This is a rewrite version of my story 'Because of Fate'. In my profile, I have said that I will not give up on it and this is the beginning of my future struggles. Those who have read my previous work, you must have noticed that even the review and the title of this one is not the same anymore. But do not fret much from it. The plot will mostly stay the same along with the main Oc character of mine. However, there will be some sort of changes in each chapter (lots of them) because I have a new vision to this whole thing.

I started writing this book's original version around the time I started my account in FanFiction. I was impatient, full of imagination that I wanted to spit on paper, I wanted to write and go along with the flow, but now the times have changed. I am currently studying, like really studying throughout the school year. In that aspect, I have more responsibilities, which of course means I need to think through things before I do anything. The same can be said about my writings. I have matured in writing, but not fully. So, if I try to rewrite this whole thing with my younger mind… nothing will happen. Therefor, this book has been born.

I will not erase 'Because of Fate', though.

Enjoy the story.

"How much longer? Can I see them again?"

"Do not be foolish. Time is almost at hand."

"So… I can't?"

"You do not have time, you fool."

"Not even a glimpse?"

…

"I see… Thank you."

"For what? Your wish has not been fulfilled. Your life has been wasted here. You have lost everything."

"No… That is not the case. I have been more than happy."

"How can you say such thing, after what they put you through? You fought and struggled, and this is the result of your mere existence."

"I made the people dear to me smile. It very well may be that I have truly lost all hope, and these are merely my last desperate thoughts to let me pass on without any regrets, but…"

"Do not lie to yourself. Do you not wish to cause pain? Do you not wish for others to crumble like you have?"

"…Yes… Yes, I want that. I hate them all for letting things end like this. I hate myself and things that have brought me here… I hate myself for being so weak."

"Then say the words and that all will come true."

"No."

"Why? Why won't you follow your inner desires and embrace them?"

"How can I, when that will simply mean I have lost."

"Idiocy. You will be victorious, if you do."

"Will I? Or won't I lose everything again?"

"You are a coward."

"Then what that makes of you? Why are you talking to me, even at the end? Why choose now to hold a somewhat proper conversation?"

"The sight of you is pathetic… Your softhearted wishes… have no true ambition."

"Please, do not antagonize me, right now."

"…"

"..."

"…"

"…"

"I will grant your wish."

"What?"

"Your first wish. The one that you wanted to be granted at the beginning."

"Y-you mean…?"

"Yes. Now say it."

"…I wish (electric buzzing)."

"As you wish."

Can you imagine yourself waking up in the worst way possible? But not because of some kind of sound or light, but from sensation all over your body.

It hurts.

She can't breathe properly. Everything hurts and burns, but Jessy can't seem to move a muscle. Her head is throbbing with sharp, stabbing pain, reminding her of needles sinking into her brain. They twist and probably press somewhere where they shouldn't, for the woman's ears keep on ringing. Something claws her, deep within her skin and burns insides in a second. Jessy frowns, it is the only thing she can currently even do. Other than that, she wants to cry.

In the end, a small drop escapes from under her eyelids and slides down her warm cheek. She must be having a fever, there is no other explanation for this agonizing heat. Not to mention how weak she feels, but it is certain that even being sick can't cause this much physical pain. Frankly, the young woman doesn't think she has ever experienced something like this. People have described the pain from a broken or dislocated bone before, so she wonders, if this is what it feels like.

However, Jessy soon remembers what happened and something sinks inside her chest. The remaining oxygen is knocked out and Jessy starts to squirm, wincing and sobbing quietly from the pain. No wonder she is in pain. This is just the worst.

I was… supposed to drive dad to the airport, but… I think I messed up… Now, she is really trying to regain some other sensations, rather than pain. Fear for her father's safety is starting make her heartbeat drum painfully against the ribcage. This must be a hospital… I must ask… Despite Jessy trying her best to stand, she only manages to open her eyes and see dim lights along with a wooden ceiling. And even though Jessy's eyes are open, nobody comes to look at her. Isn't anyone in the room!? Help! Someone, please notice and help me!

Panic seizes her mind but does no good. Jessy can tell how her breathing becomes too fast and the pain worsens; the world starts to spin. It is her fault to begin with, and so will be her dad's injuries. She can only hope his aren't too serious… and that he is still breathing.

