Three days have passed since Biel came across the girl. The dawn light se filtered through the branches of the trees, partially illuminating the clearing where he was. The air was fresh and damp, but that wasn't the only thing that chilled his bones: the uncertainty enveloped him like a heavy cloak.
Biel had survived three days thanks to the academy Tsubaki Gakuen had activities about field survival. With that he managed to improvise not to die of hunger or cold, but each night seemed longer than the previous. The
darkness closed over him like a black ocean, and every creak, every whisper of the wind, was an invisible threat that made his skin prickle.
“Why did you leave?” he murmured, while tearing a piece of damp moss
from a rock. His voice sounded weak, barely an echo swallowed by loneliness. “He said that
he wanted to see how I fared... But for what? Is this some kind of test absurd?
His thoughts tormented him with every step he took. The girl had appeared out of nowhere, as mysterious as the place itself. Acalia had introduced
with a name that seemed to carry an ancient weight, and then she had faded away with
the same speed with which she had appeared.
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“Is she watching me?— Biel clenched his teeth, throwing a stone at a tree in frustration. “This makes no sense!”
A distant roar pulled him from his thoughts. At that moment, his stomach remembered how much he needed food. A ravenous hunger that seemed to gnaw at him from the inside, as if his guts were devouring each other.
Biel began to walk, with a firm step but full of doubt. As he
progressed, something odd began to happen. His senses sharpened in a way that couldn't explain. The sound of the wind in the leaves seemed clearer, the buzzing of invisible creatures made him feel more alert.
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—This is... strange. What's happening to me? —He wondered, although he knew he wasn't going to
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get immediate answers. The tone of his voice was a mix of curiosity and fear, as if by asking the question he was calling forth a truth he would rather not know.
The ground beneath his feet seemed to move slightly, and the shadows of the forest
played with his perception. The trees, though beautiful, seemed to watch him. It was as if the world itself were alive, a colossal and awakened being whose breath he could hear in the whistle of the wind.
—Am I going crazy? —he laughed, but his laughter sounded hollow, empty, like the
crack of a dry branch breaking under the weight of winter.
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After a while, he came across a bush full of red berries. Without thinking, he knelt down and picked some, bringing them to his mouth. They were sweet, though a bit bitter, and the acidity made him grimace in distaste.
—At least something isn't so strange here. —He muttered through his teeth, trying
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to convince himself that there was still something normal in that place.
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But the taste of the berries couldn't dispel the knot he felt in his throat.
Each bite was a reminder that he was alone, that he depended solely on
himself to survive. His breathing became erratic, and for a moment he allowed himself to collapse onto the leaf-covered ground.
—Why?! —he shouted at the sky, his voice broken by exhaustion and despair. His hands clenched into fists on the damp earth. —What am I supposed to do here? Just... wait? Will Acalia... come back?
Tears threatened to fall, but Biel held them back, swallowing them like
they were fire. He lifted his head and forced himself to move forward, his steps unsteady but determined.
—I'm not going to die here. I won't give up... —he murmured, his voice taking on a fierceness even he didn't recognize.
As he walked, the undergrowth whispered around him, as if every leaf and every
blade of grass commented on his presence. Something inside him had changed, and although
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I didn't know what it was exactly, I intuited that it had to do with that mysterious Fragment of the Infinite.
—Acalia said it was a power... But how is one supposed to use it? —he thought aloud
out loud, as if the forest could answer him.
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It was only the beginning, but Biel was ready to face it. The fury that boiled in his chest mixed with fear, but also with something else. Something like hope.
—If it's a power, then I will learn to use it. And when I do... when I really know what I am capable of doing...
Biel's eyes lit up with a resolution he had never felt before
before.
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—I will find answers. And I will survive.
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Suddenly, the air grew heavy. A dense oppression that seemed to wrap around him like an invisible shroud, suffocating and icy. Biel turned toward the sound of some footsteps crunching through the underbrush, but he didn't see anything. Fear crawled up his spine like
a swarm of burning ants.
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—Who... who is there? —his voice came out broken, almost like a fractured whisper.
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For a moment, the silence was absolute. Only the irregular beating of his heart dared to challenge the stillness of the forest. He thought it was his mind playing him tricks, that paranoia and loneliness were starting to shatter his nerves.
