Who?

The world spun, colors blending and twisting as Rose tumbled through the portal. She landed hard on the other side, her breath knocked from her lungs. For a moment, she lay there gasping, her body trembling from exertion and adrenaline.

Slowly, Rose tried pushing herself up, but her weak muscles gave way and she dropped back to the ground. A scream escaped her lips at the piercing pain in her back.

With tears welling in her eyes, she lay still on the cold ground, looking at the grey sky above her.

At least she had made it back to her own world, and alive at that. That was all that mattered. The beast's roar still echoed in her ears, a reminder of how close she'd come to death.

As the pain slowly subsided - or was it that she rather got used to it? - confusion and frustration welled up inside her. Why had her ability changed? The invisibility would have been perfect, allowing her to escape unscathed. This speed... it was useful, certainly, but it left her way more vulnerable than she liked. Especially, since it seemed to use up spiritual force at a much quicker pace than the invisibility did, shortening the time span she could keep it active considerably.

The brief period she had forced her ability to remain active led to a phenomenon known as overuse. Typically, novice ability users couldn't maintain their power for extended periods. However, drawing on experiences from her previous life, Rose had managed to push through for those crucial seconds needed to reach the portal. This overexertion now brought several unpleasant side effects, collectively known as backlash. Her spirit force, drained to its last drop, would require significant time to replenish—rendering her unable to activate her ability in the meantime. Moreover, she had tapped into her life force as a substitute, resulting in physical consequences, most notably her current weakness. This debilitated state would persist for a while, its duration dependent on the severity of the overuse. Rose hoped she'd recover by tomorrow, but until then, she remained vulnerable.

The leaden sky threatened rain, and a chill autumn breeze sent shivers through Rose's aching body. She knew she needed to move—to find shelter and assess her situation. But even the thought of standing made her wince in pain.

"Hello there."

A voice pierced through her thoughts, startling her. When a man's face suddenly loomed into view above her, Rose couldn't suppress a surprised shriek.

Where on earth had he come from? She was certain the area had been deserted when she tumbled through the portal.

He arched an eyebrow, a mix of surprise and intrigue crossing his face. "Well, I certainly didn't expect such a spirited greeting. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been looking for you for quite some time."

Despite her weakness and pain, Rose managed to scramble to her feet. She swayed momentarily but steadied herself, determined to stay upright.

Taking a few cautious steps backward, she scrutinized the man with wary eyes.

The man had dark blonde hair, perfectly styled and tousled at the same time. His playful smile and charming expression seemed to be part of his very being. His skin was smooth and flawless, with chiseled cheekbones and a strong jawline. Every feature on his face seemed to be carefully crafted by some divine hand. He carried himself with a confident and flirtatious demeanor, his green eyes sparkling mischievously.

He stood tall and lean, dressed in what appeared to be a sports outfit that hugged his body tightly. His slender figure showcased well-defined muscles, indicating he was in good physical shape. At first glance, he was aesthetically pleasing. However, his odd stance and the unfamiliar gadgets on his belt gave away the fact that he was not quite ordinary.

She was sure he was a stranger to her and yet he felt oddly familiar. Had she met him in her past life? If yes, when and where?

"Who are you?" Rose asked, her voice laced with caution and suspicion.

He straightened, answering with a smile. "Not telling you. It's a secret."

Rose's eyes narrowed, her muscles tensing despite the pain. "A secret? I don't have time for games. If you've been searching for me, you must know who I am. So why don't you tell me who you are and what you want?"

The man's smile never wavered. He took a step forward, and Rose instinctively retreated. "Now, now," he said, his voice smooth and calm. "There's no need to be so defensive. I won't harm you."

Rose studied the mysterious man, his playful tone and enigmatic smile only heightening her wariness. "Then how did you find me and what do you want from me?"

His smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Ah, straight to the point. Very efficient." He advanced again, prompting Rose to back away further. "As for how I found you, let's just say I have my ways. And what I want? Well, that's quite simple. I want you to survive."

Huh? Rose blinked in confusion. "And why would you want that?" the longer she conversed with him, the stranger he felt.

"Because I took a liking to you. You are my favorite and I hope you will survive until the very end."

She could hear his words, but they made no sense to her. Feeling the growing fury inside her, she lost patience to play his word games. "Speak clearly or scram."

He scratched his head. "I thought I articulated myself clearly. It seems I will have to improve on that."

Obviously…

"Well, let me start from the very beginning. Maybe that will answer your questions. You will have saved my life in the future, so in turn I will have brought you back to life and in time."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" She was supposed to understand this?

He sighed, clearly discouraged by the problems in their communication. "Don't you remember me?"

"No," she shook her head, though something in her subconsciousness kept nagging her. She shoved it aside for the moment.

"Strange…" he mused to himself. "You should have been able to keep all your previous memories…"

Rose opened her eyes wide. Was he talking about what she thought he was talking about? Turning over his words in her head again and again she finally couldn't help but ask: "Y-You know me from my previous life?"

"Yes."

"And it was you who brought me back in time?"

He nodded, clapping his hands in happiness at her finally understanding. "I was taught to repay favors, so it was only natural that I did so. Though I suffered a slight reprimand, I think it was still worth it. What do you think?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

It was kind of hard for Rose to follow his words, especially since the fatigue slowly crept up on her reasoning. She shook her head, then nodded, not sure if what she wanted to give an affirmative answer are not.

"Thank you," she ultimately said, stretching out her hand to shake his. "I am grateful that I got a second chance at life." She meant it. Though he was very odd she was grateful for his help.

"Oh! Is this one of your earthling's customs? How intriguing!" he exclaimed in delight, stretching his arm the same way she did, but without grasping her hand.

So much for the secret of his origin. Hasn't he just exposed himself being an alien?

For some reason, Rose wasn't really surprised by this fact. Had she known it before, but forgotten? What exactly had transpired? Somehow she felt close to him and it was difficult to keep her suspicions towards him up. All her defenses crumbled.

Chuckling, telling herself not to laugh at her savior, she took and shook his hand.

"This is how we do it," she explained. "Or at least some cultures do, it's not the same all over earth," she added as an afterthought.

His eyes lit up, frantically jerking her hand up and down. "I see!"

It seemed he wasn't even aware of the fact that he had already exposed himself.

Rose resisted the urge to smack her palm against her forehead at his silliness.

Dü dü! Dü dü! Dü dü!

A bell, sounding like an alarm, suddenly echoed from one of the gadgets attached to his belt. Releasing her hand he took it and checked the displayed signs.

"Oh no! I am sorry, but I have to leave. I would have loved to chat longer with you. Here!" he tossed something towards her and she caught it instinctively. "This is for you. Make good use of it! Hopefully we can meet again soon! Until then, stay alive!"

She turned the light metal object in her hands left and right in wonder. "It's not like I am letting myself get killed on purpose," she gnashed between her teeth, but he was already not listening to her anymore.

Looking up, she saw him press on a different device attached to his wrist. Then, with a flirtatious wink, he vanished into thin air.