Chapter 2: The First Town
The forest seemed endless.
Evan had been walking for what felt like hours.
The stranger in the dark cloak moved several meters ahead of him, walking effortlessly between the trees.
She never seemed to stumble, slow down, or even look tired.
Evan, on the other hand, was struggling.
Branches caught on his jacket.
Roots seemed determined to trip him, and his legs were beginning to ache.
He stepped over another root and sighed.
“How much longer?”
The stranger didn’t answer.
Evan waited a few seconds.
“Hey.”
Nothing.
“Hey!”
The stranger finally stopped.
“We’re close.”
Evan looked around at the endless trees.
“How close?”
“About twenty minutes.”
Evan stared at her.
“You said that twenty minutes ago.”
Kaela looked over her shoulder.
“I did?”
“Yes.”
She considered this for a moment.
“Then we’re probably closer now.”
Evan sighed.
“That isn’t how time works.”
Kaela simply turned and continued walking.
Evan followed, muttering under his breath.
“Great. I get transported to another world and immediately become lost in a forest.”
Kaela suddenly looked back.
“You complain a lot.”
Evan blinked.
“You barely talk.”
“That’s because you talk enough for both of us.”
Evan stared at her.
Then Kaela smiled.
It lasted only a moment before her expression returned to its usual calmness.
Evan noticed.
“So you can smile.”
“I regret doing it.”
Evan laughed.
It was a small laugh, but it was genuine.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, he felt a little less alone.
After several more minutes, the forest finally began to thin.
A warm orange glow appeared between the trees.
Evan stopped.
“What is that?”
Kaela looked ahead.
“The town.”
Evan immediately hurried forward.
He pushed through the final line of trees.
Then he stopped.
A massive stone wall stretched across the horizon.
Behind it stood a town filled with warm lights.
Stone and wooden buildings lined the streets, while merchants moved between crowded stalls.
Small glowing crystals hung from poles, illuminating the roads.
Evan stared in disbelief.
“This is…”
He couldn’t find the right words.
Kaela stood beside him.
“Welcome to Asterfall.”
Asterfall.
The first town Evan had ever seen in another world.
Two guards stood beside the enormous gate.
One of them recognized Kaela immediately.
“You’re back, Kaela.”
She nodded.
“Any trouble?”
“Nothing unusual.”
The guard then looked at Evan.
His expression changed.
“Who’s the boy?”
Kaela glanced at Evan.
“He’s an outsider.”
Both guards became alert.
“An outsider?”
The second guard stepped forward.
“From where?”
Evan hesitated.
“Earth.”
Silence.
Kaela’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t say that word so loudly.”
Evan lowered his voice.
“Why?”
One of the guards looked around before speaking.
“Because people here don’t like hearing about Earth.”
“Why?”
The guard didn’t answer.
Kaela stepped between them.
“Let us through.”
After a tense moment, the guards moved aside.
Evan followed Kaela through the gate.
The moment he entered Asterfall, he realized just how different this world truly was.
Some people looked almost completely human.
Others had pointed ears, tails, horns, or other features Evan couldn’t explain.
A woman with silver hair walked past carrying a basket filled with glowing fruit.
Nearby, a small child chased a floating creature that looked like a ball of fur with tiny wings.
Evan couldn’t stop staring.
“Are they all…?”
“Different races?” Kaela finished.
“Yeah.”
“Humans, elves, beastfolk, dwarves, and several others.”
Evan slowly nodded.
“This really is another world.”
Kaela looked at him.
“You still haven’t accepted that?”
“I’ve accepted it.”
Evan looked around again.
“I’m just having trouble believing it.”
Kaela continued down the street.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a large wooden building.
A sign hung above the entrance.
THE SILVER LANTERN
“This is an inn,” Kaela said.
Evan followed her inside.
Warm air immediately surrounded him.
A fireplace burned in one corner, while travelers sat around wooden tables, eating and talking.
The moment Evan entered, several people looked toward him.
Then they looked at Kaela.
Whispers quickly spread through the room.
“Is that…?”
“An outsider?”
“Impossible.”
“Another one?”
Evan noticed the attention.
“Why is everyone staring?”
Kaela didn’t answer.
She walked toward the innkeeper.
“Two rooms.”
