Bond of the mind - part one - chapter 4

They stopped in front of the entrance. Senna knocked on the door, but nothing happened for a moment. Then a woman with golden hair and a smile on her face suddenly appeared in front of them. 

"Hello. What brings you to these parts?" she asked, once she had sized them all up with her gaze. 

"Good morning. We are hunters and we have come here for a task you have assigned," Senna replied, then introduced herself and the others. 

"My name is Yitté. We did indeed give you that task. It has been a long time. A few hunters have already tried, but they always ended in failure. Come inside and I will offer you at least a little something to eat and tell you more details," Yitté urged them, turning on her heel and heading inside.

The group followed her. Just inside the door, they found themselves in a long corridor that immediately surprised them with its decor. On both sides of the walls and even on the ceiling, there were all kinds of fish on display. From the smallest to the largest, including shark and heads. All of them were prepared so that they were still in one piece and looked alive. May was a little taken aback, as she doubted that anyone here would have the advanced technology to keep them in such a condition. It must have been someone from another world who knew how to do it. 

"Keep going straight ahead," came a voice from the end of the corridor. The group followed her voice. The woman was already sitting at a table with a few roasted fish and a jug of water with cups. There were enough chairs for all of them. 

"I wonder how you manage to keep the fish in such good condition," May asked immediately. She was usually more reserved before she decided to speak, but this time she was genuinely curious. 

"One of the magicians who lives in Arnu arranged it. He shows up here from time to time, so we always ask him when he's around," replied Yitté. May immediately had an idea where the magician might be from. He must be from the other side, just like her, but she didn't ask any further questions. 

Tragir immediately started eating the fish. At least he left the water for the others. 

"Can you tell us anything more about the task?" asked Senna, looking at Yitté. She was a woman full of energy. She had long golden hair and blue eyes. Her face was constantly lit up with a contented expression. She seemed to be truly at home here on the edge of civilization, catching fish, and her contentment was palpable.

"It's been a few months now. During the day, fishing is usually good, but then some days, when it gets dark, a small whirlpool starts to form near the pier. The fishermen know immediately that they have to return to the pier right away, because a few of them have already died this way. Every time, a giant two-headed shark jumps out of the center of the whirlpool after a while," she said gloomily, then continued: "Fishing is the only thing we can do here, and it's our livelihood. Besides, I'm often afraid for my husband, who, as you may have noticed, won't let anything stop him from fishing. A few hunters have been here before, but they always refused the job when they found out what it was, or they failed and some of them lost their lives. That's why we decided not to give any more details in the description. Of course, I understand if these circumstances discourage you and you want to give up the job," Yitté concluded. 

Everyone sat there stunned. It was true that until now they had no idea what awaited them, but fighting a monster in the middle of the sea seemed beyond their capabilities. 

"If you don't mind, we'll need some time to discuss this," said Senna. 

"I understand. I'll be outside, so when you've come to a decision, come and let me know," replied Yitté, then left through the corridor they had all come through earlier. The door closed behind her. 

Everyone exchanged glances. It was clear that Tragir and Spark were out of the game. Moreover, they doubted whether the dwarf could even swim. 

"Don't stare at me like that. It's obvious that I won't be of any help in this task," Tragir concluded bluntly and continued eating his fish. 

"What do you think, May and Mirthano? Do we have any options to help them with this problem?" Senna asked. Both of them seemed to still be thinking about it. 

"I have a plan, but it depends on whether Mirthana is capable of doing it. Even so, it would be risky, and I can't guarantee success," Senna continued when neither of them responded. 

"Then tell us your plan," said May with a smile. Senna then began to describe her plan in detail to everyone present. They listened to her plan until the end and then thought about it for a while.

"We are hunters, after all. This is what we live for. So there's no point in backing out now that we've come this far," May cut through everyone's thoughts and doubts.

"I'll try to be as helpful as I can," agreed Mirthana with a smile. 

Once they had agreed, they headed back down the corridor to the door. Outside, they looked around for Yitta. They noticed her standing by the pier, talking to the man in shorts they had seen earlier. He was now holding a large fish in front of Yitta and showing it off. The group walked over to them. 

"We've come to a decision," said Senna. Yitté turned to face them. 

"Okay, what is it? By the way, this is my husband, Bóern. You must have noticed him when you arrived," replied Yitté. Now that they were closer, they all got a good look at the man. He had short hair and dark eyes. His face revealed that the sea and fish were his life's passion. They could imagine him spending all day fishing. Adding to the impression he made on them was the fact that instead of asking their names, he first asked how many fish they had caught. They were hunters, but definitely not fish hunters. 

