Ren kaido slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying on cold stone.
The air smelled like wet earth and moss. But
Above him,the sky was still purple, still cracked with lightning. But something was different. He wasn't on the floating islands anymore. This place looked like a ruined temple – old, broken , but not empty.
The floor was cracked. Vines grew through the walls.
Outside the temple, he saw a calm freshwater lake surrounded by a dark jungle.
His body still hurt.
He touched his chest – the place where he had been hit.
No blood.
But a strange mark was there which was glowing like fire,but without heat. It moved gently, like flames trapped under his skin.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps which was coming softly and slowly.
He turned his head and then he saw her.
"The girl".
She stood near a broken pilar. Her skin with a slight silver colour under the purple lightning .
Her eyes had sparkles and her eyes were like pieces of glass balls, orange with tiny red cracks inside.her long and black hair floated softly, like it was under water, even through there was no wind.
She wore clothes made of shells and glass threads and also had white pearls which gave her a graceful and warrior like appearance.
Around her arms were golden chains, broken at the ends.
On her back, a sharp, curved blade – glowing with green runes.
Looking at her,she seemed to be about 16 or 17 years old.
" you're awake," she said.
Her voice was sweet and calm ,but it felt like a knife in the air.
Ren sat up slowly.
"you... attacked me," he said.
The girl didn't move. " yes. I thought you were one of them.
"one of who?"
The girl didn't smile. She walked a little closer.
" the Drowned ones or the cursed. I wasn't sure."
Ren looked confused.
" I came through a door. A portal. I didn't mean to come here."
She stopped just a few feet away and watched him carefully.
" I know. That mark on your chest ...
Proves you didn't mean it."
He looked at the glowing fire mark.
"what is it?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she said," my name is Ellice. I Guard the silent jungle. And the temple you're lying in... Is the last doorway between this world and the Drowned one."
Ren was quiet for a moment.
" you live here?"
" no one lives here," she replied." we only survive."
" Then you better survive. Because the Abyss is watching you. And if you fall...
It" ll take more than just your soul."
Ren didn't know what to say.
He want to ask more, but his head started spinning.
The mark on his chest glowed brighter for a second.
And then everything went dark again.
But The only thing he was sure of – was that this girl, Elice, was not normal.
She was part of this broken world. And maybe... Just maybe... She was the only one who could help him survive it.