Chapter Text
The first warning was not a sound.
It was the absence of one.
On had grown accustomed to knowing where everyone around her was without needing to look. The weight of familiar presences had become as natural as the ground beneath her paws. Hong was nearby, Raon was probably making lots noise, and the adults were scattered around them in the way they always were.
Then, without warning, that certainty vanished.
The ground disappeared.
On's stomach lurched as her body dropped into a space that had not existed a moment before. Her ears flattened against her head and her claws reached instinctively for something—anything—that might stop the fall. Her fingers closed around nothing.
There was no earth.
No stone.
Not even the air behaving as it should.
She twisted in midair, trying to find a direction, but the darkness around her had no horizon. There was no clear distinction between above and below. Pale streaks of light drifted past her, bending strangely before disappearing into the blackness, and the sensation of falling seemed to come from every direction at once.
“Hong!”
Her voice disappeared almost as soon as she spoke.
On turned sharply, yellow eyes searching through the darkness. She could not see anyone.
“Raon?”
Again, nothing.
Her heart beat faster.
For one brief moment, she allowed herself to feel the fear that had risen in her chest.
Her family was gone.
The thought hurt more than the fall itself.
On closed her eyes.
She listened.
There was nothing.
No familiar footsteps. No rustle of Hong's movements. No loud complaint from Raon. No voices from the others.
Her ears lowered.
“Hong…”
This time, she did not call loudly.
She reached outward with her senses instead, searching for the familiar presence of her brother. For one fleeting moment, something brushed against the edge of her awareness.
On's eyes snapped open.
There.
She moved toward it without thinking, but the darkness folded strangely around her. The faint presence vanished before she could grasp it.
Her expression tightened.
It had not been Hong.
Or perhaps the distortion had simply reflected something back at her.
On stopped moving.
The pressure around her suddenly changed.
On had just enough time to notice it before the strange darkness around her seemed to pull itself into shape. There was no body standing before her, no true face to look at, and yet she knew immediately who had reached her.
The God of Death.
On's ears twitched once.
Of all the people or beings she could have encountered here, this was not particularly reassuring.
You're not in your world anymore.
On stayed silent.
It was not exactly news.
You have crossed a dimensional boundary. Not through a designated passage, and not under any established agreement between worlds.
His voice carried strangely through the empty space, more like something being conveyed directly into her awareness than sound traveling through air.
That is why I cannot simply send you back.
On's expression tightened slightly. “So you don't know where I am.”
I know the world.
That answer made her look up.
Another world, he continued.
The people there possess abilities that are considered a natural part of their society. Most humans have one.
On's ears angled forward.
There are laws concerning the use of those abilities, and there are organizations responsible for regulating them. Their civilization is considerably more advanced in some areas than yours.
The people there will not know what you trully are, he added.
Nor will they understand the roots of your abilities.
On frowned faintly.
Your return is still possible,
But not now. The dimensional boundary is unstable. I can maintain contact under certain conditions, but physical intervention is different. Forcing a passage through an unknown boundary would risk more than simply failing to retrieve you.
On's tail moved once behind her.
“Gods really do have too many rules.”
There was a brief silence.
They are not all my rules.
“Still annoying.”
I won't argue.
That, at least, feels familiar.
The God of Death continued before she could say anything else.
I can confirm that the others were not taken with you.
On's eyes sharpened but her shoulders loosened by the smallest amount.
That was enough for now.
Your connection to them has not been severed, he said.
It is simply beyond my current reach.
On looked down at the device still in her hand.
“So I can contact them?”
Not whenever you wish. The connection may open intermittently. If it does, use it.
She nodded once.
There was no point asking whether he could bring them here. If he could, he would not have needed to explain any of this.
And one more thing, the God of Death said.
Do not assume the people of that world will react to you as your family does.
On blinked.
Their own understanding of what constitutes a threat. You are unfamiliar with their society, and they are unfamiliar with yours. Observe before revealing too much.
On's gaze drifted toward the darkness beyond him.
That was reasonable.
You will have to remain there for a while.
“How long?”
I cannot tell you.
Of course.
On sighed quietly.
The God of Death seemed to understand the sentiment without needing it explained.
I will investigate what caused the displacement and whether a stable route can be established.
On gave a small nod.
That's all I can tell you for now.
She glanced once more at the device.
“Tell my family I'm alive.”
I will..
On didn't ask anything else.
The strange presence began to fade.
Just before it disappeared completely, the God of Death added, almost as an afterthought.
On, your family will look for you.
“I know.”
No, I don't think you do.
His amusement was unmistakable now.
Your disappearance occurred right in front of them. They know something happened. They will not simply decide to go home and have tea.
On imagined Raon.
She could almost hear him.
Human! Find On!
Her tail moved slightly.
“They will be angry.”
Very.
“They will probably blame you.”
The God of Death became quiet.
…Why me?
“Because you're a god.”
That is not a reason.
“It is.”
The God of Death sighed.
Fair.
On looked down at the device that now on her hand.
Your family would misunderstand me again and try to destroy all my temples.
“They might.”
They have done it before. You too actually.
“I know.”
Could you perhaps explain that I am helping you before they begin?
On's mouth twitched.
“I'll try.”
Thank you.
