The sound of the clock struck three in the morning when the silence was broken by a faint snore that made the whole place tremble.
Kairus was half-falling off the chair he sat on, his head resting on the counter, and a long string of drool almost touching the floor, while Jake lay on his back with his eyes closed, not uttering a single word, like a computer booting up.
Hikari remained motionless at the foot of the stairs, staring at her sister as if she had seen an apparition.
Haruna closed the door slowly with a gentle push and leaned her back against it.
Her face was a mix of exhaustion and fury. She had the kind of expression only an older sister could perfect after years of dealing with the chaos of a younger sibling.
As she walked toward Hikari, her silhouette began to reveal beautiful long, dark hair like a moonless night, falling in slight waves over her shoulders. Despite the long trip, not a single strand seemed out of place; she had that effortless kind of elegance that didn't need trying to shine. Her skin was fair and flawless, with a light tan on her cheeks that seemed to come from someone used to being outdoors.
—Let's recap —she said in a cold, measured tone—. I leave for a few weeks, put you in charge of the place, and when I come back I find two strangers asleep on the tables, reeking of alcohol, and you trying to sneak up the stairs. Anything else I should know?
Hikari let out a tense laugh.
—Heh… it's a long story.
—How long? —asked Haruna, crossing her arms.
—About the size of an interdimensional portal that brings people from another world, something around that caliber —answered Hikari before she could stop herself.
Haruna's frown deepened.
—A portal inter… what?
Jake let out a snore so loud that the walls trembled.
Hikari nervously turned toward him and rushed to say:
—Nothing, nothing, it's just a metaphor. You know! Ha...ha.
Haruna raised an eyebrow.
—Are you mocking me? You're obviously hiding something.
—No, of course not! —Hikari replied far too quickly.
Haruna sighed and slowly walked to the counter, looking at the two sleeping men.
She stopped in front of Kairus, looked him up and down, chuckled, and then glanced back at her sister.
—And who's this one?
—Uh… a friend. Well, sort of. He's… a knight.
—A knight? —Haruna repeated, arching an eyebrow with a sarcastic smile—. One of those who rescue princesses and speak in overly fancy language?
—Exactly! —Hikari shouted, as if her sister had hit the nail on the head.
—Aha… and the other one? —asked Haruna, pointing her chin toward Jake.
—He… he's… a little special.
Jake stirred on the table, mumbling in his sleep:
—…No, not my butt… the flames… they're blue… Jesus Christ…
Haruna stared in silence for a few seconds, then turned back to Hikari with an alarmed expression.
—You brought a pyromaniac home?
—He's not a pyromaniac! —Hikari protested—. He's the Dark Lord.
Haruna blinked slowly.
—Of course. The Dark Lord. Are you sure you two only had alcohol?
—I swear it's true! —insisted Hikari—. He came from another world along with Kairus. They're trying to find a way back, but Jake lost his mana and can't open portals anymore.
Haruna's expression shifted from mockery to pure disbelief.
—You're high! I'd bet anything on it.
—I'm not high, damn it! —Hikari replied, offended.
A noise behind them interrupted the argument. Jake sat up abruptly, eyes half-open, his hair messier than a squatter's house.
—HAIL HI—! —he shouted.
Both sisters jumped.
—Whoa! Don't finish that sentence! —Hikari yelled, alarmed.
Jake looked around, confused.
—Wow… Where… where am I?
Haruna watched him cautiously.
—At Strawberry Dream.
Jake blinked a few times.
—Oh. Then I'm not dead.
Hikari sighed.
—I told you you weren't dying, you were just… extremely drunk.
Jake put a hand to his head.
—I feel like I got run over by a train, and when it passed by, it came back just to finish the job.
—I don't know about a train, but if you stay slumped on that table I can fix your spine with a good smack —Haruna said dryly.
Jake looked at her solemnly.
—Wow, Hikari… you multiplied?
—I'm not a clone, I'm her sister —Haruna replied.
Jake nodded as if that explained everything.
—I knew it… same vibe.
Behind them, Kairus began to wake up, scratching his head.
—Where… is my horse?
—Probably in someone's stomach by now —Jake replied.
Kairus looked at him, half-lidded eyes narrowing.
—What the hell?
Jake ignored him and stood up unsteadily, placing a hand on his chest. He tried to gather magical energy, but only managed to create a small spark that went out instantly.
—I'm still emptier than Kairus's brain —he muttered.
Hikari frowned.
—Still no mana?
—Not a drop —Jake replied in a somber tone—. Not a single damn drop.
Haruna crossed her arms, completely confused.
—I don't understand a single word you're saying.
Jake looked up at her.
—Simply put: I can't return to my world until I recharge my energy.
—Aha… and how exactly do you do that, according to you? —Haruna asked, still skeptical.
Jake shrugged.
—Good question. Sometimes ancient places or zones with a high natural energy flow, like a forest, help recover mana, but… I don't know any in this world.
Kairus yawned loudly, then raised his hand.
—We could try a temple… aren't there lots of those here?
Hikari nodded softly.
—Yes, but I don't think we can go in after what happened in the church. Look at him, he's still traumatized…
Jake shuddered, remembering that fateful day.
—No. Definitely not stepping into anything resembling a temple or church ever again.
Haruna watched the scene as if she were witnessing a soap opera episode.
—So, if I understood correctly: one's basically a flamethrower without fuel, the other's a knight, both from another world entirely, and you… are their babysitter?
