Chapter 70: The human.

George woke to the sensation of something poking his shoulder's hard. "Hey, wake up, human," a voice chimed, high-pitched and impatient.

His eyes fluttered open, revealing a small figure with glittering wings hovering inches from his face. He scrambled backwards, nearly falling off the cot he was lying on. "What the—? Did I hit my head at work? Is this—am I hallucinating?"

"You're not hallucinating," the figure replied, crossing her arms. "I'm Annette, a fairy of Serenith."

George blinked, rubbing his eyes. The sight of her didn't change. "Okay," he said slowly, sitting up. "So…either the universe really wanted to mess with me, or I got kidnapped by cosplayers."

Annette rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. Another clueless mortal. Listen, the Serene Star has chosen you to defend this realm. That means you're one of us now. Congratulations or whatever."

"Chosen?" George echoed. "To defend what? From who? And where the heck am I?"