At the same time that dreadful thought crosses Jessy's mind, a hand lands on top of her shoulder, jolting her eyes to focus whatever the new presence looks like.

Buzzing sound fills her ears, though. She can't make out any words but knows someone is trying to talk to her. She has to communicate somehow.

Jessy lets out a strangled whimper and opens her mouth, feeling how the chapped parts are widening and cracking. Her throat sore, she struggles to form words. "A-ah…H-hel…p…" The hand moves under the woman's neck, lifting her head up a little, but stops when she lets out another sound, this time from protest. It hurts equally, when someone else is doing it for you. Please stop! "S… stop."

Her voice sounds so strange to her ears. It is raspy and cracking. Reminding her of an old grandmother. Also, the volume she uses is barely loud, more like a whisper.

The hand does stop, and something presses softly against the chapped lips that are half-open from trying to speak. Jessy frowns, blinks through the blurry vision, before opening her mouth a little more. It is water… right? The question is answered, when cool liquid flows in and down her throat. Jessy relaxes, feeling refreshed, but starts craving more for the drink once it is pulled away.

"M-more," she begs, voice closer to being normal again. Though, the pain has not lessened, and her ears refuse to let in any clear sounds. The hand pats her on the shoulder and Jessy cranes her neck carefully to look towards its owner. She can only make out the blurry shape of their outline, and stares for a while. "W-who?"

The patting happens again, but much more softly than before. And after that, the blurry figure moves away, disappearing from the woman's sight. Please don't. I want to see… to hear what is going on… As Jessy tries to blink the blurriness away, her eyes start to hurt along with her head. It throbs for few seconds, and then she gives up on moving, seeing or hearing. It is impossible in this condition. However, accepting the facts doesn't stop another tear from sliding down her face. This is so frustrating! And everything still hurts! Can't they at least give me some painkillers!?

Despite the uncomfortableness and worry, Jessy falls asleep.

Green eyes blink, filled with confusion, puzzlement and a hint of wonder. Jessy can't exactly describe what she is currently feeling, nor during the moment she realized her vision is back to normal and could see the person sitting next to the bed. In fact, her mind is slowly transferring into a blank paper and her mouth opens half-way, but she doesn't say anything. Her slack face must look like a fish.

The room is nice, that is the first thing that anyone could notice. Every wall is made out of fine, light colored wood and even some of its scent is in the air. It gives off a home-like feeling. Not to mention how soft and good smelling the bed is.

Though, that is not the reason why Jessy remains unresponsive.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" The person – a man, maybe even a woman with long hair ask and leans closer. This is probably the third time he has tried to get an answer from Jessy, and she has been unable to give one during the previous two.

He isn't real, that sentence nearly comes out of her mouth. She continues staring silently.

Every detail about this man is so sharp, all the way to the bright blue eyes that stare back at Jessy's green ones. The light colored, blond hair has some darker and lighter shades to it, but in some parts of the shadows it looks almost like silvery white. It is put together into a thick braid over the man's shoulder and on top of it rests a rather large green hat. It is all too familiar – too similar to something the young woman has seen before.

As for another shocking sight, it is the golden birds or butterflies flying all around him. They chirp, and one lands on top of his pointy hat's side. It flutters its wings there and Jessy transfixes her eyes on it. A chill goes down her spine, eyes widening even further.

Finally, the man seems to catch up with her gaze's direction and reaches out to the winged creature. "You can see them?"

Jessy wants him to stop – she doesn't want to startle the strange thing. But she simply holds her breath and watches his fingers barely brushing against the golden bird… Before he closes his hand around it, bringing it down and holding the closed hand before the laying woman. She looks up at him, puzzled, and her shoulders slump from the man's actions. What is he…?

The hand opens, and the bird is now up-close for Jessy to see it. Jessy flinches, when it flutters its wings again. The strangeness of the thing, this man and the whole situation is starting to scare her. This place can't be what Jessy is thinking it is.

"Are you scared?" The man asks gently.

