As the car descended slowly from the mountain, their eyes fixed on Faunaralis on the horizon. From afar, the city seemed to float amidst preserved nature, surrounded by majestic peaks that shielded it like walls of rock and greenery against the ravages of the Ether. Lush, wild vegetation thrived, creating a striking contrast with the dilapidated ruins of the ancient human civilization. A dense canopy extended over the rooftops, casting a benevolent shadow over the streets.

The dark hues of eternity gave way to a vibrant palette of colors, reflecting on the feathers of birds that soared in disorderly flocks. Here and there, wisps of gray smoke rose from the urban jungle.

As they approached, the details of the city gradually revealed themselves. An odd harmony emanated from the place, where nature and remnants of past life blended in a mysterious dance. Knotted trees emerged from the crumbling buildings, their leafy branches intertwining with the stone debris. Decrepit facades were overrun by a profusion of woody vines, while colorful flowers burst through the cracks in the fissured roads.

Norman found comfort in the tangle of natural architecture, but his unease grew as they advanced. He sensed that something had changed here, a pungent smell marking this once peaceful place. His gaze scrutinized the details, noting the strange mutations of flora and the silhouettes of creatures moving among the ruins. Cream-coated deer, adorned with impressive black horns, observed them as they ventured into the deserted streets.

Lloyd drove without hesitation, completely focused on their progress, trying to navigate through the long, straight avenues that unfolded endlessly. His determination led them onto one of the main arteries. The sunlight no longer managed to pierce the density of the foliage, but luminescent clusters hung from the treetops, illuminating their path with a bluish glow that captivated Gwenn.

This new nature filled her with ecstatic joy, and carelessly, she leaned out of the window. Her curious hand brushed against the shiny fruits that swayed gently in the breeze, vibrating with mysterious energy. However, as they delved deeper into the city, a dark and ominous shadow spread over the landscape.

A hurried fox crossed the road in the opposite direction, its silver fur tarnished by a fine black dust covering its paws and back. Its keen eyes betrayed a worried haste as it silently passed them.

The lights grew increasingly scarce, plunging the streets into an oppressive twilight. Eventually, the city surrounding them transformed into an abyssal void. The headlights' clarity faded, finding no surface to reflect upon. Only a dying glow shone at the end of the avenue, revealing a vast, devastated corridor—a sad relic of the destructive passage of the GC.

Mutant plants seemed to flee this place, as if still sensing the malevolent energy that had been unleashed. Trees and flowers withered in the approach to this sterile zone, creating a sharp boundary between the lush life of the city and the devastating void that stretched out.

The small group remained petrified before this heart-wrenching sight. A heavy silence settled, interrupted only by the murmur of the wind through the debris and the muted complaints of suffering vegetation. Their gazes met, sharing a mix of consternation and impotent rage.

Norman finally broke the silence, his voice laden with contained emotion. "Look at what they've done... It's a massacre. How can I remain indifferent?" he shouted at Lloyd, his fists clenched in frustration against this blind violence.

Gwenn averted her gaze, struggling to contain her anger. In a voice filled with sadness and resilience, she murmured, "Daring to draw energy from the Goddess in this manner..."

Then, turning to Norman, she admonished him. "This is why the Awakened control the gift... to prevent it from falling into the hands of barbarians!" and, pointing to the dead scattered around, added, "How can they defend themselves?"

Norman didn't know what to say and decided to ignore her, redirecting his attention to Lloyd. The latter observed the corridor of destruction with a dark and introspective gaze.

Lloyd abruptly cut the engine. "You know the area. You're going to guide us to the river," he ordered Norman.

Norman hesitated for a moment before stammering, uncertain in the face of Lloyd's lack of reaction to his comment. "Th-the river? Lloyd, can we take a moment to process the fact that a massive crevasse divides the city?! Damn it, we can barely see the other side."

"What do you want me to do?" sighed Lloyd, defeated. "Stand here wondering how idiots who couldn't change a camera lens in 20 years managed to design a weapon as powerful and more malleable than an atomic explosion? Or just cry over the fate of those poor souls paving the ground? You know what? I leave you in charge of all the spiritual considerations. Meanwhile, I'll take care of getting us back to safety to save what can still be saved... How about that?"

Norman remained speechless, shaking his head vaguely to end this discussion. Lloyd chuckled gently at his silent approval. Placing his hand on Norman's shoulder, he added, "Now's the time for you to guide me to the fleet."

Norman shook his head, distancing himself. "It's straight ahead... Do you know how long it's going to take to go around this trench? The city is a real botanical labyrinth once you leave the main paths, it's impossible for them to maintain everything..."

