"It is the most likely explanation from my perspective, as none of the other methods of interworld transit I am aware of were in action at the time I arrived."

"That's - strange - but everything's been strange this cycle, if you trust the history books..."

"What else is odd?"

"There was - a lot weird with timing. The last Hero was around for an unusually long time - the Villain who showed up had support in overthrowing him, there's always that, but - looking at the dates, she didn't even try for a while, and now his tomb's lost when the tombs of the Summoned Heroes or Villains are usually massive. And the Villain's been barely around for a while, now, usually there's more of - the government being actually led by whoever was summoned last."

"The Villain's also refused to give anyone anything normal to call her by, and - she claimed 'The Villain of This Story' as her Name. Others have had titles, but not - like that."

"Hmm."

"Though I think you being an adult is - possibly odder."

"What is are the usual time gaps between Heros and Villains?"

She hums. "At least a few decades, almost never more than two centuries... The last Hero was around for at least three centuries, and the current Villain's been around for about forty years... On the low side, but not extremely so..."

"So a child faces someone with centuries of experience?"

"Yes. Usually they have help, but - it's often bloody."

"What a wasteful system."

Nod. "There's a lot of instability, too, whenever there's a changeover."

"Unsurprising."

"No one's sure if the cycle can actually be broken, or how to do that, though."

"Once I am found, I am sure considerable resources will be brought to bear on the problem."

"You'd mentioned other ways of getting between worlds?"

"Yes. I am part of a multiversal group of... templates, shall we say. Versions of the same person from different worlds. There are a variety of transit methods known to us, spells, portals, and the like."

"I don't think anyone's ever been followed... But I don't know how common transit methods are elsewhere..."

"How do you tell someone's the same person?"

"There are a pair of gods who can see such things. Personally, I am Force sensitive, and all members of a template have the same Force signature."

"Force sensitive?"

"The Force is an energy field, affected and generated by all living things. Gifted individuals can sense and manipulate the Force to a variety of ends."

"I've never heard of it..."

"I believe the ability to consciously interact with the Force is quirk unique to inhabitants of my native world."

She nods. "That makes sense; none of the Heroes or Villains have ever had our sort of magic starting out, either."