Jessy looks up at him, and almost looks away, when their eyes meet. Goosebumps spreads up and down her legs and arms under the covers. Her mouth goes dry quite fast and she tastes something for the first time since she woke up. There is a slight taste of iron on top of her tongue and it makes the young woman shudder. It doesn't take a genius to realize what it is.

"I…I…" she glances to the sides, uncertain what to say. What did he ask?

The long haired male chuckles, but not unpleasantly. "Do you feel any pain?"

"U-um, no?" She keeps on looking around, like it would offer her some sort of an answer. But in the end, Jessy looks back to the golden thing on his hand. What it is – she already has an answer for that. The Rukh.

It takes one second for Jessy to realize the meaning of that word and her eyes dart towards the blue ones. Her chest tightens into what she can think of as painful. Her eyes sting and become blurry, before a small whimper comes out of her mouth. The sound pierces the air in the room sharply and the man even seems to flinch a little from it. Jessy doesn't take much notice of this and shakily reaches out.

The covers slid down against her arm, which is bare all the way to her shoulders. The air feels so much cooler than what the woman originally thought, and she shivers slightly from its contact with her warmer skin. The muscles feel heavy in her arm, though. And when Jessy tries to move the rest of her body she finds it to be very sore. Still, she doesn't stop from advancing closer to the man with clouded eyes. Both figuratively and literally.

This isn't real. He isn't real.

The man doesn't stop her, but he does look at her strangely. It is clear he is confused by her behavior, and still lets her hand make a contact with his cheek.

Jessy's eyes widen even further. She can feel the warmth from the touch and brushes her thumb lightly across the cheek. It is soft and even feels quite real. That is the worst part that startles Jessy and she quickly retreats her limb. Cold sweat prickles down her back and face. No… he is real.

"Is… i-is your n-name…" she swallows thickly. It is hard to speak with trembling voice. "Yunan?"

He looks surprised for a moment, but then smiles softly. "Yes. But, how do you know that?"

"…" Jessy is silent. Any word she might have said is firmly stuck in her throat. She isn't sure, if he is curious, or could care less about knowing her answer. But most importantly, she is trying to find signs of joking or deception. H-he is joking, r-right?

Yunan – a character from a story she used to love. And still does, in fact. Jessy swallows a lump in her throat, trying to gather her dislocated thoughts. The Magi series, both the manga and anime, are something fresh in the mind of the young woman. Even during college, the show was a thing Jessy couldn't part with without getting bored at the end of the week. Sometimes, Jessy watched the anime with few of her peers, as well. And they all started to argue who was the best character at the end. Those memories are currently rushing into the brunette's mind, creating a frightening, nostalgic atmosphere.

Jessy searches with her eyes around the room. She isn't sure for what, though. Maybe a camera or a very unusual, paranormal activity which could show that this is only a dream – a hallucination.

Looking up towards the ceiling, her face morphs into a blank expression. When she can speak again, her voice is shockingly calm. "Is this a dream, or am I dead? Please tell me that this is a joke."

Whatever she hopes for an answer, doesn't come up right away. Instead, there is thin silence that fills the whole room and Jessy has to simply listen to her own breathing and loud heartbeat. The covers are starting to feel too hot and drops of sweat gather up on Jessy's skin. She wants to throw them away immediately but refrains from doing so. Her muscles are still awfully sore. So, she chooses to clench her shaking fists under the covers and bite down on her tongue.

Inhale, exhale… no! Stop it! Pinch yourself! Ignoring the usually calming words, Jessy reaches out to her side and pinches the skin under the shirt as hard as she can. It hurts, and she has to let go immediately.

"This isn't a dream, nor are you certainly dead," Yunan says and then carefully places his hand on top of her forehead. She stiffens under his touch, stops breathing, but doesn't attempt to do anything else. The touch feels like it could burn her skin, but the gentle smile Yunan is having eases some of the tension. Though, not fully. "You don't seem to have a fever. That is good."

As soon as he retreats his hand, Jessy starts to tremble and looks up at the long-haired man. Many thoughts race through her head all at once and she doesn't know whether to cry, laugh or get angry for letting this stranger touch her so casually without a reasonable explanation. She must be going crazy.

