The crash never came.

When Maya finally gathered enough courage to open her eyes again, they were back on the dirt road driving through a dense forest. With her heart still pounding in her chest, Maya hurriedly looked back to catch a glimpse of a rock wall they had come from. It was like they turned back instead of going straight through it. She looked around in confusion to see nothing appeared different. Did she imagine it?

While Daria was busy with the interface of a device Maya thought was a car radio but was no longer so sure, Maya’s eye caught the shape that was showing itself through the treetops. It was a giant stone statue of a woman with her arms spread wide to embrace the sky, rising high above the trees.

Maya’s eyes widened. It was colossal; the size of a skyscraper. It reminded her of that giant statue in Rio de Janeiro, but this wasn’t as rigid and stiff. It looked elegant and slender. Almost impossible for something standing so high and proud to look so gentle and fragile.

She thought to herself that humans could never build something of this scale that wouldn’t collapse upon itself. The hands of the statue woman were long and fine, there was no way they could project themselves through the air like that without some kind of support. But there they were. In fact, there were four statues, all women spreading their arms lovingly to the sky, forming a circle. Rising above the forest like protectors wrapped in verdure and vines, creating a home for birds and small animals.

Maya wondered what they would look like from the sky; emerging from the forest in gowns made of moss.

‘They’re beautiful.’

The scene filled her with hope and serenity. All her doubts left her body.

‘This was real…’

They were no longer in the old world.

‘Mellgrah really knows how to leave the first impression.’

Seeing Maya curiously gazing up, Daria smiled softly.“This is Vale of Pylae. The great entrance into this world. Those statues are of Destinae, great mages who helped create this world and sacrificed themselves to open the gateway for the rest of us.”

“They died for this place?”

“Yes. It wasn’t easy to create an entire world. But they persevered and demonstrated the true power achievable when the witches joined their powers. They created a peace for us—a free world.”

“Who created the statues?” Maya was wondering. Just the fact that the witches had the power to create an entirely new world boggled her mind.

“The first witches that walked these lands. To honour them so that their sacrifice would never be forgotten. It was a unique time. A lot of impossible acts were achieved then, and a lot of powerful mages were forged from the hardship of the time.”

“Is no one powerful enough to create such statues now?”

“No one alone. But if many join their powers, it should be possible. However, there is no need for such statues today,” Daria was smiling kindly, happy to explain it to Maya, and still focused enough to drive through thick woods.

“This is also a lesson for you,” she continued. “It was the difficult times that brought out the great power that was inside them, just like the Elements chose you for your suffering it brought out unimaginable things from them. That’s why most mages are so proud of the pain they endured—because it tempered the power within them. Pain shouldn’t be something that paralyses you but rather rises you up.”

Maya thought the passion Daria spoke with was beautiful. She sounded proud to be a witch.

“We can no longer go back through where we came from?” Maya asked, still unsure how they got here. Did they go through that rock?

“You can’t. The Elements have granted me a special power that allows me to pass through worlds. So, I can save more mages like you and bring them here.”

“Can I get that power?”

“I’m afraid not. It’s not something that can be achieved. When Elements choose you, they grant you their power. The power that had chosen you is the one you possess. You can’t change the power and this one is incredibly rare. You will, of course, be tested for it, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up. Now, that you’re here, this is your home.”

“It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t want to go back anyway. This place looks beautiful.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Daria chuckled.

They drove through a forest for a long time, reaching a mountainous area. All the while, Daria gave her tour speeches about the world, history, and tradition. It was clear she had told these stories many times before. Maya glanced back at Leo, comforted by his presence. He was as amazed as she was. He finally believed it.

As dusk settled, they approached the city walls enclosing a small, medieval-looking town. The last remnants of daylight lingered. The town, built primarily of stone, was beautifully illuminated by cressets in baskets atop poles, their warm, flickering light. It was as if she had travelled centuries into the past.

As she exited the car, a refreshing crisp mountain air filled her lungs. Maya gawked at her surroundings, barely noticing Daria’s instruction to wait. The scenery, ambience, and smells were overwhelming. The town looked so ancient yet vibrant.

