Akino: Wait a damn minute… I’m not being mindread, am I?

Akino turned her arm into a shotgun and directly points it at Camilla’s forehead.

Camilla: Is – IS THAT A GUN?! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!

Akino: You better talk, or I’ll blast off your head, NOW!

Camilla: I’ll talk! I’LL TALK!

Akino sighs, she returns her arm back to normal, drags a wooden chair and sits in front Camilla.

Akino: You’re an outworlder, like us?

Camilla: Yeah… but reincarnated…

Akino: Reincarnated?

Camilla: I’m… I’m just a college student… a nerdy one, that’s why I knew about Maxwell’s….

Akino: Where did you came from?

Camilla: I’m from Japan…

Akino: That’s a bit isekai-ish…

Camilla: What?

Akino: Nothing… so, how did you get here?

Camilla: That usual day, I went home by train… and the train I’m riding derailed, making the train tumble over… that’s what I remembered… I could still remember, I can’t see nor feel but I can hear things… the people inside that train screaming for help, then the sirens of ambulances, and then the paramedics saying I’m beyond saving…

Akino: …

Camilla: I thought of it as a nightmare… then I woke up, lying on the ground inside a church of western design, being surrounded by many priests fully covered with robes. For some reason, I could understand them even I’m not familiar with their language. They said I’m their savior, their mighty priestess… then, all is history… they thought me how to fight, cast spell, and their culture… most of their people resembles European people, what was it again? That’s it! Caucasians! Yeah, most or all of them looks like Caucasians. I asked them what’s special about me and they said summoned people from the other world has a higher power blessed by the gods… that’s why they chose me… still, my 19 years of my past world lingers me, even though some of it I usually knew starts to fade, like how to derive the wave equation… funny, isn’t?

Akino: I think that’s normal… don’t you have, how do I tell this… parents?

Camilla: I’m – I’m living alone… and I don’t want to talk about it…

Akino: I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have asked…

That tent went silent for a bit.

Akino: So… you’ve said you died at 19 years old?

Camilla: Yeah…

Akino: And how many years you’ve been here?

Camilla: I lost count… my guess is about 20 years?

Akino: I see… wait – you said you’ve been in here 20 years?! I mean, you never saw any shady people from Earth who calls themselves the Institution?

Camilla: Institution???

Akino: You know? People in laboratory coats, with a shady tech and own army? Getting any hints?

Camilla: I – I don’t know what you’re talking about… let alone seeing others from our old world… I know that there are other outworlders out there, but I don’t know what you’re saying…

Akino: You’re not an Institution personnel or something?

Camilla: No?

Akino looks intensely at Camilla, making her a bit nervous.

Camilla: Is – is something wrong?

Akino: Nothing… seems like you’re not lying to me… what in the actual hell…

Camilla: What do you mean?

Akino: You sure don’t have any grudges? About that time the whole Earth got wiped out? Or wait, did you come from the Lunar base or the Martian base? Yeah, that should be my first question…

Camilla: What do you the mean the Earth was wiped out?

Akino: Wait, you – you know about that, didn’t you?

Camilla looks down.

Camilla: Earth was wiped out…?

Akino: You said you’ve been in here for twenty years, yes? I mean, you should have known that! Do you have any idea how many years we’ve been there after our world was wiped out, huh? We’ve been asleep inside an underground laboratory for nearly a million of years after the Earth was wiped clean of life! Of everything!

Camilla: M – million years?!

Akino: You should have known it, right? I mean, I saw in the records left in the system that billions of populations died, and the remaining went to the Moon and Mars for refuge, right? Leaving the planet to rot and grow into another alien world, right?!

Camilla is stunned on hearing the things Akino said.

Akino: Alright… alright… deep breaths, deep breaths. Wooohh… I just vented up, I’m not mad at you… sorry…

Camilla: How – how it happened?

Akino went near Camilla and unties her, also she removes the power dampening collar on Camilla’s neck and absorbs it with her arm, surprising Camilla. She then raises her left arm, making a small rectangular opening on top of it, like a projector. Akino proceeds to show some footages of the ‘Enigma event’ that happened back on Earth, year 3021. The unknown humongous floating objects in the sky, the efforts of the human military in bombarding them to defend the cities, and then the light that swallows the cities and billions of lives, turning the planet uninhabitable.

