A Tamia's Tale

"May they rest in peace," the priest intoned, his voice barely audible over the relentless downpour hammering against the barely repaired royal cemetery.

A man clad in golden garments, a rising dragon embroidered on the back of his velvet cape, stepped forward. His gloved hand trembled slightly as he scooped rainwater from a marble basin nearby and sprinkled it over the two coffins before him.

Two brothers, both lost on the same day—the end of a lineage that had stood tall for centuries.

The mournful silence that had hung over the gathering was suddenly broken. A chorus of voices began to rise, solemn and haunting, as pallbearers guided the coffins down into the waiting tombs. 

As the first coffin disappeared into the earth, the man in the golden garments remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the open grave. The rain soaked through his cape, yet he did not falter. When the second coffin began its descent, he closed his eyes briefly, as though silently bidding farewell.

No cries were heard, no tears spilled. Instead, a profound, shared silence bound everyone present—a silence of pain and gratitude. These two brothers had sacrificed everything for their country, for the lives of others, and their memory demanded respect, not the indulgence of sorrow.

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice," said a voice, quiet yet firm, cutting through the rain. Morgann stepped down from the dais, her regal demeanor unshaken despite the storm. Beside her stood Maria, holding an umbrella to shield the queen from the downpour, her expression solemn.

"I hope the Faeborne will find peace in the afterlife," Morgann continued, her gaze sweeping over the assembled mourners. Her voice carried both authority and a deep sadness that no one dared to address. For today, their pain was not to be shown—it was to be endured.

Soon after, the ceremony ended, with everyone gathered and heading back to their homes or beneath a small temporary tent posted near the ruined castle. The aftermath of the battle was so great, that the whole area was now deemed too dangerous to roam around, with the risk of stone brick falling down from the blasted walls. Wooden beams held the castle together as best as they could, in wait of the magical scholar aided by architects and construction workers to repair the damage.

"Thank you for coming here, Priest Marcus," Morgann said, her voice steady but laced with exhaustion as she addressed the man who had led the ceremony. Her regal posture remained composed, yet her eyes betrayed her grief.

The priest waved off her gratitude with a gentle smile. "Do not thank me, Your Majesty. Uther was a good friend of mine. I would have done this even if the world stood against it. Also, thank you for giving the bodies of Andreas Edensveel and Aureliad Dragonos back to Fyr."

"It's only natural. Also…" Morgann turned to face the two towering men standing at the back of the tent. Her gaze softened despite the weight of the day. "Jason and Darian, thank you for helping me set this up."

"Again, no need to thank us," Jason sighed. "Now you should get some rest, Your Majesty."

"He is right," Darian nodded. "No need to thank us. I wasn't there to protect them so…"

Jason snapped back at Darian, looking at him fiercely. "You did nothing wrong, Darian. That spell exchanged our positions."

"Still—"

"Please, Darian," she said, her soft smile disarming his self-recrimination. "Don't push yourself too much. You did everything you could. Both of you have already done more than enough for me, for the kingdom."

Darian lowered his head slightly, the queen's words offering some solace though his shoulders still bore the weight of regret. Jason, firm as ever, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"If anyone's to blame," Jason said, his voice quieted now, "It's Safaran and those demons. Not you."

The bearded warrior let out a resigned sigh, his fingers clenching at his sides before he raised his gaze above Morgann's head. His eyes grew distant, fixed on the stormy horizon beyond the ruined castle walls. It was a question that had haunted them all, a question left unanswered amidst the chaos.

"Where is Luka?" Darian asked, his tone heavy with concern and frustration.

The words hung in the air like a specter, drawing silence from everyone present. Morgann's expression tightened, her lips pressing into a thin line. Jason looked away, his jaw clenched as though searching for an answer in the rain-soaked earth beneath his boots.

"We don't know," Morgann admitted at last, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. "The last we heard, he faced Kaeris alone. After that..." She trailed off, the implications weighing heavily on her. "We haven't received any word."

"He's alive," Jason said suddenly, filled with unshakable conviction. "Otherwise Kaeris would have returned to finish us off. Perhaps he is back in his world?"

"He could have at least said goodbye," a quiet voice spoke up next to them. The maid with glasses jolted upon seeing their gazes turn towards her, and she cleared her throat. "I-I mean—"

"It's true," Morgann answered flatly... "Perhaps he couldn't?"

