Elena breathed heavily as her heart pounded furiously against her chest.
Each beat felt loud. Heavy. Violent.
The air around her still felt thick… oppressive… suffocating.
Her fingers trembled as she looked down at the ropes binding her wrists. They had loosened. Not fully undone but weak. Fragile. As if something had pushed against them from the inside.
Without thinking, she yanked her hands free and tore the rest off, rising to her feet so quickly the chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor.
"Elena…" Lena appeared beside her like drifting mist. "What did you do?"
"I–I'm not sure," Elena replied, still breathing hard. "I just… I knew deep down that I couldn't die yet. Amber needs me. I—"
Her voice shook.
"Calm down," Lena said softly. "It seems like you've just unlocked your powers."
Elena froze.
"W–what…?"
Before she could process it, a groan came from the doorway.
The man struggled to stand, holding his side as he pushed himself up from the floor. The wooden door had been blown clean off its hinges. Pieces of splintered wood were scattered everywhere.
He stared at her like he was looking at something unreal.
"W–what kind of power is t-this…?" he asked weakly.
Pain laced his voice.
Elena stepped forward slowly.
Something inside her felt… different.
Steady.
Heavy.
Like the air itself was responding to her presence.
Confidence rose in her chest.
"Are you ready to listen to me now?" she asked, her voice low but firm as she loomed over him.
The man's body trembled.
He tried to stand straight despite the fear in his eyes. His bulky frame made it harder, but he forced himself upright, clenching his jaw.
"If you want to kill me… go ahead and do it!"
Elena nearly lost her temper.
"What gave you the idea that I'm some kind of monster who goes around killing people?" she snapped.
The man opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Elena took a breath and forced herself to calm down. Her expression softened.
"Look," she said more gently. "I know you're frightened. After what happened to your village, it makes sense you don't trust strangers. I don't blame you for tying me up… or even trying to kill me."
His eyes widened slightly.
"I believe you were just trying to protect the people close to you."
He stared at her in silence.
There was something in her voice… something steady and sincere. It made him want to believe her.
But still…
There was something strange about her aura.
She looked young. Eighteen at most.
And yet the pressure in the room still hadn't faded.
He clenched his fist.
He had no magic. Never had.
But his sleep powder had never failed him before.
If he could just find his pouch again…
His eyes shifted briefly to the rubble on the floor.
It had to be there somewhere.
Just as he made to move—
A cold hand touched his shoulders.
He stiffened instantly.
A chill ran down his spine.
Slowly… slowly… he turned around.
And froze.
A white-haired girl stood behind him.
She looked exactly like—
He looked at Elena.
Then back at the white-haired girl.
Then at Elena again.
Confusion flooded his face.
"H-how…?" he whispered.
"Lena!! What are you doing?" Elena asked urgently.
"I sensed malicious intent," Lena said calmly, her grip tightening slightly. "I couldn't let him hurt you again."
"You have a twin?" the man asked, voice shaking. "How did she conceal herself?"
Elena blinked.
Twin?
Why would he think that?
That was when she noticed it.
Lena's hand.
It was gripping his shoulders.
Solid.
Real.
Not passing through him.
Elena's eyes widened for a split second.
Lena… wasn't intangible anymore.
She forced herself not to react.
"Y-yes," Elena said, steadying her voice. "This should be proof of my intentions. She's been here all along. She could've killed you when I was tied up, but she didn't. Because we don't want to hurt anyone."
Fog began to gather again.
The temperature dropped.
Even Elena shivered.
"We just want answers," she continued. "We might even be able to help with the curse that attacked your village."
The man swallowed hard.
The cold was becoming unbearable.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll take you to my brother."
"Do you promise?" Elena asked.
"Yes," he muttered. "Now tell your sister to get her hands off me. I'm freezing…"
Elena nodded slightly at Lena.
Lena slowly released him.
"I still don't trust him," she whispered.
"We don't have a choice," Elena replied under her breath. "He's our only lead."
Elena extended her hand toward the man with a small, tired smile.
"Come on. We don't have all night."
He stared at her hand… then ignored it and pushed himself up on his own.
Elena shrugged and withdrew it.
As they walked, Lena moved slightly ahead, watching him closely.
He noticed. And when he looked at her…
There was something strange in his expression.
Fear.
Confusion.
And something else he couldn't name.
---
Elena stood in front of the modest house, surprised.
It looked normal.
Simple.
Nothing like the grand home she had imagined a village leader would have.
But this was a small village.
Of course it would be like this.
"You need to go in first," Elena said calmly. "Tell him who we are."
The man grunted and reached for the door.
But Lena grabbed his arm.
"Remember," she said softly, her eyes cold. "No funny business."
His eyes widened instantly.
He nodded quickly and hurried inside.
Lena turned back to Elena, her face instantly soft again. She smiled sweetly, pacing slowly.
Elena watched her carefully.
Her form looked solid now.
But every few seconds… there was a faint flicker.
Like her shape wasn't fully stable yet.
Like she was still adjusting.
The door opened again.
The man stepped out and signaled for them to enter.
Elena walked inside slowly.
The moment she stepped in, she stopped.
The place was wrecked.
Tables were broken.
Chairs were smashed.
The floorboards were cracked.
Burn marks scarred the walls.
The air still carried the echo of magic.
Amber had been here.
Elena could feel it.
A gentle breeze slipped in through an open window, brushing against her face.
It felt familiar.
Memories flashed in her mind — Amber's wind magic swirling around her.
Her chest tightened.
The remorse in that wind…
Amber was still in there somewhere.
Elena clenched her fists.
She would save her.
No matter what.
"You'll need to wait," the man said, emerging from an inner room. "He's speaking with someone right now."
Elena looked around the destroyed sitting room and sighed.
She leaned against the wall, pacing slowly, growing more impatient by the minute.
Lena, on the other hand, seemed calm.
Too calm.
She stood quietly, a small smile resting on her lips.
Finally…
Footsteps echoed.
Someone emerged from the inner room.
A man in all black.
A hood covered his face but something about him felt familiar.
Elena tilted her head slightly, staring at him, trying to see his face through the shadow.
He stopped when he saw her.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
Then he pulled back his hood.
Elena's breath caught.
Her foot hit a broken chair behind her causing her to stumble slightly with wide eyes.
"D-Dante…?"