Gazing at Yggdrasil in amazement, I recalled the word from our world. A massive tree from Norse mythology, it connected several worlds, nine if I recall correctly and stood in the centre of all things that existed. This wasn’t the Yggdrasil from Norse mythology, but the fact it stood within the spirit world could mean it has similar traits.

As I followed the silver haired girl towards Yggdrasil, dozens of spirits floated towards us, gathering around not only myself but the girl too, sitting on our shoulders and head with more floating around us. The girl appeared unfazed by the spirits but noticing something strange, I looked closely at those that surrounded her.

They seemed concerned, sad and some seemed to be trying to hold back tears. I hadn’t seen such a range of emotion on the spirits before and the way they looked at her further deepened my concern, especially since the spirits around me all seemed full of life, happy and without any concern. Perhaps noticing this, the girl turned to me and smiled slightly.

“Those young spirits tend to be carefree, whilst these older ones are all saddened about the loss of our world. Well, let us continue. Children, go play, we’ll be right back, okay?”

I felt something wrong in her words, about the reason she gave for the spirits around me to be happy while those around her were sad. Looking at the spirits with hyper-focus, taking in all the details, I couldn’t tell any difference between young or old at all; in fact, their features seemed akin to a young teenager rather than an adult. Shaking my thoughts free, I continued following the silver haired girl.

"Gaia gifted us the seedling hundreds of years ago, when this world was still in its infancy. Thanks to its power, we were kept safe from the end of the world."

"Is it possible there are others that survived?"

"I have no doubts there would've been. The demons would no doubt be safe in their realm."

"Demons?!" Surprised, I stopped walking as the silver haired girl turned around and frowned.

"Why do you act surprised? You have two demons in your town, the fire and frost Oni couple."

"Couple? No no, they're not like that."

The silver haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, your language is still new to me. It seems I may have used the wrong word. Would "pair" be the better word?"

"Ah, I think? Wait, what do you mean our language is still new to you?" Now that I think about it, it is strange that she could speak English. All hints we've seen about the inhabitants of this world indicates their language did not contain any English.

Instead of answering, she smiled deeply before turning and heading towards the tree once again.

A bit annoyed at the lack of answers, I followed behind once more, now wondering if there would be a chance of receiving some clothing. Shivering due to the slightly cold breeze once more, we continued to walk around Yggdrasil and after a bit of walking, a small tree revealed itself to us. The girl led me to it before stopping and turning to me.

“Rest, chosen of the spirits. Once you have rested, we will have many things to do.” With those words, she turned and wandered off, the surrounding spirits floating around us watching her leave. Still rather confused about all of this, I turned to the small tree and approached it. The tree was about the same height as me, but it felt…strange.

Approaching it, there was a strange feeling coming from this tree, as if it’s calling out to me. Reaching out a hand, I carefully cupped a branch of leaves. Nothing happens and deciding that perhaps it’s just a sign of tiredness, I sat down next to the tree and leaned my back against it, the accumulated exhaustion of walking for six days oddly catching up to me, even though I’ve worked harder than that before strangely now I wanted nothing more than to rest. Closing my eyes, I allowed the exhaustion to overcome me as I fell asleep, still naked and leaning against a tree under the night sky.

***

My eyes flicker open as the sun hits them and as I wake up, stifling a yawn, I look around. I’m still sitting next to the tree and looking around, I saw Yggdrasil nearby, along with hundreds of spirits floating around. Rubbing my eyes, I slowly stood up and started to think of what is happening right now.

‘Hey Bek, I might be a while, can you let the others know?’

Waiting for a moment, I slowly frowned. No response came through from Rebecca, leaving me initially confused but then worried. It’s not like her to not respond, especially given that I had spoken to her a few days ago.

“That telepathic link won’t work, you’re in another realm after all.” A soft, piercing voice rings out. Nearly jumping out of my skin, I turned my head and saw a very strange figure who didn’t match the voice it spoke.

A gorilla looking being sat at the base of the tree I had just slept on. It wore scholarly robes with what looks like a beaver hat. Blinking, my mind spun trying to figure out who this is, I’d not seen anything like this while walking through the forest last night.

