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Kaelhi...
Kaelhi...
We have been waiting for you, Kaelhi...
The women...the children...
The beast...
Save us... our god...
Xander's body ached in ways he'd never experienced before. Pain pulsed through every muscle, wrapping around his bones like chains. He groaned as his senses returned, the voices in his head subsiding—his fingers curling into something soft beneath him.
A bed?
His heavy eyelids fluttered open, revealing wooden beams stretching across the ceiling, flickering candlelight dancing against stone walls, and the faint scent of herbs mixed with damp earth. He was in a small medieval cottage, not the battle-ravaged forest. Someone had changed his clothes—his usual school uniform was replaced by a simple linen tunic and dark pants that felt strangely comfortable despite the soreness in his limbs.
As he adjusted his position with a wince, the wooden door slammed open, nearly making him jump.
"Iris?" His voice cracked, barely above a whisper.
Iris stood frozen at the doorway, her forest green eyes wide. And then she ran—closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
"Xander!" she cried. Tears pooled in her eyes as she launched herself onto him, wrapping her arms tightly around his sore body.
Pain flared through his ribs, but Xander barely noticed—it was the first time she'd ever hugged him willingly, and for some ridiculous reason, his brain short-circuited at the realization.
Was she seriously crying over him?
Was she... hugging him... again?!
But before he could process the rare display of affection, Iris suddenly stiffened.
Her warmth disappeared as she yanked herself away like she had just touched fire, her cheeks visibly reddening.
Then, in pure Iris fashion, she wiped her eyes aggressively before leveling him with a glare.
"What the hell were you thinking, dumbass?!" she snapped. The tenderness from moments ago evaporated, replaced by irritation as she crossed her arms. "Do you even have a brain at all, Woods?! Who in their right mind charges at a hydra like they have a death wish?!"
Xander blinked, still trying to recover from the whiplash. He had literally just woken up, and now he was getting yelled at?
"Uh… good to see you too?" he muttered, attempting a weak grin.
Iris clicked her tongue, ignoring his pathetic attempt at humor. "I should've left you and gone straight back to the dumb cave," she grumbled, blush still dusting her cheeks as she grabbed a stool and practically threw herself into it.
Xander sighed, too exhausted to fight back verbally. He gently pressed a hand to his aching ribs, his fingers brushing against fresh bandages. "Where are we?" he asked, deciding to shift the conversation before she murdered him out of frustration.
Iris exhaled sharply, still glaring like she had unfinished business with him. "Some cottage. That creepy old man saved your sorry ass, dragged us here, and patched you up."
Xander let that sink in. So he was still alive. And the Crystal Guardian—the mysterious masked man—had kept his word.
"I—" he started, but Iris wasn't done.
She jabbed a finger at him. "Next time you try to be a hero, at least make sure you don't get killed, idiot! Scared the shit out of me."
Xander groaned, dropping his head back against the pillow. "So dramatic…"
'Women.'
Iris narrowed her eyes. "…Says the guy who almost died."
And he probably would've argued with her more—if exhaustion didn't start tugging at his senses again. Before he knew it, sleep threatened to swallow him whole, dragging him back into its depths.
But not before he caught one last glimpse of Iris—her gaze softer this time, lingering on him for just a second longer than necessary.
Just as Xander felt his body surrendering to sleep again, the door creaked open. The old man from before—the one who had saved him—stepped into the room, his weathered face creasing into a satisfied smile.
"Ah, you're finally awake," he said, his voice carrying an undeniable warmth. "I was beginning to think the poison might take longer to leave your body. But you… you heal fast, Kaelhi. That is good."
Xander blinked sluggishly, trying to process his words. "Poison…?" Then it hit him—the hydra attack, the crushing weight of its jaws, the burning venom in his leg. His fingers instinctively grazed his bandaged wound.
"Two days," Eli continued, seating himself on a wooden stool near the bed. "You were unconscious for two days. The toxin was strong, but your body fought it off remarkably well."
Two days. Had he really been out that long?
Iris, still perched on her stool, scoffed, arms crossed. "Tch. Maybe next time you won't try to fight a damn hydra with nothing but a stick."
Xander shot her a tired glare. "Are you gonna keep bringing that up?"
"Yes," she deadpanned. "Until we get back to Oak Pines."
Eli chuckled lightly, but Xander turned his attention back to him. "You… saved me, didn't you?" His voice was rough from exhaustion, but the gratitude was genuine.
"I did what any healer would," Eli said simply. "Though not many would have tried to cure a hydra's venom without proper preparation."
Xander exhaled slowly, still letting it sink in. Then, as if his brain just registered the strangeness of this entire situation, he asked, "Wait… Who are you?"
The old man smiled, his presence radiating an aura of wisdom. "I am Eli," he said. "A healer… and a scholar of the magical arts."
Xander's mind stalled. 'Wait, did he just say magical arts?'
The word did not compute. He stared at Eli, his exhaustion giving way to pure confusion. "Magic? Like… actual magic?"
Eli raised an eyebrow. "You sound surprised."
"Of course I'm surprised! Magic doesn't—" He paused, glancing around the medieval cottage. He looked down at his changed clothes, then at Iris, whose expression suggested that she found his disbelief ridiculous.
"…Magic doesn't exist," he muttered weakly, but it sounded less convincing now that he'd said it out loud.
Iris sighed loudly. "Oh great. The nerd who probably spent half his life playing RPGs suddenly refuses to believe in magic even after getting attacked by a magical beast."
"I—I played RPGs for fun, okay?! That doesn't mean I actually thought magic was real."
Xander groaned, rubbing his temple. His head still felt like it had gone through a battlefield, but at least he was awake. For now.
Eli's eyes flickered with curiosity. "RPG?" he repeated slowly, as if tasting the unfamiliar letters on his tongue. "I am not familiar with such a term. Is it a spell?"
Xander stared. Was this guy serious?
Iris sighed dramatically. "It's a game genre," she explained, arms crossed. "Role-playing. You know, stats, leveling up, quests, loot, nerd stuff..."
Eli's expression didn't change.
Infact he seemed even more confused.
"...Forget it," Xander muttered, waving a hand weakly. "Doesn't matter."
But something did matter.
Eli chuckled again, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, young one, I assure you—magic is very real. And given the mark on your wrist, you might want to accept that fact sooner rather than later."
Xander stiffened, glancing down at his arm. The glowing spiral symbol, the mark that had appeared after touching the crystal, pulsed faintly.
Magic. Isekai. Monsters. What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Xander sat up with effort, his ribs protesting, and fixed Eli with a serious look. "You've been calling me...Ke–uh... Kaelhi since I woke up. Why?"
At that, Eli's expression shifted just slightly—like he knew something but wasn't sure if he should say it.
Iris frowned too, picking up on the tension.
"And while we're at it," Xander continued, feeling a strange weight settle in his chest, "why are we here? What the hell is this place? And—" He swallowed, his throat dry. "Is there a way to go back home?"
Eli exhaled, leaning back in his chair, his weathered hands folding together. For a long moment, he just studied Xander—really studied him—like he was trying to decide something.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"... I'm sure there is much you do not yet understand, Kaelhi."
Xander stiffened at the name.
Iris did too.
Eli's deep, knowing gaze flickered between them. "You must be so overwhelmed with the changes in our realm since you were last here."
The weight of his words crashed down like a boulder, leaving a suffocating silence in the room.
Xander's pulse quickened.
Iris swallowed hard.
'Last here?'
Before either of them could demand answers, Eli stood. "Rest now. We will speak again soon."