"Where… am I?"
"Oh… my head hurts. And what was that dream? Who was that girl?"
That girl… wait, what am I talking about?
The entire dream I had just a second ago is fading in front of my eyes.
Wait… didn't I remember something about myself?
Ahh… it hurts. The more I try to think about it, the more it hurts.
How long was I asleep?
I'm in the same dark room where I was before. Nothing has changed. The same black walls. The same huge throne. And the same door in the corner—that's the only source of light in this entire room.
Wait… isn't that door open?
I noticed a small gap.
That means… I can escape from here.
I tried to stand up abruptly—but failed.
My hands are tightly bound by rope… with something.
As for my legs… they aren't tied down, but they're not free either. It's like something is weighing them down.
Footsteps.
And they're approaching—fast.
Someone is coming.
"...."
The tension in the room keeps growing. None of us are saying a word.
It's very hard to process what Pia just revealed in front of us.
Some time passed without anyone speaking. The room has now started to feel suffocating.
Alexander stood up from the ground and broke the silence.
"Let's go. We can't wait any longer."
How can someone recover so quickly after getting struck by a lightning bolt?Is he even human?I thought to myself, but I didn't say it out loud.
"Yeah, let's hurry. We have to find Kathleen fast and send her to her own world," Eddy said with a serious voice.
"But we don't even know where to look for her!"
Damn, this guy—why did he kidnap Kathleen now, of all times? What could he want from her?Simon frowned.
Hearing that, Pia looked toward Alexander as if she wanted to ask something.
"Fine. But only this once."
Pia walked slowly toward the center of the room her face now more serious than ever. she raised her staff and closed her eyes then took a long deep breath.
"Sentience of the winds that flow unseen, show us the path hidden in between. Reveal the truth that air has known, let her place to us be shown."
as soon as she finished the chant the air around us started to swirl. the room started to tremble just a little and then—
a shimmer.
right in front of us a mirage began to form in the air like a floating mirror made of smoke and glass.
the image was blurry at first but then it cleared little by little.
inside it we saw—
a room.
it was dark and lifeless the only source of light was from a small broken door at the corner and inside that room was her
Kathleen.
Her hands were tied, and she looked weak—like she hadn't eaten or slept in days.
"Kathleen…" I whispered without meaning to.
"This place," Pia said, pointing at the image still floating midair, "this is a room inside an abandoned village. It's deep inside the southern forest… just below Luminus City."
Everyone stared at the image in front of them. Silence took over the room once again, but this time it wasn't from tension—it was from shock.
"Wait… that's really her?" Simon asked, stepping closer to the floating vision, eyes wide. "How is this even possible?"
"She looks so… fragile," I muttered. "Is that really Kathleen? What happened to her? She was with us just yesterday…"
"What is that place really?" Eddy frowned. "That bastard… why did he kidnap her?"
Barren was frozen, his jaw clenched tight. "Adlet." Clear rage in his eyes.
The image flickered for a moment, the swirling wind beginning to die down.
Pia turned toward us. "That is the best I can do to help you."
"From here on, you guys have to take charge. We can't interfere anymore," Alexander replied coldly.
Pia gritted her teeth. "Let's go back."
"To the guild, then?" Alexander asked.
"Yes."
She nodded once, then raised her staff again, this time chanting faster, her voice layered with urgency.
"Pathway unseen by time and space, open the door to a distant place.From here to there, let steps not fall—Gate to travel, answer my call!"
The wind howled this time. The air split in front of us with a sharp crack, and a glowing blue circle formed beneath our feet.
Pia turned to us. "I can't gate us directly to the forest—I did as much as I could. There is a limit to how much I can meddle with mortals."
Before we could say anything else—
Flash.
The light swallowed the room whole.
And in the blink of an eye—
We were back.
Back at the guild hall.
The familiar sound of chatter, clinking glasses, and footsteps returned around us.
And with it, the heavy reality of what we had just seen.
Kathleen was out there.
And she is running out of time.
"...."
Huff, huff...
I can't die here.
Huff, huff...
Not like this.
Huff...
I will not die when I'm so close to my goal.
Huff, huff...
Oh… my vision is fading.
"ROOOOOAAAARRRR!"
The beast howled once again.
Did they manage to escape from him?
Huff, huff...
Not like this… the blood loss is finally catching up to me.
I hope Barren managed to escape.
Huff...
My death… at least it will give them a chance to leave.
It hurts like hell.
One last time… I have to draw his attention to me.
"By the… un...seen force th...at swirls and fl...o...w...s,Gather wind and strike... my foes!Com...compress and... burst with all your might,Air... Punch!"
A strong gust of wind shot through my hands and hit the monster's tail, which took its attention.
Why am I trying to save them? I don't even know them.
I could have easily escaped when Barren saved me.
Oh… Barren saved me. That's why I thought I would save him too.
Oh… this is it for me then.
The hit from that tail will surely finish me off.
A scream escaped from my mouth. I don't know why—I was so ready to die…
But then why did I scream?
Am I scared of death...?
With the last of my vision, I looked toward the forest entrance.
There they are...
So then Barren did manage to escape.
Goodbye...
"..........................................."
hi.......
Are you ok...............
To Be Continued.......