Beginning of the journey

"I don't mind, but this time, if you stay, how long do you intend to remain here?" Ariane asked, her voice both gentle and tinged with a measured impatience.

The last time, she recalled, time had slipped away unnoticed, leaving her trapped in Pandemonium, where each minute seemed to stretch into an absurd eternity.

"I can only stay here for about two years, I'd say—without any external support!" the ruler of Pandemonium replied, her firm tone barely concealing a hint of resignation.

She explained that, for the most part, she existed in a purely spiritual form. Whenever she decided to leave Pandemonium, she had to create a body to serve as her vessel. Regardless of the type of body she fashioned, its lifespan was always limited.

It was a weakness she knew all too well, even though she possessed the rare ability to materialize a temporary body outside her original realm.