Chapter 1: An Unneeded Journey

“Hey, Alex, when are we going to leave the forest?”

“I didn’t plan on doing so in the foreseeable future. Why do you ask?”

“Don’t you miss them?”

“I don’t. It has been five years since I have moved to this forest in the middle of nowhere. Everyone thought I was insane, so even if I go back, no one will treat me like a normal person. They most likely think that I am dead by now.”

“Don’t you want to say goodbye?”

“I don’t really see the need to, anyways, could you explain what’s going to happen?”

“Every ten years… I am moved to another world.”

“Why does that have anything to do with me?”

“Objects within one meter of me, are taken with me.”

“Why do you need me to go?”

“Because.”

“Okay, let me rephrase the question. Why do you want me to go?”

“I like you?”

“Why is it a question?”

“I like you.”

“Seriously, you are the weirdest thing I know.”

“I think I am the only thing you know.”

“Fair enough, but that will change soon enough. I dream of exploring the new world you know. To do that, meeting people will be needed.”

“Of course.”

“You don’t think I can talk to others, do you?”

“Not at all.”

“Fine then. I won’t go.”

“Hm?”

“If I won’t be able to survive, I just won’t go. How do you think you can stop me?”

I sit down in a chair woven from dried vines. The walls of the house letting in a warm breeze.

It is always warm here, otherwise I would have fixed these holes. However, the shade had taught me about cold weather, and I was glad I did not have to experience it.

The shade floats around nervously, then after a while, floats towards me confidently and floats to my lap.

“If I stay near you like this, you’ll come anyways?”

“Ah, that is true. But you know…” I raise my arm through the adult sized shade, “I can’t feel you there at all.”

The shade moves quickly behind me, wrapping its transparent arms around me.

“Feels weird.”

“You can actually feel that? So very strange. How come I was never told about this before?”

“Unneeded information.”

“I guess it is, but I would like to know more about you.”

“Love?”

“Absolutely…” I pause and the shade moves around the room kind of excitedly, “Not.” The shade drops its head and moves to my side, mimicking my sitting posture without using a chair.

“Jerk.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

We sit in silence, enjoying the sounds of the night.

“Ready?”

“Am I ready to leave this?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I am, yeah. I don’t have anything left here, do I?”

“Food.”

“Yep. I ate the chickens. I turned the crops in to fire materials, and ate the parts I could. I really do trust you too much if I do all of this.”

“Am I not trustworthy?”

“No one else can see you. I am the only one that hears you. You told me things no one else even knows about. How can I prove you are even real? You can interact with some things, but others are unable to phase you.”

“Sad.”

The shade puts its head down and looks at the ground with its indistinct facial features. I can tell it is actually sad now. This was a touchy topic for the shade. I sigh and place my hand on its shoulder. I can’t feel it there, but I can see it just fine.

“I know this topic makes you uneasy, but it needs to be discussed… why don’t we give you a name?”

“Maybe…” The shade looks at me and stares.

“Okay, you want a name now? Why the change?”

“Being called ‘it’, or ‘that thing’… makes me sad.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“I’m sorry, but you know I am horrible at naming people.”

“You… see me as a person?” The shade shows a happy expression on its face.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve known you for so long, and I’ve spent many years alone with you. I don’t think I could see you as anything but another person.”

“Nice.”

“No, it just happened to be in the subject. Anyways, how old are you?”

“Rude.”

“Ah yes, please grant this foolish mortal knowledge of the wise one’s age.”

“Three hundred and fifty?”

“A rough estimate? Oh well. If we count only the times you’ve changed worlds, you’d only be thirty-five, right?”

“True. Why though?”

“Why not? I think it is better if we are around the same age. Even though I am barely twenty years old.”

“For marriage?”

“No, it’s… actually… I don’t know why I decided that.”

“Strange.”

“Yeah, it is strange that I did something without knowing why I was doing it. Maybe I just couldn’t think a rebuttal for once.”

“Nervous?”

“Yes. I am actually. You have said you’ve been places where wars were as common as breathing. There are also planets so peaceful, they are overpopulated and starvation is common. Worlds where-”

“Overthinking.”

“Yeah,” I take a deep breath and sit on the ground in front of the shade, “I’m just worried about not living as long as you. You are clearly unfazed by worldly matters, while I am so fragile that a sudden storm may take my life.”

“Too much thinking.” The shade sits on the floor in front of me, “You need to look forwards to good. Not backwards to bad.”

“I’m not doing either.”

“Problem. You need to trust.”

“I think. You’d be lonely without me… won’t you?” I look at the ground and smile weakly.

“Yes.” The shade quickly replies. “Lonely indeed. You are the only one to talk to me. Life is boring while alone.”

“Then… why do I have to be normal?”

“If normal… then why can you speak to me?”

“I guess so, but will I not die at some point? Whether through some accident or I just don’t wake up one morning, what will you do?”

“Grieve?”

“I hope I don’t have to leave you though.” I look up at the shade who seems slightly worried about me.

“Maybe not?”

“I’m mortal though, through and through. Is there even any way for me to?”

“Infinite possibilities.”

“I guess there are many different possibilities when traveling to different worlds. Are they even all in the same universe you think?”

“Maybe? But isn’t the limit of everything just the limit of your imagination?”

“Hm. I guess it is.”

“Why you want to stay with me?”

“Hah, I wonder.” I smile towards the shade happily, knowing the answer within my heart.

