The Inn Beyond Time and Space

Eileen thought it was absurd that Adrian Wells had been living in an "Otherworld" without realizing it—but Adrian felt the whole world was absurd.

"So, according to you, Otherworlds are everywhere in this world, right?" Adrian muttered as he huddled in the corner of the ruined temple, conversing idly with Eileen in his mind. "Most people just can't interact with them because they can't perceive them?"

"More or less," Eileen replied. "But to say the whole world is like this… I'm not entirely sure. The world's a big place, you know. Still, within the boundaries of Boundary City, the probability of encountering an Otherworld is high. That's why some people call this place the 'Intersection' or something like that… I don't know the details. I've been stuck in this painting for too long, and my memory's all fuzzy."

"The Intersection?" Adrian raised an eyebrow. The name stirred a faint sense of déjà vu. But then another piece of information in Eileen's words caught his attention.

She had specifically mentioned "within the boundaries of Boundary City."

So, this sprawling, seemingly endless metropolis did have an "outside."

Adrian hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "What's outside Boundary City?"

"Outside?" Eileen sounded uncertain. "Could be more cities? Or maybe… the sea or something?"

Her answer was vague and unconvincing. "I don't really remember. I've been in this painting for so long, and I only recall bits and pieces about the city itself..."

Then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, "Wait—you don't know either? Have you never left Boundary City?"

Adrian's lips twitched, and he fell silent.

How could he possibly know? He'd only been in this place for two months. He barely understood the bus routes within four blocks of his home, let alone the world beyond the city.

Still, he chose not to reveal this to Eileen. He wasn't ready to share such personal details with a "cursed painting" he'd only recently met.

"I've never been out. I'm a homebody," he said dismissively, quickly steering the conversation away. "Let's focus on the problem at hand—how do I get out of this so-called Otherworld? It is possible to leave, right?"

Eileen was quiet for a while, as if sifting through her fragmented memories. At last, she responded, "Otherworlds… come in many forms. Sometimes it's just a house that doesn't exist on any map. Sometimes it's an extra platform on a bus route. It could even be a forest, or a realm you walk into by opening a wardrobe.

"Smaller Otherworlds often have relatively fixed and obvious exits or follow specific rules to return to reality. But the larger the Otherworld, the more complicated things get."

She paused before continuing. "There's actually a complete classification system for Otherworlds, including depth and danger levels, but… I can't remember the details. I've been trapped in this painting for too long."

Her voice trailed off, tinged with melancholy.

Adrian had been ready with a sarcastic retort about her lack of useful information, but hearing the quiet sadness in her voice made him hold his tongue.

She was trying her best to help—despite being confined for so long.

"We'll figure it out," Adrian said, shaking his head. He glanced at the valley beyond the ruined temple. "This place looks huge. I can already see mountains on both sides and a forest in the distance. If it's as big as it seems, leaving won't be easy."

"Yeah…" Eileen murmured. "Start by exploring the area around where you first entered this Otherworld. Look for anything that seems out of place—something that doesn't belong. Usually, the exit is near such anomalies.

"If you don't find anything, look for a high vantage point. Sometimes you can spot reflective surfaces, like mirrors, or hear persistent winds. But be careful. Those could also be traps leading to deeper layers of the Otherworld."

"Deeper layers?" Adrian frowned.

"…Yeah. It's tricky to explain. You'll need to rely on your intuition—your spiritual instincts. Trained investigators develop this sense to navigate Otherworlds. I know you're not trained, but it's all we've got.

"Don't worry, though. Intuition is innate to all intelligent beings. Even untrained people have it—it just hasn't been fully awakened. Pay close attention, and you should feel warnings or premonitions from deep within yourself. If you're unsure, tell me. I'll help however I can."

Adrian nodded and cautiously left his hiding spot, heading toward the ruined temple's entrance. The oppressive sense of being watched and the gnawing hunger in the air seemed to cling to him, saturating the valley itself.

Still, he pressed forward.

According to Eileen's information, finding an "exit" was the only way to leave this place. Waiting idly wouldn't make a door appear.

As he moved, he kept the conversation with Eileen alive to distract himself from the tension.

"You said my house is an Otherworld. How did you figure that out? I've never noticed anything strange about it."

"I could sense it," Eileen replied. "That's the intuition I mentioned. Something about that house feels… off. Of course, outwardly, everything seems normal, but…" She trailed off.

"More intuition, huh?" Adrian muttered, shaking his head. "So, every time I go home, I'm entering an Otherworld. And every time I leave, I'm stepping out of one? Sounds like my house is the world's most harmless, convenient Otherworld."

After a brief silence, Eileen's voice turned somber. "...Opening the door doesn't always mean you'll end up where you want to go, does it?"

Adrian's expression stiffened, and his mind flashed back to how he'd ended up stranded here in the first place.

For the first time, he realized what might be truly wrong with his "home."

The thought left him deeply unsettled.

By now, he had returned to the open area in front of the temple—the spot where he had initially entered this Otherworld. He carefully searched the surroundings but found nothing unusual, no "out-of-place" object that matched Eileen's description.

"Nothing here," Adrian said after a thorough check. "I guess it's not going to be that easy."

"Didn't think it would be," Eileen sighed. "Try exploring farther out. But remember: don't touch anything glowing or moving unexpectedly. And don't eat or drink anything you find here unless you absolutely have to."

"I know," Adrian muttered. He glanced at the murky sky above. "Still, wouldn't it be better to search during the day? Wandering around at night feels extra creepy."

"Otherworlds often defy logic. Daytime isn't necessarily safer—there might not even be a daytime here," Eileen replied firmly. "The longer you stay, the more unpredictable things could get. You should find the exit as soon as possible."

Adrian sighed but obeyed, stepping away from the temple.

The moment he crossed its boundary, a faint sound reached his ears.

It was soft at first, like a distant breath.

Instinctively, Adrian turned toward the sound. A white mist swirled in the air, slowly dissipating, as if some unseen beast had exhaled.

Hearing the sound had made the beast's breath real.

Seeing the mist confirmed the beast's presence.

Before Adrian's eyes, a massive shadow began to coalesce, its form emerging with each deep, heavy breath.

Now, the beast had a shape.

Adrian froze, his heart clenching with a fear even greater than what the frog in the rain had evoked.

The shadow solidified into a grotesque amalgamation of mismatched limbs—a grotesque fusion of bear, lion, eagle, tiger, and snake. Its monstrous body was a horrifying, chaotic mass, as though countless beasts had melted together and reformed into this abomination.

Its warped, swollen limbs supported its hulking frame, and its many jumbled eyes glowed with insatiable hunger as it loomed over Adrian.

Slowly, Adrian lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the beast.

And then it lunged.

With no time to think, Adrian ducked, narrowly avoiding one of its massive jaws—only to fall straight into another.

The beast's teeth clamped down, tearing through his body. The pain was sharp but distant, almost numbing. Time seemed to slow.

Adrian saw a serpentine limb extending from the beast's back, its maw devouring what remained of his lower torso. He caught sight of his own heart, beating sluggishly before vanishing into the snake's mouth.

"Damn you!" Adrian growled through gritted teeth, defiance flaring in his chest even as he faced certain death.

With the last of his strength, he turned his head and bit down on the beast's flesh. He didn't care what part of it he bit—he just wanted to take a piece with him.

If he was going down, he'd go down fighting.

Blood, teeth, claws, and flesh blurred together in a grotesque dance of predator and prey.

As darkness consumed him, Adrian's final thought was a whisper to the distant Eileen:

"Eileen…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I'll hang up now."

Eileen hesitated, caught off guard.

And then Adrian was gone.