Lenna was relieved to finally reunite with Helen. Her suspicions about Rae had been confirmed—Rae was from Earth. This revelation left her with a flurry of questions. Had everyone in this world originated elsewhere? Or were she and Rae the exceptions? Lenna quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She had worked hard to bury the mistakes she made on Earth. Here, she could live as Violet, forging a new life and identity.
Seeing Helen brought an unexpected warmth to Lenna's heart. Memories of her surged forth, overwhelming and bittersweet. Helen was just as caring as Violet remembered. Lenna felt Violet's affection for her and, strangely, found herself sharing those feelings, despite not knowing Helen personally.
"My princess..." Helen's voice was filled with emotion. "Forgive me for not protecting you that day. I've been searching for you ever since. Thank Yggdrasil you're safe. I don't know how you escaped those slave traders, but nothing else matters now that you're alright."
Lenna nodded, her voice calm. "I'm alright. Now that we're together again, where should we go?"
Helen hesitated briefly. "We'll stay here for now."
"Okay, but I think I need to find a druid," Lenna said, her determination clear.
"A druid?" Helen's brow furrowed.
"Yes. I've learned that I'm a spirit elf, but I don't know how to use my powers properly."
Helen sighed. "I see. You want a druid to help you master your abilities. That won't be easy, though, considering you were exiled from the elven kingdom."
"I know," Lenna admitted. "But I was hoping to find another way."
"There is another way," Helen said carefully, "but it involves venturing into the demon realm."
"Then that's what we'll do," Lenna replied resolutely.
Helen looked uneasy. "It won't be that simple. We'd have to travel through the demon realm to find the dark elves. And elves don't exactly have friendly relations with demons. It could be dangerous."
"We'll manage," Lenna said with quiet confidence. "We'll find a way."
Helen sighed again but nodded. "As you wish, my princess. Let's rest at an inn tonight before we begin our journey."
The following morning, they set out after gathering supplies. The journey took four days, and although the forest they passed through was known for its monsters, they encountered none. The eerie stillness unsettled Lenna. When they finally reached their destination, they found a wall of black mist blocking their path.
Helen volunteered to test the mist's effects, cautiously extending her left hand into it. What followed was horrifying—her hand appeared to wither, the skin darkening as though it had undergone necrosis. Lenna panicked at the sight. Helen seemed paralyzed by shock, but Lenna quickly acted. Spotting the lush grass nearby, she drew water from the vegetation and began applying it to Helen's injured hand. When her own hands brushed against Helen's, something miraculous happened—the necrosis began to dissipate. At the same time, the grass beneath Lenna's feet withered and died.
Once Helen's hand was restored, they brainstormed ways to bypass the deadly mist. Lenna eventually came up with the idea of using a water-based shield. Drawing water from the surroundings, she painstakingly formed a large bubble meant to envelop them both. Despite her efforts, the shield proved unstable and burst before they could test it.
Helen, undeterred, stepped forward again. This time, as her hand entered the mist, a dim green hue surrounded her, repelling the corrosive fog. Lenna followed instinctively, and a blue-purple aura with hints of green shimmered around her as she stepped into the mist. Together, they pushed through the barrier and emerged into a vast desert on the other side.
The desert stretched endlessly, a barren expanse of golden dunes shimmering under the oppressive glare of the sun. The air itself seemed to ripple, a cruel mirage of water that never came. Lenna shielded her eyes with one trembling hand, the other steadying Helen as they trudged forward. Each grain of sand felt like fire beneath their boots, searing through the soles with every faltering step. Sweat trickled down Lenna's back, but the heat was so intense it evaporated almost instantly, leaving her parched and weary.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the rasp of their breathing and the crunch of sand shifting beneath their feet. Then, without warning, the ground beneath them quaked. Lenna's heart stuttered as she staggered, the tremor growing more violent with each passing second. Suddenly, the earth split open with a deafening roar, and a massive serpent-like creature erupted from the sand in an explosion of dust and grit.
Its scales gleamed like burnished bronze in the harsh sunlight, and its eyes, twin orbs of molten gold, locked onto them with predatory intent. Its maw opened wide, revealing rows of jagged, dagger-like teeth, and a deep hiss escaped its throat, sending vibrations through the air. Lenna froze, her mind racing, but Helen didn't hesitate. With a burst of energy, she yanked Lenna aside, the serpent's head crashing into the sand where they'd just stood.
Helen's strength, however, was spent. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious, her breathing shallow and labored. Lenna knelt beside her, panic surging through her veins. She looked up at the towering serpent, its shadow enveloping them like a harbinger of doom. She was no fighter, and her limited mastery over water seemed pitiful against a creature of this magnitude. Yet she had to act.
An idea struck her—desperate and risky. If she could draw the moisture from the serpent's body, she might weaken it. But how? The precision required was far beyond her capabilities. The creature reared back, its massive body casting waves of sand into the air as it prepared to strike again. Lenna clutched Helen to her chest, trembling.
Then, everything changed.
The serpent lunged, but before its fangs could reach them, an all-encompassing darkness swallowed them whole. The suffocating heat of the desert vanished, replaced by a weightless, cold void. Lenna opened her eyes—or perhaps she thought she did—for she could see nothing. Her body floated as if submerged in water, though no wetness clung to her skin. Helen was still in her arms, her unconscious form strangely serene in the eerie blackness.
Lenna's breath quickened, her mind racing for an explanation. The black void seemed infinite, stretching endlessly in all directions. Panic clawed at her chest until a faint light pierced the darkness, distant and impossibly small. Clinging to hope, she kicked her legs and propelled herself forward, the sensation of swimming becoming more vivid as she moved. Her arms burned, and her muscles ached, but she refused to stop, not while Helen's life depended on her.
The light grew stronger, illuminating the darkness in shimmering hues of silver and gold. Lenna felt a sudden pull, as if invisible hands were guiding her upward. The light enveloped her, searing her senses, and in the next moment, she was gasping for air.
She stumbled to her feet, still clutching Helen, and found herself standing before an enormous gate. The structure loomed impossibly high, its surface carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and shimmer in the ambient light. Strange symbols glowed faintly along its frame, pulsating with an otherworldly energy. Lenna turned, expecting to see the serpent, but the desert and the creature were gone, replaced by an otherworldly expanse of soft, glowing mist.
Her heart raced as she took in her surroundings. Where were they? What had happened? The oppressive silence of this new place was almost as suffocating as the desert heat had been. Lenna tightened her grip on Helen, her gaze fixed on the towering gate.