But then, the noises grew closer. Dry slashes against the
ground, a low, guttural panting that made his skin prickle as if a thousand needles emerged from his bones.
—No... no... —he stammered, instinctively stepping back as his breathing became erratic.
Without warning, a shadow appeared between the trees, materializing from the gloom with palpable ferocity. A huge wolf, with fur so black it seemed to absorb light and devour it in a mantle of living darkness. Its eyes shone like
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glowing embers, filled with hunger and fury. The fangs, sharp as knives ceremonial, gleamed with an unnatural glow.
Biel felt the ground crumble beneath his feet. Each step of the wolf was a thunder that vibrated in his ears, as if the whole world trembled in the presence of that creature.
—Oh no! —shouted Biel, his voice breaking into a choking scream as
he awkwardly stepped back. His legs seemed to have forgotten how to move with coherence, as if terror had turned them to marble.
The wolf advanced with the patience of a hunter sure of his prey. Its paws were like rocks striking the ground, each impact resonating with brutal force. The air filled with its breath, a warm, metallic odor that burned his nose.
—This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! —Biel whispered desperately, his voice breaking into tremulous gasps. The panic swirled in his chest like a furious storm.
He tripped. The ground lunged at him with brutality, and he fell backward. The impact ripped the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping and disoriented. The wolf growled, a sound so deep it seemed to rise from the very earth.
The eyes of the beast fixed on him with a searing intensity, as if its gaze could pierce him and unravel each of his secrets. Biel raised his hands instinctively, his fingers clenched like claws that could hold nothing.
—No... please... —he pleaded, his voice broken by fear.
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In the distance, a fallen branch drew his attention, a fragment of hope in
the middle of the chaos. Desperately, Biel crawled toward it, his fingers scratching the wet earth.
He took it in his hands and raised it with all his might, as if it were a legendary sword. It was only a piece of irregular wood, but to him, at that moment, it was all he had.
—Go away! —he shouted, his voice rending the air with ferocity born of desperation. He swung the branch as if it could fend off Death itself.
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The wolf paused for a moment, his piercing eyes still fixed on Biel.
He seemed to study every movement with the precision of a executioner. But the animal did not
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cow down. A growl vibrated in the air, more powerful, more savage.
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“No... Do not approach...” Biel stepped back with the branch raised, but his hands trembled so much that he could barely keep it steady.
The wolf leaped toward him. A flash movement, pure power and hatred distilled in a fierce attack. The animal's fangs shone as it charged at Biel
with the fury of a unleashed hurricane.
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Biel reacted instinctively, throwing himself to one side with a desperate twist.
The wolf passed by him, its burning breath brushing his cheek like a whip heated. The young man barely managed to rise before the beast spun on itself, ready for another attack.
—Damn it! —exclaimed Biel, running toward the first tree he saw, with the breast burning and terror beating in his throat like a drum.
His body moved with a speed he did not understand, as if his muscles
had been replaced by springs stretched to the limit. He jumped toward the branches low with an agility that surprised him as much as it saved him.
—What... what was that? —gasped, looking at his own hands as if
they belonged to someone else.
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The wolf stayed below, circling in frustration while releasing threatening growls. His eyes stayed fixed on Biel, as if he could reach him with his gaze.
—This can't be real... —Biel murmured, clinging to the branch with all his
strength. His body trembled completely, but not only from fear. There was something more.
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The branch creaked under his weight, but he held on. From there, Biel watched the wolf
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with the same terrifying fascination that a child would feel before a devastating fire. His mind sought a logical explanation, but none appeared.
—What... am I now? —he whispered, not expecting an answer.
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Something had changed in him. Something powerful and unknown. But the only thing he
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knew for sure was that he was still alive.
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For now.
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He jumped toward the low branches with surprising agility, as if his muscles were stronger, faster. His body moved as if an
unknown energy was driving him, fluid and fierce.
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In a matter of seconds, Biel was safe up high, while the wolf, frustrated, circled below. Its growl echoed like restrained thunder, a helpless fury that rumbled in his ears.
Biel looked at his hands, astonished, as if they weren't really his. They trembled, but not from fear. It was something different, an electrifying tremor that ran through his nerves with the same intensity as a lightning bolt splitting the sky.