"Why not just cross it?" innocently asked Gwenn.

The two men turned around. "Cross it?" they reacted in unison, one laughing, the other puzzled.

"That one's the best of the year," Lloyd amused himself. "Could you do that?" Norman asked, with restrained enthusiasm.

"Of course, watch," she smiled, opening her door. Norman followed her outside, leaving Lloyd, who observed them from his seat.

Norman stared at the immense trench in front of him, his eyes scanning the darkness that seemed endless. The darkness was so intense that he could no longer discern its depth. The abyss stretched for at least a kilometer.

So, Gwenn took a deep breath, closing her eyelids, and the air began to vibrate around them. Black particles swirled in the atmosphere, settling on their skin, a detail that Norman, captivated by the young woman, didn't even notice.

In a short time, Gwenn's face and arms adorned themselves with complex and hypnotic patterns. She turned towards Norman, laughing at his bewildered expression, and opened eyes of absolute blackness.

Suddenly, the abyss lifted. The black dust of the Ether slowly rose from the ground, sparkling particles mingling with the wisps of dark smoke. In an instant, the mass of darkness jerked, its movement accelerating until it became a raging storm.

Then, one by one, dark shapes with surprisingly organic outlines appeared through the maelstrom. The curves and lines suggested the fluidity of serpents, while the interlacing resembled that of trees. The ramifications twisted until a grotesque and fantastical architecture emerged.

The materials that composed the bridge seemed to be born from the very nature of the Zone. Knotted roots intertwined, forming unstable pillars, while twisted and thorny branches bent to constitute the base.

Flowers with petals as black as ebony blossomed along the railings, chimeras adorned the edges, and dark creatures with tattered wings twirled around twisted columns. Deformed foliage formed a sinister canopy above the bridge, where crows with piercing eyes and shiny feathers perched.

The bridge itself seemed alive, emitting creaks and whispers, as if an invisible force animated it. Ethereal reflections intermittently sparkled along its structure, these dancing shadows creating the impression of a supernatural presence silently observing.

Norman felt a shiver run through his entire body, oscillating between terror and hilarity, as he contemplated this work of art between dream and nightmare. The distorted architecture gave him a profound sense of unease, as if he had just entered an absurd game where he was completely defenseless.

He took a step back, hands outstretched to protect himself from an invisible enemy, ready to fend off the most bizarre attacks of his mind. But suddenly, something hard and cold collided with his back, making him jump like a frightened cat.

He leaped backward, awkwardly finding himself in front of Gwenn, whose face lit up with uncontrollable joy. Just behind him, the door closed loudly, blending with Lloyd's unquenchable laughter as he pointed at Norman, slapping his knees in uncontrollable mirth.

The laughter was so intense that Lloyd's face turned a deep crimson, whimsically accentuating his white beard, while the vein on his forehead swelled at an astonishing rate, ready to burst into laughter at any moment.

In a theatrical gesture, Lloyd lifted his eyepatch, letting tears flow freely. Between sobs, he exclaimed, "Thanks, kid, I really needed that!" Then, he draped his arm around Norman's shoulders and led him towards the vehicle, his smile seemingly refusing to leave his face.

Without saying a word but with overflowing mischief, he fiddled with the steering wheel controls. Suddenly, on the windshield, a translucent image of Norman and Gwenn appeared. Lloyd gave Norman a friendly tap on the shoulder, bursting into laughter, "There's a camera in the car! Wait, watch this!" He triumphantly pressed the play button.

On the screen, the virtual Norman recoiled towards the camera, ending up with his thighs against the car body, then abruptly turned around in a start, as if caught red-handed.

Lloyd paused, freezing the image in its movement. His laughter intensified as he scrutinized the frozen face of the teenager, an expression twisted between surprise and terror. Faced with his own grotesque image, Norman couldn't suppress his amusement and joined in his friend's contagious laughter. A conspiratorial smile appeared on his face, quickly transforming into genuine laughter.

Intrigued by the cheerful atmosphere, Gwenn joined them enthusiastically, and Lloyd, unable to resist temptation, restarted the recording to share one last time this harmony of laughter. It lasted only a minute, but in that fleeting moment of pure comedy, horror faded away, giving way to a contagious joy that swept through all minds.

Once the last echoes of laughter subsided, tension returned as abruptly as a curtain fall. Lloyd, scrutinizing the bridge of darkness, addressed Gwenn without hesitation, "Are you sure about this? It doesn't look very... sturdy."

