Chapter 12: Get out.

"What are they still whispering about?" Carla muttered in frustration, eyeing Rocky and Mirus. The latter stood hunched, still recovering from overusing his ability.

"I dunno. Maybe the Queen's name spooked them," Cynthia offered.

Carla shook her head. "No. I don't think that's it."

Meanwhile, Rocky and Mirus were indeed deep in discussion—about a much bigger problem.

"Immortals… Are we sure she didn't just say mortal? Maybe we misheard. Could've been something else. Like… im-patient," Rocky suggested, his tone absurdly serious.

Mirus shook his head. "I don't think so, Young Master. If what she said was true, then—"

He pointed to the distant sky, where the floating city of the Immortals shimmered faintly.

"—that place is ruled by an Immortal Queen, and it's full of her kind."

They exchanged uneasy glances.

"This goes against my brother's warning," Rocky muttered.

"Indeed. If Master knew we were here right now..." Mirus sighed, half amused. "He'd go berserk."

Then, both their eyes widened.

"You think news of the ambush reached him?" Rocky asked, suddenly grim.

"I'd say the possibility is high, Young Master," Mirus said, paling.

"…Shit!" Rocky cursed.

Mirus nodded solemnly.

"What's the possibility that's so high?"

"AHH!"

Both of them jumped at the sudden voice.

Carla stood nearby, hands on her hips, grinning like a child catching two guilty boys in the act.

"What are you hiding?" she asked with mock suspicion.

Rocky's tail twitched.

"How do we get out of here?" he deflected smoothly.

"What?"

A blade flashed.

Mirus had raised his weapon to Carla's face, eyes sharp. He repeated calmly:

"How do we get out of here?"

Tension crackled in the air before Cynthia broke it.

"You can't," he said flatly.

"What do you mean we can't?" Mirus's voice tightened.

"No one can," Carla said—softly, but firmly.

Both Rocky and Mirus froze, confusion replacing their aggression.

"Care to explain?" Rocky asked, unease in his tone.

Carla nodded and knelt down, drawing in the sand like a child with chalk. But her sketch was surprisingly clear.

She drew three concentric circles—outer, middle, and inner.

"This is Eden. The full map. Mortal and Immortal lands."

She pointed to four points on the outermost ring. "These are the sectors: East, West, North, and South."

"This here is the South sector. It's where you came in—and where our chapel is located."

She moved clockwise. "West… another mortal zone. Not a friendly place."

Then, the East. She marked it with a big X. "Overrun with maddened beasts. No one sane goes there."

Lastly, she tapped the top of the circle. "North. Avoided by everyone because of The Deep." She marked a "D."

"The Deep?" Rocky asked. "That thing you mentioned before?"

"You saw it—twisting space, warping reality. The fissure. That's the Deep," Carla confirmed.

Cynthia gave a slow nod. "Not something you want to fall into."

"Okay, but what's the point of this geography lesson?" Mirus asked.

Carla looked up. "Remember that barrier we passed through—the one we sank into?"

They both nodded.

"That's called The Edge." She pointed to the boundary of the outer ring.

"This is where we were when I blasted us," she added, drawing a cross at the South edge.

Then, she marked a second cross at the North.

"And this… is where we came out."

She connected the two points with a straight line.

Mirus's eyes widened. Rocky's jaw dropped.

"They're connected," he said slowly.

Carla nodded. "Every point on the Edge is paired with another across the circle. Cross one… you come out the other."

"...So if we went through the North barrier again, we'd end up back in the South sector?" Rocky asked.

"Technically, yes," Cynthia said. "Assuming you don't get sucked into the Deep first."

Rocky's ears flattened.

Carla continued. "But that doesn't get you out—it just moves you around inside Eden."

"Then what are you suggesting we do?" Mirus asked.

Carla tapped the center ring—the innermost circle.

"The Queen. She's your only way out."

"Absolutely NOT," Mirus snapped.

"Listen," Carla pressed. "She's the only immortal actively searching for an exit. She asked me to report any anomalies. You two qualify."

She locked eyes with Mirus.

"This might be your best—and only—shot."

Mirus looked at her, then slowly turned to Rocky.

The young master's tail swayed low, thoughtful.

"Alright," Rocky said at last. "But on one condition."

Carla raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"If she helps us find the person we came here for… assuming he fell into this world like we did."

Carla and Cynthia exchanged glances.

"That can be arranged," Carla said with a nod.

Rocky glanced up again. "Then… how do we get to the floating city?"

At that, Carla drew three small boxes around the middle ring.

"This ring is the Maw. It's the boundary before you reach the Immortal lands."

"There are three gateways—South, East, and West. The North one was destroyed decades ago."

She looked up, smiling.

"So… where do you want to go? West or East?"

Before they could answer, she rephrased it.

"Actually, let me put it better—"

"Would you rather cross through a land full of wild mortals?"

"Or through one crawling with maddened beasts?"

Rocky and Mirus glanced at each other.

Then slowly, both their eyes drifted down…

…to the big X marked in the sand.

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