The Empyrean's Reign
Ch.8- Trance

"You turned out to be very talented when it comes to cooking, General."

"Well, actually my abilities are only at the average. This ability is already included as one of the skills that must be mastered to survive."

The sky was covered in black, indicating that it was night. The invincible stars of its light sprinkled the sky like glitters that were favored by many, surrounding the beautiful moon while emitting a dim light.

One of the young men in the forest stared at the blessing of love that nature gave with his mind already drifting everywhere. Although its vast ocean-like neutrality reflects small points in the sky, the child's daydream has smoothly flowed like a river current.

The memories in the previous world again attacked like arrows against the heart. Although some time has passed in this new world, everything still feels like a dream that is running and he is just a dreamer who follows the storyline without thinking about logic.

"...el-"

And he will wake up from this dream after the story is finished with a hazy memory.

"Niel!"

Suddenly the thing he was daydreaming was opened after his name was shouted right beside his ear. The already bad feeling became even worse when he saw the rancid expression of his best friend for five years.

"If we hadn't known each other, I'd have ruined your face a long time ago."

Enzo was immediately flabbergasted when he heard Niel's statement, "Hey! I've called your name so many times but you're too busy with your wishful thinking that you can't respond!"

Niel paid no heed to Enzo's whining as his attention was diverted to the smell of appetizing food. His stomach that was filled with nothing began to roar to be fed.

"Mr Niel, the food is ready to be served. Please just eat as much as you because I have caught Seaplate Fish which is enough for a three-person serving count."

"... Thank you, General." Niel stared at the food served by General Aldios intensely. Right now the food that he normally did not enjoy looked so sparkling in his eyes that it felt like Niel was being purified by something.

Maybe he was the one who was too hungry.

""Good-eating!""

***

"...gh-h"

"Urghs... I'll kill you, you fucking squirrel..."

Niel awoke to be greeted by unpleasant words thrown from the mouth of his best friend. The blue net also realized that the foot of this dammit was resting his feet so as to explain the ache he had not felt for long.

Jdeg!

"...Gawd! Excuse me... Squirrel, don't kick my leg...! Ah, sick...Hicks."

'Crazy crazy...'

Niel noticed the surrounding state after expelling Enzo's leg. It seems like they were too cool to talk until they fell asleep and forgot to enter their respective tents.

Since it was a little unreasonable that General Aldios was that careless, the most likely thing was that the General had indeed intentionally done this.

Niel was still too dazed to think about the reason so he decided to stop thinking so hard.

The eyes of the young man then moved to scan the condition of the forest at that time, which was then also followed by a movement of stretching the body. Can be heard a gnashing sound that was issued because of Niel's activity.

'That sound again.'

Niel again heard a strange sound that had followed him since it was still day. Frankly, even though he had heard the voice many times, the voice never failed even in making his body goosebumps.

Niel's focus in an instant instantly froze as the flapping of a butterfly's wings infiltrated his sense of sight.

The butterfly in question had a look that could not be said to be real. The Mariposa's wings look like jewels that have been sculpted as thoroughly as possible, giving off a color of light identical to the rainbow even though the wings appear as clear as glass.

Regardless of who thought, Niel felt he was very familiar with the butterfly. Hypnotized, Niel slowly walked in the direction the butterfly left.

After a few minutes, the butterfly suddenly stopped and immediately turned to face Niel. Her moon-like form suddenly cracked and blew into dust, as if she had never existed at all.

Niel immediately woke up and panicked when he found out that he was now lost, and without a long time immediately regretted his carelessness. Even so, he could not help but be stunned by the view of the forest that was in front of him at this time.

The dim lights emitted by plants make the atmosphere of the forest to be shady and feel comfortable. The comfortable atmosphere of the forest is also accompanied by a mystical aura and beautiful to look at. People who love beauty will consider this forest to be an earthly paradise.

Niel felt if he could, sometime he would stay in this forest. The sound of the forest calming the mind, the comforting atmosphere, simply put this was the ideal location for Niel to stay!

"... N...""

The young man gasped as a subtle sound echoed to his sense of hearing. He looked back and forth to be sure but found nothing.

""... IS.Ni... E...""

Niel was only able to become more and more dazed as the sound slowly grew and called out her name.

""Niel!!!""

The man with the blue netra could feel his heart falling all the way down his belly when his body looked like it had been sucked into a tree near where he was standing just now. He wanted to scream for help but was blocked by a dry throat while accompanied by an inability to say a word.

Eventually he was sucked into the tree without anyone knowing.

***

"Ughhh!" Niel fell down when the tree pulled him out. Niel rubbed his back before noticing where he was at the moment.

His attention was distracted when he realized he was in a different place now. This place had the same atmosphere as the Tregwey Forest but with a different feeling. Niel did not know how to describe it but he knew clearly that the place he was standing right now was not the Tregwey Forest.

Niel then got up from his sitting position and slowly walked around accompanied by a feeling of alertness. He walked continuously until he saw a scene that made him hold his breath.

A white deer was standing without difficulty above the pool of water reflecting the light of hundreds of fireflies in the air. Long horns branched from the deer are decorated with various sky blue flowers. The deer can be likened to a goddess from the upper world.

The deer that he was admiring its beauty was slowly shrinking and turning into a... A stick?

"Drip your blood on the jewel core of this wand and the eternal contract will be established between you and me. I don't have time to explain all this.

The way home from the forest is the tree. Once you get in there, there'll be butterflies leading you back to your tent."

That heavenly voice slowly faded away before disappearing completely. The wand that seemed to be formed from the deer had immediately fallen into the grasp of Niel who still had not digested the event just now.

"It seems like soon I'm going crazy..."