As the last traces of sunlight had faded into a deep amber glow outside. The streets of Tetherwind had quieted, the earlier bustle melting into a calmer rhythm. Lanterns flickered to life one by one, casting soft golden light along the pathways..
Ki stepped out of the bakery and paused for a moment, taking it all in. She hadn't expected this. Working in a bakery… in another world. It still didn't feel real. Just a few hours ago, she had been falling from the sky, convinced she was about to die. And now…
She glanced back at the bakery door.
Now she was casually helping out in a shop, as if this had always been part of her life.
From beside her, Demi scoffed. "We are being forced into labor."
Ki didn't even bother turning her head. "We are not forced," she replied calmly. "She was kind enough to give us ingredients in exchange for working a day."
Demi crossed her arms but didn't argue further.
Behind them, Marble moved with the same calm, unhurried grace as always, closing things down as if time itself had no hold over her. There was something strangely reassuring about the way she carried herself… steady, composed, untouched by the chaos of the world around her.
And yet, Ki narrowed her eyes slightly. There was something else there too. Something she couldn't quite put into words. Something… off.
Marble stepped forward and gently pulled the door shut, the soft click echoing faintly in the quiet evening, her hat bouncing lightly as she moved. "I'll be closing early today," she said lightly. "So, what are you two planning to do?"
The question hit Ki a second too late. Right. Where… was she going to sleep?
Her thoughts stalled for a moment as reality caught up to her. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Not even a little. Everything had been happening so fast that basic things like food, money, or even a place to stay had somehow slipped through the cracks. She slowly turned her head toward Demi, hoping for once that the self-proclaimed goddess might have a sensible answer.
Demi didn't disappoint. "We'll go back to the forest and sleep, of course," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Ki stared at her. For a full second.
"…No."
"No way. Absolutely not. I am not going back there."
Demi blinked, clearly confused. "Why not? What is the problem? It is perfectly fine."
"It is not perfectly fine," Ki shot back. "It's dangerous, it's dark, and I almost died there like three times already!"
Demi looked unconvinced. "You humans are so picky"
Before the argument could escalate further, a soft chuckle slipped between them. "If you two don't have anywhere to go," Marble said, her voice calm and warm, "you can stay at my place."
Ki stopped. Her brain took a second to process it. "…Wait," she said, a little too quickly. "Really?" The surprise slipped out before she could stop it.
Marble simply nodded, as if it wasn't a big deal at all. "I have a spare room upstairs," she said. "It would be rather troublesome if something happens to my temporary workers before their shift tomorrow."
Ki exhaled slowly, relief washing over her almost instantly. She hadn't realized how tense she'd been until that moment. "…Thank you," she said, her voice softer now. "You've already helped us so much… you didn't have to do this."
And she meant it. Marble had treated her nicely, a chance to work for ingredients, and now even a place to stay. Ki tightened her grip slightly on her sleeve.
I owe her… way more than I can repay right now.
Her gaze lingered on Marble for a brief moment. She was only met back with a kind and warm smile. She couldn't help but smile back
"I'll introduce you to Nina as well," Marble said lightly. "She's about your age. She works for me too. I gave her the day off today so she could rest."
Ki was slightly surprised. "Oh… okay," she replied, nodding. Another person. For some reason, that made her feel a little less out of place.
Beside her, Demi yawned loudly.
......
The walk to Marble's house was quiet.
As they moved further from the center of Tetherwind, the noise of the town slowly faded behind them. The streets grew narrower and the air calmer. By the time they reached the outskirts, it felt like stepping into a different place entirely.
"…Woah." the words slipped out of Ki's mouth
The house in front of her looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. It wasn't large, just a small two-story home. But it radiated warmth. Soft lights glowed through the windows, and the structure itself, built from wood and stone, looked cozy in a way that instantly made her relax.
This place… feels nice.
Beside her, Demi tilted her head, observing the house with mild interest.
"…Acceptable," she said after a moment. "It will do."
Ki raised an eyebrow. "That's your review?"
"We have high standards."
"Of course you do."
Marble stepped forward and opened the door. The moment they stepped inside…
"IM SOWWY BOSSSS I MESSED UP—!"
Ki flinched. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. The house… was a disaster. Things were scattered everywhere. Cushions tossed aside, objects knocked over, and faint traces of some sort of magic still lingered in the air like invisible currents. In the middle of it all stood a girl, probably around nineteen or twenty on the verge of tears.
She had a slender upper body, but her legs were noticeably strong, giving her an oddly balanced build. She wore a loose top that looked straight out of a medieval fantasy setting, paired with short brown shorts. Her long, thick silver hair was tied into a single heavy braid that rested over her back.
Ki's eyes drifted to her wrist. A bracelet. Similar to Marble's. Runes glowed faintly along its surface, this one emitting a soft white light.
"I tried… I tried cleaning the house with wind magic, but I failed!" the girl blurted out, her voice shaky.
Ki stared. …Cleaning with magic? She wasn't sure if that was genius or a terrible idea.
Beside her, Demi took one look at the mess and frowned.
"…This is chaos," she declared.
Nina turned toward her, clearly offended. "I was trying!"
Beside, Marble sighed softly.
Ki instinctively glanced at her And froze. Marble was smiling. A gentle smile. Calm and warm. And somehow…Terrifying. Ki felt a chill run down her spine.
The girl in the front was already as pale as a ghost after seeing her smile.
I didn't know a smile could feel this threatening…
"Ninaaaa," Marble said softly.
The girl stiffened instantly.
"How many times have I told you not to rush things?"
Her tone didn't rise. But the weight behind her words was unmistakable.
"I appreciate the effort," Marble continued as she sighed, her smile fading for a second before it came back, "but could you please clean this up properly… and then take our guests to the spare room?"
