KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 105: [] The Stars Are Different Here

Xavier jolted awake from another nightmare about ice wolves with crystal fur. His head throbbed with pain so intense it felt like someone was driving a railroad spike through his skull.

"Fucking hell," he whispered, pressing his palms against his temples. The pain ebbed slightly, then returned with greater force.

He’d been in this world for three days now, and the headaches only grew worse. They came in waves, sometimes bearable, other times—like now—nearly crippling. Sleep had become almost impossible.

Xavier swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, trying not to disturb Rachel. He glanced at her sleeping form on the room’s other bed. She lay on her side, one arm tucked under her pillow. Her black hair spilled across the pillow, and her face, usually so guarded, looked almost peaceful.

When she wasn’t being an asshole or spouting cryptic bullshit, she could be sort of cute.

Xavier shook his head, immediately regretting the movement as pain lanced through his skull. What the hell was he thinking? Rachel was possibly the most frustrating person he’d ever met, and he’d met some real pieces of work in his time. She refused to give straight answers about anything—who she was, why she’d rescued him, what she knew about this world.

The only useful thing she’d done was pay for their room. When Xavier had asked where she got the money, she’d just given him that blank stare of hers and said, "People pay for certainty in uncertain times."

Whatever that meant.

Xavier stood and walked to the window, careful to avoid the creaky floorboard near the center of the room. He rubbed at the frost with his sleeve until he could see outside. Vykengard slept under a blanket of snow, though guards still patrolled the streets with lanterns that cast long shadows on the white ground. Above, the night sky blazed with more stars than Xavier had ever seen, and ribbons of green and purple light danced between them.

His thoughts drifted to the others who had been pulled through the gate with him. Alexander Shepard, Ashley Martin, Margaret Richardson, Nolan Traore, Naomi Phillips.

And Calypso. Always back to Calypso.

If Xavier’s appearance had changed—black hair instead of white, blue eyes instead of purple—had theirs changed too? How would he recognize them? How would they recognize each other? They could pass on the street without knowing.

And what about his mother? Elaine would be out of her mind by now. Half the class had vanished into a gate that wasn’t supposed to activate. There would be investigations, search parties, media coverage.

Xavier remembered Professor Rousseau’s lecture about gate types and time dilation. Some gates ran faster than Earth time, others slower. Maybe a day here was an hour there. Or maybe it was the opposite, and weeks had already passed.

"I should have paid more attention in class," he muttered.

"You talk to yourself often?"

Xavier turned. Rachel sat up in bed, her eyes reflecting the moonlight like a cat’s.

"Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn’t." Rachel pushed back her covers and stood. She wore a long nightshirt that reached her knees. "The headache woke me."

Xavier frowned. "You’re getting them too?"

"No." Rachel padded across the cold floor to stand beside him at the window. "Yours did. It’s loud."

"What does that mean?"

Rachel studied the aurora dancing across the sky. "Your pain echoes. I can feel it."

Xavier turned to face her. "How?"

"I told you. I’m a seer."

"Right. The winds speak to you."

"Mock if you wish. It doesn’t change what I am." She reached out and pressed two fingers to his forehead. "The connection pulls at you. Growing stronger."

Xavier didn’t pull away from her touch. "Connection to what?"

"Not what. Who." Rachel’s fingers were cool against his skin. "You’re bound to someone. The pain is the binding stretching too far."

"Calypso, we have a... connection."

Rachel’s eyes narrowed. "More than friendship, this bond."

"It’s complicated."

"It always is." Rachel removed her fingers. The pain in Xavier’s head lessened slightly. "Tomorrow we’ll see Lukas. If anyone knows about strangers in Frostfall, it’s him."

"And if he doesn’t?"

"Then we look elsewhere." Rachel returned to her bed. "Try to sleep. The binding won’t break you tonight."

Xavier remained at the window. "How can you be sure?"

"Because I’ve seen it." Rachel pulled her covers up. "You have a part to play yet."

"In what?"

"The end of winter." Rachel turned her back to him. "Or its triumph. The vision wasn’t clear on that point."

Xavier sighed. More cryptic bullshit. "Great. That’s helpful."

"Sleep, Xavien Von Rictor. Tomorrow requires strength." frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

Xavier returned to his bed but didn’t lie down. "That’s not my real name, you know."

Rachel’s voice came soft in the darkness. "I know, Xavien."

===

Morning brought no relief from the pain. Xavier dressed in clothes Rachel had purchased for him—thick woolen pants, a linen shirt, and a heavy jacket lined with fur. They were better suited to Vykengard’s bitter cold than his Earth clothes had been.

"Eat," Rachel commanded, placing a bowl of porridge before him. They sat in The Frozen Hind’s common room, which was busy with morning patrons getting breakfast before work.

Xavier picked up his spoon. "Where exactly are we going today?"

"The Ember Quarter." Rachel had already finished her porridge. "Where the wealthy and powerful gather."

"And this Lukas is one of them?"

"Lukas is..." Rachel paused. "An information broker. He collects secrets, sells certainties."

"Sounds expensive."

"It is." Rachel sipped her tea. "But you have something valuable to trade."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "And what’s that?"

"Knowledge from beyond Frostfall."

Xavier lowered his voice. "You believe me, then? About coming through a gate?"

"I believe you’re not from here." Rachel set down her cup. "The rest... remains to be seen."

They finished breakfast in silence. Outside, the morning was clear and cold, the sun offering light but little warmth. Xavier followed Rachel through Vykengard’s winding streets, climbing steadily uphill toward the city’s northern section.

The Ember Quarter was noticeably different from the rest of Vykengard. The streets were wider, the buildings taller and more ornate. Carved stone facades depicted scenes of fire and rebirth. Colorful banners hung from windows, each bearing family crests or guild symbols. People here wore finer clothes, often with fur trim and embroidered patterns.

"The rich live closer to the mountain’s heat," Rachel explained. "The volcanic vents beneath the city provide warmth. The higher you go, the warmer it gets."

"And the more it costs to live there," Xavier guessed.

Rachel nodded. "The highest tier, where the Queen’s palace sits, never sees frost."

They passed shops selling luxury goods—jewelry, fine clothing, exotic foods. Guards were more numerous here, their armor more elaborate than those in the lower city.

"How do you know this Lukas?" Xavier asked as they turned onto a street lined with taverns and pleasure houses.

"Our paths have crossed." Rachel stopped before a building with a sign depicting a golden fox. "He finds me... interesting."

"Because you’re a seer?"

Rachel straightened her simple gray cloak. "Follow my lead. Speak only when spoken to. And whatever you do, don’t lie to him. He always knows."

"No pressure."

"This isn’t a joke, Xavien." Rachel’s eyes were deadly serious. "Lukas has people killed for wasting his time."

"Like I said, no pressure."

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