Lila stepped aside as the man rushed in, allowing him to approach the boy he familiarly called ‘Aleydis’.

  He trembled as he looked over the boy’s condition, color draining from his already pale complexion. Without missing a beat he threw down the pack he had been carrying over his shoulder and stretched out both hands. From the moment he closed his eyes she felt it — the change.

  Something new had entered the room.

  She heard it in the soft rustle of the roof’s leaves. She smelled it in the sweetness that lingered in the air. And she saw it clearly within Aleydis.

  The vines that had been rampaging through him…they stopped. No, not just stopped — they were retreating back into their pods.

  Lila blinked, questions flooding through her mind.

  It was impossible.

  Lila was familiar with most forms of alternative medicine. Acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy, yoga, reiki — she recognized them, respected them and the traditions they represented.

  But this…

  This was a situation that should have been beyond their scope. Even a fully staffed hospital would have struggled with a case like this.

  What had this man done?

  Lila once again felt that emptiness in her chest she had been trying to ignore. Her breath quickened as the room began to sway, the panic overriding her system now that the immediate danger had passed.

  This was real, wasn’t it?

  The man — no, the fucking elf in front of her had just performed magic on another elf that was infected by parasitic vines.

  It sounded so insane…but wouldn’t it be more insane if she continued to deny it after all that happened? Or was it insane to believe it was real? She didn't know. She didn’t understand any of this and it was killing her inside.

  How long had she been here? Had Drew woken up yet? He hated being left alone. Dammit she needed to get back…having a stupid fucking existential crisis wouldn’t help anyone.

  So what if she’s in some strange place with magic elves and sentient forests? There’s only one thing that actually matters here and that’s leaving. Breathe. It’s okay. It’s fine. Focus on what can be don—

  The sensation of a large hand pressing down lightly on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts. It was the tall elf. There was a weariness in his eyes she hadn’t seen there before, a deep exhaustion that mirrored her own.

  “I am asking why you are here, human.”

  Human. It was an unfamiliar way to be addressed, something she’d only heard in sci-fi or fantasy series. The elf’s brow furrowed, seemingly sensing her confusion.

  “If it is sanctuary you seek, you will find none here. Outsiders have been forbidden since the Fall. So again I ask — why are you here?”

  Lila, unsure how to respond, instead asked a question of her own.

  “Has he been stabilized?”

  The elf followed her gaze to the boy now sleeping peacefully on the table. His taut expression softened once more.

  “…for now.”

  Lila simply nodded. Though the vines had retreated, the pods still remained deep within Aleydis’ skin — a clear sign he had been treated but not cured.

  The elf regarded her silently for several moments before he next spoke, his words careful and measured.

  “The trees whisper of your deeds. Aleydis is alive because of you and for that, I owe you my gratitude.”

  He sighed before continuing, “But your intentions remain unclear. I will take you before the High Priest. He will know what is best.”

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  Without any further delay the elf turned and picked up Aleydis into his arms.

  “The village is almost a day’s journey but if we leave now we should arrive by nightfall. Come.”

  Lila hesitated. She needed to get home as soon as possible…but the forest was dangerous. If she went to the village, wouldn’t that raise her chances of success? Information and supplies would only benefit her. But if this High Priest deems her suspicious…hm. It was a good thing she rescued the boy. It seemed unlikely these elves would harm her now — at worst they would send her away. She was willing to take that chance.

  “Alright. Please lead the way.”

  The elf walked towards the entrance as Lila discreetly hid the dagger within the folds of her dress. If things went wrong, she wanted a weapon on hand.

  “You may call me Kateri.”

  She caught up to him, matching his pace beside him.

  “You can call me Lila.”

  The majority of the journey passed in silence.

  Though Lila had many questions, most were impossible to ask without revealing she wasn’t native to this world. The few words she and Kateri exchanged were perfunctory — small details of elven culture discussed over a simple lunch of fruits and vegetables he carried in his satchel.

  She would have to save her real questions for the next time she was alone with the System.

  Aleydis still hadn’t regained consciousness.

  Though Kateri tried to hide it, Lila could see the worry etched into his features — the slight tremble in the hands that gingerly held the boy. She wondered if she should offer to take another look at him, but swiftly reconsidered. If anything went wrong…she couldn’t take that chance unless it was truly an emergency.

  And so she continued walking, her bare feet aching against the packed dirt of the forest floor.

  It was only when the sun began to dip below the horizon that Lila began to notice changes in the forest.

  The birds were louder here, their songs accompanied by the chatter of other woodland creatures. The trees were thicker, fortified in an unnatural way — almost reminiscent of a wall. Only one gap remained between them, forming a large arch that opened into a clearing.

  Kateri’s ears perked as his pace quickened.

  “The forest welcomes us.”

  Though Lila heard no voice, she could feel the truth behind his words. She observed the way the massive trees swayed, their branches twisted in what did appear to be a greeting. It unsettled her.

  Together they proceeded to pass beneath the archway into the large clearing filled with shelters — collections of trees curved inward to form domed living homes.

  But Lila could barely register them.

  Her eyes had already been drawn upward.

  For the first time since her arrival, there was enough space between the trees for her to see it — the sky.

  At first she thought the bright tear across the heavens was the Milky Way. After all, she had heard it was far more visible in areas with less light pollution…but even then, this band seemed too bright, too fluid.

  Lila couldn’t hide her awe as she stared at the otherworldly sight.

  The light was moving. It was a slow, drifting current that outshone all the other stars in the sky, bathing the world in pale, ethereal light.

  Kateri was beside her, his head also tilted to the heavens as he murmured, “The River is bright tonight.”

  “What is that?” The words slipped from Lila’s mouth before she could stop them, her stomach dropping at the obvious blunder.

  Kateri turned to her, puzzled. “It’s the River…does it not illuminate the sky in the human region?”

  “No, it does. I was just surprised by how much it shines tonight.” Lila wondered if her clumsy excuse was enough.

  To her relief, Kateri hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

  “Yes…” A sad expression formed on Kateri as he spoke. “Nights like these prove the River remains strong, despite the cracks.”

  That was when Lila saw them — small black fissures that marred the beauty of the glowing River above. Cracks in the sky…what the hell happened to this world?

  “Come. We have to get Aleydis to the infirmary.”

  Lila followed Kateri through the village, absorbing as much information as she could about the community. Though most of the elves seemed to have retired to their abodes, some still milled about engaged in various activities.

  Her eyes wandered to a child who sat in a field of wildflowers, casually conversing with the plants as if they were old friends. To a female elf that laughed brightly with her hand pressed to a tree, as though she heard a funny joke. To the male elf that spoke encouraging words to a bud that was last to bloom.

  It had been obvious since the beginning that the elves could understand nature — Kateri had made it abundantly clear.

  But…

  What Lila witnessed here was something deeper.

  It was collective. Enmeshed. Intertwined. There seemed to be no distinction between nature and elf — only complete harmony. Lila was surprised to see this feeling extended even towards a stranger like her. No elf here expressed any hostility towards her, only a wisp of shock quickly replaced by a genial smile.

  The peace was a sharp contrast to all that she had experienced in the forest to the south, leading Lila to feel more discomfort rather than security.

  Kateri instructed Lila to wait a moment as he dipped into a shelter slightly larger than the majority. He was barely gone thirty seconds before he returned, his arms no longer carrying Aleydis. Though Lila had expected it, that didn’t stop her stomach from dropping at the elf’s next words.

  “I will take you to the High Priest.”