After a few minutes, Ellie stepped out of the room holding some clothes. She still looked a little… unsettled.

— Here. Clothes from my ex. Should fit you.

Orion took the clothes and gave them a once-over. Jeans and a black t-shirt.

— Thanks.

He walked back into the bathroom, and Ellie exhaled sharply, turning to Chloe.

— Where the hell did you find this guy, seriously?

— It’s a long story…

— Is he a criminal? A terrorist? A runaway model from a fashion magazine?

Chloe laughed.

— None of the above.

Ellie crossed her arms.

— Then why does he look like he was sculpted by Greek gods and carries this whole “I’ll destroy everything” vibe around him?

— Trust me, even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it.

Ellie sighed.

— Okay, but if he turns out to be a psycho, I’m killing you before he does.

The bathroom door opened and Orion stepped out, now dressed. The clothes fit perfectly, which only made Ellie narrow her eyes even more.

He stretched his arms, as if testing the feel of the clothes.

— Strange… This fabric is really light.

— Welcome to the 21st century, big guy, Ellie said, still eyeing him with suspicion.

Orion glanced around and then pointed at the TV.

— What’s that?

Chloe blinked.

— You’re joking, right?

Orion stared at her, dead serious.

Ellie raised her hands.

— Okay, dramatic pause. Chloe, where exactly did you find this guy?

Chloe scratched her neck.

— Uh… technically, he was locked in an underground dungeon beneath a cathedral, but then he broke everything and—

— Okay. I stopped listening at “underground dungeon.”

Ellie rubbed her temples.

— Alright, giant, take a seat. Let’s start with the basics.

Orion sat down on the couch as Ellie grabbed the remote.

— This is a TV. She turned it on. The screen lit up with a food commercial. It shows images and videos.

Orion’s golden eyes shimmered for a moment.

— Interesting…

Ellie changed the channel.

— This is a phone. Small, but does everything. Messages, calls, internet…

Orion took her phone, examining it like it was some kind of rare artifact.

— No magical circuits. How does it function?

Chloe and Ellie exchanged glances.

— Uh… electricity? Technology?

Orion frowned slightly.

— So the world evolved… without magic?

He fell silent for a moment, processing. Then he gave a faint smile.

— Interesting.

Ellie folded her arms.

— Alright, mystery man. Your turn. What are you? A time-lost warrior? A secret experiment? An alien?

Orion shrugged.

— I’m Orion.

Ellie rolled her eyes.

— Great. Super helpful.

Chloe stepped in.

— Ellie, please, just… accept that he’s here for now, okay?

Ellie huffed but nodded.

— Fine. But if he tries to kill me, I’m screaming.

— If I tried to kill you, you wouldn’t scream, Orion replied casually.

Ellie froze for a second.

— ...Okay. That was creepy.

He chuckled.

— Just kidding.

Ellie stared at him.

— Not sure it was.

Chloe sighed.

— This is gonna be a long night…