—Clang!!!!
The runic seal, previously dull and lifeless, suddenly began to react.
The once colorless runes now glowed brightly before me, casting an intense light.
As the runes illuminated, the wall disintegrated into pieces, scattering debris in all directions.
Then, a thin blue layer resembling a teleportation portal appeared before us.
"....."
I slowly lowered my hand as the seal shattered.
I was too stunned to utter a word.
In an instant, a myriad of emotions overwhelmed me—shock, confusion, anger—all flooding through me in mere seconds.
But beneath them all, one emotion lay hidden: fear.
Fear of the unknown.
"Eden?"
"H-huh?"
I quietly looked at Grace who was calling me, this time she didn't hide her concern for me.
I look back towards myself drenched in clod sweat from my back to my forehead all of them was covered with thick layer of sweat.
"Are you okay?" She moved closer tiptoeing she cleaned my face with the selves of her blazer.
"I-i am fine." I replied but my voice came out broken then it was supposed to be.
She didn't reply but she quietly nodded her head as she moved back a little.
Taking a deep breath I looked towards Aeloria and as I have guessed she was looking at me suspiciously.
And I can't balme her for this.
Even I was having a hard time believing what happened.
"Are we going inside now?" Aeloria asked as she moved closer to the portal.
Extending her hands, she touched the portal, but they quickly passed through, confirming it's a teleportation portal.
"Yeah," I mumbled as I took the first step inside the Portal.
As I emerged on the other side, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me—a vast jungle encapsulated within a massive dome-shaped structure.
The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, the life that echoed through the expanse of the jungle.
Towering trees stretched skyward, their branches mixed with lush foliage, filtering the sunlight into a dappled mosaic upon the forest floor.
"Wait, sunlight?" I mumbled as I looked at the source of light. Squinting my eyes, I could hardly look at it.
And from its outline, it wasn't a sun but a large boulder made with the same stone that was attached to the walls.
"What the—" as Aeloria came inside the portal, she mumbled as she looked around.
"Are we outside?" She asked cheerfully as she looked around, and Grace also came inside.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, we are still inside the labyrinth."
"Don't lie! How could there be trees this big inside a labyrinth?"
"Don't ask me, I don't know," even though I knew I wouldn't tell her.
The dome was made by space manipulation and at a high level at that; I could feel the space distortion it was creating even from here.
"Are we checking this place then?" Aeloria asked, looking at me.
"No, we will rest here for a while, then we will move further," I stated, needing some time to think.
"Can't we just go?" Frowning, she asked.
"We don't know what's on the inside the jungle, so it will be better if we stay here and get some rest," I replied, looking at her.
"I am fine! We can check it without much problem," Aeloria groaned, clearly opposed to taking rest.
*Growl*
I immediately tensed up my muscles upon hearing a low growling sound.
Looking around, I strained my senses trying to identify its source.
After finding nothing, I looked at the girls in confusion.
*Growl*
Again, the same sound came, but this time I confirmed its origin.
"Are you hungry?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I looked at Grace.
"It wasn't me!" She said, glaring at me while her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.
"Yeah, it wasn't you, but I am hungry, so we are taking a rest now," I declared as I moved away from the portal.
Finding a good spot, I took out a compact tent from the inventory.
*Snap*
Its sturdy frame unfolded with a satisfying snap as it took shape, making a comfortable spot for rest.
Having completed the tent, I gestured for them to sit down as I moved in front of it.
Using wind magic, I collected dry leaves and branches, making a pile of them.
Then, using fire magic, I burned them, creating a temporary fireplace.
Taking out a grill, I placed it on the fire and then retrieved a fresh piece of meat from my supplies, coating it with seasoning on all sides.
Despite my gesture for them to rest, Aeloria and Grace took their seats near the fireplace.
"Is it just me, or is the light getting dimmer every minute?" Aeloria mumbled as she looked at the stone placed at the center of the dome.
"It looks like it will stop emitting light after a while," I replied as I placed the steak on the grill.
"Hmm..."
"A bratty noble that knows how to cook, that's new," Aeloria joked, but I remained unresponsive for a while.
"Don't call someone your age a brat; people will think you are older," I replied, looking at her.
She flinched slightly at my words.
"I-I am not old! Jerk!" Ignoring her grumbling, I focused on cooking the meat.
After a while, when the meat started to leak tender juices, I knew it was ready.
Taking out plates from the inventory, I cut down the steak and placed it in front of them.
"Thanks for the food!" Aeloria was the first one to eat.
"Ahh~ it's delicious!"
Ignoring her weirdness, I placed a plate in front of Grace.
"Enjoy," I mumbled as I took a piece for myself as well.
"It's good, Eden," she said after taking a bite, looking at me.
I just nodded in reply, not in the mood to talk.
We all ate in silence.
"It's almost like it's nighttime now," I mumbled as I looked upwards. The light had dimmed so much that it resembled night.
"Seconds, please." Ignoring my comment, Aeloria asked for a second serving.
I looked at her, sighed, and gave her another serving.
...
...
...
"Okay, now you guys rest for a while. I will keep watch." After we finished eating, I said, motioning for them to go towards the tent.
The boulder had already stopped emitting light, and considering the circumstances, it wasn't wise to move now.
"Wake me up when you need to change shifts," Aeloria mumbled, yawning as she moved towards the tent.
"You can sleep too, Grace," I said to her with a small smile.
She nodded and followed Aeloria into the tent.
After both of them were out of my sight, I lightly sat down, leaning against a large tree as I blankly stared into the darkness around us.
[Eden?]
'I don't want to talk right now, Edda, please.'
I didn't want to think about what happened.
If all the things that were going on in my head were true, I didn't know what would happen.
But even when I didn't want to, I couldn't help but think more about it and the more sense it made.
[Affinities: fire, water, earth, wind, space-time.]
Space-time.
Human God.
'Order'.
Without me knowing, I felt like I had been entangled in something that I didn't want to be part of.
*Rusle*
I closed my eyes as I felt someone's presence close to me.
A figure quietly sat beside me.
I remained still, not moving.
"Eden."
She placed her head on my shoulder as she softly called my name.
"Yeah."
"Nothing."
With that, she closed her eyes and took shallow breaths.
It seemed like she was trying to fall asleep.
I also let go of all the unnecessary thoughts as I tried to sleep, keeping my senses sharp to react immediately.
The stillness of the forest didn't feel like it held any harmful animals, so I decided to take some rest.
...
...
-"Child."
I immediately took out my spear as I heard a voice in my head.
-"how did you arrived here, my child?"
The voice reasonated in my head again.
"Grace?" I shook her slightly, but she didn't respond.
No matter how hard I tried, she didn't move.
-
"how did you find this place,my child?"
I stood in front of Grace as I looked around, trying to see through the darkness.
-"you shouldn't be present here,child".
I gritted my teeth as I covered my spear with star energy, ready to face whatever it was.
-"that energy?"
The voice once again echoed in my head, but this time it sounded startled, unlike the calm and collected voice it had before.
*Gasp*
I gasped in surprise as I felt a huge presence in front of me, without me even knowing.
My surprise didn't end there as two huge eyes opened in front of me.
Those yellow eyes, filled with calmness, gave me a longing look.
Its vertical slits blinked twice as the voice echoed in my head again.
-"you have arrived at last ."