People dug into the hard-packed snow with their bare hands in silence, clawing at the frozen earth to carve out a grave for their elder. When Ellie tried to join in, a man shoved her, his face twisted in fury.
"You did this! You bastard! You killed him! It was your cursed mermaid blood that turned him into a rabid dog!" he spat.
A few murmured in agreement, glaring at her with cold, accusing eyes. Ellie hated it. She had always hated being stared at. She knew she needed to calm down before she made the situation even worse. But her emotion had grasped a hold of her and it wanted her to retort back, to yell out at the top of her lungs at every one of them.
Ellie opened her mouth.
'Stop. Calm down. Don't. Not right now. Not when you are emotional.'
She could feel the cold air filling her lungs, preparing for the argument that was coming. But luckily, at that moment, a voice cut through the rising tension.
"That's enough."
It was the kind woman who had been nursing Ray, stepping forward. Ray squirmed lightly in her arms, oblivious to everyone's mournful expression.
"He warned us. We all heard him. The elder knew the risks and took the blood anyway. Because the elder knew that if he hadn't done anything, he would have bled out and put all of us in grave danger."
"Blame him if you want, but let him help. We don't have time to argue. The night is approaching."
The crowd fell silent. No one wanted to agree, but no one could argue, either. They went back to digging, slower now, barely containing their anger.
Ellie stared at the woman, surprised. She didn't know why she had defended her.
The woman noticed Ellie's gaze and sighed.
"No need to thank me. I didn't do it for you. I did it for this little guy here." She glanced down at Ray, her expression softening. "You said you want to be in a group that won't throw you away when you're no longer useful. That's nice and all, but let me tell you this."
Ellie blinked, unsure of what to say.
"We're not so different from the people on that floating island. The only reason we don't toss people aside is because none of us are worth much to begin with. We're all equally worthless out here. But that doesn't stop us from turning on each other when things get heated. If enough people blame you for the elder's death then they might throw you and this little guy out. It's best to defuse such a situation and not let it spread."
"Thank you." Ellie replied stupidly before approaching the digging group again.
This time there was no one shoving her. No one spoke to her either, but the absence of hostility was enough. Ellie dropped to her knees and started digging, her fingers scraping against the hardened ground. It was slow, painful work, but her mind wandered as her hands moved.
'What kind of beast would they need to use an entire group of exiles as bait for?'
She looked around again, really looked this time. The group wasn't uniform in any way. Some were old and frail, others young and healthy. A few were missing limbs, even. It was just… random. _No. Not random._ Her eyes lingered on their faces. Their eyes were different colors. Green, brown, blue, gray, red.
Ellie bit her lip. She hadn't noticed it before because of her habit of avoiding eye contact. Something she developed unconsciously living among House Gennan's nobles and servants, all of whom glared at her with barely contained disgust and hatred. After all, to a ten-year-old girl, looking away was easier than meeting those eyes. Only now that it clicked in her head.
'It was the multi-eyed beast.'
Knowing that those living on the floating island were after that abomination, Ellie had quickly come up with a way to get everyone back into the forest safely. But the thought didn't bring her relief but rather a sick, twisting pain in her stomach.
'The elder died for nothing.'
If she had just looked, really looked, she would've figured it out sooner and he wouldn't have had to die. Ellie stared at the half-dug grave. The dirt felt cold and heavy under her nails, but not as heavy as the guilt pressing down on her chest.
'All because I was too afraid to meet their eyes.'
She wanted to run, to take Ray and leave all this behind. But the image of the elder's tear-streaked face, his broken body on top of her, wouldn't let her, knowing that she was the reason why.
'I have to get them back to the forest, to safety. I owe the elder that much.'
However, it was unclear whether they would follow her or not. But one thing was certain. If Ellie admitted she knew a way to get back into the forest, one without the elder's sacrifice, she would become the target of everyone's hate.
'But what if there's a way to avoid that?'
It was simple, really. Just redirect their anger. Not only would it help Ellie avoid getting on everyone's bad side, but also increase her chance of convincing others to follow her back to the forest greatly.
Ellie stood up. The sudden movement made everyone stop digging and look her way. Stepping forward, she grabbed the elder's lifeless body, lifting him into her arms. The moment she lifted him, someone shouted.
"What are you doing?!"
More voices followed, furious and confused.
"I'm not leaving him here!" she shouted "The elder deserves more than a hole out in this wasteland. I'll bring him back to the forest. He'll get a proper resting place."
***
'That could have gone better.'
Ellie lay sprawled on the frozen ground. It hurt everywhere, her ribs were broken from the kicks, her face throbbed from the punches, and one of her eyes wouldn't open properly. Nest tightly on top of her was Ray. The kind mother had helped her secure the tiny bundle, even going so far as covering the two of them with a layer of animal hide.
'Well... I lasted longer than I thought.'
Her body moved faster than before, her strikes landed harder. She was getting better at fighting but still, it wasn't enough, not while she was holding back anyway.
The flame that had been temporarily contained by the kind mother was lit once again. This time, it was Ellie who fanned it. She tried to turn their fury toward the ones on the floating island, reminding them who forced them to this frozen wasteland in the first place. But the wind didn't carry her flame forward. Instead, it blew the flame right back into her face. Firstly, her standing in the group wasn't enough for her words to carry much weight, she was still a complete stranger to them. Secondly, between Ellie, the outsider, and the faceless powers that sat safe and high above on their floating throne, it was easier to blame the former.