She glimpsed people walking up the stone-paved paths between the densely packed stone buildings. Patches of green were squeezed in between buildings, adding life to the otherwise stone-clad town. The paths were wider than she expected for a medieval town, but too narrow for motorized traffic, so they proceeded on foot. It was intriguing to see people in modern clothes wandering through the 15th-century ambience.

Amellan was situated in a fairy-tale-like forest area on a gentle incline at the highest point of a hill, with jagged mountain peaks in the background. The air was so crisp with a gentle sweet taste that Maya felt like this was the first time in her life that she breathed in fresh clean air despite never having considered that something was wrong with the air before.

The town, perched on the sloping side of a hill, stretched upwards. Rooftops seemed to compete to peek over each other, welcoming a newcomer. High towers in the distance observed silently from the highest peak.

Maya, who mostly relied on her imagination to construct described worlds, found herself at a loss compared to reality.

‘This was simply breathtaking.’

Daria promptly returned and led her up the main path, asking her to wait in front of an administrative building.

This location marked the transition of the town from a densely packed, claustrophobic core to a more open area laden with greenery, including trees, and detached buildings of a later period. Although the architecture resembled Victorian style, she couldn’t quite pinpoint a direct comparison. It was an entirely unique place, shaped by its own circumstances.

“It’s quite a sight for first-timers, isn’t it?” a girl, barely noticed by Maya, remarked.

Maya vaguely remembered Daria asking this girl to accompany her, but she was too absorbed in her surroundings to respond.

“Yes. I don’t know what to expect, but certainly wasn’t this.”

“You’ll get used to it quickly.”

“It’s hard to believe.”

A group of students around Maya’s age came down the adjacent street, chatting and laughing, evidently excited from a recent group activity. They were dressed in a uniform that seemed to be a mix of martial arts attire and modern workout clothes. Suddenly, one of them spotted Maya, and the group came to a halt, all eyes on her.

Feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny, Maya instinctively reached for the hem of Leo’s sleeve for reassurance. Maya had forgotten how to deal with people her age and suddenly felt very vulnerable.

After a brief discussion among themselves, the students moved on. A girl from the group waved to Maya’s companion, who waved back.

“They are just returning from the last practice before school starts. You missed it, but I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“Practice?”

“Like a workout. We need to stay in shape to bend,” the girl explained.

Maya noticed she was wearing the same uniform, implying she had also attended the practice.

“Oh.” This made Maya anxious. She hadn’t been physically active for a while and had lost her appetite, causing her to be in poor shape. “It looks like they’re having fun.”

“It is fun. You’ll meet a lot of new friends. Everyone’s wonderful. It’s a great community.”

A new group of students passed in the same manner as the previous one, with the exception of a few stragglers who walked alone. She imagined they were out of shape, like her, and moved sluggishly due to exhaustion. The last girl stopped and looked her way for an extended moment.

“…I’m so grateful the elements chose me and gave us a chance. You’ll see. You’ll overcome your trauma in no time. Everyone here is supportive and friendly. Well, except for that girl. I’d advise you to steer clear of her. She’s the rotten egg.”

From her tone, Maya sensed this warning wasn’t a joke. There was a clear dislike toward that girl in the distance.

Up to this point, other people had merely acknowledged Maya as a newcomer and quickly moved on. However, this time, the girl she was warned about stopped and stared in Maya’s direction. Their eyes inevitably met for a moment.

From what Maya could see, the girl was undeniably attractive. Tall, slender, and contrary to her initial assumption, fit with a perfect figure. However, for someone showing such interest, her expression was oddly blank and hard to decipher.

The girl tilted her head, studying Maya unabashedly, which made her feel self-conscious.

‘Is this what being made a target feels like?’

Maya quickly averted her gaze, regretting her mistake. It was foolish to ignore the warning from the girl beside her. Unlike her curiosity prompting her to investigate, her common sense was always slower to respond.

The warning hinted that the girl was a senseless bully. Responding to provocation was a huge mistake; there was no correct reaction. Maya knew the drill; avoiding their gaze could be seen as defiance, and looking down would make her an easy prey.

Having been an outcast in the past for her gloominess, Maya felt her goal of making friends just became more challenging. As she turned back to the girl, ready to speak, the door opened behind her, interrupting the moment.

“They are ready for you in there,” a woman invited her inside.