Chapter 32 - Arcadia, The Land of Magic [1]
What was once a glorious academy has fallen into ruins, a remnant of the past.
Arcadia, the Land of Magic, was now a place where structures decayed, the grass wilted, and books that held centuries' worth of knowledge withered.
It was a cruel and hopeless reality—a vast gravestone to those who lived and died here.
Yet, such a sight was merely the beginning. Countless amalgamations of structures merge into one, forming something abstract that was impossible to recognize at first glance.
It felt like living in a nightmare where nothing made sense at all.
...
...
...
Camila and I remained silent; we couldn’t find the words to say even as we clung to what little hope we had left.
What was once an ember that fueled generations for millennia has been reduced to a flickering flame, unable to shine brightly once more.
“…Let’s keep going.”
"Okay.”
Ever since we arrived in Arcadia, the tension between us has kept us silent.
It wasn't intended, but the teleportation gate appeared at the edge of Arcadia instead of the center, likely due to some anomaly.
Whether it was thrown around or relocated by the Pylon as it endlessly expanded, something felt odd about this detail.
We're fortunate that the gate still works and even provided us with an overview of the state of the capital and other cities, including what lies beneath the island.
With such meticulous destruction, I can still visualize what the abstract structures were meant to be: dormitories, a cafeteria, a main hall, and countless other places typical of a prestigious school.
Regardless, two things stood out above the rest.
The first was the main building, located at the very center of this place. Even though the surrounding area was in ruins, the main structure remained untouched.
The second was, if it wasn't obvious enough, the culprit behind everything that transpired here. An otherworldly altar must be destroyed at all costs before it spreads across Earth like a parasite, a Pylon.
Arcadia maintained itself through the energy emitted by the Pylon, which overloaded it to the point that it repeatedly generated new structures, eventually transforming into something unrecognizable.
As a result, everything, all at once, merged, leaving only the main segment of Arcadia relatively normal.
It was a bit disheartening to think that the destruction of the legendary Arcadia has become the new normal for me.
“Hold on, before we go, can we… stop by the dorms first?” Camila asked, stopping in her tracks and tugging at my shirt from behind.
“The dorms?” I asked, seeing no reason to go there except to kill time.
“Yes, there was something dear to me that I left behind... and I want to get it back.” She replied, bowing her head without hesitation.
Camila has shown me many sides of herself, from being a big eater to displaying cold tendencies or acting aloof.
But for someone so prideful… well, she did beg for food back then, so scratch that.
In silence, I watched her and contemplated her request as time passed. The wind brushed against our skin, and the sun shone brightly above us.
For such an occasion, the sky was stunning today, perfect for lying on the grass and taking a nap.
Even though I need more information to find a way out of this place... I can’t help but feel pity for someone like her.
As much as I didn't want to admit it, I saw Camila as a reflection of myself—someone who set aside their pride to ask for help.
Like me, she led a life filled with regrets, feeling powerless to change anything.
I never want to see anyone suffer the same way I did.
“Yeah, sure.”
"That's fine, I know it's going to be a waste of time anyway… what?"
"I said sure. What are you waiting for?"
Leaving her behind, I walked forward, trying to figure out where the dormitory was located amidst this mess.
"Besides, think of this as repaying a favour for when I punched your face. All good, right?" I gave her a cheeky smile to lighten the mood.
...
...
...
“Pfft… ha… hahahaha!”
“W-What’s so funny?"
“Hahaha! Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied, still giggling.
Camila dashed past me, holding her hands behind her back and smiling back at me.
“Aria… you're quite cheeky, aren’t you?” She smiled with confidence, but this time, it contained a tinge of joy.
Huh, what else can I say except how this world has become unrealistic?
Outside, it looks as if a tornado has swept through the dormitories, but inside?
—It’s completely spotless, as if nothing happened.
The only mess I saw from here was books strewn across the floor and other belongings that people likely dropped in their rush to escape.
Weirdly, there wasn't a trace of human activity in this place, probably because the mass teleportation device hidden deep within the school successfully evacuated the students.
But this only makes the atmosphere feel even more... unsettling.
Originally, my goal was to uncover what happened after six years had passed, but after meeting Camila, plans have changed.
Yes, I will still seek the information I need, hidden deep within the main building, but my new goal is to escape this dreadful place.
"What are you looking for in the dorms, anyway?" I called out to her as she searched around for something.
"That's a secret~ What, you curious to see what's inside my dorm~?" She said with a playful smile.
"Yeah, it’s my first time in a dorm, actually," I said nonchalantly, trying to act casual rather than assertive.
“What? O-Oh, I see…" she slumped down on her shoulders, expecting an interesting reaction from me.
"Really, you should try to humour me sometimes."
"Don’t I always do that?"
"Hehe… oh, there's my room!"
Her expression returned to normal once she saw her room, and she took off running, leaving me behind.
“Hey, wait up!” I called as I tried to catch up to Camila, who suddenly dashed away in excitement.
As I ran to catch up with her, I noticed countless rooms with their doors open, slowing my pace and piquing my curiosity.
Everything is so clean, too clean, to be exact.
During the 2nd Cardinal Sky, Arcadia was struck by a Pylon, causing the entire academy to almost plummet from the sky.
Yet, due to the butterfly effect, that disaster hadn’t occurred this time.
