It was time to regroup and make sense of the madness that had just unfolded. As we settled down, still buzzing from the tension of Bellatrix’s unexpected visit, I glanced at my brothers. Isak was still in a daze, staring off into space, while Jiho and Abel seemed more focused. We needed to talk this through.

“So… what the hell just happened?” Jiho finally said, leaning forward, rubbing his temples. “We were just enjoying the hotel, and then she shows up and turns everything upside down.”

Abel, who was already looking a bit worn out from the encounter, let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “Yeah, about that… I was ambushed.” He looked up at me, his face calm, but I could see the frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I was in the gym, minding my own business, when suddenly, she shows up out of nowhere. One second, I’m bench pressing, the next, I’ve got a needle to my neck.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So, she just… what? Sneaked up on you?”

Abel nodded. “Pretty much. I didn’t even see her coming. She’s quick—dangerously quick. I didn’t even have time to react before she had me. She didn’t say much, just told me to play along and not make a scene. I couldn’t exactly argue with a needle full of poison aimed at my throat.”

Jiho frowned, leaning back in his seat. “I was wondering why you looked so calm when we came in. You weren’t exactly in a position to fight back.”

Abel shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? I figured it was better to let her think she was in control.”

“Smart move,” I muttered, still trying to piece together the bigger picture. “So, she ambushed you, got us all together, and… what? Just wanted to know about Akari?”

Abel’s expression darkened slightly. “Seems like it. She wasn’t exactly subtle about her threats, though. She wanted information, and she was prepared to get it any way she needed to.”

I shook my head, still processing it all. “And she was ready to kill us if she didn’t get what she wanted.”

Jiho nodded slowly. “But why is Akari so important to them? We barely know anything about him.”

“Whatever it is,” Abel said, his voice low and serious, “we just dodged a bullet. But that doesn’t mean we’re in the clear.”

I couldn’t argue with that. Bellatrix had let us off the hook—for now. But I had the sinking feeling that we hadn’t seen the last of her. And whatever game we were caught in, Akari had dropped us into it without giving us the full picture.

I glanced over at Isak, still lost in his thoughts. “You good, man?”

Isak blinked, finally snapping out of his trance. “I’m gonna marry her.”

I groaned. “Right, let’s focus on not getting killed first.”

It was time to start thinking ahead, to plan how we were going to handle living in this new world. A lot had happened today—too much, honestly—and it was clear that we couldn’t just drift aimlessly through this place. We were connected to Narkul now, tied to this city in ways we couldn’t fully grasp yet. The weight of responsibility settled on all of us. There were things to learn, things to explore, and definitely things to be cautious about.

Abel, always the voice of reason in moments like this, leaned forward, his usual calm expression back in place. “We need to stay focused. No travel, no getting distracted by what’s outside this city until we know more. We can’t afford to wander into something we’re not ready for.”

We all nodded. It was obvious that this world wasn’t just another version of home; it had its own rules, its own dangers, and its own ways of doing things. And while the idea of exploring sounded exciting, we knew Abel was right—we had to stay put until we were better prepared.

“So,” I said, glancing around the room, “we’ve got a lot to figure out, but there’s one big thing on the table. What do we do about university? I mean, in our old lives, none of us could even dream of affording it, but now… well, we’re practically swimming in money thanks to Narkul.”

Jiho, always the logical one, sat back, considering the options. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. If we’re going to be stuck here for a while, university could be a great way to learn more about this world and get some skills under our belt.”

Isak grinned, clearly more excited about the prospect than anyone else. “Yeah, and we’ve got options! We could go somewhere like the Arcane Institute of Boundless Wisdom. You know, learn magic, bend the laws of nature, become total badasses.” He had that gleam in his eye, the same one he got when he talked about video games and anime. “I mean, come on, guys. Magic!”

Abel, on the other hand, wasn’t swayed. He crossed his arms, his brows furrowed in thought. “Magic’s cool and all, but I’m more interested in something practical. The Ironclad Martial School of Combat and Strategy—that’s where we’d learn how to defend ourselves, become stronger, and get a real grasp of how to navigate this world. Magic’s fine, but what happens when it fails? We need to know how to fight.”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

I couldn’t help but smile at the contrast. Isak was all about the fantasy, while Abel, ever the pragmatic one, was focused on survival. “I think both are solid options,” I said. “But let’s not rush into anything. We need to gather more info before making a decision.”

Jiho nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’m with Haru on this. We need to be smart about it. The Arcane Institute sounds great for Isak’s dream of being a magical prodigy, and the Martial School is perfect for Abel’s practical mindset. But we need to consider what’s best for all of us.”

“Maybe we should talk to Narkul,” I suggested. “Get his take on both schools and what we’d gain from each. And maybe even visit them on Sunday, check out the campuses ourselves.”

Isak pouted, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. “Alright, fine. But I still think magic is the way to go.”

