RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
I leapt down from the tree, plucked a white rose, and studied it. As my fingers brushed along its stem, the thorns vanished, replaced by delicate leaves.
A smirk tugged at my lips as Forelody's words echoed in my mind: 'Whatever you think of, just will it. Your mnarill will obey anything you command.'
Controlling my mnarill didn't seem so hard after all.
'You mustn't grow complacent. This is only the beginning.' That familiar voice rang clearly in my head. I turned and saw Grandfather Lembo walking toward us, smiling at both me and Forelody.
"Yes, Grandfather-"
Pain shot through my chest so suddenly, it cut me off. My knees buckled, and I clutched my heart as the stabbing ache deepened.
"Rhein!"
They both rushed to my side. Grandfather Lembo slipped an arm under mine, helping me to my feet.
"You have to leave this place," he said firmly.
"W-why?" I asked, my breath uneven.
"This place sucks unstable mnarill. If you haven't fully learned to control your powers, it will drain both your mnarill and your strength... until it kills you."
The moment I stepped inside the house, the pain in my chest intensified. Minutes later, we stood before a set of double white doors. I could feel a dense, powerful magic radiating from behind them.
"This is the Postah-a portal connecting the human world to our true realm," he told. "You should go there for now. Learn and train at MnarilltesAleid." He gently slid the backpack I had brought last night over my shoulders. "I've packed everything you'll need for the journey."
I wanted to speak, to tell him I wasn't ready to go yet-that I still had so many questions. "Grandfather..."
"Rhein," he interrupted softly, "I can hear your thoughts. Don't worry. Your questions will be answered. I'll give you what I know."
He placed his right palm on my forehead. A small orb of violet light formed in his hand, then slowly sank into me. A cool sensation wrapped around my head.
He turned the golden doorknobs, and a brilliant light spilled through the opening.
"Don't worry about your sister," he said with a smile. "I'll take care of her. Focus on yourself. Stay safe."
I smiled back. "Thank you."
Facing the portal, I stepped forward. With each step, the ache in my heart faded.
This is it-I am heading to the real world where I truly belong.
After a few minutes of walking through the blinding light, the glow faded, revealing a lush landscape bursting with plants and towering trees.
I stopped and turned. The doorway I had passed through was now gone, replaced by a massive tree blooming with golden and silver flowers.
I tilted my head back to the bright, peaceful sky and shouted, "This is insane! So frustrating!"
"Better get used to it," Forelody said from her perch on my right shoulder.
I almost forgot she was there. My mind had been too tangled up in the pain from earlier-and in the shock of ending up here so suddenly.
"A world with magic... anyone would react like this, right?" I muttered.
"I'm here as your guide and friend. Don't worry."
I nodded with a small grin. "You already promised. No take-backs."
"Of course, Pracien!" she chirped.
My gaze roamed the area. It looked just like a forest from the human world.
The two worlds were alike in many ways-the difference was that the realm of the mnarillazas was ten times smaller. Land and sea were divided in similar proportions.
This world is called Mnarra.
I didn't know how I knew that... until I remembered what Grandfather Lembo had done earlier. This must be the effect of his mnarill.
"Judging by your face, you already know about this world," Forelody stated. "Good thing Lolo Lembo shared to you his knowledge. Saves me the trouble of explaining."
I gave her a sly look. "You're just being lazy."
She immediately averted her gaze. "I am not."
I shook my head, chuckling. Even a magical bird can lie so easily.
I slipped behind a tree, set down my bag, and pulled out clothes and shoes.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing. I can't travel in pajamas."
Once dressed, I packed away my old clothes, pulled on my gray hoodie, and tightened the straps of my backpack. Holding them firmly, I started walking east.
"Rhein, aren't you afraid?" Forelody asked suddenly, after we had been walking for about an hour.
I smiled faintly. "You're the one who said..." I hopped across three low tree branches before continuing, "...that I should get used to this."
"That's not what I meant. Aren't you afraid of the deore mnarillaza? What if he comes here and kills you?"
At the mention of that name, I looked down. I learned so much about my identity that I had almost forgotten about her.
Am I... afraid?
"Help us! Please! Lady traveler, help us!"
Forelody and I exchanged startled looks. We turned and saw a plump chipmunk racing toward us. It stopped in front of us, panting heavily.
"Please, Lady! Our homes... our homes are gone!"
I crouched and gently scooped him into my hands. "Calm down," I said with a reassuring smile. He was so adorable, he reminded me of that movie about singing chipmunks. "Tell us what happened."
"That's right," Forelody added. "We'll help you. Don't worry."
The chipmunk took a deep breath, blinking rapidly before speaking. "All of our tree homes have been destroyed. Last night, everything was fine-but this morning, I woke up to find them all withered. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Chippo, the leader of our group. As a leader, I beg you, Lady-please help us restore our homes."
I winked at Forelody, then looked back at Chippo. "Good thing you asked us." We introduced ourselves in return. "I'm Rhein Gomez, an ofrismnarillaza. This is my pracien, Forelody. We're on our way to MnarilltesAleid, but... we'll help you-on one condition."
"Anything! Just please, help us!"
He quickly pointed toward the direction of their village.
I sprinted ahead, leapt onto a thick tree branch, and stopped short. Below us, I saw countless trees wilting, their leaves fallen and dry. The ground itself was darkening, like it was being swallowed by decay.