In his dream, Kaito stretched out on the soft and fluffy pillow, basking in the warmth and comfort that enveloped him. The sensation of the plush fabric against his cheek was pure bliss, and he sighed contentedly. He felt as if he were floating on a cloud, with no care in the world.

  His eyelids fluttered, and he realized that the pillow beneath his head was the most amazing thing he'd ever encountered. It cradled his head perfectly, supporting his neck and allowing him to sink into it without feeling smothered.

  A smile played at the corners of his lips as he rolled onto his side, the pillow adjusting to his movements, conforming to the contours of his body. Still dreaming, he knew that this was all a figment of his imagination, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He wanted to stay in this state of perfect relaxation, to bask in the comfort and safety that the pillow provided.

  "So soft, so smooth..." muttered the boy in his sleep, with a big dumb smile on his face.

  In the dream, the boy's subconscious was guiding him to revel in the simple pleasures, to find happiness in the smallest of things. This dream was a respite from the stress and pressures of the real world, a haven where he could escape and just be.

  As Kaito's consciousness began to return, he found himself in the familiar setting of the dark alley. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the faint colorful lights filtering through the cracks in the buildings surrounding them.

  "Uh... Where am I?" he thought, trying to remember everything that had happened so far.

  It was then that he noticed Starfire, her legs crossed and his head resting gently on her thighs. Her exposed thighs were indeed incredibly soft, causing young Shirai's cheeks to flush a deep red. Unaware of his reaction, he simply stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise.

  Before he could say or do anything, Starfire seemed to sense his awakening. She jerked her head up, her own cheeks flushing bright red. In a sudden burst of anger, she let out a loud and indignant, "Pervert!" before abruptly tossing Kaito aside.

  "W-Wait!"

  The force of her throw sent him tumbling onto the ground, a few feet away from her. Kaito's eyes widened in shock as he landed, his heart racing. Starfire's tsundere-like reaction caught him completely off guard, and he wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

  "Geez! How much longer were you planning to sleep?" she complained, standing up and straightening her cloak.

  "Damn, that hurt... How strong are you?!"

  "S-Shut up!" the girl pointed her finger at the boy, grinding her teeth in anger, "This is all your fault!"

  "But I didn't... Like, it wasn't my..." he couldn't find any words to say as he scratched his head, while also trying to see if there were any injuries from the unfortunate incident just now.

  Starfire's voice broke the silence, drawing Kaito's attention back to her.

  "Gosh, you slept for almost ten hours. It's evening now!"

  Kaito glanced up at the sky, noticing the darkening hues and the small, red sun. He couldn't remember ever seeing a sun so small and reddish in color. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

  "Hey, what's wrong with the sun?" he asked, his voice trembling with confusion.

  Starfire followed his gaze, then pointed to the sky.

  "You mean the brightest star in the sky, the one we call Nemesis?" she replied, her tone indicating that this was a normal occurrence in their world.

  "Uh... Nemesis?" Kaito's confusion deepened, "What about the moon?"

  She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

  "The moon? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

  It was then that the full weight of the situation hit Kaito. He wasn't in his own world anymore. He was in a strange, new place, an alien cyberpunk world where the sun was small and red, and no one had ever heard of a moon. The confused boy thought to himself that since there was no moon, the constant glow of the megatropolis stood out even more.

  "A perpetually darkened sky..."

  Remembering his high school classes, he began to hypothesize that, in this other world, the sun would be a red dwarf star. This would explain why the sky perpetually alternates between night, at its darkest, and dusk or dawn, at its brightest.

  "Well then, what do we do now?" he asked, feeling lost and unsure.

  Starfire, still a bit embarrassed from her earlier outburst, asked if he had a place to stay. Kaito shook his head, admitting that he had no place to go.

  "I-I live in a borrowed room at a place called the Greyforge..." she explained, "It's a small repair shop where they forge and fix all kinds of weaponry. I can ask the owner, Mallas, if you can stay there for the night."

  "That would be great!"