Camilla is shocked, but not because of the suffering she saw. She was shocked on the year date watermarked on the footages: 3021.

Camilla: Year 3021… wait, is that the Manhattan Park? You lived in United States?

Akino: It should be in the history books by now.

Camilla: No, that can’t be… I died in year 2018!

Akino: WHAT?

Akino closes the projection and faces directly at Camilla.

Akino: You – you died at year 2018?!

Camilla: Yeah? Why are you going intense all of a sudden?!

Akino: You said you lived in Japan, right? Who’s the president that time?

Camilla: That’s Shinzo Abe?

Akino pauses and closes her eyes. Seconds pass, with Camilla wondering what’s going on with Akino. Akino snaps out and faces at Camilla with a worried expression.

Camilla: Is – something wrong?

Akino: A Japanese president of the name Shinzo Abe… doesn’t exist in my data files…

Camilla: WHAT?!

Akino: The president of Japan at year 2018 was Akihiro Tyanzu and renamed Japan as the ‘Rising Sun’ during his term.

Camilla: Wait, wait, wait… what the hell was that supposed to mean?!

Akino: Then why do we know both that the man behind the EM waves is Jonas Maxwell?!

Camilla: Jonas Maxwell?! Who the fuck is that?! It's James Maxwell!

Akino stops and stares at Camilla.

Akino: I haven’t told you yet, but we weren’t summoned nor reincarnated here, we travelled through here.

Camilla: Travelled?

Akino: Well, not actually travelled… after we woke up from that laboratory, we went outside of it and saw a huge void. We thought people might have entered that void to escape the hazardous environment of the planet, so decided to go near the void, I argue with Alexa that it might be useless to enter and so, we argued and argued until we… accidentally went into it.

Camilla: And you ended up here?

Akino: Yeah. Mostly likely, you came from another time or universe or whatever, and that’s the same for us. A total coincidence, I guess…

Camilla: Multiverse theory???

Akino: In our time, it’s not yet proven but many experts are trying to establish portal stuff leading to other dimensions.

Camilla: That’s… stunning… and fucking confusing…

Akino: Yeah... it is fucking shit...

Camilla stares at Akino’s crystal bracelet.

Camilla: The dark magic… it’s coming from the bracelet – that means…

Akino: I don’t have any magic or mana or spell or whatever you’re gonna call it… by the way, what’s with the hate on people having dark magic?

Camilla: The Church taught us that dark magic wielders bring bad omen… you said ‘we’, who are the others?

Akino: I came here with Alexa, the one with white skin and fleshy hair.

Camilla: So, she’s also magic-less?

Akino: Yeah.

Camilla: How about the demi-wolf?

Akino: She’s Lyka… we saved her from an attack done by the Altruis knights on her tribe… actually, she’s the one who gave us this bracelet to make the others think that we have magic. Apparently, it’s fucking abnormal if you don’t have any magic in you.

Camilla: Yes… magic is like the life force in this world, like chi or something…

It went silent again, but a few seconds later Lyka and Alexa enters the tent carrying plates of cooked fowl and cups of grape wine.

They saw that Camilla was already untied. They put first the plates and cups on the table, then the two went to offensive stances.

Akino: That’s a less dramatic, and a ridiculous way to confront someone…

Lyka: The food is more important than the enemy!

Alexa: Yeah!

Akino facepalmed herself while Camilla giggles non-stop.

Alexa: What’s funny, huh?!

Akino: Kid, calm down… it’s fucking embarrassing…

Lyka: Aki, why did you untie her?

Akino explained everything, from Camilla being an outworlder to her anomalous statement that she came way back in the past but only living the Elyn for two decades, and the hypothesis that she came from a ‘different’ Earth.

While explaining, Lyka handed each one of them with food and cups of wine, well, she didn’t give Alexa some wine.

