Iris awoke with a groan. Rolling to her side, she pressed a hand on her head. It pounded ferociously. She wondered if she had used too much of her mana, because this had never happened before. Memories of the fight against the dark elves and tortoise golem slammed through her head at once.
She tried to bolt to her feet, intending to find Amelia and Chrysanthe, only to collapse back on the bed. She doubled over with a long groan and pressed her head on the makeshift bed she was lying on.
Gradually, the familiar scent of grass reached her nose. Iris could hear the trees singing, rousing her from her slumber. She sat up, only to realize that she was lying on the grass by a pond. She found herself at a clearing. There was no one in sight and the sun was about to set from afar.
"Melia? Chrys? Are you there?" She called out, knowing that her two friends would never abandon her while she was in deep slumber, but no one heeded her call.
