The awkward silence following Finn's innocent revelation stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Raven wished desperately that the crystalline ground would open up and swallow him whole. Anything to escape Ava's penetrating stare and Nona's mortified expression.
"So," Axel said, finally managing to control his laughter enough to speak coherently, "now that we've established Raven as the romantic hero of our little adventure, maybe we should figure out what to do next?"
Nona pushed herself fully upright, wincing slightly as her healing wounds protested the movement. The potion had sealed the worst of the damage, but she was clearly still sore. Her eyes swept over the safe zone, taking in their surroundings with practiced assessment.
"Thank you," she said quietly, her voice steadier now. "All of you. For saving us. I'm Effel, by the way. Nona is just what Finn calls me." She touched her side gingerly where the claws had torn through. "I thought we were done for."
"Effel," Raven repeated, grateful for the change of subject away from the kiss incident. "Are you from Queen's? We haven't seen many people since arriving here."
A confused expression crossed Effel's face. "Queen's? I don't know what that is. I'm from Maple's Blaze, about a day's journey north of here." She looked between them, seeming puzzled by their confusion. "Wait, you're not from around here at all, are you? You're some of them. The Strangers."
"Strangers?" Ava asked.
Effel nodded slowly. "That's what we've been calling you. About three days ago, people started appearing. Lots of them. Just... showing up in the forest, in the fields, confused and panicking. Speaking about things we don't understand. Different worlds. Something called 'awakening.' It's been chaos."
Raven felt his world tilt slightly. "You mean you were already here? Before we arrived?"
"I was born here," Effel said simply. "So was Finn. So were my parents, and their parents before them. This has always been our home. We have settlements, cities, entire kingdoms across the realm. We thought we knew our world, and then suddenly thousands of Strangers appear out of nowhere, talking about things that make no sense."
The three friends exchanged shocked glances. Everything they'd assumed had just been overturned.
"But the Administrator," Ava said. "He opened the beta realm for us. He said—"
"I don't know who or what that is," Effel interrupted gently. "What's a 'beta realm'?"
Raven's mind raced. The Administrator had presented the beta realm as if it were created for them, a training ground for Earth's awakened. But what if it had always existed? What if they were the invaders, flooding into someone else's home?
"How long have your people been here?" Axel asked.
Effel shrugged. "Forever? Our oldest records go back at least a thousand years. Probably longer. We've always been here, fighting monsters, building settlements, surviving." She looked at them curiously. "Where did you come from? The Strangers keep talking about another world, but that's impossible. There's only the realm."
"It's... complicated," Raven said. "Maybe we should start over. You said you're from a settlement called Maple's Blaze?"
Effel nodded, seeming grateful for the subject change. "It's the strongest settlement in the Northern territories. Built around the Eternal Flame Tree. About two thousand people call it home."
"And you were out here because...?"
"I'm an Alchemist. B-rank." She said it matter-of-factly. "I was gathering ingredients for potions when Finn followed me without permission. We got caught by that armored bear." She ruffled her brother's hair. "We wouldn't have survived without you."
An Alchemist. That explained her relative calm about the monsters and danger. This was her normal life.
"We were actually thinking about heading back," Raven admitted. "Back to where we came from. But..." He looked at Finn, then at Effel's still-healing wounds. "You shouldn't travel alone. Not in your condition."
"I was going to ask," Effel said quietly, "if you would consider escorting us home. It's dangerous, and I'm not at full strength. I can pay you once we arrive. My family has resources, and Maple's Blaze has everything you Strangers seem to need. Shops, crafters, trainers. A place to sell whatever you've collected."
Raven exchanged glances with his friends. They could see the same calculation running through each other's minds. Going back to Queen's meant safety but also stagnation. They'd already proven they could survive here. And a proper settlement meant opportunities they couldn't get anywhere else.
"Give us a moment," Raven said.
They moved slightly away, huddling together.
"Thoughts?" Raven asked quietly.
"It's risky," Axel said. "We barely survived one fight. A full day through monster territory..."
"But the payoff," Ava countered. "A real city. Shops. Training. We could sell the monster core, get actual equipment."
"There's also the fact that they need help," Raven added. "Finn's just a kid. If we don't help them, who will?"
Ava nodded firmly. "I say we do it. We need to get stronger anyway. Might as well have a destination."
"Agreed," Axel said. "Besides, having an alchemist connection could be valuable."
Raven looked at his friends and felt his resolve solidify. "Alright. We escort them to Maple's Blaze, sell our goods, then decide our next move."
They returned to where Effel waited, her expression cautiously hopeful.
"We'll do it," Raven said. "We'll get you and Finn home safely."
The relief that washed over Effel's face was palpable. "Thank you. Truly. I won't forget this."
