It’s a new day, and that means a fresh chance to turn my life around. Yesterday was a rough start—I haven’t eaten since arriving in this city, and to top it off, I spent the night in a park, sleeping on a stone bench with the cold seeping into my bones. But I’m hoping today will bring a change for the better. Lady Luck is still on my side, though I feel her slipping away bit by bit.

  The sun rises, draping the city in a warm blanket of orange hues. The chatter of people echoes through the air, their footsteps bringing the plaza to life. While those souls talk and laugh, I finally stir from my deep, uncomfortable slumber. I stand, stretching my limbs with vigor, then walk away from that stone mattress, its surface still faintly marked with the sweaty outline of my body.

  Yawning deeply, I rub the grime from my eyes and make my way back to the restaurant, determined to secure the job they’re offering. In the daylight, I can better appreciate its structure—walls of rustic stone and dark oak beams. Unfortunately, the entrance is still closed to the public, but now I can peek inside through the windows, which were shuttered tight last night.

  Through the glass, I spot the back of a woman with dark hair. I knock lightly to get her attention, and she turns, walking toward me. Before she reaches the door, I clumsily run a hand through my hair, trying to look somewhat presentable.

  She opens the door just a crack, her eyes reflecting the sky behind me. “Good morning. Can I help you with something?” Her soft voice is like a gentle melody to my ears.

  God, she’s beautiful, I think to myself, my eyes sparkling as I take in the delicate features of her near-divine face.

  “Yes, well…” I clear my throat. “I’m here about the job posting I saw at the guild. Can I speak to the boss?”

  She looks me up and down, a subtle hint of disapproval in her gaze. “I’m sorry, he hasn’t arrived yet,” she says, shaking her head, her dark strands swaying with the breeze.

  “Really? Look, I really need to talk to him. What time does he get here?”

  “I don’t know, sir. Sorry.”

  She’s lying. I’m not surprised—my disheveled appearance and dirty clothes probably make me look one step away from a vagrant. But I have to get this job, no matter what. If I don’t, I wouldn’t know what to do with my life. The other job postings I saw at the guild were for things like alchemy or scholarship—trades I know nothing about. Darel said I could go back to them if things went south, but his father has the final say, and if he refuses, I’d have nowhere to go. Besides, I’d feel like a complete failure crawling back with my tail between my legs.

  I don’t want to beg, and I refuse to return to thieving. I promised myself I’d turn my life around in this new world. If I fall back into old habits, nothing will change—whether I’m on Earth or anywhere else.

  I just need to convince her to let me see the owner, but if I push too hard, I might scare her and attract unwanted attention. The last thing I need is trouble.

  I take a few steps back. “Please, I just want to work here. I’ll wait all day if I have to.”

  The girl, slightly annoyed, opens her mouth to say something, but a gruff, raspy voice interrupts from behind her. “Eleanor, what’s going on out there?”

  A man of middle age, with a bushy beard and a prominent gut, appears behind her, his lips twisting into an uncomfortable grimace when he sees me. After a brief exchange between them, I’m finally invited inside the restaurant.

  The scent of cinnamon and freshly baked bread fills my nose. I stand on blackened stone tiles, surrounded by neatly arranged rows of tables. The owner stands before me, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed and brows straight.

  “So, you want to work here?” he asks.

  “That’s right, boss,” I nod confidently. I’ve picked up the habit of calling potential employers “boss” as a subtle way to win their trust.

  “You got any experience in this line of work?”

  I close my eyes for a moment, expecting the question. I’d rehearsed an answer for this.

  “No…” I see his expression sour, so I raise my voice. “But I’m a quick learner!”

  “That’s not good enough. I need someone who knows the trade,” he grumbles, clearly unimpressed.

  “Please, give me a chance,” I plead, clasping my hands together. “Put me to the test for a week. If someone better comes along, I’ll leave, no questions asked. But until then, let me show you what I can do. Please…”

  I must look like a helpless animal, my face betraying my desperation. I launch into a fabricated tale, leaving out the part about coming from another world. I tell him I left home to seek better opportunities, only to be robbed by bandits on the road, losing everything I had. Now I’m stuck, unable to return to my village, with no one to turn to for help. My only way forward is to find honest work to avoid starvation and begging.

