Art awoke in an unfamiliar place. It wasn't his quaint, wooden cabin high in the mountains. His eyes, still bleary from a deep slumber he couldn't quite recall entering, slowly widened, taking in his surroundings. He was inside the ethereal cavern where he had first found Cecilia, one of the world's wonders.
The incandescent flowers that bloomed in patches across the cavern floor and walls pulsed with a soft, otherworldly light, fully illuminating the vast space in shades of glowing sapphire and amethyst.
He noticed he was lying on a bed of surprisingly soft, emerald-green moss and delicate, unfurling ferns. He tried to move, but a gentle yet firm pressure held him down. Looking at his left arm, he saw Cecilia, her silver hair fanned out around her, still asleep and holding onto him with a tender grip.
Not far from them, curled into a fluffy, golden ball, the koalian, a small, furry creature with large, curious eyes and bushy ears, also lay fast asleep on the moss.
Confused, Art wasn't sure what to do in this bizarre situation.
He slightly moved the arm Cecilia was gripping, attempting to free himself without disturbing her.
But before he could pull his hand away, he felt a slight tightening of her grip, and it seemed the sleeping Cecilia began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes the color of deep twilight, still clouded with sleep.
"Oh, hello?" he questioned, his voice a little raspy, looking at Cecilia, who was now fully awake and gripping his arm even tighter.
Art tried to sit up, his upper body straining against the soft resistance, but before he could do that, Cecilia's other arm wrapped tightly around him, pulling him into a surprised, almost suffocating embrace. Art's face flushed crimson, his mind racing to comprehend what was happening.
"You..." Cecilia spoke, her voice thick with an emotion Art couldn't quite place, a raw, poignant sadness that reached his ears and tugged at something deep within him.
He couldn't say anything, his eyes wide with shock and a strange, unfamiliar warmth spreading through his chest.
Cecilia's long, flowing silver hair, usually a vibrant cascade, now felt like a soft curtain around his face as he was hugged.
Art had never truly experienced such an embrace, not even from his parents in his own world. His family had been broken when he was just a kid, the warmth of parental affection a rare and fleeting memory.
"Don't..." She whispered, her voice vividly enough for Art to hear, a plea laced with vulnerability.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his words full of confusion, not understanding anything. But Cecilia only tightened her hug, her eyes flickering as tears began to drop, dampening his tunic.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong now?!" Art noticed his face getting even redder, a mixture of embarrassment and genuine concern.
"Don't leave me." She moved her face closer, burying it in his shoulder, making Art flinch in surprise, still unable to comprehend their current situation or the depth of her distress.
He couldn't say anything. The sudden intimacy was overwhelming.
"Hey now, stop crying." Art, with a surprising gentleness, extended his hand and slightly swiped it under Cecilia's eyes, wiping away the tears.
Cecilia quietly watched him, her tears slowly subsiding, as Art managed a small, reassuring smile.
"Stop crying now, tell me about it." He said, his voice calm and steady. It was better to change the strange, emotional atmosphere that had surrounded them, to ground her in the present.
"Really?" Her voice was small, filled with a fragile hope.
"Yeah." Art didn't even hesitate to think twice. Gradually, Cecilia made a small space between them, though her hand remained clasped firmly in his.
After that, Cecilia poured out everything she had experienced throughout the 25 days he had been unconscious: the chilling scene before her inside the trial world, the lingering terror of being utterly alone in that boundless, expanding void, and how they had inexplicably ended up back here inside the cavern where he had normally found her unconscious.
She spoke of the pervasive sense of dread, the constant anxiety of his absence, and the profound relief she felt upon seeing him awaken.
Art, who had heard all of this, couldn't help but be speechless at what Cecilia had said to him. He remembered the blinding flash, the profound sense of exhaustion, and then nothing.
'Is it because our stats are synchronized?' he thought, his mind grappling with this new, terrifying revelation. He was equally speechless at the other news: he had been unconscious for several weeks.
It was now a matter of time before the academy began. He had, however, gained invaluable experience from fighting unknown creatures from another dimension, a trial far more perilous than any he had anticipated.
