The field returned to its usual calm.
Rylan stood up, dusted off his hands, and picked up his tools. The sun was a little higher now. Almost noon.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to check the north patch."
He took three steps—
—and the ground shook.
Not hard.
Not violent.
Just… wrong.
Rylan stopped.
"…Huh?"
A faint thump echoed from the edge of the field, near the old dirt road that almost nobody used anymore.
The crops leaned slightly in that direction.
That was unusual.
Rylan frowned and walked over carefully.
Then he saw it.
A girl lay face-down in the grass.
She wasn't hurt.
She wasn't bleeding.
She was just… there.
Rylan blinked once.
Then again.
"…Did someone fall from the sky?"
The girl groaned.
"Ughhh… remind me to never trust glowing circles again…"
Rylan froze.
"She's alive."
He hurried over and crouched beside her.
"Um… are you okay?"
The girl slowly lifted her head. Her hair was messy, leaves stuck in it, and one cheek was smudged with dirt. Her eyes met his.
They stared at each other.
"…Where am I?" she asked.
"This is my farm."
"…Of course it is," she muttered. "Why wouldn't it be?"
She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked around.
Green fields.
Healthy crops.
A quiet village in the distance.
"…Wow," she said. "This place feels… nice."
Rylan scratched the back of his head.
"Uh… you kind of landed in my field."
Her eyes widened.
"I WHAT?"
She scrambled to her feet, panicking.
"WAIT—DID I CRUSH ANYTHING? PLEASE TELL ME I DIDN'T DESTROY SOMETHING IMPORTANT—"
Rylan glanced behind her.
The crops were untouched.
Even the grass beneath her looked refreshed, like it had just been watered.
"…It's fine," he said. "Nothing's damaged."
The field shimmered faintly, as if agreeing.
The girl let out a long sigh of relief and bowed deeply.
"Thank goodness! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to appear like that!"
Rylan waved his hands awkwardly. "It's okay. Stuff… happens."
She straightened and smiled.
"I'm Lyra."
"…Rylan."
She looked at his tools. The dirt on his clothes. His calm eyes.
"…You're a farmer?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
Lyra looked around again, then back at him.
"…This is going to sound weird," she said carefully, "but the moment I landed here… I felt safe."
Rylan paused.
"…People say that sometimes."
She laughed softly. "Then this place must be special."
Behind them, the crops rustled happily.
Far away, deep in the forest, monsters felt it too.
And far above the clouds, the God of Everything leaned forward, amused.
"Oh? A guest already?"
He grinned.
"This should be fun."
Rylan picked up his hoe again and looked at Lyra.
"…Do you need food?"
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes."
"…Then don't step on the seedlings."
She nodded seriously. "I swear on my life."
She took one step—
—and froze.
"…Which ones are the seedlings?"
Rylan sighed.
"…I'll show you."
The peaceful farm had just gained a visitor.
And life was about to get a little louder.