"What just happened?" he murmured, his voice barely a thread, broken by disbelief.
The forest seemed darker now, as if the threat he had faced
had stained every shadow a deeper shade. Biel was breathing heavily, but the adrenaline still coursed through his veins like an unstoppable torrent.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps around him. It wasn't the wolf. This time, it was something
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different, something familiar and yet unsettling. His skin prickled as if a thousand needles
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brushed against him all at once.
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"Who's there?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice steady.
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From the shadows emerged the girl from three days ago, her figure gliding between the trees with an almost spectral elegance. Her eyes were cold and calculating, but there was also something else in them: an intense and penetrating curiosity.
"Hello, my name is Acalia. Nice to meet you," she said in a calm voice, almost
as if it were just a simple greeting between acquaintances.
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Biel looked at her in disbelief. Three days ago he had asked her name and she had refused to give it. But now, without him asking, she offered it as if
it were something trivial.
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—Acalia...? —repeated, testing the name in her tongue as if it were
an enigma in itself—. But... why did you leave me here alone? And now you come to tell me that you are going to help me? What kind of game is this? —Her words came hurried, filled with frustration and fear.
Acalia remained impassive, as if her reproaches carried no weight.
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—I am helping you because you have no other options. —Her voice was sharp, like a knife that cuts with precision—. This world does not forgive those who do not know
how to adapt.
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—Help me? —Biel raised his voice, feeling how the anger bubbled under his skin—. You left me here without explanation, nothing! And now you show up as if nothing had happened! What is this place supposed to be? Where is Bastian? —Anxiety colored every word, his chest rose and fell at a frenetic pace.
Acalia watched him in silence for a moment, evaluating his words with a calculating gaze, as if weighing each of his emotions on an invisible scale.
—I can't tell you everything. Not everything yet. —responded finally, with an almost melancholic—. But what I can tell you is that this world has no pity for the
weak. And what you just did... —She gestured toward the wolf, which was still prowling
below, unable to reach its prey—, it was not luck. It was a skill that the Fragment granted you.
—A skill? —Biel frowned, feeling how the confusion enveloped him like a thick fog—. What does that mean? Do I... have powers now? —His voice
trembled when uttering those words, as if afraid that saying them aloud would make everything
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disappear.
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Acalia advanced slowly, each step of hers calculated and precise, as if walking on an invisible thread.
—Yes. You have received abilities thanks to the Fragment of Infinity and also own abilities that were granted upon arriving in this world. —she said coldly, but also with a kind of restrained expectancy.
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Biel's heart beat hard, as if it were about to burst through his chest. chest. Powers... The word echoed in his mind like an infinite echo, at once fascinating and terrifying.
—So... Wasn't it luck that you survived the wolf? —asked Biel, trying to take in everything while his breathing remained labored.
—No. It was instinct. But it was also power. —Acalia raised her hand with a decisive gesture, and the wolf, noticing his presence, recoiled with a low groan and disappeared among the trees like a shadow dispersed by the light.
—How did you do that...? —murmured Biel, incredulous. His legs were still trembling,
but now for very different reasons.
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—It's not about what I did. —Acalia answered harshly—. It's about what you can do. You have to learn to control those abilities if you want to
survive.
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Words clung to his mind like claws, penetrative to the very deepest depths of his being.
—And how is it supposed to do that? —Biel asked, his voice breaking, but with a tone of challenge.
Acalia smiled for the first time, though there was no warmth in that gesture.
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—Now, you will have to prove that you know how to use your power. —she looked at him intently,
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her eyes were like unfathomable pits—. Come, I'll show you the basics.
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Biel followed her, though he was still processing what he had just heard. Acalia began to move quickly among the trees, her step light as that of a
specter.
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—You don't have time to doubt. There are no seconds to spare here. —Acalia tightened
her pace, her voice sharp as the edge of a sword.
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Biel ran after her, his heart still beating, with more questions than answers, but with a growing determination to understand this new world and his place in it.
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The forest seemed even more alive around him, as if it responded to every step he took. But Biel did not stop. He could not afford the luxury of stopping.
Five hours of intense training passed. Each step Biel took became more precise, each movement more agile. Acalia showed no mercy, her
instructions were hard, almost cruel, but there was a purpose behind every word, behind
each correction.
