✦ Chapter 36 — After the Trial
They walked in silence.
Their steps were heavier now, not from fatigue, but from the weight of experience. Havella's cloak was dusty, her sleeves slightly torn. Vexi had dark bags under her eyes and walked with her arms tightly crossed. Jio's clothes were unchanged, but his eyes… they looked older.
"...Three years," Havella muttered.
"Hmm?" Vexi looked at her.
"I stopped a war in three years. That's what my trial was."
"You stopped a war?" Vexi repeated, brows raised.
"Not with magic. Not directly, anyway." Havella's eyes narrowed. "I had to learn everything — diplomacy, strategy, how to lead, how to steal secrets without anyone knowing. I failed a lot. But in the end, it worked."
She flicked her fingers; a soft glint shimmered before vanishing.
"My magic of steal is stronger now. Smarter. Doesn't just take… it adapts."
Vexi gave a tired half-smile. "You're intense."
Havella glanced sideways at her. "And you?"
Vexi sighed. "I had to write everything. My whole life. Thoughts, regrets, memories. Ten years. No shortcuts."
"Why?" Jio asked without looking.
"So I'd understand what led me here," she said quietly. "Turns out… I didn't know as much about myself as I thought."
They both looked to Jio now.
He paused. Then answered flatly.
"She tortured me. Theodora. For years."
Vexi blinked. "What?!"
"She said it was about durability. Learning to endure. I guess I impressed her eventually."
There was a beat of silence.
"Did you two…?" Havella asked, raising a brow.
"We did something," Jio said plainly.
"That's vague," Vexi murmured.
"It's enough," he replied.
Havella gave him a long look, but didn't press. "So you passed."
"I did."
They walked for a while longer in quiet. Their faces were calm, but underneath it all—there was weight. Knowledge. Growth. Scars they didn't need to show.
"The memories don't bother me," Vexi finally said. "I feel like me."
"We're back in our original bodies," Havella nodded. "But we kept the skill."
"And the power boost from Approcajjot," Jio added.
Vexi hummed. "Worth it."
Just ahead, the stone path brightened. The passage out of the First Realm stood open—wide and glowing, lined in soft light.
But they weren't alone.
Two figures waited there.
One was a massive, fluffy beast, its fur white as clouds and large enough to cover the whole entrance with its body alone. It lay lazily on the floor, snoring with deep, thunder-like breath.
On top of it sat a small, pale girl with long hair and a blank expression. She stared at them without moving.
Havella slowed slightly. "...Laei?"
Jio nodded. "Yeah. And Puff."
"We saw them at the start," Havella explained to Vexi. "Didn't talk much, but… they're not random."
Vexi eyed the beast. "Wait. That's a mythical beast, right?"
"Yes," the pale girl said, standing up gently on Puff's back. "This is Puff. I'm Laei."
Laei hopped off the beast, landing softly.
"He's lazy," she added, without emotion. "But very strong."
Puff groaned and stretched, one giant paw flopping to the side as his eyes lazily opened for just a second.
Vexi looked from Laei to the others. "You all knew her name and didn't tell me?"
"She didn't really talk before," Jio replied. "Didn't think she would again."
"What are you two doing here?" Havella asked.
Laei looked up at her calmly. "You're near the end of the realm. Mythical beasts… tend to gather around endings."
Havella blinked. "That's not ominous at all."
"Not meant to be," Laei said. "Just a fact."
Vexi's face paled a little. "Mythical beasts don't just show up like this…"
Jio didn't say anything. He was watching Puff now, like he was trying to remember something.
Laei crossed her arms behind her back. "You'll need him. Or something like him. Eventually."
Havella exhaled. "Well, that's not vague at all."
Laei tilted her head. "It's not meant to be mysterious. I just say what is."
The group stood there, unsure whether they were preparing for danger or just receiving a strange welcome.
But there was a comfort in familiarity — even if brief.
And just ahead, the end of the First Realm waited.
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End of Chapter 36
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