Bond of the mind - part one - chapter 1

The fog was so thick that she couldn't see a thing. May realized that the hand clutching her ankle belonged to Senna. She was injured and breathing heavily, but May knew that the battle wasn't over yet, so she couldn't focus on her injuries. May's dog Spark was by her side, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

May could sense that the enemy was coming, even though she couldn't see a thing. However, her senses were more than accustomed to an environment where her eyes were useless.

Suddenly, the last heyen emerged from the impenetrable fog. That was what they were called. People who had ceased to be entirely human. Their bad qualities had prevailed over their good ones, turning them into something between humans and dark shadows. There was no negotiating with them, as most of them were unable to speak human language, but they still retained the skills they had learned as humans, such as controlling and using various objects.

Heyen didn't wait for anything and attacked immediately. May tried to deflect the sword aimed directly at her chest, but it slid along her blade and into her left shoulder. She was used to the pain. A scream escaped through her clenched teeth. She was bleeding. Spark reacted quickly and bit into Heyen's ankle, causing him to fall to his knee. This allowed May to deliver the decisive blow. She couldn't see anything, but she could clearly feel the head roll away from the body and Heyen collapse to the ground. This was the last of them. May was covered in blood, but it wasn't the first time...

She bent down to Senna to check her injuries up close.

"Senna, can you hear me?" she asked. But Senna's eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. The long gash on her back didn't look good at all. Fortunately, it wasn't deep and hadn't damaged her spine. She unwound the bandages she always wore around her chest, because in this world they didn't know the conveniences of the human world. As quickly as she could, she bandaged the wound and then, together with Spark, moved the elf to the nearest recess in the rock that looked acceptable for spending the night.

May wrapped Senna in everything they had to keep her warm so she could rest. After all, her body was capable of healing the wound without stitches. She just needed rest.

Spark stood guard the whole time. Just as it seemed that Senna was about to wake up, May closed her eyes from exhaustion. It was only a moment, but it was enough...

When she opened them again, she was lying in her room. It was morning again, and May knew she would have to go to school soon.

She checked the spot on her shoulder where the heyen had hit her. There was a scar.

Then she ran to make coffee, because without it, she would hardly be able to cope with the world.

In the real world, May was an ordinary high school student. Although she was smart, she only studied enough to get average grades. It didn't mean much to her. In her mind, this world wasn't important to her.

May, being an introvert, didn't show much interest in getting to know people. It was because she simply didn't trust them. She felt that people generally showed their bad qualities more than their good ones. For that reason, she avoided them as much as she could. However, she loved animals very much. She liked to talk to them, play with them, and pet them without expecting any response. Her favorite was, of course, her dog Spark, who existed with her in this unpleasant world. The people around her took life as it came. She, however, was different. After all, she lived a secret life full of adventure that no one around her knew about. For her, this world was just a nightmare—worse and, in a way, more dangerous than the other world, where she felt she could truly be herself.

May preferred to spend her time with Spark rather than in the company of other people. She liked to sit in various places in nature, such as hilltops and mountains, in deep forests, or near rivers, listening to the chirping of birds and other sounds of nature. In the modern world, however, machines often drowned out these sounds that were so sweet to her.

She realized that, except for her occasional escapes to the other world, where she couldn't stay, there was no way out of this real world. Thoughts of the endless cycle of repeating days often weighed heavily on her, and she couldn't completely shake them off. She preferred to occupy her mind with thoughts of the other world, so that she could at least escape from her unpleasant reality.

She was the oldest of four siblings in her family. She had often struggled with the fact that her parents' attention was focused on her younger siblings. She felt the need to be noticed, but that need was so unfulfilled and neglected that it eventually disappeared completely.

Precisely because she was the oldest, those around her apparently decided that she didn't need much attention, so no one paid attention to her or listened to her. This had a big impact on her childhood. It was also one of the reasons why she stopped confiding in and talking to people around her. The feeling that she had no one around her who would listen to her and show interest in her completely overwhelmed her, and over time she even came to terms with it. Fortunately, in the real world, she at least had Spark, and that was her salvation. All she had to do was see the happy expression on her face when she was around her, and she knew that was all she needed. At least her dog cared about her and would always be by her side.

That's why Spark confided in her and talked to her like her best friend. Because that's what she was to her. Spark always listened attentively, as if she literally understood her and felt her pain.

That was May's reality. An unpleasant reality she had to go through day after day. The world as she saw it through her own eyes—a constantly repeating cycle.

That's why she always looked forward to the end of the day, when evening would come again.

When it was finally time to go to bed, she always had to make sure she had everything ready for the next day. That was because, after returning from the other world, it wasn't always easy to quickly get her bearings in the morning and check if she had forgotten anything. Spark always lay next to her. Then, when they finally fell asleep together, May opened her eyes again and a different world spread out before her. Two beings stood there waiting only for her - Spark and Senna, who had already recovered from her previous injuries. Both stared only at her.

