Chapter 20: A New Problem

After leaving the dangerous area, they cheered happily. The fresh air and beautiful scenery around them gave them a feeling of relief and happiness. Heather, with a big smile on her face, approached Aiden.

"Aiden, now that we are out of this valley, what's the next step?" he asked enthusiastically.

Aiden then told Aether to open the map on Vault Boy and a holographic map screen appeared. He activated it and a map of the surrounding area immediately appeared.

"We need to determine our next path," Aether said while studying the map. "This Vault Boy shows us a safe path to the Temple of Light, but we must remain careful. There are some areas that are not completely mapped."

Leona approached to look at the map with Aether. "Madeline, can you confirm this path with your magic again?" he asked.

Madeline nodded and prepared to use her clairvoyance magic once again. "Of course, Leona."

While Madeline worked her magic, Aiden showed the others the important points on the map. "We'll follow this river until we reach the hills here. From there, we'll turn north until we see signs of the Temple of Light."

Heather watched carefully and asked, "How long will it take us to get to the temple?"

"If there are no major obstacles, we should arrive in a day or two," Aiden answered. "But as always, we must be prepared for any eventuality."

After Madeline confirmed the route with her clairvoyance, they all prepared to continue their journey. With clear direction and high spirits, they started walking again, following the instructions of Vault Boy and Madeline's magic.

During the trip, they talked about their experiences and future plans. Finn, who was previously skeptical, now began to show respect for Aiden and the others. Even Beatrice, who had hesitated, felt more confident in Aiden's decision and the abilities of their group.

After they got out of the dangerous area, the group cheered happily. The fresh air and beautiful scenery around them gave them a feeling of relief and happiness. Heather, with a big smile on her face, approached Aiden.

"Aiden, now that we are out of this valley, what's the next step?" he asked enthusiastically.

Aiden took a small device out of his pocket, a Vault Boy with a holographic map screen. He activated it and a map of the surrounding area immediately appeared.

"We need to determine our next path," said Aiden while studying the map. "This Vault Boy shows us a safe path to the Temple of Light, but we must remain careful. There are some areas that are not completely mapped."

Leona approached to look at the map with Aiden. "Madeline, can you confirm this path with your magic again?" he asked.

Madeline nodded and prepared to use her clairvoyance magic once again. "Of course, Leona."

While Madeline worked her magic, Aiden showed the others the important points on the map. "We'll follow this river until we reach the hills here. From there, we'll turn north until we see signs of the Temple of Light."

Heather watched carefully and asked, "How long will it take us to get to the temple?"

"If there are no major obstacles, we should arrive in a day or two," Aiden answered. "But as always, we must be prepared for any eventuality."

After Madeline confirmed the route with her clairvoyance, they all prepared to continue their journey. With clear direction and high spirits, they started walking again, following the instructions of Vault Boy and Madeline's magic.

During the trip, they talked about their experiences and future plans. Finn, who was previously skeptical, now began to show respect for Aiden and the others. Even Beatrice, who had hesitated, felt more confident in Aiden's decision and the abilities of their group.

After they got out of the dangerous area, the group cheered happily. The fresh air and beautiful scenery around them gave them a feeling of relief and happiness. Heather, with a big smile on her face, approached Aiden.

"Aiden, now that we are out of this valley, what's the next step?" he asked enthusiastically.

Aiden took a small device out of his pocket, a Vault Boy with a holographic map screen. He activated it and a map of the surrounding area immediately appeared.

"We need to determine our next path," said Aiden while studying the map. "This Vault Boy shows us a safe path to the Temple of Light, but we must remain careful. There are some areas that are not completely mapped."

Leona approached to look at the map with Aiden. "Madeline, can you confirm this path with your magic again?" he asked.

Madeline nodded and prepared to use her clairvoyance magic once again. "Of course, Leona."

While Madeline worked her magic, Aiden showed the others the important points on the map. "We'll follow this river until we reach the hills here. From there, we'll turn north until we see signs of the Temple of Light."

Heather watched carefully and asked, "How long will it take us to get to the temple?"

"If there are no major obstacles, we should arrive in a day or two," Aiden answered. "But as always, we must be prepared for any eventuality."

As Madeline used her clairvoyance magic, Leona realized something. "Hey, where's Aether?" he asked worriedly.

Everyone stopped and looked around. Aether, which was usually always near them, suddenly disappeared. "He was here a few minutes ago," Heather said, panicking.

"Aether! Aether, where are you?" Aiden called in a firm voice, but there was no answer.

They immediately spread out to search for Aether around the area. Leona used the alteration magic "Detect Life" to detect the heat of living creatures, but found no signs of life other than her group. Then, Leona tried again the alteration magic "Detect Source" to try to find traces of Aether energy, while the others shouted her name.

After a while, Leona got a clue. "There are traces of energy in that direction," he said, pointing towards the dense forest.

They followed the clues and found Aether's footprints leading into the forest. "Why did he go here alone?" Finn muttered, confused.

As they got deeper into the forest, the atmosphere became increasingly dark and tense. They kept calling Aether's name, hoping he would hear and respond. However, they received no answer.

Suddenly, they felt a powerful energy that made them retreat. Leona tried to strengthen her magic detection and said, "

"It's like... an inter-dimensional portal. Aether could be trapped inside."

Aiden was surprised. "Inter-dimensional portal? How could it be here?"

Leona explained, "Sometimes, places with strong magical energy can open portals to other worlds. Aether might accidentally enter them."

Heather looked very worried. "What should we do? How can we save him?"

Leona thought for a moment. "This portal seems unstable. Maybe we can't follow it now, but we have to find a way to open a stable portal so we can bring it back."

When Aether left, they were sad and worried. They promised themselves that they would find a way to save Aether after their main mission was completed.