"…Y-yes, boss…" Nina said quickly, almost snapping into attention.
Marble gave a small nod, as if everything had already been resolved. Then, without another word, she turned and walked toward her room. Ki watched her go.
Yeah….
I am never getting on her wrong side
For a moment, silence lingered in the room after Marble left. Then Nina let out a long shaky exhale. "…I'm alive," she whispered to herself.
Demi tilted her head. "…Were you in danger?" she asked.
Nina immediately straightened, waving her hands frantically. "No! I mean—yes! I mean—no, not really! It's just—when Marble gets that smile…" she shivered dramatically, hugging herself. "you just know you messed up."
Ki nodded slowly. Yeah… I felt that too.
Nina suddenly clapped her hands together. "Oh! Right! Guests!" she said, her energy bouncing back instantly like nothing had happened. She rushed forward and nearly slipped on something on the floor. She windmilled her arms wildly, somehow managing to stay upright
. "…I meant to do that," she said, trying to recover her dignity.
"Ahem~. I'm…..Nina, Miss Marble's apprentice !!" she announced, grinning brightly. "What's your name?"
"I am Ki and this is Demi" Ki replied
"Oh by the way, I also work at the Hearthstone Bakery too. Well mostly!! When I don't break things! Hehe.."
"We can see that," Demi replied dryly.
Nina froze. Then her expression crumbled instantly.
"Nooo…" she whimpered, her eyes turning watery as she hid part of her face behind her knuckles. "This doesn't usually happen, I swear! I was just trying something new…"
She sniffed dramatically. Her thick silver braid swayed wildly as she spoke, matching the pace of her words.
"I thought I could use the rune bracelet Boss made to clean everything faster. She's an amazing mage, you know! She makes all kinds of magical artifacts. Like this bracelet, and that one scroll, and—oh! Wait…I got off track!"
She talks fast… Ki thought.
"Do you always speak this much?" Demi asked, her expression flat and slightly annoyed.
Nina paused. "…Hehe… sorry…" she said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
Then, as if nothing had happened…
"Anyway! Let me show you your room! Follow me!" she said brightly pointing towards the stairs. Suddenly full of energy again, before Ki could even respond Nina dashed upstairs with surprising speed.
"…She recovered fast." Ki chuckled
Demi crossed her arms.
"She is unstable."
"Hey! Be nice."
"We are being honest."
Ki sighed and followed after Nina, Demi trailing behind her.
...............….
The room they were led to was… surprisingly cozy. Ki stepped inside slowly, her eyes scanning the space. Warm lighting. Clean wooden floors. A large, inviting bed placed neatly against the wall. There was a window that let in the soft glow of the night outside. It felt peaceful. Way better than anything she had back in her old world.
"…Woah," Ki whispered softly.
She hadn't meant to say it out loud. But it just… slipped out.
Nina beamed instantly. "You like it?" she asked, practically glowing with excitement.
Ki nodded. "Yeah… I really do."
Demi, on the other hand, glanced around briefly.
"It's fine," she said flatly.
Ki slowly turned her head toward her.
"…Can you be excited about anything at all?"
Demi shrugged. "We still think the forest is better."
"Ugh, there's no pleasing you," Ki said, giving up immediately.
She walked over to the bed, sat down and froze. "…Wait." She pressed down slightly. The mattress sank gently under her weight.
Soft.
Ridiculously soft.
Ki's eyes widened. She leaned back. And bounced slightly. "…This is insane."
What is this made of? Clouds?
"This feels like marshmallows," she murmured, almost in disbelief. For a moment, she just sat there, enjoying. It had been a long time since something this simple had felt this… nice.
Stood beside her, Nina giggled. Ki smiled back faintly.
"You two should rest well," Nina said, turning halfway toward the door, though her body was already leaning in that direction as if she might sprint off at any second. "Tomorrow's going to be really busy. It's Memorial Day, after all…"
She paused for half a second. Then her expression shifted. "The shop's going to be packed with customer- oh no….wait—" Her eyes widened. "I still have to clean the rest of that mess!"
Before Ki could even process what was happening, Nina bolted out of the room. Her braid swung wildly behind her as her footsteps echoed down the stairs. And just like that…..She was gone.
Ki stood up. "…Wait what?"
She stepped forward slightly, as if that would somehow bring Nina back.
"Wha- what's Memorial Day?" she called out, her voice trailing after her.
No response. Ki stood there for a moment longer, staring at the empty doorway. Then slowly exhaled. "…She talks way too fast."
Her mind lingered on the word. Memorial Day.
It sounded important. The way Nina had said it—so casually, yet with that sudden urgency made it feel like something bigger than just a busy workday.
Memorial…
Ki frowned slightly. What are they remembering? Her thoughts drifted for a moment, curiosity slowly settling in. Then she turned toward the only other person in the room.
"Demi," she said.
No response. Ki narrowed her eyes slightly.
Demi lay on the bed. Completely still. She looked less like someone resting and more like a corpse that had been carefully placed there.
Ki stared. "…Are you alive?"
Demi didn't move. "…What?" she muttered after a moment, her voice slow and uninterested.
Ki crossed her arms. "Something about Memorial Day," she said. "Do you know what that is?"
For a moment, Demi didn't respond. Then, she shifted slightly. Her expression changed. Just a little. Her eyes opened more fully, and for the first time since entering the room, there was something resembling thought behind them. She stared at the ceiling. Silent. As if reaching into something far away.
Ki watched her carefully. That's new…
Demi wasn't joking. She wasn't complaining. She was actually… thinking. A few seconds passed. Then a few more. Ki felt a strange tension build in the silence.
Does she actually know something?
Demi spoke. "…Yes," she said quietly. "We know."