Adrian stood in front of the healing pod where Alex lay, Luminara floating silently beside him.

  Five minutes had passed, and he still hadn’t figured out what to say or how. They were friends, but how could he even begin to explain it? That they are in a place that didn’t exist on any map, filled with strange technology, and that he somehow had partial control over it? He didn’t even fully understand it himself.

  He wanted Alex to join him, to explore other worlds and whatever the future might hold. But first, he needed to wake him up.

  “If you will,” Adrian said, his voice quiet but steady.

  Luminara’s glow intensified for a moment. The liquid inside began to ripple and hiss as it drained out, a gentle gurgling sound filling the room. Slowly, the top of the pod shimmered, signaling that Alex would soon awaken.

  Alex’s eyes opened slowly, the world blurry and heavy. He tried to move, but his arms and legs felt sluggish. A sticky, warm feeling clung to his skin, making him flinch.

  “Ugh… where…?” he mumbled, voice weak and hoarse. His head felt thick, his thoughts slow, like waking from a deep sleep.

  Adrian’s figure came into focus, sitting at the edge of the pod, legs dangling. “Hey… you’re awake,” he said softly.

  Alex blinked several times, his eyes adjusting. “W-what… is this? What... happened?” His words were fragmented.

  “You’re… safe,” Adrian said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Just sit up slowly… take it easy.”

  Alex tried to push himself up, legs weak and trembling. He leaned back against the edge of the pod, breathing shakily, trying to make sense of the space around him. Strange lights floated, and a soft hum filled the room.

  “What… happened?” Alex asked finally, voice barely audible. He swallowed, confusion twisting in his stomach.

  "A lot. Where do I even start?" He smiled.

  He rubbed at his face, trying to shake the fog from his head.

  Then his stomach growled, loud enough to echo in the quiet chamber. He blinked, a little startled.

  “Hungry?” Adrian asked, laughing softly.

  Alex gave him a look, half-annoyed, half-exhausted. “What do you think?”

  Adrian shrugged, still smiling faintly. “Fair. Come on. Let’s get you something before you collapse again.”

  As he said that, Luminara materialized a table, filled with all kinds of foods, just like she had done when Adrian first arrived in the Nexus.

  He blinked at the sight, then looked back at Adrian.

  "I'm not dead... am I?"

  Adrian’s lips twitched into a smile. “If this is the afterlife,” he said, nodding toward the table of food, “it’s got better catering than I expected.”

  Alex blinked again, his brow furrowing. He looked from the feast to Adrian and back, confusion written all over his face. “So… not dead?”

  “Not dead,” Adrian replied, nodding as if that explained everything. “Just… somewhere else.”

  Alex groaned, dragging a hand down his face. His muscles still trembled from the pod’s release, like he was fighting against gravity. “That’s the worst answer you could’ve given me.”

  Adrian exhaled, shifting awkwardly. He wanted to explain, but where would he even start? “Yeah, well… I’m still working on that.”

  “Explanations,” Alex muttered, giving a short laugh that held no amusement. “Try starting with where the hell we are.”

  Adrian’s eyes flicked to Luminara, who hovered silently, her glow casting faint shadows on the floor. He swallowed, then looked back at his friend. “That’s the part that gets complicated.”

  Alex’s stare hardened. “Complicated? You wake me up in a glass coffin, point me at a magic buffet, and now it’s complicated?”

  “Pretty much,” Adrian said, half-heartedly shrugged.

  After a lot of back and forth, they finally started eating. Alex was still lost; nothing made sense. They had come close to dying, and now they were in a place Adrian called the Nexus, a place that materialized feasts. He couldn’t tell if he had gone crazy or not.

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  And so they spent the whole day exploring the Nexus, with Adrian trying to explain what was going on.

  "So, we are in this mystical place, I was healed by the glass coffin I was in, there are other glass coffins with simulations, travel to other worlds, do I got it right?" Alex said, his face laced with confusion.

  "Yeah...I guess?" Adrian replied, smirking.

  "So we are not gonna mention the light that's been following us the whole day? Alex asked, looking at Luminara.

  "Oh… shit," Adrian said, running a hand awkwardly through his hair.

  Alex gave him a questioning look.

  "I… forgot to introduce you to Luminara. Yeah," he said, pointing to her. "Alex, this is Luminara." He then pointed to Alex. "Luminara, this is Alex." His hand ran awkwardly through his hair the whole time.

  Alex was even more confused after his explanation, "Luminara," he said with a questioning look.

  "Hello," she said, glowing softly.

