277 First Stop-Tavern 5

"So now what?" I asked while looking at Aron, who sprawled on the floor, looking like a child that wanted to just cry.

Erik was taken away by the professor immediately, leaving me and Aron behind—it's already past midnight now.

"Sleep." His answer was short.

"Okay..." I went past him, jumping from his body to the bed and landed, "I don't like snoring... hope you don't." I said.

Laying my back on the mattress, I sighed deeply. I am sleepy, but I don't want to sleep while this son of a bitch is in the room too.

".....Hey, do you know who killed the broker?" Asked the prince as I heard him shuffling.

"Hmm... nah, I don't." I lied. I don't think he has anything to give me in return even if I tell him the truth.

"Why are you... Haa, sleep." He stopped in between what he was saying and just went silent.

He really is not bothered with being on the floor, huh? These are the few things that actually bother me whenever I think about the game Aron and this real Aron. In the game, his ego wouldn't let him be like this at all.

'Just sleep, princess. I am not sleepy—I'd keep an eye on him tonight.' Blaze reassured.

I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, I was drifting into my slumber.

I felt myself relax... a bit too much that I was worried that I am asleep or under some kind of drug?

Silence was sweet to my ears, but it was disturbed sometimes by the noise of my heart. It thumped more strongly.

A suffocating pressure... as if someone was choking me, not strongly but the presence of something else.

'Hey, Blaze?' I called mentally. It's not been that much time since I slept, right?

'Blaze? Smokeball?' I called repeatedly again and again.

Trying to open my eyes, I stared into the ceiling—some kind of bird hung upside down on the ceiling. The ceiling looked like it was made of some kind of gems and stones.

No control over my body, I tried to take in the surroundings.

The room design was peculiar—only a bed occupied the space. Despite my inability to move, the ceilings adorned with gems showcased the whole picture of the room, emphasizing its emptiness.

The bird stared, and the next moment, it fell down, and—

Suddenly, I felt a sharp impact, like being struck by an unseen force. Everything blurred, and the world turned an intense shade of blue. The sensation was disorienting, and I struggled to comprehend what was happening.

In the blink of an eye, the surroundings transformed, and the next time my eyes opened, I found myself back in the familiar confines of the tavern's room. The wooden walls, the dimly lit atmosphere, and the lingering scent of ale—all of it felt oddly comforting and grounded, a stark contrast to the ethereal realm I had just experienced.

"Haa haa," I breathed in and out.

"You are up. I was going to wake you up in an hour or so," said Blaze, who sat on the table directly opposite to the bed... he moved the table, I guess.

"I dreamt," I said. Why can't my heart stop beating this fast?

"And? Got a nightfall?" He joked, but looking at me seemed to understand that I wasn't in the mood, "Was it serious? Met someone?"

"Nah... I was not in the room, not in THIS one at least-" I groaned a bit.

"What kind of room?" Smokeball inquired calmly.

"Don't know, there was a bird—one that I haven't seen ever," I tried to explain. It's been a while since I had a hard time explaining something like this.

"Are you sure it wasn't just A Dream? A normal one and you are not just being paranoid?" He questioned.

"... maybe," I turned my face towards Aron, who was sleeping on the floor on his stomach. He seems to have slept great with all that dramatic reaction he gave to the broker's death.

I sat up on the bed, trying to shake off the lingering disorientation from the dream or whatever it was.

"Paranoid or not, it felt different. The room, the bird... It was too vivid to be just a regular dream," I muttered.

"Could it be some sort of vision or premonition?" Blaze suggested.

"Visions are usually symbolic or have some hidden meaning. This felt like a place, a real place," I replied, still puzzled.

He interjected, "Perhaps it's a connection to another realm or dimension. Your consciousness briefly crossed over..... it's happened when in the Bloodwell."

"That time I did something but this oem was random-"I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I need answers, not more mysteries."

