End of Voyage

"It seems like you are awake now."

I heard a girl's voice. I glanced my eyes down towards my feet.

A girl with white-silver hair is sitting on a chair, wearing a gradient purple-coloured chiffon Qipao Cheongsam dress with a long cut on the left. She was wearing a transparent, long white cape on her shoulders. Her legs are crossed, and there's an elegant-looking cubic diamond chain on her thighs. She is holding a white-coloured floral folding hand fan in her hand, with two men in black clothes standing beside her with swords on their backs, looking at me.

She looks very beautiful and elegant, like a queen from a movie.

"Who..are you? What is this place?" I asked, looking at her.

"I am Silvy, Queen of Aetheria. Nice to meet you." There's hardly any expression on her face. "This place...let's just say you are somewhere in my palace where we can keep eyes on you. It's been 3 days since we found you." she replied.

So she is indeed a queen. She looks a few years older than me, maybe 23–25.

My head's feeling empty, and what did she say? Aetheria? What's that? I've never heard of a place with that name before. And I have been here unconscious for 3 days?

"I see.." I said, slowly picking myself up to sit straight, but the sound of chains rang from both my arms and legs, making me unable to move any further. It didn't take me a second to realise that I was confined here.

"Why this?" I asked.

"Let's not rush. You've just woken up." she said, waving herself with the hand fan. "Answer a few of my questions, and then that'll decide if you'll be given permission to live or to be executed."

What? A straight-away death threat.

I slowly look around and see no one else except for a few Buddha statues, flower vases, and beautiful hangings on the wall, with only one bed on which I am lying.

"I think there's some misunderstanding. I haven't done anything wrong." 

"Ohh, is that so?" said Silvy.

She raises her left palm in front of the guy in black. He places a piece of red cloth with both of his hands respectfully.

"Then may I ask why this weapon is in your possession?" asked Silvy.

She shows me that cloth, and on it is a shining knife with a black handle and long chains attached to it.

"Witchcraft!"

"A beautiful weapon has a beautiful name." she says, looking at it. "It's yours?"

"Yes."

"If it's yours, then why doesn't it have an infusion mark on it?"

"That's probably because it originally belonged to my father." He gave it to me before passing away."

"I see." she said, silently staring at Witchcraft for a few seconds before giving it back to the guy on the left. "So now you are yet to abide your soul with it."

"Yes.."

I don't like this mood. I have no idea what's going on or where I am. And that Silvy person doesn't seem to like me.

Silvy's graceful hands paused mid-motion, her hand fan snapping shut with a soft click. Her gaze, previously curious, transformed into a piercing suspicion radiating from her eyes as they locked onto mine.

"And now, would you like to enlighten me? Where are you from?" Silvy asked.

*Gulps* That took me by surprise.

"I can tell with just one look. You are not from here." Silvy said.

Her expressions are too cold, but if she knows I am an outsider, then there's nothing else for me to say. Her suspicions as a queen are understandable. She has a responsibility to look after this kingdom, and if I am found lying, they'll kill me off right away, so I must answer her truthfully about everything that has happened, and maybe...even Dad wanted me to come here and seek her help.

"Alright. Then let me start from the very beginning." I said it with a serious gesture.

"Sure, go on." said Silvy, opening her hand fan again.

With trembling hands and a heavy heart, I recounted the harrowing tale to her, every detail engraved vividly in my mind. From the unexpected arrival of those devil-looking beings in our town to the merciless destruction they brought upon the kingdom, my family, and my neighbours, I left no detail, maybe because somewhere below I wanted to vent out or maybe I was desperate to seek help. What happened in my house—how my sister betrayed the family and ran away, how I got my witchcraft—then the news of King's demise threw panic in the kingdom weighed heavily upon my soul as I described how we fled into the Murk following my dad's partying words. I encountered a creature of unspeakable horror, with its invisible form and haunting steps. And then, as if plummeting into the abyss itself, we found ourselves cast into a void of darkness, where time seemed to hold no sway, until finally, by some twist of fate, I emerged here. 

"—And now I am opening my eyes here." I said.

Huff* Huhh.. No matter how much I try, I cannot hold on to these emotions for long. I was out of breath, with my eyes heavily filled.

There was complete silence in the room. I was looking down at the sheets over my legs, and they didn't say a single word in return. I wonder if they even believe me. This all sounds too unreal.

"Please believe me, I am being honest; I have no ill intention here. I don't even know this plac- "

Snap*

Before I could control my sentence, I heard a loud snap of her hand fan. Upon raising my head to look at Silvy, I found her sitting straight, her eyes directly glaring at me. I see an immense aura coming out of her. Her eyes were burning in anger. Hands clenching the handle grip of the fan. The air in the room has become heavy, and the candle lights have started flickering. What is happening? Does she think I am lying and get angry? This is bad. The other two guys behind her are also showing a mix of sadness and frustrated looks.

"...Deities!" said Silvy. She said it with a very heavy groan.

"Umm..What?" I said.

Silvy lowers her gaze towards the floor.

"That's what they call themselves." she said. "A group of demi-humans who wants to conquer the world. We have had one encounter with two of them in the past. It was very difficult to take them. Just to kill those two, it took us fifteen of our knights. They came as a messenger that someday their army will be coming here to take over this country."

I listened to her carefully with a shocking expression as she was explaining about them.

"But why would they do that?" I asked.

"Who knows? Evil people don't need a reason to be evil." she said. "And we don't need a reason to show sympathy to such creatures."

....

That line felt straight. She must've had some similar experience as mine with them.

Silvy gets her aura under control as she becomes a little calmer now. She again crosses her legs and opens her hand fan.

"And about the Murk." She said, raising her eyes to mine. "I am sorry, but we have no understanding of it either. It's something we haven't understood or transcended yet."

