After an embarrassing fall, Elara and the unnamed handsome boy continue their journey to achieve their respective goals.
'I'm looking for a tree, and he needs water... This unexpected team-up with different goals on the same path feels odd,' Elara thought, sensing a strange but undefined unease.
After walking for a few minutes into a densely unfamiliar forest, a profound silence settled between the two of them.
"..."
The journey felt oddly awkward, with only the rhythmic hush of footsteps breaking the silence. Strangely, this absence of chatter didn't bring discomfort.
Occasionally, Elara glanced around, carefully studying the surroundings—dense trees stretching endlessly. Her hope lingered on spotting an orange tree, a standout from the ordinary ones, as described by Wika. Yet, every tree passed seemed mundane, lacking the distinct orange hue Elara sought.
The notable difference here was the seemingly random clustering of trees, creating an isolated feeling, unlike the spaced-out forests near her home that offered a more open ambiance.
As the distance from the supposedly safe village boundary increased, Elara, initially calm, grew restless. Her gaze darted around, muttering to herself while observing the trees.
'Could it be further inside...?' Elara pondered, replaying Wika's instructions in her mind.
'He said, after entering this new forest, walk straight until two paths diverge, then take the left one.'
Regardless of how deep Elara ventured into this unfamiliar forest, which oddly lacked the daily gusts of wind she was accustomed to, the path Wika mentioned remained elusive.
A growing unease nestled in her heart, bothering Elara, though she couldn't pinpoint the exact cause.
"..." For now, Elara kept her worries to herself, silently observing the small yet sturdy back of the boy with shoulder-length black hair neatly tied in front.
The boy, only slightly taller than Elara, deliberately led the way, clearing rocks and tree branches to prevent any interference or tripping for Elara.
'At least he's genuinely considerate,' Elara thought, finding satisfaction. The boy's presence alleviated her anxiety and fear, even if only slightly.
Silently, Elara was pondering what might truly lie within this new forest, to the extent that there was a boy who appeared to be not even 10 years old, without a single guardian, lost amid the second-layered wilderness of Galatea like this.
From his appearance, Elara surmised that the person was in quite a dire situation, as he seemed incredibly desperate while searching for water, almost as if he hadn't had a drink in a week.
'... The human body is most vulnerable to dehydration, so it's impossible to survive that long without water,' Elara thought, reflexively shaking her head.
Thinking that dwelling on such matters would only make her needlessly anxious, Elara decided to glance around again.
Badump!
Elara abruptly halted, her heart racing as if trying to convey a message.
"... Eh?"
She touched her chest, feeling the rhythmic beat as if it were a melody.
Once again, a cascade of foreign sensations enveloped her, gradually embracing her from head to toe. Familiar yet strangely comforting, Elara closed her eyes to immerse herself in this sensation, feeling as if she were being gently embraced.
"... Humph."
Elara snapped back, blinking in confusion, as if unaware of the recent moments.
Quickly scanning her surroundings, she gaped in astonishment, realizing she had stepped into a forest entirely different from the one just moments ago.
Densely towering trees now framed her view, reaching so high that the only glimpse of the blue sky was a narrow strip. Fortunately, the sun still cast its bright rays.
Elara also noticed something else.
The forest emitted an entirely different aroma, a blend of fragrant wood and something soothing and refreshing. Rumored to cure respiratory ailments, it could be overpowering for the unaccustomed, even causing numbness in the sense of smell for hours.
For the average person who hasn't ventured into the five-layer forest of Galatea territory or lacks a special connection with nature—like an affinity for it or forming contracts with natural entities such as spirits or beasts—the journey can prove overwhelmingly perilous.
'It's bad...!!!!'
This scent, known across the Okeanos continent, signaled the entrance to the second layer of the forest on the way to the third layer.
Realizing all this, Elara frantically scanned her surroundings, secretly releasing a relieved breath when she spotted the unfamiliar back of the boy not far ahead.
Never before had she experienced such relief from merely glimpsing a stranger's back!
