Eïrin stared at the dead wolf lying at her feet. The beast’s brains had been pierced in the single shoot, reduced to goo by the silvery arrow. Its death was quick, painless hopped a part of her.

“This was a nice shot.”

She turned her face away from the dead monster and looked at Nikolai.

“I was lucky, nothing more.”

The young man bobbed his head before pointing with his shin toward another wolf. He had also met his fate by the girl’s hand, pierced by an arrow in the neck.

“Was this one also luck?”

She drew a sharp breath and held her bow before the boy as if to shoot. She hooked her finger and index and pulled the string before releasing it. The vibrant sound echoed in her arm.

“I know my way with a bow, but this one is different. It feels more like using a part of my body than a tool. It’s disturbing.”

She relaxed and raised her head toward him.

“Where is your weapon? I don’t recall seeing you fight…”

Nikolai pressed his hand to his throat and grimaced.

“I don’t have any, so I threw a few rocks at the wolves while you did the job. To tell the truth, I don’t even understand how you invoked your bow out of nowhere. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw all of you get in arms. It was a miracle, like…”

“Like what?”

Hideaki, the four eyes, joined the two lucky adventurers and looked at the dead beast. The arrow stuck in his head slowly evaporated in silvery flakes, like mist under the moonlight.

“Something is wrong with this place. The trees are enormous, the animals look like genetic aberrations and some of us can make weapons from thin air.”

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“Maybe it is magic?”

The soft voice of his sister came from behind him. He rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder to face her.

“Magic does not exist, Hikari. You need to grow up.”

“Giant wolf, neither” replied Darius in defence of the shy girl. “It might sound irrational, but everything we have seen makes me believe this world is not ours.”

He made a few sword reels before sheeting his blade. Like Eïrin, he felt more connected to the sword than any other before. It was more like an extension to his arms than a tool of war.

“So, what now? Should we all start to believe we are some heroes invoked into the world?”

“That would be idiotic. We must find a safe place to regroup, rest and analyse the situation. We know monster dwells in those woods. The noise and blood could beacon others to us.”

Nikolai agreed with the red-haired giant.

“You are right. We need to leave as soon as possible. But I don’t know in which direction we should venture. “

“I can guide us.” Responded instantly Eïrin. “I have a feeling… Something in me tells me where we could find shelter and how to avoid the territories of the most dangerous creature.”

Hideaki’s eyes became wide as saucers. Like Nikolai, he was more of the logical kind. However, contrary to the blond boy, his mind refused to accept his situation.

“And that’s enough for you?” he asked Darius. “Some magical gut feeling tells her where to go, and we all follow along?”

“You can stay here if you want?” proposed Eïrin.

Lifting his hand in a sign of peace, Darius brought silence back among the new leading council.

“It is not time to argue. Hideaki, I would also prefer a more reliable method, but this magical gut feeling or whatever you want to call it is the only thing we have. I will give her my thrust if she believes she can take the group to safety.”

Eïrin gave a thankful glance at Darius, who responded dismissively. The leader of the group’s thrust was not unfounded. During the fight, he had seen the girl hit the crystal and knew she was the first to bring her weapon into the world. He believed she was the reason their power had awakened and was right.

He also remembered her voice like Hikari. He knew she had woken up near the central crystal, the same as is. He had swiftly analysed his misadventure siblings, and they all shared the same spark—even the little Hikari.

The girl remained mute most of the time, but the glimmer in her eyes betrayed a greater understanding of the situation than most. Indeed, she was not limited by reason like her brother or Nikolai. Unlike Darius, she was not focused on the group’s survival and was more cool-minded than Eïrin. Her mind was like a fiery sky, burning with ideas.

“If we agree with our courses of action, I will round up the others.”

They all nodded together, marking the birth of the council of the five.