The cabin was a tiny, fragile bubble of wood and warmth cast adrift in the vast, unforgiving darkness of the otherworld's forest. It was a crude construction, little more than a hunter’s shelter built of rough-hewn cedar planks that still wept amber beads of sticky sap. Outside, the wind howled through the canopy of twisted, alien trees, a mournful sound that made the structure groan and creak like a ship at sea. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of woodsmoke, old pine needles, and the faint, sweet musk of three people huddled together.

  A single lantern sat on a low, scarred table, its wick trimmed low. The flame danced in a rhythmic, hypnotic flicker, casting long, skeletal shadows across the grain of the timber walls. These shadows seemed to pulse with a life of their own, painting the room in shifting shades of bruised crimson and deep amber. In this cramped space, every sound was magnified: the soft crackle of the dying hearth, the whistle of the draft through the floorboards, and the synchronized cadence of three distinct heartbeats.

  Yu sat pinned between Rize and Claval, the center of a gravity well he didn't know how to escape. He could feel the heat of them through the heavy, tangled wool of the blankets they shared. To his left, Rize sat with the quiet, terrifying dignity of a marble statue, her presence a grounding wire in the storm of his anxiety. To his right, Claval was a feline grace, her body soft and dangerously close, her silver hair spilling over his shoulder like a waterfall of liquid moonlight.

  The silence was a physical weight on Yu’s chest. He felt as though he were suffocating in the intimacy of the moment. He stared at the lantern flame until his eyes stung, searching for the right words to address the elephant in the room—an elephant that had followed them across worlds. He swallowed, his throat clicking in the quiet.

  “Back in my world… or at least in my country…” Yu began, his voice cracking slightly before he steadied it. “The rules are different. We can’t have more than one spouse. It’s the law.”

  Claval, who had been resting her head lightly against his chest, let out a soft, melodic laugh. It was a sound that vibrated through Yu’s ribs, warm and far too intimate. She shifted, looking up at him with eyes that seemed to hold a galaxy of playful secrets.

  “Yu… the fact that you’re even thinking that far ahead makes me so happy,” she whispered, her breath brushing against his neck and sending a sharp chill down his spine. “Are you already planning our wedding? Should I start looking for a veil that matches my hair? Or perhaps a dress that would make your little human heart stop altogether?”

  Rize didn't laugh. She didn't even move, but the atmosphere on her side of the blanket suddenly grew several degrees colder. She stared straight ahead at the rough wood of the opposite wall, her cheeks flushed with a delicate, stubborn pink.

  “I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Rize said, her voice steady and carrying the weight of a decree. She turned her head slowly, her gaze locking onto Yu’s. Her eyes were wide, brimming with a fierce, unwavering resolve that made his breath catch. “But… I am not a fool. I know the path we are walking. Someday, that is exactly where this will lead. I have made my peace with that, even if your laws haven't.”

  “Rize… thank you.” Yu felt a strange, dizzying surge of emotion. It was a cocktail of sheer terror and a relief so profound it made his vision blur.

  For a heartbeat, the tension in the cabin softened in the warmth of the lantern light. A exaggerated sigh, pouting Claval's lips in a way that was calculated to be both adorable and irritating.

  “Hey, I’m still here, you know? Don't go having a 'moment' without me,” she said, quickly slipping back into the teasing, sharp-edged tone that was her shield. She puffed out her cheeks, a playful spark returning to her eyes.

  “My country doesn’t mind things like this. Kings, nobles, powerful mages—they take what they want and cherish what they keep. I wonder what my king would say if I brought home a husband who worried so much about paperwork.” Claval continued.

  “I don’t care about kings, and I don't care where we live. If Yu is there… then anywhere is fine. His world, Avlas, this forest—the location is irrelevant. Only Yu only.” Rize’s response was immediate and sharp, a reflex born of her own devotion.

  “Rize… I… thank you.” Yu said. Rize’s honesty of the statement hit he like a physical blow to the solar plexus. He felt a lump form in his throat.

  “Then that means… someone’s family name will have to change, right?” Claval leaned in again, her silver hair brushing against Yu’s cheek, the scent of her like ozone and wild lilies. Her voice dropped to a sweet, honeyed purr.

  “Come to think of it… Claval, you’ve never actually told me your family name. We've been through hell and back, but I realize I only know half of who you are.” Yu blinked.

  The lanternlight caught the silver strands of Claval’s hair as she ran her fingers through it, letting it slip down her bare shoulder like liquid light. Her smile curved faintly—a beautiful expression, but one shadowed by a sudden, unmistakable melancholy. The playfulness vanished from her eyes, replaced by a cold, distant depth.

  “I don’t like talking about it,” Claval said, her voice losing its melodic lilt. “But… since it's you, Yu… I’ll tell you.”

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  The cabin seemed to hold its breath. The wind outside died down to a whisper, and even the fire in the hearth fell silent, as if the world itself were leaning in to hear her secret.

  ?

  At that same moment, in the world Yu called home, a different kind of silence reigned. A damp, biting wind swept through the narrow backstreets of Japan, rattling the yellow noren curtains of a small, nondescript ramen shop. It casts the wet asphalt in a dull, oily sheen. The city’s heartbeat was a distant hum of sirens and trains, but here, in this dark alley, the air felt stagnant.

  Two men stood in front of the shop. They wore the sharp, charcoal-grey suits of the JSDF’s Intelligence Division, their postures stiff and professional. Their eyes were hidden behind the reflections of their glasses, scanning.