"We'll try to complete the task. That's why we came here, after all," Senna replied. 

A slight smile appeared on Yitta's face, but it was impossible to tell how much he really believed them. It was hard to say how many hunters had already tried and failed to complete this task, or given up altogether. 

May suddenly had a strange feeling that something was wrong here. She walked away along the pier. Senna watched from a distance to see where she was going. She was almost at the end of the pier when she saw a small figure sitting there. May walked over to her.

"Why are you here? Are you up to something again?" May asked. The little girl turned her head. It was none other than Yin. She smiled.

"Don't worry. I don't feel like playing today. I just like coming here to relax when he's not with me," she replied, turning her gaze back to the open sea. 

"I'm surprised you're doing something so ordinary," May continued. 

Yin breathed a sigh of relief. She kept looking ahead. Then she looked back for a moment and looked May in the eyes.

"I honestly don't understand what he sees in you. Anyway, I like to relax sometimes too. Before he helped me, you would never have seen me like this. But thanks to him, I've finally found peace and come to terms with who I am," replied the little girl. That was the longest May had ever heard her say, so it threw her off a little. She still wasn't sure whether to consider Yin an enemy or not. However, for now, she believed that she wasn't really here for them. She didn't continue the conversation. She knew that asking questions would be pointless. Yin didn't seem to be in the mood for lengthy conversations. So May just turned around and went back to her group.

"Is that the little girl?" Senna asked immediately. May just nodded. Senna was clearly not happy about it, but she trusted May's judgment and didn't pursue the matter further. But at that moment, not everyone was there. Without them noticing, Tragir had made his way over to Yin during their conversation. By the time they noticed, he was already standing right next to her. May, Senna, and Mirthana ran toward the pier, but it was too late. 

"That's for last time!" Tragir yelled, swinging his hammer at Yin. 

"Please, no!" May cried as the others ran after her. Too late—the dwarf was already flying a few meters toward the sea. Yin just breathed a sigh of relief and continued to watch the sea undisturbed. No one was sure now whether to jump after him or if it was too late. Only dwarves could do something so stupid. Most of them were too stubborn, and once they had made up their minds, it was difficult to stop them. They were like an uncontrolled train rushing towards a collision. 

It wasn't long before they noticed bubbles approaching the beach. Despite his weight, the dwarf couldn't swim, but he managed to reach the shore by walking along the bottom. There he lay down in the sand and took a deep breath. The rest of the group ran up to him. 

"You dwarves are always so stubborn," Mirthana shook her head and checked to see if Tragir was okay. The only difference in his condition was that he was now wet as an old dog and a fish was still clinging to one of his shoes. 

"Sometimes it wouldn't hurt if dwarves used that thing they wear around their necks more," Senna said, amused. 

"I had to try it," replied the dwarf, as if he hadn't heard them, and continued sprawling on the beach. May breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad Yin hadn't done anything worse. If possible, she would definitely try to thank her later. But for now, it was better to leave her alone. She doubted that she would want to talk to them at the moment, so she left it at that for now. They all sat there with Tragir for a while. Then they got up and returned to Yitta. She was standing alone on the pier, while her husband had returned to fishing.

It was already afternoon, and they knew they had to get ready. So the group asked the fishermen to finish their work and stop fishing for the day. They needed to borrow their fishing boats for their task. 

They had to get everything ready and do it just as Senna had planned. No one else had a better idea, so Senna's plan was their only chance to complete the task. Everyone stood at the edge of the beach. Mirthana took one of the arrows from her headdress and gave it to Senna. Senna then got into the boat and headed further out to sea. Mirthana then stuck her stick into the sand in front of her and sat down with her eyes closed. Tragir stayed with her in case of an emergency. Meanwhile, May and Spark returned to the edge of the pier. Yin was no longer there, so they had the pier to themselves. The fishermen were also gone. It was slowly getting dark, but there was still enough visibility to complete their task. Yitté, Bóern, and the other fishermen gathered around the large turtle shell, from where they watched everything. 

What Yitté had spoken of began to happen—a small whirlpool slowly formed near the pier. It didn't have the power of a real whirlpool, but it still began to pull Senna's boat in. Senna began to row away from the whirlpool to prevent the boat from colliding with the shark. However, nothing else happened except that the whirlpool gradually grew larger and larger. After a while, May began to wonder if the monster would show up at all today. Suddenly, a huge shadow began to appear in the middle of the whirlpool. 