"I don't know," Jason muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That kid is unreadable."

"And in the end… He ended up saving me again."

The group fell silent, though the tension had eased somewhat. The rain lessened into a drizzle, the storm finally beginning to abate.

"Let's just hope he got what he wanted," Jason smiled again, crossing his arms. "After everything he did, he deserves a bit of a respite."

"Are you sure about this?" the kitsune asked, her delicate fingers twirling as she conjured a shimmering barrier around them. Her golden eyes glimmered with curiosity and concern, her ornate fan partially covering her expression.

The man standing before her was battered, his body marked by bruises and fresh bandages covering his face. Despite the pain etched into his features, his smile remained steadfast, unwavering in its resolve.

"No regrets," Luka replied without hesitation, his tone firm. "I really want to go home, and I don't want to miss that opportunity." He leaned slightly on the tree behind him, his stance relaxed despite his injuries. "I've seen enough shit for a lifetime."

The kitsune tilted her head, her ears flicking as she regarded him thoughtfully. "You know I won't disappear, right? You could at least say goodbye to everyone."

"Don't need to."

"This is also a place where you could gain a lot of power. You have a lot of potential, you know?"

Luka chuckled bitterly. "Oh my, as if I haven't heard that one before… The story of my life is full of wasted potential. Also, you're the one who kept calling me weak, right?"

Daji sighed, a faint smile tugging her lips. "I can't tell if you're angry or happy right now. Or perhaps it is both?"

"Mainly happy."

"I see…" Daji's golden eyes softened as she looked at him. He had changed so much since their first meeting—tougher, more battle-worn, yet still holding onto that snarky attitude that made him so unpredictable. The truth was, she'd come to enjoy the time she'd spent with him, even though she knew it was fleeting. Luka was leaving soon, and for all his bravado, she could see the quiet sadness in his eyes, the one that lingered when he thought no one was looking.

"By the way," Luka interrupted her thoughts, his voice shifting to something more reflective, "I've been having this strange dream since I got here. Can't seem to remember it fully once I wake up, but…"

Daji's ears twitched at the mention of a dream, her attention sharpening. "A dream?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. "That's interesting. Tell me more."

"Yeah. I vaguely remember the sound of cicadas and scorching heat," he said, tapping his chin, his gaze distant.

"That's odd," Daji murmured, "I'm not an expert in dreams but It seems oddly sensorial for one. Any emotion you feel while in it?"

Luka's eyes darkened for a moment as if the question was reaching into something deep. "I feel… A lot of them actually. It's quite difficult to point out only one of them."

Anger, sadness, and the worst of them all, a sense of dread.

"Meh," Luka waved his hand dismissively. "It's probably nothing."

Daji didn't respond immediately, her mind working through his words. She could tell he was trying to dismiss it, but something about the way he spoke made her doubt his own assurances. She knew better than to push him, but she also knew that some things were worth paying attention to.

"Well," she said after a moment, "sometimes it's the things we try to ignore that end up mattering the most. Just don't brush it off too easily, Luka."

He gave a half-hearted nod. "I'll keep that in mind, but it's probably just stress biting me back."

There was a long pause, and the wind shifted, a quiet rustle in the trees around them. On that same hill he trained, he was finally going home. 

"Anyway," he muttered, his gaze turning to the gigantic tree behind her. "I'm ready. You can send me back home."

Daji studied him for a moment longer, her heart sinking a little upon seeing his face. He looked resolute, but she could see cracks of uncertainty, tiny fractures beneath the surface. Normally, as his master, she would've scolded him, telling him he should stop being insensitive and acknowledge that a part of him wants to stay here.

But doubt was instilled in her mind. Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps, this man wasn't sad about leaving this place while putting up a front and she was just reaching the wrong conclusions.

Or maybe… he was just better at hiding it than she'd thought.

"You know," she said softly, her voice lighter than the wind. "you don't have to rush. If there's anything you want to say or do before you leave—"

"There isn't," Luka interrupted firmly, though his tone wasn't harsh. "In the first place, I shouldn't be here. I was never meant to arrive in this world and meet all of you."

"But you did," she countered, a cheeky smile tracing her lips. "And that means it was meant to be. No matter how things should be, they are the way they are, and nothing can change that."

"I know," the young man nodded, his eyes closed in acknowledgment. 

"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!"

