Chapter 23

When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in the middle of a market. Numerous stalls were scattered throughout the streets. Baskets filled with various goods were arranged underneath colorful awnings. Most of the people there wore long clothes that covered them top to bottom, revealing only their heads. The visitors wore colors in a shade brown, orange, and black, while the sellers wore clothes with eye-catching colors like bright red and deep purple.

The sounds of the market surrounded me. Merchants selling their wares, children running around, people having a chat. It all sounded so lively. They all spoke in a language I didn't understand. Maybe this is what Elerina's language sounds like when heard without translation? Or maybe, it wasn't translated because it was a completely different language?

I made my way down the main road. The sun bore down on me, but I didn't feel hot. A kind of dome covered the city’s top. Looking above, there didn't seem anything unnatural in this place.

Was I sent here by the shrine?

The magic shrine had the capability to transport me between ‘dimensions’. It had transported me to that mansion before, albeit unlike that one, this is much more colorful.

Although it does pose the question of where I'm actually transported to. Are these different worlds? Or are these places within Elerina's world? It's most likely isn't my world, at least. Are these even scenes from our current time? In fiction, it's pretty often for illusions like these to show scenes from a time long past.

As I was mulling it over, I arrived at the end of the road. A tall wall blocked me from proceeding any further. Beyond that tall wall were the upper parts of other buildings. I couldn't see clearly just what kinds of buildings they are, but they seemed a lot larger compared to the ones near the market.

Just then, loud shouts came from the direction where I came from. I turned around, finding people running everywhere. Some were trying to run to the sides, while others crashed onto the walls and tried to climb up it. Panic engulfed the market, everyone running for some reason.

I couldn't see the cause. The wave of people blocked my sights, preventing me from seeing anything. A chill ran down my spine. Something felt… unnatural. It wasn't something I could easily explain, something I could point to.

The wave of people slammed into me, but I wasn't there. They phased right through, hitting the wall and trying desperately to climb up. Others looked around, trying to find another way out. Some tried climbing onto the buildings in the market, others made a desperate attempt and ran toward where I came from.

Coming from that direction was a flood. Not of water, but something pitch black, as black as the void. Not even light can escape. Those who stood in its way were engulfed whole. They disappeared, gone.

The screams grew louder and louder. People began pushing, trampling on each other. One tried to climb above the rest, reaching for the walls above. He failed, as someone from underneath held onto his leg. It wasn't clear to me why he did that. Maybe that person didn't want the other to survive, or maybe, in his panic, that person thought he could be pulled upward.

Regardless, the void consumed everyone in the market, but the walls didn't stop it. No, it continued onward. After it passed me, I could only see black and white. The areas that had been consumed were black, and the areas that survived were white.

“Come back to… magic’s home… Izoma…”

Words appeared around me, the same voice from back then. Before I could process it, I lost consciousness once again.

•••

When I returned to my senses, I was lying underneath the familiar roof of my apartment room. Underneath me was something soft and warm. Elerina’s face hovered closely above mine. She’s cute, really cute.

“Ellen? Had he returned?” Came Angen’s voice from my phone’s speaker. It lay on the floor not too far from me, the action camera’s battery flashing on the screen, barely surviving. Whoops, I should have turned it off before. It was still on, though, and its lens staring right back at me.

That said, I don’t really want to move right now… I mean, I have Elerina’s comfortable lap underneath me. Why would I?

Eventually, I realized that we have more pressing matters to talk about. I forced myself up. Based on the camera feed, the three had retreated into a village near the forests. This village had suffered a lot more. Most of its houses were destroyed, reduced to rubble leaning on fallen trees. They did manage to find a house that is relatively intact for shelter.

I took Elerina’s action camera and let it charge. We're connected through a phone call. Since the call is on speaker, the others could hear me as well, although they need to get closer, since the phone couldn’t leave Elerina’s body. You couldn’t put it in the middle and have everyone sit around it.

I began telling them what I had witnessed. The scene in the market, the horrifying panic as the black engulfed me, and what happened to me afterward. While I couldn’t see the pair’s reaction, I could tell they were paying attention based on the lack of interruptions.

“And that’s what happened.”

“And that’s what happened,” Elerina said, repeating my words, but in her language. Since everything is translated for me, I heard it without any change.

“I see… That’s quite the interesting… how do you call it… dream?”

Calling it a dream is appropriate, since I did experience it when I’m unconscious. That said, some aspects felt way too real to me. The frightened screams of the people echoed in my mind. I didn’t understand a word they were saying, but I still remember it as clear as day.

“Such a scary picture…” Elerina murmured.

“Do you know about it?”

Elerina shook her head. She turned to look at the other two. There was a moment of silence before Memorus spoke up.

“It’s dark magic, isn’t it?”