“Aaah,” Alex groaned, the sound escaping him involuntarily as he blinked into the dim light. Pain flared through his body, a dull throb that settled into his ribs, his arms, everywhere. He was lying on something soft—a cot.

He forced himself upright, squinting as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. The room was simple, almost disturbingly so. No decorations, no personal touch—just bare stone walls enclosing a space with only the essentials. There was a small table in one corner with a bowl of water, a few vials, and some hastily folded cloths. The air was heavy with the faint scent of herbs.

He clenched his jaw as he pieced together fragments of memory: the chase, the mountain’s unforgiving slope, the weightless moment when he’d lost his grip, and the brutal tumble down.

A quiet sound of footsteps echoed from beyond the door, breaking the silence. They stopped just outside, and Alex froze, watching as the door creaked open. A figure appeared, pausing at the threshold.

It was a girl, young—maybe 14. Her gaze held a sharpness that seemed at odds with her age. Her dark hair hung messily around her face, unkempt, and her features were lean and almost unsettlingly precise, with an expression that held an air of silent scrutiny.

Her eyes were a deep gray, fixed on him with a steady. She wore plain, practical clothes: a loose tunic and pants a size too big, with boots still caked in dried mud.

“Oh, you woke up,” she remarked, her voice even, almost unbothered. “Thought it’d take you longer.”

“My grandpa told me you had so many injuries, it might take you three months to wake up,” she said, her tone flat but curious. “but you woke up early, well that's good.”

Alex’s head was still foggy, but a question came out of his mouth. “How long was I out?”

The girl tilted her head, thinking it over. “Oh, let’s see… one, two… yeah, three weeks.” She nodded, sounding a bit more certain.

After Alex listened to her, he glanced down at his bandaged left arm and the chest to neck.

“And you… found me?” he asked, voice still rough.

The girl shook her head. “No, it was my grandpa. He’s the one who found you.” Her gaze drifted to his injuries, a faint curiosity flickering across her face. “You looked like you’d been through some big battle. Said it’s been years since he’d seen anyone beat up that bad.”

Alex didn’t respond immediately, taking in the bare room around him again. “Where is this place, anyway?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Our home,” she said simply. “Well, close to it. Grandpa’s the only healer in these parts, so he has a spot here for treating people when needed.”

'Well, well, what do we have here…' Alex thought, a wry grin forming despite the ache in his jaw. 'Feels like something straight out of a cliché story. One of those manga setups—the main character gets roughed up, ends up rescued by an old man with a granddaughter, then slowly gets close to them, marries her, and they’re off on some grand adventure around the world.'

'But I don’t want any woman,’ Alex thought, his mind settling firmly on the idea. 'I already gave my heart to someone. Just because I’ve ended up in another world doesn’t mean I have to start collecting romances or build some cliché harem.'

His gaze drifted toward the dim light filtering through the room’s small window. 'In Magic world, anything’s possible. I fell into this place through some black hole, maybe there’s a way back. I just need to figure out the black hole's coordinates. Then I can go back to my world again and find her again.'

'First goal: fix my mana core issue. Second, build my strength. Third, find a way out of here and back to my world.'

'If I want to finish my first problem, then I need knowledge about mana and mana cores. To learn that, I need to meet a skilled magician.'

"Can I meet your grandfather now?" Alex asked, focusing on the girl, eager to make progress.

She shook her head. "You can meet him, but at night as he is still not home."

He looked at her, curiosity stirring. “What’s your name, by the way?”

“It’s Lira.”

“Nice to meet you, Lira. My name is Alex."

“Thanks for helping me. I don’t remember much after the fall.”

Lira’s expression grew serious again. “You fell from a pretty high cliff. It’s a miracle you survived. Grandpa says you’re lucky.”

“Lucky?” Alex scoffed softly, wincing at the pain. “I’d say anything but that."

'How could I be lucky?' Alex thought, shaking his head slightly. 'After coming to this world, I’ve been lucky only sometimes, but most of the time, I’ve almost died.'

He glanced at Lira, her deep gray eyes searching his with a thoughtful intensity. 'Maybe luck is just a matter of perspective. I survived the fall, didn’t I? I could have easily met a worse fate.'

“In any case, it’s best you take a rest,” Lira said, her voice gentle yet firm. “I’ll inform Grandpa when he comes home. I have some work to do. Bye.”

“Bye!” Alex replied, the word escaping him with a hint of reluctance.

“Wait,” he called after her, an idea striking him. “I have a question.”

Lira paused at the door, glancing back. “What is it?”

“The thing is, your grandpa is a magician,” Alex said, his curiosity piqued.

“Yes, my grandpa is a former magician,” she replied, a hint of pride in her voice. “But now he’s just a healer to earn money for running the home.”

“Does he still practice magic?” Alex asked, his interest growing “I mean, can he teach me?”

Lira smiled softly, a mix of amusement and affection in her expression. “He can teach you some basics, but he’s mostly focused on healing now."

"Oh."

“You’ll be fine,” Lira reassured him, her gaze steady. “Just rest and let him know you want to learn when he gets back.”

“Thanks, Lira,” he said, his voice softening. “You’ve been really helpful.”

She gave a small nod, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Just focus on getting better. I’ll check on you later.”

As the door clicked shut behind her, Alex fell back against the cot, exhaustion pulling at his eyelids. The room faded into darkness as his thoughts quieted, the memories of pain and confusion slipping away. For the first time in weeks, he allowed himself a moment of peace, the soft sounds of the outside world lulling him to sleep.