I was jolted awake by a sound from outside. I fell asleep while waiting for them. What's taking them so long? Is their discussion so intense that it's taking them forever? Tsk.

Well, I apologize for being impatient, but they ignited my excitement, for Pete's sake! Oh, that lady, she ruined my excitement! If she hadn't interrupted, I would know the truth about their plan by now!

I stomped my foot in frustration. "Tsk! Maybe I should go outside and—" I stopped mid-sentence. Am I crazy? Why am I talking to myself? Tsk.

In the end, I decided to go outside. After all, when I peeked out the window earlier, there weren't many people around, and it was dark. Maybe they're busy with their assignments or whatever.

I treaded the path leading out of their supposed Hearthstone. I don't know if it's a dormitory, but it looks more like a house with a living room downstairs and a kitchen, six rooms if you count the ones upstairs. I stayed in the fifth room earlier, and it's nice and comfortable. Also, the room is spacious, like a mini-house, and very clean. I heard it's Engrid's room. That explains the cleanliness.

As I stepped outside Hearthstone, I marveled at the view. When I arrived here, which was just a while ago—or maybe yesterday because I have no idea—I didn't appreciate the place because my mind was preoccupied, still processing what happened to me.

I let my eyes wander around. The place is adorned with intricate designs. You wouldn't think it's a school. The building we entered earlier, which became our classroom, is two stories high, and the classroom was downstairs. It's like a palace with many embellishments on the walls, like what we learned in AP in high school, those arches, something like that.

I stopped wandering and focused my gaze on the scenery. The school buildings caught my eyes, a symphony of grandeur in the starry night. Their design, reminiscent of a Victorian castle, blends tales from the past into the present. Each building is adorned with beautiful features that dance with the warm glow of countless lights, turning the evening into an ethereal canvas of beauty. The elegant design takes on a peculiar allure beneath the mysterious waltz of a crescent and a full moon, creating a enchanting spell on the evening surroundings.

I paused in my contemplation when I felt someone watching me. "Who's that?" I asked out loud, but no one answered. Am I hallucinating?

No one would follow me unless— My eyes widened as someone covered my mouth with a handkerchief. My body froze as the strong scent enveloped me. He didn't cover my nose, just my mouth, but for some reason, it made my body cling to the grip of whoever this person is.

"What a beautiful sight to see you sleeping, Fia," a familiar voice echoed, and the next thing I knew, everything faded into black.

—

"Hey, wake up!" I jolted awake from the shake.

I immediately stood up, remembering I was kidnapped by this annoying guy!

"How dare you!" I said while kicking his backside. I heard him scream and curse, jumping in pain. Huh! Serves him right!

"What's your problem? You've hit me enough!" he complained, rubbing his behind.

"I haven't done anything wrong to you!" Caspian pouted. I rolled my eyes heavenwards when his 'pa-cute face' appeared again. I ignored him and looked around. My eyes widened when I saw a nightmare.

A bizarre solitude dangles in the air… The surroundings are covered in a monotonous tapestry of darkness, with black trees, swirled branches, lifeless leaves, black grass crunching beneath your feet like sallow shadows, and black soil depleted of life that not even the hardiest plants dare to sprout. The sky above is a never-ending abyss of similarly deep shade. It’s a place where the lack of light is more than just a void; it’s an asphyxiating existence that casts an everlasting cloak over a land entangled in perpetual darkness.

What happened here?

I wondered why the eastern part of this place doesn't look like this—clean, fresh, and beautiful.

"This is what I am talking about," Caspian said, catching my attention.

"We need your help because maybe you know. Maybe your world has a cure for this curse," he explained, and I stared at his worried face. I didn't realize he cared about their environment.

"This curse started when my mother disappeared—" Caspian cut his sentence short, turning his head to his back, leaving me wondering.

"Let's go," he mumbled, and I furrowed my brow when he suddenly pulled me and started running.

"What are you doing?!" I struggled against his grip and gave him a stern look.

Did he bring me here to hang and run? Is he out of his mind? What if I just punch him?

"You know what, listen to me. We need to run, because if we didn't— Sh*t!" he cursed, raising my eyebrow. What the heck? I couldn't decipher if he was happy or not.

I was about to smack him when he suddenly held my hand. I was ready to break free, but I didn't. I was frozen in place when I heard a loud howl as the ground shook.

"Let's go!" I hurriedly grabbed Caspian as I saw the approaching wolf, unsure if it was a true wolf because it had horns and four eyes. What kind of creature is this?

