The silence that followed Ryan's admission wasn't hollow—it was oppressive. A weighted, trembling silence that blanketed the air like dust settling after a building collapses. Five boys stood in the main hall of the mansion, unmoving, as if the words they'd just heard were too massive to process.
He had told them the truth.
Or at least, what he believed to be the truth.
They had died.
Or... nearly died. That part was unclear, even to Ryan himself. But the blue vortex, their abrupt arrival in his orbital home above the exoplanet HD 34445 b, and his knowledge of their worlds, their names, their destinies—it all pointed to something deeply unnatural. Something potentially irreversible.
The weight of it pressed hardest on Tanjiro. He stood near the transparent wall, gazing silently into the shifting swirl of the Orion Nebula that glowed far beyond them. He hadn't turned Nezuko back human. He had just promised himself to grow stronger, for Nezuko, for his friends. And now... now this? The Mugen Train had taken everything from him. And now he might have lost his entire world too?
Eren's fists were clenched tightly at his sides. The fight for Trost was still in his memory—fresh, searing. The stench of death, the last sight of the titan-devoured soldiers who had trusted him and his friends who died before thwey did. And if Ryan was right, then his home was gone, or he was... torn from it. Armin. Mikasa. Jean. Connie. Sasha. Reiner. Krista. Bertolt. Ymir. He hadn't seen the ocean yet, like he promised Armin they would.
Naruto hadn't said a word since the reveal. No jokes. No grins. Not even his usual stubborn optimism. He stood with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets, shoulders slumped, as he stared at the polished floor. The roar of the Chuunin Exams still rang in his ears—Kiba's growl, Neji's quiet fury, the looming problems of Sasuke's condition. And now? Everything had stopped.
Asta, meanwhile, couldn't stop pacing. Back and forth like a caged lion, his boots thudding against the polished floors. His magicless fists clenched, unclenched, clenched again. His mind was racing. He had only just got himself killed at the Underwater Temple. He didn't really regret it, since Noelle was alive. The Black Bulls had finally been there when he closed his eyes. And now... this?
Midoriya looked the most visibly shaken. His eyes darted around, his breath shallow. He was a thinker by nature, and right now, his brain was drowning in a tidal wave of questions he had no answers to. Had he failed? Had he been too weak? Had the heroes failed him?
Ryan let the silence linger, giving them the time they needed.
Then, softly, he spoke.
"Come," he said gently. "Let me show you around. At least get to know the place you'll be staying for a while."
He turned, not waiting for a response, and began walking. Whether it was instinct or simply a need for distraction, the five followed.
The mansion was more than a home. It was a marvel of engineering, architecture, and vision. They passed through a colossal archway that opened into what looked like a palace corridor—walls adorned with soft lighting and pulsing energy veins, like living circuits. The floors shimmered with a soft silver hue, and every door they passed whispered open with the slightest approach.
"This whole habitat runs on a self-aware autonomous AI network," Ryan explained, "which I'll not bother explaining how it works at all since it is too advanced to finish in an hour. But for now, just enjoy."
They stepped next into the dining hall, which was nothing short of regal. A long obsidian table stretched across the room, set with gleaming silverware and crystal-clear glasses. The air held a faint aroma of spices and herbs, already hinting at the dinner that awaited them.
"We'll eat here later tonight," Ryan said. "You all deserve at least one small comfort before sleep."
The tour continued. They walked into the gym—and if any of them had lingering doubts about Ryan's seriousness, this room silenced them. It looked like an entire facility on its own. Racks of equipment lined the walls: weights, machines, climbing towers, and suspended platforms for agility training. In one corner was a massive sparring mat area, thick and clean, surrounded by retractable walls for privacy. But the centrepiece was the UFC-grade fighting cage in the center—perfect for one-on-one duels.
Eren stopped walking. Even he was impressed. "This... looks like heaven for training."
Ryan smirked. "You'll be spending a lot of time here."
They continued into a smaller side chamber—a steam room. Warm vapor rolled off the stone benches. Ryan glanced at them with a half-smile. "Even warriors need to relax."
The star gazer room came next. A glass observatory dome protruded from the upper curve of the mansion, its walls and ceiling transparent, offering a 360-degree view of the cosmos. And right there, framed perfectly in the void, was the Orion Nebula—like a living painting of swirling blues, purples, and crimson fire.
Naruto leaned forward, eyes wide. "Whoa..."
Tanjiro's mouth parted slightly in awe. "It's beautiful..."
A quiet peace fell over them for a moment.
Ryan let them linger, then guided them through the more mundane areas—the pristine, mirror-clean toilets; the industrial-grade kitchen with self-cleaning counters and AI-assisted utensils; the endless storerooms, stacked with materials both practical and mysterious.
Finally, they reached the library.
It was vast, circular, like a cathedral to knowledge. Dozens of floating ladders glided around the shelves on magnetic tracks. The scent of old parchment and holographic displays blended in a surreal harmony.