Her eyes met Raven's, and for a moment, something passed between them. Gratitude, certainly, but also something warmer. A connection forged through shared danger and that desperate rescue, however clinical Raven had tried to make it.
Raven felt his face warm and quickly looked away, only to catch Ava watching the exchange with an unreadable expression. Her green eyes flickered between him and Effel, and though she said nothing, Raven could sense a shift in the air.
"So," Axel said loudly, breaking the tension, "tell us about Maple's Blaze. What should we expect?"
Effel settled more comfortably, Finn curled up beside her. "It's built around an ancient tree that burns with eternal fire but never consumes itself. The tree is massive, maybe a hundred meters tall, and its flames light the entire settlement. We've built our homes and shops in rings around it."
"How many people?" Raven asked.
"About two thousand normally, but with all the Strangers arriving, maybe closer to twenty-five hundred now. It's been... tense. Your people don't understand our ways, and they have these strange abilities they don't know how to control."
"Strange abilities?" Ava asked.
"You call them 'jobclasses,' I think? We just call them gifts. Everyone here is born with one. Mine manifested when I was six, like most children. But you Strangers, you got yours recently somehow, and you're all incredibly powerful but completely unskilled. It's dangerous."
That explained a lot. The natives had been living with their powers their entire lives, learning control and technique from childhood. Meanwhile, Earth's awakened had raw power but zero experience.
"What about shops?" Axel asked practically.
"We have smiths who can craft up to Grade 3 equipment, maybe Grade 4 if you have rare materials. Other alchemists, though most aren't as skilled as me." She said it without arrogance, just fact. "Skill trainers who teach techniques for gold. And a marketplace where you can trade anything."
They peppered her with questions about the settlement, about the monsters they might face, about what to expect. Effel patiently explained their world, a world that had existed long before Earth's awakened arrived to complicate it.
As morning wore on, they prepared to travel. Effel proved her worth immediately by identifying plants near the safe zone.
"Vitality Moss," she said, harvesting glowing green growth. "Useless raw, but I can make healing salves in my workshop. And these white flowers are Stamina Blooms. They boost stamina recovery if prepared correctly."
"Can we eat them raw?" Axel asked, reaching out.
"No!" Effel caught his wrist. "See the purple spots? Those are False Stamina Blooms. They'll paralyze you. The real ones are pure white."
Axel jerked his hand back. "Right. Don't eat random plants."
"That's why you need an alchemist," Effel said with a small smile.
When they left the safe zone, Raven took point with Axel. They moved carefully, weapons ready. Effel guided them along paths she clearly knew, pointing out dangers.
"That grove with the silver mist? Phantom Spiders. Some grow as large as horses. We go around."
They gave it a wide berth.
An hour in, they encountered a Stone Wolf. The fight was better than their battle with the bear—more coordinated, more controlled. Effel moved with practiced efficiency, her daggers finding weak points. They dropped the wolf in under two minutes.
As they traveled, Raven found himself walking beside Effel often, asking about her world. She was patient with his questions, explaining things that were obvious to her but completely foreign to him.
"You're different from the other Strangers I've met," she said during one conversation. "Most are arrogant about their power. You're careful, thoughtful."
"Power means nothing if you don't know how to use it," Raven said.
"Wise." She glanced at him, and there was something in her expression that made his chest tighten. "That's why you saved me. You saw someone in trouble and didn't hesitate."
"Anyone would have done the same."
"No," Effel said softly. "They wouldn't. You're... different."
Behind them, Ava's spear struck a tree with perhaps more force than necessary. Effel glanced back, then at Raven, her expression thoughtful.
The tension built throughout the day. Raven caught Ava watching him and Effel multiple times, her jaw tight. He tried to include her in conversations, but it only seemed to make things worse.
By afternoon, they reached a ridge. Below them, spread out like a painting, was Maple's Blaze.
The settlement was built in rings around a massive tree at its center. The tree was enormous, its trunk wider than a house, its branches spreading like a canopy of living flame. Fire danced and flickered but gave off no smoke, casting golden light across everything.
Buildings clustered around the tree. Raven could see market stalls, training yards, workshops. Walls surrounded the perimeter, patrolled by guards.
People moved through the streets. He could see the difference now—natives moved with confidence while newcomers (the Strangers, the awakened from Earth) clustered together nervously.
"Home," Effel breathed. "We made it."
"It's beautiful," Ava said, genuine wonder in her voice.
"Come on," Effel said, starting down. "I'll introduce you to the Settlement Leader, get you lodging, and handle your payment. You've earned a proper reward."
As they descended toward Maple's Blaze, Raven felt anticipation building. This was it. Their first real step into this new world's civilization.
And judging by the way Effel kept glancing at him, and the way Ava kept glaring at Effel, the complications were just beginning.