It was early that Saturday morning.

Jett had gone out for a walk. He was planning to stay in the pocket dimension for a much longer time today, so he made sure to bring a backpack containing all the supplies he needed, such as food, water, clothes, instructional fighting videos and the likes. He soon came across a park bench, feeling tired, he decided to rest up for a while.

As Jett sat on the park bench, enjoying the morning breeze, a girl approached and took a seat beside him. Her denim overalls and chestnut hair caught his eye immediately. When she smiled at him, Jett felt a rush of excitement he couldn't explain.

"You don’t mind me sitting here, do you?" she asked in a warm voice.

"No, not at all," Jett replied, feeling a bit tongue-tied.

Her smile widened as she settled in, pulling out a pencil and notebook. "I love coming to this park on Saturday mornings," she remarked.

"Yeah, me too," Jett agreed, trying to sound casual.

Soon, he found himself asking, "So what brings you to the park this morning?"

The girl looked up from her sketching, her green eyes meeting his. "Oh, I'm just out enjoying the fresh air before I have to head home and study for exams. You?"

"Same. Just felt like clearing my head," Jett replied, trying to keep his cool.

The girl then extended her hand for a handshake, introducing herself as Ava. Jett hesitated for a moment before accepting, his palms suddenly feeling sweaty. "J-Jett," he stammered, hoping she didn't notice.

"It's nice to meet you, Jett," Ava replied warmly.

Before they could continue their conversation, her phone rang, interrupting the moment.

"Please, excuse me," Ava said apologetically as she answered the call.

Jett watched her walk away, feeling disappointment as their interaction came to an end.

However, before she left, Jett gathered the courage to ask, "Can we meet again next Saturday?"

Ava turned back with a smile, "I could come back later in the day."

With a wave, she bid him farewell and disappeared from sight.

As Jett lounged back on the park bench, his mind drifted back to his encounter with Ava. He couldn't shake the strange attraction he felt toward her. Sure, she was beautiful, but Jett felt like that was not just it. Something more made him attracted to her.

But then again, Jett reasoned, he was not exactly a catch himself. He had never been one to turn heads or attract attention. Most girls didn't give him a second glance, let alone strike up a conversation like Ava had.

Jett sighed.

Just then, his mind flashed back to his conversation with Eric. "If he's right about the dangers we face," Jett muttered, "then I need to get stronger. Fast."

Jett rose from the bench and made his way to an isolated area of the park. He cautiously looked around; he made sure no one was watching before slipping into his pocket dimension.

Entering his pocket dimension, Jett felt the same excitement he had been feeling since yesterday. "Time to push my limits," he whispered, focusing on the ring glowing on his finger.

***

Ava strolled along the busy street. Her mind drifted back to her encounter with Jett. "So he's a wielder too," she mused.

She recalled how she had saw the cosmic ring on Jett’s finger when he had reached out to receive her handshake.

Ava touched the colorful ring on her own finger then wondered if Jett had noticed her ring as well. "Maybe he did, but chose to stay silent," she speculated.

Lost in thought, she continued walking, her pencil twirling between her fingers. "It's strange how these rings find their way to us," she reflected, remembering the day she stumbled upon hers at a garage sale.

She bought the ring from a garage sale but when he reached her house, she realized the ring was not ordinary. "I could control both fire and water," she murmured.

Ava's thoughts turned to Eric. A mysterious stranger who had appeared just in time to warn her about her abilities.

"He saved my life," she acknowledged.

With a shrug, she pushed aside her reflections and focused on the present.

"Lay low," She still remembered the warning that Eric gave her that day. Ever since then, she never saw Eric again.

Ava finally arrived at the café. She entered the café and began scanning the tables until she spotted her childhood friend, Lily, eagerly waiting for her. With a bright smile, Ava approached Lily.

"Hey, Lily," Ava greeted, sliding into the seat opposite her friend. "Sorry I'm late."

Lily waved off Ava's apology with a grin. "No worries, Ava. Did you bring it?" she asked eagerly.

Ava reached into her bag and pulled out a sketchbook, flipping it open to reveal her latest creation. "Here it is," she said proudly, sliding the sketch across the table to Lily.

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Lily’s face showed delight as she examined the drawing. "Ava, this is amazing!" she exclaimed in admiration. "You're such a talented artist."

Blushing at the praise, Ava ducked her head modestly. "Thanks, Lily. I'm glad you like it."

They soon began a lively discussion about the sketch. As they chatted, Lily noticed the thoughtful expression on Ava's face.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Lily asked, nudging Ava playfully. "Got a secret admirer or something?"

Ava laughed at the teasing. "No, nothing like that," she reassured Lily absent-mindedly.

Lily winked mischievously. "Well, let me know if you need any tips on snagging a guy," she teased.

Ava laughed again.

By the time their conversation wound down, Ava glanced at her wristwatch and sighed. "I hate to cut this short, but I've got to hit the books for my exams," she said regretfully.

Lily nodded understandingly. "No problem, Ava. We can catch up later," she said with a smile.

With a wave, Ava gathered her things and headed for the door. As she stepped out into the street, she hoped she would see Jett again. She needed to discuss the rings with him. He needed to know what sort of danger he was in.

***

Jett emerged from the pocket dimension into his apartment. Thirty-six days had passed within the dimension, Jett had been keeping track through his watch. He had hoped to stay longer, but the dimension allowed him to stay for only a limited time – thirty-six days max. And when Jett tried to re-enter the dimension, it did not allow him. It was on some sort of cooldown, and Jett had no clue when it'd reset.

