The Girl from Another World

1

Oh. Seems like there’s nothing better before sleep than stretching a tired back and finally letting the body relax after a whole day of fussing with the field and cattle. Though, even better than that is drinking a mug of cold milk, straight from the jar in the fridge, and feeling it cool the throat and bring back strength.

I smirked, put the empty mug on the table, and slowly trudged toward the bed. The day had been tough — in the morning I drove the cows to pasture, then fixed the fence, and the damn tractor was acting up again. All of this had long become routine, but I still felt like my shoulders were weighed down with stones.

On days like this I could clearly see how much I missed that little bastard. Though, what little? Over those few years he had grown so much that even I had to pick my words carefully not to give away respect. His arms were stronger than half the neighbors’, and his whining, which used to annoy me, suddenly became the kind that made me scared to even talk back at times.

Matt. Now that was a giant… no, not the right word. More like an oak in human form — tall, strong, with shoulders you could hang half a barn on. But with all that strength — the kindest guy, soft inside, far too trusting. And that’s exactly what ruined him. Too kind for this harsh world.

That fucking driver of that damned truck… I still see the picture as if it was yesterday. The roar of the engine, the screech of brakes, and Matt — my boy, my helper, my only real family — pushes someone out of the way, but stays himself. He was only twenty. Just twenty, for fuck’s sake.

Oh, hell… shouldn’t have started picking at old wounds again. But the thoughts kept crawling in, like splinters — you can’t pull them out. I let out a heavy breath, ran a hand over my face, and finally collapsed onto the bed. The mattress creaked, took my weight, and I stared up at the ceiling, as if there might be answers there.

The body was buzzing from exhaustion, my eyelids closing on their own. I rolled onto my side, pulled the blanket up to my chin. It seemed like fatigue had finally won, and I was almost falling asleep.

Tomorrow I’d have to get up even earlier — to herd the cows, and check the tractor again, since yesterday it was wheezing like it was squeezing out its last bit of strength. My thoughts tangled, heavy but familiar, and I was almost slipping into sleep when a strange sound echoed in the room.

At first, quiet, like someone scratched the wooden floor with a claw. My ear twitched, but I didn’t open my eyes. ‘Rats,’ flashed lazily in my head.

Then again. Longer this time, like something being dragged across the floor. I frowned, squeezed my eyes tighter, hoping that if I ignored it — it would go away. But then came a dull thud. Sharp, like a heavy palm hitting wood.

My eyes flew open on their own. I jerked up on my elbows, looking around. The house froze, only my heart thumping in my chest.

— Well, shit… — I muttered, trying to make out at least something in the half-darkness. But there was nothing. Just my room, the smell of wood and dampness soaked deep into the old boards. Everything looked the same as always. But the air felt like it was holding something tangible, like it had grown thicker, like the whole house was holding its breath and waiting.

2

I was just about to lie back down, blaming it all on fatigue and an overactive imagination, when the thud came again. This time — loud, right beside the bed, like someone slapped the floor with a palm.

— Damn it… — I exhaled and snapped my head around.

And froze.

In the corner of the room, where the dim light of the night lamp barely pushed through the shadows, stood two figures.

The first thing I saw was him — a giant, nearly scraping the ceiling. Red skin, muscles like boulders, black hair tied in a tail, and eyes burning so fiercely they sent chills down my spine. A demon. Real, no doubt about it. He grinned, flashing his fangs, and stepped forward, the floor groaning miserably under his weight.

— Where the hell are you going, you little shit! — rang out a sharp female voice, and I jolted so hard I nearly tumbled out of bed. She spoke fast and commanding, yet almost playfully, and in that instant the demon froze, turning toward her. A guttural sound rumbled out of his throat, like a beast yanked back by its chain. He growled, but didn’t take another step.

I swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat run down my back. The air seemed heavier, and my heart pounded so loud I heard it in my ears.

The girl stepped out of the shadows, and I finally got a proper look at her. Slim, almost teenage build, a long braid of dark-purple hair hanging over her breasts, and a robe far too big for her, making her look even smaller. Next to that giant she seemed almost absurd — fragile, thin, as if a gust of wind could topple her. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that this monster had just obeyed her, especially with that nervous smile frozen on her face, completely out of place.

— Hi… — she whispered, and this time she sounded like a whole different person. No, the voice was the same, but the tone and manner… as if she was terribly nervous. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers awkwardly, like she wanted to wave at me, but in the end it came out as a pitiful gesture.

— Who the fuck are you? — I barked, gripping the blanket tighter like it could actually protect me. — And what the hell are you doing in my house?!

The girl flinched as if I’d struck her, while the demon, meanwhile, grinned wider, baring teeth sharp as knives.

— You still don’t get it, mortal? — he rasped so deep the walls themselves seemed to shudder along with my veins. — Your time has come.

