Earlier, before the Vryles' attack...
"I can feel her in Eriland now," Milky murmured with a wicked grin stretching across her lips. Her eyes sparkled—not with warmth, but with dark obsession. "She's finally there... I need to see her."
Meanwhile, Daniela lay slumped in the corner of a cold, dim chamber. Her strength was waning. Each attempt to escape had only drained her more. Bruises darkened her skin, and her spirit wavered—yet her will endured. Then, a chill wind slithered into the room, accompanied by a presence that twisted her insides with dread. The air thickened. The door creaked open, and there she was—Milky, the Vryle cloaked in shadows.
"I want to know where Trixie is," Milky hissed, stepping closer.
Daniela didn't respond. She merely glared, eyes defiant but silent. That defiance angered Milky. She reached out, her long, clawed fingers curling in Daniela's hair. With a vicious yank, she pulled until Daniela screamed in pain.
Milky leaned in, her breath ice cold against Daniela's ear. "You're going to show me... or I'll make you wish you were never born."
Suddenly, Daniela's hands moved involuntarily. A circle of shimmering light formed between them, casting an image into the air. It was Trixie—alive, in Eriland, holding something powerful.
A tear rolled down Daniela's cheek. Milky's eyes narrowed when she saw the stone. Her fury ignited like wildfire. "She betrayed me..." she growled, her voice trembling with rage. "She was supposed to deliver the stone to Ornaphendreul!"
"You should stop now," Daniela whispered through clenched teeth. "You'll never get what you want. Your greed will only bring you misery."
Milky let out a shriek and struck her hard across the face. Daniela's head slammed into the stone wall, blood smearing as she collapsed. The Vryle crouched, brushing her claw along the fresh wound and licking the blood with a deranged smile. But she pulled away before the thirst overtook her completely—she still needed Daniela alive.
She vanished into the darkness.
In Havirs Village...
Shiya lay on the warm white sand, breathing calmly for the first time in days. Gentle waves lapped nearby, and sunlight danced across the sea.
"What are your names?" she asked, her voice soft but curious. "And where is this place?"
The two girls beside her smiled.
"I'm Shiena," said the older one, "and this is my sister, Shiela."
"This is Havirs Village," Shiela added cheerfully. "The Land of Anyone's Desire. Whatever you dream, whatever your heart yearns for—it appears here."
Shiya blinked. "Is such a place real?"
"Try it," Shiena encouraged.
Shiya hesitated. Then, slowly, she closed her eyes.
The sound came first. A voice—familiar, warm, comforting.
"Shiya..."
Her breath caught. That voice... It couldn't be. She opened her eyes, and there he was—her father, standing under the sun with open arms.
Tears flowed freely as she bolted into his embrace. "Dad... I've missed you so much..."
She wept into his chest, unable to stop. All the pain she carried—the betrayal by Xyon, the humiliation, the emptiness—unraveled in that moment.
Her father held her, his own voice trembling. "Forget it all, Shiya. I'm here now. You're safe."
A little distance away, Shiela and Shiena prepared a small meal, smiling and humming a tune. Everything felt perfect.
But perfection never lasts.
Back in Eriland...
"Wait!" Sushie called after Ornaphendreul. "Don't just leave. Let Shiya go. She doesn't belong in this."
Ornaphendreul paused. His eyes held a flicker of curiosity. "You brought her in?"
"Yes," Sushie admitted. "I entrusted her with the stone. I was injured. I didn't know she'd cross into Eriland."
Ornaphendreul frowned, deep in thought. Something about Shiya was stirring old shadows within him. He remembered the moment she crossed the threshold—how her soul had cried out for death, not salvation. It had been her wish to vanish. But fate, and Sushie, had decided otherwise.
"She will choose her fate," he said coldly. "If she finds purpose, she will return. If not... she will perish."
Sushie's heart sank. "Where is she now?"
"Havirs Village," he replied. "A realm born from desire. A beautiful lie. Time bends there. By sunset, she must choose to leave—or she will be devoured."
"Devoured?!"
"At night, the villagers lose themselves. They become monsters, driven by hunger. If she stays, there will be no escape."
Sushie clenched her fists, fear growing in her chest.
As the sun dipped low in Havirs Village...
Shiya stood atop a hill, overlooking the sea. The golden light of the setting sun painted everything in warm, amber tones. Her father and the girls laughed below, preparing food. Peace wrapped her like a blanket. But something inside her stirred.
"I wish I could stay here forever," she whispered. "No pain. No betrayal. Just... love."
But then she looked at the horizon—and a strange unease crept in. The sunlight dimmed faster than it should. The sky began to turn gray. A cold gust swept the village.
Shiela looked up suddenly. "It's getting dark... we should go home now."
Shiena's smile faded. "Quickly. Before it's too late."
Shiya watched them scramble, a sense of dread blooming in her chest. Her father took her hand.
"Stay with us," he pleaded. "Don't go back. There's nothing for you there."
She looked into his eyes—and for the first time, saw something hollow. Something unreal.
"This isn't real, is it?" she whispered.
He didn't answer.
"Dad... I want to stay. But I can't. There's something... I still need to do."
His hand fell away.
The sun slipped behind the hill.
And the villagers began to change.
"Stay with us," they whispered, voices low and hungry.
Shiya backed away, heart racing. The world she'd believed in, the warmth, the love—it was all a lie. Havirs Village wasn't a paradise. It was a trap.
They lunged.
Shiya ran.
She tore through the woods, the monsters snarling behind her. Branches clawed at her skin, her breath hitched in panic—but then, just ahead, she saw it:
A narrow slit of light—shimmering, alive, calling her.
Without a second thought, she dove into it.
Everything vanished.
She gasped, lying on the cold ground of a different place. The forest around her was silent, real. The nightmare was gone.
Shiya sat up slowly, her body trembling, her arm bleeding from a deep scratch.
She turned her eyes to the sky—where the faint trace of the light was fading...
"Shiya!...."