Mysterious elf

Miru collapsed onto the cold evening forest floor. His vision blurred as the black arm spread for the whole body of him. The last thing he heard was the entity's words.

"You'll taste even better than the others"

Darkness consumed his vision.

Sometime later...

Miru slowly opened his eyes. He saw the cave ceiling. The smell of strange herbs. A strange blanket covered his body. It was almost transparent, its delicate fabric shimmering with a soft emerald glow that gently illuminated the cave room.

"...Where am I?"

He tried to sit up but a sudden pain surged through his entire body.

"Argh...!"

Miru cried out in shock.

"Help..."

He gasped, struggling to catch his breath. Just then, a gentle voice broke the loud.

"Don't move."

The voice was calm yet very feminine.

"If you push yourself to get up now, you'll only make your body injuries worse."

Standing beside him was a young woman with Yellow greenish hair, long ears, and turqoise eyes.

An elf. She placed a bowl of herb soup at the table beside him.

"You've been comma for three days."

Miru stared at her.

"...An elf?"

She smiled.

Miru's eyes widened. His began to tremble.

"W-Wait..."

He looked around the room.

He found out that he was in walls were all cave stone with glowing vines. There are strange crystals hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room with a glowing emerald light. Surrounding look so unfamiliar. He asked the elf.

"Where am I?"

His voice trembled.

"How did I get here?"

The elf maintained her silent for a moment before answering.

"You are in Elaria territories."

Miru shocked.

"...Elaria?"

“So this is another world or dimension?”

Then he remembered that he should be at the Heavenreach.

“I should be back to my home”

“No.. I should go back to Heavenreach first”

He remembered collapsing in the forest.

The strange voice.

The black arm.

Then...

Nothing.

His mind went blank.

The elf sounded

"No..."

“You’re still in heaven reach, but 600m above level”

Then Miru sound became a bit harsh

“So are you kidnapping me? That entities belong to you?”

The elf said

“No, I happened to saw you collapse when I sightseeing at the 50m level.

Miru wasn't convinced.

Despite the warmth in the elf's voice and the kindness in her eyes, something deep inside him refused to let his guard down. She's hiding something, he thought. She has to be.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, a sharp cough escaped his throat.

"Cough... cough..."

His chest tightened as he struggled to catch his breath. The air felt different here became sharper, and colder despite its freshness. It takes more effort for just to breathe in.

The elf looked at him with concern.

"You're not used to this altitude," she said gently. "Your body is still adapting."

Miru glanced toward the cave entrance. Frost collected to the stone walls, and a cold breeze drifted inside.

If it's already this cold inside the cave... he thought, wrapping his arms around himself, then how freezing is it outside?

Then, he remembered what the elf had told him earlier. They were already nearly six hundred meters above sea level. The temperature had dropped significantly, and he could feel it seeping into his bones.

Can I even survive this mountain? he wondered. If this is only the beginning... then what's others that could be waiting at the higher level?

The thought alone sent another shiver through his body.

The elf stood up and smiled softly.

"Wait here," she said. "You need to sip the soup."

The cave was soon filled with a comforting aroma. A few minutes later, she returned and handed him a steaming wooden bowl.

"Careful. It's hot."

Miru hesitated for a moment before taking a cautious sip.

His eyes widened. He can't argue with his hunger belly of him. 

The soup was unbelievably delicious. The rich, Savory broth warmed him from the inside out, heating away the cold that had seeped deep within his body. Every sip eased the uneasyness in his chest, and the exhaustion slowly melted away. It wasn't just comforting, it felt almost healing. For the first time since arriving in this strange place, Miru felt his breathing become steady again. He looked down at the bowl in quiet disbelief.

"How can instant soup taste this good?" he murmured.

The elf simply smiled, saying nothing.

Another cough escaped.

Then another.

His lungs froze as though every breath was scraping against them. He inhaled deeply, but the air refused to fill his chest.

"What... what's happening to me?"

The elf immediately walked over.

"Don't force yourself."

Miru took another shaky breath.

"It feels... hard to breathe."

The elf knelt beside him, her expression calm.

"Your body is struggling to adapt."

"Adapt?"

She nodded.

"The atmosphere here is different from the human world. The higher you climb Heavenreach, the thinner the air becomes and it makes the pressure more. It's filled with mana far denser than what humans are born to breathe."

Miru frowned.

"Mana?"

"For creatures of this mountain, it's as natural as oxygen. But for humans..."

She paused before continuing.

"...it can become poison if your body isn't prepared."

Miru stared at her in disbelief.

His heart sank.

He had worried about monsters.

He had worried about starving.

He had worried about getting lost.

But he had never imagined the mountain itself could slowly kill him.

He glanced toward the cave entrance where white mist drifted across the rocky cliffs. Cold wind seeped inside, carrying tiny flakes of snow that melted the moment they touched the warm stone and crystal in the cave.

If it's already freezing inside this cave...

...how cold is it outside?

He remembered what the elf had told him earlier. They were already nearly six hundred meters above sea level. And this wasn't even considered high.

