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My ears rang. The fire danced around us in fiery exuberance, while the forest screamed in agony with the flames cackling mischievously. The toilet house turned to a pile of metal mesh with the ground charred in searing black. Mere aftereffects of Châtelier’s attack.

I helped Tursun off the ground. I didn’t know where we were, but getting away from the fire was the first priority. Who knew how long it would burn, how much forest would be destroyed. All from a single skill… I cursed under my breath.

Ruri covered her mouth. “Cover him up. Do not inhale the smoke.”

“What she saying?” Tursun coughed as I clasped my hand over his and my mouth. His dog ears curled up.

“The smoke is dangerous. Yuanyuan, we have to find a ditch or lower ground.” I faced her as she nodded. “Stick together. We’ll lay ourselves down when we find a depression.”

The clouds above stirred with a gloomy presence as we stumbled around the thicket. A burning branch crumbled and in front of us. Tursun and I hopped back and tripped over a bush. Ruri held her position and kept our balance. She supported both of us by putting her hands on our shoulders. Yuanyuan came to support as well.

We had to search somewhere else. Nowhere was safe at this point. Trudging through the mud of ash and black the conflagration blazed through the forest. Falling debris collapse on itself as the smell of smoke killed our noses. My lungs stung while I forced my arms and legs to bear with it.

“Ah—”

I tripped over a sudden incline. Tursun also dropped to the ground along with the two girls. A ditch of dirt and rocks.

“Tch. Kawari!”

“Ow…”

“Let’s just lie low here.”

We decided to stay at this spot. I’d been buried at the bottom of the hole, with Tursun, Ruri, and Yuanyuan, laying on top of each other in order. I couldn’t see anything but darkness, so all I closed my eyes and waited.

During this time I recollected my thoughts into some conclusions. Whatever happened here in my world must’ve been the aftershocks of the actual attack in the other. What firepower that officer possessed, I had no idea. I didn’t even want to imagine Sorah, Ruri, and I fighting against Guiral to the death. The power and level difference between the Officers of Brevity and I were too far to envision a victory against them. Just thinking about it… gave me a headache.

“Huh?” My body felt cool and damp as water trickled down my shirt. I opened my eyes.

One by one we exited the hole. By the time I could finally see light, raindrops pelted my face in a soothing pattern.

“It’s raining!...” Yuanyuan dropped to her knees. “We don’t have to worry about that fire…”

She slumped over onto her lap. Ruri walked over to her and touched her back. “Yuanyuan? You okay? She’s passed out…”

“She inhaled too much smoke at the brunt of the fire and rain while we were in that ditch,” I explained to her and helped Tursun up again. He kept his eyes closed as well as he groaned. “Ruri, let’s find the nearest road, shelter, any sign of civilization.”

“...On it.” She threw Yuanyuan’s arm around her shoulder and lifted her up. After making sure our belongings were secured we began our walk. Judging by the flora and fauna we were in Hakone, the same as we’d been before we disappeared months back.

“The rain won’t let up,” I said to Ruri a few minutes into the walk, “One of us might get sick, and it's already dusk…”

Ruri looked back at me, carrying Yuanyuan in her arms. “Kawari, we’ve traveled the Kucina Desert and journeyed from Waqwaq to Great Zhou. You expect little raindrops to stop us—kushu!”

“See.” I kept my eyes forward. “You still remember your Japanese?”

“Of course. Don’t underestimate me.”

“Great.”

Just like that we returned to our usual exchange of banters. Except we were hauling both Yuanyuan and Tursun. It seemed that trip to Kucha helped with my stamina. Ruri had always been highly athletic so I didn’t worry about her that much. After fifteen minutes of trudging through the forest, the sun already lowered on the horizon in its final hour.

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“Are you relieved, or scared?”

Ruri pushed on ahead of me. “Of what?”

“That we are back. We haven’t even returned here in around three months. We left Sorah and my dad.”

She went silent and stopped her hiking. I went ahead of her before looking behind. The rain continued to pour as her long hair became soaking wet.

“I’m a bit anxious.” Ruri avoided eye contact. “I’m a bit uncertain—afraid. Why are you asking me this?...”

I paused and looked to the sky. After all this time, we finally came back to Hakone. “Because I’m anxious, uncertain, and afraid too.”

“You…”

We ducked to the sound of sirens blaring. Police cars. That meant a road was nearby. Ruri and I took Yuanyuan and Tursun and rushed towards the screeching horns. Eventually I could see flashing lights zooming in a linear direction. The shrieking sirens woke Yuanyuan and Tursun so we let them walk by themselves. By the time we reached a semblance of a street police vehicles clogged the entire way.

“If the police see us then we’re done for.” I looked back at Ruri and the others. “Let’s sneak our way in the back across.”