—…something like that —Hikari admitted with a weak smile.
—Babysitter? —Kairus repeated, frowning.
—Yeah —Jake said, rubbing his head—. Like a horse keeper, but for kids.
Kairus blinked a few times, confused.
—Did you just compare us to horses?
Jake shrugged with a mocking grin.
—Not exactly… you'd fit more like a donkey that fell off a cliff and broke the fall with its head.
—Damn, that's oddly specific —said Hikari as a sweatdrop rolled down her face.
Haruna put a hand to her face and sighed deeply.
—I definitely need sleep.
She turned and walked toward her room.
—And if you're still here when I wake up, I want a proper explanation. If not, I'll throw you both out with the rolling pin.
After that, Haruna went up the stairs and closed the door slowly.
Jake looked at Hikari in silence.
—Your sister's scary… and I've seen demons in person.
—Yeah, she's got a master's degree in that —Hikari replied—. Better not annoy her or she'll shove you into the oven.
—Oh, I've read about people who shove others in ovens. Didn't think it was real —Jake said, swallowing hard.
Hikari gave a faint smile.
—Let's not talk about that.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the bakery curtains, and the smell of fresh coffee filled the air.
Hikari yawned while setting the table.
Jake sat with a damp cloth on his head, staring at his coffee like it was an antidote.
Kairus, surprisingly awake, helped clean up the remains of last night's disaster.
—And your sister? —Jake asked.
—Sleeping, I think —Hikari answered—. She came in late and was exhausted.
—Good thing —said Kairus, setting a plate on the counter—. I wouldn't want to face that woman without my armor on.
Jake let out a dry laugh.
—Yeah, she's got more presence than most demon kings of my generation.
Hikari looked at them, amused.
—Don't exaggerate, she's just… strict.
Jake rested his chin on his hand.
—We could ask her if she knows of a place that could help with the mana thing. She lives here; maybe she's heard rumors about "energetic" spots.
—Good idea —said Kairus.
The sound of soft footsteps made them turn. Haruna appeared, holding a cup of coffee, her expression halfway between sleepy and dangerous.
—Rumors about what?
The three of them froze.
Jake, with a nervous smile, raised his hand.
—G-good morning, ma'am.
—I'll accept the "ma'am" —Haruna said calmly—. But what's that about "energetic"?
Hikari, trying not to sound forced, explained:
—Jake needs to find a place to recharge his… energy.
Haruna stared at him for a second and then burst out laughing.
—What, are you solar panels now?
Jake looked at her seriously.
—More or less, you're getting warmer.
The laughter died instantly.
Haruna set down her cup.
—Are you seriously telling me you mean that literally?
—Completely —Jake said, raising a small blue spark in his palm. This time it lasted a few seconds before fading.
Haruna's eyes widened as she stood frozen, utterly shocked by what she had just seen.
—What… what was that?
—My mana. Well, what's left of it —Jake replied.
Hikari nodded.
—I told you he was like a wizard.
Haruna watched him for a long moment, took a sip of coffee. Her expression was somewhere between curious and confused.
Finally, she sighed.
—Fine, you win. As crazy as it sounds, I'll believe you… only because Hikari's my dear sister.
Haruna sat down in front of them.
—If you're really looking for "energetic" places, there's one people around here talk about a lot. A mountain near the outskirts of Yokohama, where they say strange things happen. Lights, sounds… people mysteriously disappear.
Jake raised an eyebrow.
—Disappear as in "die," or as in "change dimensions"?
—No idea. But it definitely sounds weird enough to interest you —Haruna said.
Jake exchanged a glance with Kairus.
—Could work. If there's an unusual energy flow, maybe I can absorb some residual mana.
—Though it could be dangerous —Kairus added.
—Please, that's what we have you for —Jake replied with a confident grin.
Haruna sighed.
—Alright. But if you're going to get into trouble, do it far from the bakery.
—Promise —Hikari said with a smile.
Jake stood up, stretching his arms.
—Then we leave tomorrow.
—Tomorrow? —Haruna repeated—. Why not today?
Jake shrugged.
—Today's my day off.
—Every day's your day off —muttered Kairus.
Everyone chuckled a little at Kairus's comment.
Haruna watched them for a moment, and for the first time, she smiled sincerely.
—I suppose as long as Hikari's having fun with you two, you can stay here.
Kairus bowed slightly.
—I promise we'll take care of her and help with the bakery.
Haruna looked at him seriously.
—By the way, I saw new offers on the menu, and the pastries are perfectly baked. Do any of you actually know how to cook?
—Believe it or not, Jake's got an incredible talent for cooking —said Kairus, pointing toward Jake, who nodded solemnly.
Haruna lowered her head slightly in respect.
—I see. My respects, then.
°°°
That night, while everyone slept, Jake went out to the backyard.
The air was cool, and the sky completely clear.
He raised his hand, trying to feel the flow of energy, but couldn't sense anything. Only a faint hum within.
He whispered to himself:
—I have to get it back… if not, I'll never be able to return to them.
From the upstairs window, a dim light flickered on.
Haruna watched silently, leaning against the frame.
For the first time, there was something in her eyes beyond distrust. There was curiosity.
And a strange feeling.
As if, somehow, that strange man truly didn't belong to this world.
The wind blew softly, lifting a small blue spark that danced for a few seconds before fading away.
Jake watched it vanish, half-smiling.
—Well… I guess they can wait for me a little longer.
End of Chapter 13