[ I'm Just A Human ]

「 3 - Brotherly Bond 」

There were 2 people inside. A tall one laying on the worn out couch, reading a cover-less book. A small one sorting out a pile of books on the floor. Ren entered and jumped on the coffee table.

"Welcome home Ren!" The small one cheerfully greeted. "Who's this?"

The small one wore a white button up shirt and black pants. His eyes were very big and wide, cute, small nose and wide lips. He appears to be as tall as me, but a little shorter. Maybe about 160cm? What caught my eye was his bright orange coloured spiky hair. How does he put them up? And his eyes, it was like fire burning in his pupil. It changes colour every time light hits it. From a dark orange, to a reddish orange to the colour of a tangerine.

Truly magical.

He looked at me and tilted his head. He kept staring at me and didn't avert his gaze. The tall one closed his book, looked at me like he was scanning for weapons. I raised both of my hands.

"I don't have anything dangerous on me!"

Shit. I already embarrassed myself.

"Meet Suki-"

"-Tsuki," I corrected.

"Ki! He'll be staying with us cuz he needs shelter. He got lost in the forest. I felt bad so I took him with me," Ren said in a prideful manner.

"Nice to meet you Ki! Where are you from?" The small one asked.

I froze. My body is completely stiff.

"Haha- he forgot," Ren tried to dodge.

"I forgot," I supported.

"Aww that's sad. We could at least help you get back home," he sniffed.

"It's fine, I'm sure I'll remember it someday," I tried to cheer him up.

"You're human right?"

"Yes," I answered.

The tall one looked at me suspiciously. He stood up and walked up to me. His height could match those of a basketball player. He wasn't skinny either. Definitely someone who has undergone some training. It was scary.

His white hair appeared orange under the light from the fireplace. His facial structure was sharp and defined. The eyebrows were thick and furrowed, making him look like he's angry all the time. Stubbly chin with deep dark circles under his eye. Doesn't look well groomed and well slept.

He lowered his head to face mine. His eyes went up and down, scanning me thoroughly. He then retreated and went back to read his book.

"Ummm…." I stuttered.

"That's Hades, he's shy when meeting new people," the shortie pointed towards him.

You call that shy?

"I'm Igneous."

"Nice to meet you Igneous…. And Hades," I said with a nice tone. What kind of parents name their kids after a rock and a god?

"Let me fully introduce myself! I'm an Elemental, a fire one. 50, I think? I lost count. I like sweets and desserts. Physical activity too! I like playing with my fire magic but Hades told me not to or else I would burn the entire kingdom. That's why we're far away in the first place. I go to a school at the edge of the kingdom called Northern Alcaster Academy. It's really fun there! Have you visited it? I made two friends these past two weeks. I love my friends! They're so nice and friendly! Both of them are girls so I feel a little shy. Oh! But there's this one boy! Though his sisters kept me from going closer. Want me to tell their names-"

"That's enough Igneous," he was cut off by the tall man. "It's not good to let out too much info. It might be an enemy."

"Oops!" Igneous covered his mouth.

The tall one shook his head. He sighed as he rubbed his temple out of stress. He finally closed his book and put it aside. Again, he walked up to me. His eyes stared into mine and I stared back at it. I never lost in a staring contest. He frowned and faced Ren.

"Don't worry. This guy's safe. I checked thoroughly," Ren said.

"You better tell me how you got this guy here. Got it?" He told in a condescending manner.

"I will."

"If you need food, dinner will be ready soon. Take a shower first, you stink. It's the furthest door. We can provide you with clothes and towels," he reassured me. "And take off your shoes before entering. Place them on the shoe rack."

He walked away and went straight to the kitchen. I nodded. My stomach grumbled loudly.

"Do you at least have a snack I could eat first?"

He sighed and tossed me a packet of bread. I opened it and gave a big bite. It tasted stale but edible. As he told me, I took off my shoes and took the clothes Igneous gave me. It was quite big. Not surprised for someone as tall as an average basketball player.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Maybe I could use your clothes Igneous?"

"Sure! I think it'll fit you better!"

He skipped his way into his room and took a buttoned up shirt with pants. He handed it to me. I thanked him.

The furthest door…. Ah there it is!

I opened it and to my surprise, it was very clean. The bathtub was sparkling white and the sink had no sign of stains. I placed the towel and clothes on the hanging rack. The tap water kept on running to fill up the bathtub. I placed my hand inside to feel the temperature, just right. With my right foot first, I stepped inside. It felt refreshing. The warm water calmed my nerves and relaxed my body.

"So, will you tell me?" I could hear Hades's voice.

The bathroom must be next to the kitchen. The walls must be thin too, it is made out of wood. In this situation, I couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Shh. Not too loud," Ren said.

"Fine, fine."

"So the story is, I saw him falling from the sky."

"That's a huge warning sign," Hades had a worrying tone.

"I told you he's safe," Ren reassured him.

"No, that's not what I'm referring to. Falling from the sky? Then that means…"

"Yup, he's from the 2nd level."

"Shouldn't that be impossible?"

"Should be. But I heard about the chaos on the upper levels, about the leakage."

"Still, it wouldn't be enough for a human to be sent here."

"Maybe something else is going on."

"Ughh talking about the stuff from up there gives me a headache. I'm supposed to be retired."

"A god is still a god."

"Quiet. I barely did anything."

"I'm surprised he didn't react that much."

"Maybe he did, but was able to hide it. So what you're saying is, he's from Earth who was sent here? He wouldn't be able to go here on his own so he must have someone else to do it."

