The wooden wheels hit another rut in the road, and my tailbone slams against the hard carriage bench for what feels like the thousandth time. Dawn creeps over the horizon, painting the sky in watercolor pinks and oranges that would be beautiful if I weren't in so much physical pain. "This is torture," I groan, shifting my weight yet again in a futile attempt to find comfort. "Seriously, my ass has gone from numb to actively plotting revenge against me." Mirelle glances back from her perch at the front of the carriage, her electric blue hair whipping in the morning breeze. "We've only been traveling for six hours, Sam. Don't be such a baby." "Six hours of pure ass destruction," I mutter, rubbing my lower back. "I thought horse-drawn carriages were supposed to be fun and comfortable." She laughs, the sound carrying back to me on the wind. "I can't believe you don't know how to ride a horse. How did no one teach you?" "I bet you don't know how to drive a car," I shoot back, wincing as we hit another bump that sends me airborne for a split second. Mirelle turns fully in her seat now, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's a car?" "See?" I gesture triumphantly despite my discomfort. "Not so smart now, are you? In fact you sound pretty foolish to me right about now." Her confusion transforms into that predatory smirk I've come to both dread and expect. "How about I hold you up here with me instead? Might be more comfortable than bouncing around back there all alone." The invitation sends an immediate chill down my spine. After what happened back at the castle, the thought of being that close to her makes my skin crawl. But my ass really does feel like it's been beaten with a meat tenderizer. "I'm good," I say firmly, pulling my cloak tighter around my shoulders. "I'd rather keep all my bodily autonomy, thanks." She shrugs, turning back to the road ahead. "Suit yourself. But the offer stands." I lean my head against the wooden side of the carriage, watching as the landscape slowly transforms from dense forest to rolling farmland. We passed through the city gates just before midnight, Mirelle flashing some kind of official-looking document that got us through without question. The guard had given me a curious glance but seemed more interested in getting back to her card game than investigating a cloaked figure. A sudden jolt nearly sends me flying as Mirelle pulls hard on the reins, bringing our carriage to an abrupt stop. "Alright," she announces, stretching her arms overhead until something in her back audibly pops. "We need to rest for a few hours before continuing." I straighten up, my spine protesting after hours of being rattled around like dice in a cup. "Are we safe here?" I ask, scanning the unfamiliar countryside with wary eyes. Mirelle hops down from the driver's seat with enviable grace, her boots hitting the dirt road with a soft thud. "We crossed out of Honeywood territory about an hour ago. No one will come this far to look for us." She pauses, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Well, I'm not entirely sure anyone is even after us, actually. Jhone would have to admit she didn't report you immediately when she found you." "Would she do that?" I ask, carefully climbing down from the carriage, my legs wobbly after hours of sitting. "She might." Mirelle shrugs, leading the horses toward a small stream just off the road. "Jhone's very honor-bound. Follows the rules to a fault, usually." The early morning sunlight catches in her blue hair, making it shimmer like water. I watch as Mirelle busies herself with the horses, her movements efficient despite what must be bone-deep exhaustion. She leads the animals to drink. "There's a clearing just over there," she says, nodding toward a small patch of grass sheltered by a cluster of young trees. "We can rest for a few hours." With the horses taken care of, Mirelle starts peeling off her armor piece by piece. The metal plates make dull thuds as they hit the ground. "Don't just stand there," she calls over her shoulder. "Make yourself useful and grab the food sack from the back of the carriage." I trudge back to the carriage, my legs still wobbly, and find the sack she mentioned. It's heavier than I expected, filled with bread, dried meat, and what looks like some kind of hard cheese. By the time I return, Mirelle has created a makeshift camp, nothing fancy, just a blanket spread on the ground with our packs serving as pillows. No tent, no fire. Just a place to eat and crash for a few hours. "This is it?" I ask, dropping the food sack between us. "What were you expecting, a four-poster bed?" She tears off a chunk of bread and tosses the loaf to me. "We're on the run, Sam. This is luxury compared to sleeping in a ditch." We eat in silence for a while, the food tasteless in my mouth as exhaustion settles into my bones. The bread is dense and slightly stale, but it fills the hollow in my stomach. As I chew, my mind drifts back to the hospital room, to Kayla's tear-streaked face hovering above mine. Some of her final words echo in my head with perfect clarity: "Just wait for me." I wonder if she knew somehow, if