Life Lives on a Razor's Edge

This stupid ankle, I tried to just ignore it but it really is giving me some problems. It's forcing me to lay around way more than I want to be doing right now.

The teleportation is way too close to being done for me just to lie down and wait. So I've been kinda forcing myself to walk around for a bit now. Since I was worried I was going to make it worse I did make myself a quick cane.

But for some reason, Sara is even more worried than I am about it. I get she wants to help and all but it's kinda weird ya know? It's also bugging me how twitchy she's been lately. Probably about the cold I guess.

I mean who knows? She isn't even human after all. There's probably a bunch of stuff I don't know about her or her race. Not like I care though.

What I do care about is finalizing the portal and I know exactly what I need. The fact I was in my world but only in a ghost-like form proves multiple things. One of which is the last step of the equation.

A stronger bond of the molecules is needed to keep my form together. Not only that but I need to finalize the position of the teleportation. Which in all honesty is the hardest part.

I wish teleportation was as easy as going here to there but it really isn't. Even teleporting to the other side of this house would be hard. Sure a few feet might not seem that bad.

Until you realize this planet rotates around the sun and the sun rotates around in its galaxy. So ya that few feet turns into a few million feet really fast.

I have this half-working leg to prove it.

That doesn't mean that I don't have a solution. As a matter of fact, I do. Though before working on that I wanted to head out to the market first.

Trust me I would much rather just make the thing I want myself instead of running to the market for it. Really I would. But unless I know how the thing is made I can't really make it myself.

Though since last night I haven't really had the chance to get out. Not only due to my leg but also because of Sara.

When I woke up I found myself in my bed with Sara's head down on the bed sitting right next to me. It took more convincing than I would have liked for us to go into the market.

Which is where we are heading now. Just pick up a quick trinket and get out. A simple mission yet Sara looks as shy as she always does.

She's holding onto my cloak with one hand and using the other to make sure she's hiding her face. I kinda wish she would grow up a little. I don't know what she's so worried about. How many times have we done this now?

Finally, we arrived at the market and I started looking for what I needed. Of course, Sara is not helping at all.

It would be helpful too since today is so goddam cloudy. The dimming of the sunlight really is not helping me look for a small object on these countless open shop counters.

The dim light coming from the sky and there being only a few people out at noon was really making a weird atmosphere. And now that I look at it…

Are people looking at us..?

Whatever, let's just hurry up.

Finally, after taking way too much of my time I find what I was looking for. A simple souvenir. It's not the most crucial thing in the world. It's only a little badge with what I think is the country's logo.

Seeing how we'll be leaving very soon I've decided that out of the kindness of my heart to get my brother something. It's kind of obvious but Akari has way more attachment to this world than I do.

Yet he decided to help me anyway, so I shall decide to help him a little bit by buying this for him. So when we go home he can have something to remember back to.

I'm the nicest, aren't I?

"One Katursh Kingdom badge please," I say with the biggest smile to the girl working at the stand.

…

But instead of saying the price or anything else she stays silent just looking at me weirdly…

"Um, miss, I'm going to have to ask you to pull back your hood." She says after an awkward silence.

Shit.

"And why would I have to do that?" I ask.

"Oh uh not you miss your friend standing next to you," She says as she points next to me.

Wha? She's talking to Sara? I turn around and see the same cowering Sara that's been walking with me this whole time.

Is that all she wants?

"Sure, hey Sara, take off your hood real quick."

"Umm… Ok…" She says quietly.

Sara takes a surprisingly long amount of time to take off her hood. Revealing of course her basic feline features and drooping face. Though her ears are also dropped so I guess she really isn't feeling that good.

"There we good now?"

The woman glances from left to right and takes a little bit to respond to me.

"I'm sorry miss but we don't sell to hybrids," She says, not even looking at us.

Huh???

"Huh???" I accidentally say out loud.

"It's uhh policy you see." She says as she keeps looking around.

"Since when?!" I question her.

"Uh well, it umm-" She staggers out.

"I can't even buy one small trinket?" I say as I pick up the badge.

"Please if you don't go I'm going to have to call the guards…"

"Tch, whatever, you should drop dead. Common Sara," I say as I randomly throw the badge back on the stand.

Sara takes a moment but starts following me soon after putting her hood back on. I can't believe it was all because of Sara.

Racism, what a bummer.