Ruri nodded but Yuanyuan and Tursun tilted their heads. Yuanyuan knocked on her forehead. “Sorry, we didn’t catch that. Please speak in a language we understand～”

I sighed and spoke Zhouhua for convenience’s sake. “See that? There’s a ‘convenience store’, an indoor market, across the road. We’ll sneak past the ‘police’, my world’s guards, and enter.”

Once I got their affirmation we focused on the problem at hand. All the cars were parked with their doors open, while the officers looked on at the arising smoke in the distance. They must’ve been called out from the fire. Soon fire trucks would arrive, and this street would crowd even more. But we couldn’t afford to stand out in the rain and mud.

I crawled near the end of the caravan and brought myself under one of the cars. I signaled over to the others as Ruri followed suit. She took my hand and I pulled her under. Then Tursun and Yuanyuan followed while I crept on the wet asphalt to the other side of the car. Upon pulling Yuanyuan out we ran to the convenience store.

“If you wish to keep your life on the other side, then protect it with your life.”

Three months ago when Ruri and I ended up in Han’ei, I thought the ‘door’ was only controlled by the voice. Some sort of higher being. We struggled in Waqwaq while trying to survive amongst the rhythm of the city, and managed to help Ruri off the ground. We made a promise to Taqumi to guard the ‘door’, which I assumed would one day come back.

“I’ll defend it with my life, Kawari! That’s what we promised! Tell Time-Weaver to come back to compete with me one day!”

A month ago when Ruri and I traveled to Great Zhou, we left Taqumi and the sliding glass door behind. They were an ocean away. Under the impression that it was the only way back we began our search for Sorah’s family. Yet I’d been gifted the skill to summon the only portal inbetween worlds. What was the point of Taqumi’s promise? What was the point of guarding the door with my life?

The store’s chime played its nightly tune. For some reason, no one stood at the register. The store's bright lights bombarded me as I walked through the glass doors. My mud stained shoes soiled the white tiles. We entered all drenched in rainwater with dirt over our face. I panted and lifted my head towards the security camera in the top corner.

“Just what were those things? Metal carriages?” Tursun looked around in amazement. “And this is your market? Those rumors about you being from another world were true…”

Ruri stood straight after resting on her knees. “Just what did you think we were?”

“People who were being pursued by the Royal Marshal for a fabricated lie.”

“They’re not lying, it’s true! Look here at this strange text plastered everywhere!” Yuanyuan pointed to the magazine stand with beaming eyes. “Kawari, you can read this right, right?”

The demihuman walked over and got a closer look. “Woah, I’ve never seen such a script. It looks similar to Zhouhua orthography.”

“Let’s not get carried away.” I put up my hands in protest. We weren’t here to stick around and browse. “We’ll rest for a bit and head to my dad’s house.”

“Right. We’ve been at this convenience store before…” Ruri confirmed with a nod. She remembered our first trip to Hakone that far back? Even I had trouble knowing where we were now. Her shoulders shivered while she blew warm air into her hands. As much as I wanted to buy a towel or handkerchief to clean ourselves, we didn't have any yen. Only the yuan-taels from the other world.

Raindrops continued to tap on the store's windows.The familiar surroundings with its rows of snacks, drinks, and magazines offered me a bit of comfort. Tursun continued to marvel and inspect at the products on the shelves with his dog-like curiosity. Yuanyuan inspected the Japanese script on a fashion magazine while trying to decipher its meaning. Ruri, with her arms crossed, stared at the floor, lost in thought.

No one appeared to be here but silence. Until the glass doors slid open and jingled for a second time. A person walked through while a police had dismissed them with a wave.

“Thank you for your coöperation, mister.” The cop bowed at the entrance before taking his leave.

I could hear the second voice from inside the store. “No, no, thank you for your diligence in this small town.”

I gathered the four of us and huddled into the farthest corner of the building. If anyone saw Tursun they would freak out. Let alone four ragged travelers covered in water and mud. The police had interrogated the convenience store’s employee. We would be done for if they stopped us as well.

“This mud…” The person noticed the footprints on the floor and went into the backroom.

“Break time’s over.” I signaled for the others to follow me to the entrance. While the employee was gone. The four of us checked the windows for any more police and moved our way towards the sliding doors. We were so close to making it out.

“Kawari?...”

My shoulders perked up. It was the employee’s voice. They came back earlier than I’d predicted. And how did they know my name? Was it someone from my childhood? A friend of my father? My eyes narrowed as I slowly turned around. “Ruri…”

The employee wore a red striped uniform with the store’s brand. As I caught a good look he had silver hair fixed up into a fresh cut with a red headband running through his hair. The Wawaqi man held a wet floor sign, his mouth agape and eyes wide. I understood why I never recognized him. His accent was indistinguishable from the locals.

“Sorah?...”

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