A cosmic tunnel swirled around and around as Nox and Elysia were sent tumbling through the confines of this world. He looked at his body, all his injuries had been healed.
"Woah!"
Eventually, the pace settled down and the two were left free-falling through the air.
'What the hell just happened?'
Using her hands as a sail of sorts, the black-haired mage clumsily made his way over to him. She had a worried look on her face as she threw a barrage of questions at him.
"Are you okay?"
"Where are the other Challengers?"
"What happened to the dungeon?"
"Did you get me a Familiar?"
Nox stared at her, dumbfounded. Then, taking a deep breath, he reassured her.
"I'm fine. I managed to take out the other Challengers."
"How are you feeling?" The Mythmaker asked her. She had been unconscious for quite some time.
"Perfect!" Elysia replied cheerily, freely floating around the tunnel.
The boy took a look around him. An array of colors dyed the otherworldly transportation device, messing with his senses.
He couldn't tell which way they were going. However, one thing was certain.
'I was about to die again.' Nox sulked in silence. He remembered the stories he'd heard about Constellations. They were prone to take advantage of people in need, to turn them into their puppets.
Last time, he had managed to get away without making a contract. But what about this time?
Then, he saw something odd. In the perfect cosmic spiral, there was a small patch of darkness.
Propelling himself through the air with his arms, he moved closer to the hole.
'A stab wound…?'
Suddenly, he felt something foreign enter his mind. He staggered back, landing against the otherworldly walls of the tunnel.
Elysia drifted over, seeming annoyed. "If you were hurt you should've said something earlier…"
A light breeze of energy drifted from her hands, helping him calm down. He felt his divinity forcibly activate as his eyes turned purple.
[You have discovered a Memory Fragment.]
[Commencing teleportation.]
Before he could process the message, a small rift opened up in the tunnel, pulling him in. In the last second, he grabbed onto Elysia for support.
Busy examining the colors around them, she was effortlessly pulled in along with him. She screamed as they both slipped through the fabric of reality.
Not a moment later, the rift disappeared, being replaced by another patch of colorful energy.
Unlike the magical tunnel that they were just in. This one felt dark and ominous.
Tumbling through a small space, he tried to grab onto the walls. The jagged stone edges cut into his hands, leaving small gashes.
The space was tight. A musty air filled his nostrils, leaving him coughing for breath.
Nox felt a warm touch. A thin hand grabbed onto his arms, holding them tightly.
'Elysia…'
He felt her fingers tremble as the mage shook uncontrollably.
The darkness seemed to stretch infinitely as the ominous feeling was replaced with a sense of familiarity.
The boy embraced the darkness as he felt himself slipping into the shadows. A thin layer of dark energy wrapped around the duo, protecting them from the sharp rocks.
Before they knew it, they had arrived. Landing inside a marsh, of sorts. The area around them was filled with lush vegetation and huge, towering trees.
The scent of damp earth lingered in his nose as his foot settled in on a wet patch of soil.
Only, he couldn't feel it.
Nox looked over at his teammate right as her hands slipped through a massive black tree. She widened her eyes and stared at him.
"Was that… supposed to happen?"
'This is weird… it doesn't feel like something a Constellation would do.'
The Mythmaker felt a voice call to him. He looked over into the distance.
Daunting mountains filled his eyes as he observed his surroundings. An endless plain followed suit, stretching further than Nox could see.
Focusing energy into his eyes, he extended his vision. A few miles away lay a shack.
No larger than a few hundred square feet, the red building stood out among the greenery.
Signaling to Elysia, the duo made their way through the marsh. They easily trekked across the mud as the substance didn't seem to affect them.
Nox tried to grab a branch, but his fingers simply went past it.
Elysia, on the other hand, seemed to be having fun. She waltzed around the trees with her eyes closed, enjoying the warm breeze.
The mage seemed nervous earlier, but now she appeared to be in her element.
'Damned royals…'
As the two approached the hut, he felt the voices growing louder. From a faint hum to an outright scream, it echoed inside his head.
Wondering if he had finally gone insane, the boy finally arrived in front of the building.
The exterior of the hut was weathered, seeming to have endured centuries of wind and rain. The layers of paint were peeling off, giving the vibrant red a more muted tone.
Smoke drifted from the small stone chimney. As it carried into the wind, it dispersed into the clouds.
For some reason, Nox felt strangely at home.
Elysia gave the wooden door a knock as it creaked against her fingers. From this simple action, he realized something.
'This hut can react to our touch…'
Unlike everything else so far, they were able to interact with this building. Nox suddenly grew wary. Nudging the mage, he insisted.
"Let me open the door. We don't know if something has set a trap for us."
Looking a little confused, she moved out of the way, letting him face the entrance.
He placed his hand on the doorknob. His hands perfectly fit around the smooth piece of wood. Even though the walls and paint of the hut had been damaged through usage over time, the door knob was in pristine condition, almost untouched.
Being guided by an unseen force, the mythmaker opened the door.
A bell rang, alarming the inhabitant of the house.
Nox stared in disbelief as he came face to face with an old man. Even through his wrinkled skin and sunken eyes, there was an undeniable resemblance between the two.
'Black hair and purple eyes…'
The old man smiled as he slowly lifted himself from a wooden chair.
A small voice arose from the man's mouth.
"It is an honor to meet you, Mythmaker."