The sudden shout echoed across the vast hills of Sora, followed by the unmistakable flap of wings cutting through the air. Luka's head snapped around, his eyes narrowing as he tried to locate the source.

Daji's ears perked up, twitching in the direction of the sound. A sly smile crept across her face as she leaned slightly to the side, peering around Luka. "It seems someone wanted to say goodbye to you after all."

Before Luka could respond, a streak of black and green light came barreling toward them, accompanied by a burst of wind and a loud, undignified thud. With a spray of dust, Saki crashed into the ground mere feet away, landing face-first in the dirt.

For a moment, silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of her muffled growl. Then, with a loud pop, the succubus yanked her head out of the ground and stood upright. Her emerald eyes burned with fury as she glared at Luka, brushing dirt off her skirt with exaggerated huffs.

"You damn idiot! Did you think you could get rid of me that easily?" she snapped, standing straight like a bamboo and walking towards him menacingly. "I'll make you pay for sneaking around like that behind everyone's back!"

Luka sighed dramatically, his shoulders slumping. He turned to Daji with a long-suffering look. "Please, for the love of all that's god, send me back home before she starts lecturing me..."

Daji raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Oh, but this is far more entertaining. Besides, I think you deserve a little scolding."

Saki, clearly taking this as her cue, crossed her arms and planted herself firmly in front of Luka. "Oh no, you're not getting away that easily!" she declared, her voice brimming with smug determination. "In fact—"

She pointed a finger dramatically at him, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "I'm coming with you!"

Luka and Daji froze, their necks snapping toward her so fast it was a wonder they didn't sprain something. "WHAT?!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices overlapping in sheer disbelief.

"That's right!" Saki beamed, placing her hands on her hips. "I've decided I'm going on a trip! So, take me with you."

"Absolutely not," Luka deadpanned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're not even from my world. No way I'm bringing a succubus there."

"That's right," Daji chimed in, her face contorted in disbelief. "Luka's world is very different than ours. Demons supposedly are just legends there and—"

"Don't care, didn't ask!" Saki shot back, waving them off dismissively. "I'm coming with him, end of story." She planted her foot firmly on the ground, her stance resolute as if her declaration had already sealed the deal.

Luka sighed, running a hand down his face. "Daji, can you even send two people at once?"

"I'm not sure," Daji admitted, her tail flicking behind her as she frowned. "I've never tried it before. The spell was designed for one person, so the risk of destabilization—"

"Don't worry, it will be fine!" Saki interrupted, grabbing Luka by the arm and giving him a confident grin. "Just send him, and I'll follow through right after."

"Is that how that works?" Luka raised an eyebrow at her, pulling his arm free. "Besides, why would you even want to come to my world? You have a home here already."

"I want to see your world," Saki said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms.

Luka stared at her, dumbfounded. "That's it? Curiosity?"

Saki shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not? I've already traveled all over the world. There's nothing left here I haven't seen." She tilted her head, her smirk softening. "Also, someone needs to watch over you in case you make some stupid choices."

"I don't need a guardian... demon... whatever you are," Luka replied, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'm not sure this is a good idea. You might hate it there."

"You think so?" Saki's tone shifted, her usual playful demeanor softening as her narrowed eyes locked onto his. Luka felt a chill crawl down his spine, one he couldn't quite place. It wasn't fear—it was something else entirely. One thing was certain: he wasn't going to talk her out of this.

"Fine. I give up," Luka muttered, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Besides, maybe having you there will be a good way to prove to myself that this whole ordeal wasn't just some fever dream."

"Great!" Saki chirped, her mood instantly lifting as she leapt forward and grabbed his arm again. "Now send us there!"

"Urgh…" Daji sighed, fanning herself before raising her arm pointed towards them. "Please don't blame me for anything that might go wrong."

"Don't worry! Everything will be fine!" Saki repeated again. "Besides, no need to be sad mama!"

Daji's tail fuzzed out and she clenched her teeth. "Don't call me mama you damn imp!"

"Luka planned to come back, right?" she gazed up at him with an expectant look.

Caught off guard, Luka hesitated, his eyes shifting to Daji. "I-I might have planned a few things… But no, I'm not. Fuck this world."

"Awww…." her smile turned into a pout before tightening her grip on his arm. 

Daji looked at them both, her stern expression melting into something bittersweet. With a deep breath, she refocused her energy, the portal beginning to crackle and expand before them. "Goodbye, then. Send my regards to your parents and tell them how much of a pain you were to teach."

