The next morning arrived with the scent of something unfamiliar — not unpleasant, just... different.
Sayaka sat upright on her soft bedding, blinking rapidly.
"This isn't my bed... right. I'm still here. Not a dream after all."
Elara's cottage was already aglow with golden sunlight. Ray of light filtered through the wood-framed windows, dancing dust motes in the air. The warm aroma of herbal tea and fresh bread surrounded into the room.
She rubbed her eyes, wincing at the dull ache in her limbs. The events of yesterday played in fragments: a cold forest, a mysterious man, a new name — Sayaka — and a stranger's kindness.
Elara appeared at the door, apron dusted in flour, her expression soft.
"You're awake. I thought I'd let you sleep in — you needed it."
Sayaka gave a slow nod, forcing a polite smile.
"Thanks... for everything," she murmured.
After a quick meal, Elara handed her a soft cloak and a pair of simple boots.
"Come. You'll need clothes, and perhaps seeing the town will help your mind... settle."
"Settle, huh?" Sayaka whispered, more to herself.
How does one settle into a world where magic exists and you have literally nothing?
She didn't even have her school ID or a toothbrush.
The outside world was more alive than she expected.
I think I travelled back in time
They walked a cobblestone path lined with colorful stalls and warm, buzzing voices. Wooden signs swayed in the breeze, and flags of unknown sigils flapped gently. Children darted past, laughing, while a woman stirred a cauldron that floated beside her.
Sayaka paused.
Wait… is that soup just... floating?
She glanced around. A young man was levitating crates into a cart with a flick of his hand. A baker used a flame spell to toast bread. A tailor sewed threads through the air using only her fingers.
This world was unfairly... magical.
She found herself muttering, "So it's not just fairy tale rules... Magic here is normal. Common. Easy."
"Does it surprise you?" Elara asked, noticing her gaze.
Sayaka hesitated.
"Yeah. It's... beautiful. But also... I don't have any of that, do I?"
Elara's footsteps slowed.
"You don't remember your past, Sayaka. But maybe this world will awaken something within you. Everyone has a path — sometimes it just takes longer to see."
Sayaka looked at her hands.
They were soft. Shaky. Weak.
Back home, I couldn't even pass science. Now I'm magicless in a fantasy world. Isn't this the universe's worst joke?
But she stayed silent.
They visited several shops. Elara negotiated firmly with a smiling merchant who seemed more interested in gossiping than selling. Sayaka ended up with a simple leather bag, two sets of plain clothes, and a tiny trinket Elara insisted on gifting her — a silver pendant shaped like a feather.
"For luck," Elara said.
Sayaka turned the pendant over in her hand.
It was cool to the touch, strangely comforting.
But as they walked home, something shifted.
They passed by a group of apprentice mages practicing in an open courtyard. One boy — maybe twelve — held his hands together. A glowing ball of light sparked into life and danced around him, cheered on by the others.
Sayaka stopped, staring.
Her chest tightened. Not in jealousy… not quite.
It was something else.
Longing?
A whisper echoed faintly in her mind.
"You… are not meant to be powerless."
She spun around.
No one was there.
"Elara?" she called, but her guardian was several steps ahead.
Sayaka touched her temple.
Hallucination? Stress? A side effect of trauma?
Yet, the voice hadn't sounded external. It had sounded like…
Herself.
That night, she lay awake, clutching the silver feather.
Outside, moonlight draped over the wooden walls of the room like a ghost. A breeze whispered through the half-open window.
Something inside her was watching. Waiting.
And when it awakened…
This world would never be the same.