In the uncertainty of this unfamiliar forest, Elara understood that losing sight of the boy would easily lead to getting lost.
'Even though I'm not afraid of being alone in the forest, having someone to accompany me is comforting,' Elara thought, suppressing her growing unease to maintain a calm exterior.
With determination, Elara hastened her steps to catch up with the boy, desiring the companionship of walking side by side.
The boy's expression remained relatively composed, despite his deathly pale complexion. While his vitality seemed to have recovered a bit from the small bottle of water Elara had given him.
'... He wasn't that surprised by the drastic change in surroundings. Seems like he's familiar with this layer of the forest,' Elara concluded after careful observation.
For some reason, Elara refrained from inquiring about his identity and simply wished to admire his handsome face in the quiet atmosphere.
Despite Elara's unusual heartbeat subsiding, an unsettling feeling lingered—a sense of anticipation for an imminent event.
'It can't be helped, this is my first time entering the layered forest because Mother always forbade me until I turned 10,' Elara thought, rubbing her chest still fraught with anxiety. She stole a glance at the boy beside her, yearning to hear his voice.
"... Are we close or still far away?"
Elara finally decided to break the silence between the two of them.
"Still far," the boy responded in his calm voice, strangely putting Elara at ease.
"Is that so? The place I'm heading to also seems quite a distance away," Elara murmured.
"..."
The atmosphere fell silent once more, with only the echoing sounds of their footsteps in this unfamiliar forest.
It was clear in Elara's bare eyes that the boy beside her had no interest in engaging in pointless conversation like before and chose to ignore her.
However, despite this, Elara felt compelled to listen to whatever calm words the boy uttered, even if it was just one or two words, to ease her growing anxiety.
In silence, she attempted to find a more interesting topic or clue to discuss, although she still felt uncomfortable with the situation.
"By the way, what are you doing here?"
"... Searching for something."
"!"
Elara quietly cheered in her heart because the boy didn't ignore her as she had thought.
"What is it? Wait, you didn't come here just to look for water, did you?" Elara asked with a cheerful tone, subtly trying to lighten the tense atmosphere between them.
"..."
The atmosphere returned to silence, but Elara, who was busy humming, suddenly fell silent as if realizing something.
'Could it be that he's really searching for a special water source within the Galatea territory..?' Elara tilted her head, her eyebrows forming a cute wrinkle.
'I do know that the Galatea territory is said to be filled with immensely abundant and mysterious natural treasures that are nearly inaccessible to ordinary humans, but special water or something like that...?' Elara thought to herself, feeling skeptical.
Elara spontaneously turned towards the young boy because he hadn't responded to her question at all. Strangely, the boy was also staring back at her with an unwavering gaze.
"... Impossible, right?" Elara asked, swallowing unconsciously.
The boy shrugged. "There's nothing impossible in this mysterious Galatea realm," he replied in a nonchalant and calm tone.
Two years ago, rumors circulated about a wanderer who accidentally stumbled upon a blue-colored door, a stark departure from the usual golden doors considered as hidden portals within the Galatea territory, and it had shaken the continent of Okeanos.
The wanderer, despite their disheveled appearance, had a radiant face as they recounted their discovery with great enthusiasm. They narrated how they had found a place resembling paradise, a spring of water unlike any other, believed to be mixed with the remnants of the power of the first Queen Titaia, a figure known for her supreme sanctity and greatness.
Although everyone was astir with excitement upon hearing the story, no one could confirm its truth. Some regarded it as a tale spun by the wanderer's imagination, while others believed it might be true. The Galatea territory itself was renowned for being a mysterious and unpredictable place.
While some were enthusiastic about exploring the Galatea territory, many retreated upon realizing its continued dangers. Moreover, to venture into this territory, one needed to meet numerous conditions, including luck and a strong affinity with nature.
Elara glared at him. "... Hey, don't tell me we're actually searching for that special spring or whatever has been rumored lately?"
Ignoring Elara's sharp gaze, the boy answered calmly and succinctly, "Yes."