"Shut up old hag."

"Well, you've grown quite the tongue. You were more shy before."

"I still am," he smirked, before disappearing in the warm light of the portal. In a mere instant, they both disappeared, and Daji could feel that everything had gone smoothly. With a sigh, she released her magic, making the portal disappear. 

"As expected, it's a one-time thing, huh…" she murmured to herself, staring down at her hand. The crystals she had gathered and used for the magic were now reduced to nothing more than fine dust. It was as if they had never existed, and with it, the proof of the magic itself vanished. There was no trace left—only the feeling of completion that lingered in the air.

"Why is it so hard to escape this place?" she asked herself, staring up at the sky. 

A sense of foreboding, or perhaps a bittersweet loss filled her. It was only a few weeks, but for the first in a long time, she had found someone who could talk on equal terms with her. Not as a goddess, not as a demon, but as a simple master who wished to help.

Still. That moment when she touched him for the first time was still engraved in her mind.

What was this chill that crawled down her spine?

There was one question that was left unanswered after all. Why him? Was it just bad luck for the spell to misfire that way?

She shook her head, trying to brush off the feeling. It wasn't like her to dwell on things like this.

But the thought refused to leave her, and as the wind whispered through the trees, Daji couldn't help but wonder… maybe…

This was just the beginning of something bigger.

"Look, Luka! A vast plain!"

Saki's voice rang out, full of wonder, her eyes wide as she gestured toward the vast, open landscape before them—an endless sea of grass and rolling hills.

"That damn fox…" Luka gritted his teeth, his gaze scanning the empty expanse. "Couldn't she have sent us somewhere with people nearby!?"

Saki, however, remained undeterred, her face glowing with excitement. "Don't worry about it! Just think about it—all this space to ourselves!"

Luka couldn't help but sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Great. Just great… Where the hell are we? Germany? The USA?"

But then, as his gaze swept across the horizon, his eyes narrowed when he spotted a familiar sight—a road cutting through the landscape, with a small building and a few parked cars nearby.

"At least that's my world, alright…" Luka muttered under his breath, visibly relieved.

He looked over at Saki, who was still grinning. "Alright, let's get moving then. We need a phone."

"Okay!" 

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived in front of a small, run-down building. It looked like a road stop for travelers—part diner, part convenience store. The kind of place you'd find along highways for truckers and weary drivers to take a quick break.

Saki was already bouncing on her heels, her eyes wide as she looked around, fascinated by the mundane surroundings. She examined the road as if it were an entirely new world to her—gazing at the cars that sped by like they were the most magical things she had ever seen.

Luka, rolling his eyes, glanced at her before heading toward the door. "Stay outside, I'll go ask for some help inside."

But Saki didn't answer. Instead, she stared at the door of the bar with an intent look in her eyes, before nodding and walking away without another word.

Luka watched her leave, feeling a sense of unease bubble in his chest, though he couldn't pinpoint why. Still, he appreciated the brief moment of peace. He could focus on figuring things out without her constant interruptions.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door. The bell above it chimed as he entered, and the warm air of the room greeted him. Surprisingly, there was no one inside—save for one person.

Luka froze.

The man, with his back turned, hummed a familiar tune to himself, the soft notes reverberating in the silence. A faint scent of hot chocolate filled the air, mingling with the smell of old furniture, wood, and something metallic. The atmosphere was unsettling, and Luka felt a tightness in his chest, as though something was wrong, but he couldn't quite place it.

The mirror behind the boor was dotted with a red viscous liquid that hadn't dried yet. 

The chairs to his right supported two inanimate dolls human corpses with holes in their forehead.

"Seems like you came back in the end, niño." the man spoke with a chilling casualness before gulping down his hot chocolate in one go. 

A flat brown-brimmed hat. A beige trenchcoat. Simple jeans. A suitcase.

"Sorry about lying to you back then," the man continued, ignoring Luka's shocked expression. "I know a place named London. Quite like it, actually."

Luka's breath itched in his throat. His body screamed at him to move but he couldn't. 

That man had completely vanished from his mind. A simple encounter he didn't think much of in the first place. In normal circumstances, he wouldn't even take him seriously.

But he was there, right in front of him. 

brown eyes shadowed by his hat. Dark long unkept hair reaching down his neck. Around his own size. And an unshaved three-day-old beard.

