Love…
Love is a comforting lie—an abstract ideal that fools people into thinking they're cherished. That someone, somewhere, sees them as special.
Everyone wants to feel important. Love gives them that illusion. A reason to wake up. A reason to hurt. A reason to live.
But me? I don't crave any of that.
I refuse to let my life be shaped by others. I won't be a slave to the idea of "love."
The only person I've ever needed is… Myself.
Gray clouds smothered the sky, casting a drooping gloom over the world. A young, slim man sat near the back of his classroom, icy blue eyes distant, unfocused. His white curls fell just to the nape of his neck, catching a trace of pale light that filtered weakly through the clouds.
He stared out at the city beyond—so alive, yet so unbearably dull.
This world.. it's all so grey. So hollow
"Solas!"
He blinked, slowly turning his head.
His teacher stood at the front, irritation thinly veiled beneath a smug smile.
"Would you mind solving this for us?"
Solas exhaled a quiet sigh and pushed back his chair. But just as he stood, something outside the window caught his eye.
Someone… floating?
He blinked. Gone.
What the hell?
The classroom erupted.
Screams.
Gasps.
He turned—and found a woman standing over him. No… not a woman. Not exactly.
She wasn't human. She looked like something pulled from a forgotten dream.
Her hands reached for him—cold fingers gripping his shoulders.
"Hey, what are you—?!"
CRASH.
The window beside him shattered. Wind roared.
He was falling.
She was falling with him.
Solas's heart pounded. The sky spun above him, the world rushing up beneath him.
Is this it?
Is my life really ending… like this?
Before his eyes, everything turned white—then switched to black, like someone had flipped a cosmic switch.
Splash.
Water struck his back—cold, yet strangely warm—sending a jolt through his body. He couldn't see, only feel. The sensation wasn't just physical; it was like the water seeped into his very being.
Then, everything began to fade…
***
Gasp!
Solas jolted upright, inhaling sharply. His chest rose and fell as panic gripped him. He looked down at his hands, arms, legs—everything was intact. He was alive.
But then, through the rush of adrenaline, he noticed something he had missed.
His eyes narrowed.
Etched into the back of his right hand was a symbol.
A crown—broken into three jagged shards, forming a triangular pattern at the center. Each shard pointed in a different direction, as if pulled by fate itself. The symbol looked charred, with thin lines of gold seared into its edges, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
What is this..?
Lowering his hand, Solas finally took in his surroundings.
He was lying in a clearing, deep within a forest. The trees around him swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves whispering secrets. Overhead, the night sky stretched wide—and it stunned him.
There were two moons.
One, massive and pale white. The other, smaller, silver, and perfectly beside it. Together, they bathed the forest in a light so soft, it felt almost divine. The stars scattered beyond them like glittering dust across the velvet sky.
Solas knew instantly: this wasn't Earth.
The air was purer here. Richer. He could feel it with every breath—thicker with life, untouched by pollution or time.
Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground, brushing dirt from his school uniform, heart still pounding.
Wherever he was… it was only the beginning.
From what he could gather—and after everything that had just happened—Solas could only assume he'd been brought to another world by that strange girl.
He remembered hearing about things like this online. Isekai, fantasy stories, other worlds. He never paid them much attention.
At least… he wished he had now.
A gentle breeze passed through the clearing, brushing against his white curls.
First priority: figure out where he was—and whether anyone else was nearby.
He sighed.
"What a bother."
With nothing else to guide him, he began walking deeper into the forest.
The thought of being in another world was… thrilling, in a way. Far from Earth. Far from the dull routine and the people he couldn't stand. College? Gone. Annoying classmates? Gone. His mother? Gone.
Being alone in this quiet place gave him a strange sense of comfort. For once, no expectations. No pressure. Just the unknown.
And for once, that felt like something worth facing.
He kept walking.
After some time, a faint glow appeared in the distance. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make it out—a flicker of light between the trees. A figure stood ahead, illuminated just enough for him to tell it wasn't a creature, but a person.
Cautious, he quickened his pace but kept quiet. Whoever—or whatever—it was, he didn't want to alert them. Not until he knew more.
As he drew closer, he ducked behind a tree and peered out.
One person.
Walking calmly along a smooth dirt path.
A woman.
As Solas crept closer through the trees, the figure slowly came into full view—a lone woman walking the forest path beneath the dual moons, her steps measured and steady.
She wore polished knight armor—silver, accented with muted crimson along the edges. Though worn from use, it was well-maintained. The plates hugged her form with a balance of practicality and elegance, and a tattered red cloak draped over one shoulder, swaying gently with each step.
A sword rested sheathed at her hip—the hilt aged, carved with an intricate crest. In her right hand, a golden lantern swung softly, casting a warm halo of light that danced across the path.
Her hair—deep crimson, long and wild—spilled out from beneath a half-hooded helm, cascading down her back like a burning river.
Her posture was sharp, trained. But something about it felt strained—like she was holding herself together, putting on a front of strength.
Solas closed his eyes, briefly considering how to approach the situation—how to speak without alarming her. But instead of overthinking it, he stepped forward, his gait calm and deliberate.
He emerged from the treeline and onto the path, his footsteps light, deliberate—elegant.
The woman jolted in surprise, nearly dropping her lantern. Her voice wavered as she raised it, "I—I am Rowena Valehart, serving member of the guild f-from… Emberreach!"
Solas turned toward her fully, his icy-blue eyes meeting hers. "I mean you no harm," he said calmly, raising his hands in a disarming gesture. "I'm just lost, that's all."
Rowena's mouth parted slightly in disbelief. Her grip on the lantern trembled. "Y-you… you're a man…!"
Solas blinked, confused. "Yes…? Why do you ask?"
The woman trembled more, looking as though she might faint. Her lips parted, but all that came out was a breathless murmur. "A m-man…?"
Solas hesitated, unsure how to respond. Before he could speak again, she found her voice—barely.
"How are you even here…? A-and what are those clothes you wear?"
Solas glanced down at his school uniform, finally registering the clear contrast between himself and the world around him. He gave a soft chuckle. "Ah, these? I'm a fashion designer. Was testing out a look, you could say."
He looked back up. "As for why I'm here… I don't know. I just woke up in this place."
But something about her reaction still gnawed at him. The way she reacted to his sex—it wasn't normal.
"If you don't mind me asking," why did me being a man surprise you that much?"
She steadied her breath, trying to regain some composure. "You truly don't know?"
I wouldn't know… because I'm not from here.
Solas gave a casual shrug and scratched his head. "Ah, bad memory, hehe."
Rowena slowly lowered the lantern, her voice quieter now but firmer. "The birthrate of men declined drastically. It happened nearly a quadrennial ago."
She paused, eyes drifting. "Men are nearly extinct now… A rare miracle when one is born. Most are sheltered… hidden. A man walking the wild alone—it's unthinkable."
Extinct…?
The word hit Solas like a blunt object. His mind reeled, struggling to grasp it. Men… a minority? The phrase echoed in his head.
"Does anyone know why that happened?" he asked, now serious.
Rowena glanced toward the moons above, her expression heavy. "They say the Goddess was displeased. She called it an act of divine justice."