While Elara, Koji, and Julie struggled to bring Drake back from the clutches of death, Drake himself was in a very different place. Immersed in the darkness that filled the space between consciousness and oblivion, he floated in a void that seemed to swallow him, a world without light, sound, or touch. "Where… am I?" The question echoed in his mind, his internal voice the only sound amid absolute silence. There was no answer, just the echo of his own thoughts.

Drake knew he had to fight, to fight to reunite with those waiting for him on the other side of the darkness. He began to focus, to search within himself for the scattered fragments of his memories, pieces of a puzzle that his mind struggled to assemble. "Remember…" he murmured to himself, a whispered command in the vastness of his mental prison. "You have to remember."

And then, as if his internal words had ignited a spark amid the darkness, he began to feel a strange calm. A peace enveloped him as he delved deeper into his own memories, navigating through shadows in search of the light he knew was hidden somewhere within himself.

Suddenly, Drake found himself in a familiar yet feared scenario. He was back in the room of his nightmares, the one dominated by fire, a place that often visited him in the shadows of his sleep. However, something had radically changed this time. Drake was no longer a paralyzed observer of terror; he was fully aware and present.

The room was consumed by flames, the fire engulfing everything with its burning fury. At the epicenter of this inferno, a young man with black hair struggled against a door that refused to yield, as if locked by invisible forces.

The flames, like serpents of fire, threatened to advance on the young man, but Drake, armed with the awareness of his powers and choices, refused to be a victim of his own memories once again.

With a shout that was both a challenge and an affirmation of his strength, he exclaimed: "Water Flood!"

The words had barely left his lips when water erupted from his hands in a powerful jet, challenging the advance of the fire with unwavering force. With masterful control over his element, Drake created a water bubble around himself and the young man, a liquid fortress protecting them from suffocation and the scorching heat.

Drake, still trying to process the strangeness of the situation he found himself in, fixed his gaze on the young man with black hair. Confusion and astonishment mixed in his expression as he tried to understand the nature of their encounter. "Who are you? Where are we?" The words emerged from his lips with visible hesitation, each syllable laden with a whirlwind of emotions.

The young man, seemingly as confused as Drake about their unexpected company, responded with a question of his own, his curiosity overriding the surprise. "You must be just a bit older than me… How can you use magic so well?" The admiration in his voice was evident, even amidst the chaos surrounding them.

Faced with the naivety of the question, an involuntary laugh escaped Drake, briefly breaking the tension of the surreal moment. "How old are you? 10? I'm 17… Forget that, kid! Just answer me. I don't know how long I can stay here," said Drake, urgency tinting his words as he tried to cling to that thread of reality amid the absurdity of the situation.

"Okay, my name is □□□□," began the boy, but as he spoke, Drake felt a growing headache take over his mind.

As the young man began to reveal his identity, Drake felt a sudden and intense headache arise, like a storm threatening his consciousness. "Are you okay?" The boy's voice carried genuine concern as he noticed Drake writhing in pain.

Drake, fighting against the increasing discomfort, tried to maintain his composure. "Yes, kid, it's just a little headache… now, what did you say? I couldn't understand… can you repeat?"

The young man hesitated for a moment, clearly confused by Drake's reaction, but continued. "Where was I? Oh, yes. My name is □□□□, and we are in □□□□, and the fire…"

But before he could finish, the pain in Drake's mind intensified exponentially, an agony so deep and overwhelming that it seemed to want to shatter his sanity. It was as if an invisible force tried to block the young man's words, censoring the information before it could be fully assimilated.

Drake's scream echoed in the space between the real and the imaginary, an expression of agony not just physical but also spiritual. As he struggled to cling to the revelation slipping away, the world around him began to twist and unravel, the room, and the figure of the young man dissolving into a whirlwind of shadows. He was pulled back into the abyss, that void where reality lost its meaning and darkness swallowed everything.

In the real world, under the rising sun's light, his friends gathered around his fallen body in a collective effort to bring him back.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Drake, please, stay with me," Elara whispered, her voice trembling with the urgency of the situation. With quick but careful movements, she tore the hem of her tank top, turning it into improvised bandages.

As she worked to stem the most severe bleedings, those that magic alone couldn't seal, her expression was a mix of concentration and concern. Each touch was delicate, each gesture revealed both her skill and her desperation to keep Drake away from the abyss of death.

"Is he going to be okay, Elara?" Julie asked, her voice laden with hope and fear, as she watched alongside Koji, both feeling powerless in the face of Drake's injuries.

"I'm doing everything I can… He has to be," Elara responded, not taking her eyes off Drake, the determination in her voice challenging the precarious reality of their situation.

