Chapter 3: A Hand Extended
The beast's jaws snapped shut, missing Ren's throat by mere inches.
He had barely thrown himself to the side in time. But his body was sluggish now—too slow, too weak.
The moment the music had stopped, his power had vanished.
And now? He had nothing.
Ren hit the ground hard, his chest heaving as he struggled to push himself up. His limbs felt like they had been drained of all strength. His body wouldn't respond the way it had just seconds ago.
The beast snarled, stalking toward him. It knew he was defenseless now.
This was it.
He was going to die.
No dramatic last stand. No second chance. Just another nobody who disappeared without a trace.
"Damn it… is this really how it ends?"
The beast lunged again.
Ren squeezed his eyes shut.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Then—a blur of silver.
Something slammed into the beast mid-air, knocking it off course.
My eyes flew open just in time to see the creature crash into the dirt, a long arrow buried deep in its side.
What—?
Another whistle. Another silver flash.
The second arrow found its mark, piercing the beast's throat. It let out a strangled gurgle before collapsing into the grass. Dead.
I lay there, chest heaving, staring at the unmoving body in shock.
A voice—low and sharp—broke the silence.
"Not every day you see some idiot take on a darkfang barehanded."
My head snapped toward the source of the voice.
A figure stood at the edge of the clearing, lowering a crossbow.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. A long cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze. The faint glint of armor beneath dark clothing. A blade strapped to their side.
But the most striking feature?
Their eyes.
Cold. Calculating. Piercing right through me.
They took a slow step forward, gaze unreadable.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ren forced himself to sit up, his breathing still uneven. His hands dug into the grass, trying to ground himself.
The stranger studied him, crossbow still half-raised—like they weren't sure if they'd need to use it again.
Ren swallowed hard. His mind raced, but he had no idea what to say.
What was he supposed to tell them? That he was just some high schooler from another world? That he had no idea where he was?
They wouldn't believe him.
The stranger narrowed their eyes. "You're not injured?"
Ren shook his head, still trying to process what just happened.
"Tch. Lucky bastard." The crossbow lowered slightly. "Though luck alone doesn't explain what I just saw."
Ren's heart skipped a beat.
Shit.
They had seen.
How he moved. How he dodged. How, for a brief moment, he had been something more than human.
The stranger's gaze was sharp. Too sharp. Like they were piecing together a puzzle in real time.
Ren clenched his fists. He had to be careful.
"…Who are you?" he asked, voice hoarse.
The stranger exhaled, then slung the crossbow onto their back. "I should be asking you that."
They took a step closer.
"But since you seem lost—and clearly out of your depth—I'll go first."
A pause.
Then—
"The name's Elias."
Elias.
I committed the name to memory, even though I had no idea if I could trust him.
Everything about him screamed danger. The way he moved, the way he spoke—sharp, efficient, like someone who had seen real battles before.
And yet…
He had saved me.
He didn't have to. He could have let that thing kill me.
So the question was—why?
I glanced at my phone, still clutched in my shaking hand.
No signal. No answers. Just me, my dead battery of a body, and a stranger who was staring at me like I was something unnatural.
"…Ren," I finally said.
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"That your first name or last?"
"…First."
He crossed his arms. "No surname?"
I hesitated. The less I said, the better.
"…Just Ren."
Elias didn't push further.
Instead, he exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Fine. Ren. Tell me—do you have any idea where you are?"
I swallowed hard.
I could lie. Try to make something up.
But what was the point?
"…No," I admitted. "Not a clue."
Elias studied me for a long moment. Then, with a tired sigh, he muttered:
"Figures."
He turned, motioning for me to follow. "Come on. Standing around here isn't safe."
I hesitated.
"…Why are you helping me?"
Elias didn't even look back as he started walking.
"Because right now? You look like someone who's gonna get himself killed in about five minutes if I don't."
…Fair enough.
I took a deep breath, forcing my body to move.
And for the first time since I arrived in this world—
I followed.