Over the next two days, rather than going back to his old world, Lukas would help Dina with the plants in the garden. Small shoots of green poked up in a few spots, indicating that Spring would be arriving shortly. Of course, Lukas had not used his abilities much in his old world. He had always been too busy for that side of himself.

Despite everything, he did not leave the fenced yard. The reactions of the people told him it would likely go poorly if he did so. He shuddered. There were times when he found himself anxious to transition to the fifth realm. He could start over, but not be here.

But what if he wanted to go back home eventually, and making it to the fifth realm didn’t help anything? Lukas shook his head and shuddered before he went back to the couch. He would try to push himself to take a nap, although he had become far too restless.

Rain pattered outside, the trickling keeping his thoughts company. He let himself listen, falling into a daze as he waited, slipping into a dreamless rest.

He awoke sometime later, his heart pounding as he sat up. An unfamiliar voice echoed through the room, before a strange man appeared through the threshold. Lukas wanted to disappear, pretending he had never met this man. But as he turned back and shook hands, he noticed there was a subtle warmth.

While Lukas sat on the couch, this man sat across from him, his curious gaze never failing. He then began speaking in a few other languages. Lukas would listen intently, hoping he could understand something. Five phrases later, and he still didn’t understand.

“I am from the third realm,” Lukas said. He then lifted the plant stone. “This is mine.”

The man’s expression lightened, then he continued to speak, this time in Lukas’ language. “It is impossible for me to know every language this community comes across. But welcome. Lukas, is it?”

“Thanks,” Lukas said. He sat back. “And thank you for meeting me. I have a few questions for you, now that I can communicate.”

“Not so fast,” the man said. “I have some questions about you first, as was requested by your hosts. Are you ready?”

Lukas wanted to protest, but at this point, as he glanced at both Dina and Nikola, he could assume that they had asked the man to come here. “Yes.”

“My name is Dmitri,” the man said. “First question, but what is your full name?”

“Lukas, son of Gunnar,” he said. “I am from Sveri.”

“I think I know which country you’re talking about,” Dmitri said. He then pulled out a notebook and a piece of paper. “There are stories and rumors about one of the first people to gain inter ream citizenship.”

Lukas nodded. Even as someone who had not studied the other languages, or the other realms in general, he had known about the story. It was famous throughout the two countries. And as someone who had been to the city where she had introduced the realm, and as someone who was native to a village just north of that, the rumors and the stories had reached him, about five years ago. At seventeen, he had received his gifts, and before he had met Irvin at nineteen, he would sometimes wish he could go to other worlds, just to go on a journey of discovery. But he dared not say such things to Irvin, and most days, he tried to stifle his dreams as much as he could. All he had wanted was to make his lover happy, but instead, he had found himself in a place where his own needs were invisible–even to him.

“I worked in a small shop on the northern outskirts of that town,” Lukas said. “Even though we joke about only receiving two weeks of summer, and it barely reaches a temperature some southern cities would consider hot, it was one of the warmer days. Especially in that shop.”

Dmitri gave a nod. “These are the things I wanted to know. Without trying to sound creepy, it is important for us to know as much as we can about you, before we decide what to do with you. There are some who travel into different worlds, just so that they can be spies for their government.”

“It has happened to the kingdom of Rathos, I am certain,” Lukas said. “If it can be called a kingdom. Some of my customers were talking about it within earshot the other day, and I, as a bored cashier, couldn’t help but listen to it.”

Dmitri sat down in a chair and leaned forward. “What else did you learn from customers?”

“Well, I learned that the King of Rathos was overthrown, and as of right now, there’s no real government on that island,” Lukas said. “In other words, the kingdom of Rathos, if it exists anymore, has descended into anarchy.”

“Oh,” Dmitri said. “Probably a good thing to know. Either way, our government is trying to put together a ministry for interrealm travel. You probably want to go back to your old world, but before you do, I think it’s imperative you follow me.”

“I’m in no rush,” Lukas said. He didn’t want to tell this man he had been fired, and not because he had been incompetent. “Regardless, I should be grateful for such an opportunity.”

As Dmitri gave a wicked grin, Lukas almost shuddered. There was something sinister behind it. Like he had just fallen into a trap. Lukas looked into Dmitri’s eyes, trying to figure out if there were other ulterior motives.

He began to regret how he spoke a moment before. But as he left the house, he was grateful to get some fresh air. Even though it was Spring, the temperatures hardly seemed to recognize. Furthermore, there was a dense fog hanging over the entire city. His own clothes, for that matter, were not appropriate for this weather. He wanted to ask Dmitri about it, but instead, he remained silent.

Upon making it to the palace, he would pass by the nobleman he saw yesterday, giving a polite nod. The nobleman paused for a moment, then he turned away, barely acknowledging Lukas. Lukas, at this point, would be curious about him.

After the nobleman fell out of earshot, the man whispered. “That’s Alik. Although he’s a competent nobleman, he does have a reputation of being rather stoic behind the scenes. He can get through a speech while pretending to be pleased with someone, but the moment someone turns away from him, he will critique things still.”

“I gave him one of my paintings for a small cost,” Lukas said. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I thought I would have to find an inn to stay at.”

“Especially with the way you’re dressed, no?” Dmitri said. “You should be alright. In giving information about your world, you should receive a decent sum of money.”

“I mean, I don’t intend to stay for long anyway, but the money would be nice,” Lukas said. He told the truth, if only in a partial sense. But in his time away from Irvin, he kind of wanted to break things off with his boyfriend anyway, although he wasn’t certain of how long it would take before he could make such a decision.

It seemed wrong to break up with your lover from another world, even if he was a jerk. But Lukas, in the sense that he had relied on his old job and Irvin to make a living, knew it was more complicated than that. Perhaps, if he wanted to stay here, it would be best if he didn’t break up with his boyfriend. At least, not yet.

I seem to have made a resolve, in spite of my own instincts, to remain here for the time being. At least I haven’t been fired from any jobs in this world.