Silence returned to the forest.
Only moments ago, the entire place had trembled under the pressure of terrifying power. The screams, the crashing energy, the violent tremors that had shaken the trees were now completely gone.
Nothing remained but a heavy stillness.
The tall trees stood unmoving, their leaves barely rustling as a faint breeze slipped between the trunks. The ground still carried the scars of the power that had exploded there moments earlier.
But the battle itself... was over.
In the middle of the silent clearing—
Eileen and Sera lay on the ground.
Both unconscious.
No movement.
No sound.
Their fate was uncertain.
A few steps away from them stood Rafa.
But she wasn't moving.
She hadn't moved since the moment the mysterious sorcerer appeared.
Her body remained frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped around her. Her eyes were open, yet she couldn't take a single step.
The power released by the mysterious sorcerer still surrounded her.
An invisible force bound her entire body.
She couldn't attack.
She couldn't defend.
She couldn't even move.
All she could do... was watch.
She watched the battle.
She watched the collapse of Eileen and Sera's power.
And she watched the moment Ryan vanished.
But she could do nothing.
The spell binding her was far stronger than anything a summoned being like her could break.
Several long moments passed.
The forest remained still.
Then—
The energy surrounding her began to change.
The invisible aura that had imprisoned Rafa slowly started to weaken.
As if the spell that had frozen her was fading with the disappearance of its caster.
The pressure gradually vanished.
And the force holding her body—
Shattered.
Rafa finally moved,
But her body couldn't endure it.
She immediately collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
She lifted her head quickly and looked around.
The first thing she saw was Sera.
Rafa slowly moved toward her. Her steps were heavy; even her summoning energy had grown weak.
She knelt beside Sera.
Carefully, she reached out and touched her shoulder.
No response.
Rafa placed her hand near Sera's neck, searching for a pulse.
A moment of silence—
Then she felt it.
A pulse.
Weak... and unstable.
Rafa exhaled slowly.
"She's still alive..."
she whispered to herself.
But she knew the truth.
She was only a summon.
Without her mistress's command, she couldn't use power for healing or protection
And with Sera unconscious...
there was nothing she could do.
She raised her head and looked to the other side.
Eileen lay there.
Rafa moved toward her even more slowly.
She knelt beside her.
Her hand gently touched Eileen's shoulder.
Then she placed her hand over Eileen's chest to check her pulse.
Suddenly—
Her expression changed.
Eileen's pulse was fast.
Far too fast.
As if her body were experiencing a powerful shock.
Eileen's face was tense. Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were struggling against something invisible.
As if she were...
seeing something.
Or reliving a distant memory.
Rafa watched her for a few moments.
Then she whispered softly,
"What are you seeing...?"
And at that moment—
Eileen's world began to change.
Eileen slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw wasn't the sky or the trees.
It was color.
Soft green grass spread beneath her, dotted with countless flowers—white, yellow, and small blue ones swaying gently in the breeze.
She blinked several times.
The light was bright, but not painful.
She raised her head slightly while still sitting on the ground.
Slowly, she looked around.
The place was wide, peaceful... and strangely beautiful.
There were no dense forest trees.
No heavy shadows surrounding her.
She placed her hand on the ground and slowly stood up.
Her body felt light.
As if all the exhaustion from moments ago had vanished.
She stood fully upright.
Then she lifted her gaze forward.
And froze.
In the distance—
There was a massive palace.
It wasn't an ordinary palace.
It was enormous, its towers stretching high into the sky, its walls pure white—as if it had been built from solid light. The sunlight reflected across its surface, making it shine brilliantly even from afar
It was far away.
Yet perfectly clear.
Eileen's eyes widened.
She whispered quietly,
"Where am I...?"
She tried to remember.
Just moments ago...
She had been in the magical forest.
The battle.
The pressure.
The mysterious sorcerer.
And Ry—
Her heart skipped.
"Ray..."
she said quickly, looking around.
"Where is he?"
