Departure

As soon as our transport arrived, we prepared ourselves for another journey. After transferring our belongings to our new vehicle, we wasted no time and immediately set off. Krein had already sent a message to Karirana, informing them that we had left the carriage in Lashevierr.

As we moved farther away, the townspeople waved at us cheerfully. Among them was Alec, standing in the distance, holding a feathered fan. Beside him was the woman we had encountered outside his chamber—Scarlette.

'You reek the scent of a distorted persona. You don't bloom, you don't wither. Just who are you?'

Even now, I still can't fully understand what she meant. Could it be that she simply caught the scent of my sweat and just didn't want to say it outright? Absentmindedly, I covered my flushed cheeks with my hands out of embarrassment. Why am I only realizing this now? Ugh!

In the center of the spacious carriage we were riding in, there was a table with what seemed to be a stove on top. A cooking pot rested on it, and Miss Kreziana was busy preparing something inside. The rich aroma of various spices filled the air, lingering in my nose.

"Hmm, it feels like something's missing. I forgot to buy cabbage at the market," she muttered while adjusting the seasoning.

Wait a minute…

"Cabbage?"

Miss Kreziana glanced up at me when I spoke, though she quickly returned her attention to her cooking. "Yes, why?" she asked.

Leiy, I owe you so much. If I could go back right now just to thank you, I wouldn't get tired of saying it a hundred times.

"I think I can help with that," I said, reaching for the basket beside me. Inside were the two cabbages Leiy had given me earlier. I handed them to her, and she accepted them with a pleased expression.

"I didn't expect you to buy something like this, Riri," she chuckled. "I owe you one." A slight smile formed on her lips as she spoke.

"It's nothing," I replied. After all, this wouldn't have been possible without Leiy's help, and I'm grateful to him for that.

This carriage was incredibly spacious—big enough for someone to lie down and sleep on the floor comfortably. It was like an entire room on wheels. We all fit inside with plenty of space to spare. There was even a closet standing in the corner. I'm definitely checking that out later.

Krein and the others no longer needed to take the reins, as there were already personnel assigned to drive the carriage. Not only that, but we were also accompanied by four royal chariots serving as our escorts along the road—two leading in front and two following behind.

They were identical. Their cabs were made of silver with golden accents resembling a serpent. At the back of each cab, the word Maurgriann was elegantly inscribed in shimmering gold. The rear wheels were made of solid iron, and the chariots were pulled by majestic white horses. Considering the materials they were made of, one would assume they were heavy at first glance. But these horses were bred specifically to bear their weight.

How magnificent. From the iron wheels to the golden engravings on the cab, they were a breathtaking sight. Their owner was undoubtedly someone of high status.

I shifted my gaze to the window, lost in thought. I could hear Miss Krein chopping the cabbage behind me, but I didn't turn to look. Instead, I focused on the scenery outside, my mind preoccupied with everything that had been happening.

I had been keeping a secret from them. So had Quilya. We all had. And I never expected things to be this way. Everything was connected.

I've always been a fan of fairytales. But I never believed in magic. Yet fate itself has proven to me that it's real. And now, I have no choice but to accept it—because this is my reality.

Quilya told me what she knew, including one of her deepest secrets. At first, I couldn't comprehend how I came from this world when I had grown up somewhere else. But after she explained everything, the confusion in my mind began to clear, and my heart felt just a little lighter.

I don't fully believe it yet. But according to her, a series of events took place a hundred years ago. A war broke out, disrupting the balance of the realms. To put an end to it, the thirteen realm guardians had to unite and stop the invading forces of the dark realm. But their strength alone wasn't enough to quell the chaos.

Realizing they couldn't save the realm on their own, they called upon the Gods and Goddesses for aid. One Goddess descended and offered her help—but it came at a price.

To end the war once and for all, the Goddess required a great sacrifice to gain enough power to bring an end to the ceaseless bloodshed. One guardian had to be sacrificed. As brave warriors, they all volunteered, but such a decision was reckless. As the sole protectors of the realms, the Goddess couldn't allow them to make such an impractical sacrifice. She only needed one—any more than that would be unreasonable.

Left with no choice, they let the Goddess decide. And so she did. But only they would know who had been chosen. It was forbidden for anyone else to find out.

With the combined power of the Goddess and the chosen realm guardian, the war was swiftly brought to an end. She was victorious in driving out the demons and preventing them from further destroying the realm, but she failed to eradicate them entirely. Instead, they were banished to the outer worlds—at the farthest reaches of the universe.

