Kael stood at the counter, his knife moving rhythmically through a piece of fruit, though his focus was entirely elsewhere.

His eyes were locked on Amber’s backside, fixated on the way her muscles shifted beneath her clothing with every movement. A primitive, intense urge took hold of him; he desperately wanted to reach out, slap those firm cheeks, and watch them jiggle.

’These fantasies are getting completely out of hand,’ he thought, his pulse quickening. ’I need to find a girlfriend soon, or it’s going to be impossible to stay in this house while living with a woman who is essentially a succubus.’

"Kael, fetch me the milk pot," Amber called out, not turning away from the stove.

"Sure, Mom," he replied, distracted by his own thoughts. "Where do I find it?"

The room went still. Kael watched as Amber’s head slowly turned, her crimson eyes locking onto his with a piercing, unnerving intensity.

It hit him instantly: he had made a grave mistake. In a household where milk was a daily staple, He—or rather, the original Kael—would have known exactly where the supplies were kept.

Trying to salvage the situation, he quickly added, "Sorry, Mom. I think I’m still struggling to recall some of the mundane, everyday things. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to worry you."

Before she could press him, he continued, "But most of my memory is returning, and I feel like I’ve been getting better since this morning."

He could see the flicker of genuine concern in her expression, so he moved quickly to close the distance, wrapping his arms around her in a tight, reassuring hug. "It’s okay, Mom. I’m going to be fine."

Amber sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. "I’ll believe you this once, Kael. But if you aren’t feeling completely yourself by next week, we are going to the healing hall to get help from the elders."

"We’ll do whatever you think is best," Kael murmured into her hair.

"Ahem, so... about that milk?" he asked, attempting to steer the conversation back to safety.

"Forget the milk. You need to rest, Kael. Go to your room; I’ll handle the rest of dinner myself."

Knowing it was best not to argue, Kael stepped away and retreated to his room.

Once the door was closed, he moved to the mirror to study his reflection, hoping for some spark of recognition.

He began to search the room for books, scrolls, or even a scrap of paper—anything to explain the history of this world or his place in it. To his frustration, the room was completely devoid of reading material.

’They must store all their knowledge in a central library, just like in the ancient times back on Earth,’ he surmised.

He added "visit the local library" to his mental list of priorities. As he stood there planning, a sudden, sharp burning sensation flared on his chest. He hurriedly pulled off his shirt, revealing a green gem embedded in his skin.

It glowed with a faint, pulsing light and felt searingly hot to the touch, though the heat faded as quickly as it had arrived. Kael blamed it on the inherent, chaotic magic of the world.

He stared at his reflection, frowning. ’Kael must have really loved the color green. Green eyes, green hair, and now this glowing green gem.’

A nagging doubt began to crawl into his mind. ’Wait. If my memory serves me right, my eldest sister has Mother’s red hair, and my little sister has Father’s black hair. So, where does this vibrant green hair come from? From the memories I’ve accessed, there isn’t another person in all of Korua with hair this color.’

He touched the gem again, his brow furrowed in concentration. ’This is definitely suspicious. But I can’t ask anyone about this—not yet. I need to keep a low profile until I truly understand what’s going on in this world.’

A significant amount of time had passed when Kael heard his Mother calling him.

Answering her, he made his way downstairs. He noted with a cynical observation that only the front door had a proper latch; the interior doors seemed to be little more than flimsy partitions meant for privacy in name only.

He returned to the kitchen area, where Amber was already setting out the evening meal. They sat together on the floor around a low table, a simple arrangement of sliced fruit and small glasses of milk laid out between them.

"Kael," Amber said, her voice soft but serious as she sipped her drink. "I’ve been thinking about your sisters. It’s been far too long since we heard from them."

Kael leaned back, trying to keep his expression neutral. "I was just wondering about that myself. Where are they staying again?"

Amber traced the rim of her glass with a pale finger.

"Mira is still at your grandmother’s house. I expect she’ll be back within two days. As for Ruby, she’s doing well, though I worry about her."

"You know she’s in the final stages of her pregnancy, yet she still insisted she would make the journey to visit us. She adores you so much, Kael; she’s been terrified since your accident."

Kael felt a strange, detached curiosity. "She’s really going to travel while that far along? That sounds dangerous."

"You know your sister," Amber replied with a small, sad smile. "She isn’t one to listen to reason when her mind is made up. I intend to send word to her tomorrow, to let her know you’re safe so she doesn’t feel the need to rush here on our account."

Kael nodded slowly, taking a piece of fruit and eating it while he processed the information.

He was piecing together the family dynamic bit by bit. He had two sisters—one returning soon, and another who was heavily pregnant and overly protective.

He felt a weird, hollow pang of guilt for not remembering them, but he masked it by focusing on the food.

"I’m sure she’ll be relieved to hear I’m recovering," Kael said, his voice steady.

Amber reached across the floor, her hand resting briefly on his knee. Her touch was warm, and he could see the faint, dark outline of her skin through her thin, loose clothing.

"She will be. We all are."

Kael watched her, his mind wandering again to the strange, unwanted desires that had been plaguing him since he arrived in this body.

Sitting here in the dim light, with his mother’s scent filling the small room, he felt that internal tension tighten once more.

He looked away, focusing on the fruit, desperate to keep his composure while his thoughts drifted in directions he knew he shouldn’t explore.