The next morning, Lumina sat across from Nano at the workbench while one of the drones buzzed softly overhead. She looked at him quietly for a moment, then finally spoke.
"Nano… you never really told me. Where are you from? Not just the place… but what it was like."
Nano went quiet.
He stared at his hands for a moment, then let out a slow breath.
"You really wanna know?"
She nodded.
He leaned back, eyes clouded a bit as old memories rose to the surface.
"I'm from a world called Earth. It's not magical. No elves. No monsters. Just… cities, people, machines. And pain."
He glanced over at her, voice low.
"Back in my world, I guess… I was kind of a slave, too. Not with chains, but with life. I had ADHD. People always thought I was broken or lazy. I tried to be loved, y'know? Had family who left me. Girlfriends who cheated on me. People who used me and threw me away."
Lumina stared, shocked. Her mouth opened slightly, but she didn't interrupt.
"I lived alone. In an RV. Worked at a store just cleaning floors. That was my life—trying to make it one day at a time. Just wanting someone to actually care."
"Nano…" she whispered.
He smiled a little, but it was a sad smile.
"Then one day… boom. I started glowing, and before I knew it, I was face to face with a goddess."
Lumina blinked.
"A… goddess?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. Said she'd been watching me. She saw my struggles, my pain. And she told me I was chosen for something more. That I'd been brought here to help this world grow, evolve… thrive."
He raised his hand.
"Menu. Build."
The holographic interface appeared instantly. Lumina gasped softly as dozens of images and blueprints floated in the air around him—tools, drones, buildings, weapons, machines she couldn't even describe.
"Where I come from, this is called technology," he explained. "Machines, programs, devices… they do things humans can't. In my world, this is normal. But even some of these…" he pointed to a few glowing alien-looking blueprints, "…aren't from Earth. They're from somewhere else entirely. I don't even know how I can build them. But I can."
Lumina stepped closer, eyes wide with wonder.
"It's like… a new race," she whispered. "Like a race of machines."
"That's one way to look at it," Nano said. "And the crazy part is… it's not magic. It's logic. Science. Wires and power."
"And the goddess gave you this… power?"
"Yeah. She said this world needed change. And I could be part of it."
Lumina went quiet. Her eyes dropped to the floor as emotions swirled inside her.
"All this time… I thought no one cared. I thought our world would stay broken forever. After everything that happened to my people… I didn't think anything would change."
Nano turned to her, voice soft.
"It can. That's why I'm here. But I can't do it alone."
She looked up, meeting his eyes.
"Then let's change it together."
A little while later, the two sat side by side, exchanging everything they knew.
"So magic works off mana, right?" Nano asked.
"Yes. It flows through the body—like blood, but more spiritual," Lumina said, forming a small flame in her palm. "You channel it through chants or raw willpower."
"Wild. My stuff is built, coded, and powered through tech. Batteries, blueprints, and commands."
"So different… but somehow, it feels like the same goal," she said.
"Yeah," Nano grinned. "Getting stuff done. Surviving. Protecting people."
They smiled at each other.
Magic and technology. Two different worlds.
But together… they were starting to make sense.
After some time inside exchanging knowledge, Lumina stepped toward the door, her hands glowing faintly.
"Come on," she said with a smile. "Let me show you more."
Nano followed her out into the clearing near the base house, where sunlight poured through the trees and birds chirped gently.
Lumina stepped forward and raised her hands.
"Flama minor."
Small fireballs flickered to life, dancing in the air. Then she waved her arm again—forming a shimmering orb of water that floated and rippled above her palm.
She stepped through the motions fluidly, showing off multiple elements—fire, water, and even a breeze of air—each one gentle, controlled, and elegant.
Nano watched in awe.
"Okay, okay… now it's my turn," he grinned.
"Build!"
The menu appeared instantly. He swiped through it with casual ease.
"Let's see… tablet."
A glowing panel formed in his hands, quickly assembling into a sleek new tablet device. He handed it to Lumina.
"Here. This is a tablet. It's like a magic book from my world. You can store info, read maps, write, even play music."
He showed her the apps, tapping them to open small interfaces.
"See this? That's the notepad. You can write here. This one plays music, and that one keeps track of our drones. It's all connected."
Lumina touched the screen carefully, watching it react to her fingers.
"It's warm… and alive," she whispered. "But without mana."
"Exactly. It runs on power—on tech."
They spent the next hour swapping abilities. Lumina demonstrated her elemental control, showing him the differences in casting speeds and raw vs. enchanted spells. Nano, on the other hand, built small gadgets—a pocket lamp, a compass drone, and even a self-cooking skewer that spun meat over a flame.
"Alright," he said finally. "Let's see if I've got anything magical in me."
He focused, remembering the feeling from before—deep in his chest.
"C'mon… just something."
He reached out his hand—and a tiny spark formed in his palm. It flickered like a weak flame and fizzled after two seconds.
"Ha! That's… something!"
"You did it!" Lumina laughed. "It may be small, but it's magic!"
Nano laughed, eyes wide.
"Okay, that's actually sick. I can't do much… but maybe I don't need to."
"Technology is like magic," Lumina said. "And your power is a power."
He nodded, smiling.
"Yeah. It really is."
Just then, both of their stomachs growled.
They paused.
Then looked at each other.
"Food?" Nano grinned.
"Food," Lumina nodded.
Nano ordered the drones to construct a quick outdoor grill, which formed with beautiful detail—metal slats, temperature controls, and even a grease trap.
They fished together near the river, catching enough for a small meal. Nano let one of the drones handle the cooking, and within minutes, sizzling fish fillets were perfectly grilled and seasoned.
"This… is incredible," Lumina mumbled between bites. "How do your machines make it taste so good?"
"They've got the precision. I just press buttons," Nano chuckled.
As the day wore on, they relaxed near the fire, full and content.
But deep within the trees… something stirred.
Voices.
Footsteps.
Steel boots crushing twigs beneath heavy steps.
"She came this way," one man growled.
"Keep your eyes sharp. The elf girl can't have gone far."
Several armed humans moved through the woods, their cloaks dark, their expressions cold.
"Bring her back alive," another hissed. "The nobles are still paying."