Jett turned to look at the clock on his wall. It was 6am. Sunday morning. Turned out, he had only been gone for a single day in the real world.

"So 36 days is equivalent to a single day in real life," Jett mused. The pocket dimension worked strangely. He felt a sense of pride for some reason.

During his time within the pocket dimension, Jett had honed his abilities significantly. His teleportation skills had also improved, allowing him to travel farther distances with greater accuracy and less fatigue. However, he still had limitations. He could not teleport infinitely. He still needed breaks between teleports. So he could not just warp whenever and wherever but he was getting there.

Moreover, Jett had also developed a keen spatial awareness. He could sense the distance between objects, obstacles in his way, and directions intuitively. It made teleporting easier for him.

Lastly, Jett could now choose where the pocket dimension would bring him out. But there was a catch. He had to be familiar with the place he wanted to appear in. He could suddenly appear inside of his apartment but trying to land somewhere new was not possible.

But perhaps the most significant improvement came in his combat skills. Jett had brought instructional videos with him into the pocket dimension, using them as a guide to learn a few fighting techniques. While it wasn't easy, he spent hours practicing these techniques. He also made as much corrections as was needed. He wasn't an expert but he could at least defend himself to some extent in a fight. That was good enough for now.

Additionally, he found that his personal belongings, such as his watches and peripherals, worked in only subjective time in the pocket dimension. Therefore, he could not rely on them to keep track of time in the real world.

Jett then checked his backpack. "I’m surprised my supplies even lasted this long."

Ava's face suddenly flashed in his mind. She elicited a strange sensation that gave Jett goosebumps. Why was he thinking about her now? Jett pushed the thought aside. He was probably just tired from his intense training.

Feeling extremely sleepily, Jett made his way to his bedroom. He was to ready to collapse into bed. But as he passed by the mirror, something caught his eye. He was stunned by the reflection staring back at him.

He looked... different. Taller, definitely. He was much taller than he remembered being before entering the pocket dimension. And his body was slightly more toned than before while his dull blue eyes now sparkled with a bright sapphire blue. Jett couldn't believe his eyes.

"What... what's happened to me?" Jett muttered to himself. Could staying in the pocket dimension have somehow altered his physical form as well?

Jett wanted to ponder more about it but he really needed to sleep. Jett crawled into bed, as he began to think of several possibilities as to why he changed physically. Whatever the explanation, one thing was certain – he was no longer the same person he was before. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

Jett woke up, feeling a bit groggy. As he glanced in the mirror, he noticed his body still underwent some minor changes – his muscles seemed more defined, and his jawline sharper. Letting out a loud yawn, he ran a hand through his natural black hair before getting out of bed.

Deciding to do some morning exercise, Jett dropped to the floor and did a few quick push-ups. He felt like he needed to keep fit so that his body could keep up with the combat moves he was learning.

Standing up, he couldn't help but admire his reflection again. He looked taller and more toned than before, and some things around him seemed shorter in comparison to him.

After a refreshing shower and a change of clothes, Jett headed out the door ready to start his day.

As Jett made his way down the street, he unexpectedly bumped into Ava. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, and his palms grew clammy. With a nervous smile, he greeted her, trying to act casual despite the butterflies in his stomach.

"Hey there, Ava" he said, his voice a bit more strained than he intended.

Ava looked at Jett from head to toe then became shocked. "Is that really you? Wow, you look... different," she remarked.

"Yeah, I guess... a little," Jett replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Before he could think of what to say next, a strange sensation washed over him. He felt something claw his neck and invisible fingers creep up his spine. That was the sign that something bad was about to happen. Jett looked around, his instincts on high alert.

Ava noticed his anxiousness.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Jett was just about to tell Ava not to worry but then his eyes landed on a nearby alleyway. He could see faint wisps of gas seeping out from a cracked pipe. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized the danger they were in.

Without a second thought, he grabbed Ava's hand and pulled her close to him. The sudden proximity to Jett made Ava’s cheeks flush red. Jett’s hands glowed blue and in the blink of an eye, they were both teleported away, just moments before a deafening explosion ripped through the air.

They reappeared a safe distance away; Ava stumbled slightly. She was disoriented from the sudden teleportation. Jett quickly wrapped his arms around her, steadying her until she regained balance.

"You okay?" he asked.

Ava nodded, her cheeks flushed red and her breath coming in short gasps. "Y-Yeah, thanks."

Once Ava was steady on her feet, Jett released her. Jett’s nerves suddenly went on edge as he processed what just happened. He'd never held a girl that close before. He was oddly euphoric and uneasy at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, Jett tried to compose himself.

Ava, meanwhile, turned to face the scene of the explosion. Jett cleared his throat, feeling the need to explain himself.

"I-I don't really know how it happened," he stammered. "It's just... something that started happening recently."

With a reassuring smile, Ava showed Jett her own ring.

Turning back to face Jett, Ava's expression softened as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her own ring, "We're both ring wielders," she explained gently. "So there’s no need to worry. We’re lucky you have such sharp instincts or we would both be dead."

Still, Jett could still feel then sense of unease. He couldn't shake the feeling that something worse was yet to come. He just didn’t know how soon.

Meanwhile, at a distance, a young man with heterochromia and tattoos covering his arm watched them with a smirk. His eyes were fixed on Jett only and a twisted smile spread across his face, he muttered, "Looks like we have a savior, now."