She was back where she felt best. In a world where she could be herself. In the company that was everything she needed in life...

May had long known about Senna's abilities from their adventures together. Senna was not a human like her. She was an elf. Her body was capable of healing almost any wound and keeping her alive. But superhuman regeneration wasn't the only ability the elves possessed. Senna was also very agile and strong. So much so that she could dodge even deadly blows. She was almost as tall as May and resembled her in some other ways as well. For example, May never cut her long blonde hair, which now reached down to her waist. She always just tied it up in a bun so it wouldn't get in the way on their adventures. Senna had hair just as long. She braided it on the right side of her head. However, her hair was green, so it always looked like fresh spring grass.

Time in the real world never stopped while May was in the other world. Rather, it seemed to her as if time was suddenly passing much more slowly. It was like when you have a long dream and when you wake up, you feel as if you have experienced much more time than you have actually slept. Senna, on the other hand, always waited and watched over May in her absence, because when May was in her real world, her body on the other side was asleep. For Senna, this time felt like only five minutes had passed. Elves never worried too much about how much time passed because their lives were much longer than those of ordinary people. This was reflected in their different perception of time.

Senna smiled at her. Dawn was breaking, and the fog that had covered the landscape all night was slowly dissipating. Spark sat next to her, staring directly into May's eyes, wagging her tail contentedly. May felt that familiar feeling she always experienced when she was back where she thought she belonged. A feeling of happiness and contentment. She smiled back at Senna and immediately threw herself at Spark. She had to give her a big hug, even though it had only been a moment since they had gone to sleep together. She greeted Spark the same way she did in the real world.

"We should get going. It's at least an hour's walk to the nearest village," Senna said, turning to leave. May picked up her sword, which was lying next to her, and stood up. She had to stretch properly, even though it had only been a moment since she had gone to sleep. She felt as if she had just woken up after a good night's sleep. She knew that heyens only moved around after dark. They were creatures consumed by darkness and evil, so they avoided the sun's rays during the day and hid in rocks, caves, or holes in the ground. Of course, heyens weren't the only creatures roaming this vast world, which seemed so similar to the real human world.

There were various kingdoms that constantly struggled to deal with the dark creatures and other beings that inhabited this inscrutable world. It was usually the kingdoms, rich people, or mayors who assigned the task of hunting these creatures. The tasks were posted on boards in the guild of hired hunters, to which May and Sennu belonged. It was easier for the royal administration to assign these tasks directly to the guild. Hunters who did not return from their missions were usually not sought after. Everyone suspected what fate had likely befallen them.

The kingdom they lived in was in chaos. The local king was blind, and his advisors fed him lies to keep him believing that the kingdom was in good shape and the people were living well.

But the opposite was true. If anyone dared to speak out against the local conditions and practices, they were immediately suppressed and silenced. It happened that people who expressed their protest against the king simply disappeared. That was the kind of kingdom it was. That is why heyens appeared there more and more often. People lost hope and slowly stopped believing in a better tomorrow. And so it happened that they were overcome by their own bad qualities and swallowed up by darkness.

May wasn't the only one from the other side who could enter this world. There were more people from the other side, but it wasn't always easy to tell them apart. Some lived normal lives in villages, while others served the kingdom. However, all of them could turn into heyens. Who they were in reality was fully reflected in this world.

May, Senna, and Spark first headed to the place where they had fought the heyens the previous evening. They needed the head of the last one so they could collect their reward for completing the task at the guild. It wasn't hard to find the place during the day, but they had to hurry to get there before the head could disappear.

When they arrived, the blood at the scene of the fight still looked fresh, as if it had just happened. The heyens' blood was the darkest shade of black. May still had the fight vividly in her mind and continued to ponder it as if the long day she had spent in her world did not even exist.

"Here it is!" Senna exclaimed, picking up the head from the ground and stuffing it into a bag. It wasn't a sight for everyone. May always left this "collection" to Senna. She knew she didn't have the same problem with it as she did. The blood or the sight of the wounds didn't bother her, but she couldn't bear to look at the faces of those they had killed.

"Thank you," she said to Senna, as she always did, knowing that she was leaving this part of the task to her. She was very grateful to her for that.

Senna just smiled. Finally, they could head back to the guild and collect their reward for completing the task.

