The Femme Fiends completely melted into a green fluid, becoming part of the swamp.
Hewitt picked up the painting, rock, and broken sword that were about to fall into the swamp, and then flew back to the boat.
The boat began to move on its own.
Hewitt felt as if he had passed through a thin membrane.
He looked back.
Behind him was nothing but clear lake water, birds were flying across the blue sky, singing joyous songs. The sunlight was dazzling, reflecting shimmering waves on the lake's surface.
The swamp and the forest had disappeared, leaving only the endless lake.
When Hewitt looked down from the sides of the boat, he could even see plump salmon wriggling their bodies, swimming in shoals.
But Hewitt remembered that salmon could not live in freshwater.
He looked into the distance.
He saw the distant lakeshore.
So distant that it should not have appeared in Hewitt's line of sight.