Chapter 67: An Unexpected Visitor

  Just as Issei was about to give up, a knock echoed from the door. It was Ayumi—again. She had been coming into his room more often, worried about his strange behavior since he woke up.

  “Issei, what are you doing?” she asked, looking around the cluttered room full of books and strange items.

  Issei looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Nothing. Just... trying to fix things."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

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  Her eyes softened. “Issei… you’re still not well. You need to talk about what happened.”

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  “I can’t,” Issei replied softly. "I can’t explain this. I’ve seen things, done things that you wouldn’t believe. I was in another world... I fought battles that... you wouldn’t understand.”

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  Ayumi frowned but didn’t push further. She placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you ever need to talk... I’m here. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

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  Issei stared at her hand, then back at her, unsure of what to say. He knew the bond between them was real, but he also knew that true love or unbreakable bonds were the key to opening the portal.