The moment I crossed the portal...
The world vanished.
There was no ground beneath my feet.
No sky above my head.
Even the sensation of direction disappeared.
For a single heartbeat, it felt as though my entire body had been swallowed by endless darkness.
Then...
Gravity suddenly returned.
Or perhaps...
It disappeared.
I honestly couldn't tell.
One moment I was falling.
The next, I felt like I was flying upward.
Then both sensations happened at the same time.
"...What?"
My body floated helplessly through a massive tunnel made entirely of violet light.
No...
Calling it a tunnel didn't feel right.
It resembled an endless river flowing through the darkness between realms.
Countless streams of light rushed past us, twisting around the transparent walls surrounding the passage. Strange symbols occasionally appeared within those walls before disappearing just as quickly, as if they had never existed.
There was no beginning.
There was no end.
Only an endless current carrying us forward.
I instinctively tried to stop myself.
Nothing happened.
It felt like an invisible force had completely taken control of my body.
No matter how hard I tried to move...
The current simply ignored my efforts.
"...So we're just passengers."
I muttered quietly.
Ahead of me, Alysa laughed happily as though this were some kind of amusement ride.
"Woooo!"
She stretched both arms while letting the current carry her.
Gray wasn't much better.
"Hahaha!"
"This is amazing!"
He suddenly leaned forward.
"Race you!"
Before I could even react, both of them shot ahead with the flow, disappearing farther into the tunnel.
"...Seriously?"
I watched the two of them compete like children before letting out a helpless sigh.
They had only entered another realm a few minutes ago...
Yet somehow they had already turned it into a game.
At least they weren't nervous anymore.
That was probably a good thing.
I allowed the current to carry me quietly while observing my surroundings.
The walls fascinated me.
They looked transparent.
Almost like glass.
Beyond them...
Nothing could be seen.
Only endless darkness.
Curiosity slowly overcame caution.
I gently drifted closer.
The nearer I moved...
The stranger my body felt.
A heavy pressure settled inside my chest.
My breathing became slower.
Every heartbeat echoed louder than the last.
It wasn't painful.
It was...
Wrong.
As if my instincts themselves were screaming at me to stay away.
"...What is this?"
I stretched my hand toward the transparent wall.
The instant my fingertips touched it...
A violent chill shot through my entire arm.
Cold.
No...
It wasn't ordinary cold.
I had experienced freezing winds before.
Snowstorms.
Ice magic.
None of them felt anything like this.
This cold carried no temperature.
It was the complete absence of warmth.
The absence of life.
The absence of existence itself.
My breathing stopped.
For one terrifying moment...
I felt something staring back at me from beyond the wall.
Not a person.
Not a monster.
Just...
Something.
Something so vast that my mind couldn't even begin to understand it.
My instincts screamed.
Every muscle in my body tensed.
Without thinking, I immediately pulled my hand away.
The pressure disappeared.
Air rushed back into my lungs.
"...What..."
I quietly looked at my fingertips.
They weren't frozen.
There wasn't even a mark.
Yet...
The feeling remained.
As though something impossible had briefly brushed against my soul.
I slowly looked back toward the transparent wall.
The darkness beyond remained completely silent.
Almost peaceful.
As if nothing had happened.
"...If this barrier..."
I whispered unconsciously.
"...ever broke..."
The thought alone made my spine grow cold.
What exactly existed outside this passage?
What kind of place lay between worlds?
The answer...
Probably wasn't something I wanted to know.
"...Zaraf!"
Gray's voice echoed from ahead.
"What are you doing back there?"
I blinked before looking forward.
Gray and Alysa had somehow moved far ahead during the time I had been muttering with my self.
"...Nothing."
I forced myself to smile before allowing the current to pull me forward .
Whatever existed beyond those walls...
Today wasn't the day to find out.
Soon enough...
The three of us were once again traveling together.
Or...
Trying to.
Alysa had somehow convinced Gray that racing through the current was an excellent idea.
The two repeatedly accelerated whenever the flow became stronger before laughing like children every time one overtook the other.
"You're cheating!"
Gray shouted.
"I'm literally floating!"
"So am I!"
"Then how are you faster?!"
"I don't know!"
"...That's unfair!"
Their argument echoed endlessly throughout the tunnel.
I simply watched them in silence.
"...Idiots."
Still...
Watching them laugh somehow made the endless journey feel shorter.
Time gradually lost all meaning.
There were no suns.
No moons.
No changing skies.
Nothing to measure its passing.
Only the endless current carrying us deeper between the two realms.
Eventually...
Even Gray grew tired.
He lazily floated beside me while stretching his arms.
"...How much longer?"
"I have no idea."
Alysa sighed dramatically.
"I'm bored..."
"You were the one who wanted to race."
"...That was hours ago."
Gray looked toward Tale.
"So?"
"How much farther?"
Tale calmly yawned before pointing ahead.
"...Look."
The three of us raised our heads simultaneously.