First, two enormous heads emerged from the surface, and then the shark leaped into the air, revealing its monstrous size. It aimed its huge body directly at the boat where Senna was. 

She didn't hesitate and fired several arrows at the beast from her bow. However, all the arrows remained stuck in the shark's body, none of them passing through. It was at least three times larger than the largest shark and also had much thicker skin. 

As soon as its body began to fall onto the boat, Senna jumped towards it with her swords ready. She stabbed them right between its two heads. The boat shattered into small pieces and the shark sank beneath the surface with Senna. It went exactly according to plan. Mirthana's staff blossomed again as its owner sat in a state of complete concentration. Senna managed to get the arrow Mirthana had given her into the shark's body, and the arrow began to gain strength. Its power began to bind the shark and pull it towards the shore. The magic of the forest bound it and pulled it from the sea onto land. Seconds passed, and for a long time there was no sign of Senna or the shark beneath the surface. The shark was strong and resisted the magic. Senna drove her sword into its body as deep as she could. Then Senna's head finally appeared above the surface, followed by both shark heads. The monster was still trying with all its might to resist the magic that was pulling it out of the w , but the more pain Senna inflicted on it, the less strength it had to resist. You could see the shark jerking and trying to shake Senna off. 

Its struggle seemed hopeless. Slowly but surely, it was approaching land. But then there was an unexpected turn of events. The shark accelerated and began heading toward the end of the pier where May and Spark were standing. It was swimming so fast that it was almost upon them. Just before it reached them, both heads opened, revealing the shark's jaws. But this time, May wasn't afraid. 

She quickly managed to stroke Spark, and then they both prepared for the collision. The shark leaped out of the water and its body began to fall onto the pier. Spark barked, and the shark stopped in its tracks. This was one of Spark's unique abilities in this world. It wasn't that the shark stopped completely in midair, but the gravitational force pulling it toward the ground slowed down. As it slowly moved forward, May was ready with her sword. When the shark was directly above them, she sliced through its entire body, from head to tail. Blood began to pour out of the shark as it continued to fly. As soon as it flew over the pier, Spark's power ceased and it fell heavily onto the beach. Senna was still holding on above the heads. The shark began to thrash around like any fish that had been pulled out of the water. 

Senna refused to give up the fight and held on tightly to her swords, which were buried in the shark's body. May tried to get closer to the shark, but it was dangerous given how violently it was thrashing around. At one point, Senna stabilized enough to be able to act again. She jumped down in front of the shark. Meanwhile, she grabbed her bow from her back and, before landing on the ground, sent an arrow straight into the shark's open jaws. From the other side of the shark, it was clear that this time the arrow had gone through, but it wasn't over yet. It was still thrashing around and began to approach Senna. She didn't stop shooting arrows every time its jaws opened in front of her. Now they were right in front of her. Senna jumped up. The shark raised its head and opened its jaws again, expecting her to fall down. Spark barked. This time, her barking affected Senna. The shark was still waiting with its mouth open, but Senna didn't fall. She just kept shooting more and more arrows from the air until she ran out. But by then she was behind the shark's jaws and, with her swords ready, she landed between its two heads again. She began stabbing the shark frantically. May had never seen her like this before. 

The shark finally stopped moving. Senna exhaled deeply and gasped for breath. May was already up beside her. She hugged her.

"It's over. You did it. That's enough," she tried to calm her down as she held her tightly. Now she could feel Senna's deep breaths and her frantic heartbeat. Spark waited below while Mirthana ran up with Tragir. The fishermen, who had been watching everything from the turtle's shell until the last moment, also started moving toward them. Senna looked into May's eyes, and at that moment, she noticed that her eyes were shining brightly. That glow reflected enthusiasm and satisfaction. May had always known that she was strong, but now Senna seemed even stronger than ever before.

"I'm glad you're okay, but I hope your plans are less risky next time," May continued, smiling at her. Senna smiled back and gave her a big hug. Her heart was still racing, but she could feel it slowly calming down.

The first of the fishermen to reach the shark was none other than Bóern. 

"Looks like we're finally going to have a proper feast today," he said enthusiastically. He immediately started carrying wood with the other fishermen because they needed to make a large enough fire pit. 

Yitté joined them with a smile on her face.

"It looks like I'll finally be able to go fishing again. I only do it for fun and always throw the fish back into the water, but since that shark appeared, I haven't been fishing out of fear," she told them, and immediately continued with gratitude in her voice: "Thanks to you, not only can I continue, but all the other fishermen can fish carefree again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart," she concluded and bowed her head to the group. The other fishermen also stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads like Yitté. 