After a minute of calming Cecilia, who was still gripping his hand, not wanting to let go, he suddenly asked, "Creature?" Cecilia had mentioned a flying, human-like being with ethereal white wings glowing with sunlight.
Art remembered the vivid, if fragmented, memories of the mysterious human-like figure before he went unconscious due to his over-exhausted body.
After hearing Cecilia's story, it seemed that mysterious being was the very source of those eerie white crystals that had caused another wave of destruction to the whole ruined village, creating more of the dangerous, corrupting mana.
"Hah..." Art sighed, the weight of all the surprising news upon waking up settling heavily on him.
"What day is it?" Looking at Cecilia's still-worried face, he asked for the specific date.
"Huh?" She said, confused, as she slightly tilted her head, her eyes wide like a startled fawn's.
"The day, do you know the date?" He asked, his face still serious, a hint of urgency in his tone. Art needed to pinpoint exactly how much time he had been unconscious.
"Sorry, I only know how many days you've been unconscious..." She said, frowning, her grip on his hand tightening unconsciously.
"I see, you don't need to apologize." Art sighed, a resigned expression on his face as he looked at Cecilia's cheeks, which were still a reddish-orange hue from crying.
"25 days..." That meant he had been unconscious for over three weeks.
If today was the 43rd of 346 MAE, then the academy would begin in just three more days.
Good thing the airship from Arcanena Academy hadn't arrived at the mountain cabin yet; he still had time to be ready. He had to assume the koalian was now a permanent fixture as well.
But...
What about these two? He glanced from Cecilia to the peacefully sleeping koalian. How could he possibly bring them to the academy?
"What is it?"
Cecilia, noticing the sudden shift in Art's expression, questioned him, her voice still a little tremulous.
Art thought it was better for them to stay here at the mountain cabin.
There were rarely any threats here compared to the bustling, unpredictable environment inside the academy, where their unique presences would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention.
"No."
!
He noticed that Cecilia suddenly spoke, her voice sharp and resolute, cutting off his thoughts.
"..."
"Don't go." Cecilia said, hiding her face by facing the ground, her fingers still intertwining with Art's, gripping them more tightly.
Her voice was barely a whisper now, filled with a renewed sense of fear.
"But—" He was about to tell her how dangerous the world outside was, especially for a being of her nature.
"No, buts!" She cut off Art, her sudden outburst filled with a desperate conviction.
It was something she didn't want to hear—she could feel it, a faint but undeniable connection between them, a bond forged in the crucible of their shared ordeal.
"I have a mission to accomplish in the future, I cannot endanger your lives," Art explained, trying to reason with her. "Just coming with me can cause your death, it's better for you to be here."
Art said, his voice tinged with a deep sense of protectiveness. He had freed Cecilia from the infinitely expanding void of space, a fact she remained unaware of, and he couldn't bear to see her suffer further in the perilous future that awaited him.
"No! I wanna go..." Her voice rose, filled with a passionate plea.
"I already know the consequences and
I'm ready to take that risk!" She said, clenching both of her hands, her gaze rising to meet his, unwavering.
He couldn't mutter a single word. Her determination was palpable.
"I can help you." Her eyes, now clear and bright, full of confidence, trust, and fierce loyalty, glared towards her savior.
Now that the person in front of him had said it—with the help from a true world wonder, it could significantly increase the chances of him surviving this hellish world.
It was only a matter of time before he would face an enemy stronger than him, an enemy that might push him to his absolute limits. Needing a companion or an ally was indeed the best solution for him to survive.
However...
Remembering that Cecilia could enter his body because she was a spirit, there was a significant chance that professors or even the principal at the academy would notice her unique presence.
It would be a bad scene that he needed to avoid at all costs, a potential catastrophe that could reveal secrets he desperately needed to keep hidden. But for now, they needed to go back to the mountain cabin.
"Give me time to think about it." He said, his gaze fixed on hers, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
Cecilia's eyes widened, a spark of hope igniting within them. She wanted nothing more than to be side-by-side with her savior one day, facing whatever challenges lay ahead.