“Love?” The shade smiles back.

“I guess it is, isn’t it?” I guess the secret was short lived.

“Marriage?”

“You want to get married?” I start to laugh. “We could, but why the push to do so?”

“Planet could not be safe for you…” The shade looks down, saddened by the thought.

“Oh… you want to spend time with me, married… before I potentially die. Is that right?”

“Yes.” The shade hides its face in her arms.

“And to top this whole thing off, this is why you want a name?”

“Yes.” The shade continues to hide.

“Miria”

“Huh?” The shade looks at me and tilts its head.

“You said you wanted a name, right? I just gave you one.”

“Suddenly…” The shade looks up at me with a happy expression.

“Yep. I’m rarely this decisive, so don’t get used to it.”

“Oh.”

“Alright then. So how does this work? From what I understand, most marriages require a witness as well.”

“Special.”

“I guess it is a special case. Do you know how much time we have?”

“Tonight, sometime.”

“Good enough. Don’t you think so too, Miria?”

“Yes, Alex.”

I stand up and bow towards Miria. I wonder if I chose a good name for her. It has no deeper meaning, it is really just the first name that came to my mind.

“Hey, Miria. I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“You know I am a human and will pass away before you… right?”

“Yes?”

“I see. I am worrying too much it seems. Also, we won’t be able to do anything a proper married couple should be able to do. I can’t actually touch you.”

“Find a way?”

“We could always try things later, when I survive.”

“When?”

“I don’t plan on leaving you so soon after marrying you. That would just be too sad, no?”

Miria stares at me and then bows forwards. I can feel that she is happy. I then wait until Miria stands back upright.

“Miria, I promise to stay with you for as long as I have breath in my body. Even if I no longer breathe, my soul will belong to only you.”

“Alex, I promise to stay with you for as long as I exist.”

“And… I think that’s it. I chose the simplest of the weddings that you told me about. Normally after the wedding would be a party filled with alcohol, but since you physically can’t drink, and not to mention the lack of alcohol in this area, we will have to do with water and each other’s company.”

“Alcohol is bad anyways.”

“It really is bad for you. It can cause damage, but in moderation, some alcohols are good for you.”

I sit back in the chair, now a married man. Oddly enough though, it doesn’t feel any different from normal.

“Same as always?”

“I was just feeling the same thing, Miria. Maybe we were meant to be together, and in fact we were together more than the average married couple. You always follow me around. Not that I mind though, I enjoy your company.”

“Talkative.”

“I guess I am talkative today.”

“Subject change. The Kardashev Scale.”

“Oh, you want to make bets on how advanced the civilization is. This world is special as it has mana, so if we use the conversion theory you created, this world is at zero point one on the scale.”

“I bet one point four.”

“Do you think there will be magic there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I’ll bet two point five. With mana. It sounds like a good time, right? Also, if the civilization is that advanced, maybe they will have a way to make my life longer, so I can spend more time with you.”

“Optimistic?”

“I’d like to stay positive you know. It won’t help us to be sad, how will we even adapt in another world if we can’t move on fast enough?”

“Thinking good thoughts now?”

“Yep. It’s strange though, isn’t it? This love thing.”

“Love… It’s strange.”

“See. So, Miria, Why do you love me?”

“I love you because you are you?”

“Ah, it almost hurts when you say it like a question.”

“Why do you love me?”

“Easy. You accept me for who I am. You help me when I am down, you joke around with me when I am in a good mood and you help me the best you can when I am working hard.”

Miria nods and looks around, but making sure to stay close to me. I think she is unsure of the exact time the world transfer is going to happen.

“Hey, Miria, what is the world transfer like?”

“Loud, sudden, fast.”

“Okay. Will it be so loud it hurts?”

“Unsure, I don’t have a physical body, so I don’t feel pain the same way.”

“That’s neat. Also, what does it feel like when I move a hand inside the general position of your body?”

“Tingly. Like someone has a hand inside me.”

“I wonder why I didn’t think it would be like that.”

“The simplest answer is usually the correct one.”

“That is true…”

We sit in silence, listening to the quiet sounds of the night. Far off in the distance, thunder can be heard, probably the mages in the towns going out and trying new spells at night. Killing the monsters of this forest.

“Now.”

Miria moves extremely close to me and looks as if she is hanging off of me. I stand up and brace myself.

“Ready, Miria, my wife?”

“Ready.”

*BOOM*

A sound that could be likened to a large explosions reverberates though my skull, causing heavy pain. The ground beneath my feet feels as if it was pulled out from under me, then replaced quickly with a soft something.

My eyes see only a quick blur and then a blue sky, trees surrounding us and green grass. The plants are of course, unfamiliar, but I will learn them eventually.

“A human?” A male voice sounds out from the distance, speaking in an Elvin language.

“Hello, um, I apologize if I am trespassing, but I seem to be lost!” I shout back towards the voice in the same language.

I quickly analyze what is going on around me. The air is breathable, my body feels lighter, so gravity is potentially less than it was on my planet. I feel that I don’t need to breathe as heavily, so perhaps this planet has a slightly higher oxygen concentration in its atmosphere.

“No problem.” I see a man with a yellowish hair and white skin walk out close enough that I could see him.

“Ah, hello there. My name is Alex.” I ignore Miria for now, as I got a lucky encounter that could help us. She is currently looking around though.

“I’m Sliphnir, a wind spirit.” The man holds out a delicate looking hand. “I have never personally met a human before.”