"I-I see. It's okay." 

"Except from the fact that unlike your country's Murk that starts from a forest, our Murk starts from the sea at the border." she said. "And just like you said, No one ever returns if they go inside that fog. Here it's not guarded with a gate or something, so sometimes even after heavy patrolling, some people go inside to commit suicide, and priests find it a god's protection from evil doers."

"Yeah, that priest thing was the same in our country as well." I replied.

"But...." Silvy said. "You travelled from it and reached here, which means there is something that needs to be understood and its purpose."

"Yeah, you are right." I said. "Even though we thought we wouldn't reach anywhere, but I and Marie..."

I jolted back.

"Marie!"

I completely forgot about her. She was in a grim condition, completely unconscious after getting hit by that invisible creature.

"Where is she? The girl! There should be one more person with me."

I was asking them in desperation and throwing panic. They haven't mentioned her so far. Did they find her with me or not? While falling, I made sure to hold Marie as tightly as possible with me.

One guy from Silvy's side lowers himself to her ears and whispers something, then Silvy's expression again changes to contemplation before saying "Ohh, that girl."

Silvy keeps her palms on her mouth, thinking.

"What happened? Where is she? Don't tell me.."

Is she really? Marie... Silvy said I have been here for 3 days, so it must be more critical for her.

Silvy slowly takes her hand from mouth to head in a tiresome way, about to say something, and my heart and mind were racing in the wrong direction.

"Your friend..Silvy said, closing her eyes "..is a headache. Sigh*"

Huh? What?

"Ehh? I didn't get it." I said it in confusion.

"Go and see her. You'll know. Sigh*"

Silvy keeps sighing while talking about Marie. What happened? Did she do something here?

"Umm..Can you remove these chains?"

"Oh yes, sorry." Silvy gestures at one of the guys in black. He raises his fist and clenches in the air, and the chain vanishes from my arms.

I removed the sheets from over me in a hurry to check up on Marie.

"Kiren, guide her." said Silvy.

"Yes!" said Kiren. "Come, I'll show you where she is."

"Ok, thank you so much." I said, following Kiren.

"By the way..."

As soon as I was about to leave the room, Silvy called.

"Yes?"

"I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, yes, sorry, I forgot to mention." I bowed and answered.

"It's Eleanor..Eleanor j'Arc."

She didn't say anything; she just kept staring at me for a few seconds and asked me to go. I wonder what she was thinking.

We followed the path around the corner and crossed a small bridge to go to another place. The view around me was mesmerising and soothing, with lots of greenery around, though it was least of my concern, so I kept walking towards where Marie is.

"Wooooohooo!!!!" 

Claps* Claps*

I heard her voice, and people were clapping.

*Clack*

As I pushed open the door and stepped into the room, a surreal scene unfolded before my eyes. Marie, who I was expecting to be in bed, is now twirling and dancing with a belt around her neck. She is wearing a sports bra, black denim shorts, a long white shirt over, transparent tights, and long boots. She is playing a song on a turntable music player while children around her are clapping for her. The nurses around them stood sighing* lowering their heads.

"What in the world is happening here?"

I didn't interrupt her dance until, after a few minutes, she stopped on her own. I kept my hands folded, staring at her and how beautifully she was ignoring my presence in front of her. She is completely enrolled in her dance. 

*Claps* *Claps*

Everyone clapped for her when she stopped.

"That was so good, Marie, sis."

"You are so cool."

"Hehe, thank you, thank you." Marie said, giving flying kisses around.

While nurses were against it.

"Mam, You shouldn't move around like that. We have healed your wounds, but proper rest is important."

"It's okay; I am all fine now. Thank you for your help-"

—and she finally noticed me and stopped.

I kept glaring at her with my eyebrows raised.

"Ohhhhhhhh ELEA!!!!" Marie said, jumping over me.

It was as if I had a baby in my arms; she curled herself around me.

"It seems like you are okay now." 

"Yes, yes, the healers here are amazing. I woke up two days ago only." she said.

She is heavy; and on top of that, she is moving a lot in excitement. I also have to keep myself in motion so that she doesn't fall off.

"I see, that's great to know."

I lowered her down and held her shoulders, looking down at my feet. I was remembering her condition and how she was when I found her lying in the pond. The blood, the bones, and her face. Her unconscious body is in my arms.

"Elea, are you okay?" said Marie, peeking at me from below.

"No, I am not.." I said.

"Why, what happened?" she said.

"You are an idiot!!" I said, as I hugged Marie. Pushing her on the ground with me. I laid above her without letting her go.

"Was I really in that bad condition?" Marie asked.

"You were.." I replied. "I thought you wouldn't..."

I controlled my words and didn't say something I didn't want to imagine.

In a tender moment, Marie gently caressed my hair while holding my back and said,

"I am sorry for always making you worry."

.

And that's how I and Marie ended up in the land of Aetheria, where our journey was about to take lots of twists and turns filled with experiences beyond our imagination.

But I am sure we'll get through it. I don't think there's anything worse left for me to see anymore.

That's what they say, right?

—Every failure is a failure to adapt and Every success is a successful adaptation.

From the unprecedented situation in my kingdom to ending up in the unknown land of Aetheria.

Dad's reason for sending me here must be to find a way to save the Ashura kingdom. I must become strong enough here to take down those bastards called Deities who ruined the peace of our land and figure out the mysteries of Murk to go back and put an end to it all.

And Elyana, finding you seems like a long goal for now, but feel free to live in silence until it lasts for you because the day we meet will be your final day.

.

.

Volume 1: 'The Shifting World' has been concluded.

From the next chapter onwards, new volume will start.

Volume 2: Trainings, Rituals and the Man from Keral