Chapter 48: The Return and The strange encounter

It was time to return to the real world. Morpheus, Rozemar, and Isaac stood before the strange portal. The moment was charged with mixed emotions. Isaac, with excitement in his voice, said,

"I hope we meet again in the second dimension in three months."

Rozemar nodded in agreement, a soft smile gracing her lips. Morpheus added with a faint grin,

"So do I."

Before they could say more, the portal pulled them in, and Morpheus felt like he was being flung through a tunnel of space and time, surrounded by strange lights and sounds. When the journey ended, he found himself standing atop a towering mountain overlooking the city of Etheria, bathed in moonlight. He looked around in confusion and muttered to himself,

"Damn it! German didn't mention that the portal wouldn't return me to the same place I came from."

He began descending the mountain, relishing the calm of the night and the cool breeze. As he walked, he was lost in thought,

"Days must have passed in the dimension... Time here seems to shift differently. It was morning when I left; now it's night. What a strange world."

Memories of the dream—or whatever it was—that he had experienced lingered in his mind, adding to the puzzle.

"That dream... or whatever it was... This world keeps getting more complicated by the minute."

As he walked through the darkness, his attention was drawn to a serene lake surrounded by glowing purple flowers that shimmered softly under the moonlight. The water's reflections looked like a living painting. The scene was enchanting—until he noticed something unexpected.

In the lake, a woman stood, her back turned to him as she relaxed in the water. Her dark red hair, streaked with fiery crimson, was strikingly mesmerizing. What truly caught his eye, though, was the tattoo on her back—a crimson moon surrounded by glowing purple roses.

"Who bathes in a lake in the middle of a mountain?" Morpheus thought, puzzled.

He turned away, intending to leave before she noticed him. But what happened next shocked him.

The woman suddenly appeared before him, as if materializing out of the shadows. Morpheus froze, his eyes wide.

She was unlike anything he had ever seen:

Her hair flowed like living flames, shifting between shades of red and orange. Her golden eyes glowed with a mix of allure and mystery. Her bronzed skin shimmered faintly, adorned with tattoos that moved slowly, as if telling ancient stories. She wore a dark crimson gown embroidered with gold patterns that swayed with her movements, almost as if enchanted.

She looked at him with a sly smile and said in a deep, melodic voice,

"Well, well, what do we have here? A naughty boy spying on a woman while she bathes?"

Morpheus stammered, trying to defend himself,

"No! I just happened to see you... It wasn't intentional!"

She stepped closer with confident strides, her hair moving as if defying gravity. She grabbed his chin with her cool fingers, which felt like smoldering embers, and said in a teasing yet menacing tone,

"A liar, too? My, my... You're quite bold."

At that moment, Morpheus felt a terror he had never known before. Her presence was overwhelming, as if she held his very soul in a grip of fire and ice. Without thinking, he activated his shadow-stepping ability and vanished from the spot, putting as much distance between himself and the woman as possible.

The woman watched him disappear, a faint smile curling her lips. She muttered to herself,

"How boring... I'll let you go this time."

Miles away, Morpheus reappeared in a safe spot, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. His face was flushed, and his eyes were wide with shock. He whispered to himself,

"Damn it... What was that?"

---

Morpheus reached the city of Etheria, still distracted by the strange encounter. His thoughts weighed heavy on him, as though the world itself was conspiring against him. He muttered sarcastically,

"This world must hate me. After days of suffering in the other dimension, the first thing I encounter here is a strange woman who scares the life out of me."

As he approached the city, he noticed the calm that enveloped it. The streets were empty, the shops closed, and only the gentle rustle of the wind filled the air. He looked up at the starry sky and thought,

"It must be late. No wonder the city is so quiet."

He made his way to his small apartment, his footsteps echoing in the deserted streets. The darkness and solitude around him felt almost oppressive, yet he welcomed the familiarity of it. When he finally reached his apartment, he opened the door to a still, silent space. The room was simple but tidy, as if time had stood still in his absence.

Closing the door behind him, he sighed deeply and headed straight to the bathroom. As he undressed for a shower, he noticed something unusual on the back of his neck. Standing in front of the mirror, he leaned closer to examine it—a crimson moon surrounded by intricate flower-like patterns. It was eerily familiar, reminding him of the mysterious woman at the lake.

Running his fingers through his long black hair, which had been covering the mark, he muttered nervously,

"Damn it... Did she curse me or something? Don't tell me I'll turn into some ugly frog. I'll ask German tomorrow—maybe he knows what this mark is."

After his shower, he changed into comfortable clothes and headed to the kitchen. The apartment was eerily quiet, amplifying his loneliness, but he found a strange comfort in the silence. He prepared a simple dinner and sat at the table, staring at the quiet space around him.

Taking a deep breath, he said to himself with a faint smile,

"There's nothing more relaxing than home... even if I'm the only one here."

Finally, he threw himself onto his bed with a sigh of relief. The soft mattress felt like heaven compared to the uncomfortable cot he had slept on during his travels. He muttered,

"What a relief... I've had enough of those horrible tents."

Despite the moment of peace, an uneasy feeling lingered. Was the mark just a harmless magical imprint? Or was it the beginning of something far greater—and far more dangerous?

As he closed his eyes, a sarcastic smile crept onto his lips,

"That woman... She was strange, but definitely my type. Let's just hope her curse doesn't turn me into a hideous frog."