"We're glad we could help you. Hopefully, no monsters will appear here for a while," Senna finally managed to say. Everyone laughed at that. May then helped Senna climb down. She was shaking from physical exhaustion. Mirthana immediately began to help her with her healing so that she could recover more quickly.

"Well, this is going to take a while to eat," said Tragir. As usual, he was already thinking about food. Everyone laughed at his words. Meanwhile, the fishermen had already built a fire and started cutting up the shark. They gradually carried pieces of meat to the fire to roast. After a while, a delicious smell began to waft around the fire, and everyone looked forward to enjoying their meal. Yitté offered the group a place to stay for the night at her home. They had several rooms, so there was plenty of space. Besides, knowing her husband, she knew he would be hunting until morning. The group accepted the invitation, and May, Senna, Spark, and Mirthana left with Yitté for their hut. May sensed that Senna needed to at least sit down. Even elves had their limits. They went inside and sat down. Yitté poured water into their cups and left the jug on the table. 

"Don't worry about dinner. As soon as the meat is ready, I'll bring it to you," said Yitté, then left.

"You were amazing, Senna," said May, "but please don't do that to me again. You know very well that I would be lost here without you." 

Senna knew this very well. Moreover, she felt exactly the same way. May gave her life meaning. So she just took her hand and nodded. 

"I'm glad our plan worked out in the end, even if not exactly as we planned," said Mirthana, smiling.

"Thank you for agreeing and doing everything I asked, Mirthana," Senna thanked her. She was terribly tired from it all. She hadn't felt this exhausted even after her fight with Yin. 

Yitté soon returned, carrying the first pieces of roasted shark. It tasted really delicious. It couldn't be compared to any fish at all. Senna ate as much as she could, but fatigue was catching up with her. 

"Come on, let's go to bed," May said to her, then turned to Mirthana with a request: "Mirthana, can you please keep an eye on Tragir so he doesn't overdo it again?"

Mirthana nodded. Then she got up and headed outside. May, Senna, and Spark, on the other hand, headed to the room Yitte had assigned them. 

Senna was visibly tired. May helped her take off everything she didn't need and then helped her into bed. Spark lay down as usual next to May's bed.

"Thank you," Senna said, but she was so tired that she didn't even open her eyes. May lay down next to her. She watched her for a while, then fell asleep too. 

They woke up early in the morning. The fishermen were early risers, so they could already be heard getting ready and heading out to the pier.

"How are you feeling?" May asked.

"I feel much better now. Thank you for yesterday," Senna replied with a smile. Then they both got dressed and left their room together with Spark. They walked down the hall to the kitchen, where Yitté was already preparing breakfast for everyone. Bóern was long gone. They could imagine him running around in his shorts among the fishermen. They sat down at the table. Then Mirthana emerged from the hallway, followed shortly by Tragir, who looked just as sleepy as he had the day before. He had probably stayed up late again, celebrating with the other fishermen. 

Finally, everyone was sitting at the table.

"Thank you all again for yesterday. Our seas will be calm once more. It means a lot to all of us," said Yitté, smiling broadly at the whole group. 

"It's our job," Senna beamed. 

After breakfast, they thanked Yitté for her hospitality. Yitté gave them part of the shark in a box as proof to the guild that the task had been completed. Then they had to leave. A long journey awaited them—longer than the journey here to the sea. Getting back to Arnu by boat was difficult, so they decided to take the pass between the rocks. 

Fortunately, the route was safe, as Arnu's defenders often patrolled these paths. After all, they had to ensure the safety of their inhabitants and those who planned to enter the city. 

They were able to continue their journey in peace without having to worry about anything. Moreover, the sun was already high in the sky, so there was no danger of being surprised by heyens or anything else. 

Early in the afternoon, they arrived at the northern gate of the city. Now that they had confirmed permission to enter, the guards immediately let them in. They headed straight for the guild building. Senna and May went to one of the guild administrators to collect their reward, while the others found a free table and sat down. The reward for the task was two hundred gold coins. It was a large sum, if it belonged to one person. However, they divided the reward into five parts. May, of course, always received a share for Spark, who was an integral part of their group. 

Then they finally ordered some food and drink and dug in. During the meal, they discussed what to do next. The question also arose as to whether they would return to Osten for the time being. For hunters, it didn't really matter which guild they were currently in. The guilds always shared information about hunters and tasks with each other to prevent two groups from setting out from two different towns on the same mission. 