Far in the distance...
Something appeared.
At first...
It looked like another wall.
Except...
It wasn't transparent.
It stretched across the entire passage, glowing with pale silver light.
The closer we drifted...
The larger it became.
"...We're going to crash!"
Gray suddenly shouted.
His face immediately lost all color.
Tale rolled his eyes.
"We're not."
"It's the exit."
"Once you pass through it..."
"...You'll arrive in the Fairy Realm."
Alysa's eyes sparkled once again.
"We're here!"
Without waiting another second...
She leaned forward and shot toward the silver wall at full speed.
"...Alysa!"
Gray instinctively reached after her.
Too late.
She had already disappeared straight through it.
Gray swallowed.
"...I don't like this."
His body visibly stiffened.
"I don't trust walls."
"...What?"
"They're dangerous."
"...It's a wall."
"Exactly!"
He looked at me with complete seriousness.
"What if it hurts?"
Before I could answer...
He suddenly grabbed my arm.
"...Gray."
"What?"
"Let go."
"...No."
"We're about to hit it!"
"I need emotional support!"
I stared at him.
"...You're older than me."
"So?"
"..."
There was absolutely no dignity left.
I tried pulling my arm free.
He held on even tighter.
"...If the fairies see us like this..."
"They'll think we're idiots."
Gray looked offended.
"They'll think we're close friends."
"...That doesn't help."
Just before reaching the glowing wall, I finally managed to shake his hand away.
Unfortunately...
Instead of grabbing my arm...
He clung to my shoulder.
"...Seriously?"
"...Sorry!"
"I panicked!"
"...Great."
"So much for making a good first impression."
The silver wall rapidly approached.
There was no stopping now.
I closed my eyes.
The moment we touched it...
Everything disappeared into brilliant white light.
...
...
A gentle breeze brushed against my face.
Birds sang somewhere nearby.
The scent of fresh grass drifted through the air.
Slowly...
I opened my eyes.
Sunlight poured down from above.
The first thing I saw...
Was Gray still clinging to me.
"..."
Without hesitation...
I shoved him away.
He rolled across the ground before quickly sitting up.
"...Hey!"
"You survived."
"...You're welcome."
I ignored him.
Instead...
I slowly stood.
Behind us was what looked like the hollow interior of an enormous ancient tree.
Its walls were made entirely of smooth wood, large enough to resemble a natural cave.
Pieces of glowing bark rested along the ground, illuminating the inside with a faint golden light.
"...Where are we?"
Gray looked around in amazement.
"...The Fairy Realm?"
"I..."
Before I could answer...
A familiar voice echoed from outside.
"Wow!"
"You two are so slow!"
Alysa.
She sounded perfectly fine.
Already outside.
I exchanged a glance with Gray before we quietly walked toward the bright opening ahead.
The moment I stepped outside...
Warm sunlight flooded my vision.
I instinctively raised a hand to shield my eyes.
The brightness was overwhelming after spending what felt like hours surrounded by darkness.
Gradually...
My vision adjusted.
The first breath I took almost stopped me in place.
The air...
Felt different.
Cleaner.
Lighter.
Every breath carried the scent of flowers and ancient forests.
Birds sang somewhere beyond the trees.
Gentle wind brushed across endless fields stretching toward the horizon.
Everything felt...
Alive.
More alive than anywhere I had ever been.
"...So this..."
I whispered.
"...is the Fairy Realm."
"...So this..."
I whispered almost unconsciously.
"...is the Fairy Realm."
For several long moments...
None of us spoke.
The world before us was nothing like I had imagined.
It wasn't overflowing with glowing castles suspended among the clouds.
It wasn't filled with tiny winged fairies dancing through flowers.
Instead...
It felt...
Real.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers through the air. Birds sang somewhere within the endless forest surrounding us, while countless rays of sunlight slipped through leaves that shimmered with faint traces of mana. The trees themselves were unlike anything I had ever seen. Their trunks were wider than ordinary houses, their branches stretched high enough to disappear into the clouds, and their leaves reflected tiny specks of golden light whenever the wind passed through them.
Everything looked peaceful.
Yet...
Somehow...
The realm itself carried an invisible pressure.
It wasn't hostile.
It simply reminded me that I was standing inside a world that wasn't my own.
"...Creator Zaraf?"
A calm feminine voice pulled me back from my thoughts.
I looked forward.
Standing before us was a young fairy.
For a second...
I froze.
She...
Wasn't small.
She stood at almost the exact same height as us.
Long silver hair rested over a neatly pressed emerald-green uniform decorated with golden embroidery around the collar. A small crystal badge rested over her chest.
She smiled professionally before extending her hand.
"Welcome to the Fairy Realm."
"My name is Elta."
"I'm a representative of the Imagery World Log Department."
I blinked once.
Then again.
"...Wait."
My eyes unconsciously traveled from her face...
...to her height.
Then back again.
"You..."
"...aren't small."
