Siara, on the other hand, was falling through a black space where she could barely see anything. The fortunate thing was that she was conscious this time and eager not to run away. After falling for a while, she even lost the sense of descent, feeling as though she were suspended motionless in the dark void. Unlike every other time, she began to think—thinking of a way out. But her mortal body could barely do anything in the soul space.
To be precise, her physical body was still in the overworld while her soul was somewhere else, completely detached from her own world or the realm she had just stepped into.
Her body was not safe either. She had somehow sustained an injury to her head. Luckily, no blood flowed from the wound. She was lying on a grassy floor surrounded by dense shrubs, some of which emitted a faint, diluted light. Fireflies hovered across the area, casting a beautiful glow over the landscape. But amidst that tranquil scene, a creepy entity swirled above Siara—a ghostly, white creature with the torso of a human and the lower body of a tail. It resembled a mermaid without fins, ending in a rounded conical point. The creature was translucent compared to its surroundings, appearing as some form of spirit or phantom.
Siara tried calculating possible outcomes in that terrifying situation, yet she could barely formulate a plan. She decided to let it go—not to give up, but to stop overthinking her plight. She allowed events to unfold without interference. What could she even do to interfere? She remained where she was, unable to tell whether she was falling or frozen in place.
Moments passed... several moments passed... many, many moments passed.
But nothing happened.
It felt as though she had been frozen in time.
Although she could not tell by sight or sense whether she was falling or stuck, she attempted to shift her body and rotate during those moments, which confirmed that she was indeed still falling.
Meanwhile, Leon, the old dwarf, and Leon's saint-like maid were attempting to reach Siara. However, their pace was slow compared to Siara's position. Leon, who had been walking for too long, grew irritated.
He scratched his head with both hands in a fit of rage and yelled, "Stop it, you old ****!"
In anger, he looked back at his maid. Her posture was unchanged—entirely uninterested in worldly affairs. Her eyes remained as dark and dull as coal. Yet, the moment Leon looked at her, she understood his command.
A second later, she responded by grabbing the old dwarf by the back of his neck.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Leon, already thoroughly annoyed, didn't answer the old dwarf, asking a question of his own instead: "Is this the way to her?"
The old dwarf, unable to break free, simply nodded and said, "Yes."
The maid, still holding the old dwarf by his neck, grabbed Leon's hand. As soon as she secured his wrist, she sprinted through the forest at a terrifying speed. The old dwarf could see nothing more than a blur of passing tree trunks.
Her speed was astonishing, but her accuracy was even more remarkable—she darted straight through the terrain, effortlessly dodging trees, bushes, and low-hanging branches without slowing down.
The dwarf, barely surviving the breakneck pace, choked out in a cracked voice, "Turn—turn left!"
The maid obeyed, though far from conventionally. Having already overshot the intended turn due to her immense momentum, she accelerated further, kicked her foot against a tree trunk, and carved a sharp curve backward toward the left path. Without flinching for even a fraction of a second, she maintained her momentum before coming to a sudden, complete halt.
She released Leon's hand and set the old dwarf down.
Leon, slightly flustered, placed his right hand on the back of his neck as if adjusting his posture.
"So—have we reached? Where is that problematic girl?" Leon asked in an irritated tone. Yet, he seemed slightly less annoyed than before; perhaps the sudden rush had shifted his mood from pure fury to mere annoyance.
The old dwarf smoothed down his clothes and replied, "We have not reached yet."
Leon grew confused and glanced at his maid for clarification.
She retained her usual expression—detached from the world. Despite running at extreme speeds for so long, she showed no sign of exhaustion, not even a single trace of fatigue.
She then looked at Leon for the first time since leaving the mansion, breaking her unwritten and unannounced vow of silence by uttering a sentence.
"My shoes... If I run a little more, they will be torn."
Her voice was soft as a cuckoo's call, yet carried a subtle undertone of agony.
Before Leon could react, the old dwarf suddenly chimed in, "No need to trouble this diligent lady. She is near."
The old dwarf took the lead, with Leon and the maid following closely behind.
After walking a bit further, they arrived at a glade filled with shrubs, strange flora, and glowing fireflies. Small plants with red berries and sharp thorns grew alongside massive trees with thick trunks bearing purple and white fruits.
The moment Leon stepped deeper into the area, he halted abruptly. He ordered both his maid and the old dwarf to stop and advance no further.
The old dwarf grew impatient and asked, "What happened?"
Leon replied, "I sense a soul-devouring creature ahead."
The old dwarf shrank back, asking in a terrified voice, "Did we bring any soul-protecting talismans, charms, or veils?"
Leon let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Who was in charge of our travel preparations?"
Leon turned around and began walking back.
The old dwarf hurried after him, asking, "Hey! Aren't we going to save that girl of yours over there?"
Leon glared angrily at the dwarf and snapped, "First of all, she is not my girl or my responsibility. Secondly, you are responsible for failing to bring protection talismans. And thirdly... why would I ever care to save a girl I've met once in my life?"
Though they were conversing, they had moved quite a distance away from the strange clearing of fireflies. However, Leon's saint-like maid remained exactly where Leon had told them to halt. She was not following him. Her gaze remained fixed toward the heart of the clearing, right where the soul-devouring creature roamed and where Siara's physical body lay unconscious.
Leon noticed that his maid, who usually followed him everywhere, was no longer by his side. He stopped and looked back at her. She stood motionless, staring deep into the eerie glade.
Leon walked back to her and asked if she was fine. She offered no response, continuing to stare into the dark woods.
Leon, who usually lost his temper whenever the old dwarf ignored him like this, remained silent, as if content to wait for a reply that never came. A long time passed in total silence. Even the old dwarf stayed in place further down the path.
After waiting several seconds, Leon turned back toward the old dwarf. The dwarf tried to ask what was wrong and why the maid wasn't coming along.
Leon maintained a blank expression and replied calmly, "Let us go. She will come if she has to."
It was clear that Leon possessed little authority over his maid. Aside from her outfit, she behaved nothing like a servant. Leon continued walking away, while his maid began stepping deeper into the strange section of the forest. Leon ignored her completely and went his own way.
The old dwarf suddenly stopped, as if recalling something crucial.
"Are we going to walk all the distance back to the mansion?"
Leon narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why must we walk back?"
The old dwarf replied with evident discomfort and reluctance, "The pedestal..."
Before he could finish his thought, Leon began mocking him, "You old geezer... Not a single task... You can't execute a single task flawlessly."
Leon kicked the old dwarf in frustration and immediately altered his course. He attempted to double back and follow his maid, but by the time he turned around, she had vanished without a trace. She was nowhere in sight.
Disheartened, Leon began trudging down the trail leading deeper into the glade, following her path out of reluctant obligation.
Throughout all this chaos—while Leon's group bickered and Siara lay unconscious in an alien realm—only the night sky remained undisturbed. The midnight sky hung calm and composed, with a glowing full moon and scattered stars casting their soft blue light over the world below.