Descend To Ascend

"EEEEEEHHHH?! FOR WHAT?!" Charlotte shouted, her voice echoing so loud that birds perched on the inn's roof flapped away in a panic.

Isabella cleared her throat softly, masking her shock with grace, though her expression clearly betrayed it. "He is… somewhere in this region. But why do you want to meet him?" she asked gently, as if holding back something she didn't want to reveal.

I could only stand there, confused by how their reactions suddenly changed as if I had uttered the name of a demon. "What is it? I just have something I need from him. Do you two know him?"

Charlotte began to speak, stammering. "Wh-what kind of business do you have that you need to meet him? Isn't he the kind of person who's… well… a bit…"

"Not exactly an ordinary person," Isabella continued, her face still full of hesitation. "Is it something really important?"

I took a breath. I knew I had to keep this secret. "Yes. It's something I can't explain yet. But… could you help me?"

Charlotte and Isabella exchanged looks. Not just any look—one filled with worry… or maybe memories?

"You're from Shionra, aren't you?" Charlotte asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. Why?"

Isabella lowered her gaze before meeting my eyes directly. "Do you know the Dominatus? Your government?"

I tilted my head. "Dominatus? I… never heard of it. Is that the name of our government?"

"That's right," Isabella replied. "Shionra is the capital of Dominatus. But Dominatus… isn't just a government. They're an inner organization led by one person, made up of four main figures. No wonder you don't know anything about the outside world. They've restricted all information."

My eyes widened. "Eh? Really? I've always felt kind of 'restricted,' but I thought it was just because I was a regular citizen…"

Charlotte crossed her arms. "Leaving Dominatus is hard. Your region is tightly guarded. So for you to arrive here, coming from such a closed-off place… that's strange."

Isabella stepped closer. "We don't suspect every outsider, but you're different. Not from another land—but from the very center of power. So… are you one of them?"

I looked at both of them, feeling cornered. "No! I'm just a worker, like everyone else. I lived in the city to survive. I used to live in a small village near Shionra. But that village was cleared out… and I lost everything…"

Charlotte eyed me sharply. "Then prove it."

I bit my lip. Their words made sense. But I had no proof. Only the truth I could prove in time.

But then Isabella gently tapped Charlotte on the shoulder. "Let it go, Char. If she can name the Hill… then maybe she's not lying."

Charlotte pouted. "Still not enough."

I lifted my head. "The Hill? You mean Terravane Hill?"

They both turned to me at once.

"So you do know its name?" Isabella asked suspiciously.

I nodded slowly. Yesterday afternoon, I had seen three towering hills from afar. One of them—the tallest—pierced the clouds and the sky, and it unsettled me. That night, unable to sleep, I reopened that mysterious book. In one section, I read that name—Terravane—described as a hidden hill that could only be entered by those who knew the path. But I couldn't explain all that to them directly.

So I answered, "Some time ago, I heard a story. From an old man in the market. He said there was a place you could only enter by 'going down to go up.' I didn't understand it then… but he mentioned that hill's name. Terravane."

Isabella gave a faint smile. "So that's the hill you asked about the other day…"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Huh, so she really knows."

I looked at them hopefully. "So… do you know the way?"

Isabella took a deep breath. "Yes. We do."

Charlotte turned to Isabella. "Alright then. Let's go now."

As soon as Isabella opened the door, the morning air rushed in through the second-floor corridor window. The sun wasn't high yet, but it was bright enough to illuminate the village streets, now starting to bustle with townspeople.

Charlotte stretched her body, then said with a spirited smile, "Alright, let's begin our journey now."

We descended the stairs to the first floor. The scent of toasted bread and herbal tea filled the air. The innkeeper, a middle-aged woman in a deep red headscarf, was straightening the chairs, accompanied by her two young children. Upon seeing us, she quickly approached with a wide smile.

"Heading out already?" she asked kindly.

Isabella nodded politely. Charlotte reached into her pocket and offered a few gleaming metal coins. But the innkeeper quickly raised her hand, refusing them with a firm smile.

"No need. You've helped many villagers here for years. This is your second home," she said.

