Levi stumbled backwards until he struck the wall. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

“I know the truth,” Gregory said, moving away from the occult circle to the corpse. He leaned in closer, inspecting the body. “He’s the Relic Fixer you were supposed to hand over the egg to.”

“And you killed him?” Levi asked, trying to change the subject. It worked, at least for a moment.

“God, no.” Gregory straightened his back. “So messy. Stabbed at least 40 times. It’s the result of rage and violence. But for what reason?”

Levi scanned the room. There was no sign of the book, but that was the least of his worries. “Something tells me you already know the answer.”

“Ah, right, I do,” said Gregory, spinning on his heels to look at Levi. “A man from another world in the body of a child. You’ve done an excellent job keeping it a secret from others.”

“So what now?” Levi said gravely, his mana flaring. “Are you going to kill me?”

Gregory laughed. “Why would I do that? I told you in that cave that you are one of us. I’m not a liar.”

“Okay–” Levi took a breath. “–then, when and how did you find out?” It was a question Levi was dying to know.

Gregory stroked his chin. “From the very beginning. My eyes can see a lot. The ritualistic circle in your home is one I’ve seen a few times. The first was years ago, when the apostle broke through the Krag, killing hundreds in the Imperial City. The second was in your living room. And the third–” Gregory pointed to the circle on the floor.

Levi realised what he was getting at. “So someone, or something, was summoned here?” He looked around, but didn’t see any sign of an apostle, which was good. But that meant that it was someone being transported from another world, right? Like him?

Gregory nodded. “Afraid so. No sign of big steps or any destruction, so it’s not an apostle. Don’t smell it, either. So it’s not a small one. That’s a big giveaway.”

“So, that’s good, right?” Levi said, nudging his nose to the Fixer. “Was it him who did the circle?”

“It would be easier if it was,” Gregory said. “But I’m afraid not. Whoever was summoned knows how to hide from a Scriers gaze. My gaze. It’s a pain, really. Makes me have to actually work.”

“Imagine that,” Levi said, rolling his eyes. He felt a bit better now. At least Gregory wasn’t going to kill him. “So what now?”

“Same as usual, lad. This isn’t something you’ll be dealing with. For now, don’t leave Ironvale. I already have some guys patrolling the streets for whatever was summoned.”

Levi nodded. He had no intentions of hunting down the individual in the first place. He wandered over to the circle and touched it. It was still warm and he sensed the fresh mana in the air like dust gathered in an abandoned room.

“Does Bram or Sera know?” Levi asked.

“Only me, and don’t worry, I won’t be telling another soul about your little secret.”

“Why?”

“We all have our secrets, Levi,” Gregory looked at him, his smile appearing… empty. “Besides, it’s hardly the weirdest thing to happen to me. Actually, I’d say it’s on the low side of strange crap I’ve experienced over the years. Just tell me one thing.”

“Ask away,” Levi said. “If you don’t already know.”

Gregory grinned. Perhaps he did. “What do you plan on doing with this new life of yours?”

Levi didn’t have to think for this one. “Enjoy it. Experience everything this world has to offer. Make friends, be free, become powerful. You’d hate the person I was before.”

“How so?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I was a whiny bastard.”

Gregory laughed, holding his stomach. He approached and slung his arm over Levi’s shoulders. “How old are you anyway?”

“Still younger than you,” Levi said. “I was 27 back where I came from. I thought you saw everything?”

“Okay, I don’t see everything,” Gregory said, embarrassed.

“Right,” Levi added. “Anyway, I thought you were in the Imperial City?”

“Sera went in my stead.”

“Don’t you have to give the report in person? You know, being the captain and all?”

“Eh.” Gregory waved his hand. “Not always.”

“You’re going to get in trouble for that, aren’t you?” Levi asked, gazing at the gentleman.

Gregory smiled and shrugged. “Go back to what you were doing before in a couple of days. I’ll have all of this sorted in a jiffy.”

