It was a Wednesday.Nothing good ever happens on a Wednesday.

  I was halfway through a ranked match in Valorant, headset jammed on my head, sweat beading on my forehead like it actually mattered whether I clutched this round or not. My monitor glowed in the dark room, the only source of light besides a dim tube light buzzing like an annoying mosquito.

  “Bro, pnt the spike!” my teammate screamed in my ear.

  “Chill, bro,” I muttered, fingers flying over the keyboard.And that’s when my apartment wall exploded.

  No warning. No noise. One second, concrete and cheap paint. Next second, a gaping hole wide enough to drive a truck through, dust bsting into my lungs, shards of pster raining down on my bed, my desk, the poor monitor.

  I ducked instinctively, heart hammering, brain stuck between earthquake and terrorist attack.Then — through the swirling dust — she came.

  Not a terrorist. Not a SWAT team.An elf.

  Pale skin that looked like it had never seen a sunburn. Dark blonde hair, tied back in a loose braid that still somehow looked battle-ready. Slim but strong, wearing strange leather armor that gleamed under the cheap fluorescent lights. Eyes like sharpened ice — cold, scanning, calcuting.

  And in her hand — a curved bde that caught the light like it was hungry.

  I froze on the floor, blinking up at her like an idiot.She looked around the room, knife still raised, like she wasn’t sure if I was a threat or not.Which was ughable, considering I was still holding a pstic mouse and she had a weapon that looked very, very real.

  We stared at each other.

  Neither of us moved.

  Somewhere in the distance, my game announced, "DEFEAT."

  "Uh…" I croaked, throat dry. "Hi?"

  Not my best opener.

  The elf didn’t answer. She stepped carefully over the rubble like a wild animal deciding if the thing in front of her was edible or dangerous. Her boots made no sound on the broken tiles. The bde dipped lower, but not by much.

  I scrambled to my feet, hands raised. "Hey, easy, easy! No stabbing! No stabbing needed here!"

  Still nothing from her. Just those cold, unreadable eyes watching me.Sizing me up. Probably figuring out the fastest way to kill me.

  I took a shaky breath. "Okay. Uh. Welcome to... Chandigarh? My apartment? I don’t even know anymore."

  At st, she spoke.Her voice was low, smooth, but firm — like a scalpel."Where am I?"

  "Earth," I blurted. "Pnet Earth. You know. Third rock from the sun? Bollywood? Cricket? Bad traffic?"

  Her eyebrows knitted together slightly. I couldn’t tell if she was confused or just unimpressed.

  I dared a step forward. "Listen, you’re obviously... not from around here. So how about we lower the knife and talk like... civilized beings? Sound good?"

  She blinked slowly, then, without warning, tossed the bde — spinning it once — and buried it deep into the plywood cupboard by the door with a solid thunk.

  I flinched so hard I nearly pissed myself.

  "Okay. Cool. We’re disarming. Great. Awesome start," I said, voice cracking like a teenager's.

  She tilted her head, studying me. "You are not a threat."

  "Not unless you’re afraid of being mildly annoyed."

  Another long pause.Then — unbelievably — she rexed. Slightly. Enough to gnce around the disaster that was my apartment: half a pizza on the table, dirty boxing gloves on the floor, stacks of anime Blu-rays leaning dangerously by the TV.

  Her lip twitched. Just a fraction. Like she was trying to process how someone could survive in this… mess.

  "Name?" she asked.

  "Karan," I said automatically. "Karan Malhotra."

  "You are alone here?"

  "Yeah. My parents live two hours away. I like my independence. And my mess. Apparently."

  Another flicker of that almost-smile.I realized she was still standing in the gaping hole where my wall used to be, night air howling around her. Behind her, I caught a glimpse of something — stars? A different sky? It didn’t look like Chandigarh’s smoggy night at all.

  "You, uh... you wanna maybe come inside? Instead of standing in an interdimensional portal or whatever that is?"

  For the first time, she hesitated. Looked back over her shoulder. Then stepped fully into the apartment, letting the portal — or tear, or whatever the hell it was — seal shut behind her with a soft whump. Like it had never existed.

  Silence fell.Just the buzz of the dying tube light and my heart trying to punch its way out of my chest.

  I grabbed the nearest chair and shoved it toward her. "Sit. Please. Before you kill me accidentally."

  She ignored the chair. Stood there, arms folded, perfectly still.

  "I am Eira," she said finally.

  "Nice to meet you, Eira. Welcome to Earth. I guess?"

  "I must adapt quickly," she said, almost to herself. "Or perish."

  "Uh... bit dramatic, but sure, yeah, adapt. We’re big on that around here."

  She walked over to the broken desk, poking at my destroyed monitor like she was inspecting alien tech.I couldn't help but stare at her — not just because she was gorgeous (because holy hell, she was), but because she moved like a goddamn predator. Every step silent. Every gnce sharp.

  "Are you injured?" she asked without looking up.

  "Me? No. Just my pride. And my Valorant rank."

  Her head snapped toward me at the word. "Valorant?"

  "Game. Computer game. Shooting. Strategy. Lots of shouting."

  She looked baffled. It was kind of adorable, in a scary way.

  I rubbed the back of my neck. "Listen, uh, Eira. I don’t know what brought you here or why you crashed through my freakin’ wall, but you look like you could use... I dunno, food? A shower? A bed?"

  Another head tilt."You offer me shelter."

  "Yeah, because otherwise you’re gonna be very confused wandering Sector 44 at night. Trust me. It’s confusing enough with Google Maps."

  Another silence. Heavy.Then, without warning, she crossed the room and stood in front of me — so close I could see the faint, almost invisible scars lining her colrbone. Her eyes bored into mine, cold and assessing.

  "I accept," she said.

  I exhaled hard."Good. Cool. Awesome."

  And that’s how my life ended.Not literally — not yet. But the life I knew — safe, simple, boring — died that night.And something wild, dangerous, and impossible took its pce.

  Her name was Eira.And my apartment was about to become a battlefield.