I jerked, the blanket slipping out of my hands, and nearly leapt off the bed. The monster’s words struck straight into my chest, stealing my breath.

— Sylvan, shut up, — the girl hissed, this time almost gently, like she was talking to a child instead of a giant beast that made the floorboards tremble.

The demon twitched an ear, scowled, but obeyed. His shoulders still shuddered with restrained growls, yet he stepped back and lowered his head, as if submitting.

And she turned to me.

— Shit, — she muttered softly, clutching the edge of her robe like it gave her courage. — I knew everything would go to hell.

She frowned a little, then looked straight at me again. And in that moment, for the first time, I caught something in her gaze beyond just nerves. Something… strangely familiar.

— Uncle John, — she breathed, and it felt like the ground was ripped from under my feet.

3

I stared at her, stunned. The words echoed in my head as if a ghost had broken into the room. My heart dropped, my hands clutching the mattress on their own.

— What did you just say? — I rasped, not recognizing my own voice.

The girl in front of me swallowed nervously and lowered her eyes, but then, as if forcing herself, looked me straight in the face.

— It’s me, Uncle John… I’m Matt.

It felt like a blow. My temples rang, my breath caught. I jumped from the bed so fast the blanket slipped to the floor.

— You… you’ve lost your damn mind? — I forced out, my legs nearly buckling. — Matt is dead! I saw his body… I closed his eyes myself!

The demon snorted, grinning, leaning closer until I felt the heat coming off him like from a blacksmith’s forge. His teeth gleamed right by my face.

— Want me to close your eyes?

— Sylvan! — the girl cut him off sharply, raising her hand and throwing him a sideways glance. Her voice trembled, but she straightened stubbornly, clutching her braid like it gave her strength, holding onto a strained smile. — I said shut up!

The demon clicked his tongue in disdain but stepped back, folding his arms across his chest. His eyes burned like two coals, but he obeyed.

And I… I stared at her. Stared as if trying to rip from her face at least some familiar trace, some tiny feature that could confirm her insane words. My heart hammered, my breathing ragged.

— You… — my voice dropped to a whisper. — You can’t be my Matt. Who the fuck are you?!

She flinched but stepped closer.

— Before you, mortal, — the demon intoned, his voice shaking the room as if thunder rolled right over the roof. He stepped aside, extending his hand as though presenting her like an actor on stage. — Lady Lyssael Darkbraid, High Sorceress of the Sixth Circle, Mistress of the Moon Tower, victor of the Dragon Circle, bearer of the blood of worlds.

He savored every word, and with each title his grin spread wider. The girl, however, shrank at his words, blushed, and rolled her eyes like he had just said something embarrassing.

— Sylvan! — she squeaked, stomping her foot, her robe slipping off one thin shoulder. — What did I tell you?!

The demon chuckled, shrugged, but kept going:

— …and the chosen of the Circle of Eternal Flame, whom I, Sylvan the Flesh-Ripper, have the honor of escorting.

Not understanding a damn word of this pompous crap, I stared at him, then at the girl shifting from foot to foot like a schoolkid at the blackboard.

— What?.. — I croaked. — Chosen? What the hell chosen? That’s… that’s a child.

— Hey! — she snapped, stepping forward, but quickly faltered and lowered her eyes. — I’m not a child… and… he’s not lying. That’s my name where I grew up. Where… I ended up after… — she drew in a sharp breath, as if the words cost her dearly. — After that truck.

I stared at her like someone had dumped a whole barrel of madness in front of me and forced me to gulp it down.

— After… the truck?.. — the words caught in my throat. — You mean to say…

She lifted her head, her braid swinging forward, gleaming in the dim lamplight. Her eyes were wide, wet, and inside them lived that same stubbornness I had seen a thousand times in Matt, when he dug his heels in at the field or argued with me until he was hoarse.

4

— Yes, — she breathed out. — I died that day, Uncle John. But I opened my eyes in another world. As an infant. A girl. And I lived there for twenty years. I studied. I fought. I survived. I became the strongest sorceress, just to find a way back… back to you.

— What a foolish motivation to have destroyed the greatest mage of all Arisel, — the demon rumbled, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth as if the thought gave him genuine pleasure. His low chuckle rolled through the room, making the floorboards creak as though even the house itself was reacting to his mockery.

— Sylvan! — the girl flared, snapping her fingers, and the demon’s mouth literally vanished. — You’re pissing me off!

A muffled growl rolled in his chest like a boulder, but no other sound came out. His red eyes flashed so fiercely I shrank back against the headboard. Silent, bristling with irritation, he folded his arms and turned away like a child sent to stand in the corner.

And I… I couldn’t take my eyes off her. My heart pounded so hard it felt like the whole room could hear it. I tried to pull myself together, but every time I looked at her thin shoulders, at that braid, at the expression on her face — guilty and stubborn all at once — a chill crawled down to my bones.