Alexa: That’s… nuts…

Camilla: I know, right! You two came from the same Earth but different!

Lyka: That doesn’t make sense…

Akino: Yeah, it’s a bit head cracking when I verified it…

Lyka: Head – cracking? Does it hurt? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!

Akino: Y – you don’t have to take literally, jeez…

Alexa: It’s just confusing, ma…

Camilla: Ma?

Akino: Oh… I haven’t told you yet, Lyka is my fiancé and she agreed to be Alexa’s mother.

Camilla: I see… I’m sorry about last time, Miss Lyka.

Lyka: It’s alright… so, why you want to take this place?

Camilla drinks her wine and places down the cup on the table.

Camilla: The Church is currently having a civil war…

Akino: That’s bad…

Camilla: The elder priests were trying to create a treaty with the Altruis and the Elven Kingdom… and I heard that they want to start a conquest campaign against other nations and kingdoms.

Lyka: And anyone who opposes them… will be massacred like what happened before…

Akino: And what’s the reason you guys went here?

Camilla: I’m leading a coup, with my men that has sworn loyalty to me and the people of Ravine. We were just desperate… I’m sorry… we want to make this land a refuge ground for the innocent people that will be caught off in the upcoming conflict.

Akino: We’re just taking a survey of this place. We can ask out our leader about this matter.

Lyka: The Dasman adventurers’ guild could be of help, right?

Alexa: But the nobles of the Dasman government might, you know, decline, or not accept them since this is like a matter outside their responsibility?

The tent went silent again.

Akino: Well, if you allow us to lend a hand, we can help.

Alexa: As long as there is a compensa –

Akino: Stop being greedy.

Camilla: No, it’s fine. We can pay you a good sum of gold.

Lyka: I learned that adventurers could take commissions from other nations, and a small group of adventurers won’t really represent a side of their respective guild, let alone the government that handles the guild.

Akino: So, if we help them and say it’s a commission from the Church of Ravine, the issue of having our guild involve in a civil war will be overlooked?

Lyka: I guess…

Alexa: What are we waiting for?

Akino: The goddamn morning, kid. I’ll go and tell Matias everything you’ve said, I’m sure he’ll understand.

Camilla: Is it alright? I mean, a while ago we were trying to kill you…

Lyka: No one’s harmed, so I guess it’s alright.

Akino: We got your back, don’t worry.

Camilla: Th – thank you…

Lyka: You can stay in here for tonight.

Camilla: What about my men? Are they alright?

Alexa: We just lay them down on haybales, and they’ll be sleeping until morning. I’ll tell you when they’ll exactly wake up so that they won’t be screaming help or something.

Camilla: Th – thanks…

Akino: So, umm, we good?

Camilla: Yeah, thank you very much.

Lyka arranged a bedsheet for Camilla while Alexa took their clutter and went outside with Akino. On their way out, they were greeted by Matias good night.

Akino took this opportunity and told Matias about Camilla, but she didn’t elaborate the thing of Camilla being an Earthling, she only told him she’s a summoned priestess by the Ravine and she was leading a resistance against their government. She also told him the current situation of the Church of Ravine and their upcoming treaty with the Altruis.

Matias was shocked on the information he heard.

Matias: Can I talk to her?

Akino: Don’t know, she’s a bit shy due to the confrontation a while ago, but I told her if you came to talk to her, she should be ready.

Alexa: But mama’s already preparing her a bed, so…

Akino: Oh, that too. She might be already taking a rest. Why don’t you come with us? We’ll check it if she’s still awake.

Alexa: Aki! That’s an all-girls tent!

Matias: Ye – yeah! I mean, NO! I - I’ll just wait for tomorrow…

Akino: You can stay here, and I’ll go back when it’s clear.

Matias: No, no… I can wait till tomorrow.

Akino: You sure?

Matias: Yes. Take this night to rest.

Matias was about the leave, and Akino and Alexa was about to go back to their tent when they heard someone screaming for help. A female’s voice and seems to be in a hurry.

Matias: What was that?

Alexa: Is that Diana?!

Akino: SHIT. I told her to press the transponder when they’re in trouble!