They agreed to stay in Arnu for the time being. After all, there were more opportunities here, and they could buy better things than were available in Osten. During the meal, they listened to the conversations of other hunters around them, whose voices carried clearly throughout the room. They talked about the forest that stretched to the west. Rumors circulated that long ago, the forest was inhabited by the oldest elves on the continent. Recently, however, more and more people had been approaching the forest, either on a whim or as a test of courage, and then disappearing into the unknown, never to return. 

For this reason, a quest was announced. But the last group to accept the quest also did not return. There were no traces of them, and so now the others who had previously considered the quest were themselves in doubt. 

"I hope you're not thinking about it, May," said Senna. 

"I just find it very interesting. Besides, what if old elves really lived there once? Wouldn't you like to see it?" May asked, looking at Senna expectantly to see how she would react.

"It would certainly be interesting, but in forests like that, there are often things that are better left hidden," Senna replied, pausing for a moment. "...On the other hand, if we don't have any better suggestions and the others want to take it on, I won't be against it," she concluded, sighing.

Her statement sparked a heated debate. It was true that many people had disappeared without a trace there, and the longer the task hung on the wall, the less likely it was that the missing people were still alive. This increased the urgency of the task. At that moment, it hung alone in the middle of the board, far from all the other tasks. The reward was a whopping five hundred gold coins. Usually, rewards for tasks ranged from two hundred gold coins or less. That's why hunting groups were often tempted by high-value tasks. For May, Sennu, and most of their group, however, the reward was not the priority. After all, human lives were at stake. Moreover, they were tempted to take a look at the forest where elves might once have lived. For humans, the forests where the elves still lived were off-limits. This was not only because the elves distrusted humans, but also because humans were more likely to succumb to their bad qualities and become heyens. Then they could cause problems within the forest. For these reasons, humans were advised to stay as far away from such forests as possible, otherwise they risked being attacked by the elves.

Finally, a decision was made. Senna went to the guild master and officially accepted the task. The master looked worried, but he did not try to stop them. All he could do was wish them luck. Senna returned to the table a little shaken and described the master's reaction to the others.

There was something strange about it. The administrators didn't usually encounter such reactions. They usually welcomed them with a smile and encouraged them on their quest to complete the task. This time, however, it was different. There were probably enough hunters who had tried to complete the task but unfortunately failed. There was also no one among the hunters who could describe even a little bit of what was actually hidden there or what had happened to the others. The task was called "Rescue human lives and solve the mystery of the ancient elves' mysterious forest," but there was no further description. However, the task was signed by representatives of all three families that ruled Arn. That was probably why the price was so high. They could afford it, and they were undoubtedly concerned primarily with the lives of the missing people and with finding someone to deal with whatever was lurking there. The path through the forest was the shortest route to the capital. At the moment, everyone from the capital had to first travel southeast to Osten and then continue on to Arn. The journey took several times longer than if they could have passed through the forest. For this reason, it was such an important task for the city administration, even though it was also very difficult. However, they had already made their decision. 

It was clear to the whole group that before they could even set off, they would have to wait for May, who had to return to her world that night. Tragir was the first to rise from the table.

"I'm going to have some fun outside before we hit the road tomorrow. Good night, girls," he said, turning on his heel and heading out of the guild into the streets of the city. All four of them, including Spark, finished their dinner and then headed to the room they had rented since their last visit. It was cheaper to check out of the rooms only when they were no longer returning to the city. It wasn't that expensive for guild members, so it wasn't a problem to rent rooms for long periods of time. 

When they arrived at their room, they talked for a while about all sorts of things. From the ordinary and everyday to the more serious. Together, they wondered what might await them in the forest. None of them could explain how all those people could have simply disappeared without a trace. At the same time, however, they knew that they would soon find out. Evening was approaching, and it was time for May to go to sleep and return to her world. 

"We'll keep watch over you, and when you come back, we'll go," said Senna, smiling at her as usual. She had missed that smile the night before, but May was glad that everyone, especially Senna, was safe. 

"Before you go... I'd also like to hear about what it's like and what your world is actually like..." Mirthana blurted out nervously, staring at the ground. 

"Sure," May said, smiling and continuing, "See you soon. Make sure you get some sleep. Good night." 

With that, the conversation ended. May didn't know if the two continued talking or not, because the moment she closed her eyes, she found herself back in her room.

This time it was still too early, so she didn't hear the familiar ringtone of her phone.