Breathing gets harder on the woman and she slowly raises her hand on top of her stomach and clutches the shirt's hem. Her abdomen is aching and making her feel like throwing up. N-no, no. C-calm down. There must be an explanation for this. This isn't real. You are dreaming. That i-is it…

"Wh-where… H-how…" Jessy inhales loudly, like it could actually help her speech to be more stable and not filled with uncertain words and stuttering.

Clearly worried about her state, Yunan slowly reaches out to touch Jessy's shoulder again. She can see it approaching, heartbeat ringing in her ears louder than before.

But just as his hand is about to make a contact with her-

SMACK!

"Don't touch me!" Jessy's shrill cry surprises even herself, but that doesn't mean she stops directing a frightened look towards the blue-eyed man. It comes out of an instinct of a scared animal.

It is a second later that the woman feels her whole left arm's muscles crying out and a stinging sensation spreading all around her palm. She is starting to hyperventilate and lets the limb fall down to her side limply.

As for Yunan, his own hand is up in the air, but he lowers it as well. Though, he doesn't get to mask his very shocked expression, when Jessy has already seen it. Another second later, tears blur her vision and she doesn't bother to wipe them away.

"You aren't real… You aren't real!" Without a thought, Jessy fights the soreness of her own body and starts hitting her head repeatedly with her fist. She must be in a hospital in a very serious coma. "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up-"

Another hand stops her own and green orbs lock with worried blue ones. "Please calm down. This isn-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" She screams again and rips her hand out of his grip, which isn't very strong to begin with. The adrenaline and panic give enough strength for Jessy to raise both of her hands, like it would be enough to keep the male at bay. "J-just stay away!"

Yunan looks ready to say something else in concern, but swallows any kind of sound, when the young woman starts to sit up. Her whole-body sways from the change of gravity and she has to support her upper self with hands firmly on both sides. Jessy clutches the covers of the bed close, trying to make sure not to fall down. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!?

She takes in shuddering breaths, before starting to slowly move her legs over the edge of the bed. And when her both feet are touching the wooden floor and she tries standing up… she collapses to the ground. Knees taking a very painful impact.

Jessy hisses under her breath. A shot of sharp pain goes all up and down her body in a second.

"Oh, no," Yunan breathes out and kneels, hands reaching out to help.

"I-I said," she inhales sharply, "don't touch me."

What exactly had happened? Jessy tries to find more information through her memories. Dad and I got out of the house, then I pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the main road… Jeffrey called to him in the middle of a drive… And then there was another… The images flash behind the woman's closed eyelids and she clutches the covers, that had fallen down with her, close and leans against the bed. She also cracks her eyes open, carefully, and tries to keep an eye on Yunan, who stays on his kneeling position, never taking his own eyes off from her. Though, keeps an acceptable distance. There was another car coming…

Visibly flinching from the impact of remembering the crash and its force, Jessy's eyes blur again. The crash had certainly happened so quickly that a moment of terror she had felt at that moment passed by like a lightning. Still, she can't stop a violent, cold chill from passing throughout her body.

Looking down at herself, Jessy discovers no such thing as injuries anywhere. There is definitely awful soreness, but no bandages, wounds, scratches, bruises… nothing. She starts to think the crash had been a nightmare, but brushes that thought aside. It all had been too real: the impact of the crash, the feeling of getting the air knocked out of you, not to mention the screeching of the wheels before all of that.

"You need to rest," Yunan says, voice hinting firmness.

Jessy shakes her head wildly, tears falling down to her lap. It is when she feels Yunan touch her shoulder, does she start to mutter under her breath. "No, no, no, no, no - This can't be happening. I must have damaged my head really hard. That's it. Everything is fine. Nothing wrong. There is no one here."

"Can you look at me, please?" Yunan asks gently and places another hand on the other shoulder as well. "You need to calm down. Your body is still too weak to move."

Shaking her head again, Jessy looks up at him with lower lip trembling. "H-hey, you. Can you send me back?" Yunan blinks his blue eyes, clearly not getting what she means or is trying to say. He looks even more lost, when Jessy grips his hands that are still connected to her shoulders, green eyes begging. "You have the power, right? You are magi, aren't you? Please, send me back."