  I stop myself from adding too many details, worried it might sound suspicious.

  “I see. It’s true there’ve been more of those scoundrels around lately,” he says.

  My eyes light up like stars. I’m thrilled my story went unquestioned, but I’m still not sure if he’ll hire me.

  “Alright,” he sighs. “I’ll give you a week’s trial.”

  Covering my face with my hand, I tilt my head back and grin like a kid at their birthday party. “Thank you! Really!” I extend my hand to shake his. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

  “I hope not, kid,” he says with a small smile, returning the handshake. “What’s your name?”

  “Ethan. A pleasure.”

  “I’m Eugine,” he says, then glances at the girl. “This is Eleanor.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you,” she says, waving with a smile.

  This is it—the first step toward the future I want. I’ll give it everything I’ve got to secure this job. My initial worry is resolved, but a new concern creeps in: I need a place to stay. The park is out of the question—I need something more… dignified, even if someone like me doesn’t deserve it. Plus, I have to stretch the little money in my pockets to cover food.

  Just when I think nothing else could happen, my stomach growls like a ravenous beast. Caught up in the moment’s excitement, I’d forgotten how empty it is.

  “You haven’t eaten?” Eugine asks.

  “Not since yesterday,” I admit, embarrassed.

  I can’t hide it anymore. If I wait any longer, my stomach and intestines might start eating each other. Eugine offers me a plate of food, but before he leaves, he asks Eleanor to share some of her perfume with me.

  If I was embarrassed before, now I want the earth to swallow me whole.

  Eleanor leads me to the back courtyard, where she draws water from a well and invites me to wash my face. After nearly giving myself a full bath, she hands me a soft, pastel-colored handkerchief that quickly turns grimy as I wipe my face.

  I feel refreshed. It’s amazing what a little water can do for your appearance. Back inside, a bowl of lentils and vegetables awaits me on a table. I devour it in three bites, then start helping Eleanor clean the tables, as my arrival delayed the restaurant’s opening.

  We finish the preparations, and finally, the doors open to the public.

  My expectations were off at first—I thought it’d be a quiet day with few customers. But life has a way of kicking me where it hurts. As time passes, people of all kinds flood in, filling nearly every table. Am I working at the most famous restaurant in town?

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  My first challenge begins.

  I constantly glance at a chalkboard hanging from a beam to recite the menu to customers. But memorizing it is the least of my worries. When I mess up delivering food to the right table, Eleanor sometimes whispers the correct spot to me. Despite being swamped, she keeps an eye on me. A sense of uselessness grows as I watch her balance multiple plates, moving with enviable grace and agility.

  I curse my decision to apply here, realizing I’m not cut out for this. My only life experience is robbing innocent people and dealing drugs—and I even failed at that, getting arrested once.

  Lost in thought, I hear a group of hunters complaining from a corner, snapping me back to reality. I approach them, wiping sweat from my brow with my sleeve, exhausted.

  “Sorry for the wait. What can I get started for you?”

  “About time,” says the apparent leader, a broad, short man with a scruffy beard and hard features, staring at me intently.

  “Didn’t know they were hiring vagrants,” he mocks.

  “Leave him alone, Rafhall,” his companion to the left chides.

  “Relax, it was just a joke,” he says, giving me a pat on the back.

  I take their order halfheartedly and return with their food. As I do, I quietly admire the gleaming armor they all wear. In my short time here, I’ve overheard enough to understand what “hunters” do in this world. They eliminate beasts and monsters to keep the peace. It took me a bit to connect the dots, but it makes sense now.

  When I first arrived in this world, I was attacked by a creature bigger than a 4x4 truck, its legs as thick as my torso. I only survived thanks to Darel and some villagers. I can’t fathom how these hunters fight such beasts. Seeing their lavish gear, I wonder how much they earn—and if I could do something like that.