  “Mr. Hoshimine?” the younger officer asked. A man turned away from the shop’s side entrance, a plastic grocery bag clutched in his hand.

  "I am indeed Hoshimine... but who might you be?" The returner set down his shopping bags and turned around slowly. Though shadows of fatigue were etched onto his face, his gaze remained sharp and clear.

  "I'm with JSDF, Special Otherworld Response Team." the younger officer answered.

  "Ah... I see. Let me open up the shop. Please, come inside." He led them inside. The interior of the shop was cramped and carried the lingering, comforting scent of rich pork broth, soy sauce, and old wood. It was a stark contrast to the cold, sterile offices the officers usually occupied. The man sat behind the counter, gesturing for them to take the stools.

  “You found my real name… impressive,” the returnee said, resting his heavy, calloused hands on the wood. “Not many people have the clearance to dig that deep into my archives.”

  “We have simulated various options in response to this sequence of events. This is the result of our intelligence gathering.” the younger officer explained, his voice wavering slightly as he felt the sheer pressure radiating from the man across the counter.

  "This 'sequence of events'... what does it imply?" The returnee, Hoshimine asked.

  "Allow me to explain." The younger officer said. A file was presented, and the returnee’s eyes scanned the documents. With each page he turned, his brow twitched, and his fingers paused.

  "...That kid. So that’s what happened to him." Hoshimine’s voice was low, yet there was a tremor in it. The operative nodded, paused for a moment, and then continued.

  "The reason we are here today is to ask about him." The younger officer continued. "...Is it possible for him to seize a missile equipped with a nuclear warhead, unlock it, and launch it?"

  “If someone were to seize control of a missile with a nuclear payload… someone with a direct connection to the mana-stream… could they theoretically unlock the launch sequence and fire it without the traditional codes?” The another officer said, the words feeling heavy in the quiet shop.

  The air in the room froze. The hum of the refrigerator felt suddenly like a roar. Hoshimine didn't move, but his shadow on the wall seemed to expand, darkening the corner of the shop. He folded his hands, his eyes closing as if he were looking at something far away.

  “That kid? Yu Shiro?” Hoshimine shook his head. “No. He can’t. His vessel wouldn't withstand the mana load.”

  “Then… if the boy can’t… could you?” The officer swallowed hard, his collar suddenly feeling too tight.

  A long, agonizing silence passed. Outside, the rain began to tap against the glass like thousands of tiny, insistent fingers.

  “…Yes,” Hoshimine said finally, opening his eyes. They glowed with a faint, dangerous light. “I could. But don’t worry—I won’t. I like my ramen too much.” He replied.

  “We… we don’t understand the difference. Why you and not him?” The another officer asked.

  “Simple.” Hoshimine rolled up his sleeve, baring a forearm that was thick with muscle. Beneath the skin, a network of intricate, glowing marks began to thrum. They weren't tattoos, and they weren't scars. They were something alive, etched into his very biology. They looked like circuit boards made of liquid gold and obsidian.

  “I didn't wait for power to find me. I carved every kind of Anti-Mana Inscription into my body myself. I turned my skin into a containment vessel and my bones into conductors. It cost me a lot. Look like tattoo? Yeah, I can’t even go to hot springs anymore.” Hoshimine said. A dry, self-mocking chuckle spilled out.

  The officers stared in horrified fascination. They understood then. Holy shit.

  ?

  Back in the cabin, the atmosphere had reached a breaking point. Claval sat perfectly still, her profile silhouetted by the dying lantern. The flame gave one final, desperate flicker, making the shadows on the timber walls swell like a rising tide. She looked remarkably small in that moment, stripped of her usual bravado.

  Rize leaned forward unconsciously, her hand gripping the edge of the blanket. Yu had stopped breathing altogether. The sound of the wind outside seemed to vanish, leaving only the rhythmic thump-thump of his heart in his ears.

  Claval turned her head, her silver hair brushing her bare shoulder as she inhaled deeply, bracing herself for the revelation. She looked directly into Yu’s eyes, her expression a fragile mix of fear and defiance.

  “My family name… the name …” Claval paused, the weight of the word hanging in the air like a falling guillotine. “It’s—Hoshimine.”

  The name fell like a stone into a deep, dark well. The impact was instantaneous. Yu felt a violent shock run through his chest, a cold jolt of electricity that made his fingers tingle. Hoshimine. Japanese family name.

  Rize’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, her lips trembling as she tried to form a word that wouldn't come.

  The name echoed in the small cabin, vibrating through the wood and the blankets, weaving a web of connection between the tiny shelter in the otherworld and the rain-slicked streets of Japan.

  The cabin became unbearably small. The shadows stretched long and thin across the walls, and the lantern flickered violently, as if it too had gasped at the revelation.

  Origins: A New Beginning

  by KhaosZero

  In a world where concepts live like people, who is to say he can’t become one.

  What You Can Expect

  - Rational Protagonist

  - Some Slice of Life

  - Some Mystery / Psychological / Tragedy Themes

  - Substantial Character Growth, Both for MC and Side Characters

  - A Story that Starts Fast but Slows Down

  - Well Developed World and Magic System

  - 1500-2500 Word Chapters

  - No Instant Overpowered MC

  Release Schedule

  - Daily first 2 weeks followed by 5x Week Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri @ 14:00 CET