But it didn't end there.

No matter how far they had been cast away, one day, they would return. It was only a matter of time. To prevent another invasion for the time being, the Goddess used the last of her remaining power to seal the gates, ensuring that no guardians could enter or leave the realms. This was done to prevent any further threats from emerging.

As a result, the existing realms were rendered safe from external attacks, and the guardians had no choice but to remain and tend to the wounded. Additionally, with the dark realm's forces severely weakened, it would take them another century to rebuild their shattered army.

But it was already too late. The entire realm had suffered an immense loss, and there was no undoing what had been destroyed. Once a leaf falls, it can never return to the tree.

The guardians, however, went their separate ways—yet none of them lost the will to carry on with their purpose, despite the outcome. From that moment forward, they devoted themselves to restoring balance to the realm, beginning with a firm decision: none of them would pass through the gates ever again.

This rule was approved and agreed upon by the majority of the guardians before they finally parted ways. They upheld this oath for years, even as they recovered from the devastation. The remnants of the war still haunted them, but they endured. For decades, the rule remained unbroken.

Until one did.

The Beast of Singularity—the only one who opposed the rule—chose to defy it. Overcome with sorrow and longing for the companion she had lost during the war, she left. She traveled across the realms, one after another, in search of this person.

And that guardian was none other than… her.

"Look at me closely, Aeriah. This is who I am."

"Quilya... you are..."

Never had I expected that the entity I saw—the one who emerged from that book—would be someone of such significance. The name I once couldn't comprehend now made sense. She was Quilya Neinfraud, the Beast of Singularity. The realm guardian I had met that evening.

And the person she had been searching for all this time… was me.

"She sent us here to find you. Now, she's calling all of us back."

So that was a lie? Or was there another meaning behind it?

I never realized that the secrets we had been keeping from one another were all deeply connected. I had no idea how I was sent to a different world after the war. Was it the Goddess's doing? Considering what she did to fend off the demons, it's possible that I was one of the unfortunate ones cast outside the realm.

And right now, that seems like the only reasonable explanation.

But it's just one possibility.

The reason I still can't fully believe what she told me is simple—there's no evidence to support it. No logical explanation as to how I could be the person she was looking for. To be honest, everything about this contradicts reason. It defies all logic.

She could have easily mistaken me for someone named Alice, considering how unrealistic it is for me to have ever existed in this world before. As far as I remember, before the Riessevilles adopted me, I grew up as Aeriah.

And that's all I know for now.

I suppose this is what she meant when she said the rest is up to me. Which is why I need to find out the truth. There are three crucial things I must understand.

First, who is Alice?

Second, who—and what—am I? How did I end up in that world?

And lastly, what led to such a complicated conclusion?

In other words, I need to find myself—a lone dandelion in a valley, blown and scattered by the wind.

"Riah, you seem really deep in thought," Marreanne's voice pulled me back to reality. I instinctively pressed my fingers against my temple, gently massaging it.

"Don't stress yourself too much over this. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, and I completely understand. But please, Riah, I'm always here if you need help, okay?" She lightly tapped my shoulder, offering a reassuring smile.

That small gesture eased the weight in my chest. I returned her smile wholeheartedly and gave her a nod.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Riah," Quilya chimed in. I shifted my gaze toward her. The moment our eyes met, I quickly looked away.

It's not that I was avoiding her—I just felt uneasy. Like she was someone else entirely. Someone unfamiliar to me. A realm guardian.

"I know you were shocked to learn the truth about me," she continued. "But this was the only way I could help you. I'm afraid I can't do more than that. However, there is a right time for everything, Riah. You'll have to be patient."

I had no idea how discovering her true identity—realizing she was someone completely different—was supposed to help me. But somehow, hearing those words from her was exactly what I needed.

A small smile formed on my lips as I turned toward them. Without a second thought, I pulled them both into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Alright, girls! Lunch is ready!"

Miss Kreziana had prepared a delicious meal, and we all gathered around the table to eat. Laughter and cheerful conversations filled the air, making the moment warm and lively.

But the joy was short-lived.

Amidst our chatter, a loud explosion suddenly echoed through the area, followed by a minor tremor that shook the ground beneath us. The horses neighed in panic, abruptly halting in their tracks. Fortunately, the chauffeurs reacted swiftly, immediately alerting everyone to the disturbance outside.

