Leo's world spins violently through the air, each rotation tearing him farther from where he needs to be. The World Tower shrinks in the distance, its magnificent spire now just a needle against the horizon. Below him stretches an endless sea of green, a dense forest canopy that seems to go on forever.
Amanda's face flashes through his mind, then Roxanne's, and the rage that had almost consumed him moments before overflows once more.
Dark appendages erupt from his back in an instant. They unfurl into pitch-black wings that catch the air with a thunderous crack. His momentum dies instantly, leaving him hovering high above the forest, muscles coiling like springs ready to launch back toward his goal.
But then a tingling sensation brushes across his face. Immediate but strangely familiar.
The rage dissolves into nothing as his tensed body relaxes. The fury that had driven him to assault the World Tower itself simply vanishes.
Gone.
Ai materializes in the air beside him, followed moments later by the two white cats, their forms solidifying from wisps of light. For one impossible heartbeat, all three of them hover there suspended between sky and ground.
Then gravity remembers its purpose.
Leo smiles as three additional black limbs burst from his back, moving with purposely.
They catch Ai first, wrapping around her waist with surprising gentleness, then cradle each cat in a tendril of living shadow. He pulls them up slowly until they're level with him, held secure against the vast emptiness of the sky.
"Seems we won't be entering the World Tower today," Leo says.
"Without a proper weapon, I can't defeat Silva. But I'm confident I can at least stir things up for Amanda."
He pauses, watching the last wisps of dark energy fade from his fingers.
"Ai, take us to Amanda."
Ai nods without hesitation.
Her fingers begin their dance through the air with inhuman precision. A shimmering map materializes beside her, continents and oceans rendered in glowing threads of energy - blues for water, greens and browns for land, golden dots marking cities and settlements across the known world.
With a few more calculated gestures, she zeros in on their destination. The Elven Domain fills her vision, showing ancient forests and hidden cities in a realm apart from the human kingdoms.
Move to Elven Domain?
The system prompt hovers before them, awaiting confirmation.
Ai taps 'Yes.'
The world explodes into light as a magic circle blazes to life beneath them. Its complexity defies comprehension. Runes spiral within runes, symbols that hurt to look at directly weave together in patterns that shouldn't exist.
The teleportation magic claims them in a blinding flash.
The World Tower slowly fades away.
Then, solid ground.
Leo's feet touch down on soft earth covered in moss that cushions his landing. His black wings retract slowly, folding back into his body. The additional limbs that had held his companions dissolve into shadow, gently setting Ai and the cats on the mossy ground beside him.
He looks up.
Ancient trees tower overhead.
Their colossal trunks dwarfing even the tallest watchtowers of the human kingdom. Their leaves shimmered with an otherworldly luminosity, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.
The air was thick with magic, each breath infused with the earthy scent of ancient woodlands and whispers of arcane secrets. An otherworldly aroma permeated the atmosphere. A blend of sweet nectar, rich loam, and an elusive, ethereal note that tingled on the edge of perception. It was intoxicating and slightly disorienting. Making Leo's enhanced senses tingle with each inhalation.
For a moment, Leo stood engrossed by the majesty of the Elven Domain. His newfound abilities picked up something else.
A presence.
Multiple ones.
Moving within the depths of the forest. Giant figures, their exact nature unclear, roamed among the trees. Subtle tremors pulsed through the earth beneath his feet. Each one hinting at the passage of colossal beings hidden within the forest's depths.
The boundary between the familiar world and this realm of ancient magic was evident. Leo stood at the threshold, keenly aware that each step forward would take him deeper into a world of wonder and danger.
Where the rules he knew might no longer apply.