  Nah, I doubt it.

  “Here you go,” I say, setting their plates down.

  “Thanks, kid,” one of them says.

  Before I turn to leave, the short guy stops me. “By the way, don’t take what I said earlier personally. I was just messing around.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” I shrug.

  Looking like a homeless person doesn’t give him the right to insult me, but it reinforces the need to clean up my appearance. I can’t expect to be hired if I neglect how I present myself.

  Sunlight streams through the window, glinting off a small stone on the belt of a lanky hunter. I glance down, spotting a gem larger than my eye.

  “Like it?” the short guy asks, licking sauce off his lips.

  “Yeah, it’s cool.”

  “And it is. Wanna take a closer look?”

  “You shouldn’t distract him,” says the gem’s owner to my right.

  Ignoring the warning, the short guy reaches over, pulls the sword from his friend’s sheath, and rests its tip on the floor. “Here. Pretty, isn’t it?”

  “If you get food on it with your greasy hands, I’ll kill you,” the lanky hunter warns.

  I take the warning as meant for me too, unsure if he’s joking or serious. I lean closer, resisting the urge to touch the sword. My reflection glimmers on the crimson gem’s surface. A strange sensation washes over me—this isn’t just a decoration. It feels… alive, somehow.

  Lost in a trance, I’m jolted back by Eugine shouting my name, angrily ordering me back to work. This isn’t good. Every mistake I make lowers my chances of getting hired.

  ?──────────────────???──────────────────?

  After an exhausting day, the restaurant closes its doors. Eugine praises our efforts but doesn’t miss the chance to give me some pointers on my performance. I listen quietly, eyes downcast.

  Unnoticed, I slip my phone out to check the time, realizing the place closes relatively early. That leaves me the rest of the afternoon free. What can I do to kill time in a world without TV, especially when I’m flat broke? Another worry to add to my list.

  As I rest in a corner, Eugine approaches. “Ethan, I need a favor.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I need help organizing some things in the storeroom. We usually leave early, but today I want to do a deep clean.”

  I nod with a smile. I said I’d give my all, but I’m beat. My back aches, and my throat burns. Still, I can’t say no. I need to make up for today’s mistakes.

  Eugine leads me to the attic, explains the task, and leaves. After finishing, I help Eleanor with more cleaning. By the time we’re done, my back is screaming, and my fingers are red and sore. I’d give anything for a soft mattress to collapse onto.

  We gather around a table, beers in hand, chatting about trivial things. The beer here is sweeter and thicker than what I’m used to—not the same as the crisp brews from my world. I’m sad knowing I’ll never again savor a greasy burger with a soda in hand.

  “By the way, know any cheap places where I could stay?” I ask.

  “How cheap are we talking?” Eugine replies.

  “Really cheap.”

  “Well, I know an inn on the outskirts. The owner’s a grumpy old man.”

  I don’t care about the place—I just need a roof over my head. Sleeping in the park again, especially if it rains, would leave me smelling worse than a stray dog.

  I just hope it doesn’t drain what little money I have left.

  Eugine gives me directions, but before we leave, someone knocks on the door. Curious, Eleanor goes to check who’s visiting at this hour. When she opens it, she lets out a short scream, startling me. I leap from the table, ready to defend her if needed, but my fear fades as I hear cheerful laughter.

  “Rya! It’s been forever!” Eleanor exclaims.

  “I thought you’d already closed,” Rya replies with a smile.

  They embrace joyfully. As Rya steps inside, her beauty leaves me stunned—blood-red hair and emerald-green eyes. The two women sit at the bar, with Eugine heading to the counter to pour a beer. I stay seated, listening in, curious about what they’ll say. She’s a hunter, so she’s bound to have an interesting story.

  I worry my presence might make them uncomfortable since I don’t know Rya. Maybe I should head to the inn and leave them be.

  “Tell me, how’ve you been?” Eleanor asks.

  Ignoring the question, Rya points at me. “Who’s the guy with the beer?”