A man who shouldn't be there, whom he thought he left behind back in this hellish world stood up from his chair.

He looked at Luka, tipped his hat, and clapped his hand. "Congratulations," he said with a roll of the tongue. "You managed to come back to your world. Must have been hard, huh?"

The man took out a pocket watch from his sleeve and looked at the time. "You're right on time too."

Without hesitation, Luka raised his hand toward the man, his finger pointed before gathering mana at its tip. A small fireball shot at the speed of a bullet flew straight toward the man.

The man's smirk never faltered as the fireball zoomed toward him, its blazing tail illuminating the dim room. Luka's instincts kicked in, but the man's movement was far too quick. With a smooth, almost effortless gesture, he teleported forward, sidestepping the spell with an unnatural fluidity. The fireball collided with the wall behind him, splintering the old wood and sending debris flying across the room, but the man was untouched.

"How cold of you to shoot at me like that. But I guess I can't blame you."

That movement was too unnatural. Luka couldn't believe his own eyes. The man didn't 'teleport' right in front of the bullet, it was as if he was placed there the moment the bullet reached him. 

"Tell me, niño," the man continued, tipping his hat in a mysterious fashion. "Why exactly were you sent to that world? Do you have an idea?"

I don't want to answer that.

"Svelto, full power!" Luka rushed toward him, his teeth gritted in desperation as his whole body, his mind, and his heart told him to kill him before it was too late.

Too late for what? He didn't know. He could only guess unconsciously that everything, his world, his hopes, would come crashing down in an instant if he were to fail right now.

His punch flew straight to the man's face. The man in the hat stood unfazed, simply grinning at the form aiming to harm him. And just like before, once his fist was close to connecting with his face, the sound of a ticking clock rang in Luka's ears.

And then, a click.

His fist met the empty air, and the man stood tall right behind him. 

"Did you truly think, it was just a coincidence?" his voice echoed in Luka's ears like a murmur. "I mean, it would be a truly shitty luck for you to be sent there amongst billions of people."

Luka's heart pounded in his chest, his breath sharp and erratic as he spun around, his body already moving before his mind could fully comprehend what had just happened. The man, now standing behind him, had evaded the punch with an effortless grace that left Luka feeling more helpless than ever.

The air in the room felt thick with tension, each second dragging on like an eternity. Luka's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation, but the man's presence, the unshakable certainty in his demeanor, made it impossible to think clearly.

The man's grin widened, the soft sound of the clock ticking still echoing in the back of Luka's mind. "You should know by now, niño, that there's no such thing as coincidence in a world like this." His voice was low, almost hypnotic, and Luka could feel the words sink deep into his consciousness, making his blood run cold.

Luka clenched his fists, still reeling from the disorienting speed of the man's movement. "Who the hell are you?" His voice shook but he tried to steady himself, gathering his mana for another strike. 

"I already told you, names don't matter to me," the man sighed before grinning slightly. "But there is one name I'm known by. Both in this world and in Tamia."

"The Hatman."

Luka's feet dropped, literally. The floor beneath him started to distort, the planks of wood turning into a strange texture like goo, the walls around him bending impossibly before contracting itself and cracking under an invisible weight. 

He stared down at his feet, only to see a small bubble in the dark void that had formed beneath. 

"But, did you really think you could leave Tamia?" the man continued, looking down at the sinking Luka. "I don't remember giving you permission to leave this place."

"No—" Luka's voice cut off quickly as he found hismelf swallowed deeper into the void, like quicksand dragging him deeper. The room that was once the bar was now unrecognizable if not for the tables floating around the hatman. 

"Have fun!" the man said, his voice tinged with a mocking undertone, his smile not reaching his ears. "Because once I come back for you…"

"You will never have fun again."

The next moment, the world around him disappeared, and the face of the grinning man in the hat burned into his mind.

Dry grass grazed his feet and a warm air brushed his face.

The familiar vast sea of sand stretched out toward the horizon. The land of the dead dragon, that he had once crossed with Kanami.

On his knees he stood there in disbelief, gazing at the sky. 

"Ah… Ahah…" a nervous laugh escaped his lips.

This was a dream, no, a nightmare. Surely he would wake up soon and find himself in his bed, right?

His fists clenched and grabbed a pack of sand tightly. 

And a world-splitting scream filled with anguish and sorrow rang through the dunes, unheard by the uncaring universe.

T̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶n̶d̶.