The innkeeper looked at Evan.
Her expression changed.
Then her eyes moved toward his hand.
She saw the blue symbol.
Her face became pale.
“Where did you find him?”
“North forest.”
The woman stared at Evan.
“You need to leave.”
Evan frowned.
“What?”
“Not you.”
She looked directly at Kaela.
“Both of you.”
Kaela’s expression became serious.
“Why?”
The innkeeper leaned closer.
“That mark.”
Evan looked down at his palm.
“What about it?”
The woman lowered her voice.
“It’s the mark of the World Travelers.”
Evan froze.
Kaela immediately glanced around the room.
“Not here.”
The innkeeper nodded nervously.
“Then where?”
Kaela didn’t answer.
She took Evan upstairs.
Once they entered the room, Kaela closed the door.
Evan immediately turned toward her.
“What is a World Traveler?”
“Someone who comes from another world.”
Evan stared.
“So… people like me.”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
Kaela was silent.
Evan frowned.
“How many?”
“Nobody knows.”
Evan sat on the edge of the bed.
“You said there were stories about people from other worlds.”
“There are more than stories.”
Kaela walked toward the window.
“Thousands of years ago, people began appearing in this world.”
“From Earth?”
“We don’t know if their world was exactly the same as yours. But their language, knowledge, and abilities were unlike anything known here.”
Evan listened carefully.
“What happened to them?”
“Some became heroes.”
Kaela looked toward him.
“Some became kings.”
Evan’s eyes widened.
“Seriously?”
“One supposedly built an entire kingdom.”
“What about the others?”
“Some disappeared.”
Kaela’s expression darkened.
“And some became enemies.”
Evan looked down at the blue mark on his hand.
“Why?”
“Because the World Travelers brought something with them.”
“What?”
“Power.”
Evan remembered the strange energy that had exploded from his hand in the forest.
“The magic?”
Kaela nodded.
“Your world calls things science. This world calls them magic.”
Evan frowned.
“So magic is real?”
“Very real.”
Kaela raised one hand.
A tiny flame appeared above her palm.
Evan nearly fell off the bed.
“WHAT?!”
Kaela looked completely calm.
“It’s basic fire magic.”
“Basic?! You’re holding fire in your hand!”
Kaela closed her fingers.
The flame disappeared.
“Magic comes from mana.”
“Mana?”
“Energy that exists inside living things and throughout the world.”
She pointed toward Evan.
“You have it too.”
Evan looked at himself.
“How do I use it?”
“You don’t know how.”
“Then teach me.”
Kaela raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to get attacked by another giant wolf.”
Kaela thought for a moment.
“Fair.”
She walked toward him.
“Close your eyes.”
Evan did.
“Take a slow breath.”
He breathed in.
“Now imagine something warm inside your chest.”
Evan concentrated.
At first, there was nothing.
Then—
A tiny warmth appeared.
His eyes widened.
“I feel something.”
“Good.”
“What’s next?”
“Move it toward your hand.”
Evan concentrated harder.
The warmth slowly moved through his body.
Then his palm began glowing blue.
Kaela’s eyes widened.
“Stop.”
Evan opened his eyes.
“What?”
“Stop.”
The glow disappeared.
Kaela stared at his hand.
Evan frowned.
“What?”
“Your mana isn’t normal.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ve never seen mana behave like that.”
The blue symbol on Evan’s palm began glowing again.
Then a transparent screen appeared before him.
WORLD SYSTEM
Mana detected.
Magic compatibility: Unknown.
Elemental affinity: Unknown.
Special Trait: UNKNOWN
New Skill Acquired: Mana Sense — Level 1
Evan stared.
“Kaela.”
“What?”
“I think I have a system.”
Kaela’s expression became serious.
“A system?”
A transparent screen remained in front of Evan.
Kaela couldn’t see it.
“You can’t see this?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know something happened?”
“Your mana changed.”
Evan looked at the screen again.
MANA SENSE
Allows the user to perceive traces of magical energy.
Evan smiled.
“So I actually have magic.”
Kaela nodded slowly.
“Apparently.”
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The entire building shook.
Evan jumped to his feet.
“What was that?!”
Another explosion echoed through the town.
People screamed outside.
Kaela immediately reached for her weapon.