  Grateful for the offer, he agreed to the plan and thanked her. With no other options in sight, they both set off towards the Greyforge, ready to face whatever the night held for them in this strange, new world.

  ***

  In the sky above, the sun of this world, Nemesis, hung low and red, casting an ethereal, faint twilight glow upon the landscape. Smaller and dimmer than the familiar sun of the boy's home, Nemesis emanated a unique, otherworldly charm.

  At its peak, the luminosity it offered was akin to the twilight hours of dusk or dawn, casting long, ruddy shadows and tinting the world in a warm, yet eerie hue. The red sun's crimson light danced across the land, illuminating the details of the alien world with a soft, diffused radiance.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The boy, awestruck by the unfamiliar sight, could not help but marvel at the magnificent, strange beauty of this new sun. Its gentle, diffused light and the unique hues it cast made for a captivating and enchanting sight, one that he could not tear his eyes away from, as it painted the world in a vivid, unearthly palette.

  As Kaito and Starfire made their way through the crowded streets, Nemesis was beginning to set, casting a faint warm glow on the concrete pavement. Kaito's heart was heavy, his emotions swirling as he contemplated the events that led him to this moment.

  The mysterious girl, sensing his discomfort, tried to bring up a topic to divert his focus.

  "We're almost there." her fair skin glowed in the fading light, the neon stone affixed to her gloves casting sparkles in all directions, "Oh, and don't mind Mallas's coldness. He's a bit of a brutish Duergar who never smiles, but he has a good heart."

  "Don't worry, I'm already used to people being cold."

  "You really are a strange guy, huh?"

  "I can't say you're wrong..."

  A few minutes later, they arrived at the Greyforge, a large, imposing building with a flashing sign on a greenish screen that read 'Greyforge: Weaponry and Repairs' hanging above the door. The smell of smoke and hot metal wafted from within, a testament to the work being done inside.

  Starfire pushed open the door, and they stepped inside. The room was filled with the sounds of hammering and the clanking of metal. In the center, a short, burly man with a thick black beard and a gray smock was shaping what seemed to be a cybernetic sword. His name was Mallas, his skin was an unusual shade of gray, and as Starfire approached, he set down his hammer and greeted her with a worried expression.

  "Starfire, were have you been?!" the old man asked her, in a bad mood.

  "I'm sorry, Mallas, but I had some setbacks..."

  "I was already starting to worry about you, brat."

  "But here I am, right? That's what matters, right?"

  "This girl...!" you could see the veins bulging on the old man's wrinkled forehead, "What if Maendar's men found you, what would you do alone?"

  "You worry too much, grumpy old man!" she pouted as she looked away, "Anyway, this boy is going to need a place to stay tonight."

  "I see you've brought a friend dressed in these funny clothes... Who might this be?" his voice was deep and booming, not the slighest tone of hospitality, "This isn't an inn, you know?"

  "Please, old man! He kind of... Saved my life in the central Techno Tomb."

  "Saved your life?! What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?!"

  "Y-Yeah, something like that..."

  "And what do you mean this boy saved your life? That skinny guy over there?"

  "Hi there." the boy waved at him in an awkward way.

  Feeling the awkward atmosphere that was forming there, Kaito introduced himself, and Starfire explained their situation, trying to summarize in the best way possible everything that had happened since they both found themselves in that room deep in the ruins.

  "Hmm, I see..."

  Mallas thought for a moment, then nodded, still showing an aura that had no sign of hospitality.

  "If the brat is in your debt, there's nothing I can do... I've got a spare room above the forge that'll do just fine." said the brute, turning his back and going back to repairing that exquisite sword, "But make no mistake, tomorrow you'll have to find another place to stay, kid!"

  "Alright then, no problem." the young man responded enthusiastically.

  Kaito then thanked the sturdy gray man, grateful for the kindness of letting him spend the night there. They followed Mallas to the room, where he showed them to their makeshift bed. The room was sparse, but it had a warmth to it that Kaito hadn't felt in a long time.

  "Make yourself at home... And don't even think about visiting the brat's room at night! I'll be watching you!"