The moment she felt the divine blood healing her body, Ellie pushed herself up. One hand held onto Ray, the other pressed to her aching ribs. She looked around. There was no one.
'It seem everyone had already left while I was unconscious.'
Not far away, on the cold ground, a single stone stood, indicating the elder's final resting place. Ellie forced herself to her feet, walking over with steady steps. Her knees hit the cold ground as she kneeled before the stone. She bowed her head as low as she could while holding Ray.
'I'm sorry.'
She stayed there in silence. She didn't know how long she knelt, a minute, maybe longer. When she finally lifted her head, her eyes were no longer clouded with grief. The guilt was still there but it was buried deep, letting determination take root.
Ellie rose to her feet, wincing as her healing ribs protested. There was no time to waste. The sun had already set, leaving behind an endless sky. Occasionally, a spark of dark blue lighting danced across the black canvas above, illuminating the white world below, the dark outline of the distant treeline barely visible. Without another word, she walked.
When her legs gave out, she didn't stop. Biting hard into the inside of her cheek, she dragged herself forward. Every step shredded her muscles anew, but the divine blood knitted them back together just as fast. Though it wasn't enough to build strength, the constant cycle of tear and repair forced her body to adapt and her legs grew tougher, more enduring.
Eventually, the pain dulled and she no longer needed the divine madness to keep going. The crazed laughter also stopped as she pressed on, picking up pace. The treeline, once a distant smudge on the horizon, grew larger with each breath. Shapes emerged at the edge of the forest. Guards. Their weapons were already drawn, pointed outward. One shouted as Ellie got closer.
"Stop right there. Do not come any closer."
Ellie cooperated and halted, standing 20 steps away from the tree line. Her voice rang out.
"I can help you get rid of the multi-eye beast."
The guards exchanged glances. From the back, one of them stepped forward, placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder.
"I will handle this."
Ellie squinted. It was him—the guard who had given Ellie the waterskin.
"We meet again, hunter," He said, extending a hand toward her.
Ellie stared for a moment before reluctantly shaking it. His grip was firm but not forceful. Without another word, he turned and gestured for her to follow.
When the other guards moved to follow, he raised a hand and waved them off.
"Stay here," he ordered, voice calm but firm.
"Sir, are you sure—" one began, but he cut them off.
"I said stay. This one's with me."
They hesitated but ultimately obeyed, returning to their posts.
"You got some reason for ditching them?" she asked, voice low.
Ellie's stomach tightened.
'I hope he isn't bringing me somewhere quiet to do something bad to me.'
Just to be safe, she stayed a few paces behind him, her eyes flicking around.
"No need to be so on guard," the man said without turning his head. "I won't hurt you."
"That's what you want me to think," Ellie shot back. "You cut an elder without a bit of remorse."
"Of course, he volunteered to be cut so we had to put on a show for the others. Make it look real, you know? Guards aren't allowed to have any preference for anyone, let alone making deals. It makes us look bad. Untrustworthy."
"You seem untrustworthy to me."
The man chuckled. "Well, how can I fix that?"
Then he snapped his finger.
"Oh, I know. An introduction."
The guard suddenly spun around. He took off his helmet, revealing jet-black hair that fell messily over his forehead. It was long and uneven. His eyes were the same deep black, locked onto hers, staring straight into her very soul. Despite the lack of grooming, the man was unfairly stunning.
Ellie felt her breath hitch. Her throat tightened. She hated that her heart skipped for even a second.
With an exaggerated movement, he twirled his right hand in the air and brought it down to rest over his heart while his left hand was thrown behind his back. He dipped his head and shoulders slightly, like a performer on stage.
"I am Gennan. Blade of Moldrivore. At your service."
Ellie blinked.
What were the chances? Out of everyone in this time period, she ran into him—her ancestor, the founder of House Gennan, a disciple of Moldrivore.
According to what she was taught, Moldrivore's six disciples challenged the Great Dungeon of Samteal and came back alive, bringing with them spirit items and mana stones.
There were three types of mana stone: green, red, and blue. Green mana stones were the lifeblood of elven runic magic, allowing them to interact with unconscious spirits. Unlike conscious spirits, unconscious spirits didn't delve into items that could only be obtained from dungeons and didn't require forming a contact to call upon their power.
Red mana stones were the necessary catalyst that Dwarphs needed to undergo metamorphosis. A Dwarph without one was doomed to remain in their first form, leaving them weak and vulnerable. Since only the Waterfolk could challenge the depths of the underwater dungeons, and they guarded information about blue mana stones like a treasure-hoarding dragon, it remained a mystery.
Dungeon exploration became the norm, not least because everyone wanted a piece of the riches within, but also the fact that the Church of Three pushed for such development, saying that the dungeons were gifts from three great divine spirits: the Divine Spirit of Tree, the Divine Spirit of Fire, and the Divine Spirit of Water.
A wave of sudden, burning self-disgust shot through her chest, spreading like poison. Her heart had skipped a beat for him. Her ancestor. It made her gag. She turned and bolted to the nearest dead tree, barely making it before she vomited.