Alex lifted his face out of the mud and glanced behind him. Lying on her back a few feet away was a young woman, about his age, her expression caught between shock and bewilderment.

She had fair skin and fiery red hair that framed her face in soft waves, with longer locks cascading over her shoulders. Her light green eyes seemed to glow in contrast to her pale complexion. A streak of mud smeared across her rather gifted chest, hinted at how Alex must have stepped on her during his chaotic tumble out of the forest. The road beneath them was slightly lower than the mound of dirt Alex had leaped over in his panicked escape.

Realizing what had happened, Alex scrambled to his feet and rushed to her side.

“Are you okay?” he asked, extending a hand to help her up. “I’m so sorry—I didn’t see you. I was kind of... running for my life,” he added with a sheepish chuckle, pointing toward the forest. He cast a wary glance back. “Speaking of which, I could’ve sworn something was chasing me.”

“You came from the forest?” she asked, her voice soft and melodic, though tinged with surprise. “If you did, then something likely was chasing you.”

“But… it didn’t follow me?” Alex asked, feeling equal parts relieved and slightly disappointed at the anticlimax.

“They can’t leave the forest during the day,” she explained, tilting her head as she studied him. Her eyes roamed over his disheveled appearance, scanning him from head to toe with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

“I’m… not from around here,” Alex said, deciding it was best to reveal as little as possible about his situation.

“Not from around here?” Her confusion deepened. “Everyone within miles knows about the forest. Just where are you from?” she asked cautiously, her posture stiffening. Rumors of strange men causing trouble had circulated in her town recently. Was he one of them?

Alex sensed her unease and kept his tone calm. “Pretty far,” he said. “I’m from a remote village. While I was traveling, something… strange happened. Next thing I knew, I woke up in that forest and started running.”

Her tense expression softened slightly, curiosity replacing suspicion. “You’re lucky to have escaped alive,” she said. “Do you have any idea where you’re headed?”

“Not really,” Alex admitted with a shrug. “Closest town, I guess.” He paused and wrinkled his nose. “Closest town with a bath,” he muttered under his breath. The smell of his own sweat and mud was overwhelming, worse even than the time his friends had thrown up on him during a New Year’s party.

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“I’m Alex, by the way,” he said, forcing a smile despite the awkward situation. His newfound confidence felt strange yet liberating compared to his old, socially anxious self.

“Mirabel,” she replied with a pleasant smile. “And I know just the place for a bath,” she added with a chuckle. Then her expression turned curious. “Did you recently improve your realm?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Alex asked, caught off guard.

“The smell,” Mirabel said, her tone matter-of-fact. “Don’t you know about that?”

“Uh… not really,” Alex admitted. “This is all kind of new to me.”

Her eyes widened. “New? Did no one explain cultivation to you properly?”

“Well… sort of,” Alex said, scratching the back of his head. “I know how to do it, just not all the details.”

“That’s basic knowledge!” Mirabel exclaimed. “When you advance in cultivation, your body expels impurities you’ve accumulated over your life. That’s why you smell like…” She hesitated, wrinkling her nose.

“Like garbage, yeah,” Alex finished for her, suddenly recalling a passage he’d read once. “Right, now it’s coming back to me."

“How could you forget something so fundamental?” Mirabel asked, shaking her head in disbelief. Her eyes lingered on him, her curiosity deepening. His strange clothing—a shirt with patterns that blended with the forest and odd blue pants that ended at his knees—was unlike anything she had seen. His appearance was a mix of contradictions: tall but slightly out of shape, with a lean build and a small belly. Despite the mud and scratches, he had a rugged handsomeness about him.

“So, about that town you mentioned,” Alex said, breaking the silence. “Think you could show me the way?”

Mirabel smirked, offering him a sidelong glance. “Of course. Follow me,” she said, taking his arm after a moment’s hesitation. Something in his demeanor whispered that this was the polite thing to do, and she allowed herself to trust him—for now.

They walked in silence for a while until the road curved, revealing a stunning view of a distant city. Alex stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping at the sight.

The city was built into the mountains on three circular levels. The lowest level, surrounded by high walls, concealed most of its interior except for the rooftops of tall buildings. The second level was industrial, dotted with furnaces and connected by wide bridges spanning the platform. At the very top was a grand castle surrounded by luxurious mansions and even a small forest.

“Is that the town?” Alex asked, his voice filled with awe.

“No,” Mirabel said with a small laugh. “That’s Decebal, the royal city. I need to drop something off there first, and then we’ll head back to my town.”

Alex groaned. “Back the way we came?” The thought of retracing their steps after such a long trek made him shudder. “How about I wait for you here?”

Mirabel raised an eyebrow. “Oh, sure,” she said mockingly. “I’ll just walk into a strange city alone, even though there are rumors about a group of dangerous men causing trouble.”

“Dangerous men?” Alex asked, his interest piqued.

“Yes, a group of strangers causing problems wherever they go. Who knows? Maybe they’re in Decebal right now.”

“Then I definitely can’t let you go alone,” Alex declared with a bravado that felt slightly forced.

Mirabel laughed. “You just don’t want to be left alone.”

“Maybe,” Alex admitted, grinning. Her laughter put him at ease, and he felt her initial suspicion toward him melt away.

As they continued down the road, Alex couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of connection to Mirabel. Though they’d just met, her kindness and lightheartedness made him feel like he wasn’t entirely alone in this unfamiliar world.