Still reeling from Zeris’s final attack, I remained sprawled out on the dojo mat. Every muscle in my body screamed, I was covered in bruises, and it hurt to breathe.

“That’s enough for tonight. Take tomorrow off to recover.”

I didn’t look at Zeris, but I heard him walking over to the wall of weapons to hang his, and shortly after, I was left alone in the brightly lit dojo.

Zeris and I had sparred four more times after my stubborn insistence on continuing to fight. It was great practice, and it showed just how much Divinus had been helping me improve my skills. Zeris was clearly holding back most of the time, but I was still proud of myself.

Adrenaline still coursed through my veins, my heart pounded in my chest. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep anytime soon, even after all that sparring.

‘What to do, what to do...’

Letting out a pained groan, I picked myself up off the floor, hung the wooden katana on the wall of weapons, and made my way out of the dojo.

Walking along the beautiful cobblestone path, I passed the luminescent flowers that grew abundantly throughout the estate. They glowed a soft blue and pink, bringing color to the otherwise stark darkness. I wandered through the many paths until I found one that led to one of the gardens.

There, I saw a familiar wooden bench near a small pond, surrounded by flowers. Trees resembling cherry blossoms stood tall, their branches displacing the cool rays of the moon. A young woman sat calmly on the bench, her bright blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze, and her crystal blue eyes wistfully gazing at the pond.

Her flawless olive skin made her glow in the moonlight.

I stood mesmerized for a moment. She looked like an angel, too pure for this world. As I stepped forward, my feet sank into the soft grass. Sylvie must have heard me because she slightly turned her head, glanced at me, then returned her gaze to the pond.

Sitting down next to her, I was surprised at how comfortable the bench was, even without cushions. We sat in silence for a while, watching the beautiful scene before us. Strangely, the silence wasn’t awkward. It was peaceful.

“You should be resting, my lor—Ezra,” she corrected herself. “You and Lord Zeris trained for quite a while today.”

I didn’t respond immediately, lingering in the comfortable quiet.

“I’ll rest soon. I’ve had a lot on my mind today, so I thought I’d come here to enjoy the view. Why are you here?”

The wind picked up for a moment, throwing her blonde hair into her face. She pushed it behind her ear before speaking in her usual monotone voice.

“When everyone goes to sleep for the night, I do one last sweep of the estate. After that, I like to come to this pond and just... be lazy.”

Confused, I raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

“You come here because you want to be lazy?”

She pulled her gaze from the pond and met my eyes.

“Yes. Isn’t that normal in your world?”

Chuckling softly, I shook my head, looking up at the trees.

“Being lazy? Yes, it’s very normal in my world. This world is different from mine, but there are similarities. These trees, for example. We have something like them called cherry blossoms.”

Sylvie looked up at the trees, a slight smile curling on her pink lips.

“Cherry blossoms... I like that name.”

She stared at them for a moment longer before turning her attention back to me.

“Could you tell me more about your world? If... that’s okay with you.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Surprised, I shifted slightly, leaning back on the bench and staring at the bright moon.

“The world I come from is full of large cities, with buildings that reach into the clouds. Millions of people live in these cities, working together to keep them running. There are also parts of my world covered in snowy mountains and hills, forests where it rains almost constantly. Seventy-one percent of my world is covered by oceans.”

I glanced at Sylvie, noticing her eyes widen slightly. A curious smile played on her lips. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“The technology in my world is pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. We’ve moved past using carriages and horses for travel. We can fly high in the sky, travel deep into the sea, and we have little metal rectangles called phones that can show images and answer almost any question you can think of—all in the palm of your hand.”

Sylvie shifted slightly beside me.

“Wow! Your world sounds amazing. And... peaceful.”

When she said that, a memory flashed through my mind.

“I wish it always was. But it’s plagued by wars, constant conflicts, and even... even families aren’t always safe from the evil that exists in my world.”

A deep sorrow filled my heart. All I ever wanted was a peaceful life, to live happily with my family, to fall in love, and start my own family...

Before I could finish my thoughts, Sylvie spoke.