"You're so slow!" he complained, giving me a disapproving look. Well, I reciprocated. Is it my fault? Is it?

"If you didn't bring me here, I wouldn't be a burden to you now!" I shouted, making him frown. Huh! Let him suffer! He could have told me without bringing me here, right? Such theatrics, resorting to kidnapping!

"Ahhhhh!" I screamed as he suddenly carried me. What is he doing?!

"Hold tight!" he shouted while gripping onto me tightly. I clung to him tightly too when I saw that this creature was about to catch up to us.

I closed my eyes as Caspian sped up, and I held onto him even tighter as he leaped. I don't know what to say. I don't know what he'll do next. Oh, he has powers, right? He can use them against these creatures!

"Hey, idiot! Use your powers on them!" I shouted at him, averting my gaze as he turned his face toward me. It was too close, and it's disgusting.

"I can't use them!" he replied, catching his breath in the thin air. Right. There's not much oxygen here due to the dead trees and plants... wait? Do immortals need oxygen? Meh.

"But why?!" I retorted in frustration.

"Even if I could, I can't! We're in the cursed part of my world! And this curse will drain your energy. I don't want to die, so no!" I just stared into space upon hearing that. So, are we going to die here? But he said he doesn't want to die, so...

"We're almost there, hold on tight," he instructed, so I automatically clung tightly to him.

I felt a bite on my foot. I looked at it. The wolf with horns and four eyes was biting my foot!

I winced in pain as he held onto it to keep up with our running.

“Caspian!” I shouted, and when he noticed what the wolf did to me, he suddenly summoned something in his right hand. It is a chain whip. He waved it using only his power and struck the wolf biting me. I felt Caspian's hands trembling, so I glanced at him. Right, this place will drain his energy when he uses his power.

I winced as the fangs slowly came off my foot. I heard what seemed like a crying and a loud sound from the ground, accompanied by the flow of blood from my foot. It hurts!

"Don’t worry, everything will be okay," he assured me. I expected him to say it's okay, but he didn't. I would've scolded him if he had said that. What a waste.

I cried softly as I felt something crawling at my bitten feet. It hurts badly, and I want to scream but I can’t. I squeezed my eyes tightly, gripping Caspian’s chest while enduring the pain.

A minute passed, and we still haven’t reached our destination. I looked at Caspian, drenched in sweat, focused on what lies ahead. He continues running, but his pace is gradually slowing. He also uses his power if anything tries to catch up, defeating it. Until I see half of this place.

It glows due to the lively trees, illuminated by its three suns. I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally arrived. He gently lowered me onto the grass and laid down beside me.

The wolves howled loudly when they saw us at their boundary. They stopped chasing us. I heard Caspian laugh. I stared at him while mocking the wolves inside the dead place. I saw a rock beside me, so I quickly threw it at him.

He winced and looked at me with a pout. "Hey, lady! I saved you, and this is how you repay me?" All complaints! I wanted to stitch his mouth so he can’t speak anymore!

"For your information, it's your fault our lives were almost taken, you idiot!" I shouted back at him. I no longer felt the pain in my foot; it's starting to numb.

I just looked at the wolves as they left because they couldn't come to our side. Caspian stopped staring at the wolves since they're gone. He sat on the grass, wiped his sweat, and looked at me, smiling and catching his breath.

I sneered at this fool. We covered quite a distance— wait? How did we get in there? Don't tell me he walked that far? It's too far!

"How did we get in there?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"I teleported!" he cheerfully said, causing me to furrow my brow even more.

So...

"Why didn't you teleport back?"

"Because it is fun!" He beamed a smile at me, like an innocent child who did nothing wrong. Ugh! This guy!

I was about to stand up when I couldn't, so I looked down at my feet. My eyes widened as I saw what happened, and Caspian, too, had a shocked expression upon seeing it.

"What happened to my foot?" I asked Caspian, my lips trembling.

I looked at Caspian, and when I saw his surprised face, I got nervous.

"That lupus is cursed, and your feet..." Caspian muttered, staring at my feet.

I looked at him closely. His face clearly showed concern as he gazed at me.

"You will die, Fiamiolle," he added.

My heart pounded loudly upon hearing that from him. I will die? But why? I haven't even returned home yet!

I turned my gaze to Caspian, praying that he would retract his words and tell me it's just a joke. However, he didn't. He was seriously looking at me.

I heaved a sigh, looking at my feet.

Is this my end?