He frowns softly, many emotions flashing on his face. Surprise, further confusion, empathy and even more confusion. He tightens his even gentler grip on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I don't-"

"Please!" Jessy digs her fingers into his arms, clearly making him wince. She becomes frantic and shakes his limbs in a hurry. "Help me! I want to go back! A-and you can make it happen! Please! Please! Where did you find me? Send me back to my world!"

Yunan's eyes widen, but it must not be because he is being shaken violently, nails digging into his flesh. Jessy nearly shudders from the sensation under her fingers. He is still warm, so he is as real as he can get. This only proves the reality of the situation and makes her heart beat faster. Her breathing becomes irregular and wheezy.

These kinds of things only happen in fanfictions, no matter how cliché that sounds. This wasn't supposed to happen to her, of all people in the world. Jessy knows, she has read many of those cheesy things and merely thought of it as an entertainment. This, however, is none of it. The heartbeat under her palm is real, even the softness of the skin and flesh. The blue eyes that look down at her are too realistic to be a fragment of her imagination. Yunan tightens his hold on her shoulder, shattering her panic and bringing the young woman into a stop.

Jessy stops breathing, she is doing it a lot. Her curled fingers loosen, and all the strength leaves her body and mind. He is real. This is real.

She can feel Yunan watching her, as she slumps down limply into his arms and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

He is in the room again. The sound of the door creaking and footsteps are both too loud for Jessy to miss them. She has been in this room long enough already to know what pure, blissful silence means. Frankly, she is being suffocated by it, rather than the overly hot blanket over her. She is covered in her own sweat, feeling a bit ashamed of it. This isn't her house, home or even her bed where she is laying on.

Honestly, she is scared. So scared, in fact, that her hands haven't stopped shaking. Jessy realizes this isn't healthy at all. Nor how she doesn't seem to have any appetite to begin with. She thought about this some time ago, maybe an hour or so, but she should be craving for a little food by now. Though, maybe this part is somewhat normal for someone in her situation. Starvation doesn't sound like a such bad idea, currently. If she will become hungry enough, then she might wake up?

The footsteps come closer and Jessy clenches the fabric around herself, it can act as a shield for now. How could I not stay calm? I was like a mad woman… Her face flushes, and she bites her lower lip.

"How are you feeling?" Yunan asks and draws a chair near the bed. He sounds to be doing it as carefully as he can without making much noise.

"…Fine," Jessy answers after a while.

He chuckles. "Well, that is good. I brought some soup for you. Would you like to eat it?"

At the mention of food, the woman perks up and slowly comes out of her "shell". Though, she does keep the blanket close and sits up carefully. The soreness in her body doesn't feel like it will be going away anytime soon.

Yunan smiles, when he sees this and gently starts to place a tray to her lap. She watches his every move, but not with full caution. In fact, the young woman is starting to feel incredibly curious just by looking at him. In the screen, he looks more animated and has much larger eyes, but in here he is just like another human. To the tip of his nose – everything on his face doesn't indicate him being unreal. The glow of his skin is healthy, his bright blue irises have that same black pupil in the middle like any other person has and even his touch had been warm. The last thing that is even making Jessy believe this being another world is the Rukh fluttering around him almost constantly.

The tiny birds are so bright, but don't blind the half-of the room. They are simply there and continue flying here and there with gentle movements. You can't really tell, if they see where they are flying, though.

Jessy blinks, hardly believing her capability to see them. Shouldn't only magicians and magi be able to that sort of thing? Oh, well. She shouldn't think much of it… or so she thinks. Her green eyes can't stop from following their flying with intense curiosity.

The weight of the tray snaps the woman out of her observation, and she looks back at Yunan. He also slides his eyes to hers and offers a kind smile. Jessy holds his gaze, until he draws back and sits down on the chair.

He really does look like a woman. She looks down at the tray, the steam of the soup instantly hitting her on the face. It smells heavenly, and Jessy's stomach lets out a low grumble.

Now, she is feeling incredible hunger.

The spoon is in her hand faster than she can think and the soup in her mouth more so. The warmth fills her mouth instantly and she is glad it isn't burning her tongue. It is also surprisingly good and a content sights comes out of Jessy's mouth after few more scoops.