They tried to avoid forest paths and trails. They preferred to go straight through the deep forest. This reduced the likelihood of accidentally coming into contact with other people or creatures. Mostly, they only encountered animals that lived in the deepest part of the forest. It was safer that way, because not all groups of hunters were honest. Some, instead of completing their tasks, tried to get the rewards by intimidating others. Then there were outright bandits and others like them who were just waiting for their chance. Not that May, Senna, and Spark were particularly afraid, but it was easier on their conscience. Moreover, during the day, the forest was always beautifully peaceful, so pleasant that one would have liked to lie down on a clearing and listen to the sounds of the forest and the animals living in it. There was no quieter place. May would have struggled to find such a place in the other world. There, it was impossible to completely escape the sounds of civilization. Here, Senna showed her and taught her how to move through the forest almost silently. Often, the animals they encountered remained calm and went about their business as if they did not consider them a threat.

After a while, they reached the edge of the forest. Below them, they could see vast plains where villagers were cultivating fields or grazing their livestock. This was how they always knew they were near a town or village. For obvious reasons, people did not move to isolated places. Except, of course, for those who were confident that they could cope with all the pitfalls of the world, but such determined individuals were few and far between.

The town they were heading for, where their guild was located, was already in sight. It was an old town called Osten. Most of it was still built of wood, which was not unusual. On the contrary, stone buildings were a rarity reserved for those who could afford them. So it was no surprise that the town hall and the mayor's house had been renovated and built entirely of stone. The town was surrounded by the original wooden palisade, which was rarely maintained, as were the watchtowers located at each entrance to the town. It was not a very large town in terms of population, but there were always many hunting parties, merchants, and other travelers staying there, so the inhabitants of this town had no shortage of work.

May, Senna, and Spark quickly passed through the suburbs, where only peasants and the poorest lived, and stood at the entrance to the city. As usual, there was a guard checking them before they entered. Even though they belonged to a guild, in this world, few could be trusted. People often envied each other and stole property, goods, or items needed to fulfill guild tasks. For this reason, the guard commander received many complaints every day, and posters with wanted persons constantly filled the city notice boards. The city guards were so poorly dressed that the two girls never ceased to marvel and doubt whether they would be able to protect the city in the event of a serious threat. Helmets were rarely seen, their vests were always missing at least one button, and their shoes and weapons were not worth mentioning.

They headed straight for the center of town. The large stone town hall was visible from a great distance. Compared to the rest of the town, it looked truly magnificent. There was no need to wonder where the mayor invested the town's finances. The town hall was located in the very center, between all the other buildings. In front of it was a small square with a fountain that was slowly but surely being covered by moss. Although it was a small square, its location in the center of town meant that it was always full of people. The locals stood around the stalls, selling or buying, or endlessly discussing their daily troubles with others, without knowing those they confided in very well.

The building of the guild of hired hunters stood directly opposite. It was much larger than the ordinary houses of the villagers. It was always obvious at first glance which building housed the guild, as groups of people were constantly entering and leaving it. However, the large number of people flowing in and out was not only because it was the guild building, but also because it served as a rest room and tavern. Among others, travelers, local farmers, and townspeople who needed to fortify themselves for the evening would enter.

Senna stepped inside first. She always led the way for May in large crowds. May felt uncomfortable in crowds. She lowered her eyes to the ground and watched Senna's feet move forward.

She was constantly on guard. She always kept a close eye on her surroundings, just as she did in the real world. Spark stayed by her side. She was so close that May could have placed her palm on her.

"Hello. I assume you're here to collect your reward, correct?" asked the guild employee. Senna nodded with a fleeting smile on her face.

"There haven't been many hunters focusing on heyens lately. Anyway, here are your 20 gold coins," the employee continued.

"Thank you," Senna replied and turned to May. She stepped closer to her. She leaned toward her right ear and whispered so that the others couldn't hear: "Let's find a table for two, grab something to eat, look for another job, and then let's go, okay?" May just nodded.

Fortunately, they arrived early, and since the villagers usually worked in the morning, there were still a few tables available. They chose a table on the second floor, as far in the corner as possible. They ordered a jug of water, two glasses, and something small for breakfast. Even for that little, they had to pay three gold coins.

They mostly did small jobs that the hunters didn't usually choose. The attention of the other hunters was drawn to tasks with greater rewards. But that was also the reason why some novice hunters did not return the next day. These hunting groups often overestimated themselves, and unfortunately for them, there was no one to come to their rescue, as is often the case in fairy tales.

Of course, there were also those who were able to face creatures other than heyens. Hunters grew stronger in proportion to how hard they worked to complete their tasks. May had known this for a long time. After all, it was true for her as well. Since she had come to this world, she had become much stronger than she had ever been in the real world.

They rarely spoke during breakfast. They didn't want anyone to eavesdrop on them. Caution was definitely warranted here, because there was never any guarantee that someone with bad intentions wasn't listening. Mostly, they just watched from the window as everyone rushed around. Such was life in the other world. People were always rushing somewhere. May always thought to herself that she never wanted to end up like them. Always rushing somewhere and forgetting everything else, especially herself. Not having time to stop for a moment, take a breath, and listen to the sounds of nature or pay attention to the things around her. She couldn't even imagine not having Spark. She was everything to her.