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“Again.” —Acalia ordered coolly as Biel tried to catch his
breath.
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The sweat drenched his brow, sliding down his skin like burning rivers. His body ached, but there was something in him that pushed him to carry on. Maybe it was the same essence of that world that infiltrated his being, or perhaps the fear of not being prepared.
“I’m... ready.” he gasped, forcing himself to stand, though his muscles protested.
Acalia nodded with a neutral expression, impossible to read.
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“You have improved. But not enough. This world devours those who are not prepared.” —Her voice was as sharp as a freshly forged blade.
The sky began to tint with the warm colors of sunset, strokes of fire and gold that pierced the treetops. Finally, Acalia paused and exhaled a sigh, as if she had reached an important conclusion.
“That’s all for today.” she said firmly.
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Biel sank to the ground with a sigh of relief, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. His arms trembled slightly from the effort,
but his eyes remained fixed on Acalia, full of questions that demanded answers.
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—Acalia... How did you know about me? How did you know my name? —she asked, her voice
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worn by fatigue, but filled with curiosity.
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Acalia watched him in silence, her deep and distant eyes like the sea in a moonless night.
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—It's been a long time since I was sent to this place. —she replied in a solemn tone—. .
They told me that, at some point, a being from another world would appear. I had to help him to
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understand this world and prepare it for what would come.
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—Send...? So you too... did you also arrive at this place? —Biel sat up with effort, the pain in her muscles now secondary to the revelation.
Acalia nodded slowly.
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—Yes. But my case was different. —she answered coldly, though in her gaze there was a glint that betrayed something deeper—. I wasn’t dragged here like you. I was sent here by my own will.
—Then... aren’t you human? —The words escaped from her lips before they could stop them.
—Yes, I am human. —Acalia replied, with a smile that seemed more like a
reflection of pain than of joy—. But I was an apprentice to a goddess.
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Biel fell silent for a moment, as if those words had opened an unknown door in her mind.
—A goddess...? Do gods exist here? —she asked, with disbelief hammering at her words.
—Yes. And not just one. There are several. —Acalia lowered her gaze, as if mentioning them implied a weight she had carried for a long time—. My teacher is the goddess of life. It was she who trained me, who prepared me for this.
—The goddess of life...? —Biel repeated in a low voice, savoring the idea that something so mystical could be real. All of this seemed like a dream, but her wounds and her exhaustion reminded her that there was nothing illusory about her situation.
—So... in this world the gods also exist. —she said, attempting to process the information while her mind swirled with thoughts
out of control.
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—Yes. They exist. And their powers shape this world in ways you still cannot imagine. —Acalia's voice carried a shade of admiration and fear at the same time.
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—But... how did the gods know I was going to arrive in this world? —asked Biel, the doubt burning inside him like an insatiable fire.
Acalia shook her head.
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—I don't know that. —admitted, his voice sounding more human for the first time—. Those
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matters are discussed only among them. I only received instructions.
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Biel fell silent, his gaze fixed on the ground as a whirlwind of thoughts consumed him. Then, an idea clung to his mind like a thorn.
—Bastian... —he whispered, as if merely pronouncing his name was a challenge.
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—What did you say? —asked Acalia, raising an eyebrow.
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—My friend... Bastian. —replied Biel, desperation emerging in his voice
like a crack in a crystal—. He arrived in this world with me, but he wasn't by my side
when I woke up. Do you know where he is?
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Acalia kept her gaze fixed on him, as if she were looking for something in his expression.
—The truth is I have no idea where your friend is. —admitted, his voice so cold as always—. I only had information that a person would appear here.
Nobody else.
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Biel felt something break inside him. Had Bastian arrived as well? Or had he been trapped in some other place in this cruel and unfamiliar world?
—So... where will you be, Bastian? —murmured, his words barely an echo drowned by uncertainty—. You dragged me here... and now you're not.
Where the hell will you be? —Her voice broke in the last whisper.
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Acalia watched him in silence, her eyes analyzing every shade of desperation that welled up from Biel. But she said nothing. Sometimes, silence could be more cruel than any word.
Night was beginning to fall and with it, a cold that clung to the skin like invisible claws. Biel clenched his fists, his gaze hardening.
