Nayeli watched the blonde elf swallow hard as she continued revealing how wrong she was about the Draconian King. ''I rember on one snowy day, many years ago finding him once, barely conscious, bruises covering his ribs, his wrist twisted the wrong way… and he apologized to as if he was the one in the wrong.''
Her breath hitched as she choked back a sob, just as the others were getting emotional. ''He was just a boy… and they made him believe he was worth nothing.''
'I ssed up and need to make this right,' she thought as regret welled up inside her.
When the group of won heard this, they didn't know how to respond, but Ella continued until Nayeli was beside herself and jumped up. ''Please, can you let apologize to him? I didn't realize he was a good man, and I was out of line to say all that I did.''
They all looked at her before Nefertiti nodded in agreent. ''I'll take her to the Domain as his by the lake, relaxing. But I think you all should go there because it's getting cold and the treehouse will be better to sit around in.''
Everyone agreed, leaving Nayeli and Colestah standing there awkwardly until a portal suddenly shimred into existence. ''Co on, empress,'' Leira said with a big smile. ''Wait until you feel the warmth.''
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Without hesitation, they all stepped across the portal, and the elves were ushered through. The mont she erged on the other side, her eyes widened in awe at the sight before them.
They stood in a beautifully decorated living room, where plush sofas were arranged in front of a roaring fire, its flas burning a srizing shade of violet. The sight took her breath away, and the water elf couldn't help but think, 'So beautiful, this looks like a proper ho.'
Nayeli glanced and noticed an enormous kitchen packed with all kinds of stuff while the living room looked holy along with staircases going to higher floors all over. This confused her and Colestah, who was standing next to her.
'How big is this place? And is it a castle?' she thought, looking around.
Monts later, the Empress leaned in and whispered as she gazed out of the towering windows. ''Can you feel how pure the mana is here, Nay?'' she murmured, awe lacing her tone. ''It's already seeping into my body, supercharging … I've never felt anything like this before.''
''Yes, it feels nice,'' she replied to her cousin. ''But what can produce this much? A mana cave maybe?''
Following that, the pink-haired woman approached them with a smile and spoke in a friendly tone, ''Colestah. Make yourself at ho and the others will get you so wine. It's Sera's homade stuff. It's delicious, which is shocking coming from that little gremlin.''
''Why do you ladies call her that?'' the blue-haired elf asked with a giggle.
Nefertiti let out a long-suffering sigh before turning to the cat woman. ''Leira, can you give a sentence describing Seraphina, please? Sothing to make these girls understand how much of a nightmare she is.''
Leira rolled her eyes. ''A walking disaster and a professional nace who thrives on chaos, but we can't do much about it because Archer guards her like she's a national treasure.'' She crossed her arms. ''Half the ti, she's pulling pranks; the other half, she's roasting soone for sport while giggling, which makes it so much worse.''
Laughter spread through the group as Hecate smirked. ''The last ti I saw her causing trouble, it was poor Brooke. She was trying to make sothing for Archer, but Sera annoyed her so much that she finally snapped and chased the giggling gremlin all over the Domain.''
The moon elf giggled before concluding. ''Well, it was amusing as all we could hear was the gremlin laughing while Brooke was going mad. Ari had to stop her as she's the only one of us that can.''
The ntal image of Seraphina screaming and dodging trees while Brooke stord after her like an angry mother with a slipper sent everyone into hysterics. Following that, the group walked into the living room and got comfortable.
Nayeli watched as her cousin followed the others, but before she could move, Nefertiti's voice stopped her. ''Leave the treehouse. Follow the trail behind it which is easy to see. You'll find a lake. He's there, but this is your only chance.''
She watched the young woman step closer with glowing pink eyes that burned with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. The sheer force of her presence felt like a dragon staring straight into her soul.
With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she finished in a voice as sharp as a blade, ''If you hurt him again, there won't be anything left of you to bury as I'll eat you.''
''Eek!'' Nayeli yelped, stumbling back as the image of a pink dragon briefly overlapped Nefertiti, which shocked her to the core. She shook her head with wide eyes. ''You're a dragon too?!'' she blurted.
The pink-haired woman giggled and gave a playful nod. ''That I am. Now go apologize, before I singe that pretty white hair of yours.''
At that, Nayeli didn't waste another second. She bolted out of the treehouse so fast she nearly tripped, spotting a walkway that led down to the ground. Before moving, she looked up only for her breath, to hitch at the sight.
A vast, untad world stretched as far as the eye could see. Towering mountains, their snow-capped peaks piercing the sky, lood in the distance, while endless forests of ancient trees swayed below.
'What is this place?' she thought while admiring everything around her.
Rolling grasslands gave way to misty swamps, lakes, and even a stretch of jagged red canyons that glowed under the setting sun. She stood there, stunned, as the wildness of it all pulsed with life.
''Why does it feel like the worlds in the picture books? It's so primal,'' she muttered in a voice full of awe.
Birds soared overhead, their cries echoing across the landscape, while unseen creatures rustled in the underbrush. It was raw, untouched, and more beautiful than anything she had ever imagined.
Nayeli followed the directions she was given and stepped onto the path, but a sudden rustling suddenly sounded from all around her made her freeze. Her pulse quickened as a low growl rumbled through the surrounding darkness, sending a chill down her spine.
'What was that?' she turned round only to co face to face with a giant Forest Ape which made her scream.
The creatures circling Nayeli grew restless, their excitent mounting as they realized she was unfamiliar. Just as they prepared to strike, a nacing voice thundered through the trees, stopping them cold. ''Leave her alone, or you die.''
As the monsters heard this, they trembled in fear as the biggest one let out a whimper, causing the others to flee. When Nayeli heard the voice, she let out a breath of relief as the creatures were easily S Rank.
'At least he won't let get attacked,' she thought, her tension easing.
Ten minutes later, she arrived at a breathtaking lake. It stretched endlessly before blending into mountains and a sea of beautiful flowers that were on the opposite shore. The sight was srizing, but what truly captured her attention was Archer.
He sat atop a cluster of boulders, skipping stones across the water. His white hair danced in the breeze, and his pointed ears twitched at the sound of her approach. In that mont, she saw him in a new light, strikingly handso, almost otherworldly.
But just as she took a step forward, she froze. A massive spectral image of a white dragon erged around him, its piercing gaze locking onto hers. There was no warmth in its expression, only an unreadable intensity.
This caused her to think as sweat dripped down her back. 'Why does it feel like a god is staring into my very soul?'
Yet sohow, Nayeli understood that this being before her was death incarnate, and she was only alive because he allowed it. She swallowed hard, her pulse hamring in her ears as she cautiously stepped closer.
When she finally reached him, her knees buckled, and she dropped down, head bowed in submission. ''I'm so sorry for insulting you back there, Archer,'' she said, her voice trembling while avoiding his piercing gaze.
He turned toward her, his expression unreadable. ''There's nothing I can do to make up for it, but I'd do anything. Just na it,'' she continued desperately. ''Please… don't bla Colestah for my words. My cousin is innocent. She's done nothing wrong.''
''Get off the ground and co up here,'' he commanded suddenly, his voice firm but not unkind.
Nayeli blinked in surprise but quickly climbed up onto the boulders. As she settled, he effortlessly created a chair for her to sit in. She hesitated before lowering herself onto it as her gaze flickered to him as he spoke.
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