We continued our journey through the thick, whispering forest. The sun slowly dipped past the horizon, painting the trees with fading gold, while a subtle chill filled the evening air. We only stopped a few times—just enough to catch our breath and fill our stomachs with the leftover rations I'd packed from the van.
I wasn't tired. I had been using mana to sustain myself, pushing my body forward like a machine fueled by willpower and the faint red current of my lightning aura.
But Ayeloria?She was exhausted. Her steps grew slower, her breath heavier, and every now and then, she'd stumble a bit—though she tried her best not to show it. Still, no matter how tired she was, she'd flash me that bright, almost glowing smile. It was so soft, so genuine… it made my chest ache in the weirdest way.
Over the course of this journey, we'd gotten a lot closer.The shy, clingy, slightly annoying girl I rescued from the van had transformed into something more radiant—still annoying, yes—but in a way that made my heart skip a beat.
She teased me constantly.
"You know," she said, playfully bumping my shoulder, "you should call me unnie since I'm a few months older than you."
I froze. "U-Unnie?! Tch—" I turned red, my ears burning. "You've gotta be kidding."
"Oh? Are you blushing, Jaey~?" she smirked.
Annoyed and flustered, I narrowed my eyes and grinned. "Fine then."
I rubbed at my eyes dramatically, making them water slightly, and suddenly screamed out loud:
"MOM! DAD! BROTHER! ANYONE! HELP~!"
Her face turned beet red as she quickly looked around, praying no one else had heard. She puffed her cheeks and pouted, turning away from me with a loud huff.
"Hmph. Jerk."
I couldn't help but laugh. For the first time in a long time, I genuinely laughed.
And then… it appeared.
In the distance, a soft green light shimmered between two colossal twisted tree trunks. The air shifted with ancient energy, and a chill ran down my spine. Ayeloria stopped walking, her body frozen like a statue. She slowly turned toward me, her eyes wide and shimmering with emotion.
She didn't say anything at first—just reached out and pulled me into a sudden, tight hug.
"W-Wha—huh? What are you—?" I stumbled, caught completely off guard.
"Please… just endure this," she whispered into my chest. "I need to hug Jaey…"
Her voice trembled with something more than just gratitude. There was fear. Sadness. Hope.
I blushed again, unsure of what to do. My arms slowly moved up to pat her on the head.
After a long moment, she finally let go. But when she turned to face the green gateway, I saw something strange in her expression.
Her smile was still there, but it was weaker now—fragile. Her eyes shimmered with both joy and sorrow.
"This is it," she whispered. "We're here."
She reached out and grabbed my hand tightly. I didn't resist.
Together, we stepped toward the green gate.
As we walked through it, I felt a jolt—a strange familiarity. My body began to vibrate with energy, like the time I had been swallowed by the rainbow vortex that teleported me from that other world to Earth. It was different this time though—softer, warmer, more controlled.
We didn't crash. We floated. Landed gently on the mossy ground of an entirely different world.
But my head began to throb.Pain exploded through my skull as flashes of light clouded my vision.
What is this…?
I stumbled forward, my eyes flickering open, struggling to adjust.
And that's when I saw them.
Sharp, gleaming spears.
At least four of them—pointed directly at my neck.
Armored elf guards surrounded me, their expressions unreadable, their stances tense and unwavering. The cool steel of their weapons touched my throat.
One word away from death.
Ayeloria screamed, "WAIT—DON'T HURT HIM! HE'S WITH ME!"
But they didn't move. Not right away.
I clenched my fists, unsure if I had enough mana left to defend myself.
Not like this. Not right after everything…
Then a powerful, echoing voice rang out from behind the guards. It was stern and commanding, but oddly melodic.
"Stand down. That boy… bring him to me."