She turned behind her.
Then to both sides.
No one.
The place was empty.
No Sera.
No Ray.
Only her.
Standing alone in the field of grass and flowers.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"Weren't we in the forest...?"
Worry crept into her voice.
"Where's Sera?"
No one answered.
Only the wind moved through the flowers.
She stood there for a moment...
Then began walking.
Her steps were slow at first.
She looked around carefully as she moved toward the distant palace.
With every step she took, the scenery ahead changed slightly.
After several steps—
She began hearing sounds.
At first they were faint.
As if coming from very far away.
Voices.
Laughter.
Footsteps.
Eileen stopped.
She lifted her head slightly.
"A sound...?"
She moved forward again.
And with every step—
The sounds grew clearer.
Until finally—
She saw the city.
The path widened before her, revealing white houses and shops lining both sides of the street.
People were everywhere.
Some carrying crates.
Others talking with friends.
Merchants standing in front of their stores.
Children running through the streets, laughing loudly.
The city was alive.
The light flooding the entire place made everything look almost unnaturally bright.
Eileen stood in the middle of the road, staring around in shock.
"A city...?"
This was the first time she had ever seen a place like this.
She stepped toward a passerby.
Raised her hand slightly.
"Wait..."
The man walked past her.
He didn't stop.
She stepped closer.
"Where is this place?"
No response.
He continued walking as if he hadn't heard anything.
Eileen frowned slightly.
She approached a woman standing near a shop.
"Can you hear me?"
The woman continued talking with the merchant.
She didn't turn.
Didn't react.
A strange feeling tightened in Eileen's chest.
"What is—"
She stopped suddenly.
A group of children suddenly ran toward her, laughing.
Her eyes widened.
"Watch out—!"
But the children didn't slow down.
They ran straight toward her.
Then—
They passed through her.
Through her body.
As if she weren't there at all.
Eileen froze.
Slowly she raised her hands.
Looked down at them.
"What...?"
Her voice trembled.
"Am I...?"
She swallowed.
"Dead?"
She quickly looked down at her body.
There was no wound.
No blood.
But the people couldn't see her.
They couldn't hear her.
"Did the sorcerer... kill me?"
she whispered.
"Or did he send me somewhere else?"
There was no answer.
Then suddenly—
Shouts erupted across the city.
Loud cheers.
Eileen quickly turned toward the noise.
People began rushing toward the main road.
Their voices grew louder.
"Azira!"
"Azira!"
"Our great queen!"
Eileen stepped closer to see what was happening.
Then she saw the carriage.
It was large, elegant, glowing faintly blue as it moved slowly through the street.
Eileen stared at it.
From the carriage window—
Long blue hair appeared, flowing in the wind.
Eileen's eyes widened.
She saw the woman.
Her skin was pale and radiant. Her expression calm, yet filled with undeniable authority.
People ran behind the carriage, shouting.
"Queen Azira!"
"Azira!"
The carriage passed beside Eileen.
And the moment it did—
She felt something.
A powerful energy.
Extremely powerful.
It passed through her body like a wave.
Her heart began pounding violently.
Eileen stopped.
Placed her hand on her chest.
"What... is this power...?"
The carriage continued forward.
The crowd still shouting the queen's name.
Eileen followed them, trying to understand what was happening.
Suddenly—
The carriage stopped in the large square.
The people gathered around.
The guards cleared a path.
Queen Azira slowly stepped down from the carriage.
The crowd immediately bowed.
The cheers grew even louder.
But Eileen remained standing.
Watching her.
Something inside her trembled.
The queen lifted her head.
Then—
She stopped.
Her gaze slowly moved across the crowd.
Then settled...
On the exact place where Eileen stood.
Eileen froze.
Could she... see her?
The queen's eyes narrowed slightly.
As if she sensed something strange.
Then she whispered softly, so quietly no one else could hear:
"Strange..."
Suddenly—
The air around Eileen trembled.
And in the next instant—
The entire scene began to shake.