When they had finished eating and only half of the jug of water was left, Senna got up and went to look at the task board. It took her a while to read through all the offers, but she soon returned.

"There's nothing for us today," she sighed. She glanced at May, but she was looking behind her.

A small, stocky man was slowly making his way towards them from the opposite corner. He was, of course, a dwarf. He was carrying a hammer over his shoulder that looked too big for him. He walked slowly over to their table. He sized them both up with a quick glance and began: "Good morning, ladies. I see you're looking for something. Found anything good?"

May and Sennu exchanged glances, while Spark was already on her feet and on guard.

"Not yet, unfortunately. It's probably still early," May said this time.

"In that case, how about joining us? We've taken on a simple job for a hundred gold pieces to clear a cave of water trolls. What do you say?" continued the dwarf.

"We'll need a moment to think about it, if that's okay," replied May.

"Sure. When you've decided, just wave your hand and I'll come over from our table," replied the dwarf, turning on his heel and heading back to his group's table.

May breathed a sigh of relief as she scratched Spark's head. She looked up at Senna. She knew she wasn't particularly fond of dwarves, mainly because of the way they spoke, but she also knew that she hated trolls with a passion. Trolls were small creatures, even smaller than dwarves. They usually grew to a height of fifty centimeters. They were small, but agile and treacherous. Their skin was brown to black in color. This was probably due to the fact that they spent most of their time hidden in caves. They had elongated ears that pointed backward, two small tusks, and eyes larger than those of humans. Their heads resembled those of wild pigs. They spent most of their time huddled together in their caves, and when they did come out, it was only after dark, especially when there was no moonlight. They would ambush poor victims they found camping near their caves and slit their throats. They would then carry their loot back deep into their caves before dawn.

Troll hunting was generally considered an easy task, as it was easy for a large group of hunters to deal with them. However, May was not entirely sure about this task. It was not out of fear, but because these tasks were often more tricky than they seemed. The tasks were always written on caves where troll activity had been reported, but that did not necessarily mean that only trolls lived there. Therefore, this task could be really easy, or really dangerous.

"What do you think, Senna?" May asked her companion. Senna had an idea of what May was thinking before she asked the question. After all, they had been traveling together for some time.

"I think we should try it... I know it might end up not being as easy as it seems, but it could help us. It would be nice to get some extra gold coins, don't you think?" Senna replied.

May knew that she was saying this mainly because the extra gold coins would guarantee them a decent night's sleep in a comfortable bed, and they wouldn't have to travel from task to task and sleep in caves.

"Okay, but if it doesn't look safe, we'll back out of the task," said May, waving to the dwarf.

The dwarf walked back to the table as before. "So, have you decided, girls? Will you join us and share the reward?"

"What's the offer?" asked May.

"There are three of us, so sixty gold coins for us and forty for you. Is that okay?" offered the dwarf.

May just nodded. She knew there were three of them. Spark was there too. But it was a fair offer, considering that the task was theirs.

"Get ready, and we'll be on our way in an hour, okay? Let's get there as soon as possible before it gets dark," replied the dwarf with a smile from ear to ear. His group, the other two people, got up from the table and followed the dwarf.

May, Sennu, and Spark also got up. They still had to get a few things, such as torches and other equipment that might come in handy in the cave.

An hour passed quickly, and everyone gathered again in front of the hunters' guild building. There were two more people in the dwarf's group. A man and a woman. May glanced quickly at both of them. The man was carrying a sword and a shield, while the woman had a long staff in her hands. She must be a sorceress, May thought. Magic and spells were nothing unusual in this world.

"Good, you're here," said the dwarf and continued. "First, let's all introduce ourselves. I'm Tragir. This big guy is Ivan, and the sorceress is Dain."

"My name is May, this is Senna, and the dog next to me is Spark. We're happy to meet you and thank you for inviting us on this quest," replied May.

"Now that's done, we can get going," replied Tragir, turning on his heel and heading straight for the city gate. His two companions immediately followed him.

May looked at Senna, nodded, and the two set off in their footsteps.

Based on their destination and the map, they knew that this time they would be going further than they usually did. They didn't usually have to go this far. The Heyen often moved around human villages and towns. After all, they were originally humans.

This time, they weren't checked when passing through the city gate. Usually, only those entering the city were checked. On the other hand, this rarely happened when leaving, especially when they were looking for someone who was likely still in the city.

Tragir continued on his way, just as May had expected. It was the fastest route, so she logically assumed that if they joined them, they would definitely not stray from it. Tragir's group was discussing something among themselves. This gave May enough time to study all three of them more closely.