Abel, on the other hand, gave a small nod of approval. “I can agree with that. No point in making a blind decision. We’ll see what both schools have to offer.”

The debate had ended, and we’d come to an agreement. We weren’t rushing into anything, not this time. We’d take our time, learn what we could, and then make the choice that would set the course for our future in this world.

After a moment of silence, I decided to bring up something that was looming over all of us—Narkul. “Guys, remember, we’re going to have to spend a lot of time with Narkul too,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “We’re not just living here for fun. We’ll probably need to learn how to manage the city’s finances, get a grasp on the economy. You know, all that boring stuff. It’s part of the deal.”

Everyone nodded, though I could see the fatigue of the day wearing on them. Abel let out a sigh. “Yeah, we can’t forget that. We owe Narkul, and if we’re going to survive here, we’ve got to keep him on our side.”

Isak, ever the joker, still seemed a little out of it after Lady Bellatrix, but he gave a nod. “Guess we’re financial moguls now, huh?”

But there was something else we needed to focus on. “Also,” I added, “we need to figure out where we’re actually going to live. I mean, this place is amazing, but it’s a hotel, not a home. We can’t just crash here forever. And I don’t think we know Narkul well enough to be living at his place.”

Jiho agreed quickly, chiming in. “Yeah, we should look into buying a house tomorrow. Something that’s ours, where we can settle in properly. This penthouse is nice, but we need something more permanent.”

Everyone seemed to be on the same page. “Good point,” Abel said, rubbing his neck. “We find a home, we get situated, and then we can focus on the rest.”

There was still one more concern lingering over us, and Isak, for once, was the one to bring it up. “What about the unfavourable people?” he asked, his voice quieter than usual. “What if they show up again?”

Abel’s expression darkened slightly. “We’ll have to keep our guard up. Just because Lady Bellatrix let us off easy doesn’t mean we’re safe. Anything could happen.”

I pulled out my phone, checking to see if Narkul had responded to my earlier message. Sure enough, he had. He’d written back that it was fine that we’d gotten a hotel—after all, it was technically our money now that we were connected to him. And more than that, he told me something that made my eyes widen. “Guys, Narkul says the money is ours now,” I said slowly. “He literally said we can spend as much as we want, on whatever we want… as long as it’s not illegal.”

There was a pause, and then, like a wave, the realisation hit all of us. We cheered, thinking of all the possibilities that now lay before us. Isak was already rattling off the crazy things he’d buy, from game systems to tech, while Jiho seemed more practical, talking about travel and comfort. The atmosphere lightened instantly, excitement building as the full potential of our wealth started to sink in.

But Abel, as always, brought us back down to earth. “Alright, alright. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. House hunting, learning from Narkul, possibly visiting universities… I’m off to bed. Got to keep growing my mind and muscles.”

Isak grinned, still slightly dazed from earlier, but he managed to crack a smile. “I’ve got a lot to think about,” he said, clearly still entranced by Lady Bellatrix. Then, he stood up and stretched. “But yeah, I’m tired too.”

Jiho followed suit, yawning. “Same. Today’s been crazy. I’m out.”

As they all headed off to bed, I decided to step back out onto the balcony. The night air was cool, and the city of Sanzu lay sprawled out beneath me, bathed in the soft glow of floating lanterns. The sky above was a deep, velvety black, dotted with stars, and a full moon hung heavy, casting a pale light over the landscape. The sight was breathtaking.

I leaned against the railing, taking it all in. The peaceful city, the flickering lights of the lanterns, the vast mountains in the distance, and the ever-flowing Sanzu River snaking through it all. It was magical in a way I hadn’t fully appreciated before, and for a moment, all the chaos and danger faded away.

Looking up at the stars, I wondered what tomorrow would bring. Our lives had changed so quickly, and there was still so much to figure out. But for now, I just let myself enjoy the view, knowing that whatever came next, we’d face it together.

I headed back inside, the warmth of the penthouse instantly comforting me as I made my way to my room. The bedrooms were just as luxurious as the main area, each one designed with rich, dark woods and soft linens, the beds large enough to swallow you whole. I shut the door to my room behind me, kicking off my shoes and collapsing onto the bed, the exhaustion from the day finally catching up to me.

As I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. Grateful for this new world, for the luxury we’d stumbled into, and for the insane day we’d had. Despite everything, it had been incredible. And, weirdly enough, I found myself silently thanking Akari for getting us here, for setting us up in a way that felt like a dream.

“Thanks, Akari,” I muttered under my breath, already feeling sleep pulling me under.

But just as I began to drift off, I heard it.

A voice.

"Why are you here?"

It wasn’t my voice. It wasn’t my mind playing tricks on me, either. No, this was something else entirely. The voice echoed through my mind, deep and resonant, not the sound of a man, but something far more powerful.

It was the sound of a God.

And then, before I could react, the world faded, pulling me further into a dream-like state, the question lingering in the air.