My muscles ached, my hands still trembling from the fight. I could barely move, barely breathe without feeling that deep, gnawing exhaustion in my bones. I was tired—so damn tired.

[Are—are you alright?]

The smooth, melodic voice whispered in my ear with concern.

"...Yeah."

My voice came out hoarse, my throat aching and sore. Purple and red blood dripped into a puddle beneath my hands. A strong, cold breeze pelted my back, making me shiver. I finally let out a shaky breath.

'I can still taste it.'

The metallic taste of the Abomination’s blood still filled my mouth.

I felt—I felt empty.

“‘Grow strong enough to find a way home.’ ‘Prove my resolve.’ Who do I think I am? I’m not some chosen hero. I’m just Ezra Cyprus, a kid who has no business being here. Magic, swordsmanship—it all feels like a distraction from the truth.”

And that cold, hard truth was that I’m never going to see my family again. I’m never going to see my world again…

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips.

"So what if I'm half decent at magic, so what if I found some magical sword, so what if I have a powerful warrior to teach me how to fight, or some prince who cares for me out of pity for his own actions!"

I stood, letting my gaze linger on the moon.

'Hopeless. It's all hopeless.'

I moved to the tree where the Abomination had perched itself. I sat down, resting my back against the cold bark. The Abomination's legs were still nearby, but I didn’t pay them much attention.

I hit the back of my head against the tree.

I thought back to the Abominations I’d faced. It felt like every battle only dragged me further into this world. I wasn’t growing stronger. I was just... surviving. But for what? To fight the next Abomination? To run from the next threat?

Divinus cursed under his breath, breaking the heavy silence with a firm voice.

[Get a hold of yourself! Think logically for a moment and stop throwing a tantrum. First, we have no idea if there’s a way to get you back home, but we don’t know that there’s not a way either. Second, ‘half decent at magic,’ ‘magical sword,’ ‘powerful warrior to teach you how to fight’—you curse these things, but they are the very boons that will help you find a way home.]

Divinus let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

[It’s a predicament—well, that's an understatement—but you get the point. I don’t know if it’s processed in your mind yet, but I am bonded to you. I feel what you feel: the sorrow, the anger, the helplessness, the longing for home. I feel it all.]

I gritted my teeth.

He’s been feeling all my emotions this whole time?

[We may not have known each other for very long, but that connection—I want to get you back home, Ezra. I want to help you. But the only way I can do that is if you first trust me, and second, believe in yourself. Believe that you will find a way. If you lose that desire, that goal, we are as good as dead.]

Divinus's words cut deep. I rubbed my face, wiping away the dry tears.

'Pathetic, so pathetic...'

I inhaled deeply, the cold air stinging the back of my sore throat. He was right: we don’t know if there’s a way for me to get home, but we also don’t know that there isn’t. I needed to hold on to that. I needed to use the advantages I had to help me find a way home—to survive.

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I sat with my eyes closed for a moment, taking one last deep breath to collect myself before making my way back to camp.

***

Zeris was still sitting by the fire, patiently waiting for my return.

I found my spot where I had been sitting before and started indulging in the succulent rabbit meat.

"Did the Abomination injure you at all?"

His low, vibrating voice made my heart skip a beat.

"What, did you know—"

Before I finished, I noticed the blood still on my hands. I had been so lost earlier that I’d forgotten to clean myself before coming back.

My cheeks grew red-hot from embarrassment.

"You—didn't hear anything, right?"

Zeris stared at me for a moment, letting my words hang in the awkward silence.

"I think everything in the surrounding area heard you."

I let out a nervous chuckle before going back to eating my dinner.

After finishing the rest of our meal in silence, we both stared into the flames. I glanced at him—he seemed lost in thought. It was hard to get a read on him, though, since he rarely showed emotion.

"Zeris, can I ask you something?"

His cold, calculating almond eyes stared through me, waiting for my question.

"When we get back to Zelrick, what should my first move be?"

If Bel wasn’t to be fully trusted, I needed to find my own way back home. My best bet for where to start was Zeris.

Zeris lingered on my gaze for a moment before letting his fall back to the fire.

"I’d suggest you attend Zelrick Academy. Grow your knowledge of this world—its history, its norms. The Academy will also propel your magical abilities, along with your swordsmanship. It will be a good place to create bonds. If you intend to set out on this journey to find a way home, you’ll most certainly need companions."

Zeris stood, performing some light stretches.

"The Academy is also a great place to find up-and-coming Magic Philosophers. They are attuned to mana to such a degree that some can even see it as clearly as day. They understand magic better than anyone. They’d probably be your best bet."

After he finished, Zeris walked off into his tent for the night.

I remained at the fire a bit longer, pondering what he had said.

'Attend Zelrick Academy, huh. It’s actually not the worst idea. He made valid points about it helping me improve my magical and sword skills. The companion point... I’m not so sure about that yet. But Magic Philosophers...'

Thinking it through for another moment, I decided I should get a second opinion.

'Divinus, what are your thoughts on what Zeris said?'

Divinus let out a thoughtful hum. It was a strange sensation I couldn’t explain—I could feel his thoughtfulness.

[It’s not a bad idea at all. If anything, it’s a great idea! If we assume Bel Xyrus is not to be trusted, creating some distance between us and him would suit us well. But also, if he’s planning to use you, why not use him? He is a prince, after all, with plenty of influence.]

Divinus made a good point. Zeris wouldn’t tell me the details of why I shouldn’t trust the prince, but he did mention something: "He’s prone to drastic things to prove he’s better than his brother to his family and the people."

‘Why would Bel do drastic things to prove himself better?’

Bel had a brother, which meant there were two princes. Only one could be king. His brother was probably more liked by his family and the people, which would put him closer to the throne.

‘Even if Bel is power-hungry for the throne, why summon me? Where do I fit into this equation?’

I had too little information to figure out my role. Thinking too hard about it now would just give me a headache.

'One step at a time.'

I fell flat on my back, staring into the darkness. My mind felt numb, my eyelids heavy. Exhaustion took over until I fell asleep on the dirt.

***

After two more days of endless walking, we finally stood at the mountain where we had first arrived. Its white rock reflected the sun brightly into my eyes.

'Finally!'

Zeris and I stood for a moment, staring at the mountain we were soon going to climb to reach the merchant trail. Before we left, though, I couldn’t help but look back at the dreadful forest.

All the events that transpired there would follow me until the day I died. Let’s hope that death is in the distant future.

"I’m sure not going to miss this place."

Zeris remained silent for a moment, staring at the summit of the mountain.

"Let’s get going. It’s going to take a few hours to reach the top."

Letting out a sigh, I dragged my feet as I walked. My feet were aching, I was parched and hungry. Hopefully, a merchant would be on the trail, and we could get a ride back to Zelrick.

Climbing the mountain wasn’t too bad. By the time we reached the top, the sun was high in the sky, beating down on our backs.

Drinking some water from my flask, I sat down on a rock to rest for a moment.

"How long do you think it will take for us to find a merchant on the trail?"

Zeris’s gaze traced the trail far into the distance.

"Who knows? There’s a chance we’ll end up walking all the way back to Zelrick."

I stared daggers at the back of his head.

'You’ve got to be kidding me!'

Wiping the sweat off my brow, I stood. Walking all the way back would take another two days, but hopefully, we’d find a merchant. I didn’t think I could handle much more walking.

I took another drink of water and sighed.

"Alright, let’s get going then."

[End of The Abominable Forest.]