His stomach twisted.

If I can barely breathe here..., how am I supposed to climb the rest of Heavenreach?

Fear quietly settled inside him.

Not the fear of monsters.

Not the fear of dying.

But the fear that he might die before see the truth that he seeks.

The elf stood up.

"You should regain your energy first."

She smiled gently.

Miru stared into the remaining soup, still trying to process everything he had heard. The mountain itself carried life. Additionally, somehow he had ended up sharing a cave with an elf. None of it felt real.

Just as he was about to ask another question, the elf stepped closer.

"May I?" she asked softly.

"Huh?"

Before Miru could react, she gently placed her palm on his stomach.

"W-Wait, what are you..."

A soft green light suddenly spread from her hand. The glow was gentle, almost like moonlight filtering through solid cave stones. It wasn't too hot or painful. Instead, it felt... comforting.

Miru's eyes widened.

A pleasant warmth flowed through his body, starting from his abdomen before spreading to his chest, arms, and legs. The coldness that had attacked him slowly faded.

His stiff fingers relaxed.

His trembling stopped.

Even the cold air inside the cave no longer bothered him.

"What...?"

He blinked several times in disbelief.

"I-I'm not feel cold anymore."

The elf slowly withdrew her hand, the green light fading away. Miru looked at her in shock.

"What did you just do?"

She smiled.

"I transferred a small portion of my mana to you."

"M-mana? What is that?"

“Yes, the source of power that being the essential to live here”

"It isn't permanent," 

she explained. 

"Think of it as lending you a little protection. Your body isn't used to the atmosphere of Heavenreach yet. Without enough mana, the mountain will continue draining your strength."

Miru looked down at his hands adjusting his both palms.

He felt... lighter.

Stronger.

For the first time since arriving, breathing no longer felt like a struggle. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before looking away.

"Uh..."

His cheeks turned slightly red.

"Thank you."

The words came out much quieter than he intended. The elf giggled.

"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Miru scratched his head, embarrassed.

"I don't usually thank strangers..."

"Yet you just did."

"...Don't make a big deal out of it."

She laughed again, and for the first time, Miru didn't find it annoying. The atmosphere between them became much more relaxed. After a brief silence, Miru glanced at her curiously.

"So..."

"Why are you descending to lower level to pick me?"

"I thought elves lived deep inside their place and not like to showed up."

She rested her chin on one hand as she looked toward the cave entrance.

"Most do."

"But I've always been curious about the lower parts of Heavenreach."

"You mean... near the foot of the mountain?"

She nodded.

"The mana there is much thinner. It's actually quite refreshing for me."

Miru blinked.

"Refreshing?"

"For elves, yes."

She smiled.

"Sometimes I travel down there just to sightsee. The forests are different, the rivers flow differently, and the sky somehow feels wider."

She paused before adding with a playful grin,

"And besides..."

"I've always wanted to learn more about humans."

Miru pointed at himself.

"Humans?"

"You're fascinating."

"We're fascinating?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"You live such short lives, yet you're always chasing dreams even if it impossible."

"You build villages."

"You create stories."

"You fight."

"You cry."

"And somehow..."

"You never stop moving forward."

Miru was silent. No one had ever described humans that way before. The elf tilted her head.

"So..."

"What about you?"

"What made a human boy climb the most uncertainties mountain in the world?"

Miru's cheerful expression slowly faded. Finally, he spoke.

"...I'm looking for my father."

The elf's smile disappeared.

"He climbed Heavenreach fifteen years ago."

"He never came home."

"My grandmother always tells me to forget about him."

"Everyone in the village says he's dead."

Miru clenched his fists.

"But I don't believe them."

He raised his head, determination burning in his eyes.

"If no one has ever reached the summit..."

"Then no one can say for certain what's waiting there."

He took a slow breath.

"I'm going to conquer Heavenreach."

"And when I reach the peak..."

"I'll find my father."

The cave fell silent once more. The elf quietly watched the boy before her.

She had seen many travelers. Many dreamers and fools who believed they could conquer the mountain. Yet the determination in Miru's eyes felt different.

It wasn't driven by glory.

It wasn't driven by pride.

It was the determination of a son who simply wanted to bring his father home.

The elf smiled gently.

"I hope," she whispered, "I believe that you can reaches the summit."

Miru shifted awkwardly as he looked around the cave.

Although it wasn't large, it felt surprisingly cozy. The cave only filled out by stalagmites and several vines and luminous rock. There are wooden bookshelves and small kitchen stood against one wall, filled with old books whose pages had turned yellow with age. 

It didn't feel like a temporary shelter.

It felt... lived in.

Miru looked at the elf.

"Um... can I ask you something?"

She looked up from tidying the empty soup bowls.

"Of course."

"Is this..." He hesitated for a moment. 

"Is this your bedroom... or is this where you actually live?"

The elf's hands stopped moving. For a brief moment, silence filled the cave. Her emerald eyes lowered to the floor, as if the question had reminded a cruel reality of her.

