The harvest season was over, and Steffen needed a well-deserved break. He rubbed his aching back, wanting more than just fresh air. He slumped into the leafy grass and settled his head on his forearms. Fluffy white clouds hovered above him.

The festival was about to begin, crowning the end of the peasants' labor. The musicians had already tuned their bagpipes. Oh, how much he loved this time of the year. Good that time passed faster in his world, and the festival took place four times a year. Well, five times this year. He had managed to reset the world timer after he missed the first instance while saving that Valerian.

“Hmm, weird,” he muttered under his breath, watching the clouds moving in an algorithmic, unknown pattern.

The fluffy cotton on the sky rearranged, forming letters. ‘The drones are repairing the air support system.’

Steffen’s golden eyes glittered in the sun as the clouds moved again. ‘Open the door to avoid suffocation.’

He sprang to his feet and made his way toward the festival grounds. The sky became darker. The golden eyes glistened with irritation as he looked up. The white clouds had now become a dark grey color, producing a new message. 'Don't ignore me. It's me, E00.'

“Fuck off and stay away from my world,” Jackeye shouted, pointing his index finger toward the sky. “I should be fine for an hour or so, meaning about four to eight hours in here. More than enough to enjoy the festivities.”

The sunlight shone brightly through the scattering clouds and into the meadow, over the blooming wildflowers. The stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables dotted the far edge of the forest. Fun activities awaited for Steffen’s amusement. Where else could one savor baked apples as a reward for winning the archery contest?

After this was over, he should go and get some action. Maybe a quest somewhere in the far edges of the Hanged Forest or inside the caves of the Looming Mountain. The possibilities were endless if no one bothered him.

In his new quest, Steffen intended to develop his hunting abilities. He smiled, enjoying the prospect of getting an early start. When he whistled, a thick letter glove materialized onto his left hand. A slender falcon flapped its pointed wings and glided in the air before landing on the mitten.

Steffen chuckled, looking at the bird. “I’ll name you Shoim. I don’t really know how things work, so here comes my first command. Go fetch me something to roast.”

The falcon took off and Jackeye followed it as the bird glided near the cotton candy white clouds. His gaze lowered and unwillingly lingered on the woman in front of him. Her black, tight dress perfectly showed her curvy shapes. Even an uninterested man like Steffen couldn’t remain unphased at such an arousing sight.

Her honey-blond hair slid within her deep cleavage, just between the two bountiful mounds. Steffen looked up and caught a glimpse of her full, red lips as she giggled. The exquisite view could cause immediate brain death to a man, but for Steffen, the important thing was how this woman entered his construct.

"You seem to like me. It's in your eyes, I can tell." Her voice sounded even more alluring than the scenery, which was an impossible thing to believe, yet the sugar-coated words stroked his ears. "Well, I like you as well." She chuckled once more. "We should be friends. Friends pay each other visits. I'm going to pay you a visit."

If that were conceivable, Steffen would have thought he had been transported to a realm of myths and legends, a place where impossible entities might entice competent and intelligent men into their fate. She wasn't a peasant, for sure. He would have picked up on her by now. He also lacked the creativity to envision her.

He concluded that she was bad news. That didn't stop him from nodding and smiling sheepishly. He motioned toward his hut as if welcoming her in. The next thing he knew, his cabin's roof wobbled and caved in.

“Oopsie!” She moved her hand over her lips that formed a perfect ‘o’. “A good friend takes in her homeless buddy.”

‘That shouldn’t have happened,’ Jackeye thought, trying to fight against the urge to accept her invitation.

A sudden heavy rain poured from the blue sky. Bedraggled villagers squelched across the grass to seek shelter.

‘That shouldn’t happen either. Someone is messing with my construct,’ he thought, looking at the black-clad woman.

Even though everything around her, including him, was drenched, she remained untouched by the rain. She extended a hand toward him. "Come."

“I don’t think I should.”

She gave a smarmy, unctuous retort. "Nonsense. Of course, you're well aware that you shouldn't."

Was he safe in her company? Probably not, but the alluring devil represented a mystery in the bland utopia of his making. Steffen desired to unravel her, to see what lay underneath her words and lethal gaze. A shudder ran up his spine.

Standing in the rain, they watched as the meadow morphed into an elegant chamber edged by walls instead of trees and a ceiling instead of skies. Nothing he had ever witnessed came close to the wealth accumulated within this single room.

He had never seen such a massive bed before. Black fluffy fur and a golden blanket covered the island stronghold. He was hesitant to touch anything for fear of tarnishing the perfect beauty. Four tall poles rose from each corner of the bed, with gold and black silk curtains draped over them.

The woman came closer, and he took a step back. He bumped the back of his thighs against the bed and unwillingly plunged into it. Her fingers brushed across the velvet bedcover as she leaned over him.

She whispered in his ear. “Your humor level is equal to the square root of your pathetic IQ. Once, Tejeda used to be accompanied by funnier people. If you live, tell him I said hi.”

Steffen struggled to take a breath. In a hopeless attempt to suck more oxygen into his strained lungs, he gulped for air.

"Oh, haven't I told you that time moves slower in my realm than it does in the actual world? You've run out of time."