“Well, if you say so,” Levi said, turning around to leave.

Gregory stopped him. “Oh and Levi?”

Levi glanced over his shoulder.

“Welcome to the world of Ubez.”

***

It was lunchtime, and Levi sat at the inn’s dinner table, lost in thought. Across from him, Bram quietly carved his steak, having not spoken a word since morning. The streets outside were deserted, guards patrolling for any signs of the two of them.

Levi couldn't fathom how Bram remained so calm. Gregory knew his secret, guards were hunting them, and the Round Table might summon him. His worries, however, were partly unfounded. A system notification blessed his vision:

You have been summoned to the Round Table at midnight tonight.

Levi's lips curled into a small smile.

“Good mood?” Bram asked, noticing the change.

Levi wiped the smile from his face. “I still haven’t forgiven you for before.”

Bram chewed thoughtfully on his steak. “Sorry.”

Levi shuffled in his chair. “Aren’t you curious why Gregory was here and what he’s planning?”

“He told me. The gist of it, anyway,” Bram replied.

“When?” Levi asked, incredulous.

“Just before he boarded the train.”

Levi slumped back in his chair. “So while Gregory hunts down this person, we just sit here and twiddle our thumbs?”

“I can get a board game if you’d like,” Bram offered.

“Not this time,” Levi said, standing up. “I’m going to head to the room early tonight. Get some training done. Maybe meditate and try to forgive you.”

“Grudges aren’t healthy, Levi.”

Levi clicked his tongue. “I don’t entirely blame you. Maybe a little. But I blame Gregory more.”

Bram smiled. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Not hungry.”

“Great,” Bram said, jabbing his fork into Levi’s untouched steak.

Levi practically skipped up the stairs to his room. Despite the hellish day, the summons was good news. At least he hadn’t been kicked out.

For the rest of the night, Levi dedicated himself to training Fire Control and meditating whenever his mana ran dry. He also focused on mastering an ability he had glimpsed during his fight with Rakor: solidifying fire into a spiked lance. Though he had successfully executed it once, replicating it proved challenging.

Bram and Gregory had often mentioned that some people thrived under the intense pressure of battle, dancing on the edge of life and death. The more Levi fought, the more he believed this to be true.

At first, Levi tried creating solid fire directly from within himself, but it was too difficult. Then, he attempted to replicate the conditions of his fight with Rakor. The key difference was that the fire had already been blazing around them. So, he gathered some wood and threw it into the fireplace, igniting it. The crackling of the flames calmed his mind, their red and orange hues washing away his worries.

Rolling up his sleeve, Levi slowly placed his arm into the flames. He closed his eyes, focusing on the heat, immersing himself in the sensation of the fire dancing against his skin. Mana swirled and rose within him, only to burn away into the atmosphere.

Okay, let’s do this, Levi thought.

Connecting with his mana, Levi willed it to harden. The fire responded, but it didn’t solidify. Frustrated, Levi recalled the battle with Rakor. He remembered the smells of nature, sweat, and fire, the look of anger in Rakor's eyes, and the bloodlust coursing through him. With sudden clarity, Levi snapped his eyes open and commanded the fire to form a blade. It lanced upward, a fiery sword of orange and red, skewering the stone before dissipating like smoke.

Smiling, Levi continued. Once he felt comfortable controlling external fire, it was time to internalise the process. Summoning fire from his palm, he pulled mana from within, shaping it into a ten-inch blade. He strained, making the blade longer and thicker until it was sharp enough to slice through paper. He swung it at the wooden dresser, cutting through it cleanly. The edges of the wood caught fire, and Levi extinguished it before the flames consumed the dresser.

Laughing in amazement at his own talent, Levi paced around the room until he caught sight of the clock. His eyes widened as he darted to the bed, throwing the sheet over his head. His mind hazed over, and when he opened his eyes, he was sitting at the Round Table.

Everyone had their eyes latched on him.