In response, Gwenn circled the vehicle and took Norman's place in the front, slamming her door shut. Lloyd locked eyes with Norman, who simply shrugged before settling into the back seat. Lloyd himself took the driver's seat and started the engine. From the corner of his eye, he watched Gwenn's reactions. She clasped her hands together, taking deep breaths as the vehicle approached the bridge.

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The noise of the road and the engine faded, giving way to oppressive darkness. Indistinct shapes moved in absolute silence, while grotesque sculptures lining the path seemed to peer at them from the shadows.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a massive tree appeared in front of them, blocking the way. "Damn, what the hell is that?!" exclaimed Lloyd, trying to brake the car in time. Gwenn abruptly opened her now entirely black eyes.

The car shook violently as it struggled to manipulate the reality of its imaginary world. Just before colliding, the trunk split in two, revealing a real suspended steel bridge.

"Damn, kid..." Lloyd began, panting. But without warning, countless hands descended upon the vehicle. A nightmarish creature suddenly emerged from beneath the bridge, rising from nothingness. Its slender and deformed limbs extended in all directions, like clawed tentacles seeking to capture their prey.

A scream of terror escaped from Lloyd and Norman's lips, while Gwenn trembled in panic at the manifestation of her own mind. The humanoid fixed its pupil-less eyes on them, its ethereal mouth contorting in a grotesque expression, emitting inhuman sounds that mixed laughter and screams.

"Make it disappear!" exclaimed Lloyd, his voice filled with fear. The car slid across the unstable bridge, escaping the creature's clawed limbs that maliciously abused the body with disturbing malevolence. The multiple, agile, and greedy hands seemed to move with a sinister intention, stretching over the windows like malicious caresses.

"Damn, make it disappear!" Lloyd repeated as he broke free from another grasp.

"I can't!" cried Gwenn, tears streaming down her eyes. "I can't...!" she repeated, over and over.

Norman gently grasped the girl's arm. In a soothing voice, he suggested, "It's okay if you can't make it disappear. You can make us disappear." A fully black hand rested on his. Gwenn turned, trembling, but her gaze was filled with newfound determination.

Her heart pounded as she gathered her courage and focused on using her power on the bridge. She envisioned a radical transformation, creating impenetrable obstacles and unpredictable passages to elude the creature chasing them.

The car, guided by Gwenn and skillfully driven by Lloyd, maneuvered through the distortions of the bridge, narrowly avoiding the creature's attempts to grab them. But despite all their efforts, the countless arms eventually found the smallest openings in the vehicle, and their shredded nails forcefully inserted themselves. The car gradually slowed down, and Gwenn screamed in terror.

As the hooked fingers coiled around the windshield, the daylight pierced the horizon. The car was almost at a standstill, and the multitude of ghostly hands engulfed them, plunging them into the infinite darkness of the Ether.

Suddenly, gravity pulled them. Shredded limbs followed them in their descent as the vehicle sped down a steep slope like death.

Lloyd, struggling to maintain control, shouted to Gwenn, "Great, you got us out. Now, get us back up!" He swerved to avoid a new group of hands emerging on the left.

Gwenn took a deep breath. Once again, dust rose from the abyss. The road straightened, following the flank of an infinite mountain forming beneath their wheels. The steep slope slowed their progress, and the creature's assaults resumed with renewed intensity. Seeing the darkness growing on their sides, Gwenn didn't yield. She focused even more, channeling her power.

A vast hole opened through the rock. Lloyd cast a worried glance at Gwenn, who responded with a determined nod. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and sped into the narrow tunnel.

The side mirrors jumped, and sparks flew from the bodywork. A few hands followed them inside. As they appeared in their wake, Gwenn breathed heavily, pressing her hands onto her knees. Blades emerged behind them, cluttering the tunnel, piercing ethereal flesh. The mutilated limbs extinguished in a shrill wail.

Finally, a bluish halo signaled the end of the tunnel. In a final groan, the mountain spat them out onto a deserted street. The suspensions screamed as the battered 4x4 crashed heavily onto the fragmented asphalt. Barely touching the ground, Lloyd roared the engine, propelling them far from the abyss that gradually disappeared in their rearview mirror.

The small group sighed in relief. Exhausted, Gwenn slid into her seat. Lloyd didn't say anything, but his encouraging glances were clear. Norman caught the signal and cleared his throat, his voice filled with compassion. "Gwenn, are you okay?" The young girl waved him off.

He continued, "And that... thing, will it... disappear?" She nodded in agreement. Norman approached further, his expression filled with concern. "And the bridge...?" She shrugged. However, he politely insisted, "Can you be more specific?"