Funnily, she is reminded of a scene with Morgiana drinking Yunan's tea and looks at the said man. He looks back, but not with a smile anymore. It matches the same face he wore, when he watched the Fanalis girl drinking tea. Nostalgic fills Jessy's chest, while looking at this expression. She watched that precise episode with her friend one evening and they both ate snacks.

"It is good," escapes from her mouth, but she doesn't regret it. Not when he smiles brightly from her words.

"Really? I am glad."

"…I'm sorry… about the earlier."

"Don't worry about it. You were distressed and confused." Yunan's smile doesn't dim.

However, Jessy doesn't feel any better from hearing this. And that is not because she feels that bad from her own panic attack, but from still not understanding why she is here in the first place. Its frustrates her to the very end.

She decides to continue eating…

"By the way, can you tell me what you meant by sending you back to your world?"

The spoon stops half-way to her mouth. Yunan sees the pause and his soft smile widens.

Jessy is stiff, and his kind expression does nothing to lessen the sudden tension on her shoulders. She swallows the soup thickly and her hand tightens around the spoon.

Their gazes lock again and neither say anything. Though, Yunan's smile melts, when Jessy doesn't stop staring back with harsh seriousness. The bottom of her stomach hurts from the overgrowing stress and nervousness that she has to take in two deep breaths to calm herself.

And so, the brunette starts to pour everything out. While watching how the blond man reacts to her words, heartbeat rising and beads of sweat sliding down the forehead. She feels so worried what Yunan's reaction to this, what she is telling him, will be. Words come out of her mouth with stutters and pauses, she is not sure how to exactly explain her situation. The voice she speaks with trembles every now and then and Jessy starts to fear at some point that Yunan can't understand a word she is saying. Though, the way his eyes flicker and his expression morphs at some points proves her fears to be false. He is surprised, even curious, maybe. Jessy isn't sure what he is thinking. She simply tries to focus on speaking and giving as much information and clarification as possible. Jessy also wants to make herself sound sane enough and adds some things from Sinbad no Bouken. Then, she starts to regret it after few sentences.

She could lie. That is a possibility, but the thought doesn't cross her mind fast enough. She is already telling something that isn't safe for her. How can she expect to have everything go smoothly, when she admits knowing things that she shouldn't? She admits knowing about Alma Torran, about Ugo… and doesn't stop. She is in a trance.

The emotions she gets from this are the same from the moment before the car crash. You can see another vehicle, and something is wrong with it. You can try to press down on the brake, but the other car keeps on coming closer and closer and your own won't stop speeding ahead.

The great possibility of a crash becomes too real.

Stop. I must stop. Shut up.

"Stop."

The voice is still soft but sounds like a command. Jessy's mouth clamps shut loudly, and her mouth grows extremely dry.

Yunan's expression has once again changed. It is unsettling, but he doesn't seem upset, simply conflicted. Then, he raises his downcast eyes to Jessy and speaks. "You truly… know everything?"

The question makes her twitch. To be asked such a thing is strange. "Y-yes. But not… quite everything. S-some major things… but not the past or future of any person that I come across with. "

"…I see," the magi says and looks to the side thoughtfully. He is calm, too calm in fact.

Biting down on her lower lip, Jessy hesitantly asks: "Do you believe me?"

"Hm?" He blinks few times, before offering a small smile to her. "Yes, I do. It isn't that hard to believe your story." Yunan reaches a hand out to the Rukh and one bird lands on his finger voluntarily. He looks at it for a while. "I have lived long enough to see many things that seem impossible."

Jessy can guess many cases that he could mean with those words.

"Unfortunately," he starts carefully.

The bedridden woman looks at him dead in the eyes and swallows the lump in her throat that forms, when she sees the sad expression.

"I don't know a way to send you back."

Jessy's feels like her whole world shatters and she is swallowed by the dark earth.

She has had enough from laying around and doing nothing. Expect going to the bathroom, Jessy has not exited from the room she has marked as her own, for now. She can't complain about it, though. It is warm, has nice atmosphere and she has had time to rest and recover. The muscles aren't as sore as they used to be, and the strength has returned to the woman's previously wobbly feet. The wood feels so smooth beneath them.