For a brief second...
Silence filled the area.
Gray slowly covered his face.
Alysa tilted her head in confusion.
Elta blinked twice before letting out a quiet laugh.
"So that's the first question every creator asks."
Before she could answer...
Gray looked at me with complete disbelief.
"...Don't tell me..."
"You actually thought every fairy was tiny?"
"..."
I quietly looked away.
"...Maybe."
Gray stared at me.
"...You've seriously believed that until today?"
"...Maybe."
"...How?"
"I don't know."
Before Gray could continue laughing...
A familiar figure lazily walk between us.
Tale crossed his arms before sighing dramatically.
"We were never small."
His expression looked strangely offended.
"Our average height is almost identical to humans."
"The only reason you see us as tiny inside the Imagery World..."
"...is because of the Rulers."
The moment he spoke that final word...
His carefree expression disappeared.
Even his voice became noticeably heavier.
Rulers.
I had heard that word several times now.
Every time someone mentioned it...
The atmosphere subtly changed.
Almost as if the word itself carried authority.
Tale noticed my expression before continuing.
"There are countless laws governing interactions between realms."
"One of them changes our physical form whenever we enter the Imagery World."
"It protects both worlds."
"...And keeps certain balances intact."
He didn't explain further.
Somehow...
I felt it was intentional.
There were still many things creators weren't supposed to know.
"...I see."
So...
The tiny fairy I had always known...
Was never actually tiny.
That realization alone completely changed how I viewed the relationship between our two worlds.
While I remained lost in thought...
Gray had already become distracted.
His eyes wandered toward the nearby.
Fairies walked in every direction.
Some wore elegant robes.
Others carried books larger than themselves.
Several groups laughed together while discussing something I couldn't hear.
"...Quite a lot of pretty girls."
Gray muttered absentmindedly.
Tale slowly turned his head.
"...Gray."
"Hm?"
"...Behave."
"I am behaving."
"...You're staring."
"I'm observing."
"...You're smiling."
"...Scientifically."
"..."
Even Alysa couldn't stop herself from laughing.
I quietly shook my head.
"...Don't get beaten up on the first day."
Gray confidently crossed his arms.
"I'll be fine."
Five seconds later...
One passing fairy noticed him staring.
She frowned.
Gray immediately looked somewhere else.
"...See?"
"I avoided disaster."
"..."
Some people never learned.
Elta politely cleared her throat.
"If everyone is finished..."
"I'll explain why you're here."
Her tone instantly regained its professional composure.
"The Imagery World Log Department is responsible for every matter involving creators."
She began walking, motioning for us to follow.
Naturally...
We did.
As we left the enormous hollow tree behind, the scenery gradually changed.
As we continued walking...
She resumed her explanation.
"Our department records every creator."
"Every contractor."
"Every completed contract."
"Every broken contract."
"Every historical event involving the Imagery World."
She spoke as though listing ordinary paperwork.
To me...
It sounded unbelievable.
Gray finally looked interested.
"...Everything?"
Elta nodded.
"Everything."
"Our records go back thousands of years."
"The Log Department exists so neither realm forgets its history."
I couldn't help asking,
"So..."
"You decide who forms contracts?"
"In many cases."
She answered honestly.
"We evaluate compatibility."
"Potential risks."
"Political consequences."
"Balance between realms."
"There are many factors."
"...Not every creator is allowed to contract every fairy."
Those words immediately caught my attention.
"...Then..."
I quietly asked,
"...Bell."
Elta glanced toward me.
"So you've heard."
"I have."
"I came here..."
"...because of her."
For a brief moment...
She remained silent.
Then...
She nodded.
"...Which is exactly why our Head wishes to meet you."
Something inside my chest tightened.
So...
This meeting wasn't simply a greeting.
It was about Bell.
About our contract.
About everything that had happened before.
Eventually...
The wide road ended before an enormous building unlike anything else nearby.
Compared to the living architecture surrounding it...
This structure looked surprisingly simple.
Elegant white stone.
Tall wooden doors.
Large crystal windows reflecting the morning sunlight.
It wasn't built to impress.
It was built to endure.
Above the entrance rested a silver emblem depicting two hands reaching toward one another across a star.
"The Headquarters..."
Elta quietly said,
"...of the Imagery World Log Department."
We climbed the broad staircase together.
Fairies dressed in formal uniforms respectfully greeted Elta as we passed.
Some briefly glanced toward us.
Others openly stared.
Creators were clearly an unusual sight here.
Eventually...
We reached a pair of large wooden doors.
Elta stopped.
She gently knocked three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
A calm voice answered from inside.
"...Come in."
For some reason...
My heartbeat suddenly became much louder.
I didn't know why.
Perhaps...
Because deep inside...
I felt that the moment these doors opened...
Everything would begin to change.
Elta slowly pushed them open.
Sunlight poured into the quiet office.
"...Please."
"The Head has been expecting you."
I silently took my first step inside.