The dwarf was much smaller than her, but she could see that he was a born warrior. She could tell by the hammer he carried over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. He had long black hair braided into a ponytail. In places, it was already turning gray, so May guessed that he was a few hundred years old. Of course, as was typical for dwarves, he had a long, thick beard. He was wearing iron armor, leather pants, and hobnailed boots.

Ivan was the tallest of the group. He had short red hair and was dressed entirely in leather armor. He had a sword strapped to his belt and carried his shield on his back. The sorceress Dain was a redhead with shoulder-length hair. She wore a hat that made it easy for anyone to see that she was a sorceress. Dain's long cloak and high-heeled boots were perhaps a little too provocative for May's taste.

After a few hours of traveling, the group finally approached the mountains nicknamed the Eagle Mountains. They were so named because they rose so high that their peaks could not be seen. Only a few eagles appeared in the sky, swooping down for food.

After climbing a few meters, everyone reached a rocky plateau, and on the opposite side, they could already see the entrance to the cave.

There were no troll guards in sight, which was unusual. Usually, the trolls kept watch as an early warning against uninvited guests.

All members of the group moved to one side of the cave so they couldn't be seen and could discuss their plan of action. It was starting to get dark, so there was no doubt that the trolls would soon come out of their lair.

"First, we'll wait for them to come out, and once we've gotten rid of their hunting party, we'll rush into the cave. I'll go first, followed by May and the elf girl," the dwarf outlined his plan, and when he saw th nd no one else was saying anything, he continued: "Then Dain will go, followed by Ivan, because he's the tallest of us."

May knew that the dwarf hadn't mentioned Spark, but she planned to leave Spark outside and guard the entrance. She could imagine that in the confusion inside, someone might hurt her.

Spark sensed what May was thinking without the girl saying a word. May placed her hand on Spark's head, scratched her between the ears, and whispered, "Wait here for us, and if anything happens, run to us."

They could hear the sound of tiny feet coming from the cave, and the group knew that the trolls were approaching. They all pressed themselves against the rock and waited for the entire troop of trolls to come out so that none of them could turn around and warn the others inside.

"There are ten of them," whispered Senna. Thanks to her excellent hearing, she was able to determine exactly how many enemies were approaching, even though they were not yet in sight. She was already pulling two arrows from her quiver. The others immediately began to prepare for battle as well. It was important to finish this as quickly as possible and, above all, to ensure that none of them managed to escape or warn the other trolls hiding in their lair inside the cave.

The trolls slowly began to emerge from the opening in the rock. They were all lightly armed with small weapons. They preferred light equipment because it allowed them to move quickly during the attack and thus quickly injure their victims.

They didn't notice them. Although trolls had a better sense of smell than ordinary humans, luckily for the group, the wind was blowing in their direction. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, making them almost invisible along the rock. Senna waited a moment longer. Not that she was wrong, but she wanted to be sure that no more would emerge.

Suddenly, she released her first arrow. She hit the last two trolls closest to her through the head. This was the art of elven archery. The best archers had enough strength and experience to shoot their prey without the arrow getting stuck in the body. Eight remained. Tragir was already behind them. Dwarves could be very fast over short distances. Despite the weight of his large hammer, it was no problem for him. Just as the trolls turned around, he clenched his hammer tightly in his hands and, with a huge smile, swung it around with all his might. The trolls were no match for the power and speed of his weapon. One, then two, then three who didn't manage to dodge in time fell to the ground with crushed skulls or chests. Five remained. The trolls were terrified and tried to escape. The first in the group was just turning around and preparing to flee, his mouth already opening to scream.

Not a sound came out of him, because something swiftly passed through his throat. The last thing the troll saw before his eyes was May's face, which had quickly moved and assessed the situation, with an expression completely devoid of emotion. She felt no anger, fear, or joy. She pulled her sword out of the troll. The remaining three trolls immediately ran towards her. She prepared for battle. When the trolls were close enough, she swung her hand at them, but it wasn't holding a sword. She was hiding dust and small stones in her hand, which she had picked up from the ground shortly before. She threw them at the two closest trolls. As soon as the dust got into their eyes, they had no time for anything else. May quickly jumped back and swung her sword. In that decisive split second, she noticed the last troll raising his arm to strike before she could deliver her blow. She watched him out of the corner of her eye without moving her head. At the same time, she saw something else that made her continue her attack. The troll who was trying to hit her stopped and collapsed to the ground. His arm was pinned to his chest by a second arrow that Senna had fired. It had pierced him right through the side, through his arm, chest, and heart. May finished her strike and cut off the heads of the last two trolls standing in front of her.

She closed her eyes. Then she straightened up, opened her eyes again, and exhaled. The dwarf was already standing casually leaning against his hammer, a huge smile spreading across his face. "You girls are pretty dangerous," he said, waving to his two companions.

