Shortly after their departure, the door closed behind them.

  Without much hesitation, they began their descent.

  The sun had not yet risen, but they could sense the growing light.

  As they reached the bottom, the first rays of sunlight gently touched the face of Una.

  Now, they found themselves in a denser forest than before.

  The trees on the hillside were sparse, but down here, even bushes provided cover they could sneak through.

  And sneak they did.

  They kept a careful watch on their surroundings, slowly but surely making their way toward the road.

  Before long, they reached it.

  After checking their surroundings one last time, they stepped onto the road and followed it out of the ravine’s entrance.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  That was the exit they had taken.

  Fortunately, they made it onto the road unnoticed, needing only to maintain the appearance of wandering travelers.

  As the sun rose fully, they arrived at a vast plain.

  As far as the eye could see, there was lush grass dotted with the occasional farmhouse.

  Kawao was left breathless.

  No matter where he went on the mainland, the scenery always managed to astound him.

  Koru couldn’t help but smile as he watched his friend’s amazed expression.

  But Kawao quickly noticed something.

  “Why is the grass here both green and red?” he asked aloud.

  It was true.

  The entire plain was scattered with patches of green and red grass, large and small.

  “That’s connected to the last War of the Lost,” Koru explained.

  “Back then, there were many battles here, leaving the land abandoned.

  Where the grass grows red marks where people fought and died using their Nyds.

  For certain powerful users—like you, whose Nyd source is their heart—their power flows through their blood.

  When their blood was spilled here, the Nyd within seeped into the soil, affecting the local flora and turning it red.”

  “Is it like this in your homeland too?”

  “Yes, to some extent.

  But there, it usually takes on a grayish tone, like ash.”

  As they continued their journey, they spoke further about the landscape and the region, momentarily forgetting their mission.