May lay in bed and thought. Time was passing so quickly on the other side, but here everything took so long. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she still belonged in this world. Everything was so foreign and distant to her, while on the other side, everything fit together and made sense. That was the life she longed for. Whenever she thought about the world on the other side like this, she couldn't help but smile. She sighed. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it. Another day in her world lay ahead of her...

Today was Sunday in her world. She knew that at least this day was guaranteed to be completely peaceful. There was no need to do any work around the house or household chores. First, as always, she hugged Spark and talked to her for a while about whatever came to mind. Spark listened attentively the whole time and let May pet her. Then, as usual, May took her to the garden and then headed to the kitchen by herself. Her parents and siblings were already there, eating breakfast. 

She made herself something for breakfast and then sat down at the table. 

"We're going to church today. So please at least clean up the kitchen after breakfast," her mother said. She got up from the table and went to get ready. May's siblings finished eating after a while and also went to get ready. As soon as their mother was ready, she made sure everyone else was properly dressed, as usual. Meanwhile, their father settled down on the couch in the living room and watched TV. 

Of course, they didn't take May with them. When she was younger, they always made her go, but now they knew it was pointless. May wasn't a believer. She believed that something might exist, but with so many religions and sects out there, she had no interest in participating in any of it. Besides, she couldn't understand how a divine entity could allow all the things that happened in the world every day. On the other hand, from a certain point of view, she admired people who never lost their faith, no matter what happened, but that just wasn't for her. Right after breakfast, she started cleaning. It didn't take long and she was done. In fact, there wasn't much to clean. 

Then, as usual, she went to meet Spark, and they headed straight for their favorite spot. Today it was cloudy, but it was still very pleasant outside. A gentle breeze was blowing and the temperature was around 65 degrees. This made the climb up the hill more enjoyable than if she had had to endure the heat of the sun.

This time they returned a little earlier. May left Spark outside in the garden and went to help her mother, who had returned with the others, prepare lunch. Today, another of her favorite dishes was on the menu—spaghetti. She had loved it since she was little and also enjoyed helping to prepare it. May loved both cooking and baking in general. Well, within the limits of her abilities. Sometimes she found the recipes too complicated and they didn't always turn out well, but the important thing was that she enjoyed doing it.

After lunch, May tidied up the kitchen and washed the dishes. Then she went to the garden to join Spark, and they just lay there on a blanket. Later, they went to the forest together, but again they returned earlier than usual. After all, May still needed to get ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow was another day of school. Once Spark had eaten, she took her to her room and then returned to the kitchen to have her own dinner. Immediately after dinner, she went upstairs and began to prepare everything she needed for the next day. She always took her school clothes out of the closet and left them hanging on a hanger on the closet door. She checked once more to make sure she had everything ready so she wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning. Everything seemed to be in its place. Then she took a shower and hurried through the rest of her routine because she couldn't wait to return to the other world. She hugged Spark goodnight. "See you soon," she said and smiled at her. Just like every night, she locked the door to her room and snuggled under the covers. Finally, the day was over. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

She felt Senna holding her hand again. Even one day was enough for her to miss her. She opened her eyes and smiled at her.

"All right, let's go," Senna smiled back at her. They had a really tough job ahead of them. That morning, none of them had any idea what to expect in the forest. May, Senna, and Mirthana got ready for the journey. Just as they were finishing, they heard a knock on the door. Senna went to check. It was Tragir. He was up unusually early today. He had obviously gone to bed much earlier than usual. May thought that maybe he was nervous too, but it didn't really matter, so she didn't ask and kept quiet. 

"We have another difficult task ahead of us today, girls," said Tragir. "I can't wait to see what's really going on in that forest."

Everyone nodded in agreement. In the world of magic, it was rare to see things that anyone would find unusual, but every now and then it happened. This must have been one of those things, considering that no one had yet been able to deal with it. The group then left the guild building together and headed straight for the western gate. A bridge led to the gate, and beneath it flowed the Sei River, which they had sailed on barely two days ago. It was still dark, so four guards accompanied them for a while. They were accompanying them more out of duty, as they had to conduct routine reconnaissance of the area and make sure nothing suspicious was happening in the shadows. After a while, they turned around and started heading back to the city. Their supervision was also necessary because no one else usually took this route. It used to be a frequently used road, but since it had become impassable through the forest, no one really used it anymore. The forest itself was still far away, and they didn't reach it until just before noon. The sun was shining behind them. First, they looked at the forest from the outside. They didn't notice anything unusual except for the very tall trees. There were many such trees, and they all grew very high. May wondered if the height of the trees had anything to do with the elves who probably once lived here. 