“You say that as if that evil has affected you personally. Has it?”

My gaze dropped to my hands. Hesitating, I spoke.

“My... my father was a cruel man. He would yell at me, my mother, and my sisters a lot. One day, he laid a hand on my mother. I was only ten when I tried to intervene. He slapped me across the face and threw me to the floor before walking out of our lives... and never coming back.”

A slow, shaky breath escaped my lips.

‘Why am I telling her all this? I’ve intentionally kept most of my world a secret, especially my family. So why now?’

***

[SYLVIE POV]

Ezra remained silent, but I could feel the powerful emotions radiating from him. What he shared must have been difficult. This was the most I’d ever heard him share with anyone since he was summoned to this world.

I couldn’t blame him. We must seem alien to him, similar to the people from his world but also so—so very different.

“Hey, Sylvie, I—uh, never told anyone that before. Not even my friends from my world. So, please, could you keep what I’ve said tonight to yourself?”

I looked into his pale, moonlit eyes. They seemed to glow, reflecting the soft waves of the pond.

“Your secret is safe with me. Thank you for trusting me.”

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed. Or maybe it was something else. We sat in silence again, the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees Ezra had said looked like cherry blossoms.

The bright moon shone down on us, stars scattered abundantly across the night sky. It felt... romantic.

‘No! Stop it, Sylv! He just told you a dark secret, and here you are thinking how romantic the atmosphere is.’

Feeling my cheeks grow warm, I shook my head, trying to come up with something to say. But before I could speak, I heard his voice.

“Would you mind telling me about yourself, Sylvie?”

Taken aback, I looked away from his eyes, staring at the pond.

“I... I never knew my parents. My earliest memory is holding a blanket over me and my little sister, Lilith, in an alleyway. We were homeless for a long time until my soul was Blessed. After that, I worked as hard as I could to ascend the phases of the first threshold.”

I paused for a moment, a slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

“When I was thirteen, I ascended to the second threshold. After that, I took small jobs for the Adventurers’ Company—cleaning streets, getting pets out of trees, things like that. During my time there, I met an older man named Darrow.”

Memories of my master flashed through my mind.

“He was a veteran, fought in some meaningless wars, but he was best known as a B-rank adventurer. He took me and my sister in, raised us, fed us, and trained me in the art of the sword. Most importantly, he gave us a roof over our heads.”

Wiping a tear before Ezra could notice, I continued.

“When I turned seventeen, I had become an A-rank adventurer. Darrow decided to come along on one of my missions to the Abominable Forest. We encountered a dreadful Abomination. It killed him—the only father I ever knew. After that, my sister fell ill. While doing missions to afford treatment for her, I met His Royal Highness. He agreed to have experts treat her if I performed duties for him.”

Taking a deep breath, I nervously fidgeted with my fingers.

“The experts are located outside the kingdom, so I don’t get to visit often. It’s... it’s been a year since I last saw her. We celebrated my eighteenth birthday.”

Ezra shifted, his eyes piercing and sincere.

“Thank you for sharing something so personal, Sylvie. It... it really means a lot to be able to share these things with someone. I’ve felt very alone here.”

Quickly looking away from his beautiful eyes to hide the redness filling my cheeks, I clicked my heels together nervously and asked, my voice shaky.

“I know His Highness has made me your personal attendant, but... I was wondering if maybe we could also be... friends?”

He let out a melodic chuckle, his laugh brightening the night, and stared off into the distance.

“I think... that’s a great idea, Sylvie.”

Gripping my skirt tightly, I smiled—wider than I had in a long time.

“Then call me ‘Sylv.’ Only Lilith and Master Darrow used to call me that. But now... now you can too.”

Perhaps this friendship will make me feel less alone as well.

***

[EZRA POV]

‘A friend…’

I had to admit, getting to really know Sylvie has made this world feel less—lonesome.

Sylvie stood, smoothing the wrinkles of her black skirt.

“Anyways it's late, Goodnight Ezra.”

Her monotone voice and indifferent expression seemed a bit brighter, happier. I smiled.

“Goodnight Sylv, sleep well.”