Arven sat in the living room alongside Sarmila and Ajiman. Upon the table, a plate of fried smoked fish, vegetables, and warm rice still steamed invitingly. The hum of the television filled the space, broadcasting the evening news, which continued to cover the tsunami that had struck several days prior."Experts remain unable to explain the phenomenon of the sea receding so rapidly and returning to its original bounds," the news anchor announced on screen. "Several residents claimed to have witnessed a bright bluish light above the hills before the surging waves halted. Yet to this day, no scientifically sound explanation has been brought forth."Arven chewed his food slowly, his eyes fixed on the screen."People say it was the wrath of the water deity," Ajiman remarked, ladling vegetables onto his plate. "Yet the wrath subsided all too quickly.""Or the workings of the global elite," Sarmila chimed in half-jesting. "Word goes that hidden forces are putting disaster technology to the

At night, Arven sat with Ajiman and Sarmila in the living room. The atmosphere was tranquil, with only the faint, muffled sounds of the television drifting in from the adjacent room."Father, Mother," Arven spoke up. "I'd like to talk to you."Ajiman and Sarmila turned their eyes toward him, listening attentively."I care deeply about Kiana," Arven continued. "And I know she feels the exact same way about me. And about both of you as well."Sarmila offered a gentle smile. "We know, son."Arven took a breath. "May I share my secret with her? About my power. I am one hundred percent certain she can keep it."Ajiman and Sarmila exchanged a look, hesitation flickering across their faces. Yet they quickly recalled Kiana—the young girl who used to come over bringing banana cakes, who had always been there for Arven, and who never walked away even when his peers shunned him. Her devotion had never been in question.Finally, Ajiman gave a nod. "Very well. But on one condition: Kiana's mother

In the school swimming pool, Arven glided beneath the water. His body moved with effortless grace, slicing through the crystal-clear water—a routine practice he always enjoyed. The afternoon air was cool, and his teammates were training in the adjacent lanes.Then, all at once, he felt it.A deep vibration pulsed in his chest, like an invisible thread being yanked from afar. Arven halted in the middle of the pool and closed his eyes. Between his eyebrows, a warm, throbbing sensation radiated outward.Arven. Arven. Arven.Kiana's voice. Soft, barely audible, yet unmistakable. It reached him not through his ears, but through something far deeper. The call. The seal he had placed upon Kiana's body was active.Arven knew instantly that Kiana was in grave danger. He did not know her exact location, yet he could sense her direction as if an imperceptible tether bound them together.Arven snapped his eyes open. Without a second thought, he dove beneath the surface.Below the water, his form

Davina stood before a colossal gate forged from intertwined thorny branches, rearing twice the height of a grown man. Beyond its threshold stretched the Forbidden Forest, shrouded in deep, ominous silence. Decayed trees extended their barren boughs like giant skeletal remains, while dense, grey smoke drifted lazily between the crevices, moving as though it were a living, breathing entity.This was the final boundary. On this side of the gate, the Shadow Realm still retained a semblance of normalcy. But within its depths, lethal miasma lay in wait to claim anyone foolish enough to enter unprotected.Davina had been standing there for a full hour. The frigid wind nipped at her face, yet she remained unmoving. Her eyes were fixed on the swirling fog in the distance, her mind racing in circles."I can bypass the toxic fog in only one way," Davina muttered, recalling the texts she had pored over in the palace library. "Yet every method I know demands a sacrifice I cannot bring myself to ma

They finally made it through the toxic fog. Davina and Moverick stood at the edge of a different kind of forest—darker, quieter, and far more menacing. The trees here were no longer dead, but alive in a twisted fashion. Their trunks coiled like giant serpents, their bark pulsing slowly like breathing flesh. Amid the branches, tiny eyes glinted—shadowy creatures watching from the darkness.The second layer.Davina felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "This isn't an ordinary forest," she whispered.Moverick stood beside her, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. His hand was already raised, a shadow beginning to form at his fingertips. "Drakon's creatures. He created them from his vengeance and suffering. They won't let us pass easily."Davina clutched the remaining strands of Ellara's hair tightly in her hand. A few strands were still tucked away in her pocket—she had taken more than one back in the garden, just in case. "This hair only protects against the mist. N