They reached the edge of the forest. They stopped a few meters in front of it. Something was clearly wrong. They didn't see any animals in the vicinity of the forest. And the strangest thing was that there was no birdsong, not even a single bird hovering above the forest. It seemed as if nothing lived in the vicinity of the forest. Apart from this disturbing fact, however, the forest seemed normal. It was just very large. There was no end in sight on either the north or south side. 

"It already looks really strange," May remarked, turning to the others. Senna strained her senses as much as she could, but she too saw and heard nothing that even remotely resembled life. The only sound was the occasional rustling of the trees in the wind. 

"I've never seen a forest like this before," said Mirthana, looking very sad. As a forest spirit, she was probably saddened by the state of the forest. 

"We'd better keep going. Let's see what's really hiding in that forest," Senna urged the others, and the whole group set off. 

As soon as they entered the forest, they felt as if they were passing through some kind of force field surrounding the forest. It was invisible to the eye, but they definitely felt a kind of pressure as they entered. 

Inside, the forest was denser than it had initially appeared. There was no forest path they could take, so they just continued straight ahead between the trees. With each step, the sun's rays grew weaker and it became darker and darker. Soon they came to a small stream that flowed through the forest. Tragir decided to wash himself a little. He felt that even though they were now in the dark shade of the forest, for some reason he was getting hotter and hotter. He bent over the stream to scoop water into his hands, but Senna stopped him.

"Look closely," she said, pointing to the stream. It wasn't water, even though it looked like it at first glance. Instead of water, the stream bed was full of earthworms crawling in one direction. 

Tragir immediately jumped back. "What kind of magic is this?" he said angrily, clutching his hammer and looking around warily. 

"This place must be cursed. I think we'll find out the truth soon if we continue," replied Senna. The group set off along the fake stream and a little further on they found a bridge they could cross. They continued further into the center of this mysterious forest. They still had no idea what secrets the forest held. There was no other option but to continue, especially since the trees behind them and the trees in front of them looked exactly the same.

"Are we really going to the center?" Mirthana asked at one point. None of them could answer that. They could only hope and continue forward. After a while, even May began to feel that the path ahead was still the same. It was as if with every step she took, she was passing the same trees she had just passed. 

"It looks like this path is endless. Maybe we should rest and think about how to proceed, what do you think?" May asked, but no answer came. 

She looked back. No one was behind her. Not even Spark was there. 

She couldn't explain what could have happened. Her heart pounded with fear for the others. 

"Senna?! Spark?! Where are you?!" May called, but all she could hear was the echo of her own voice. Something must have happened to them, otherwise they would have answered, she thought. 

She ran back the way she thought she had come. But she didn't see any of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air. Instead, strange noises began to echo through the forest. It was as if the trees and everything else had started to move. She tried to figure out what could have happened, but her mind was blank. She knew she was playing for time. The longer she looked for them, the more likely it was that something would happen to them. She felt she had no choice. She decided to continue. 

Some time passed, and it seemed to her that she had been wandering around for hours. Apart from the strange noises echoing through the forest, there was no other sound. She also began to feel as if it was getting hotter and hotter. Still, she kept going forward. She looked back a few times when she thought she heard the others behind her, but no one was there. She was probably starting to hallucinate. She stopped. She couldn't go on like this. She knelt down for a moment, at least on one knee. It was as if she was losing all her strength. She felt like she was about to collapse, but she couldn't allow that to happen. 

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. The sounds around her grew louder. It was as if she could hear everything getting closer and closer. She opened her eyes again and was horrified to find that she could no longer see anything. There was only darkness all around her. All the sounds suddenly stopped. She waited for a moment, hoping that her eyes would adjust to the darkness, but she still couldn't see or hear anything. It was as if something had clouded all her senses. She couldn't even be sure if her eyes were really open. All sorts of thoughts raced through her head, each one worse than the last.

She had never encountered anything like this before, so she couldn't find an answer in her head on how to get out of it. She tried to stand up, but she felt like none of her muscles were moving. It was as if she didn't even have legs. It was a terrible feeling. She raised her hands and touched her face. She could still feel that. A single thought of hope came to mind—her last chance. 

May pulled out her sword. She had never thought she would do this before. She carefully placed the sharp side of the sword against her left hand. Then she ran the blade gently across the surface of her hand so that the wound would not be too deep. She closed her eyes in pain. She felt the blood slowly running down her hand, and at the same time, she felt the pressure of the surrounding forces that had been clouding her senses suddenly recede. She opened her eyes again. She was in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Senna, Spark, and Mirthana were lying nearby. Tragir was nowhere to be found. But what caught her attention most was the scene before her.

