The vast expanse of clouds greeted the trio once again.

  Soft layers stretched far and wide in every direction, drifting gently with the wind yet never losing their shape.

  Only the occasional hole appeared here and there, threatening the group as they walked cautiously beside them.

  They avoided walking straight through the middle, keeping to the edge of the plateau. The reason was simple—to avoid being out in the open, where an ambush could strike at any moment.

  Retracing their steps, they soon arrived at a fork in the path.

  “Isn’t this the way we came yesterday?”

  Stella asked gingerly, leaning her upper body slightly forward.

  “That should be the one. Since it’s the only path we’ve found so far, I believe it must be.”

  May answered, then turned to Deveralna.

  “So, if we keep going, we’ll find the last road leading to the final pillar. That’s what you want me to say, isn’t it?”

  The lamia crossed her arms with involuntary grace—a sign of her refined upbringing. May smiled lightly as she nodded, unbothered by the air of sovereignty exuding from her friend.

  “That’s exactly it. We should find the remaining path further ahead if we keep following the edges.”

  Both Stella and Deveralna nodded, ready to continue their trek.

  The sun had reached its peak when they arrived at the final turn.

  Quickening their pace, they crossed the area before descending toward the last pillar.

  Stopping in her tracks, May turned to her friend.

  “Deveralna, you have better eyesight than us. Do you see anything down there?”

  The lamia also stopped, prompting Stella to do the same.

  “Let me see...” Deveralna murmured, focusing on the vast sea of dirt stretching into the distance. “Hmm... I can’t really see the pillar itself.”

  Stella stepped closer. “Are there no traces of the flowers? Maybe we can track the pillar that way?”

  “Good idea,” May said, joining Deveralna in the search. But she frowned almost immediately. “Damn. Those clouds are in the way.”

  The passing clouds obstructed their view, veiling the discovery they needed to push forward.

  “...”

  As Deveralna concentrated, her pupils narrowed, turning more draconic. Her vision shifted to a reddish hue, the color bleeding into the clouds themselves. The change allowed her to pierce through them, finally revealing the ground below.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Found one.”

  Her eyes returned to normal as she spoke. Leaning back on her tail, she tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear with quiet poise.

  “There’s a lone body lying further ahead. I couldn’t see anything beyond it.”

  May noted how her companion’s mannerisms were becoming increasingly refined—a detail that hadn’t escaped her attention.

  “Then we know where to go. Which direction?”

  Deveralna raised a hand, pointing toward the skeletal figure she’d spotted.

  “This way. It’s quite far, though.” She tilted her head slightly, as if an idea had just surfaced. “May... can we go faster?”

  Turning to her friend, her expression looked almost pleading.

  “...”

  The redhead hesitated for a moment.

  It’s possible. It shouldn’t consume much energy either.

  She turned her back to them, took a step forward, and lifted one hand.

  “You really want to see him, don’t you?” she said with a small smile over her shoulder. Deveralna’s eyes widened. “I’ve been feeling the same.”

  “It’s only been two days, but I’m already growing anxious.” A small flame bloomed at May’s fingertip, flickering in the high-altitude wind.

  It danced for a few seconds before melting into something between liquid fire and molten lava—a shimmering, flowing ember of heat.

  Deveralna closed her eyes, feeling a deep kinship with May.

  “I can’t stand it anymore. I don’t feel whole without him.” Her voice trembled with loneliness, ready to drown the rest of her emotions.

  “But we’ve got a job to do. With or without him, we can’t half-ass it.” May’s tone hardened, though not unkindly.

  “You’re right. I’ve been holding on because I have you two. If I were alone...” Deveralna opened her eyes again, resolve replacing weariness. “Who cares, really? I’m not alone, and that’s all that matters.”

  Both women nodded, faint smiles easing the tension.

  At that moment, the molten bead rolled across May’s palm. She tilted her hand gently, letting the drop of condensed fire fall toward the cloudy floor below.

  FLASH

  A blinding burst of light engulfed them, fading moments later to reveal a device Stella recognized instantly.

  “THIS IS—! Wha—? How?!”

  She stumbled forward, pointing at the board-like device as its flames warped the air around it.

  “W-Where?! I thought I lost these during the warp!”

  Shock overtook her, her gaze darting between May and the burning construct.

  “Well...”

  “Ngh...”

  May had left her tent in the middle of the night.

  “I can’t sleep...”

  Staring up at the dark sky, she felt only the absence of warmth—the same emptiness that lingered since his disappearance.

  “Maybe a walk will help clear my mind.”

  She moved quietly, careful not to wake the others, and wandered a short distance from camp, never losing sight of the tents behind her.

  Then she noticed it—a faint red shimmer in the distance, pulsing softly through the mist.

  “...”

  Hand on her sword’s pommel, she approached the source cautiously.

  When she finally reached it, her eyes widened.

  “This is...”

  “You found it lying on the ground? That’s... odd.” Stella frowned, her tone turning flat again. “I can’t believe the core was near us this whole time—and you didn’t tell me.”

  May smiled. “I used it during the last battle, but you didn’t mention it. I figured it wasn’t important to you.”

  Recognition struck Stella like a spark. “Ah!”

  Grabbing her head, she groaned in disbelief. “Why didn’t I notice? Damn it!”

  The two others chuckled softly at her reaction before focusing again on their mission.

  “Anyway, Stella, you’re coming with me.”

  Crouching slightly, May lifted her just as Deveralna had earlier. She carried her toward the floating board of flame, stepping onto it with calm assurance. Stella barely had time to brace herself.

  “Umm... I know I designed this thing, but—”

  Too late.

  Deveralna spread her wings wide, her tail coiling beneath her like a compressed spring.

  “Close your mouth, or you’ll bite your tongue.”

  Clapping both hands over her lips, Stella gave May a helpless stare.

  Hah... Damn it. I shouldn’t have made it that fast.

  May leaned forward, one arm wrapped tightly around Stella’s waist. Flames burst from the board’s tail, while arcs of lightning flared from Deveralna’s wings.

  “We don’t have all day. Let’s finish this quickly.”

  Deveralna’s expression darkened, her focus narrowing toward the unseen Devourer waiting somewhere below.

  The air thickened behind them—hot, metallic, unbreathable.

  And then—

  Gone.

  With an explosion of raw magic, they launched skyward at breakneck speed, crossing kilometers in mere seconds.