"Hmph, girl, you don't look like much." Clapping its hands, the gorilla pointed behind me. "Go on, use your magic to destroy it."

Still very confused, I looked behind me to see a stone golem the same size as me. Featureless, it stood there completely unmoving. Turning to look at the gorilla again, I struggled to find the words to ask what was happening.

"Well, don't just stand there, girl. Don't tell me, you're a disappointment that can't even use magic?"

Hearing the gorilla's mocking words angered me suddenly while also leaving me speechless that I was just insulted by it. Releasing the anger, I turned on the spot and pushed my palm forward.

"Frostfire orb!" Like a protagonist in an anime, I yelled the name of my attack angrily, feeding it as much mana as I could, shooting the ball forward. It slams into the unmoving stone golem and as I'm about to turn to the gorilla, the sight of the golem becomes clear to me right away.

The spell has barely left a scorch mark on it. Not even a hint of frost on the surface, it's as if the spell had simply hit it and died. Just as I'm taking this in, I heard the voice of the gorilla sound out.

"Utter rubbish! What a waste of talent! Such filthy mana control, how in the world have you survived for this long?! No no no, you need to start at the very beginning."

Gritting my teeth, and resisting the urge to lob the exact same spell at this gorilla I turned around and looked at it.

"Excuse me? And just who the fuck are you, anyway? Creeping up on me, insulting me and telling me my magic is rubbish. Who are you to judge?"

Staring at the beast's intelligent eyes, for a split second I thought I saw not only fear, but respect, loyalty and happiness before they disappeared and were replaced with the same grumpy and annoyed expression. Its expression had changed so quickly that I wasn't even sure if what I'd seen was real.

"HAHA! You question this one? My, your temper really does match your hair!" Standing with ease, the gorilla points a finger at the golem behind me. A loud bang resounds and turning my head, I saw the golem exploud into several thousand pieces.

"See that, girl? That was pure mana not even formed into a spell! It had no elements, no attributes and barely any power and yet it accomplished what you couldn't. She was right, you're not ready, nor will you be for several years. So get ready, girl, the next few years will involve some of the most brutal training."

Not ready? For what? And several years? I haven't got that amount of time. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here for several years. I need to return to my base and friends."

"What, and die like the rest of the world? I won't allow it."

"Like you have a choice." Muttering under my breath, I visualised Rebecca in my mind and grabbing the link between us went to teleport to her side…

"Huh?!" Opening my eyes, I looked around and found myself exactly where I had been, the gorilla just staring at me in amusement.

"I told you. Your telepathic link won't work here, you're in a different dimension. Whatever you tried failed in a spectacular amount of mana, so come here and sit down, lessons are about to start."

Pivoting on the spot, I walked away, towards the road I had come from, back to the lake. I had followed the spirits here hoping for some answers about this world, but upon not finding any it would be best to leave and return to our base. There was far too much to do, leaving as suddenly as I did doesn't look good but Rebecca would cover for me.

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"Would it help to know there won't be any danger for the next five years?" Hearing the gorilla's voice, I stopped for a moment. If that information is accurate, then perhaps with work our base could transform into a fortress, far more better prepared. As I resolved myself to get to work once I returned to the base, another voice resounded as I took a step.

"You and everyone you know will die in the next attack if you leave now." Hearing his voice, I held back a sigh. Death is around the corner for us day and night, why would such an obviously fake warning scare me?

But something about his voice caused me to stop. That tone wasn't his usual one, it was serious with a hint of sadness. Turning to face the gorilla, I looked at him more closely, seeing particular patches of silver hair amongst the black. His face also looked old.

"How can you be sure?"

"Your future has been peered into, and two paths were shown. The first path you left this forest, rejoined your group and while struggling for five years to strengthen yourselves you failed to do so. Then the attack happened, you relied too heavily on those strange metal weapons and perished far too quickly.

"The second path had you remain here for five years, honing your magical and physical abilities to their very peak, accepting your identity and future before leaving. As for what happened after that, I do not know, the seer couldn't see that far ahead. And before you ask for details, I can not say, the visions were blurry, hard to interpret.”

