Several days passed, filled with laughter, training, and growing bonds. Eventually, the skies darkened, and a strange mist covered the horizon.
Kael stepped to the edge of the ship and pointed ahead. "We've arrived—Voidedge."
Everyone gathered and gazed at the eerie land stretching before them.
With a wave of his hand, Kael shrunk the flying ship into a small crystal and slipped it into his storage ring.
Ronan stood at the edge of the vast forest, eyes fixed on the towering mountains in the distance. His brow furrowed slightly as he muttered to himself, "This is not what I had expected."
Beside him, Sylphie gave a half-smile and nudged his shoulder. "Not what you expected, right?"
He blinked, then chuckled softly. "Yeah. I thought it would be more deserted. This was a battlefield, wasn't it? I imagined scorched earth and ruins."
He turned to her, puzzled. "Wait a second, how did you know what I was thinking?"
Sylphie grinned, proud and mischievous. "A few days ago, I learned mind-reading."
Ronan recoiled, face contorting in mock disgust. "Eww! You're becoming a pervert!"
"What did you just say?" Sylphie's eye twitched. She raised her fist and swung at his head.
Ronan ducked, laughing as the two erupted into a playful scuffle. Like true siblings, their banter filled the forest with life.
Kael, walking a few steps behind them, sighed and said dryly, "She didn't learn mind-reading. She just guessed. She also had the same thought when she first saw this place."
Sylphie turned to Kael with wide eyes and a betrayed look. "You betrayed me, Kael!"
Kael only shrugged, amused. Ronan rubbed his head and asked, "By the way, why are so many people heading that way?"
Kael looked to the left, toward a stream of figures in the distance. "Remember Orin and the others? They will be here too. They're all after the Aether pond."
Ronan squinted. "Ooh, there are—"
Smack! Sylphie landed a slap on his head.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Ronan cried, grabbing his head.
Sylphie puffed her cheeks, eyes narrowed. "Calling me a pervert, huh? Well then, you're the pervert!"
Still rubbing his head, Ronan muttered, "Geez..."
Kael pointed to their right. "Let's go. Our mission lies that way."
The group—Kael, Sylphie, Garrick, Darius, and Ronan—set off. After nearly three hours of trekking through uneven terrain and dense underbrush, they finally arrived at their destination. Before them loomed a cave entrance, dark and quiet.
Kael glanced back at the others. "We're here to mine spirit-imbued ores. Stay close and be cautious."
They entered the cave, torches flickering to life. Though they encountered a few monsters along the way, they were weak and easily dispatched. After an hour of navigating winding tunnels, they reached the mining site.
Kael, Ronan, and Darius began mining. As sparks flew from pickaxes clashing with stone, Ronan asked, "Kael, why is this mine abandoned? Doesn't seem dangerous."
Kael's expression darkened as he worked. "The monsters aren't the problem. It's the teleportation anomalies. Strange circles appear and send people to random places... and most never return. Seventy to eighty per cent just vanish. That's why the mine was sealed."
They mined until evening, and Kael eventually said, "That's enough. Let's head back."
They packed up, storing the ores in a storage ring. Fatigue clung to their bodies despite the magic healing their muscle strain. Their steps were sluggish.
Darius groaned dramatically. "I'm gonna die today. Aaa!"
Ronan joined in, stumbling with exaggerated pain. "Leave us behind! Tell our stories!"
Sylphie glanced over her shoulder, annoyed. "Will you two stop being so dramatic? Keep up, or you'll end up teleported somewhere!"
Ronan and Darius looked at each other and burst into another act, hugging and wailing. "Sylphie's cursing us! She doesn't want us anymore!"
Sylphie rolled her eyes hard. "Do these two ever take anything seriously?"
Suddenly, Kael raised his voice, urgent and sharp. "Fall back!"
They all jumped back just in time as a glowing magic circle appeared where they'd been standing. Light flared for a few seconds before the circle vanished.
Kael's eyes widened. "Run! Don't stop!"
They sprinted toward the exit, breath heavy, dodging sudden bursts of magic circles that lit up the cave floor. Ronan and Kael began to slow, exhaustion dragging at their limbs.
"I can't keep up!" Darius gasped.
A magic circle formed beneath his feet.
"Darius!" Ronan dashed toward him, grabbed his arm, and with a grunt, hurled him forward. "Garrick, catch!"
Garrick caught Darius just in time, dodging another magic circle.
They were so close. The exit was in sight.
Another magic circle formed—this time beneath Ronan.
He couldn't move.
Kael's voice rang out. "Don't stop moving!"
He launched himself back and reached for Ronan.
"Sylphie! Now!" Kael shouted.
Sylphie reacted instantly, summoning vines that wrapped around both Kael and Ronan. As the vines pulled, the magic circle activated.
Time froze for a breath.
"Wait for us!" Kael shouted.
And then—
They vanished in a burst of light.
Sylphie stared at the empty space where Ronan and Kael had just been. Her heart plummeted. Her chest ached. Her breath caught in her throat.
"No... Ronan... Kael..."
A new circle appeared—under Garrick and Sylphie.
Garrick, carrying Darius, turned to her. "We have to go! They'll be fine. They're the strongest of us. But we have to wait outside, in case they return."
His words pierced through the haze of fear. Sylphie clenched her fists. With tears in her eyes and a heavy heart, Sylphie nodded. Together, they dashed toward the exit.
With heavy hearts and burning lungs, they burst out of the cave—just as the circle behind them flared and disappeared.
They were safe.
But Ronan and Kael were gone.
And Sylphie's world had just become a little darker.