Adam opened his eyes, feeling something lightly brush against his neck. His gaze instantly locked onto a pair of red eyes, glowing like molten steel—right in front of his face.
The woman stared at him without emotion. Her body, which had been covered in wounds and blood just the day before, was now completely healed—not a trace of a cut or bruise remained. Her skin was smooth, pristine, as if it had never been touched. She radiated power—and something unfathomable.
She looked him straight in the eye and asked: "You're the one who treated me?"
Adam didn't respond. Her voice—soft, melodic, like a blend of windchimes and whispered wind—hit him harder than any words ever had. He stared at her, mouth slightly open, completely hypnotized.
She sighed quietly and whispered to herself: "Ah, right. A lower world."
Her figure shimmered for a brief moment. Her wings vanished, and the sharpness of her features softened slightly. She was still beautiful—unbelievably so—but no longer in a way that paralyzed the mind. Now, it was possible to look at her. And to breathe.
"Better now?" she asked calmly.
Adam swallowed and gave a small nod. It took effort to find his voice. "Yeah..."
"You treated me?" she asked again.
"I did," he replied quietly, meeting her gaze.
"Why?"
Adam was silent for a moment, then sighed, leaning back against the wall. "It all happened so suddenly," he said slowly. "I was sitting alone, about to eat my first real meal since this whole apocalypse began. Then... you appeared out of nowhere. Literally. One second, an empty room—next, your body was lying on the floor, like the world decided to drop you on me."
He paused, looking her in the eyes. "You were wounded and beaten. You looked like something out of another world and yet... so human. I didn't know who you were, but I couldn't just look away. Something in me made me act. I treated you because... it felt like the only thing to do. Because I couldn't do anything else."
He gave a crooked smile, a touch of amusement and embarrassment in his voice. "And let's be honest... you're incredibly beautiful." He smiled faintly, with a hint of irony. "I mean, come on, it's basically my duty to help a woman who falls from the sky, right?"
A faint smile touched her lips. There was something between amusement and surprise in it. Something about her changed—the seriousness and chill that had surrounded her melted away like a shadow.
"Well, if I did fall from the sky, it's nice to know I landed near someone with a sense of duty," she said, half-jokingly, raising a brow.
A short silence fell between them. The woman looked away, as if pondering something she didn't want to say aloud.
"What's your name?" Adam asked.
"Valeria." Her voice was soft, warm, with a tone that hinted at secrets spoken through a smile.
"Who are you?"
She looked at him with a slight tilt of her head, as if gauging how much she could reveal.
"And who do you think I am?" she asked suddenly, tilting her head playfully, her fingers twirling a stray lock of hair. There was a flirtatious note in her voice, and her gaze—cast from beneath long lashes—held something provocative.
Adam raised his brows slightly, caught off guard. He thought for a moment before replying. "I don't know... Maybe a being from another dimension. Or... something like an angel? You have wings, you appeared from nowhere, you're not ordinary. But even with that... you don't look like a monster."
Valeria's lips curled faintly, as if his words amused or intrigued her. "Interesting," she said in that same soft tone. "And maybe that's exactly why I don't want to ruin it with the truth."
Valeria stretched slowly like a cat, hands laced behind her head, then moved closer to him with a fluid step, sitting nearby with a slight tilt of her head.
"And you? What's the name of the man who saves strange, beautiful women falling from the sky?" she asked with a teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"Adam," he replied reflexively.
Valeria raised her brows, as if savoring the name on her tongue. "Adam..." she repeated softly, drawing out the syllables, as if giving them deeper meaning. "It suits you."
She rose slowly, brushing off her hands as if concluding a conversation that meant more to her than she let on.
She turned from him, glancing over her shoulder with a smile. "Don't stop being who you are, Adam. The world needs people like you."
"I'd like to repay you... but the Essence Record forbids any intervention. No interference from higher beings in lower worlds."
Valeria took a few slow steps, walking gracefully in front of him, her hips swaying gently with each motion—as if she knew he was watching. She stopped, turned toward him, and said over her shoulder:
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Adam. If fate is kind... maybe we'll meet again."
She smiled mysteriously, then took a step back. Her body glowed softly—wings burst from her back like black flames. For a moment, she looked just as she had when she first appeared in his apartment—majestic, unreal.
Then the wings spread wide, and with a powerful flap, they stirred a gust of wind that scattered dust through the room. Just before vanishing, Valeria looked at him one last time.
"Remember, Adam... the Essence Record doesn't reward courage or body count. If you want to truly grow, seek those stronger than yourself. Killing the weak yields little. Only through risk can you achieve something greater."
And with that, her form vanished—as if lifted by an invisible force, dissolving into the air.
Adam blinked, trying to comprehend what he had just seen—the empty space where Valeria had stood moments ago. Her scent still lingered in the air, and dust motes danced in the place where her wings had stirred the wind. The light that had flared around her body had faded just as quickly as it had come.
He sat in silence for a while, staring at the spot where she had stood. He could still feel her presence—not just in scent or silence, but in his mind. He still saw her graceful walk, each step leaving an echo of gentle breeze behind.
He smiled to himself and shook his head.
"Says she can't repay me... then hits me with a show like that," he muttered under his breath, a touch of amusement and admiration in his voice.
Adam sat quietly for a moment longer, then slowly stood up. He took a deep breath and looked out the window.
"This world... isn't small anymore," he said to himself. "And I can't stay just a passive observer. My family is out there somewhere. And if I want even a chance of finding them... I have to become someone far stronger."
He packed his backpack. Took everything he had left. Then he left the apartment, descending the stairs without haste. On the street, he looked around and headed toward the nearest sound.
***
At the same time, in the vastness of space, just above the curve of the planet where Earth floated in velvet blackness, silence reigned—broken only by the faint pulsing of distant starlight. And then—as if night itself chose to take shape—a woman's figure emerged from the void.
She was beautiful in a way that transcended human understanding—her long, dark hair drifted slowly in the vacuum, and her eyes, deep as rubies, glowed with their own light. Her alabaster skin, flawless and almost phosphorescent in the starlight, shimmered faintly. She hovered above Earth with such calm and majesty, it seemed space itself bowed in awe.
It was Valeria.
She furrowed her brow, glancing around.
"Where exactly... am I?" she whispered, gazing at the boundless expanse surrounding her. The stars seemed alien, the constellations unfamiliar. For a moment, she stayed perfectly still, as if trying to orient herself.
She turned once more to cast a final glance at the world she had landed on.
But something stopped her.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared into the space below.
"What the...?" she whispered, unease creeping into her voice.
Earth... was gone. The view of the planet had vanished, as if someone had torn it from the cosmic map. Space where it should have been was... empty. Valeria hovered in place, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
Slowly, cautiously, she moved forward—as if approaching an invisible boundary. And then suddenly, she saw it.
Earth emerged before her like a mirage, as if only now allowed to exist within her vision.
"How is that possible...?" she whispered, bewildered. "What is happening here...?"