Mulling over what the gorilla said, I agonised over what to do. I couldn’t be sure it’s telling the truth, after all I only came here to seek answers to my questions, like what this world is, how the previous inhabitants all died and more. There is also so much to do at the base, like heading to Haven, building our defences and more.

A few months sure, I could potentially do a few months, but years? How many years? Then there is Rebecca, being away from her for so long makes me feel sad. I want to see her now and not being able to see her in years…

There was so much to do, finding or creating a fuel source, going to Haven, expanding the base, recruiting more people and so much more. I needed to be there to help everyone, to ensure that nothing went wrong.

But…it’s true that we needed to find ways to get stronger. We’ve been stumbling in the darkness, hoping to find ways to gain strength. Other than following the System, we could only guess at what would make us more powerful, there wasn’t any material or guides. If this gorilla knew how to use magic and I learnt it…

“In that case, can’t you come with me and teach mag-”

“No! And they can not come here. I can not leave the forest. You are only here because the spirits chose you, not your friends.”

“Then at least let me see them and talk to them before we do this training. I also need to get some things.” Even if they couldn't be trained now, I could take the teachings I learn and train them myself.

“If you leave, you’ll never be able to return. And this isn’t a threat, it’s the way of this realm. Don’t worry yourself, we will make arrangements so your little town is aware of the situation, all you’ll need to do is focus on your training.”

Make…arrangements? I wonder how they’d do that. Grimacing at the fact this means I wouldn’t see Rebecca for potentially years, I wondered what to do. There is also the egg, the mysterious orb and my machinist workshop that needed to be attended.

“How long until the next attack?” Looking at the gorilla, it shrugged.

“Many, many years. The seer believes five years, but that is only an estimation. We only know it’s more than three for sure.”

Three years? There are still dangers that need to be addressed, like Haven and the swarms. However, if they were in danger, this seer the gorilla spoke of should be able to see it. I still didn't believe the story the gorilla told me, but considering I too have had future dreams I knew it could be true…

"Alright. Alright I'll stay and train. But if they are ever in danger then I want to be able to leave and help them."

"There isn't anything to fear. If there is any danger to their lives, they will survive." The gorilla stood and started walking in the opposite direction. "Come, your first lot of training starts now."

Jogging slightly to catch up, I couldn't help but notice a slight shift in the tone the gorilla had. He sounded…slightly happy once I said I would stay. But the truth is that if I ever did sense that Rebecca or any of my close friends were in danger, I would leave here with no hesitation.

After an hour of walking in silence, we soon came across another lake, but this one seemed rather strange. There were 5 layers to it, the first layer being a light blueish white, with the blue getting deeper until the last layer, which is deep blue. A light fog the colour of each layer rose above the lake, and in the dead centre I could make out a small island.

"Right, your first task is to reach the island. This lake is not as simple as you think. Each layer requires precise control over your mana to overcome, meaning you will need to refine your control to create a layer of mana around you. Too much mana and you'll exhaust yourself. Too little and you'll be overwhelmed by the lake. Now, begin."

Approaching the lake, I stopped at the edge before looking back.

"I forgot, what is your name?"

"Me? Greyback the Fifth."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Greyback. My name is Ruby." Turning my head, I breathed in and stepped in. After a few steps, I was already waist deep. Then it started. I started to feel heavy, tired and sick. Closing my eyes, I will my mana to surround my body…before realising I didn't know how to!

Suddenly finding myself looking up at the sky with my naked back on the grass, I groaned as I sat up, looking at Greyback who sat nearby, having just pulled me from the lake.

"So I don't know how to make a layer of mana around myself…"

Greyback looked at me dumbfounded before facepalming. From that reaction, I knew I had made the right choice, there is indeed far more to magic than I had thought.

***

*This section is entirely third person*

Brushing her blue hair out of her eyes, Winter looked towards the east, a worried look on her face as she pursed her lips, crossing her arms. A strained expression showed, as if trying to think.

"No matter what I do, I can't reach her…Ruby, where did you go?"

Looking down at her hand, she looked at the red ring she wore, the one that is paired with a certain blue ring.