Ivan stepped toward him, began picking up the limp bodies of the trolls, and carrying them to a pile a few meters away from the battlefield. Once all the trolls were in one pile, Dain approached them. She was about to reach out her hand over the bodies, but Senna grabbed her.

"Hold on," Senna said, continuing, "let's not forget that trolls have a better sense of smell than humans. The wind helped us here, but it won't do us any good inside the cave. We have to cover our scent with their blood."

Dain grimaced in disgust.

"The elf is right. Do as she says," said Tragir, and although Dain and Ivan weren't too happy about it, they got to work. When everyone was sufficiently covered in troll blood, they finally allowed the sorceress to burn the bodies. Everyone returned to the cave entrance, now ready to go inside. They had a little time before the trolls inside realized something was wrong.

Before entering the cave, they lit two torches. Tragir took one and Senna took the other. They entered carefully and as quietly as possible. Judging by the slight slope, it was clear that they were going deeper into the cave. They continued on and on, but Senna didn't hear any sounds for a long time. It was therefore certain that the trolls still had no idea of their presence, which gave them a considerable advantage for their ambush. The passage inside was low and narrow, but not so much that someone like Ivan couldn't walk upright. The only sound that could be heard was the constant dripping of water. A normal person would hardly notice it, but it wasn't very pleasant for Senna's ears. It made her a little nervous.

After about five minutes of descent, the passage began to widen. This meant more room to walk, but at the same time, they noticed two elongated shadows looming in front of them. It turned out that the path split a few meters ahead. They had reached a fork in the road.

"So, which way now?" Tragir asked. There were no signs to tell them which way to go.

"I'll take care of that," said Senna, a fleeting smile crossing her face. She stood against the wall separating the two passages and brought her head close enough so that her entire ear touched the cold rock. She closed her eyes to concentrate her senses on listening.

Everyone waited.

While Senna listened to the sounds of the cave, Dain approached May from behind and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Aren't you worried about your dog?" she said.

"He'll be fine. It's not the first time," May replied, stepping away from Dain. She didn't like being touched, especially by someone she didn't know very well.

Dain glanced at Ivan.

Senna had already moved her head away from the rock. Only then did she open her eyes and turn back to the group. She glanced at each of them, her eyes stopping on May.

"The trolls are definitely to the right, but we have to go left first," she said and bit her lip. May understood why she did that. She had seen that look several times before, and it was clear to her that everyone else would soon understand why they had to go further away from the trolls first.

So the group set off down the left path. The path led straight ahead and did not slope down. Again, it was a very quiet path. The only sound was their own breathing. Soon, they could tell from the shadows that they were nearing the end. They came to a large wooden gate locked with a padlock.

"I think we have a plan to get inside," Tragir suggested.

"Yes. First we need to get through these doors," said Senna, making way for Tragir, who immediately headed for the door as soon as she had finished speaking.

He swung his hammer with all his might and with a single blow tore the lock from the wooden door. Everyone hoped that the trolls wouldn't hear the noise. Then Tragir entered first.

"I've never seen this before..." he muttered, lowering his gaze as he entered. Everyone followed him. Among the bones and remains of human remains lay five other naked female bodies, still intact. Everyone had to cover their mouths and noses. The smell of bones and rotting corpses was unbearable.

"Two of them are still breathing," said Senna, pointing to two exhausted women who no longer had the strength to react. The other three women lying there showed no signs of life. It must have been only a short time ago that they had breathed their last breaths. Their bellies were still swollen. This was how the trolls reproduced. Whenever the trolls managed to capture women, human or otherwise, they dragged them here to the cave, where they used them as toys and ultimately as vessels for more trolls. Although the women's bodies were already lifeless, the trolls inside were still alive. The process of their birth took about a week. The unborn trolls survived by feeding on the dead bodies from within.

Senna and Tragir each approached one of the living women and slowly loosened the ropes that bound them. Then they lifted them up and carried them back to the crossroads. Ivan walked in front, taking the torch and lighting the way.

Dain held the second torch and remained standing at the entrance, staring at the back of May's head.

"We can't let them live. They'll just keep multiplying like they have until now," Dain said in a calm voice.

There was not the slightest hint of shock or sadness in her voice at what was unfolding before their eyes.

"I know..." May replied sadly. She felt sorry for those women, and the thought of the horrors they must have gone through turned her stomach. As she approached the first of the limp bodies, tears streamed down her face. She bowed her head, closed her eyes tightly, and ran her sword through the belly of the first lifeless body. She repeated this twice more. Then it was done. May turned to leave and noticed the cold look on Dain's face. As soon as she passed her, she simply turned and followed her.

May felt Dain's gaze on her the whole way. It was as if she was trying to burn a hole in the back of her neck with her eyes. It was very uncomfortable. She was beginning to feel that something was wrong, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out what Dain was up to.