“Stay here.”
Evan stood.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“But—”
“This isn’t a game.”
Kaela opened the door.
“Stay inside.”
Then she disappeared down the stairs.
Evan stood still.
He could hear shouting outside.
Something inside him told him to follow.
He moved toward the window.
Below, people were running through the streets.
At the far end of town, a strange black mist covered the road.
Shapes moved inside it.
Creatures.
Evan’s heart began pounding.
The system appeared again.
WARNING
Unknown magical disturbance detected.
Danger level: High.
Evan stared at the message.
“You’re kidding.”
A scream came from below.
Evan couldn’t just stand there.
He ran downstairs.
Outside, Kaela was already fighting.
Her silver weapon moved through the darkness, surrounded by blue magical energy.
Evan watched in amazement.
“That’s magic…”
Suddenly, one of the creatures broke through the crowd.
It charged toward him.
Evan froze.
The creature raised its claw.
Evan lifted his hand.
Blue light exploded from his palm.
BOOM!
The creature was thrown backward.
Evan stared at his hand.
“I did that?”
Kaela looked toward him.
“Evan!”
The creature stood again.
“Focus!”
Evan raised his hand.
This time, he didn’t panic.
He remembered the warmth inside his chest.
He moved the energy toward his palm.
Blue light gathered.
The creature charged.
Evan pushed his hand forward.
WHOOM!
A wave of energy struck the creature and sent it crashing into the street.
Silence followed.
Evan breathed heavily.
Kaela stared at him.
“You’re learning far too quickly.”
Evan looked at his glowing hand.
“I don’t know if that’s good.”
Kaela turned toward the black mist.
“It’s not.”
The mist suddenly vanished.
The creatures disappeared with it.
Slowly, the townspeople emerged from their homes.
Nobody spoke.
Then an old man approached Evan.
His eyes widened when he saw the blue mark.
“You…”
Evan stepped backward.
“What?”
The old man’s voice trembled.
“I’ve seen that mark before.”
Evan’s heart skipped.
“Where?”
The old man looked toward the mountains.
“Twenty years ago.”
Kaela stepped closer.
“Tell me.”
The old man shook his head.
“He arrived during a storm.”
“Who?”
“A boy.”
Evan stared at him.
“From Earth?”
The old man nodded.
“He called himself a traveler.”
Evan’s breathing slowed.
“What happened to him?”
The old man looked frightened.
“He asked the same question you did.”
“What question?”
“How can I return home?”
Evan waited.
“And?”
The old man whispered:
“He found the answer.”
Evan’s eyes widened.
“You mean he went back?”
The old man shook his head.
“No.”
He looked directly at Evan’s blue mark.
“He discovered that the doors between worlds aren’t random.”
Evan stared.
“What do you mean?”
The old man pointed toward the mountains.
“They open for a reason.”
Evan looked toward the dark horizon.
“What reason?”
The old man didn’t answer.
Instead, he said:
“Every World Traveler is connected to something in this world.”
Kaela’s expression became grim.
“And what was that boy connected to?”
The old man looked at Evan.
“An ancient power.”
The wind passed through the streets.
Evan looked down at his hand.
The blue symbol pulsed once.
Then twice.
The system appeared again.
HIDDEN QUEST UNLOCKED
The Door Between Worlds
Objective: Discover why you were summoned to the World of Unknown.
Progress: 0%
Evan stared at the message.
He had thought the mysterious door was an accident.
Maybe it wasn’t.
Maybe someone—or something—had opened it for him.
And if that was true…
Then his arrival in this world wasn’t an escape.
It was a beginning.
A beginning that someone had been waiting thousands of years to see.
Evan looked toward the mountains.
For the first time since arriving, he wasn’t thinking about simply going home.
He was thinking about finding the truth.
“Kaela.”
“What?”
“I want to know why I’m here.”
Kaela looked at him for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
“Then you’ll need to become strong enough to survive the answer.”
Above Asterfall, the stars shone brightly across the dark sky.
Far beyond the mountains, hidden beneath ancient ruins, a blue door slowly began to open.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
“Another traveler has arrived.”
The door opened wider.
“This time…”
Two golden eyes appeared behind it.
“…the prophecy may finally be fulfilled.”