I was curious about why it didn’t happen, especially since the core of the sky island was impaled, causing it to lose its aviation. So why did it not happen now?
“Something’s wrong…” I murmured. Just then, the wind blew past me, creating a gentle breeze that would have been refreshing under different circumstances.
If it weren’t for the current state of the world, I would have appreciated the view, but instead, I felt a rather ominous presence watching us.
'...I should check on Camila to see what she’s doing.’ I made my way toward the room where I could hear noises of someone rummaging through their stuff, assuming that’s where she was.
—Rubble...
“Camila, did you find what you needed in your room?” I asked, clearing my mind and focusing on the present.
Although I may appear as a girl physically, I'm still a guy deep inside, no matter what anyone says.
So, entering her room without permission felt wrong, so I lingered outside and leaned against the wall until she was finished.
—Rubble Rubble…
To my surprise, she ignored me and continued rummaging through her belongings, making quite a racket.
“…Hey, are you going to answer me or not?” I tilted my head in confusion.
Again, she refused to respond, as if she hadn’t heard me the first time.
"...Oi! Camila! Are you all riiight!?” I raised my voice and clicked my tongue,
—Rubble Rubble Rubble…
Only to be ignored for the third time.
Growing a bit frustrated, I walked into the room without hesitation to see what was going on.
For someone wanting to return, her room appeared average and ordinary—neither distinctly feminine nor masculine.
There wasn’t anything worth seeing, just a few books scattered here and there about academics, a few years ago.
Camila has trinkets scattered around her house, but this room was too clean and bland. I don't recall a setting where students aren't allowed to decorate their rooms.
Feeling somewhat nervous, I approached her and tapped her on the shoulder to see if she was okay.
“Come on already, are you mad that I avoided your—”
“Aria!? Is there something wrong over there? Where are you!?” A voice echoed down the hallway.
The voice that belonged to someone who should've been beside me, the person I was about to touch in a second.
“…Huh?” I stopped walking toward this unfamiliar figure, my eyes widening in surprise.
Who... is this person?
As seconds passed in silence and my hands froze in place, I slowly turned to look at the person in front of me. All my suspicions were confirmed at once—the reason the dormitories showed no signs of life.
If the Domain itself expanded large enough to cover the entire capital and other cities beyond, what about the Pylon?
This place, Arcadia... is now the Pylon itself.
“CAMILA, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CA—”
—Crash!!!
“KRIEEEK!!!”
"Ugh...!"
Out of nowhere, a creature— no, a thing that resembled a human husk jumped at me with abnormal strength.
“Ack… what the…?! Why is it so strong?!” Due to its aggressive nature, the humanoid creature tackled me against a wall with incredible force.
—BANG!
“Kuhack!!!” I managed to create a barrier of Ichor behind me to absorb the impact.
At that exact moment, the human husk lunged at me again, pinning me against the wall as it tried to bite me.
Before the husk could succeed, I shielded my wrists with Ichor, coating them with a material more rigid than steel.
—Crack...!
The husk's teeth broke against the durable Ichor, yet it refused to give up. Something tells me that if it kept trying, they might eventually break through.
'What is this, a zombie apocalypse?!' I grunted in pain.
If this were a regular zombie, then it shouldn't have such monstrous strength!
“GRAAAAH!” The husk's attempts eventually reached a closure, and they shrieked as loudly as they could.
It was a pattern I had recognized numerous times on this journey.
A plea for help, a Siren's call.
—BLAM!!!
Before the creature could launch another attack, Camila, who noticed the situation, used <Telekinesis> and lunged the husk across the window, pushing it out of the room away from me.
"Aria! Are you okay?!" Camila rushed over to where I was and gently held my wrist that was nearly bitten.
"I'm fine. I was just caught off guard." I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes.
"That's good... but what was that?" Camila asked me with a weary expression on her face.
"I think I have an idea of what's happening, but we don't have time to lose. We need to get out of here, NOW!!!"
—Thud!
I placed my foot on the broken window, planning to escape through it and jump.
—Rumble...
Before I could assess the situation, it was already too late.
"What the…!?"
"Get down!"
—Rumble...!
A sudden earthquake shook the entire dormitory.
Camila struggled to maintain her balance as the shaking intensified, causing us both to fall to our knees and grasp onto anything we could find.
"Aria! Look at the window! Something strange is happening!" The terror in her voice made it clear that something unusual was going on outside.
Curious to see for myself, I turned my gaze to the window and was confronted by an anomaly so bizarre that it seemed physically impossible.
“…Well, shit, we fell for it." I said as I watched the events unfold.
Every building, structure, and even the terrain is shifting toward one direction—the dormitory.
The reason it felt eerily empty, utterly devoid of any humans in the dormitory... was that this was one giant cage, and we had been lured in like rats drawn to a trap.
—CRASH!!!
"Camila!"
"K-Kggh...!"
Before things got worse, I grabbed Camila just in time; there was no opportunity to explain or even process what was happening.
The only thing I could think of right now is to survive at all costs.
The two of us lost our balance as every visible building morphed into a single entity, as if it were moulded like clay.
As the buildings merged into one, everything turned black, and my vision faded due to the intense vibrations.
Our fate depended solely on whether we would get crushed to death or live to enter another type of hell, fueled by the twisted malice it harboured.