"Crazy," Elara muttered, her surprise slipping out unintentionally.
"...?" The boy gazed at Elara's petite face with a question mark. "... Did you just mutter something?"
Elara, her mind now filled with various troubling thoughts, decided to ignore the question from the unfamiliar boy.
'Darn it, turns out I've been following someone who boldly entered the layered forest just based on rumors!' Elara thought with deep frustration.
Elara recalled how she had initially volunteered to help and was willing to accompany the boy in search of a water source because they were heading in the same direction, especially since the boy seemed to know the way in this unfamiliar forest.
However, now Elara was increasingly convinced that this boy was simply naive, lacking knowledge or experience beyond his faith in rumors, without understanding the peril of being lost in such a dangerous forest.
Although Elara didn't have negative feelings toward those who came to the Galatea territory to change their fate and destiny, she was disturbed by their recklessness, solely focused on potential gains within the region without considering their safety.
For Elara, who highly valued her life as it was her second chance at it, she only wanted to live in peace without being threatened by the hasty decisions of strangers who seemed greedy for the unconfirmed truth behind the rumors.
Therefore, Elara began to feel that it might be better for her to part ways and find a tree on her own rather than continue following someone who was too reckless.
"I'll go back--"
Elara stopped talking and stood still like a statue. She felt something odd for a moment but didn't know what it was.
Elara suddenly looked at her feet, sensing a vague and violent rumbling beneath the ground. Strangely, her body remained unaffected, as if she didn't feel a thing.
[Do...gde!]
"Huh..?"
Badump!
"Close," as if sensing the same thing, the boy suddenly mumbled, and his feet also came to an abrupt halt.
Elara blinked, feeling a strong sense of confusion, perhaps for the first time in her newly five-year-old life.
'... What's happening?'
"Close," the boy repeated, causing Elara's heart to beat rapidly.
Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump!
The once absent aura, masked by his weakened state, now transformed into a chilling and menacing presence—something uncommon for children. The handsome and indifferent boy underwent a drastic change, emanating an aura warning against approaching. However, this intimidating energy wasn't directed at Elara, whom he had previously ignored, but in another direction.
Elara, with her body still frozen, gazed in the same direction the boy was observing. There was nothing there but towering trees. Nevertheless, Elara had a gut feeling that something was about to happen.
After pondering intensely and relying on her intuition, Elara finally made a decision.
'I don't know what's happening, but all I know is we need to get out of here,' Elara thought to herself.
She looked at the young boy beside her, who had an inexplicably cold expression.
"Let's go," that's what Elara wanted to say, but suddenly the boy pulled her hand forcefully, startling her.
!!
Not only did he pull her hand, but he also hugged her tightly, as if something was trying to separate them, and he hugged Elara quickly.
The boy suddenly shouted. "Get down to the ground!"
"Huh, what?"
At a speed difficult to perceive by ordinary humans, there was something like a small, laser-like long beam coming from the front. This light could cut anyone who touched it into several pieces at lightning speed.
"!" Elara, her body pinned beneath the boy's, struggled to lift her head to see the ground in front of them.
She was greatly shocked to see the previously fine ground now burnt to a crisp as if attacked by something mysterious.
"What's happening..."
As if not intending to give Elara time to regain her focus in this surprising situation, another foreign attack emerged.
It was as if the wind from all directions in the forest converged in one place, forming a tornado that could lift them into the air if they didn't run and find a strong foothold.
Afterward, Elara couldn't remember anything. What she recalled was the moments before she felt engulfed by something foreign, when the boy was attempting to create a shield from some kind of water.
Elara, before closing her eyes, reached for the boy's hands, clenched so tightly that they bled while defending the water shield. A green mist began to emerge beneath their feet, but no one noticed it due to the chaotic situation at that moment.
Then, their bodies felt like they were floating quite high, followed by a radiant light, as if the sun was shining directly on them, and they ended up falling somewhere with a loud explosion.
Thud!
BOOOOOOM!
Both of them fell unconscious.