"What a terrible situation..." she commented in a low voice.

The sound of the creatures crashing into the dome filled the air, accompanied by their guttural gurgling. Elaine couldn't help but wonder if everything would be okay, maybe their time had truly come.

"What are these monsters?" She asked, her voice full of dismay as she watched the barrier shake under the creatures' blows. She still couldn't understand how they had managed to hit their companion.

"It's their power," Darryl replied, the tone of his voice tightening with the tension of the situation, "Their attacks come late or ahead of their movement, unintentionally shaping the flow of time."

Ada felt a wave of panic rise within her. "And you're just saying that now?!" She exclaimed, frustration showing in her words.

"I tried, but he just decided to attack!"

"Stop it!" Mardi's daughter interjected, "At this rate I don't know if I'll be able to cure him, I can't absorb mana."

Darryl looked towards Shirei, who was still struggling to breathe and clutching his chest with his hand. The situation was more than critical, Ada had to dispel the dome, otherwise Havel would have risked not making it. But if she had done so, the entire group would have been at the mercy of the chronomorphs.

"You have to get out of here," he said with determination, "I'll take care of holding back the chronomorphs, you go back to the park and think about Havel."

The boy coughed in response "N-no way."

"You have no say in the matter," continued Corgi's son, "They suffered the 'damnation of memory'. You can't face them, you don't know them and you don't know how to fight them since it's the first time."

Ada couldn't follow what he was saying, but she was right that they couldn't stay there.

"They only want him," he pointed to Shirei, "Leave them to me."

Cragar's son and Corgi's son exchanged a look in agreement.

"Do you think you can do it?"

Shirei inhaled and responded with a nod.

"Then we have our plan."

The light-green light emanating from Elaine's hands went out. Ada looked at Havel's body still covered in blood.

"I can't do it," the demigoddess declared in an exhausted voice, a sign that her mana reserves were at their limit.

Ada looked back at Darryl, "You have to survive."

The demigod smiled and said, "I have other things to do before I die."

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Rutia's daughter asked.

"You will deactivate the dome and open a portal to the Otherworld for you, Elaine, and Havel. Ammir will find you."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because he owes me a favor," Darryl retorted, "He'll find you."

"Then you will join us at the park?" Elaine asked just in case, "Are you sure you can fight and protect him?"

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Darryl nodded, letting the silence spread within the confined area where they were taking cover. Ada felt the dome draining her mana reserves with frightening speed, "Then we are ready."

With a deep breath, Rutia's daughter dissolved their protection.

The chronomorphs cried out in unison as the darkness was dismantled, but before anything else untoward could happen, a tornado of flames hit them all.

"Now!" Darryl shouted before hurling a fireball at one of the creatures.

Elaine quickly absorbed as much mana as she could and resumed healing Havel. Ada, however, began to sing the song for the opening of the portal: "O divine Ammir, immortal protector of travelers, grant us your speed to return home and we will be infinitely grateful to you."

Behind them, the landscape distorted as magical energy began to swirl in circles. Seconds later, a cerulean portal was open and waiting to be entered.

Ada reached Elaine and helped her pick up Havel, who had passed out in the meantime. Before crossing their escape route, the demigoddess looked back at Darryl. Corgi's son generated an explosion that drove away his enemies and met her gaze.

Shirei took a breath and was enveloped in darkness, a sign that he had transported himself to the Interworld. It must have been the part of the plan they had discussed while she and Havel were fighting.

Ada didn't understand, but there was no more time.

The last thing she saw, before being transported to a deserted land in the Otherworld, were Darryl Fyreborn's eyes illuminated by the light of the burning flames.

When she blinked again, the entire landscape had changed.

Now she was on a deserted beach shrouded in the darkness of the night. The sound of the waves gently crashing on the shore filled the air, mixing with the sea breeze that caressed her face.

She stood up slowly, spotting Elaine not far from her. Her friend looked like she was on the verge of crying, her eyes filled with tears and confusion. Rutia's daughter approached her with an uncertain step, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, even though she knew that words could not erase the fear they both felt.

"Havel..." Ada whispered, turning her gaze to the still unconscious demigod lying on the sand. The specks had covered his bleeding skin, but the boy remained unconscious.

"His heart is still beating" Elaine managed to say, "I can't do anything else… but the mana from the Otherworld is slowly helping him."

Ada nodded, "The 'berserker resilience'… thank goodness he is Sidal's son."

"But we need to go back to the park, he won't recover without an infusion of ichor and for that we need his brothers."

They just had to hope that Darryl had put his trust in the right deity.

"A ladybug told me you need a hand," murmured a voice to her right.

Ada tripped and fell to the ground as a figure stood out smiling on the deserted beach. Looking up, she saw Ammir, god of travel, shaking his head with natural boldness.

"You're here," Ada murmured, rising to her feet with respect mixed with awe.

"Yeah, I was quick, right?" The god of travel nodded, sticking his index finger in his ear. He seemed to be waiting for compliments.

"I'm here to pay my debt… finally," he said in a calm voice.

Without waiting for a response, the deity snapped his fingers and the landscape changed a second time.

They reappeared in a familiar room: the infirmary in the Lilies Park.

Havel was already lying on the bed, while Ammir touched his chin doubtfully. The god of travel was sitting cross-legged on the stool next to the cot.

"Mh, yes, it should do it" he convinced himself.

"Look what time it is!" He exclaimed before teleporting to the door of the room and greeting them, "I'll go before Aena is here, see you!"

The god disappeared, leaving them speechless. Ada turned to look at Mardi's children in the room, who had backed away until their backs were against the wall.

They had finally returned home.

A message from Darryl arrived a few hours later on the group chat.

-Everything okay? I defeated the enemies, how is Havel?-

-I'm fine, idiot- replied Sidal's son, -I have been waiting for you awake for a quarter of an hour.-

But, before they could ask him where he was, Darryl added, -There's something I have to do, so I won't be coming back.-

Elaine timely pressed the letters on the keyboard, -What are you saying? We are waiting for you for the holidays!-

-I'll pass them alone this year. I'll be back as soon as possible. Promise.-

Ada was about to turn off the phone screen when it vibrated again.

It was Darryl, but this time he had written to her privately, -Ada, whatever happens… stay by Shirei's side and take care of him. That boy needs it.-

Rutia's daughter did not respond, unable to metabolize the bitter emotions that those words had aroused in her.

Finally, there she was, watching their leader be defeated with disarming ease by the same boy in the message.

She couldn't help but wonder what Corgi's son was hiding.

She didn't like all those mysteries.