Charlotte laughed awkwardly. "But your morning bread and tea always make me want to pay for a lifetime."

One of her children, a curly-haired boy, suddenly jumped out from behind the table and started tugging on Charlotte's beard while shouting, "Come with me to the field! Your beard can pull a buffalo!"

Charlotte pretended to choke. "Ohoho! This is a sacred beard—not to be misused!"

Laughter filled the room. Isabella gave my shoulder a gentle pat. "Let's go, before the sun gets too high."

We stepped toward the front door. But after a few paces, Isabella suddenly turned around, her brow slightly raised. "Wait a second, I think… I left something."

She went back upstairs. Charlotte and I waited in front of the inn. A few minutes later, Isabella returned, carrying nothing.

"All done?" Charlotte asked.

Isabella only gave a small nod.

From behind the door, the innkeeper waved at us. "Safe travels! Take care on the road!"

We all waved back. As we rounded the corner of the village path, a child's voice shouted from inside the inn.

"Mom? Why did she leave this?"

The innkeeper looked at the small pouch of gold coins in her child's hands, then smiled and chuckled softly.

"Hmphmphmph. Just as I thought."

The road out of the village sloped upward, turning into a rocky path with wild grass growing on either side. I could see the faint silhouette of three hills in the distance—one of them towering so high it pierced the clouds. That must be Terravane Hill, I thought, just like it was written in the book.

But it turned out, our path didn't lead straight there.

"Eh… isn't that the hill?" I asked, pointing toward the distance.

Isabella simply replied, "That's where we're going, yes. But not directly."

Charlotte laughed. "We're not crazy, Rose. We just know the most… annoying route."

Just as she finished speaking, a squirrel leapt out from the bushes and startled me. I stumbled and nearly fell.

"Wah!"

"Oh dear, Rose!" Charlotte quickly grabbed my arm. "See? This is just the beginning. Usually the snakes come after the squirrels."

We all froze. Silence.

"Wait, are you jok—"

SSSSHHHKKKK! The sound of rustling leaves.

A small black snake slithered out from between the rocks.

"AAAAAAA!!!" I screamed, stumbling backward.

Charlotte burst into laughter. "Didn't you say you weren't scared?"

Isabella chuckled. "Don't worry. The snakes here just like to spook people. They don't bite."

Once we managed to distance ourselves from the snake, we crossed a small wooden bridge linking two cliffs. But as soon as I stepped on the first board—

CREEEEK.

"Uh… is this even a real bridge?" I asked, uncertain.

Charlotte was already standing in the middle of it, bouncing up and down slightly, making the whole thing sway.

"COME ON, ROSE! THIS IS THE FUN PART!"

"STOP JUMPING, CHARLOTTE!!" I shrieked.

Isabella stifled a laugh behind me. "If the bridge collapses, we can take the river path. But it'll add three more days to the journey."

Charlotte faked panic. "Oh no, seriously? I can't survive three days without morning toast."

We finally made it across. From there, the descending path turned into a narrow corridor between two rocky cliffs. The trees vanished, replaced by sharp stones jutting from the ground.

We walked slowly, climbing and descending as if the path refused to obey gravity. From time to time, I sat on a rock to sip water from a leather pouch. My body was tired, but Charlotte's ridiculous banter and Isabella's calm voice made the journey feel lighter.

"Why don't we just go straight up the hill?" I asked again.

Charlotte yawned. "Because logical paths are for ordinary people. And us? We're special."

As the sky began to glow red, we could faintly hear the roar of water in the distance.

Isabella looked at me and whispered, "If you hear the waterfall nearby… then we've arrived."

I focused my hearing. The sound grew louder—a thunderous current echoing beyond the cliffs.

Soon after, we arrived at the edge of a giant chasm in the earth, almost like a crater. Inside it, a massive waterfall poured down as if the world itself had a secret door.

Charlotte looked at me and pointed at a large stone forming an arch, like a natural gate.

"We won't go up," she said. "We're going down… to land on top of it."

Isabella nodded.

"That's right. Descend to ascend."