"We have a situation," one of them reported. "An unknown entity has attacked one of our chariots. It appears to be wielding an unusual form of magic."

As soon as he finished his report, he stood at attention—his posture straight, his right hand clenched over his chest—awaiting Krein's command.

"Your name?" Krein asked.

"Calef," the man answered firmly.

Quilya cleared her throat. "Krein, I'll go ahead and assess the situation myself," she declared boldly.

Her sudden shift in demeanor caught me off guard.

"I approve," Krein responded without hesitation.

With a curt nod, Quilya rose from her seat and promptly left to carry out her objective.

"Now, everyone," Krein continued, gathering our attention. "I sense a hostile presence outside. Deploy at once, and stay on guard. It poses a significant threat."

At his command, the others—including Calef—swiftly obeyed and rushed outside, leaving me sitting there, unsure of what to do. Krein turned to me with a probing gaze.

"You stay here, Aeriah. You're not in any condition to fight. We'll handle this."

With those words, he, too, disappeared after the others, leaving me behind—lost and uncertain.

I couldn't just sit here and listen. I didn't know what they were up against, but something inside me refused to simply wait inside the carriage.

As if on instinct, an idea formed in my mind.

After waiting a few minutes, I quietly slipped out of the carriage and hid in the back. My eyes scanned the area for a suitable hiding spot. In the distance, I spotted a massive rock—about the size of a wagon—large enough to conceal my small frame. Wasting no time, I cautiously moved toward it and took cover.

From here, I could observe everything without being seen.

I have no idea why am I doing this.

Maybe it was reckless, but I just couldn't sit idly by while they faced an unknown danger.

"They probably won't see me here," I whispered under my breath.

But just as I was about to focus on the battle, I made a grave mistake.

I had successfully avoided their eyes… but I had completely overlooked one thing.

The enemy could see me.

A heavy presence loomed above me. My body stiffened as I slowly looked up. Standing atop the very rock I had hidden behind was a towering figure, its menacing gaze locked onto me.

Up close, I could feel its presence radiating with an overwhelming, suffocating force.

Thick black vapor seeped from its body, curling ominously in the air.

This creature was no ordinary foe.

And now, I am its target.

Its head resembled that of a wolf, its body that of a lion, and its tail coiled like a serpent.

"Oh, my—Aeriah!" Quilya shrieked, her voice laced with panic.

The beast before me let out a terrifying, ear-splitting roar. Almost instantly, the sky darkened, and thunder rumbled ominously. The clouds swirled together, forming a massive disk, crackling with crimson lightning that lashed out wildly, striking nearby trees and reducing them to ashes in mere seconds. The wind howled, thrashing violently in every direction.

A hollow cloud? Such power…

At the very center of the swirling mass, a large sphere of darkness began to form. It pulsed with raw energy, its presence so dense and overwhelming that it seemed almost godlike.

Then, for the second time, the beast locked its glowing, storm-colored eyes onto me—its gaze filled with pure, murderous intent. It bared its fangs, every muscle in its body tensed, preparing to strike.

But my body refused to move.

Fear gripped me, rendering me completely paralyzed. I was trembling uncontrollably, too stunned and terrified to run. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. No scream. No cry for help. Nothing.

I couldn't take my eyes off it—not even for a second. Otherwise, I am dead.

Wait… I really am going to die.

Please… someone… help me.

Marreanne… Krein… Quilya…

The beast let out a guttural growl before lunging straight at me.

Helpless, I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.

But just as the attack was about to land, I felt a pair of strong hands grab my shoulders and pull me away with incredible speed. The next thing I knew, I was out of harm's way. However, despite being saved, the beast's strike had still managed to graze my leg, leaving behind a shallow but stinging wound.

"I made it just in time," Quilya exhaled, her voice firm yet tinged with worry. She tightened her grip on my shoulders before gently letting go. "Stay here, Aeriah. I'll be back quickly."

And just like that, she turned away, facing the enemy once more.

"Everyone! Surround the beast! Don't let it get near Aeriah!" she commanded, her voice sharp and authoritative.

"Roger!" they responded in unison.

Without hesitation, they encircled the monster, blocking its path to me. The beast, however, remained fixated on me, its predatory gaze unwavering.

The atmosphere shifted.

Their stances changed.

A battle was about to begin.

Quilya raised her hand, eyes locked on the enemy.

"On my command—"

A pause. A heartbeat.

"Charge!"