— Uncle John, — she stepped closer. In the lamplight her robe snagged on the edge of the bed, swung open, and for a moment I saw beneath it — a dress clinging to her waist. Womanly, not childlike. Nothing that should ever have been on my Matt. I swallowed so hard it cracked in my throat.

— This can’t be real, — I forced out, already realizing I was doubting my own words. — My John, he was… And you…

— Weakling? — she repeated, the corners of her lips twitching as if she was mocking me, yet inside I caught that same stubborn, stung pride that Matt had always had, while the red giant twitched angrily, glaring at me — though I didn’t notice it at the time. — You always called me that when I couldn’t lift a sack of grain. Remember?

— Until you grew up like a damn stallion, — the words slipped out of me before I could stop them, and I felt as though I stumbled over them the second they left my mouth. Hearing myself, it was like I was talking to him, to Matt — alive, the same one who slung sacks over his shoulder and laughed when I grumbled.

I went silent, but it was too late. The words sounded too familiar, too homely. I caught myself realizing I’d already accepted this girl as him. My throat tightened, my mouth went dry.

She smiled faintly, one corner of her lips lifting — timid, yet triumphant.

— Exactly, — she nodded softly, and in her eyes flashed that same stubborn, slightly defiant gleam. — You always said that, Uncle John.

I swallowed. And the longer I looked at her, the more something inside me began to crack. In that fragile figure, in that strange robe and braid, I didn’t see a girl — I saw him. My boy. Only now, she barely reached my chest in height, her shoulders so narrow it seemed if you threw a sack of grain on her back she’d collapse under it. A slim waist, delicate arms, and under the robe were the kind of curves that had nothing in common with the wiry young man who hauled logs and laughed when I groused. And her breasts, though small, pressed noticeably against the satin black dress — and the sight made me want to either scream or groan.

5

— God… — I breathed out, not knowing where to put my eyes. — You… how the hell did you even…

— What are you talking about? — she raised a brow, looking at me like she honestly didn’t notice the elephant in the room.

My tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth. My hand jerked on its own, as if to wave toward her breasts or somewhere else, not even knowing how to point it out, and at the same time I felt both shame and rage boiling up. But my fingers froze midair, clenched into a fist, and dropped back down.

— About the fact that… that you’re wearing that… dress. And… — I swallowed, the words catching in my throat. — You’re a damn girl, for fuck’s sake.

She blinked a couple of times, like I’d just said something obvious, like “you plant potatoes in spring.” Then, frowning, she put her hands on her slim waist and looked down.

— Well yeah, — she said quietly, but with a kind of defiance. — I’m a girl. So what? Been a girl for twenty years already. You think it was easy for me to accept that?

Sylvan frowned then, his eyes blazing, steam hissing from his nose with a low rumble that, without a mouth, sounded more like a passing airplane than a voice. The floorboards trembled, the air filled with sulfur and burning, like a forge had flared up in the corner. He straightened taller, looming over me, his stare drilling right into me. I instinctively backed away until my spine hit the wall, breath stuttering.

— What’s wrong with him? — the words tumbled from my mouth, and even I heard my voice shaking.

Sylvan, his mouth still sealed by the girl’s snap, couldn’t make a sound, and that only seemed to enrage him more. Thick steam poured from his nostrils, rolling across the floor, covering the boards in a whitish fog. His shoulders rose and fell as though he was barely holding back a growl. His red eyes locked on me so hard my chest tightened, like the air itself was crushing me.

— Don’t mind him, — the girl waved him off, and for the first time her voice carried a faint smile. — He just doesn’t like it when someone… — she hesitated, still keeping her hands on her waist, looking aside as if searching her memory. — When someone talks badly about me.

I stared at her, then at the monster who could tear me apart with one finger — and who looked like he was about to do exactly that.

— Wait… — I exhaled, my throat dry. — But I… I didn’t say anything like that.

— You did, — she shot back, lifting her chin stubbornly. Her tone was oddly defiant, and it made something twist inside me. — You hinted I was weak. And for me… — she faltered for a second, her fingers clenching at her waist so the fabric pulled tight, showing curves I didn’t want to notice at all. — For me that’s not just words.

I swallowed hard, not knowing where to look. At her face, where Matt’s stubbornness shone far too clearly, or at her thin shoulders, where the robe kept slipping down, reminding me that in front of me wasn’t my boy, but a girl.

The demon stepped forward, the floor thudding under his weight. His chest swelled with heat, and the air pouring off him made me feel like I’d been shoved into a forge. His red eyes blazed, and his mouth reformed on his face, curving into a bloodthirsty grin.