"..."

She didn't answer. Instead, a small smile appeared on her face.

"You really should get some rest."

Miru blinked.

"Huh?"

"You've had quite a day."

She gently folded the blanket she had prepared for him.

"Your body is still adapting to Heavenreach. Please have a good rest, Miru."

He decided not to press further.

"Fair enough."

As he settled onto the bedding, another thought crossed his mind.

"Oh..."

"I just realized."

"I never asked your name."

The elf looked at him, slightly surprised.

"You didn't."

Miru scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"I'm Miru."

He extended a hand instinctively before quickly remembering that he had no idea whether elves greeted each other that way. The elf looked at his hand for a second and laugh softly.

"I'm Nana."

"Nice to meet you, Miru."

Her voice was gentle.

"Nice to meet you too... Nana."

For a brief moment, they simply smiled at each other. The awkwardness from earlier had quietly disappeared.

She looked back at Miru, who was already fighting to keep his eyes open. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Good night, Miru."

"I hope tomorrow brings you a little closer to your dream."

Miru smiled sleepily.

"Good night... Nana."

Within moments, the exhaustion from the long climb overcame him. His breathing became slow and steady as he drifted into a deep sleep. Nana went sleep at the floor of cave. She quietly watched the sleeping boy for a while before whispering to herself.

"...Please let the mountain be kind to him."

Outside, the coldness of wind continued to sweep across Heavenreach.

Inside the cave, however, the romantic light of the luminous stone that make it warm and the beginning of an unexpected friendship kept the darkness at bay.

After few hours gone by, the caves suddenly fell silent. Nana had already fallen asleep on her soft mat. 

Miru lay on his blanket with his eyes closed.

At least...

That was what Nana believed. His eyes slowly opened. They were wide awake. He quietly turned his head toward the sleeping elf.

"..."

For several long seconds, he simply watched her. Her breathing was calm.

Peaceful… Almost too peaceful.

Miru slowly sat up without making a sound. His movements were careful, he took fully cared. The cave remained silent. His hand tries to reach into his backpack.

Shhk...

He slowly pulled out the small knife he had carried since leaving home. Miru tightened his grip.

One step.

Then another.

His footsteps were so light they were almost unherdable. He stopped beside Nana. She still hadn't moved. Miru stared at her sleeping face.

The same gentle smile.

The same kind eyes that had offered him soup.

The same hands that had shared her mana.

"..."

His grip tightened.

Without warning he raised the knife. Its tip stopped only inches from Nana's throat. At that exact moment, Nana's eyes slowly opened.

She wasn't surprised.

She wasn't cried.

She simply looked at him with the sad expression.

"...So, you never trusted me."

Miru's expression remained cold.

"I wanted to."

His voice was low.

"I really did."

"But this mountain taught me something the moment I stepped into Heavenreach."

He lowered the knife slightly, though it never left her neck.

"The outside world here is cruel."

"So..."

His eyes became sharper.

"I decided I'd become even crueler."

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

"If I stay soft..."

"If I believe everyone who smiles at me..."

"I'll never reach the summit."

"I'll never find my father."

Silence.

Nana quietly listened.

Miru continued.

"Those shadow creatures."

His grip tightened again.

"They were watching."

"And you came after him"

His breathing became heavier.

"You're connected to them."

"Aren't you?"

"The warmth."

"The soup."

"The mana."

"The smile."

He shook his head.

"It was all too good to be true."

His voice trembled but he try hard to hold it.

"You can't deceive me."

"Now I get the idea why no one have ever descended back"

"I refuse to become another human who dies because trusted the wrong person."

For the first time, Nana's smile disappeared with clueless feeling. 

Her eyes slowly lowered. A deep sadness filled her expression.

“I can’t blame you that you suspicious of me”

Said Nana with expression of accepted her fate. Miru said nothing and the knife remained pointed at her.

Then..

crack...

The stone barrier sealing the cave entrance exploded. A freezing gust of wind rushed into the cave. Miru shocked.

Before he could react..

One...

Two...

Five...

Ten...

Dozens of figures appeared.

Elves.

Each wore white cloaks like church bodies. Elegant bows were already drawn. Long spears pointed directly at Miru. Some prepared with the bows about 15 meters pointed toward Miru. In the blink of an eye, he found himself completely surrounded.

One wrong move...

...and dozens of arrows would pierce his body in the coldness of cave.

A tall elf with snow-white hair stepped forward from the entrance. His piercing turquoise eyes locked onto Miru.

"So..."

he said coldly,

"This is the human you chose to adore, Nana?"

The entire cave fell into a suffocating silence. Miru slowly looked around. There was no escape.

Nana remained seated on the ground, her eyes filled not with anger but heartbreak. She whispered softly, almost to herself...

"I told you..."

"...humans are free."

Miru tightened his grip on the knife.

He made the decision itself to fight the entire mountain. But he had never imagined that his first real enemy might be an entities like entire tribe of elves.

- To be continued