Another week passed in silence and I started counting days till I could head back home.

At first, it was casual-an idle glance at the cooldown timer, a vague sense of anticipation. Then it became a habit that made me anxious.

I counted how many days remained until the gate would open again and I could finally leave this place behind.

The world had shifted into a festive season while I wasn't looking.

Lights were strung across buildings and trees, glowing softly against the dark. Music drifted through the streets, cheerful and loud. Shops displayed decorations meant to inspire warmth and nostalgia. And somewhere along the way, snow began to fall.

It was time for the world to forget its worries and welcome a new chapter in its life. Since I was stuck here, I decided to take advantage of it and check it out as well.

I walked through it with Fenrir at my side, the leash loose in my hand. The cold didn't bother me much, but Fenrir seemed fascinated, snapping at the snowflakes with childish enthusiasm before sneezing in annoyance.

It reminded me that this was Fenrir's first snow and first time during such an occasion. The poor pup tried to act mature, but he was a small and young pup at the end of the day.

Everyone seemed to be out and about. Families walking around and friends making noises as they tried to keep pace with each other. It made me feel an odd sense of calmness.

Fenrir slowed his pace after a while.

"Shopkeeper, I miss home."

He said quietly, not unlike a child.

I glanced down at him and noticed that his ears were lowered slightly, tail swaying in a subdued rhythm. He wasn't looking at the lights or the snow anymore.

He was looking ahead, gaze distant.

"I wonder what everyone else is doing right now. Are they eating together? Training? Arguing?...Do you think they miss us?"

He continued.

The question tightened something in my chest.

But as much as I wanted to believe that the others won't be fine without me, I knew the truth- they would be fine and wait for me.

"I'm sure they're fine. They're tougher than you think."

I said after a moment.

Fenrir hummed, unconvinced but accepting.

"Still… I would like to see them again soon."

"So would I."

I admitted.

We kept walking.

That was when it happened.

A strange sensation brushed against my senses-not threatening, not painful. Just… familiar. Like a tug somewhere deep inside me, subtle but insistent.

I stopped.

Fenrir noticed immediately.

"What is it?"

"There is…someone familiar around."

I said slowly.

The feeling pulsed again, clearer this time, drawing my attention down a quieter side street. I followed it without thinking, my steps instinctive, Fenrir keeping close.

And then I saw him.

An older looking man (but not older than I last saw him) walked beside a beautiful lady, clutching her hand. He looked happy as he chattered away about something and nothing at the same time.

The couple looked lovely but the man was someone I recognized. He was the previous shopkeeper.

'Are you sure about that? It's not like you recall what the previous shopkeeper looked like. What if you are mistaken?'

My brain asked but somehow, I knew that this was the previous shopkeeper. There was no room for doubt in my mind.

So I decided to approach the previous shopkeeper because I wanted to ask him a few questions.

The woman noticed me first.

She stiffened, instinctively stepping half a pace in front of the man, her grip tightening.

"We-we don't have anything valuable. If you're looking for money-"

She said quickly, voice tense.

"I'm not! I'm not here to rob you or cause trouble."

I interrupted, keeping my tone calm.

Her eyes flicked to Fenrir, then back to me, fear still present but wavering.

"I just need to talk to him. It won't take long. I promise. Your husband should knew me quite well."

I continued, nodding toward the man behind her.

The man finally spoke.

"It's alright dear. I wanted to have a talk with him as well."

His voice was steady but unfamiliar as well. The ex-shopkeeper I was used to sounded different…a little older perhaps..

He placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and gently guided her aside.

"I'll be fine. I just need to hear what he has to say."

She looked anything but reassured.

"This isn't funny. We should go. There are too many strange people out these days."

She whispered.

"I'll come back. Don't worry. I have no intention of leaving you so soon."

He promised softly.

She hesitated, then nodded, trusting him despite her worry. She stepped back, lingering at the edge of the street, eyes never leaving us.

The man turned to face me fully.

Up close, the sensation intensified.

"So…You found me. What are you doing back in this world?"

He said, studying me with quiet curiosity.

"Is that really the first thing you want to ask me about? And just so you know, I was not actively looking for you. But… I knew it was you the moment I saw you."

I replied.

A faint smile touched his lips.

"That figures."

Fenrir shifted beside me, ears alert but not aggressive. An awakened silence caused us both to look at each other.

The man glanced around briefly before his exp[resison sharpened.

"We shouldn't talk here. People are too noisy for their own good and someone hearing our conversation might cause trouble."

He said and I nodded. I also hated how people did not know how to mind their own business.

"Let's go somewhere private. There are things you deserve to hear. And things I need to confirm."

He continued.

Without another word, he turned and began walking, confident that I would follow.

And I did.

Because for the first time since coming to this world, I felt like I was finally standing on the edge of an answer I had been missing all along.

I broke the silence first.

"My place isn't far. We can talk there. It'll be quiet."

I said.

The man studied me for a second, then nodded without hesitation.

"That works."

We turned back the way Fenrir and I had come earlier, the lights growing sparser the farther we walked. The world felt silent but comfortable around us.

The festive spirit the world was in felt a little suffocating for me. And yet, the thought of being close to the answers made me hurry up and walk back just a little faster.

When we reached the house, the gate creaked softly as I pushed it open. The mansion loomed just as it always did but it was not intimidating. It also did not feel like home in the same way the bookstore had become for me.

But it was still home and a secure place for me and the ex-shopkeeper to talk with each other.

The ex-shopkeeper stepped inside and glanced around, eyes sharp but calm. He took everything in at once, as if committing it to memory.

"So this is where you've been staying? It seems like an improvement from the last time we talked."

He said quietly.

"Well, I do have the money to afford it all now."

I replied.

I closed the door behind us and turned to Fenrir.

"Go on. You can have some fun outside. Explore the garden, chase whatever spirits still think they belong here."

Fenrir frowned as he looked between me and the man.

"You want me to leave you alone with him?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed.

"He's a stranger."

I met his gaze evenly.

"There's no one in this world who can hurt me anymore."

Fenrir didn't look convinced. His tail swayed once, slow and tense.

"That doesn't mean I like it. What if anything happens when you are alone?"

I crouched slightly and rested a hand against his neck.

"I'll be fine. I just need to talk to this person alone."

Fenrir did not seem to agree, so I added more to appease him.

"I'll call you if I am in danger."

He exhaled through his nose, then stepped back.

"I'll stay nearby. If anything feels wrong, I'll come back immediately."

"That's fine."

Fenrir hesitated one last time, then turned and padded away, disappearing into the garden with a reluctant glance over his shoulder.

When he was gone, the house felt quieter than usual.

The man removed his coat and draped it neatly over a chair, movements unhurried.

"Aren't you too paranoid? How will you live your life like this? You need to relax a little bit."

He remarked.

"Sorry, but it's a habit that has saved my life quite a few times."

I said and the man in front of me gave me a pity-filled look. I pretended I did not see that look and instead, focused on why I had actually dragged the ex-shopkeeper here for- to get answers to my questions about what happened to me.

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