"Nothing has happened, right? The ring hasn't reacted so nothing bad would have happened…maybe there is a range to our telepathic link."

"Oh, you two had something like that?" A voice, coated in laughter, came from behind her causing her to jump. Spinning on the spot, Sheep revealed himself to her.

"Ah, Deven. Why are you sneaking up on me?!"

"I wasn't, I arrived a few minutes ago but you were too distracted. So, you and Ruby have the ability to communicate telepathically? That's neat." Leaning against the wall of a building, Deven gave her a cheeky smile.

Ignoring him, Rebecca sighed and started to walk to the office. Deven's cheeky face crumbled to reveal one of concern before shaking his head, walking and catching up with Rebecca.

In silence, the pair entered the office and started climbing the stairs.

"She won't be in her office, you know."

"I'm not stupid. The egg that she was looking after is up here. Why don't you go and find Diana?"

"Trying to get rid of me? Sorry, can't do that, I'm now invested in this egg. What is it? Is it about to hatch?"

Outside of the door to Ruby's office, Rebecca pivoted on her foot with a frown. "Deven, I'm not going to go and shoot myself. I know Ruby is alive, you don't need to watch over me. So shoo, you're being a pest."

Shrugging, Deven was about to turn before frowning and looking at the desk near the door. "Say, where is Isabelle? She’s nearly always here, right?"

About to tell him off again, Rebecca frowned for a moment before looking at the desk then the door. The doorknob had been broken off, the door slightly ajar. Eyes widening, Rebecca quickly pulled out her handgun, causing Deven to follow her actions in silence. Wordlessly looking at the door, the pair nod in acknowledgement. Leading the way, Rebecca kicks open the door, raising her handgun up while moving into the office.

The first thing that caught her eye is Isabelle, laying on the ground, not moving with her eyes closed. Stomach sinking, Rebecca moved quickly to her side, crouching and putting a hand in front of Isabelle's mouth.

"She's not dead, just asleep. You need not worry."

As the sound of this new voice rang out, Rebecca shivered but quickly reacted, swinging her weapon towards the new figure. The figure is draped in a black coat and hood, their face strangely hidden in darkness, not even the outline could be made out.

Sliding into the room, Deven too aimed his handgun at the figure. Sitting on Ruby's desk, it held a certain jet black egg, caressing it as if it's own while looking at it. Next to the figure sat a strange orb that swirled with a strange power.

"I see, so that's why it hasn't hatched. No matter, it's an issue easily resolved."

"Put the egg down, get off the desk and put your hands up." Angrily commanding the figure, Rebecca took a step forward. Though confidence shined through, a hint of hesitation could be seen in her actions, along with Deven, both hesitating to actually shoot something that spoke, especially if this is someone who belongs to their base.

"Sorry, I can't do that. See, I'm here to deliver a message and deliver these items to the madam." Raising a hand off the egg, the hooded figure made a cracking sound, like fingers being snapped. A burst of magic erupted from it, hitting Deven and Rebecca.

Within seconds, the pair wobble in place, struggling to keep their eyes open. Both realising what had occurred, and in the interest of not harming the other, they pull their fingers from the trigger, flick the safety on just as they collapsed, both fast asleep under the spell of the cloaked figure. From the release of magic to their collapse, only a second had passed.

"Oh my, their reactions are well trained. So, she’s the one who I need to collect, luckily she came to me, it would’ve been difficult if I had to find her.” The figure’s gaze landed on Rebecca. “Ah, right. The message. This one here appears to be a leader from what they say." Heading to Deven’s side, the figure crouches, places a finger on Deven’s forehead and begins to mutter under his breath, as if reciting a message.

"Message passed." Walking over to the table, it picks up the egg and orb, placing them into a bag before moving over to Rebecca. Kneeling, the figure carefully lifts her, carrying her like a princess. "I'm sorry, little one. You'll understand when we get back to the Spirit Realm. Without you, she will leave after all. We can not let that happen." Ensuring Rebecca is being safely carried, the figure disappears from where he stood, unaware of the camera system within Ruby's office that had recorded his every move and words.