18. ONE DOWN

『 Kyujin's POV 』

I felt like one of those witches in fairytales—the ones who chant nonsense until the world crumbles at their feet.

That was me.

Hovering above the volcano, absorbing sunlight like my life depended on it. Maybe it did. Sunoo, in contrast, was deep in the pitch-black core of the volcano, soaking in shadows.

Then, something shifted. My senses sharpened to an impossible degree. I could hear an insect flapping its wings miles away. I could see through realms like looking through glass.

This is insane.

Yuna signaled me down. Everything was ready. But I was momentarily distracted by Sunoo. His eyes had turned a murky black, an eerie mist curling around him like a second skin.

“The two of you look all-powerful now,” Jini commented.

“Yeah, like night and day in human form,” Enya added. When did those two become besties?

Sunoo beat me to it. “When did you two become besties?”

“Enya taught me a lot about fire powers. Besides, she’s fun,” Jini replied.

“Awww, thanks. You’re fun too,” Enya said, smiling. “It’s nice talking to someone who understands fire.”

“Guys, let’s start.” Yuna’s voice cut through the moment as she began the incantation. The stone pulsed, and a deep purple glow radiated from her.

Jini shifted in place, ready to grab the stone. Enya stood next to it, looking unusually solemn.

Sunoo and I channeled our power, and the energy funneled into Yuna. A sphere of red light formed in her hands.

"Jini, Enya, NOW!" Yuna commanded.

Jini snatched the stone, and Sunoo, Yuna, and I directed the raw energy into Enya.

Then… nothing.

Jini frowned. "That’s it? No earthquake? No blinding light? I expected us to collapse or at least for the volcano to explode.”

Yuna laughed. “Thank god that didn’t hap—”

She dropped like a stone.

“YUNA!” Sunoo lunged, catching her before she hit the ground. “Shit, she’s burning up.”

“Kyujin, get Sullyoon!” Jini barked, barely holding Enya upright.

I didn’t waste a second. Flying out of the volcano, I barely registered Jiwoo’s voice before I found Sullyoon.

"Yuna collapsed!" I gasped.

Sullyoon rushed inside, Huening Kai right behind her. Sus...

I turned to Edlynne. “Did the realm change? Is anything wrong?”

“No. It looks like your plan worked,” she said, though her expression was tight with concern.

“You mean Yuna’s plan.” My chest felt heavy.

“I’m going back.” I didn’t wait for a response before flying back down.

Inside, Enya looked… fine. Actually, she was glowing—both in power and in relief. Meanwhile, Sullyoon was murmuring over Yuna, and Sunoo hadn’t moved from her side.

“She overworked herself,” Kai muttered beside me. “She knew the spell was dangerous. If you and Sunoo weren’t supercharged, she might have died.”

“She’ll be okay though, right?” My voice felt too small for the moment.

“Yeah. It’s still a piece of cake for Sullyoon.”

“You seemed really worried, though,” I noted. “I thought you and Yuna were enemies.”

Kai scoffed. “I’d be just as worried if it were you. All of you are equally important for this quest. And Yuna? She’s one of the most powerful. We wouldn’t have made it this far without her.”

Sullyoon finally looked up. “She’ll be fine. But she needs to rest. A long time.”

Sunoo didn’t hesitate. “I’m taking her out of this stuffy volcano.” He took off, carrying Yuna in his arms.

I turned to Enya. “You’re okay?”

“Spectacular.” Her eyes shone. “Thank you. You freed me from that stone’s grasp. And now, you and your team can pass freely through the Realm. No enchantments. No harm. You have my blessing.”

Jini smiled. “I hope we’ll meet again.”

“I hope so too,” Enya said, but her voice held an unplaceable sorrow. “By the way, your next stop is the Realm of Dragons. Say hi to Drayce for me.”

Jini, Sullyoon, and I exchanged glances.

“Uh, sure,” I said, still puzzled.

As we left, Sullyoon murmured, “She looked… sad. I mean, she seems like an extrovert. She must be lonely.”

“Yeah… Wait.” I frowned. “Who has the stone?”

Jini held it up. “I do. Fire and fire, right? Besides, Enya warned me—it tried to manipulate her the first year she guarded it. Yuna was right. This thing has a mind of its own.”

“Really?” Sullyoon asked.

“Yeah. Let’s just hope I don’t turn evil.” Jini grinned and walked ahead.

Kai fell into step with me. “You know,” he muttered, “I think Enya expects us to fail.”

“What?”

“She only mentioned Drayce. Not Maya or Zade. Meaning, she doesn’t think we’ll make it that far.”

A chill crawled up my spine. “That’s… unsettling.”

“They were best friends once,” Kai continued. “Enya, Zade, Drayce, and Maya. Fire, ice, and the dragon caught in the middle. Maya was the first person to befriend Drayce. Together, they made an unstoppable team.”

My stomach twisted. Why did she only mention Drayce?

“Is everyone ready to go?” Kai asked as we rejoined the group.

Murmurs of agreement followed.

One stone down. Ten to go.

『 No One's POV 』

• Back in the Volcano •

Enya stood alone.

A deep voice cut through the silence.

“So you stole power from the stone and gave it away?”

She didn’t turn. “No. Some magic wielders recreated its power and gave it to me. I returned the stone in exchange.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m sick of it,” Enya whispered. “That stone suffocated me. I wish I was never born into this kingdom.”

The voice scoffed. “You think you’re the only one? Cadmodeus is horrible. But he’s unbeatable.”

“Maybe not.” She turned. “They’re powerful. Determined. They might actually pull this off.”

A shadow moved closer. Rhys sighed. “Even you don’t believe that.”

“I don’t think they will… but I hope they do.” Enya’s voice wavered. “And that makes all the difference. The odds are one in a billion, but what if they’re that one?”

Rhys was quiet for a long moment. Then—

“You do know if Drayce gives up his stone, he dies.”

Enya’s breath caught.

“What?”

Rhys stepped back into the darkness. “I’ll leave you to think about that.”

And then—gone.

Only embers remained.

Enya clenched her fists. “You can’t just drop that and leave! RHYS!”

Her voice echoed through the volcano, but there was no answer.

╭──────────────────── ·  ·  ·  · ✦

I tried so hard to describe stuff properly and I absolutely failed.
This was the hardest chapter to write so far and I'm disappointed
And I forgot that today is Wednesday so late update, I apologize

But anyways
Hope y'all enjoyed it
Your reads, votes and comments mean a lot and they make my day