Gwenn turned to him, plunging her black eyes into his. In a voice both tired and conspiratorial, she asked, "Are you interested in the gift now? I thought all of this was behind you..." Norman found himself without an answer, glancing at Lloyd with a perplexed expression.

Lloyd, straightforwardly, raised a question that concerned all minds. "If you don't know if the bridge will still be there, what's to say your friend isn't sending his centipedes after us right now?"

Gwenn, evidently contrite, sank into her seat, addressing Lloyd like a scolded child. "Do you have any more idiotic questions to ask? He's not immortal, with all the limbs he's lost, that damn fool will slowly die in the darkness." She spat at the thought and added petulantly, "Anyway, I can't make them last more than a few hours."

Seeing the perplexed expressions of Norman and Lloyd, who tacitly encouraged her to elaborate, she specified, cursing herself, "My creations... I'm terrible! I'm an Alchemist, and I can't create viable life. And to top it all off, the first natural being I encounter, the first one who could really teach me, got stuck with the gift... I'm good for nothing!" Norman apologized with a sheepish look.

"It's okay," she reassured him. "I'm mad at myself." She buried her face in her hands, lamenting her fate.

"You know, what you did, it was... it was incredible," Norman tried. "I would never have believed seeing you... I mean, all these... things. They're in your head, right?" Gwenn nodded. "Really impressive," acknowledged Norman, then, hesitating, he continued, "So, this monster too, you created it..."

A tear rolled down Gwenn's cheek. In a choked voice, she said, "It's just a bad memory that haunts my life." Confused, she added, "I'm sorry, I thought I could contain it, but there was too much Ether, it got away from me."

Lloyd snorted loudly. "If you want to join us, don't be like the presumptuous idiots from the Empire. They tend to disappear around us," he warned.

Gwenn let out a small laugh. "Aren't you the idiots from the Empire?" she teased.

Lloyd smiled. "After the bomb the kid dropped, we'll be lucky if we're not arrested on arrival," he admitted.

"The bomb...?" Gwenn repeated, intrigued. He briefly summarized the conversation between Norman and the senator. Gwenn burst into laughter. "So that's what you were talking about earlier... Well, you're really some kind of white knight," she mocked, tapping Norman's thigh, who responded with an embarrassed smile.

"But enough joking," Lloyd interrupted. "Look."

At the end of the avenue, behind the housing projects surrounding the road, a massive concrete wall topped with watchtowers blocked the horizon. Norman murmured, "It's from before, it's not guarded."

"How do we get to the other side?" inquired Lloyd.

"No need, there's a road along the wall, straight to Aurumont," Norman anticipated, then, to answer Lloyd's question, he added, "There's a tunnel that leads behind the wall. I'll go get some water."

Lloyd assessed him with a gaze but found nothing to object to. Nevertheless, he stopped twice to observe the guard towers through the scope of his rifle. Seeing only old machine guns covered in moss, he led them to the base of the wall.

When Norman got out of the vehicle, the first thing he did was head towards the imposing concrete barrier. He stepped back about fifteen meters to better contemplate it. In front of him stretched a gigantic mural that covered almost the entire height of the wall. An eclectic mix of styles, shapes, and sizes; texts, drawings, and names.

"It's truly magnificent!" commented Gwenn, who had joined him.

Norman smiled in agreement. "Yes, I used to love coming here when I was little," he recounted. "Well, not here exactly. I mean... I don't think I've ever been to this specific place, you know. I mean, they might have finished the mural and covered it over, but I don't remember any of these graffiti," he babbled, as if unsure of how to express himself.

"Well, you have a lot to say," teased Gwenn.

"Sorry, I'm not used to talking about art. It doesn't interest many people here..." Norman remarked, disappointed.

"Are you planning to wait here for a patrol drone to come down on us? Or is one of you going to get some water?" Lloyd scolded them.

Norman's cheeks turned pink. With determination, he replied, "I'll go. The entrances to the tunnels are right in front of the watchtowers." He grabbed a container from the trunk of the car and headed towards the wall. As he passed Lloyd, the latter held him back by the shoulder.

"Hold your horses, aren't you forgetting something?" remarked Lloyd. Norman looked at him, uncertain. "Good grief, Norm, your weapon..."

Norman seemed embarrassed. "Oh, yeah..." Lloyd's eye twitched between exhaustion and exasperation. "What now?" he grumbled under his breath.

Lloyd didn't respond. Instead, he addressed Gwenn: "You, go with him. And don't do anything magical unless absolutely necessary. Do you understand?"