  Realizing her mistake, Eleanor covers her face and laughs awkwardly. She gestures for me to join them.

  “Rya, this is Ethan.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I say, extending my hand.

  “Likewise,” she replies, shaking it. “You new here? How long you been around?”

  “Well…” I shrug. “Technically, I’m not hired yet. I’m on a trial, and today was my first day.”

  “I see. Well, you’ll have to work hard to convince Eugine to keep you.”

  We laugh together, and the conversation shifts back to Rya and Eleanor catching up. Rya speaks with a heavy heart, recounting how her group failed to hunt a dragon despite tracking it for weeks.

  I’m floored, fear creeping up my throat. I imagine a colossal beast swooping from the clouds, destroying and incinerating everything. Back home, dragons are just myths, but here they’re real.

  “That damn thing came out of nowhere and wrecked our camp,” Rya says. “Many were crushed or devoured…”

  “Really? You didn’t get hurt?” Eleanor asks.

  “No, I was at the far end of the camp. I managed to find cover.”

  “That’s a relief. But it’s awful about the others.”

  Most of her squad was wiped out. Unable to keep fighting, the survivors fled, abandoning the mission. After hours, she reunited with a few others and returned home.

  “We even got ambushed by bandits on the way back,” Rya sighs, rubbing her forehead. “It’s insanity…”

  The conversation takes a grim turn. Eugine complains about the king’s poor governance, noting the rise in bandits around the region—a recurring issue, it seems.

  Rya’s words send chills down my spine. It feels like a war is brewing, one that could shake entire nations. I start questioning my choices. Is it worth striving for a better life if I might lose everything again? This world seems like a mess.

  Our talk ends on a bitter note.

  After a brief farewell, I set off on my own. Following Eugine’s directions, I walk through cold fog toward the inn. As I near the city walls, I enter a rough-looking urban area—cracked streets, piles of trash, and a bleak, desolate vibe.

  Déjà vu? I think.

  When I reach the inn, my lips curl in disgust. Even a drug den would look better than this dump. At the reception, a bald, scrawny old man greets me with indifference.

  “Good evening. I’d like to rent a room,” I say, leaning on the rotting wooden counter.

  “For how long?” he asks, not looking up.

  “I don’t know, maybe a week.”

  My heart nearly stops when he tells me the price. Hesitantly, I place a coin on the counter. Before heading to my room, I ask if there’s a bath service. To my relief, there is, and the first one’s free.

  Climbing the creaky stairs, I feel the floorboards groan under my weight. When I open the door, a cloud of dust falls from the ceiling. Memories of my old home flood back, seeing the dilapidated state of this room. Maybe I was too hard on that old trailer.

  I shake my head to push away those intrusive thoughts. Getting depressed won’t help. Plenty of people start from the bottom and climb to success—why can’t I? This is temporary. Once I get my first paycheck, I’ll move somewhere better.

  A knock at the door pulls me from my gloom. “Good evening,” says a woman, entering with a bucket of water and handing me a rag and a small container.

  “Sorry, what’s this?”

  “It’s essence, young man. You can use it to scent the water.”

  “I see.”

  “Please leave the items in the hallway when you’re done. Good night.”

  After she leaves, I sit on the rough, hard mattress and start my bath. The water feels soothing on my skin after so long. I scrub every inch of my body, repeating until the dirt is gone. Pouring in the essence, a floral scent fills the air. I wash my hair too, dunking my head in the bucket, relieved to feel it clean at last.

  I sigh, satisfied that I smell decent again. Too bad I can’t say the same for my clothes.

  All in all, today wasn’t bad. I didn’t do as poorly as I feared, but I’ve got a long road ahead. Maybe it’s the exhaustion talking, but part of me thinks things would be easier if I were dead—no worries, no struggles. But fate, or whatever it is, gave me a second chance, and I’ll make the most of it.

  My eyelids grow heavy, and I drift off to sleep, bathed in the silver moonlight streaming through the window, carrying the hope that this new beginning will lead to a brighter life.