The house is surprisingly large, now that Jessy can get a better look around the place. It is not as small as she had imagined. Though, she is only standing on the second floor, probably. She can't tell. She isn't really fond of looking out of the window and seeing the dark world around the house. It is too creepy. How can he live here? The lack of sunlight is one of the things Jessy could complain about.

Not long after she has left the room, Jessy finds stairs and goes down them with careful steps. They don't creak under her weight and by the time she has reached the lower floor there is a strange smell filling the entire air.

It is somewhat earthly, like freshly cut grass. The reason for that becomes clear, when Jessy starts to see different plants here and there. They must be the cause of it. She is surprised to see so many, though.

A noise catches her attention and she shifts her green eyes towards the owner of this house. His hand is holding a modest teapot, but he seems to almost drop it, when he sees his guest up and walking. "Oh, you're up," Yunan smiles nervously from behind a small table. "Would you like some tea?"

"…I don't drink tea."

"…A-ah, I see," he says awkwardly, face falling from the reply.

"But I am thirsty. Can I have some water?"

Yunan brightens up again from hearing her request and nods. "Yes."

Jessy sits down and places her elbows on the table, while watching the magi look through his shelves for a mug. It is easy to see that he was uncomfortable a second ago. The reason could not be more obvious, and it makes Jessy look down in thought.

My reaction could not have been worse. She lets out a quiet sigh and leans back. Somehow, she gets the feeling that Yunan is acting this way, because she almost attacked him after he told her the truth. Frankly, Jessy doesn't think she has ever been that hysterical before.

"I'm sorry… again," she mutters, but it is not a surprise, when Yunan hears it and turns. She looks up and sees a perplexed emotion flashing on his face. She tries to clarify, thinking he doesn't understand. "For trying to… strangle you."

He looks surprised, but then a new look appears on his facial features. Slowly, very slowly, he starts to chuckle and walks closer to the table. "Though, I was surprised – you were more frightened than I was. So, don't worry about it."

Jessy feels her chest tighten and clenches her fists on top of her lap. When Yunan looks at her again, the woman bites her tongue and tenses up. She can't believe how he can forgive her so easily. Or that he can still smile and offer the mug to her with such ease. It is like he doesn't really mind the fact he was manhandled by her.

"I am still very sorry," Jessy finally says and looks at the mug with conflicted frown on her face. Resorting to that kind violence is against all the norms she has been brought up with.

What would have her father said, if he had seen it?

Instead of saying anything else, Yunan simply gestures towards the mug with a smile. "Here you go."

Nodding mutely, Jessy takes the drink hesitantly and touches the edge of the mug with her lips. The water floods into her mouth and it is the moment when she could care less what has happened.

They both start to drink, the whole house falling into a deep silence. But it isn't an uncomfortable one, rather, it is peaceful.

"What is your name?" Yunan suddenly asks.

Glancing up at him from a book she has just been given Jessy nearly smacks herself across the face. That is right. He doesn't know it yet.

"Jessy Riverbed."

"That is a nice sounding name."

He is smiling kindly and no hint of lie on both his face or tone. Jessy has never been given any sort of comment on her name, and she has never thought much about it as well. So, hearing him say that it sounds nice is kind of amusing, if not strange. Jessy is not sure whether to laugh or scoff, thus she chooses to snort.

When she realizes it actually came out loudly, she waves her hand dismissingly. "S-sorry. It is strange to hear someone saying a thing like that."

"Why is that? I think it is nice," Yunan says without hesitation and tilts his head. Then, he the smiles and rests his head on his palm. "How do you like the book?"

Jessy looks down at the object in her hands and sadly lowers it. "I can't read the text. This is not… the same writing style people use in my world."

A long, very long silence follows, and Jessy closes the pages. Her mood turns sourer and she can't help but feel a weight land on her shoulders. If this is how the first graders who don't know how to read feel, then I truly feel sorry for them.

"Would you like me to teach you, then?" Her eyes widen, and she looks up at Yunan who keeps smiling kindly. He gestures towards the book. "If you learn how to read, you won't get bored. And if you decide to leave from here at some point to the outside world, then you might find the skill quite useful. That is, if you want my help."