As a response, Gwenn made a disdainful face, then looped her arm through Norman's, pulling him towards the enclosing wall. When they reached it, Norman pointed to a patch of wild grass that extended along the wall and said, "It's here, behind." They navigated through the overgrown grass and reached a thick steel door embedded on the side of a guard tower. Gwenn eyed the door warily as Norman leaned his shoulder against the metal, explaining, "Normally, they're always open; residents use them to fetch water from the river. But this one weighs a ton, come help me open it."

Gwenn joined Norman, placing her shoulder against his. In a coordinated move, they pushed against the door, which creaked open with a sinister groan, revealing a sloping corridor engulfed in darkness. Norman took a flashlight from his bag, and they ventured into the shadows.

The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for them to walk side by side. As they progressed, only the echoes of their footsteps disrupted the silence. Seizing the darkness, Norman innocently addressed Gwenn, "You know, I've been thinking... and I think it would be good for you to explain to me how you do it."

Gwenn's steps came to a halt. "Well, well... all of a sudden, you want me to teach you how to wield Ether?" she remarked, suspicious.

"No... well, I don't think so," Norman defended himself. "I just thought that... if I'm like this too... I should at least know how it works, right?" he specified, choosing his words carefully.

Gwenn chuckled. "By the prophet, I thought you'd never ask. I must say, I went all out on that bridge; usually, I'm not that imaginative."

"Don't get too excited; I just want to understand, to know how, to know why you're like this," Norman said, eager for knowledge.

In the beam of the flashlight, Gwenn furrowed her brows. "Sorry, to know why we're like this," Norman corrected.

Gwenn kicked a stray pebble on the ground and resumed walking. In a casual tone, she recounted, "I don't know how others do it. For me, it's quite simple, actually. I'm an Alchemist, so I just imagine the things I want to create, and Ether provides the matter."

Norman didn't seem convinced. "Okay, but that doesn't explain how you can create life. Ether is a rock; I can understand that you can mold it, but to transform it into organic matter, there's a gap," he argued.

"No, not a gap, just... a small step. At least, that's what the alchemy master told me. But I've never managed to take that damn step," raged Gwenn.

"Yet, just earlier...," objected Norman.

"I told you, the organic matter I create dies after just a few hours! He, on the other hand, has repopulated entire forests, denser and more incredible than the last..."

"Yes, but how?" insisted Norman, frustrated.

"The Shadowstone doesn't come from here, you know. It has seen other places, other worlds before ours. It retains their memory," explained Gwenn. The slope gradually ascended beneath their boots.

"I'm not sure I understand," confessed Norman.

"You can only understand by opening yourself to the gift," admitted Gwenn.

A new door blocked the way, opening onto a riverbank bathed in the afternoon sun. The dark water flowed powerfully. They walked up to the river's edge, overlooking the current.

"Look, I'll show you," began Gwenn.

"Gwenn, you heard him, no magic!" objected Norman.

"To hell with that old grouch. There's almost no Ether here; I can barely create a bowl. I won't risk anything, trust me," argued Gwenn, cutting. Norman didn't seem comfortable but didn't contradict her.

She took a deep breath. "First, you have to concentrate, feel the Ether coursing through your body," she explained. She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes. "Then, extend your perception to your surroundings... It feels a bit weird at first, but you'll get used to it quickly." Her forehead creased. "When you've spotted it, when you feel it as easily as you feel your hand at the end of your arm, use it, shape it according to your desire. You have to stay focused on the image of what you want to create. The matter, the shapes, the texture... The more precise the image you have, the more faithful the result will be. But be careful; if you let your thoughts wander, your unconscious might escape, and with it... the monsters," she explained, her voice tapering off.

A cloud of dust emerged from the dark water. The particles stirred rapidly, landing in Gwenn's hands in the form of a finely ornamented jar. She smiled at the result and winked at him before plunging the object into the turbulent waters. Norman did the same with the container he had brought.

Without a word, they turned on their heels, bringing the filled containers back to the car. Seeing them return with the Ether jar, Lloyd sniffed loudly to express his disagreement but made no comment. Gwenn poured the murky liquid into the filter. In a few minutes, clear water appeared at the bottom of the underlying tank.

"I've already inserted a cartridge; all that's left is to pour," said Lloyd.

Once the tank was filled, they waited a moment for the water to dissipate the magnesium. Then, Lloyd started the engine, and the hydrogen-powered motor roared to life.

"This should take us to Aurumont," he announced, entering the long road that bordered the wall and the river.