she suspected that death wouldn't be the end. Was it her weird spell? Was she planning to follow me here? The thought sends a chill down my spine. If Kayla found her way to this world... what would she do to Mirelle after what happened? "Hey," I say, breaking the silence. "Yesterday, Jhone mentioned something about a hero summoning. What's that all about?" Mirelle pauses mid-bite, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "You really don't know anything, do you?" She swallows and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "Every 1000 years, the countries around the world unite to summon a hero from another world to help fight against the Demon Queen." "Yeah, I figured as much," I say, leaning back against my pack. All those isekai anime Kayla and I used to binge-watch on weekends suddenly feel less like entertainment and more like foreshadowing. "Do they know who they're going to summon? Like, is there a specific person they're targeting?" Mirelle shakes her head, tearing off another chunk of bread. "No, it doesn't work that way. The ritual just pulls whoever is most deserving or compatible or something. The mages debate the specifics endlessly, but basically the spell finds its own target." I sit up straighter, a strange certainty settling over me. "Then it's going to pull my wife." "What?" Mirelle stops chewing, staring at me like I've grown a second head. "Mark my words," I say, conviction growing with each word. "It's going to pull my wife, Kayla, here. She'll come for me." Mirelle's eyebrows practically disappear into her hairline. "What are you talking about? How would your wife be summoned as the hero?" "Because I'm from another world," I say simply, the words falling from my lips before I can reconsider. For a moment, Mirelle just stares at me. Then she bursts into laughter, doubling over as if I've told the funniest joke she's ever heard. Her electric blue hair crackles with static as she howls. "Yeah?" she manages between gasps. "And flying pigs can swim!" I cross my arms, oddly defensive. "Flying pigs can’t swim?” "It's an expression," she says, wiping tears from her eyes. I shrug, not bothering to argue. I don't know enough about this world to challenge her on local idioms. "No, for real, I'm from a different world. One where men and women are equal, where magic doesn't exist, and where I was dying before I woke up here." Her laughter dies abruptly, replaced by something between suspicion and concern. "You literally can't be from another world." Mirelle sits up straight, suddenly serious. "Because the amount of mana required to safely transport even one person between worlds is almost inconceivable. It takes months to prepare and thousands of mages working in perfect harmony." She narrows her eyes at me. "Well, I didn't exactly arrive safely," I counter, remembering the disorientation of waking up in that field. "And I didn't come through any royal summoning ritual. Someone else brought me here." Mirelle rolls her eyes with such dramatic flair, I'm surprised they don't pop out of her head completely. "That's just not what happened, Sam. It's far more likely some mage messed with your memories and dumped you in the middle of nowhere." Her dismissal ignites a spark of irritation in my chest. I've been violated, cursed, and kidnapped, and now I can't even have my own reality acknowledged? I set down the remainder of my food, suddenly not hungry anymore. "You just wait," I say, my voice sharper than intended. "When my wife gets here, I'm going to tell her exactly what happened last night. And she will kill you." Mirelle's lips twitch into an amused smile. "Yeah, I'm sure she will," she chuckles, clearly humoring me like I'm some delusional child. Before I can respond, she lunges forward with surprising speed. Her arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me down onto the blanket. My body instantly freezes as the curse activates, every muscle locking into place. I can't even turn my head to look at her. My field of vision is limited to the trees directly in front of me. "What are you doing?" I demand, panic rising in my throat. I feel her body pressed against my back, her armor discarded so there's nothing between us but thin fabric. Her breath is warm against my neck as she settles in, one arm draped possessively over my waist. "We need to nap," she explains, her tone practical despite our intimate position. "And if I sleep alone, you'll either run away or try to kill me. So I have to cuddle you." Despite her matter-of-fact explanation, there's an undercurrent of excitement in her voice that makes my skin crawl. This isn't just about security, she's enjoying this. "Let me go," I plead, trying to keep the desperation from my voice. "I promise I won't do anything." "Sleep, Sam," she whispers, her lips brushing against my ear. The command hits me like a gunshot. My eyelids grow impossibly heavy, darkness closing in from all sides. I fight against it, struggling to stay conscious, but it's like trying to hold back the tide with bare hands. "You can't just…" The words die on my lips as unconsciousness claims me, pulling me under completely.