“That should be everything, Mr. Khïngu,” the room service lady says as she lays the girl's head on the pillow.

“Just Risen is fine, thanks” Risen says, giving a warm smile, “I’ll come get you if I need any more help.”

“Of course,” she responds politely, “I'm still shocked she survived the fall, not many others have been as lucky as she has.”

“She knows healing magic, people like that tend to be stronger than an uneducated farmer or businessman,” Risen explains, “I know I’d have been fucked if I were put in her situation.”

“Nothing I could do that's for sure, she's probably some rich aristocrats’ daughter to afford education like that.”

Risen gives a halfhearted snicker, “Could be.”

“Anyhow, I'll leave you be, be sure to call me when she wakes up,” she says as she begins walking out.

Risen waves goodbye and she exits the room, closing the door behind her. He sighs and looks to his right at the mystery girl that lays passed out on the mattress, her light blonde hair sprawling across the fabrics she's rested on.

Although covered by a blanket, her previously worn clothes were just replaced by a simple white dress by the tavern’s room service. He would call her previous attire extravagant if they weren't dripping with her own blood by the time he found her.

She's been lying asleep like this for a while and Risen still doesn't know who she is. Luckily, as confirmed by the tavern staff, she’s completely fine after her last ditch healing spell and should wake up soon for him to ask.

Risen idly flicks his gaze around the room, eventually looking out the window to the veranda and the city beyond that. It's still midday and the sun is fully out, fully lighting the room up. He can hear the idle chatter of the people in the bar below him and the quiet breathing of the girl beside him.

He pulls out a small notebook from his pocket and flicks through it. On the latest page in clear but scribbly handwriting is today's date and a small excerpt saying, “A few hours ago a girl fell from the sky, others did too. People say it's terrorism, conspiratorial bullshit. I've taken her to a tavern to watch over her, the new hire in room service is changing her. She's lucky to be alive, seems to be a mage.”

Taking a pen out of his pocket and moving his hand to the next line down, Risen continues writing, “She's asleep now, just waiting for her to wake up,” and then quickly closes the book.

She should wake up soon… Risen thinks, a subtle anxiety making itself apparent.

He stands up and walks over to the table in the center of the room, at the foot end of the bed, and pours himself a glass of water from a water jug placed there by room service. He takes a sip and stands there idly, lost in thought.

More silent moments of thinking and wandering around the room pass, and then, as Risen sits back down, the girl makes a small sound that bounces off the walls and directly into his ears. Her eyelashes flutter and her hands raise up to her face to rub her eyelids awake.

“Ah, hey… hey,” Risen utters quietly as he stands up from the chair to move closer, “Are you alright?”

The girl doesn't say anything as she puts her hands down from her face and looks towards Risen. In front of her is a rather short man with tanned skin wearing a black turtleneck sweater without any sleeves and some indistinct brown pants. His arms are covered in a thick dark brown fur that spreads from out under the holes in his sweater. The hair on his head fades out from light blond roots into the same natural dark brown and flows into sideburns that cover his cheeks. His bushy eyebrows and rather bland gray eyes give him a particularly average look even despite his generally warm demeanor.

“Uh, sorry, do I know you? Shit, did I get hit over the head in some alleyway or something,” she sighs as she sits up and gives a small chuckle.

“No no, nothing like that. Honestly we still don't really know what happened,” Risen begins to explain, “Some kind of mass teleportation thing, no one's sure on the details.”

“Oh. Huh,” she stares at Risen like he's gone insane and a few awkward moments of silence pass, “I guess I must've drank a lot last night, then. I don't remember anything.”

“No, listen. I… I was being serious,” Risen exhales, “Just. Sorry. Let's start simpler, what's your name?”

“Zhemi,” she states, flicking her hair and giving a sarcastic grin.

“Cool, okay. Do you remember anything from a few hours ago?” Risen asks, mostly just to confirm. He already knows she doesn't.

“Oh god. What did I do?” Zhemi puts one of her hands over her face out of embarrassment, “If I've forgotten it must be awful.”

Risen sighs, “Zhemi, do you know where you are right now?”

“Not really.”

“I’m going to assume you're not from here. You're in Sephungu, the capital city of Konsï”

“WHAT?” Zhemi shouts, “How the fuck did I end up there? Are you serious? How much did I drink?”

She starts shuffling around and pulls the blanket off her and when she looks down a confused expression appears on her face.

“What the hell am I wearing? Seriously, what's happening?” She asks as she slowly shakes her head out of confusion.

“I got room service to change you. Your old clothes are being washed, they were covered in blood,” Risen says as calmly as he can.

Zhemi’s voice gets louder, “Why would they be covered in blood? Who the fuck even are you?”

“I'm Risen Khïngu, a local merchant,” Risen explains while keeping his passive demeanor, “I found you after you got teleported into the sky above Sephungu. Your leg was broken but you healed it before passing out.” He waits a second and then continues, “Do you understand?”

“What? How did… What are you talking about?” she shakes her head, “You're fucking crazy.”

She stands up out of bed and starts walking towards the door out of the room.