—If he is in this world... I'll find him. —finally said, with a
resolution that seemed to challenge even the twilight that enveloped them.
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Acalia looked at him with renewed interest. Perhaps, she thought, there was still hope for
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that stranger lost in a hostile world.
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Night had fallen completely, a dark mantle covering the forest like
an endless veil. The cold slipped through the branches and the breeze carried a damp, earthy scent. Acalia leaned against a tree, watching Biel with an expression
that was serious but relaxed.
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"Tomorrow I will help you look for your friend," she finally said, breaking the silence. "There is a small village nearby. Maybe there we can find clues
about his whereabouts, and also find out where the nearest city is.
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Biel's eyes lit up with a spark of hope, like embers fanned by a gentle breath of air.
"Really?" he asked, his voice filled with restrained emotion. Acalia nodded, her expression remaining firm.
"Yes. But you must understand that this world is unpredictable," she added coldly. "What we find in that village may not be what you seek. However,
it is the only path we have for now."
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Biel nodded firmly, feeling that at least now he had a clear purpose.
A direction to follow.
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"Alright. Tomorrow we will go to that place," he said with a determined voice.
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They began to prepare a small improvised camp. Acalia, always practical, had gathered some dry branches and lit a fire with
calculated and efficient movements. The warm glow of the flames gave them some
comfort in the midst of the darkness surrounding them.
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"We will take turns keeping watch," Acalia announced, without even looking at him,
as she stoked the fire with a long stick.
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"Alright," Biel replied, though inside fatigue was begging him for
rest.
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Acalia settled onto an improvised bed of leaves and moss, closing her eyes with the same ease with which she disconnected her emotions.
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—Wake me if something happens. —he said in a dry tone before surrendering to
rest.
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Biel stayed outside, sitting next to the fire that crackled like a beating heart beating. The light of the flames cast dancing shadows on his face, and his
thoughts swirled like the embers rising to the sky.
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He looked up, toward a firmament crowded with stars that seemed so distant and indifferent.
—Sister... —he murmured, his voice breaking into a fragile whisper—. .
Forgive me, but I don't think I can go back home as I promised you... I can't even assure that I will survive in this place. But... I have to find Bastian. — His voice faded into the wind.
Meanwhile, in the world Biel came from, the dawn advanced with an unsettling calm.
Charlotte woke with a start. Her head had fallen onto the dining table, where Biel had been waiting for Biel. Dinner had cooled, a silent witness
to the absence of her brother.
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—Is it already two in the morning...? —she asked aloud, her voice sounding
weak and hoarse.
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She rose from the chair with heavy movements, her eyes still drowsy but her mind awake with worry.
—Where the hell did you go, Biel...? —murmured as she walked toward the dark hallway of the house.
Charlotte paused in front of Biel's room door and opened it with a swift movement.
—Biel! —she called, her voice echoing through the empty house. But there was no answer.
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The silence was an uncomfortable presence, a void that seemed to devour any sound. Charlotte felt a chill run down her spine.
—Hasn't he arrived...? —Her heart began to beat hard, as if trying
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to warn her of something.
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He returned to the dining room and pulled out his phone, dialing Biel's number with trembling fingers.
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trembling. Each ring with no answer was another blow to his calm. “Please pick up...,” he begged in a low voice.
But the call went to voicemail.
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“Damn idiot!” he exclaimed, his frustration bursting like a storm contained—. Where the hell are you...? You’ll deal with me tomorrow for making me worry like this!
His words were meant to be harsh, but fear filtered between them like a poison impossible to ignore. Finally, defeated by anxiety, she headed to her room with slow, heavy steps.
As she threw herself onto the bed, her mind kept replaying the image of her brother laughing, promising that he would return early.
“Come back soon, Biel...,” she whispered before exhaustion overtook her.
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In the other world, Biel kept looking at the sky. The fire was his only companion in the dark, its warmth barely enough to keep the cold away. His
thoughts came and went, oscillating between despair and hope.
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Finally, he closed his eyes and let the fatigue drag him into a restless sleep restless. Tomorrow would be a crucial day. Bastian's search would begin at dawn.
What he didn't know was that that day would be filled with secrets, challenges and
revelations that would test not only his newly acquired skill, but also his own will to survive.
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and then Add to home screen.