"Quick, Koji, get water so we can wash these wounds," Elara commanded, her voice firm despite the emotional chaos stirring within her. "We need to clean this before it gets worse."

Koji nodded, understanding the urgency, and without hesitation, dashed toward the nearest water source, determination etched on his face.

"Julie, look for crimson flowers, they are blood-colored petals that grow in the shadows," Elara continued, now addressing Julie, who nodded and set off immediately. "They have healing properties. We need all the advantages we can get."

Julie plunged into the surrounding vegetation, her eyes scanning the ground for the precious flowers, aware that every moment was precious.

Back by Drake's side, the loneliness weighed on Elara like a heavy cloak. The tears, until then held back by the need to act, found their free path. Frustration, fear, and anger mixed in a whirlwind of emotions she struggled to control.

"Why are you doing this to us, to me… how can you? We were going to Belman together, we were almost there…" Elara's words were laden with pain, each syllable trembling with the force of the emotions she fought to contain.

The memory of their plans, now so distant, mixed with the cruel reality before her, making the weight of each moment unbearable.

The truth was inescapable and bitter: despite all her efforts, the magic and healing techniques she employed, Drake's internal bleedings continued to challenge her abilities. The helplessness before this reality cut deeper than any blade.

"If only I were a bit better at healing magic…" She sighed, the confession coming out as a whisper of self-criticism, a lament for what she could not change.

Overcome by exhaustion and despair, Elara allowed the tears to flow freely again. With a gesture of deep sadness, she laid down on Drake's chest, seeking a semblance of comfort in his proximity, despite the shadow of death looming over them both. The warmth of his body, though still, offered a painful contrast to the coldness of their situation.

"Please, Drake… Don't leave me," she murmured against his skin, her voice muffled by crying. "I need you… We still have so many places to go, so many stories to live…"

The silence that followed was a mute testimony to the battle Elara was facing, not just against Drake's wounds but against the very reality that threatened to separate them.

In the whirlwind of emotions and despair, the silent presence of the small fairy almost went unnoticed. Then, understanding the depth of the pain Elara felt, she delicately landed on her shoulder.

Elara, surprised by the sudden presence at her side, quickly wiped away her tears and looked at the fairy, hope reigniting in her eyes clouded by pain.

"Can you help?" she asked, her voice choked by the sobs she still fought to contain. "I've heard that fairy magic dust has incredible properties."

The fairy, realizing the weight of expectation in her words, responded with a low voice, but one that carried a surprising strength, a contrast to her fragile appearance. "The magic dust only enhances the mana, strength, and energy of those who use it, but it doesn't have healing capabilities. However, I can try something else…"

Hope shone in Elara's eyes as she awaited the fairy's response. When the small creature began to speak, Elara leaned closer, not wanting to miss a single word.

"There's a technique that only a few members of the fairy clan know," explained the fairy, her voice taking on a serious and solemn tone. "It allows me to unite my soul with his. We will share the same body, which won't immediately make him better, but when I start producing magic dust, it will flow directly through his veins. This might enhance all aspects of him, including regeneration. It's just a hypothesis, but it might work…"

The revelation left Elara both amazed and concerned. The possibility of saving Drake with such an extraordinary method was a ray of light amidst despair, but the uncertainty about the consequences for the fairy weighed on her heart.

"And what happens to you in this process?" Elara asked, her voice laden with concern. The idea of putting another life at risk, even to save Drake, was something she couldn't consider.

"Well… in the best case, I would live in harmony with Drake, I couldn't continue in the material world…" the fairy began to explain, her voice full of nuances of hope and concern. "A world would be created in Drake's mind where I would connect to him. There, I could see what he sees and feel what he feels whenever I wanted. I could call him to that place in his dreams to talk… that's what I heard. But, if his soul rejects me, I would have already lost my material body, it would be as if I never existed…"

Elara absorbed every word, the gravity of the situation becoming ever clearer, but the implications of such an act carried a tremendous weight.

"But if it goes wrong, would you die with him?" Elara asked, her voice trembling with the anxiety of considering such a sacrifice. "Why would you do this for someone you just met?"

The young fairy met Elara's eyes, and a calm smile lit up her face, a serenity that seemed to defy the dangerous nature of her decision.

"He sacrificed himself for me without even knowing me," she replied, the simplicity of her statement followed by a comforting smile.

The small fairy moved toward Drake, positioning herself over his heart, a bright and pure light radiating from her, gradually, as the light reached its peak, she began to dissipate. Elara watched, mesmerized by the spectacle before her eyes.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the glow extinguished, leaving behind only Drake's still silhouette and the emptiness where the fairy once stood.