Jin's jump through the portal was met with a brief fall and a loud splash.

"Oh no!" he squealed as he felt himself sink into water all the way to his waist. Much worse were his feelings after he had time to look around and realize he had just landed in a swamp. "Why?" he cried out. He always hated being splashed by the cloud water on the farm, but swamp water was even worse. He had never regretted joining Manuel's business this much.

His friends were close behind. Airo sighed the moment he sank into the water and shivers ran down his spine. The idea that something might swim up to him and bite him felt terrifying.

Kaili, on the other hand, did not seem to be bothered by the change in environment. "Ooh, a swamp! And a really nice one!" she exclaimed and looked around, eager to get back home and try painting the place. The boys had no idea what she meant by "a nice one" because wherever they looked, they only saw an ugly mix of a hundred different shades of murky green.

Too late did they realize that Cia was too small to properly stand in the water. Their eyes widened as they watched her step out of the portal and sink down until the water reached all the way to her neck.

"No! What is this place?" she yelped and the shock caused her to forget the "do not move" rule. The loss of balance, caused by the sudden change in gravity, made her trip and fall face-first into the bog.

"Cia!" Jin shouted and headed towards her, not following the rule either and meeting the same fate.

"Pecker, fetch them," Airo told the serpent.

"Hell no! I ain't diving into that!"

It was not like the young Cloudfolk could blame him. The stench around this place was nauseating, making the boy feel a bit lightheaded.

Soon, the two divers emerged out of the water on their own, soaked and cold, but otherwise unharmed. "I hate this job," Jin muttered and pulled wet hair out of his face.

"Me too," Cia added. Her fur clung to her body, making her look like a cat that got fished out of a sewer.

They would surely be able to complain for even longer if it wasn't for a strange, bean-shaped body that emerged nearby, staring at them with a single bright blue eye the size of Jin's head. They yelled and backed away, instinctively grabbing one another.

"What is that?" Cia yelled and looked at Kaili, who seemed to be the repository of knowledge when it came to strange fauna.

"Umm... I am not sure," she replied, worsening the unease of the friends. "Hello? We... might have a package for you?"

The creature blinked and then retreated back into the depths. For a brief moment, the children exchanged confused expressions before they saw something approach them through the water, staying hidden under the surface, only leaving a series of splashes in its wake.

"Run!" Airo screamed and they all began wading through the water, desperate to reach the closest landmass.

Jin saw Cia struggling to swim in all her clothes, so he quickly tried to pull her behind him. The moment their hands met, the creature leapt out of the water again. Its round, open maw showed at least five rows of teeth, all ready to devour the tiny imp like she was an appetizer. Jin pulled as hard as he could to get her out of harm's way, but the beast still managed to bite down on her cape and began pulling her away.

The imp reached into her pocket and drew out a series of small metal orbs. She began tossing them at the creature. Small bangs churned the water and caused the animal to growl and shake, but its grip didn't seem to be weakening.

The other kids quickly moved in to help out, desperately trying to pull their friend out of harm's way, but it seemed that even their combined strength didn't make much of a difference.

"Leave her be!" Pecker yelled. "Serpent attack!" His head dove into the water. It was all murky, with terrible visibility below the surface, but he still managed to find the beast's body. Full of regret, the snake opened its beak, letting the water into his mouth, and bit down into the animal's neck with as much force as his jaw had. The sharp pain finally seemed to be enough for the creature to let go, only claiming a torn-off piece of Cia's cape as a trophy. Once she was finally free of the monster's grip, the others pulled her along onto the nearest landmass they could find. There, they all sat down, their hearts racing.

"Good job, Pecker," Airo praised him and pat the serpent on the head.

"Everyone okay? Cia?" Jin asked, wheezing.

"Yeah. I hate swamps. So so much," the little imp replied.

They all sat there for a moment, catching their breath and calming down, but even this brief period of respite was about to be interrupted. Someone was approaching them. An older man with long grey hair tied into a ponytail. His clothes suggested that he was a local, as they shared similar shades of murky green and brown. The high rubber boots indicated that he was prepared for a little wade through the waters, and the little wear and tear they sported was a clear indicator that they weren't worn for the first time.

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"Are you four alright?" the man spoke, his voice familiar, just like his face.

"It's you!" Jin called out as soon as his memory connected the dots. "You're the guy from the city!"

The man raised his eyebrows. "A city? Did you perhaps hurt your head? I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I haven't been in any city for years. Maybe you mean one of the villages on the nearby islands?"

The boy had to admit that the man looked older and had a completely different skin tone and hair, but his voice and face looked far too similar to the gentleman who helped them find their way to their first recipient.

"And the crypt? Where we delivered the potions?"