6

— You know what fate awaited the last fool who doubted this little one’s power? — he spoke slowly, with that rasping demonic voice that seemed to echo through the whole damn village. — I ate him so slowly he begged me for death.

I froze, my fingers clutching the edge of the mattress so hard my knuckles turned white.

— Jesus… — I croaked, surprised myself at how my voice shook. — You’re kidding me, right?..

— How the hell did you break the silence seal, you little shit? — the girl nearly squeaked, whipping her head at Sylvan.

The demon grinned, and my heart skipped a beat. His teeth gleamed, his shoulders twitching with restrained laughter.

— I always break the crap you slap on me, girl, — he drawled lazily, as if it was some belt he was talking about, not sorcery. — Your tricks are far too weak for me.

She frowned, touched her chin, but didn’t argue further. I could see the gears turning in her head, the machine inside her cranking up.

— Didn’t think the magic would start fading this fast… — she muttered under her breath, and in that moment she looked nothing like a High Sorceress, just a lost girl afraid of missing her school bus.

Sylvan snorted loud, the air quivering as if a blast of hot wind had rolled through the room.

— I told you, Lyssael, this world is empty. There is no power here. Here you are nothing.

— Uncle John, — she looked me dead in the eyes, and my mouth went dry from that stare. — We have to leave. Will you come with us?

I froze. Her words hung in the air, pressing me against the wall harder than the demon ever could.

— Leave?.. — I rasped, my throat parched. — Leave where, for fuck’s sake? To your damn… world of magic and monsters? Do you even hear yourself?

She stepped closer. Her robe brushed against my knee and I flinched like I’d been shocked. The dress beneath it swung open again, tracing out her fragile figure, and in her eyes burned that same stubborn look Matt always wore whenever he wasn’t going to give up an inch.

— Yes, — she said firmly. — I’m calling you to Arisel. There won’t be another chance. Uncle John, please, I’ve done so much for this, you can’t even imagine. No one’s ever done what I’ve done! But I pulled it off, and I don’t know if I can do it again. I’m sorry it’s so sudden, but I really don’t have much time! Come with me! You’ll love it there, I swear you will!

I felt my fists clench at the way she said it, like she was inviting me to play a damn game, not flip my whole life upside down — and without even giving me time to think. Matt always did that, never thought things through, just did what he felt was right, almost without hesitation.

— Where the hell am I supposed to go? I’ve got a farm here, cows — what’ll happen to them? — I croaked, realizing my voice was shaking. — And did you ever think that maybe I don’t even want to?

7

— Then I’ll tear your barn apart with you inside it, — he hissed, leaning in so close the heat of him scorched my face.

— Sylvan! — she yanked her braid and raised her hand sharply. He stepped back, grinning.

I stared, not believing my own eyes. A girl — thin, fragile, in a dress and robe, like some actress from a cheap fairy tale — and next to her this beast, whose breath melted the boards beneath his feet, retreating obediently at her gesture. And not for the first time.

— You’re provoking me on purpose, — she ground out.

— Of course, — the demon grinned wider. — Isn’t it cute watching you fume?

I exhaled, not knowing what to do with my hands. My fingers slid over the sheet, clutching it like it could keep me grounded in reality. My head spun. In front of me stood a girl… no, not a girl — him. My boy. My Matt. And he, she, was calling me into another world of magic and monsters. Was any of this even real, or had my cow eaten something hallucinogenic before I milked it?

— Uncle John, — I turned my gaze and met her face. On it was frozen a pleading grimace, and in that moment I thought — maybe in that world, no one had ever seen such an expression on her face. More likely, she had seen it on the faces of those who begged her for… for help? Or mercy? Shit, I didn’t even know if she was good there, or bad. Judging by the fact she had a demon…

— Uncle John! There’s no time! — she lunged toward me so fast I recoiled, slamming my back against the wall, my thoughts scattering.

Her eyes gleamed as if fire swirled inside them, and her voice broke into an almost childlike cry.

— Now or never! — her thin fingers clutched my hand, and I jolted. Her hand was small, warm, soft — and the feeling pierced me deeper than her words. It wasn’t the rough, man’s grip I’d known from working side by side with Matt, but a fragile, woman’s touch.

Sylvan lifted his head, and his breath thickened the air, heavy and choking, as if smoke had clogged my throat.

— Choose, mortal, — he growled, and even the floor shook beneath us. — The gate will soon close.

I licked my dry lips, heart pounding like it wanted to tear out of my chest.

Behind me were the cows, the house, the land… everything I knew and loved.

And before me stood a girl who called me uncle, and in every glance of hers I saw — it was him. My boy. Only now in the body of a fragile witch, with a braid and a dress that clashed with every memory I had of Matt.

Her hand trembled in mine.

— Uncle John… please.

I swallowed, cold sweat running down my back.

Here it was — the moment.

To step into the abyss… or stay.