I've shopped out here before and never experienced anything like that before. She was also acting all weird too. What the heck was up with that? This town is a total freak show.

Not like I care though. I still got what I came for.

Reaching into my pouch I pull out a near-perfect replica of the badge. One I just made as a matter of fact. I can't really make anything unless I know how it's made but only holding it for a few seconds made it easy for me.

Also, the fact that it's made of such cheap materials helps too I guess. I wish they wouldn't sell such items at such a high price. Though if she would have just sold it to me I wouldn't mind. I don't really want to break the economy.

When we get to the house I toss the badge over at a chair. Can't believe I did all that just for some dumb trinket.

Hah. Well, I guess the fact that we'll be going home soon makes up for it. Speaking of, I should hurry up on that. All it needs is a few tweaks and I'll wake up Akari for the good news.

I start going down into the basement where the teleportation circle was when I hear Sara say something.

"I'll be out for a bit!" She says.

Hmm? Sara doesn't normally like going anywhere by herself. Eh, I guess she's growing up.

"Do whatever you want."

"Thanks, I will!"

That's a weird response but whatever. What's important now is fixing up this circle.

Creating some chalk I start rewriting dimming areas in the circle and erasing incorrect formulas in the circle. After thinking for a while I replaced them with newer more efficient equations.

Every symbol has an important impact on the circle and by now I've basically memorized them all. What I need to do now is just find the most efficient symbols to create the best result.

After rewriting new symbols I take the time to write an extra inner circle to aid in the teleportation. I guess this makes it 8 layers now for the circle huh? Including the external circle for mana holding, I guess that makes it 10 in total.

After what feels like forever of creating articulate symbol after symbol I finally finish the new prototype. Well, it's a bit more than a prototype by now.

I take a step back and just stand there taking it all in. The intricacies of the circle are truly a thing to behold. Looking at it from a distance really makes it feel like a huge entangled web of symbols.

"Haha well, I guess I'll go surprise Akari now."

Without realizing it I find myself skipping and humming to myself while I walk over to Akari's room. I'm about to knock on the door when something in the corner of my eye catches my attention.

"What the hell?!"

Why the hell is our door wide open? And why the hell is there blood there as well?

I turn away from Akari's door and step closer to the open front door. I look at the ground and definitely see blood on the ground. Not only that but it's going somewhere?

Following the blood, it seems to be going upstairs. What the hell is going on? Why would someone just walk into our house all bloody and go upstairs?

Wait a minute, didn't…

"Shit, Sara!"

As fast as I fucking can with my hurt leg, I run up the stairs and follow the blood trail which quickly goes into Saras' temporary room in the house. Without thinking I immediately slam open the door.

"Sara?!" I yell as I open the door.

"Ren..?" Sara says as she looks at me.

What the fuck.

"R-R-Ren I uh. They umm. Well, you see I- "

"Sara?" I say not believing what I'm seeing.

"Ren, I did it for you! Ren, I love you! I - I love you, Ren!" She says, stepping closer to me.

"Sara just shut the fuck up for a second," I say trying to figure out what's going on.

I just stand there trying to understand what the fuck I was looking at. It's such a gruesome scene yet I don't feel like puking or anything. On the other hand, I won't even try to describe it.

"Sara I just have three questions…"

"Yea-yea what are they?"

"One, did you kill the person you're standing on?"

"Yes."

"Two, why did you do it?"

"I did it for you!"

"Three what the fuck is wrong with you."

I originally had a different third question but honestly, I couldn't give two shits.

"Wha- wha?" Sara says as she takes a step back.

"Ya, ya stutter all you want I'm not dealing with this right now. Why does everyone have to be a goddam murderer?"

Just then I get a horrible headache and am forced to kneel down from the pain.

"Ren are you-" She starts to walk over to me but I stop her.

"Don't come near me and in fact don't you move from that exact spot until I come back. I need some fresh air."

Still holding my head I get up and leave the room. Leaving Sara who only looked down at the floor when I left.

Fading in and out of consciousness I find myself stumbling from one location to another until I finally regain some alertness when I find myself in a random alleyway. Which is also when I start puking.

"Crazy bi-" I can't finish before puking some more.

Whatever. It's fine. It's still fine. We're going to leave this crazy place anyway. Ya real soon we'll be as far as possible from this crazy world…

I had just left the alleyways to get to the main road and what I saw took the breath out of me.

Why on earth is the town on fire?!