As I pondered, Aron stirred on the floor, slowly waking up. He rubbed his eyes, glancing around the room in confusion.

"What happened?" he mumbled, finally realizing he was on the floor.

"Oh, sun said to get the fuck up," I said, my mind still grappling with the weird experience.

Getting up and into the bathroom, I went through the motions of brushing and getting ready, leaving Aron still sprawled on the floor in the room. Stepping out, I made my way down the corridor, and in a twist of fate, I bumped into a buff, weird-

looking guy. His face boasted rugged features, a scar running across his cheek, and a shaved head.

"Sorry," he apologized, his deep voice resonating in the corridor, and continued on his way towards the last room in the hallway.

Brushing off the encounter, I proceeded towards the dining area. As I entered, my eyes caught Vexa, Isolde, and Professor Night having breakfast.

"Oh here, Ren!" Professor Night waved enthusiastically, inviting me to join them. I obliged, taking a seat at the table.

Isolde, ever the uptight one, made a face at my presence, while Vexa stared at me briefly before returning her attention to something on the table.

"What's the chit about, you've been staring at it for days." Curiosity getting the better of me, I inquired about what they were discussing.

"It's nothing of your concern," Vexa replied curtly.

"It looks like a recipe—"Undeterred, I pointed out that the writing on the piece of paper looked like some kind of recipe, given the order of the ingredients.

Vexa's eyes widened ever so slightly as she placed the chit on the table, pushing it towards me.

"Know any of them?" She asked if I recognized any of the words.

That was fast... I swept my gaze across the list, and the only thing I recognized says—Wilger Weed. Other than that, there's nothing that I have heard of before, to be honest.

"Wilger Weed," I placed my finger on it, "Found in the dark elves canyon."

"Dark elves canyon..." She repeated silently, "Thanks."

"Eh?" I gazed at her.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, she said, "I said thanks."

"Oh... Kay," I replied... that was simple.

As I continued to glance over the parchment, Adam joined the group. He seemed somewhat groggy, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn.

"Late night, Adam?" professor teased, a grin forming on my face.

"Very," he replied with a tired smile.

Erik followed closely behind, sporting noticeable eye bags under his tired gaze.

"Hey, Ren," Erik greeted, sliding into the seat next to me. "Anything interesting on that paper?"

"Not much, just deciphering Vexa's secret recipes," I joked, earning a playful glare from her.

Aron, who had finally decided to join the table, sat somewhat distant from it. Adam chose a different table, and Isolde promptly shifted with him, leaving a vacant spot for Erik to occupy.

"Thanks," Erik whispered, acknowledging the unspoken gesture.

A few minutes later, breakfast concluded, with conversations and interactions lingering in the air. Carriages stood in front of the tavern, ready to take us on the next leg of our journey.

"Let's get going," Professor Night announced, and we all headed towards the carriages.

We left the tavern, and the same employee who had served us dinner the night before and breakfast bid us farewell.

"Safe travels," he called out, a warm smile on his face.

We climbed into the carriages, and as the unicorns harnessed to them took to the sky, leaving Elmshade behind, a sense of anticipation filled the air. The landscape beneath transformed, and the bustling town shrank into a distant memory.

During the journey, I found myself lost in thought, the strange dream still lingering in the back of my mind.

"What do you think about all this, princess?" Blaze asked, breaking the silence as we soared through the clouds.

"I don't know," I admitted, gazing at the ever-changing scenery below. "It feels like we're just scratching the surface of something much bigger."

***

[Third Person View.]

In a dimly lit room, the same buff guy who had bumped into Ren in the corridor sat in front of a body-sized mirror. Flicking his fingers, his face began cracking, soon revealing a beast-like visage— a werewolf. The waiter walked into the room and said, "Everyone's gone, Sir Devon. Next order?"

22:51

"Capture the city," Devon Wildborne declared, a flicker of dark fur visible around his neck. "Got to move fast and silently."