  Alex jumped back, eyes wide, like a scared cat. His chest heaved with quick breaths, and his hands instinctively rose in front of him, ready to defend against… whatever this was.

  And that’s how Alex met Luminara. Adrian laughed through tears from how absurd the moment had been.

  Three months had passed since Alex woke up in the Nexus.

  They had learned quickly that the only thing they could bring out from the Nexus was food. At first, it frustrated them, but necessity bred creativity. Luxury ingredients and spices became their currency. Alex emptied his savings to buy gear and supplies, while Adrian experimented with ways to use the food to their advantage.

  With the help of Alex’s boss, they managed to sell a lot of the food and secure some of the funds they needed for the trip. Alex spent two months buying the gear. Weapons were illegal in Dalvaria, making them hard to acquire, but he managed to get them through his connections. He also got them high-quality tactical gear that mostly looked like casual wear. Mostly.

  Training became a part of everyday life. With the help of Luminara, they had the best training, focusing on weight, stamina, and endurance. She created a specialized training program for both of them, along with a diet plan, which they followed to the letter.

  They spent countless hours in the simulation, making full use of everything the Nexus had to offer. They endured harsh environments from scorching deserts to dense, humid rainforests, learning to survive with minimal resources. They practiced crafting tools from limited supplies, honed their hand-to-hand combat skills before sparring in the training center, and spent hours identifying edible plants and berries across multiple world scenarios. And a lot of other useful stuff they would need.

  The simulations without real-life experience weren't perfect, but it was better than nothing.

  Weapons were trickier. They started with knives and staffs, moving slowly to more complex forms. They weren’t experts, far from it, but they were better than amateurs. They also spend a lot of time at the shooting range, using the weapons Alex managed to buy: two 9mm handguns, two SMGs, and two short swords in place of machetes.

  The world they decided on was Lunara. From the scraps of information they had, it was inhabited by humans, which made it feel like the safest first step. Another reason was practical: they only had to remain there for a month before the artifact would allow them to return to the Nexus.

  They had also learned that other races existed out there, after spending months in the Nexus talking to a glowing light, that revelation barely registered as a shock anymore.

  Luminara gave them each a simple necklace, a thin chain with a faintly glowing stone at its center. A translator, she explained. Everything worked in real time; whatever they heard would be in their own language, and whatever they spoke would come out in the locals’ tongue. It was, in every sense, a cheat.

  It also served another purpose. The necklaces doubled as Luminara’s eyes in the outside world. Through them, she could observe, advise, and feed information about anything they encountered.

  ...

  Adrian lingered across the street, staring up at the faded brick building. It wasn’t luxury, but compared to the slums, it looked almost untouched, walls without holes, windows with glass, balconies that hadn’t been stripped for scrap. For a moment, he almost turned back.

  After a few minutes of hesitation, he crossed the street and climbed the stairs up to the third floor. The hallway smelled faintly of varnish and dust. He paused outside the familiar door, breathed deep, then knocked.

  The door opened, and Uncle Ben froze in the frame. For a heartbeat, his eyes narrowed, studying Adrian the way only family could. Then they widened.

  “You… you look different,” he said slowly, almost disbelieving. “Healthier. Stronger. What have you been up to, boy?”

  Adrian tried to smile, scratching at the back of his neck. “Just… working. Trying to keep myself alive.”

  Ben ushered him in, still staring like he was looking at a stranger who wore Adrian’s face. Inside, the apartment was modest but alive, with neat furniture, the smell of tea, and a few toys in the corner. Ben’s wife was out, and the kids were gone, leaving the space quiet.

  They sat together at the small table, eating the bread and soup Ben had prepared. Adrian didn’t realize how much he had missed the simple comfort of eating with family until then. Ben talked about struggling to find work. Adrian listened, guilt gnawing at him, because for once he had something.

  When it came time to leave, Adrian hugged his uncle tightly, the words he wanted to say sticking in his throat. He managed a smile, waved, and stepped out into the hall.

  Before he left the building, he slipped into the small bathroom down the hall and left the duffel bag there. He filled the bag with food and other necessities. He left a note so that Ben wouldn't think he forgot the bag.

  Not the cheap canned rations people in Stravell’s slums fought over, but food meant for living and enjoying life. Tucked between the packages was an envelope of cash, what little was left after preparations for the trip.

  He straightened, looked at the door one last time, then walked away, vanishing into the city before anyone could call out after him.

  Moments later, in the shadows of an alley, Adrian pulled the necklace at his throat. The world folded in on itself.