The road stretched endlessly before them, a thin strip of dirt cutting across plains of tall grass.

The rented car rattled beneath them, carrying Kana, Lysera, and Irielle toward the elf village. They had set out early that morning, the air cool and fresh, the rising sun casting gold across the horizon.

For a while, the journey felt almost peaceful. Kana leaned her head against the window, letting the hum of the engine soothe her nerves, while Lysera busied herself in the back with sharpening a blade she insisted they might need.

Irielle sat at the wheel, her expression unreadable, eyes fixed forward.

It wasn't until the third hour of travel that the first problem arose. A grinding noise tore through the quiet, sharp enough to jolt Kana upright.

"What was that?"

She asked quickly, glancing at Irielle.

Irielle's brows furrowed.

"Something's wrong with the engine."

She pulled the car to a stop near the side of the road. The vehicle gave one last shuddering groan before smoke hissed from under the hood.

Lysera groaned loudly from the back.

"I told you this heap wouldn't last! Look at it—it's practically falling apart on its own."

Kana climbed out reluctantly, the heat of the sun already pressing against her skin. Irielle opened the hood, and all three were met with a choking wave of smoke.

The engine was a mess of cracks, leaks, and parts that looked ready to drop off at any moment.

"Can it be fixed?"

Kana asked, her voice uncertain.

"Not without tools we don't have. We'll have to walk the rest of the way."

Irielle admitted, closing the hood with a hard slam.

Lysera threw her hands up.

"Perfect. Just perfect."

They gathered their things, securing what little they had left. The road ahead wasn't forgiving, stretching miles toward the forest where the elf village awaited.

Still, there was no choice—they walked.

Hours passed beneath the heavy sun. The air thickened, buzzing with unseen insects, and Kana's steps grew heavier with each mile.

Despite her determination, she felt her strength slipping away faster than she had expected. It was in that haze of fatigue that the second problem arrived.

The growl came first.

Low, guttural, carried on the wind.

Lysera's hand immediately went to her weapon.

"We're being followed."

Kana froze, listening. Another growl echoed from the brush, joined by more. Dark shapes slipped out of the tall grass, eyes glowing faintly.

Wolves—only wrong. Their bodies twisted, fur spiked with patches of shadow, as if something unholy had corrupted their natural form.

"Corrupted beasts. Stay close."

Irielle said grimly, stepping in front of Kana.

The first wolf lunged before she even finished her sentence. Lysera met it mid-leap, her blade flashing in the light. Blood sprayed, but two more replaced it, jaws snapping.

Kana's instincts screamed at her, and her magic flared to life in response. A burst of light erupted from her palm, striking a wolf square in the chest and sending it tumbling back.

Her heart hammered. She hadn't even thought—her body had simply moved on its own.

"Good! Keep doing that!"

Lysera shouted, cutting down another.

But there were too many. Shadows swarmed them, growling and snapping. Irielle's bow twanged as arrow after arrow struck true, pinning wolves before they could close in.

Kana raised her hand again, summoning barriers of light that flared against snapping jaws. Sweat drenched her forehead, the air thick with heat and blood.

One beast slipped past Lysera's defense, rushing straight at Kana. Panic gripped her chest.

The world blurred for a heartbeat, then the system's voice rang within her mind, urging calm. Trust.

Kana inhaled sharply, power coursing through her veins. A wave of force exploded from her body, sending the wolf flying back into the brush.

The fight dragged on. For every beast they killed, more emerged.

The ground was littered with blood and twitching bodies by the time the last wolf fell, Lysera's blade piercing its throat.

The three of them stood in the wreckage, panting heavily, their clothes torn, arms trembling from the effort.

Kana dropped to her knees, clutching her chest. Her magic reserves burned low, exhaustion biting into her bones.

"Are… are we done?"

She gasped.

"For now. We need to keep moving before more show up."

Irielle muttered, wiping blood from her cheek. She scanned the area, bow still raised.

Lysera kicked at a corpse, frustration flashing in her eyes. "We're going to collapse before we even get there."

But despite the exhaustion weighing them down, they pressed on. Step by step, their pace slowed, every movement heavier than the last.

The forest finally loomed ahead, its canopy casting shadows across the dirt road. The elf village lay within—so close, yet it felt like a mountain stood between them and their goal.

When the gates finally came into view, Kana nearly cried from relief. She stumbled forward, half-dragged by Lysera, while Irielle trailed close behind.

Guards at the entrance stiffened at the sight of them—three battered travelers covered in dirt and blood.

But Kana couldn't even care about their wary stares. She collapsed just past the threshold, her body refusing to move another step. Lysera and Irielle dropped beside her, equally drained.

The last thing Kana remembered before darkness claimed her was the sound of unfamiliar voices shouting for healers and the distant ringing of a bell within the village.

Kana drifted in and out of awareness, barely catching fragments of what was happening around her. Voices rose and fell, some sharp with alarm, others calm but hurried.

She felt herself being lifted, the press of unfamiliar hands guiding her through narrow spaces that smelled of wood and herbs.

The faint sound of running water mixed with the rustle of leaves—it was clear they had entered the heart of the elf village.

Lysera's voice cut through the haze, tense but insistent, demanding that Kana be treated immediately. Irielle added her own sharp tone, making it clear they would not tolerate delay.

Kana wanted to open her eyes, to reassure them she was fine, but her body betrayed her.

Darkness pulled her under again, leaving her with only one fleeting thought: if the goddess truly had her eyes on her, then this village might be the first step to finding the answers she needed.

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