The morning sun cast a golden hue over the vast expanse of the kingdom, but none of its warmth could reach the tension brewing in the grand hall. Elara stood at the center, her arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed as she listened to the council members argue among themselves. It had been days since their last battle, yet peace was still a distant dream.
"We can't afford to waste time debating this!" one of the elder council members snapped, slamming his palm against the polished marble table. "The borders are vulnerable, and we have no idea if another attack is coming!"
A younger noble scoffed. "And what do you propose? Sending our already exhausted warriors back to the front lines? We barely held them off last time!"
Elara sighed, rubbing her temples. "Enough. We're not getting anywhere by shouting at each other." She turned to Orion, who stood beside her with his arms crossed, his dragon-like features sharp against the torchlight. "What do you think?"
Orion exhaled sharply. "The enemy is testing our patience. They know we're weakened, and they're waiting for us to break. If we send our forces recklessly, we're falling into their trap."
A tense silence followed.
Elara shifted her gaze to the rest of her friends, each lost in thought. By now, everyone had settled into their new lives in this world, their past as mere students in another reality feeling like a distant dream. But that didn’t mean things had gotten easier.
---
Outside the castle walls, Kai leaned against a tree, watching a group of young knights in training. His sharp elven ears twitched as he listened to their banter.
"Did you hear about Lady Elara?" one of the knights whispered. "They say she’s not human."
"Of course, she isn’t! No human could have survived what she did!" another laughed nervously.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Humans and their obsession with bloodlines," he muttered under his breath. He still wasn't used to the way people in this world revered or feared anything beyond human understanding.
A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Slacking off again?"
Kai turned to see Sylva approaching, her long silver hair tied up as she balanced two baskets of supplies. "Unlike you, I have actual work to do."
Kai smirked. "Carrying baskets? Truly, the work of a great warrior."
Sylva narrowed her eyes before tossing one of the baskets at him. "Then help me, oh wise elf."
---
Back inside, Elara had finally managed to wrap up the meeting, but not without a headache. She trudged down the corridor, Orion following closely.
"You should rest," Orion said. "You barely slept last night."
Elara waved him off. "I'll be fine. There’s too much to do."
Orion frowned but didn't push further. Instead, he changed the subject. "We never did find out why the enemy is so obsessed with capturing you."
Elara paused. It was true. Ever since they arrived in this world, she had been targeted. At first, she thought it was just bad luck, but after every attack, every warning from spies, it became clear—she was at the center of something far bigger than she realized.
"You think it has to do with my bloodline?" she asked.
Orion nodded. "It has to. Humans aren’t supposed to be in this world, yet here you are. The Forgotten Bloodline isn't just a legend—it's real. And you're proof of it."
A chill ran down Elara’s spine.
Before she could respond, a loud crash echoed through the hall.
Elara and Orion spun around just as the doors burst open.
Kai and Sylva stumbled in, out of breath. "We have a problem."
---
In the outskirts of the kingdom, near the ruins of an ancient temple, an unnatural fog had begun to spread.
The villagers who lived nearby reported seeing figures in the mist—shadows that whispered, that moved too fast to be human. Some claimed they heard voices calling their names, luring them deeper into the fog.
None of them returned.
Elara, Orion, Kai, and Sylva arrived at the scene shortly after, mounted on their horses. The fog loomed ahead like a living entity, swirling unnaturally despite the still air.
"This is... off," Kai muttered, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"That’s an understatement," Sylva murmured. "This magic—it’s old."
Elara took a deep breath. "We don’t have a choice. We need to go in."
Orion didn't look pleased but nodded. "Stay close. No wandering off."
Kai scoffed. "Please, I'm not that dumb."
Five minutes later, he was separated from the group.
---
The moment they stepped into the fog, the world twisted. Sounds became distorted, the ground felt unsteady, and shapes moved just out of sight.
Elara gripped her sword. "Kai?" she called, but her voice felt muffled.
No response.
Orion growled in frustration. "I told him not to wander off!"
Sylva grabbed Elara’s arm. "Something’s coming."
The mist thickened, and suddenly, figures began to emerge—figures that looked disturbingly familiar.
Elara’s breath caught in her throat as she saw a reflection of herself step forward, its face void of emotion.
"You do not belong here," the figure spoke, its voice layered with echoes.
Elara’s grip on her sword tightened. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head. "We are the guardians of the rift. And you, child of forbidden blood, have disrupted the balance."
A chill ran down Elara’s spine.
Before she could react, the figure lunged.
---
Meanwhile, Kai found himself in a strange clearing. The fog had faded, revealing an old shrine covered in ivy.
At the center of the shrine stood a statue of a woman with glowing blue eyes.
"Well, that’s not creepy at all," Kai muttered.
As he stepped closer, the statue spoke.
"You are not meant to be here, elf-blooded one."
Kai froze. "...Alright. Now I’m concerned."
The statue’s eyes flashed. "Leave, before it’s too late."
The ground beneath him trembled.
Kai had a very bad feeling about this.
---
Back in the fog, Elara barely managed to block the attack from her doppelgänger. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, but something was off. The figure moved exactly like her, mirrored her every step.
"This is impossible!" Elara gritted her teeth.
"Not impossible," Orion shouted, slashing at another copy of himself. "Just really, really annoying!"
Sylva, meanwhile, was using her magic to hold back two identical versions of herself. "Okay, I officially hate this place!"
Elara knew they couldn't keep this up forever.
"We need to break the illusion!" she yelled.
But how?
Her mind raced. Then, it hit her. If these figures were mimicking them, then—
She turned and stabbed herself.
The moment her blade pierced her arm, the doppelgängers froze.
Orion’s eyes widened. "Elara, what the hell?!"
Elara winced but held firm. "They only exist as long as we fight them. If we break the cycle—"
The figures flickered.
Then, one by one, they vanished.
The fog receded.
Elara swayed but stayed standing. Orion was by her side in an instant.
"That was reckless," he growled. "But effective."
Elara let out a weak chuckle. "Told you I'd be fine."
Kai stumbled back into the clearing. "I just had a conversation with a talking statue. What did I miss?"
Sylva sighed. "You owe us an explanation later. Let’s get out of here before something else happens."
As they made their way back to the castle, Elara couldn’t shake the words of the doppelgänger from her mind.
"You do not belong here."
What did it really mean?
And more importantly—
Was there a way back home?