Woosh!

The ground below me zoomed by. I felt weightless. I felt like a tiny speck traveling alongside the current, hoping for my destination to leave me intact.

Before I knew it, the journey ended. From a teleportation rune, you are supposed to teleport to the rune on the opposite side which is designated to the starting rune. Basically, there is a starting rune and an ending rune. I was supposed to be at the ending rune, yet this wasn't familiar.

Receiving a headache from the random information that came to my brain, I shook it off and scanned my surroundings. First, with my vision, then with my so-called "mana sense".

Feeling the whispers of the unknown and the tingling sensation of the numerous objects around me, I sighed in wonder.

"Now this, I could get used to."

I was standing on cobble ground, faint into the distance I could see cobble buildings and shacks. A market, I presume?

As I stepped cautiously onto the cobblestone street, the air around me seemed charged with an unfamiliar yet familiar energy. The market bustled with activity, yet the people were unlike any I had encountered before. Their attire was a blend of vibrant colors and intricate patterns, and their features bore a diversity that hinted at a world far beyond my own.

A woman with cascading silver hair and eyes like polished amber approached me, her expression a mix of curiosity and caution. "You're not from around here, are you?" Her voice was melodic, resonating with a hint of ancient wisdom.

I shook my head, still trying to make sense of where—or perhaps when—I had landed. "No, I... I'm not sure how I got here."

She studied me intently, then nodded as if reaching a conclusion. "You must have come through the Veil. Few outsiders find their way here by accident."

"The Veil?" I repeated.

"It separates our world from yours," she explained patiently. "Those who have the ability to traverse it are rare indeed."

I processed her words slowly, recalling the teleportation rune that was supposed to bring me to a designated endpoint. Had something gone wrong, or had I been somehow redirected to this mysterious realm?

"What is this place called?" I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"This is Elara," she replied with a gentle smile. "A city where the threads of magic and technology are tightly woven together. A place of convergence."

Elara—a name that resonated with an ancient sense. As I took in the sights and sounds of the bustling market, I felt a mix of apprehension and wonder. What adventures awaited me in this new world? And how would I find my way back to the familiar shores of my own reality?

The silver-haired woman extended her hand, breaking through my reverie. "Come, let me guide you. You have much to learn about Elara, and we have much to learn about you."

"By the way," I asked, "I couldn't get your name."

The woman smiled.

"Demas. Jormund Demas."

Suddenly, the smile plastered on the woman's face turned into a ghastly look. Her mouth widened and her teeth transformed into arrays of sharp, moldy yellow teeth.

I shrieked.

Releasing my hand, I swatted my arm across her face. She simply reclined her head back, her eyes turning pitch black.

'A, a demon?!'

The woman—no, the demon that had masqueraded as a woman—let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the bustling market. Her transformation was swift and surreal, shattering the tranquility I had briefly sensed in Elara.

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"You have stumbled into the wrong place, traveler," she hissed, her voice now distorted and guttural. "Elara is but a facade, a thin veil over the darkness that lurks beneath."

My mind raced with fear and confusion. How had I been deceived so easily? Was this some kind of elaborate trap, or had I unwittingly crossed into a realm where such creatures roamed freely?

I took a step back, my hands instinctively reaching for any semblance of protection. Around me, the market-goers seemed oblivious to the unfolding horror, caught in their own daily routines.

"You are not the first to fall for our ruse," the demon continued, its form flickering between the guise of the silver-haired woman and its true, terrifying visage. "But you will not be the last."

Desperation gripped me as I searched for any means of escape. The cobblestone alleyways that had felt so inviting now seemed like a labyrinth closing in around me. I needed to find a way back—back to the teleportation rune, back to my world.

Summoning what courage I had left, I called upon the residual mana that lingered in the air, attempting to form a protective barrier. But my efforts faltered; my connection to the magic here was tenuous at best, and the demon sensed my struggle with amusement.

"You cannot escape, little one," it taunted, its voice echoing with malice. "This realm feeds on lost souls like yours."

As it moved closer, a glimmer of hope flickered—a small, unnoticed rune etched into a nearby wall, pulsing faintly with magic. With a surge of desperation, I lunged toward it, tracing its pattern with trembling fingers. The rune responded, glowing brighter as if recognizing my intent.

In a flash of blinding light, I felt myself being pulled away from the malevolent presence of the demon. The cobblestone streets of Elara dissolved into swirling mists, and the sensation of weightlessness returned as I hurtled through the Veil once more.

When the world finally settled, I found myself collapsed on a stone floor.

I lay there, shaken and breathless, trying to comprehend the ordeal I had just endured.

'Had it all been a hallucination? A nightmare brought on by the teleportation spell gone awry? Why do I keep seeing that damn rune everywhere? It just keeps following me around, am I haunted?'

As I gathered my wits, I scanned my new surroundings.

I found myself lying on a stone floor that felt cold and damp beneath me. The air was musty, and faint torchlight flickered in the dimly lit corridor where I lay. As I struggled to sit up, the events in Elara and the encounter with the demon raced through my mind. Was I truly back in my world, or had I been transported to yet another unfamiliar place?

The corridor stretched ahead, lined with ancient stone walls that bore intricate carvings and glyphs. It seemed deserted, save for the occasional drip of water echoing in the distance. My head throbbed with the remnants of mana exhaustion, a lingering reminder of the magic that had transported me across realms.

Pushing myself upright, I steadied my breathing and took stock of my surroundings. There were no signs of life, no clues as to where I might be or how I had ended up here. My thoughts darted back to the rune—the one I had seen etched into the wall in Elara, and now, perhaps, the very reason I found myself in this strange place.

Gathering my resolve, I staggered to my feet and began to explore cautiously. The corridor twisted and turned, leading me deeper into the labyrinthine structure. Each step felt heavy with uncertainty, but I pressed on, driven by the need to understand what had happened and find a way back home.

After what felt like an eternity of winding passages and ominous silence, I stumbled upon a chamber bathed in an eerie blue glow. The walls here shimmered with faint arcane symbols, pulsing with latent power. At the center of the chamber stood a pedestal, upon which rested a crystal orb that seemed to radiate with its own internal light.

Approaching cautiously, I studied the orb, feeling a strange pull—a resonance with the mana that still hummed faintly within me. It whispered secrets of forgotten realms and ancient magics, promising answers to questions I had yet to articulate.

As my hand hovered over the orb, hesitating between curiosity and caution, a voice echoed through the chamber—a voice that seemed to emanate from the very walls themselves.

"Welcome, traveler," the voice intoned, ancient and wise. "You have crossed paths with fate itself. The Veil has guided you to this place, where paths converge and destinies intertwine."

I spun around, searching for the source of the voice, but the chamber remained empty save for the arcane glow and the pulsing orb.

"What is this place?" I called out, my voice echoing against the stone walls.

"You have entered the Nexus," the voice replied cryptically. "A realm between realms, where the threads of existence are woven and undone. Here, you may find what you seek—or lose yourself in the process."

The cryptic words sent a chill down my spine, yet a spark of determination flared within me. If this Nexus held the key to understanding my journey, then I would uncover its secrets, no matter the risk. After all, there was nothing left to lose. I certainly did not want to go back to that demon, so the only way ahead was forward.

With a deep breath, I reached out and grasped the crystal orb. Instantly, the chamber filled with blinding light, and I felt the ground rippled and shifted beneath me again. The sensation of weightlessness returned, and I braced myself for whatever lay ahead as the Nexus enveloped me in its embrace.