"Why is Jessica's head becoming transparent?"

Jamie blinked, uncertainty gnawing at the edges of his mind.

Had he truly seen his sister's form begin to fade, or was it merely a trick of the light? 'Maybe a hallucination conjured by the strain of interworld travel?' Jamie thought.

The fleeting image lingered, haunting his thoughts like a specter. He shook his head, attempting to dispel the unease that clung to him.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself suspended high above Kajrnheim, the vast expanse of the world unfurling beneath him. Mountains pierced through blankets of mist, forests stretched into the horizon, and rivers wound their way like serpents.

This time, Jamie wasted no effort in determining where he might land. He knew Hafenstadt awaited him below. Instead, he cast his gaze outward, scanning the skies around him. All across the firmament, dozens—no, hundreds—of luminous spirits were descending alongside him, their ethereal forms streaking through the heavens like falling stars.

'How can there be so many, yet no signs of chaos?' Jamie mused, his brow furrowing in contemplation. 'Are they ignoring the mission, or simply living ordinary lives as those people did?'

Curiosity piqued, he turned his eyes northward toward the distant, snow-capped peaks where Frostwatch stood. Though kilometers separated them, an inexplicable sensation tugged at his awareness. As impossible as it seemed, he felt as though he'd glimpsed Jess among the descending spirits in that direction.

His heart quickened. 'Is my mind playing tricks on me?' Jamie wondered. 'It's impossible she's here. I'm just imagining things.' He tried to dismiss the thought, but doubt lingered like a shadow at the edge of his consciousness.

The wind whistled past him as his descent accelerated. The world below surged upward, details sharpening with every passing moment. The sprawling cityscape of Hafenstadt came into focus.

Jamie's contemplations were cut short as gravity tightened its grip. He plummeted toward the Golden Fiddle. Bracing himself, he passed seamlessly through the roof, descending through rafters and floorboards until he hovered above his own sleeping body.

With a soft rush, he merged back into his body. Sensation flooded his being, the weight of his limbs, the steady thump of his heartbeat, the scent of aged wood, and lingering traces of last night's hearth fire. His eyes snapped open.

"Finally!"

Jamie heard someone speaking as he slowly opened his eyes, a throbbing pain pulsing through his head precisely where the giant had struck him. The world was a haze; his vision blurred as his senses struggled to adjust. The room's brightness pierced his eyes, forcing him to squint until they got used to the soft glow filtering through the window.

As his surroundings came into focus, he became aware of a weight on his stomach. Sitting there, gazing intently at him with eyes that gleamed like gold, was Jay. The spectral feline's fur shimmered subtly.

'How the hell does he have weight?' A brief question went through Jamie's mind for a moment.

"It's about time you woke up! Where were you?!" Jay demanded, his tone tinged with both relief and irritation.

Jamie blinked, his mind still foggy. 'What do you mean, where was I?' he thought, confusion knitting his brow. 'What happened?'

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"After you took that massive hit from the giant, you simply vanished," Jay explained, his tail flicking with agitation. "And I was left to deal with the aftermath in your body. You get knocked out, and I'm the one stuck feeling the pain. Quite unfair, if you ask me."

'You stayed in the body?' Jamie asked. 'What did you do?'

"Me? Absolutely nothing," Jay replied with a huff. "There was no way I could pretend to be you. So, I did the only plausible thing. I feigned unconsciousness. Anyone would believe it after a blow like that from a giant. Besides, I'm exceptionally good at playing dead."

Jamie sighed, relief mingling with concern. "You did well," he conceded. His fingers gingerly touched the tender spot on his head, wincing at the sharp ache.

"But back to my question," Jay pressed, his gaze piercing as if searching Jamie's soul. "Where were you?"

Jamie hesitated for a moment before replying. 'I was back in my world,' he admitted. 'You didn't know?'

Jay tilted his head, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Of course not. One moment, you were here, and the next—poof!—I became the leader of a freaking gang," he said, making a sweeping gesture with his paw to illustrate the suddenness. "It was quite the predicament."

'Then why on earth did I leave and come back?' Jamie wondered.

Jay sat back on his haunches, a contemplative expression crossing his feline features. He began to scratch behind one ear with his hind leg, a thoughtful habit he had grown used to. Then, standing upright on his hind legs—a curious sight he reserved for moments of deep thinking—he paced back and forth across the bedspread.

"Well," Jay began thoughtfully, "I can only surmise that the magic that brought you here in the first place must have faltered." He paused, tapping a paw against his chin. "Perhaps it lacked sufficient mana, causing a temporary disruption."

'But wasn't it a god who brought us here?' Jamie asked.

Jay avoided Jamie's gaze, his feline eyes darting to the side as he flicked his tail thoughtfully. Sighing, he responded, "Well... if he already made a mistake bringing... you here, who's to say gods can't make a mistake and let the magic fail?" He spoke delicately as if treading on thin ice, the corners of his mouth twitching ever so slightly.

"Damn it," Jamie muttered under his breath, running a hand through his tousled hair. Memories flooded back of seeing his sister, Jessica, partially translucent. 'Is there any chance that someone who wasn't summoned before could be transported now?' he pressed.

Jay tilted his head, whiskers twitching as he considered the question. "I can't say for certain," he admitted. "It's divine magic. Far beyond what any cleric could comprehend. Perhaps a bishop or archbishop might know more."

Jamie stood up slowly, his legs still unsteady. The wooden floorboards creaked softly underfoot as he paced the small room. He placed both hands atop his head, fingers gripping his hair as he tried to quell the mounting anxiety. 'The city is under constant attack,' he began, his gaze distant. 'We need to keep expanding, strengthening our defenses. And now, I don't even know if my sister has been thrown into this world. The problems just keep piling up.'

"Your sister?!" Jay exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. The tip of his tail flicked erratically, betraying his agitation.

'It's just a hypothesis,' Jamie replied quickly, turning to face his companion. 'I'm not certain yet. But if she is here…'

Jay shuddered visibly, his fur rippling. "I hope she's better than mine," he murmured, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

A moment of shared understanding passed between them. Jamie had glimpsed memories of Jay's sisters through their unique bond. Unlike Jamie, who had only one sister, Jay had two. Both were paladins, but fortune hadn't favored them to serve the 'all mighty' Sun God. One was devoted to the God of War—a deity of unending conflict and battle. The other pledged herself to the God of Nature, whose whims were as unpredictable as the wilds she commanded.

With a heavy sigh, Jamie began to gather his resolve. He steadied himself and took a few tentative steps toward the small window overlooking the bustling streets of Hafenstadt.

As Jamie turned away from the window, his thoughts drifted back to the gods. "God of War, God of Nature..." he murmured. "It's been a while since we've received any notifications from the deities, hasn't it?"

Jamie waited a second or two, thinking they might say something—however, nothing. Jamie sighed. "Nothing. Not even a whisper."

Jay's ears flattened against his skull. "It's unsettling," he admitted.

Just then, a golden light appeared, coalescing into shimmering text.

[You are out of contact with the Celestial World]

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