  "Mallas?!?" Starfire's face turned so red after hearing the old man's words that she hid it with her black hood.

  "O-O-Okay! I'm not thinking about doing anything, don't worry." the boy, also blushing, took a step back as he answered Mallas.

  "I'll keep an eye on both of you, you bratty brats."

  "You're unbelievable!" the girl exclaimed, visibly upset, entering her own room and slamming the door shut.

  "Ahem... If you'll excuse me, Mr. Mallas, I'm going to go get settled in my room now."

  "Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me."

  As night set in, with virtually no apparent change in the brightness of the perpetually dark sky, Starfire finally emerged from her room and shared a simple meal with the boy, their bond growing stronger with each passing moment.

  "Don't pay too much attention to Mallas's nonsense, deep down he's a good Duergar." she told the boy, between sighs.

  "Yes, he seems to like you a lot, Starfire. So much so that he's even overprotective of you." he said, trying to cheer her up.

  "Yeah... Too overprotective, if you ask me!"

  Then, in the quiet of the night, they headed to their respective rooms, on opposite sides of a long hallway on the second floor of the Greyforge.

  For Kaito, this night marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, one filled with hope, a hope he never expected to feel of returning to his world. And as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and contentment.

  ***

  The next morning, Kaito awoke to an empty room. He dressed himself in the unfamiliar clothing he had found there, a pair of tight-fitting pants and a loose-fitting, high-collared shirt. Still, he wore his inseparable green and black hoodie over it, along with the glowy fingerless gloves he had received as a gift the day before.

  As he exited his room, he found himself pondering what his next move should be.

  "Hmm... What am I going to do now? I have to think of some way to get home."

  Moments later, he encountered Mallas at the second-floor dining hall table. The man's serious expression and slightly anguished demeanor caught Kaito's attention.

  "Mr. Mallas, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

  The bearded Duergar sighed, running a hand through his short, dark gray hair.

  "Well... Early this morning, I had an argument with Starfire... She left in tears." the truculent Duergar then presented his gentle side, looking at the ground with sadness in his eyes as he continued his explanation, "I don't know how to comfort her, or anyone for that matter. I'm just not good with people."

  Kaito could see the genuine regret and worry in Mallas's eyes.

  "I... I'm sorry to hear that..."

  "Just listen to me, lad..." the Duergar continued, "She usually goes to the top of the tallest tower downtown when she needs some time alone. If you could go after her, I'd be most grateful. If you help me, you can stay here as long as you want."

  "The tallest tower?"

  "Yes, it's called Hi-Tower. It's not hard to miss it in the middle of the skyline."

  The young man nodded, understanding the weight of Mallas's burden. He felt a small sense of responsibility for the kind-hearted father figure and his desire to help Starfire.

  "Okay, you can count on me!"

  With this new information, Kaito was determined to help mend the rift between her and Mallas. His oncoming journey would take him through the bustling city streets, past the hustle and bustle of the Greyforge, and eventually to the top of the tallest tower in the city.

  Mallas, visibly relieved that the human boy had agreed to help, took a moment to collect his thoughts.

  "Before you go, there's something I want you to know about Starfire." he began, his voice laced with a mix of concern and sadness, "She has a complicated past with the Maendar Clan... It's a painful subject for the lass, and I beg you not to bring it up during your conversation with her."

  "Don't worry." Kaito, nodding in understanding, reassured the sturdy guy, "I'll be careful not to mention it. I'll do my best to find her and help her through this difficult time."

  Then the young man muttered to himself, remembering the crazy sequence of events that happened the day before, "After all, she did everything she could to help me..."

  Feeling a bit more at ease, the old Duergar offered the boy a brief, yet grateful smile.

  "Thank you, kid. I know you'll do the right thing."

  With the repair shop owner's blessing, Kaito left the Greyforge and set out on his mission to find Starfire atop the tallest tower in the city. The knowledge of her past with the Maendar Clan weighed on his mind, and he vowed to tread carefully in their conversation, hoping to provide the comfort and support she needed.