Proof from Another World

"Yes! Samurai!" Theo exclaimed excitedly. "How about that, Cedran? Damien knew something only a true Earthian would! Surely, this proves he's an Earthian!"

Cedran remained calm, despite Theo's excitement. "I'd say the possibility has increased, but it's not definitive."

"Still not convinced?! You're too rigid!" Theo was practically bouncing, while Cedran stayed level-headed.

"Um... excuse me..." Damien interrupted, noticing they were about to start arguing again. "I'm not sure if this proves I'm an Earthian, but if it helps, I might have some evidence that I'm from another world..."

"Show me!" Theo leaned in eagerly, almost cutting Damien off.

Damien pulled out the item he thought would work as proof—a smartphone. In this world, it would likely be an object of over-the-top advanced technology. Even if there was something similar here, the photos on it could show they were from a different world.

He decided that now was the time to use its limited battery. After briefly explaining what a smartphone was, Damien and Theo sat on the bed together, scrolling through pictures.

"This is the school I attended. It's, um, a place where kids my age gather to study," Damien explained, feeling awkward about how unsure he sounded. He had never really thought deeply about what a school was.

"I see. So this is a school in Earth. Oh, what beautiful flowers! We don't have this kind in this world. Ah, there's another... what did you call it? Car? So many of them!" Theo remarked excitedly, growing more comfortable with the device. At first, he had been cautious, but now he seemed to be having fun.

Damien, too, started feeling like they were just two friends looking at vacation photos. They scrolled through images for what seemed like forever, with Cedran sipping tea from a nearby chair, watching the two with an amused smile.

After standing through the earlier part of their conversation, Cedran had eventually had a servant bring over a chair and small table for Theo. Damien had remained on the bed, while Theo sat in the chair at first. But soon after, Theo complained that it was hard to see the small screen from that distance. That's when he joined Damien on the bed.

At first, there had been some space between them, but Theo kept scooting closer, until they were practically touching. Damien couldn't help but notice how good Theo smelled, and how close their faces were as they both stared at the small screen—close enough that their cheeks might brush if either moved a little. His heart began to pounded, not just from their closeness but also from the worry that he might smell bad after days without a proper bath.

Occasionally, Damien had the odd sense that Theo was subtly sniffing the back of his neck. He chalked it up to paranoia—surely, that couldn't be happening.

This heart-pounding moment continued for nearly two hours, until the smartphone's battery finally dropped to its last bar.