Finally, they returned to the others, who were waiting at the crossroads. Tragir and Senna were still holding the women they had carried. May breathed a sigh of relief at being close to Senna again, even though she could guess what was in store for them. The women were in very serious condition. Fortunately for them, they did not appear to be pregnant, so they just needed medical attention as quickly as possible.

"You'll have to take them outside as soon as possible, at least until we sort things out here. Leave them there with the dog to guard them and then come back," said Ivan, which was unusual because he had hardly spoken since the expedition began.

"Me, Dain, and May will go ahead and check out the situation. If it's dangerous, we'll retreat and wait for you to arrive, okay?" he continued.

Just as May had expected. It was indeed necessary to get the wounded women to safety, but she didn't like the situation she was being put in at all. Tragir, Ivan, and Dain nodded in agreement. May glanced at Senna and saw that she was staring intently at her. She was waiting for a signal as to whether they would agree or not. She would have preferred to go together and then continue on, but that would cost them a lot of time and risk the trolls noticing that their patrol wasn't returning.

"Try to come back as soon as possible," May said finally, though her voice didn't sound confident at all.
"We'll hurry," Senna nodded, and together with Tragir, they set off toward the cave exit.

Ivan immediately rushed forward. May followed, and Dain followed her. This time they turned right. That was exactly where the trolls were supposed to have their lair. The passage was the same as the one on the left. The path led across a flat area with no inclines or declines. As they went deeper and deeper into the cave, May's uneasy feeling grew, and she felt trapped in an unpleasant situation. A deathly silence reigned among them. None of them had spoken a word the entire time they had been walking. She strained all her senses so that she would be ready to react immediately to any movement.

After a few minutes, the passage began to widen and turn sharply to the right.

"We have to put out the torch here," May finally said, breaking the endless silence. Although she didn't have Senna's senses, she too could easily sense that they were really close.

So they extinguished the torch and began to proceed even more cautiously than before. Finally, they reached the end of the passage. Before them lay a truly vast troll lair. It looked more like it had been mined out. In the center of the lair, giant crystals protruded from the ceiling, reflecting the light from the fires where the trolls mostly rested or slept.

All three crept as close as they could and hid behind a rock so that no one would see them. It looked like an unusually large group of trolls. May counted about fifty of them at a glance.

"We can't do this. There are too many of them. We have to wait for the others," May whispered, trying to turn to Ivan and Dain. She didn't even move. Suddenly, it was as if she had frozen in place and couldn't move.

"What's wrong, May?" Dain asked, her voice tinged with mockery.

She approached May and ran her hand through her hair. Then she leaned so close to her that her lips were right next to her ear, her hand still resting on her hair.

"Did you know that the Ten heyens are offering a reward for the elimination of those who don't belong in our world?" she whispered with a smile. Then she stood up and stood right next to Ivan.

"But don't worry. We won't kill you. We'll make it look like an accident," she added with a smile.

Immediately afterwards, she began running her fingers across the ground. She was drawing runes that wizards and magicians used to cast more powerful spells. No further explanation was needed. May had long since realized why she couldn't move. It happened the moment Dain first touched her shoulder. Compassion and concern were just a cover; in reality, she had cast a timed curse on her. That was why they were in such a hurry. They knew they didn't have enough time to wait for Tragir and Senna to return.

"Don't worry. It'll be quick. As soon as it blows up and blocks the road, the trolls will take care of you." Those were the last words Dain said to her. Then she and Ivan turned and started to walk away.

May remained silent the whole time. She closed her eyes and withdrew into herself. Remorse, regret, and fear began to creep into her mind. It wasn't that she was afraid of death. She had long since come to terms with the fact that death would come one day. But her mind was racing with all the terrible things that undoubtedly awaited her in this trap. It sent a chill down her spine. She could feel it clearly, even though her body was unable to move. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. But inside her mind, she began to think hard, searching for a way to free herself from this curse, to have at least some hope of rescue. She would rather die with a weapon in her hand than end up like the women they had found. She knew that this type of magic was not usually used by wizards. Only higher heyens knew how to do it, heyens who had fallen into evil ways but had retained their original consciousness. These heyens were exceptional. And the fact that Dain was able to cast such a curse could only mean one thing—she was connected to such a heyen, and he had taught her. Obviously so that she could hunt people like May for them.

She tried hard to remember everything Dain had said before—some of it had to be it! There was no time left. The runes glowed brightly, soon to cause an explosion. The time she so desperately needed was slowly but surely ticking away. This type of curse usually contained something that had already been mentioned. However, May's mind was overwhelmed with feelings and fears, as one would expect from a person facing an inevitable end. But the end was the last thing she wanted...

Tears streamed down her face and could not be stopped. She still couldn't move. It was time.

Her heart was pounding with tension, fear, and a desperate desire to move. She couldn't hear anything else in her head. Her heartbeat echoed as if someone were playing drums next to her.

