"You know, you should keep it." Eero gently pushes Elena's hand back toward her.
"But..." Elena closes her fist.
"It's getting late. Everyone has already gone. Climb on my back," Eero turns his back to her.
"But I don't want to cause you more trouble," Elena's voice softens.
"Quick! You idiot. We can't stay here any longer." Eero's eyes are filled with determination.
Elena climbs onto Eero's back, and he starts moving toward the top.
At the top, the remaining group members are in a panic. The girls pace restlessly, while Nitin stares back in the direction they came from. Livio and Sebastian glance at the setting sun, then back at the path.
"Hey, Nicola, Luka, where are you going?" Viktor jumps to his feet.
"We're going to help carry them. We can help rather than just worrying here. Nitin, you said yourself that worrying will lead to nothing, right?" Luka steps closer to Nitin.
"You're right. Anyone who wants to help can come with us. I won't force anyone," Nitin takes the lead.
"Damn it, not again. But I can't leave a friend behind," Sebastian glances at Livio.
"Should I go? But what if they're plotting something behind our backs? What then? But how can I abandon anyone? Look at Sebastian....his positivity is almost contagious. It's like he's a grown adult, while I'm just an amateur," Livio wonders.
"Hey, look! They're here, guys," Tomasz runs toward the group with a wide grin.
Sofia, Freja, and Anya sigh with relief, seeing them safe.
"You can put me down now. Thanks," Elena says, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Finally, we made it to the top," Eero stumbles, nearly collapsing.
Nitin, Livio, and Sebastian react instinctively, their legs moving before their brains can register. Viktor reaches out, but he's too far to catch Eero.
Eero gazes up at the sky, his hands reaching for it. He's completely drained.
"I won't let you fall!" Elena grabs Eero's hand, pulling him toward her, and they both tumble to the ground together.
When Eero opens his eyes, he finds himself lying atop Elena, his head resting against her chest.
"Are you okay?" Elena's voice echoes in Eero's ear with a gentle tone.
"My body isn't moving... No, that's not it. I just don't want to," Eero slowly pushes himself to his feet.
"Here, drink some water," Sebastian offers his water bottle.
After drinking, he returns the bottle. "Thanks."
"Let's go," Nitin says, looking at the sunset.
The top of the mountain is covered in dense clouds; they can't find the way to Solvana.
"So, what now?" Tomasz tries blowing the mist away by waving his hands. "I can barely see anything," he mumbles, stepping closer to the others.
"There's nothing here," Livio mutters, disappearing into the fog. "How are we supposed to find the way?"
The group stands still for a moment, not knowing what to do next. The clouds are so thick they almost feel solid, as though they're trapped in an endless void.
Suddenly, Anya shouts, "Hey, look!" She points straight ahead.
Slowly, the clouds begin to clear. Sunlight breaks through, creating golden threads in the mist. The air feels warmer as the fog dissipates, revealing what was hidden beneath.
The group gasps as the grand gate to Solvana appears before them, emerging from the fading mist.
"Wow," Sofia whispers in shock, her eyes wide.
"How did it just appear like that?" Tomasz asks, blinking in disbelief.
"The clouds must have been hiding it," Nitin says, stepping forward.
The gate is beautifully crafted with intricate sculptural designs that emit lights of different colors.
"Oh my God, it's like we're in heaven!" Alaric starts jumping like a child.
Tomasz frames the gate with his hands, forming a rectangle with his fingers as if capturing the view like a photograph. "Amazing! The design choices are divine."
Sebastian sticks his face close to the gate.
"The surface is rough," Anya says, touching and feeling the texture with her hands.
"Hey, Eero, come sit here," Elena pulls Eero by the hand.
The two massive elephant sculptures flanking the gate stand majestically on their hind legs, their front legs raised high in a protective stance. The lifelike detail is so striking it feels as though they might come to life at any moment, watching over the group with grace and power.
Elena gently pulls Eero to sit with her under the huge legs of one of the elephant statues. The large sculpture above them feels protective, like it's watching over them. They sit quietly, feeling a sense of calm for the first time, surrounded by the detailed carvings.
"You don't always have to carry me," Elena says softly, her hand resting on his. "Sometimes, you need to let others carry you too."
Eero looks at her, his usual tough expression fading.
"I think they've forgotten about Abdul's death. I can't blame them; we barely knew each other. But how can we enter inside?" Livio looks around for a switch or something.
"Why aren't they opening the gate? It's already nighttime," Nitin mutters, deep in thought.
Tomasz, Nicola, and Matteo push against the gate with all their might.
"What are you guys doing?" Viktor asks, holding his bottle.
Before they can answer, a loud sound startles them.
"What was that?" Anya falls back.
The elephants make another sound, and the ground starts shaking. Eero rolls away with Elena toward the open field. The rest of the group slowly backs away, their eyes fixed on the elephants.
Everyone rushes inside as the gates slowly open, revealing the path to Solvana. A warm, calming energy washes over them, healing both their minds and bodies from the exhaustion they felt moments ago.
"So, you guys are new. Welcome to Solvana," a guard says, giving them a polite half-bow.
"Quick, come inside!" the other guard shouts urgently, his voice filled with concern.
The group doesn't hesitate. They run through the gates, their feet splashing slightly on what feels like solid water. As they move forward, Freja's eyes widen.
"Hey guys, don't call me crazy, but we're walking on water," she says, watching the ripples beneath her feet.
The last member steps inside, and the gates shut behind them. Suddenly, the warm light from the glowing fish flickers, and the air turns cold.
"Did you hear that?" Freja whispers, her voice barely audible. She looks ahead, where the glowing pillars rise high into the sky. In the distance, a shadow lurks, standing still, watching them from the darkness.
Inside the gates, the road is made entirely of water, with beautiful fish swimming just below the surface. Some fish glow softly, swimming in pairs, circling one another like yin and yang. The water is adorned with glowing lotus and lily flowers, illuminating the entire space.
The pillars along the path look like they're made of clear ice, with glowing water trapped inside. Above them, the roof features stunning art sculptures of angels, fairies, demons, and gods. When the light hits them, the figures almost seem alive, watching from above.
Suddenly, Tomasz shouts, his voice trembling. "The demon sculpture, it just moved!"
Everyone turns to look. The colored glass eyes of the demon sculpture begin to glow dimly, and its stone arm slowly stretches out toward them.
The group freezes, fear crawling up their spines. The shadow from earlier shifts, moving closer. They can feel its gaze locked on them, watching their every move.
"Something's coming," Livio whispers, barely able to speak.
A loud crack echoes through the hall, the sound of stone grinding against stone. The demon's hand stretches further, and the shadow moves faster, closing in on them.
The shadow looms closer, and a sudden chill grips Elena. Her vision blurs, and for a brief moment, she sees a couple bathed in the soft glow of a floating lamp. The woman's face is streaked with tears, yet twisted into a smile. Roots burst from the ground, piercing the man's chest as he writhes in agony. The woman kisses him gently, whispering words of love before breaking into a haunting laugh. The vision fades, leaving Elena breathless, the taste of bitter betrayal clinging to her lips.