"Who could even do such a thing? The 2nd level is bound by a strict and powerful contract connected to all worlds. Not even the Holy Duality could oppose it."

"That's very suspicious. Maybe there is a way to get around the contract."

"I don't even want to think about it."

Despite me being able to hear everything clearly, I couldn't keep up with what they're saying. Every word seems foreign to me.

"But you know what surprised me the most," Hades continued.

"What?"

"He was able to speak in perfect Alvech."

"What's wrong with that? Isn't the Alvech language the most widely recognised language of all worlds?"

"Not for the 2nd level."

"What do you mean," Ren got anxious.

"The 2nd level is the most closed one. Nothing could get in and nothing could get out. So, Ki shouldn't have known about the Alvech language."

"His brain was rewired or something?"

"That's a possibility. How? I don't even know."

Alvech language? What do they mean by that? All I hear is perfect English. Maybe the Alvech language IS the English language? Or to them, I really am speaking in a different language.

It doesn't matter. I'm able to understand them, and they're able to understand me.

"I wonder what 2nd level language is like."

"I heard there's hundreds of them. I'm not sure about the current situation."

"That's a lot. We only have 10."

"It's easier to have a few. Some gods even have to regulate the system. Make sure that no new ones are created."

"That's one tough job."

"Definitely."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yes?" I shouted.

"Ummm…. It's me Igneous. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

"I heard taking baths together strengthens the brotherly bond. My friend Sonata always takes baths with his sister. Though I heard she's the one that dragged him. But they had fun! He gets all red when we talk about that. I've never seen him being so shy, it's cute."

That sounded illegal.

He opened the door. He shyly peeked through before entering. His towel was wrapped in a way covering his entire body leaving out the arms. He placed his clothes next to mine but wasn't able to reach it.

"Are you okay? Let me help."

I got out of the bathtub to help him. Suddenly I heard a scream. Igneous ran out of the bathroom and dropped his towel, leaving his dick flopping out in the open.

"I-I-I'M S-SSSSORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!" He wailed.

His face looked like he had seen a ghost. What is he so scared about? I looked around and looked down.

"Ah, that's right. I have a vagina."

Wait a minute-

I immediately dried myself and put on the clothes. Scurried out of the door and went to the living room. With no hesitation, I bowed completely.

"Igneous, why did you scream so loud?"

Igneous threw himself to Hades and hugged him. In a shock, he patted Igneous's back and calmed him down.

"H-H-HE- S-SHE- HE- S-S-SHE'S A GIRL! UUWAAAAAAAAAAAA," Igneous cried out loud.

"I'm sorry. I totally forgot I have a vagina," I said in a robotic tone.

Both Hades and Ren gave me that 'what the fuck are you talking about? Are you crazy' look.

Ahhh…. I fucked up.

I mean, how can someone totally forget a part of their body. A body they've been living with for more than 20 years. I hope they'll forgive me for my mistake, I feel really bad for Igneous.

"What is that stance?"

"How can you forget about 'that'?"

"I'm sorry. I totally forgot I have a vagina," I said in a robotic tone.

Ren went closer and put his paw on my head. Is he patting me?

I lifted up my head. All of them had a confused look.

This is sooo embarrassing….

-Few minutes later…

All of us sat down at the small wooden table. The food was laid on carefully. Hades sat right in front of me, crossing both his arm and legs. He didn't have any expression on. Meanwhile, Ren was enjoying the food on the plate. A cat with good table manners despite his bitchy attitude. Igneous was also enjoying his food, although his face seems to be flushed red.

"I'm sorry you had to go through something traumatising," I apologised again.

"I-it's nothing too serious! I'll try my best to forget it!"

"I'm sorry too. I knew I should've closely inspected when I had that fishy feeling," Hades apologised. "But that's not the problem right now. We can help you stay at an inn in the capital. But only for a week, I don't have much with me right now."

"Why an inn?"

"Well,you're-"

Oh right, of course.

"It's fine, I can stay here comfortably. Oh, but if you guys are uncomfortable with me staying here, I can stay at the inn."

"You're comfortable?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

His face was shocked.

"Yay! A new family member!" Igneous enthusiastically cheered.

"Well then, we can provide you with a completely separate room," he cleared his throat.

"You all sleep in the same room?"

"We all sleep in the living room. Our rooms are more like a storage room," Igneous said with a mouth full of food.

"How many rooms are there anyway?"

"3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom."

"Pretty small."

I started to dig in. The food looked weird but the smell was amazing. It appeared to be a violet soup with a bunch of other stuff in it. The soup was thick, paired with the aroma, it's like a 5 star dish!

"You like it?" Hades asked.

"I do!"

He blushed, trying his best to hide it. All of us enjoyed his cooking and we finished it until the plate was clean.

That night, I helped them take out unwanted things and changed the bed sheets. There was a small fire lamp, but it was enough to keep the place warm.

I layed on the bed, trying to find the best position. It was very comfy.

Then, the door slightly opened. It was Ren.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I thought maybe you're feeling a bit lonely," he jumped and landed right next to me. "I hope you don't mind."

I shook my head.

"Thanks. I'm used to it," I gave a smile.

"Used to feeling lonely?"

I nodded.

"It's not good to feel lonely all the time. It'll be bad for your health."

"Been this way since I can't remember when," I giggled.

He patted my forehead with his small paws.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night."

And with that, ends a very tiring day.

.

To be continued…