The man smiled. "You seem to be in a great shock. Please, follow me. I live nearby and I believe you have a package for me. I'd love to take it off your hands but I can barely carry a backpack, let alone such a large box. Would you do me a favour and bring it to my house? I'll make you all some tea and you can rest for a moment and dry up by the fireplace. "

The kids looked at each other. The frowns of Jin's friends suggested that they too shared a slight suspicion about the man.

"Will you show us what's inside the box?" Airo asked directly.

"Well of course. I understand you're curious about what a man like me would desire, right? I might spoil the surprise a bit—it's herbs. But very specific ones that do not grow around here. They are for a very unique ritual, which I will gladly show you, so please, if you'd kindly follow me."

The drenched quartet walked in the man's footsteps, following his guidance to the letter. From time to time, he would tell them to be careful about their steps or would warn them about deep mud into which they could quickly sink.

"Are you really okay?" Jin asked Cia after a few minutes of walking.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm wet, I'm cold, I'm... scared, but in one piece. That's what matters, right?"

He could tell that although she was physically well, her mental state took a heavy hit. The usual cheeky imp now turned into a quiet shivering mess. Not that Jin could blame her. A situation like that would most likely have that effect on any one of them.

"I'm sorry. I should have called Manuel. At that very moment I just–"

"It's fine. I could've called too. Didn't really cross my mind. At least we didn't need him in the end."

"Heh, right..."

"Don't blame yourself for it, okay?"

"I'll try, Jin replied and gave her a slight smile.

The old man's cottage wasn't too far away, but spotting it from a distance was a challenge even for the most keen-eyed observer. It was covered with so much foliage that it simply looked like a massive bush. Its small size and plant-based exterior reminded the kids of Kaili's grove, but even she didn't love nature so much as to use it to decorate every inch of her home.

"Please, take a seat by the fireplace. I will light it up in a second," the man said as he led them inside.

As soon as they entered, the smell of the bog seemed to disappear, replaced instead by a sweet scent of flowers. The place lacked any windows, so the elder left the door open for a moment so that sunlight from the outside could shine in. A single table sat in the middle of the room, housing an old mortar and pestle.

"Apologies, I don't get visitors, so there is only one chair. Three of you will have to sit on the ground."

Fortunately for them, the floor was covered by countless animal hides, which offered a decent comfort. The youngsters decided that rather than arguing about who should get the chair, they'd all share a spot on the floor and leave the only furniture to the elderly owner of the house.

Just as leaves and branches were covering the outside of the house, they were also covering part of the interior, where they hung on the ceiling. The man gently touched one of the hanging leaves and it suddenly lit up, slowly spreading the glow to its brethren, until eventually, the entire roof was faintly glowing. Before the kids could even collect their thoughts after spotting such a surprise, the elder closed the door and walked over to the fireplace. Sparks shot out of his fingers and engulfed the firewood in warm flames.

"Whoa. You're a wizard!" Jin gasped.

"Hah, not at all, young man. I am a druid. Or at least I used to be. Unlike the other users of magic, I do not meddle with politics nor do I serve kingdoms."

"But still, you can do magic!"

"Well, that is true."

"Can you teach me?" The boy jumped straight to the point.

"Oh, I was never a very good teacher. Let's see. Can you feel this?"

Jin looked around the room. "Umm... the breeze?"

"No, this."

As much as he tried, he couldn't tell if anything around him had changed. "I don't think so."

The old man sighed. "Then I do not know how to teach you. If you can't feel magic, there is not much I can do."

"Feel magic?" Jin's heart sank. His mind already came to a conclusion of what that could mean, but he still wanted to be sure. "Does that mean I can't learn it? Is that something you have to be born with?"

"In a sense, though not quite. Some wizards have awoken the ability to feel magic by being exposed to a high density of it. Others have uncovered the secret to it after being hit by a powerful spell. But either of these methods is rather dangerous. I have tried sending a small wave of dense magic towards you and you didn't even notice. I am afraid the profession of wizardry is not in your future."

Jin slumped. His eyes turned to the floor as if he were trying to find the last remnants of his dream before they would be washed away completely. His friends patted him on the back.

"Come on, don't be so glum. We can ask Manuel about it. I'm sure someone like him will be able to find a solution," Kaili tried to cheer him up.

"Indeed. I would not lose all hope, young man. If there is one person who can help you with this, it's Manuel Luzardi. He made a habit of going against the impossible and succeeding. Now, may I have the package, please?"

Airo handed him the box along with the necessary form. The druid signed the paper with a piece of charcoal, then quickly opened up the parcel. The smell of herbs hit everyone's nostrils as soon as the contents were revealed.

"Ah, how lovely. Well then, I promised to show you what they are for. Make yourselves comfortable by the fire. It's been a while since I've had an audience, hehe," the elder smiled. "Now then, allow me to show you the ritual of non-existence."