“Wait, listen, I’ll go get room service and you can wait here.”

“That’s not happening and you're a nutcase,” she says as she steps out into the hallway outside.

Risen decides to let her go but elects to follow behind her.

Zhemi walks past the doors of the other rooms and she takes note that it's rather empty in terms of decor. The building honestly looks a bit worse for wear. As she walks she ignores Risen’s footsteps behind her and doesn't look back.

Stepping down the stairs into the tavern proper she is greeted by tables dotting the big open dining space, almost each one full with people and bustling with conversation. No one bats an eye or notices as she walks out and up to the bartender. Risen follows close behind her and settles a few steps to the side of her.

“Hey Risen, and hello to you too,” the bartender gives a smile to both Zhemi and Risen and leans on to the bar counter in front of her.

“Hey Fasi, she's awak–”

“Where are we right now?” Zhemi demands sternly, speaking right over Risen.

“Sephungu, Capital of Konsï,” Fasi states plainly, “How are you feeling?”

“Huh? Are you serious?” Zhemi shakes her head, “What the hell is going on?” she says under her breath.

“You got swept up in a mass teleportation. People are saying it's terrorism, you're lucky to be alive,” Fasi responds.

Zhemi goes quiet for a few seconds, staring in disbelief. She looks towards Risen, and then out towards the people in the tavern.

“Fuck, okay.”

She turns to Risen and apologizes, “Sorry for blowing up at you.”

“No it's fine, don't worry about it.”

“Sorry, what was your name again? Risen?”

“Risen Khïngu.”

“Okay, yeah,” she says, rubbing her face with her hand, “Fuck… What am I meant to do then? Sephungu is forever away...”

After a few moments of silence from Zhemi, Fasi chimes in, “There are some other's who got teleported that are sitting down the back there. The ones at the table to the left. Just the two of them, though.”

“Oh, right,” Zhemi responds.

“Maybe you know them? I dunno but they remember more than you do about what's going on either way.”

Zhemi squints, “Not anyone I know, at least looking at them from here. How many people got teleported?”

“Too early to tell,” Risen asserts, “Upwards of a few hundred at least, though.”

“Chatter about thousands, even,” Fasi adds, “From all over the place too. Seems like a group effort from how far the effects spread. Again, you might not know them but you should maybe chat with them anyway.”

“I think I'm good, I'm more worried about myself right now,” Zhemi says, “Oh, do you have my clothes by the way? Some of what I had was important.”

“Nope, that’s room service’s business,” Fasi explains.

“Okay. Do they have all of my stuff?”

“Probably, yeah.”

“Actually,” Risen cuts in, “I do have the stuff that was in your bag. The bag is getting washed but the stuff inside was taken out.”

“Oh, my necklace was there then?” she asks.

“Uhhh…” Risen thinks for a moment, “The purple one? Because yes. That's with the things.”

“Oh thank god,” she sighs a breath of relief, “I'll be back then.”

She starts walking off and Risen raises his voice to shout, “Everything should be on the dining table! The big pile!”

She gives a nod and thumbs up and Risen’s figure disappears as she climbs up the stairs and loses line of sight. She walks back through the previously explored hallway and opens the door to her room. Or is it technically Risen’s room? Whoevers.

As she steps in she begins scanning her eyes across everything in the room and her eyes lock on the pile of the things previously inside her satchel bag.

She shuffles through the items and eventually grasps the thread of her necklace. On the end of it is a dull purple gemstone, embedded in a floral style gold piece.

Wait, why's it so dim? Her heart starts pounding in her ears, “Oh fuck, oh fuck.”

Her feet stomp into the ground as she runs out of the room, down the hallway, down the stairs, and straight past Risen, the bartender, and every other occupant of the tavern.

Risen grabs Zhemi's wrist, stopping her in her tracks, “Hey, hold on, where are you going?”

“I’m sorry but I need to go right now. Something’s very wrong,” Zhemi retorts frantically.

“What’s happened?” Risen says as a worried expression forms on his face.

“I’m sorry! You need to let go of me!” She yells, tugging her arm to try and get out of Risen’s grip.

“Just wait a second! What's going on?” Risen shouts worriedly.

As he yells, tears roll down her cheeks, “My family! They're not safe, I don't know what's going on! Get off of me!” She finally shakes her arm out of his grip and immediately bolts for the door.

Risen steps forward towards her and watches as she swings the tavern’s door open and runs out.

She turns to the right and–

Huh?

In but a single moment, she collapses to the ground.

A red mist hangs in the air and the bar’s previous buzz is now silent, everyone looking towards where Zhemi was previously standing.

Motionless, a pool of blood floods the brick below her.

What? What just happened? Risen’s thoughts go cloudy. They circle and repeat in his head, his heart pounds in his ears, and screams echo from the mouths of people in every direction.

“What? What? What's happening? Huh? H… Huh..?” Risen mutters as his hands shake and his eyes grow wider by the second.

He stares at the brightly lit street outside, and at the figure laying on the ground.

He shakes his head.

He keeps shaking it.

He stares, and stares.

He stares at the now headless body of Zhemi Unin.