Ryan placed a hand on the central table. "You can read anything in here starting tomorrow. Histories, philosophies, battle strategies. Even fiction, if you need to escape."
There was a strange reverence in the air. Then Ryan guided them to a quieter corridor where five doors stood evenly spaced apart. Each one opened to a different room—but they were identical in structure.
Each room was massive. The centerpiece was a sunken platform bed, wide and soft, the sheets woven from nanofiber threads that adjusted to the user's comfort. Along one wall stood a walk-in closet that could auto-sort anything they owned. The bathroom was something out of a luxury resort—an elegant hot tub beside a rainfall shower, both with self-cleaning features. A high-tech workstation stood at the far end, outfitted with a sleek screen and tactile interface. Ryan gestured toward it.
"I'll teach some of you how to use those tomorrow," he said. "You'll find them... surprisingly useful."
But what caught every eye was the far wall—completely transparent. From their beds, they could see the Orion Nebula in full. No walls. No roof. Just stars, space, and infinity.
"Before dinner," Ryan said, "you'll be called. Leave a note on this desk—tell Albert how you want your room to look. He'll take care of it."
Then he left them to explore.
Dinner came like a balm. Albert called them, and they followed the scent.
The dining room now brimmed with warm light and the rich aroma of freshly made food. Ryan had gone out of his way to prepare meals that matched what he could find as cultural equivalents to their homelands.
Asta's plate was filled with a rustic, dry potato-based dish—simple and slightly bland, much like the tatoes of Hage, but comforting in its own humble way.
Eren's meal was hearty—pork sausages, fried potatoes, and sauerkraut, seasoned with a mustard tang that made him blink in quiet recognition. German countryside food, thick and satisfying.
Naruto's eyes widened with joy the moment he saw the dozens of steaming bowls of miso ramen waiting for him.
"Oi! You made this?!" he shouted.
Ryan simply nodded, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Midoriya was already misty-eyed at the first bite of katsudon. "This is... perfect..." The taste brought back memories of his mother. He was fighting the tears, Finding out he's dead made him feel more emotional and cry-ready than usual.
Tanjiro's meal was clean, wholesome—thick udon in a warm broth, with two soft kelp rice balls on the side. He chewed in silence, savoring each bite like a prayer. This food was more of a cuisiene he and his siblings ate from his savings at least once a month or on special occasions. Sometimes, Hanuki, one of his loyal customers would give him more money than what he sold her was worth. As much as he tried, He nver had the heart to refuse an earnest plea from an elderly woman.
For the first time that day, they felt something close to peace.
After the meal, they returned to their rooms. And when they opened their doors again, each space had changed—perfectly matching the description they had left behind on the paper sheets.
Personal touches. Colors. Posters. Artifacts. Dreams. Memories. Each room became not just a space, but a reflection of a soul.
And as they finally drifted to sleep, Ryan sat alone in his private office.
Albert hovered nearby, flickering softly in holographic form.
"Quite the day," the AI said.
Ryan leaned back, eyes closed. "Yeah. And it's only the beginning."
"You plan to train them?"
"Yes. I have to. Also, how did you find out?"
"I monitored your heart rate, facial expressions, breathing rate, pupil contractions and the hormones released by your brain to calculate the most probable line of thought"
Ryan opened his eyes, staring into the digital stars outside his window. Albert continued.
"I know it's not my place to ask, but why?"
"Because someone—something—ripped them from their worlds. That means their killers were stronger than the people who should've protected them. Based on what they remember last, I can take a geuss which arc they were in when they died what Stronger than Levi. Than Kakashi. Than Kyojuro. Than Yami. Than all of UA."
Albert was silent for a moment. Then: "You're assuming their guardians fell first."
Ryan nodded slowly. "They had to have, but not necessarily overpowered. They could have also been outsmarted or held back as well. Because if they hadn't... the boys wouldn't be here. I don't know if I can send them home. But if I can... I won't risk sending them back as they are now. It'll start the cycle all over again. There's also the chance that them getting sent here was a one time thing, and i don't wanna gamble on that"
Albert hummed. "You want them to be stronger than their protectors."
"Yes," Ryan said softly. "They have to be."
He looked up at the stars. When he woke up today, he never thought it would end like this. Five boys had just landed from their worlds into his own. That was a question in itself. Why his world? What was so special about it? Was it because of the advancements they had made in the experimental field of Dimensional engineering, or was his world somehow connected to theirs somehow?
But now...now he needed to get them stronger. Because whatever took them once might try again.
He reached for a drawer and pulled out a holographic projector. It was small and sleek, easily capable of being held by a small child's hand or even fitting in a pocket. It had a storage function as well so it could hold multiple projections. They had multiple purposes but the one on his desk was meant specifically for holding architectural designs. He turned it on and a glowing neon blue 3-D image floated inches above the desk in all its glory.
"Sir, is that what i think it is?" Asked Alfred, even though he knew the answer.
"Yes Alfred, it is.", replied Ryan.
"My grandfather's old project, Yggdrasil."