He sounded genuinely relieved.
I'd rather not spend the next several years repairing temples because your family decided I was responsible for the situation.
On considered that.
“You should probably tell them yourself.”
The God of Death went silent.
I have a feeling that would go poorly.
She thought about Cale.
Then Hong and Raon.
Then her whole new family.
“Yes.”
Exactly.
For the first time since she had fallen, On almost smiled.
On's ears twitched.
Then the connection vanished.
The darkness remained for only another heartbeat before the world shifted beneath her again.
On remained alone.
The silence returned.
She stood or rather floated in the strange space, staring at nothing.
On looked at the strange cracks spreading around her.
She did not know where they led.
She did not know what waited on the other side.
But she knew what she needed to do.
She had to survive long enough to find out.
The darkness beneath her tore open.
On fell again.
But this time, there was wind.
Real wind.
It rushed past her face and tangled her hair as the darkness vanished. Light flooded her vision so suddenly that she squinted, and for one dizzying moment she saw nothing but blue.
Then the ground came toward her.
On landed hard in a patch of grass, rolled instinctively, and came to a stop beneath the shade of a tree.
She stayed still.
Her ears moved first.
Birds.
Leaves.
Water somewhere nearby and there are distant mechanical hum.
No immediate threat.
On slowly lifted her head.
The sky above her was an ordinary blue, scattered with white clouds drifting lazily across it. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and warmed the grass beneath her hands.
She sat up.
For a moment, she simply looked.
The world was peaceful.
That was almost stranger than the darkness had been.
On brushed the grass from her clothes and stood.
She did not immediately walk toward the road.
Instead, she remained where she was.
She listened.
The road was close, but not close enough that passing people would have an easy view of where she had landed. Buildings were somewhere beyond the trees, judging by the distant hum of machinery and the muffled sounds of voices, but the immediate area was quiet.
On crouched and examined the ground.
No fresh signs of anything large moving through the grass.
No blood.
No broken branches that suggested something had been waiting for her.
No obvious tracks approaching her position.
She glanced toward the road.
Too open.
If someone had seen her fall from nowhere, she did not know what questions they would ask. She did not know their laws, their customs, or even what kind of people lived here.
Until she understood them, there was no reason to make herself noticeable.
On moved deeper into the trees.
Not too far but just far enough.
She found a shallow depression beneath a cluster of roots where the ground remained dry. It would not make a permanent shelter, but it was concealed from the road and would be enough for one night if she needed it.
She memorized the location.
Then she went looking for water.
The sound she had noticed earlier led her to a narrow stream. On crouched beside it, watching the current before taking a small amount into her hands.
Clear and no strange smell.
She drank it.
The water was cold. She washed the dust from her hands and returned to the trees.
Only then did she turn her attention to the city beyond them.
There were people at very least. That was promising.
People meant information. Information meant possibilities.
On waited until a small group passed along the road before following at a distance, keeping enough space between them that she could observe without attracting attention.
The first thing she learned was that the strange machines were everywhere.
They moved without horses, stopping when lights changed and following painted lanes on the road. People crossed only when the signal allowed them to. Nobody seemed particularly interested in the machines because, to them, this was ordinary.
On watched carefully.
Every city had rules.
She would, no, should learn these.
The farther she walked, the more unfamiliar things she found.
Buildings climbed into the sky, their walls covered in glass. Signs flashed with bright colors. Small devices glowed in people's hands. Voices came from them even when the people holding them were standing alone.
Then a door opened before a person touched it.
That make On stopped.
She watched.
The person entered.
The door closed.
When On approached it, it opened.
She stared at the small black box above it.
Then stepped backward.
It closed.
Forward.
Open.
Her ears lifted.
She tried it twice more before finally walking inside.
Whatever this world was, it was certainly strange.
And, despite everything that had happened, On found herself curious.
She followed the people inside.
Shelves stretched through the building, filled with food and objects she did not recognize. She studied the packages, the labels, the prices.
Her stomach growled.
On looked down before looking at the food.
Then at the numbers.
Money.
She had none.
That was a problem.
Not an impossible one. Just another thing she needed to solve.
So, she moved on for now.
A large screen near the entrance suddenly changed.
On stopped.
A man wearing a colorful costume appeared.
Then another person.
And another.
They were doing lots of things.
As the God of Death said, some have strength beyond normal limits, some have strange bodies, and some have powers.
On stared.
Then the screen showed people rescuing civilians, confronting criminals, and posing for photographs as she watched in silence.
That was when the final piece fell into place.
The machines.
The buildings.
The devices.
The technology.
The people.
The abilities.
This wasn't a city she didn't recognize. It wasn't a country she had never visited. It was really another world just as God of Death said.
On stood quietly beneath the light of the screen.
She still can't believe it. But her family is alive. Somewhere beyond the distance between worlds, they were looking for her.
The thought settled warmly inside her chest.
She missed them already.
Of course she did.
She looked once more at the unfamiliar city.
She had no money.
No roof above her head.
No idea how long she would be here.
No way back yet.
And she had an entire world to learn.
On turned away from the screen and stepped outside. The city stretched ahead of her, enormous and unfamiliar, humming with a life she had never seen before.
She adjusted her clothes and began to walk.