Several hours had passed, and the soft whines of the handsome boy beside her, persistently asking for water, were no longer audible. Elara realized that the boy had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep.
Despite her relief, Elara realized urgent help was crucial to save the boy. Unfortunately, her body felt so crushed that getting up seemed impossible!
"Actually, what happened to land us both in this situation?" Elara muttered.
While memories flooded back, the events post-attack remained a mystery.
'What was that mysterious light?' Elara wondered.
After gazing at the sky, which was slowly losing its radiance as the sun neared the horizon, Elara finally made a decision.
"I think I should sit up to get a better look around," Elara murmured, observing her surroundings while still lying down.
Elara held her breath as she forced herself to move. With great effort, Elara managed to sit up, leaning against a large tree that provided some comfort for her aching back.
Elara felt the rumble of hunger in her stomach and glanced up at the tall branches of the tree above her, seeing the faint illusion of tempting fruits, and began to daydream.
"If only this tree could drop those delicious-looking fruits..."
"Ouch..." Elara felt a twinge in her back, continuing to open her mouth. "If only the tree behind me could transform into a soft and comfortable backrest...."
Elara closed her eyes.
"If only this tree..."
Elara continued to ponder seemingly impossible things as if today were her last day in this strange world. Meanwhile, the evening breeze in the unknown forest began to blow, enveloping her and the boy, giving her a faint chill.
"Nooooo!" Elara's frustration erupted, and she screamed out of sheer frustration.
Growling, Elara continued to tousle her brown hair as if trying to remain calm.
For some reason, since she first realized she was trapped in this unknown situation, Elara had felt that something strange and peculiar was slowly emerging in her heart.
Badump! Badump!
Elara sensed an unusual reaction in her heart with each beat, but she couldn't comprehend its cause.
'Could it be that I'm sick...?'
Elara promptly dismissed the thought, shaking her head to dispel the notion.
'Impossible! I'm already burdened with a rare hereditary disease; how could I acquire yet another ailment? Is the Goddess in this world displeased with a reincarnation like me trying to live peacefully?' Elara grumbled to herself.
So, what was really happening? Elara kept asking herself, like someone who had lost her way due to confusion.
There was nothing more she could do here, as her entire body felt numb, and the person next to her was in critical condition. Elara was utterly helpless. She couldn't do anything to change her difficult situation.
"..."
Maybe, at the moment when Elara felt resigned in this unexpected and uncertain situation, suddenly, as if veiled by calmness, she opened her mouth and calmly said, "Hey, big tree, if you may happen to hear me, please provide me with water that I can drink."
"..."
Swoosh~
"... Haha."
Amid the quiet atmosphere, with only the sound of the blowing wind, a brief laugh was heard from Elara.
In her weakened state, Elara closed her eyes. With all her strength, she tried to suppress her laughter because it felt a bit odd to have spoken to a tree.
'It seems like I'm slowly going crazy,' she thought in frustration.
While Elara was questioning her sanity, she completely failed to notice the drastic changes happening around her.
Swoosh~
The branches of the large tree swayed, sending a colder evening breeze as night approached, blowing towards her.
Swoosh~ Srrrr~~
[I gladly ... grant your request, Your Majesty.]
"... ?" Elara felt a faint whisper coming from a gust of wind blowing strongly toward her. However, her attention was diverted as she heard some other faint sounds.
Drip. Splash!
"Huh...?" Elara was suddenly startled after feeling droplets of fresh water on her face.
"What is this, rain?" she murmured while quickly tilting her head upward. Her eyes sparkled with hope.
The sky was almost dark, indicating that night was approaching. However, despite that, the still slightly lit sky showed no signs of rain clouds. It was clear that there wouldn't be any rain anytime soon.
Elara's hopeful eyes dimmed immediately after confirming that there wouldn't be rain coming.
'So, where did those droplets of water on my face come from earlier?'
"Don't tell me it's bird droppings...." Elara grimaced in disgust at the thought.
She would have cried uncontrollably if the water that had touched her face had indeed come from animal droppings.
Drip. Drip. Splash!
But her disgust and sadness quickly vanished when Elara felt her face once again being wetted by droplets of water from an unknown source.
However, this time, Elara reacted swiftly. She focused intensely on determining the true source of these droplets.
"Huh?" Her mouth opened wide in shock.
She was taken aback when she saw the large tree branch directly above her head trembling strangely and beginning to release more droplets of water from its tip.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
As she raised her head with her mouth agape, a few droplets of water easily entered her mouth, and she instinctively swallowed them.
"Glup!"
The water not only felt refreshing but also had a faintly sweet taste.
"... What kind of water is this, really?" she uttered in confusion.
Elara sensed her fatigue gradually improving, and the pain subsided, even if only slightly, just by consuming a single drop of water from the tip of the peculiar tree branch.
Although still puzzled by the changing situation, Elara quickly shifted her attention, looking at the boy beside her and pulling his body forcefully closer to her.
"Ugh!" Elara winced at the difficulty of moving the slightly larger boy, especially when her entire body still ached.
After successfully pulling his body closer, Elara promptly turned the boy's face upwards so that he faced the end of the branch from which the mysterious water continued to drip.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
After ensuring that the water from the tree branch entered the boy's mouth and was swallowed safely, Elara leaned back, exhausted.
'I don't know what kind of water that is, but at least I'm sure it's safe to drink.' Elara thought as she glanced at the peculiar, leafless branch, seemingly existing solely to supply water for her.
"Thanks..." For some inexplicable reason, Elara gracefully whispered her gratitude, causing the tree trunk to writhe strangely, vibrating and shaking violently as if responding to Elara.
What made Elara even more surprised was another branch suddenly appearing, this time adorned with green leaves, giving it a vibrant appearance. It extended toward her as if seeking something.
'... It's impossible, right..?' Elara thought hesitantly as she touched the leaf-filled branch, stroking it as if petting a puppy.
Srrrrr~~
The branches with leaves writhed brightly, seemingly happy to be caressed by Elara, prompting an unconscious laugh from her.
"Haha, I seem to be hallucinating more and more..."
Slowly, the branch that had previously dripped only one or two droplets had now transformed into a small stream flowing rather quickly.
"... Gulp, gulp, gulp."
"Yes, drink as much of the water as you can," Elara muttered as she watched the boy seemingly regain his energy, eagerly accepting the flow of the small stream.
After feeling that the boy's critical condition had been safely overcome, Elara closed her eyes in relaxation. At least, the boy by her side wouldn't die due to thirst.
'Now he should be able to leave here quietly, just like what happened four years ago,' Elara thought, feeling at ease.
The burden that had piled up in her heart seemed to disappear all of a sudden. The tree trunk against which she leaned also felt soft, as if it had softened, making her feel comfortable.
"I hope I can wake up from this strange situation soon...." Elara muttered before mysteriously losing consciousness.
30 minutes later.
The black-haired boy opened his eyes and blinked lazily while glancing around with an indifferent look.
He wiped his wet face, and his throat was no longer parched. Not only that, he felt fully energized. Moreover, his elemental powers, which had previously been drained due to his bodily anomaly, which was difficult to heal, had slowly improved.
"... Did I actually get 'it'?!" He murmured in disbelief. He hadn't expected the myth to be true.
His initially enthusiastic gaze at the change in his body suddenly froze when his elbow accidentally touched someone.
"... ?"
A petite girl with shoulder-length brown hair was sleeping comfortably, leaning against the large, hard tree trunk.