Kala felt her body being sucked into a vortex. The sensation wasn't much different from riding an elevator from the highest floor and dropping straight down to the basement at full speed. Her stomach churned violently, threatening to spill everything inside.
In a split second, a blinding light slammed into her vision. Cold air rushed over her skin, replacing the warmth she had felt before. Then came a scent—something she had never smelled in her life. Soft, calming… she liked it. The pure scent of nature, untouched by anything artificial.
When she opened her eyes, she froze.
Beneath her was a stretch of lush green grass, and above it—an expanse of bluish-purple sky. Yes, the sky she was looking at was not the sky she had always known. It was far too mesmerizing, especially with the way the sunlight refracted across it.
"Ken… no way…" Kala murmured under her breath, barely audible.
The very first thing she noticed was the difference in color tones compared to her world. Could she even call this place heaven?
"You never change, Raken. Always doing whatever you want, no matter the situation. If not for yourself, then at least listen for your lady's sake," Hein continued to grumble.
Raken merely shrugged.
Hein then turned his attention to Kala, who still stood frozen, trying to process everything happening around her.
"Are you feeling motion sickness?"
"Huh?" Kala was still in shock, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
"People who aren't used to passing through portals usually pass out immediately. So if you're only a little nauseous, that's actually pretty good."
"Do you feel like throwing up?" Raken quickly raised his hand, ready to catch it if Kala vomited.
Kala felt queasy, but not to the point of actually throwing up.
"Where… are we, Ken?"
Instead of answering, both Raken and Hein fell silent. They didn't know where to begin explaining. They had to be careful—if they said the wrong thing, she might panic before understanding anything.
Kala sharpened her sense of smell. This time, there was another scent mixed in—something that hadn't been there before. It smelled like metal, but blended with a refreshing floral fragrance. Strangely enough, she didn't mind it.
"Ken, what's that smell?"
Before answering, Raken scanned their surroundings, then looked back at her.
"There should be a village nearby… Maybe Valiu Village."
"Valiu?" This time it wasn't Kala, but Hein, who responded in surprise. "Raken, how did we end up at the edge of the kingdom?"
"Kingdom?" Kala frowned, confused.
But instead of addressing her confusion, Raken answered Hein.
"My power only had enough left for that. I couldn't place the portal any farther."
"Good grief, my lord…" Hein tilted his head up, letting out a long sigh.
"We can head to the nearest village. It'll also give Kala a place to rest."
"And what about the lady? Her aura…" Hein deliberately left his sentence hanging, watching for Raken's reaction.
As usual, Raken replied casually, without a trace of concern. "You can conceal her human aura, can't you? Then, thank you."
There was no room to refuse. That "thank you" sounded more like an order—Hein had no choice but to comply.
"With pleasure, the honorable Lord Raken."
Hein extended his hand toward Kala, then closed his eyes, his lips moving faintly as he began chanting a spell.
But before he could finish, Kala cut in, unable to hold back her confusion any longer.
"Wait! What is all of this, actually? Kingdom, village, portal—and why does the sky look different, Ken? Where are we?" Kala ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, only for Raken to stop her.
"Stop that, Kala. Your hair might fall out."
"Ken! Are you going to answer me or not?"
Raken let out a sigh. Dealing with Kala when she was this stubborn was exhausting.
"I'll explain later. Once we have a place to rest."
"Why not now?" Kala grabbed his arm, whining slightly.
"It's a long story."
Kala was about to protest again, but her eyes caught something—Raken's torn pants, along with claw marks beneath them. Fresh blood still seeped out, yet he showed no sign of pain.
"You're bleeding! Ken, your thigh—it's injured."
Kala bent down, moving closer to his wound, and gently blew on it. Almost immediately, Raken pulled her back upright.
"Don't do that. You're not allowed to lower yourself to anyone, including me."
"But your wound—"
"It doesn't hurt. I can't even feel it." Raken cut her off before she could continue, leaving her speechless.
"Don't worry, my lady. A wound that small won't kill him," Hein chimed in, breaking the moment between his master and the beloved lady.
Hein glanced around. Now that his awareness had fully returned, he could detect the same scent Kala had noticed earlier.
"From the smell, it's very likely we're near Valiu Village. A research village at the edge of the kingdom."
Raken looked at Hein, his gaze filled with silent command. "What are you waiting for?"
"Right away." Hein began walking, understanding the subtle gesture from Raken telling him to lead.
Behind him, Kala remained quiet. She didn't know how to process everything she was experiencing. The place beneath her feet was far beyond anything her rational mind could accept.
Since the day she met Raken, she had realized how many mysteries surrounded him. Not once had he ever talked about his past or opened up about anything personal. Everything was tightly sealed, as if he never intended to reveal it. As if he had never lived in the past at all—only in the present.
By the time they reached the gate, Kala was still silent.
Towering walls loomed high, clearly surrounding the entire area. Vines crept along the outer surface, giving it an untouched, almost abandoned feel. Hein opened the gate, letting Raken enter first, followed by Kala and then himself.
Kala was left speechless once again.
Inside the walls was a sight far beyond "beautiful." The grassy plains were gone—replaced by rows of colorful trees arranged like a natural fence, with a narrow path stretching between them.
Hein took the lead again, guiding them toward their destination.
Even though the sky here wasn't as bright as usual, casting a dimmer light over everything below, Kala felt oddly at ease. The cold air didn't chill her—instead, it warmed her from within.
The scenery reminded her of parallel worlds she had only ever seen in comics.
They kept walking until they reached the end of the path. The tree fences stopped there, replaced by a settlement. Kala frowned as she noticed large, spherical structures scattered across the area.
"Those are residences," Raken said, as if reading her expression.
"Homes for the researchers, my lady," Hein added. "Not many live here. Some bring their families, others are exceptionally talented young individuals."
"Talented and insane are often hard to tell apart here, Hein." Raken took Kala's hand and continued walking. Still overwhelmed, Kala hadn't even realized Hein had already moved ahead again.
She observed her surroundings carefully, searching for the metallic scent that grew stronger the deeper she went into the settlement—but she couldn't find its source.
Suddenly, she spotted something—a massive lizard-like tail, almost the size of a cow's.
Kala instinctively pressed closer to Raken.
"Don't look. It's disgusting." Raken covered her eyes with his hand. "There are plenty of lunatics here who experiment on anything."
"They're researchers. Of course they experiment."
A presence approached, drawing their attention.
A middle-aged man stood before them, wearing a black coat that contrasted sharply with his white hair. The wrinkles on his face did nothing to diminish the sharpness in his gaze.
"Welcome, my lady. What brings you to this filthy place?" he said with a polite smile.
"Mr. Grix." Hein gave a slight nod, which Grix returned with a respectful bow. "We need your assistance."
The curve of Grix's lips widened, a clear gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes.
Raken, who had been silently observing the exchange, suddenly sensed someone lurking in a corner.
He pulled Kala closer, placing both hands on her shoulders, positioning her in front of him.
From behind, his vigilance sharpened—ready to eliminate anything that might harm his lady.
"Stay close to me, Kala."