Jessy looks back down at the leather covered book. It is a very nice looking one, too. Slowly, the brunette opens its again and looks through the unclear words. The pages are thick and the writing in it reminds her of a very old calligraphy… It is enough to make Jessy feel motivated to understand what it is saying. But, can I really learn this? I failed my first and last foreign language course. So…

She thinks harder. The ways she could use the new knowledge, no matter how troublesome it would become to learn it. The thought of traveling out brings her stomach stabbing pain. From series, it is a basic thing to understand what could be waiting for Jessy. Slavery, dungeon capturers, slavers, bandits and so on. How can Yunan even suggest for her to leave this place? It is dark, lots of things don't still make sense to her, but at least it seems safe and Jessy is not alone. However, there is still a matter of another world, the fact she can't deny being true. For some time now, she has wished to wake up somewhere else, but none of that has happened.

Also… she doesn't know what happened to her dad during the crash. If he is alive, seriously wounded, in a coma or anything at all, Jessy wants to know how he is. And she doesn't want to remain in this place for a long time…. no matter how comfortable it is and how friendly and kind Yunan is.

Has the time in her home stopped and starts moving only when she returns? Or will it be like time traveling that will take Jessy back? Is the time moving back home even now? These kinds of questions start to fill Jessy's head and worry drips down to her stomach. Her mother, her step-parents and siblings will definitely be confused and scared, if the eldest daughter's body will not be found.

This is not something that should even exist in the first place.

I want to go home.

"Do you think… that there is a way for me to return? I really want to leave," she says, instead of answering his question. However, she regrets for making it sound so rude.

Manners! Manners! Don't forget what mom taught you!

"I am grateful for your help, but I have a family that I want to return to," Jessy explains softly and is a little surprised by the tone she uses. She wanted to make it sound very convincing, but 'wow' it went better than she thought. It has been a while, since Jessy has spoken to anyone this formally.

Yunan is quiet for a while. "I am not sure. We would need to figure out how you got here in the first place."

"Where exactly did you find me? I didn't… like? You know. Appear on your doorsteps?" Jessy asks uncertainly.

This earns her a chuckle from the magi who shakes his head. "I found you around mile or two further away from my house. Though, it was a mystery to me at first, when I didn't hear anyone approach this area in the first place. So, when I picket up sounds of a heartbeat and harsh breathing with my good – Oh, wait. You must know about my hearing already."

Jessy nods. "Yes. And then you followed the sound and found me?"

Now, Yunan nods and looks down at his teacup. "Traveling between worlds… I am not sure how we should figure this out."

Her chest tightens again, and Jessy finds herself trying to desperately search for an option. She refuses to believe that there is no way for her to return. "But, people of Alma Torran did it. Can't the same method be used with me?"

Yunan's hand twitches, making the brunette swallow her words. Maybe mentioning that place so lightly is not such a good idea? Jessy wishes that she would have kept her mouth shut.

"The method used for that has been lost over centuries," magi finally says calmly.

"Oh," is the only response Jessy lets out. Something heavy drags her heart down inside her chest. She doesn't dare to say anything else, though.

Disappointed, frustrated, Jessy drinks her mug empty and stands up after with a forced smile. It is painful thing to do, but considering how Yunan has smiled so easily so far… So, why not she as well? The idea of starting to cry in this room is enough to make her insides twist.

She locks everything in.

"I see. Then, I guess that is that. Is it possible for me to stay for a while?"

Yunan stares at her smiling face, with conflicted look. It is as if he knows she is faking it. And that is probably why he doesn't return it. Instead, he looks regretful. "Yes, of course you can stay here. But I am sorry that I can't do anything to help you further."

"It is alright," she says lightly.

Lies.

Jessy inhales through her nose and stands up. "I am tired. I am going back to bed. Thank you for the water… Is it night or daytime right now?"

Yunan blinks few times, his melancholy looks completely shattered. "It is currently evening."

"Good. Then, I am going to really sleep. Goodnight," Jessy says with another forced smile and quickly makes her way out of the kitchen and towards the wooden stairs.

I am not gonna cry. I will not cry. God dammit don't cry! Like a useless mantra, mental words do little to keep the stinging and burning away from the eyes. Jessy bites down on her lip and quickens her pace on the final steps, resulting in slight tripping.

However, the first tear falls, by the time she reaches the familiar door to her room.