Before her eyes lay the former home of the elves. There were many dwellings that were part of huge, wide trees. Or rather, they stood close to the trunks at the bottom of the trees, but they blended in so well that it looked as if they were inside. Some houses stood like this at the bottom, while others were even up in the treetops. However, they were right in front of the residence where the elf king had undoubtedly once lived. The place was clearly marked by the largest tree, at the bottom of which was a giant opening. It was the entrance to a marble-paved path that led deeper into the ground, under the tree trunk. May glanced inside. The paved path continued through a tunnel that looked as if it had been dug out and slightly modified. In this respect, the dwellings of the elf kings were different from ordinary houses. They could be deep underground, in caves, or in the crowns of the oldest and largest trees. 

However, what May couldn't help but notice when she looked around was that everything, including the ground and the trees, was covered in a very dense web. It was basically impossible to move without coming into contact with the web. And May hated spiders. 

Not that she was afraid of them, but she definitely didn't like being around them. Moreover, it was clear that such webs could not have been made by anything small.

But now was not the time to think about that. She had to wake the others. She tried talking to them and shaking them, but nothing worked. She knew there was only one way to wake them up. 

First, she went to Senna. She lifted her hand and looked at her.

"Forgive me," she whispered, then bit her hand as hard as she could. 

Senna cried out and opened her eyes. Her heart was racing from the shock. 

"I'm not food," she said in shock, but then continued with a smile, "Thank you for getting me out of that. I was starting to lose hope."

"We still have to wake Spark and Mirthana. Tragir isn't here," said May. Then she went over to Spark, knowing she had to wake her up the same way. Senna took care of Mirthana. 

Spark woke up, and May hugged her tightly to apologize for biting her ear. 

"Where are we?" asked Mirthana, who had also woken up and was looking around. 

"This is what elven homes look like even today. Except for the cobwebs, of course," Senna replied to her question. 

"We don't have time to waste. Who knows what Tragir is dealing with right now. We have to find him as quickly as possible," said May, already getting up. Then they all thoroughly searched all the elven dwellings. No one was there. There was nothing left of the elves that was worth mentioning. It was literally deserted—except for a few skeletons they managed to find. Undoubtedly, these were the last of the elves before the destruction that now reigned in the forest befell them. 

There was only one place left to search, and that was the residence of the elf king, in front of which they had just awakened. They had no choice. They suspected that not only would they find Tragir there, but that the answer to the mystery of this forest might also be hidden there. They cautiously stepped inside. May led the way. Senna, Mirthana, and Spark followed behind her.

They descended cautiously for a while. Here and there, crystals glowed in the darkness on the walls of the tunnel. The elves used them for lighting in their underground dwellings. It was the only way to illuminate such spaces.

Suddenly, Senna grabbed May by the shoulders to stop her. "Don't move," she whispered. She could see further than May. In front of them was a giant tarantula. It was almost as tall as they were. However, the tarantula couldn't see them in the dark. If they had come any closer, it would have sensed their approaching footsteps, but for now, it was unaware of their presence. Senna prepared her arrow and aimed at it. The moment the tarantula turned in their direction, Senna released her arrow. It whizzed through the air and hit it right in the head. They heard only the sound of a crunch as the arrow flew through. The tarantula collapsed to the ground immediately. Although it was clearly dead, the group cautiously approached it. They slowly made their way over to it and then took a good look at it. A tarantula that size looked really scary. But what they discovered when they examined its corpse was even scarier. On the underside of the spider's head was a human face. They all froze.

"Don't tell me we basically killed a human being..." May managed to say in a strangled voice.

Mirthana just stood there silently, unable to say anything. This really scared her.

"Even if it was a human, it's not anymore," Senna shook her head and hugged May. Then she continued, "Either way, no one in this form can be helped. So this person was basically no longer human," she tried to reassure her a little. Finally, May nodded cautiously. Time was running out, and they had to move on. More and more light shone ahead of them. Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel. A space opened up in front of them, large enough to fit an entire village. There were several elven dwellings standing there. 

It was not just a residence, but also the home of the most respected elves, including warehouses, barracks, and other facilities. They certainly did not expect such a vast space inside. Most of these elves must have lived underground for most of their lives. Now, however, everything was covered in cobwebs. They noticed several tarantulas sitting on the webs above them, as well as cocoons and eggs hanging from them. The path continued to slope downward, but now it ran along the wall.