"Goodbye, Senna. Goodbye, Spark." The last words that ran through her mind.

Her body suddenly relaxed. She could move! The words of farewell were exactly what had freed her from the curse. That was why Dain had asked about Spark earlier. But now there was no time to think. There wasn't even time to move quickly. The runes exploded. The passage began to fill with stones. The pressure wave threw May aside. She hit her head on the rock but remained conscious. She felt as if she had been beaten all over. Pain permeated her entire body. Now she could finally hear it. After the explosion subsided, the screams of trolls began to echo and slowly approached as the trolls tried to find out what had happened. May had trouble getting up from the cold ground. She didn't have time anymore.

She felt blood running down her face. She had been injured when she was hit on the head. But that was the least of her worries now. Using her hands, she finally managed to pull herself up from the ground. She looked behind her. The passage was gone, replaced by piles of rubble. The explosion had caused a large number of rocks to fall from the ceiling throughout the cave. Some of them had obviously fallen on the sleeping trolls. She stood up and quickly assessed the situation. Her head was still reeling, but she managed to count about thirty surviving trolls. That was too many even for a very experienced warrior.

Finally, she drew her sword. The first two trolls were already in front of her, preparing to strike. She stabbed one of them straight in the heart. But the second one had reached her in the meantime.

She was unable to react as she usually did. He stabbed her in the left thigh with a dagger. The pain made her fall to her knees, but she managed to pull her sword out of the previous troll's body and with a quick strike cut the second troll's throat. He fell to the ground. May was exhausted, and there was no sign that her strength would return anytime soon.

Her head spun.

Before she could recover, she felt stabbing wounds on her body. The trolls were already all around her. They stabbed her in the legs and arms with daggers, while other trolls gathered around her body and held her down so she couldn't move. There was no escape now. They had her.

She fell to the ground in pain. It was unbearable. She could feel herself bleeding in several places on her body. Then the trolls stopped stabbing her. They picked her up and carried her to the center of the room, directly beneath the crystals, which were still in place. The explosion hadn't even moved them. All the trolls gathered around her.

She didn't even have the strength to move her fingers. She knew very well what was going to happen next. It was the inevitable end. The trolls began to tear everything off her. She could hear them drooling with impatience. This was unbearable. She closed her eyes and collapsed into herself. In her mind, she had only one image that warmed her heart just before her end...

It was like every morning when she returned. Senna was already waiting for her with a smile on her face, and her most loyal Spark sat patiently in front of her, eagerly awaiting May to touch her again, stroke her head, and then hug her...

This time, however, she knew that the chances of this ever happening again were slim. She could feel the trolls touching her and tugging at her all over her body. She didn't even have the strength to cry anymore.

The pain and loss of blood caused her to fall unconscious. The trolls were preparing for the inevitable. The fate that befell every woman they managed to capture.

May's breath stopped. Black tears began to stream down her face, and suddenly a pressure wave rose from her body and threw all the trolls away. Dark flames surrounded her body. It looked as if she was burning. Then her eyes opened. They were no longer brown as usual, but completely black. Her light hair fell out of its bun and glowed white. It was as white as the purest snow.

The trolls quickly recovered and began to emit angry screeches. The first three rushed towards her. But as soon as they got within a few inches of her body, they all burst into black flames and in an instant, nothing remained but a pile of ashes. The dark flames in Maya's hands formed into two swords, similar to hers. They suddenly took on a physical form.

A smile formed on her face as black tears continued to stream down her body. She ran towards the trolls. A single blow or even the slightest slash and the bodies of her enemies immediately burst into flames upon contact with the swords, just like those who had tried to approach her. The trolls panicked. There was no defense against this. They tried to run away from her, but it was hopeless. They couldn't even see where she was moving. She would disappear in one place and suddenly reappear in front of another, turning them to ash. After a while, there was only one troll left in the entire cave. It was the leader of the troll gang. He began to emit hateful screeches toward May. This time, however, she did not disappear. She began to approach him slowly. He tried to flee, but suddenly realized that he had reached the corner of the cave.

There was no escape for him now. He turned around, but May was already standing next to him. She reached out and touched his head. At that moment, he exploded from within and his remains turned to dust in the flames. He was the last one.

May closed her eyes. The black tears stopped flowing from them. Her hair returned to its original form and her body was no longer covered in dark flames. She was naked again, just as she had been before, but with one change. There were no longer any wounds on her body. Her body collapsed to the ground.

Suddenly, she took a breath and opened her eyes. She had no idea what had happened. She sat up carefully, but immediately realized that her body was as healthy as before. She felt no pain. She was herself again, and she was fine. She hugged herself tightly and began to sob from the bottom of her heart. Nothing could be heard throughout the cave except her crying. But this time it was different. There was sincere joy in her tears.