."
I sighed.
No point hiding it.
"Can we talk somewhere private?"
She nodded.
Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand and led me away from the village.
We stopped near a quiet river.
Moonlight reflected off the water.
I sat down in the grass.
For a long moment, I said nothing.
Then I spoke.
"I died."
Erin stayed silent.
"I was a soldier."
I stared into the river.
"A magic soldier."
I told her everything.
The war.
The mission.
The nuke.
The light.
The impossible second chance.
When I finished, the river was the only thing making noise.
Erin finally spoke.
"So what now?"
I stood.
I looked at my reflection.
Then at the fire gathering in my hand.
A small orange flame danced above my palm.
"I get stronger."
I clenched my fist.
The fire vanished.
"And I go to Compound City."
Erin's eyes widened.
"You're serious."
"Yes."
"The leader there uses ice magic."
I smiled.
Then summoned another fireball.
"Good."
The fire illuminated the darkness around us.
"I prefer a challenge."
Erin smacked the back of my head.
"I know fire beats ice, idiot."
I laughed.
It felt strange.
Good.
Normal.
For once.
"Do you know anyone who can teach me more?" I asked.
She thought for a moment.
Then snapped her fingers.
"My old teacher."
I blinked.
"You use magic too?"
Her smile faded.
She looked down.
"No."
"Why?"
"I have no mana."
I stared.
"That's possible?"
She nodded.
"I wish I had power."
Her hands trembled.
"Then maybe I could have saved my brother."
I stepped closer.
Took her hands in mine.
"You listen to me."
She looked up.
"I'm going to get stronger."
I tightened my grip.
"And I'm going to save him."
For the first time since I met her, her eyes filled with hope instead of grief.
I smiled.
"Now."
I stepped forward.
"Take me to your teacher."
The road ahead was uncertain.
Dangerous.
Probably stupid.
But for the first time since waking up in this world…
I finally had a direction.