DEATH REALM
Silence ruled the land.
Ysabella and Nakid stood before the massive corpse of the alpha male boar, sprawled on the ground like the remnant of a fallen reign. Around them, the purple vegetation swayed gently, almost as if paying respect to the death of one of the forest's most dominant creatures.
Ysabella narrowed her eyes.
— There… I can see Yoreru's secret hideout.
Nakid blinked.
— So… we're going to live underground now…?
A faint smile curved Ysabella's lips.
— After everything we've been through, I think we've earned a break. Just a little respite before what comes next.
They settled inside the shelter. The calm felt deceptive.
Nakid broke the silence, his voice hesitant.
— Do you think… something is happening in the real world?
Ysabella froze.
— I don't know. And I don't want to know.
She took a slow breath.
— Time flows differently here. It feels like I've been in this world for an eternity.
Then, more gravely:
— One thing is certain… we are not alone. There are animals. Vegetation. Everything resembles the living world… except them.
She gestured toward the boar's bones.
— They're skeletal. I even wonder if they possess consciousness.
—T hey're primitive animals, Nakid replied. I doubt they have true reason.
Ysabella crouched beside the carcass.
— Look. We can eat.
Nakid frowned.
— But there's no flesh left… and we don't even have stomachs anymore.
— In this world, we eat for pleasure. Not out of necessity.
Nakid looked away.
— I used to raise livestock. I don't kill without reason. Only to survive.
— Then let's say we killed it to protect me… and to satisfy my hunger.
Nakid swayed slightly.
— I'm exhausted… My aura needs time to recover. I'm going to sleep.
He collapsed almost instantly.
Ysabella watched him for a long moment, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
He loses aura when he uses his power… but it regenerates over time.
What if…
She approached quietly. A tear was still sliding down Nakid's cheek. Ysabella caught it, then let it seep into the boar's remains.
The liquid that formed was greenish, vibrating with a dense, unstable aura.
Without hesitation…
She drank it.
In an instant, everything went black.
---
Screams.
Children's voices.
Ysabella and Nakid jolted awake.
They rushed out of Yoreru's hideout… and saw them.
The prodigy children.
They were terrified.
An aura had swept through the area—
a deep, freezing blue, like lapis lazuli.
An aura felt as pure aggression.
Louis staggered, his eyes empty.
— He was too fast… I didn't even see him…
Miya lay on the ground, burning hot, her ears severely injured.
Ryan, consumed by rage, was smashing trees apart with his bare hands.
— Ysabella! Nakid shouted.
Let me go—I can heal them!
— No. We don't know who they are.
— She's a child! She's hurt!
Ysabella grabbed his arm, her voice trembling.
— Come back alive.
Nakid nodded and stepped forward.
Ryan immediately placed himself between them. Their gazes collided.
— Why should we trust you? Enemy… or ally?
Nakid answered with action.
He deliberately shattered his own fingers.
Tears burst forth, mixed with his aura. Within seconds, his bones regenerated.
He pointed toward Miya.
Ryan understood.
Nakid healed her. Her condition stabilized, though she remained trapped in deep shock.
Louis spoke.
— His name was Rasfi. His aura was monstrous. He was looking for the King. He attacked us… then stopped. He said we would die soon… that we were too weak.
Nakid went pale.
— Rasfi… He's a noble from my kingdom. He's looking for the King… then that means he's dead too?
— Where are you from? Louis asked.
— The center of Erusaert.
— Miya's family was from Eruasert. Famous musicians. She fled to Iange because of her illness… That kingdom is a graveyard for the sick.
Nakid clenched his fists.
— There's a shelter nearby. Stay with us for a while. I'm Nakid. This is Ysabella.
— Hello, kids.
— Hi! Shiyo waved.
Say hello, Pips.
The creature lifted a paw… and pointed at the boar behind Ysabella.
— Don't worry, Ysabella said with a smile. We're not going to eat you.
Night fell.
Ysabella knelt beside Miya and softly sang a gentle melody. A peaceful aura wrapped around her ears. Her face finally relaxed.
A new alliance was born.
But far away…
Something was already watching.