27 How to leave the lower realm? (1)

The future where she is eaten by the thousand-eyed spirit beast disappears when Kresi and Mogrok smile at her together. The change in Mogrok's attitude is big to handle. She wonders what Kresi said to Mogrok to convince him. She lets go of her doubt. At least, she won't get eaten.

Now, about getting killed by a shadowy figure, this future is too blurry. She doesn't know whether it will happen or not. That future has a slim chance. Why is there a risk of her being killed by a shadowy vague figure? Does it mean that Kresi has a chance of getting hurt too?

She shakes off her thoughts. Nothing is sure until the decision is made. She will wait and warn Kresi if she sees that future again.

"How do we go to the higher realm?" Kresi asks her with expectation.

She says with an awkward smile, "I don't know."

Kresi looks disappointed. She sits on the bed and rests her chin in her hand. "It's okay. I will figure out. There are a lot of places to go. Should we explore the mountains of Prath? There must be a lot of spirits there for you to look at."

Deia bites her lower lips. Kresi really wants to help her. She opens her bag and brings out her sketches. She has drawn them when she was in Deled. She finds the one that she is looking for.

"I have seen you here." She gives the sketch to Kresi. The sketch is quite detailed. In the sketch, Kresi sees three cloaked figures standing against the sharp winds on flat icy land. It is dark. The three moons are floating in the sky.

"A place like this?" Kresi frowns deeply. "Does it exist in the lower realm? I have heard that there are no frozen lands on the lower realm. The weather is hot at day time and cold at night time. There is no place where it even snows."

"You are right." Why didn't she think of that? Because of the three moons, she thought that it was night time.

"The sun does not rise here." Kresi reads the words written in the corner of the sketch. "You wrote that?"

She is surprised to see the words written in the corner. It is her handwriting. She has forgotten about that. She has seen this future months ago. Sometimes, she forgets the details. That's why she always make a sketch and write down the spoken words in the corner or the back of the sketch.

"Yes, you said those words in my vision."

"A place where the Sun does not rise," Kresi mumbles the words. "I don't think that there is any place in the lower realm where the Sun does not rise. It must be in other realms. Do you have any picture of the higher realm?"

"I do." Deia brings out the one with flying islands. She looks at the back of the sketch. "This is the higher realm. You screamed with excitement when you saw the islands floating in the sky. Mogrok said that the flow of ehr is better here than the other realms."

Kresi takes the sketch to look at it. There are floating islands and clouds. Behind the clouds, the Sun is shining. Among the floating islands, there is a big island with a palace. In the right corner, she can see another palace. Spirits are flying in the air. She sees people in vague shadows.

It is a beautiful place. She puts down the sketch. "How many realms are there?"

"Three?" Deia tilts her head. "The higher realm, the lower realm, and the middle realm."

Kresi glances at Kyo and Mogrok once. They are sleeping on the bed together. She picks up the other sketch. "This one must be the middle realm."

"Middle?" Deia let out a cry. "Middle realm is dangerous."

"Why is that?" Kresi asks her.

"When the god created the new world from the ruins of the old world," Deia tells her with a serious tone. "They placed the best places in the higher realm. The flow of ehr is highest there. The spirits thrive there naturally. Sehr and Wahr can easily convert the ehr into mana and use it in any way they want to. When they created the lower realm, they put the places with only little damage. The flow of ehr is minimal here. Still, the spirit beasts and spirits are found in this place because of the flow of ehr. The lower realm is furthest from the cursed sea for the safety of Nihr."

"The cursed sea?" Kresi is confused. "I have never heard of it."

"The cursed sea is the sea of corrupted ehr." Deia frowns a bit. This knowledge is quite common.

"The lower realm has a minimal flow of ehr. There was a time when everyone could channel ehr directly. But, after the war, a large number of people could not do so. Still, there are some Wahr and Sehr born with time. The number is too low compared to the higher realm. In the higher realm, almost everyone is a magic user."

"What about the middle realm?"

"The middle realm has a medium flow of Ehr." Deia looks at the sketch. "When the gods created the middle realm, they assembled the most damaged places and put it together. The middle realm is inhabitable. That's why they put it closest to the cursed sea as a boundary between the other two realms and the cursed sea. However, after the Gods went to rest in the God realm, someone built a city underneath the wastes of the middle realm."

"That's brave." Kresi chuckles lowly. "It is impressive that someone will create a city out of a dumpster."

"It is not good." Deia waves her palms. "That place is the home of exiles, outcasts, escaped prisoners, rogues, and..." She leans closer and whispers, "The cursed children."

Kresi raises her brow and smiles. "Is that so?"

"They are evil creatures," Deia speaks in a low tone. "I heard that there was a cursed child found in Pire. That child butchered a hundred man with its bare hands. When the holy knights arrived in the city, it was a big fight. The Renasir had to come by herself to catch that child."

"I see."

"The cursed children are people who are born under the law of the thirteenth god. They can channel corrupted ehr. The old prophecy speaks of the harbinger who will bring back the Dark God. The Dark God will gather the cursed ones to form an army and wage a war against the gods and the world. The Dark God will destroy the world for revenge."

Kresi peers at her with amusement. "What will you do when you see the harbinger and the Dark God?"

Deia is horrified by Kresi's words. "I will die before I can do anything."

"Let's say that the harbinger and the Dark God can help you find your spirit." Kresi cocks her head and smiles at her. "What will you do then?"

Deia laughs. "Kresi, your imagination is good."

"Answer me."

Deia observes Kresi's piercing gaze. She scratches the back of her neck and looks away before she answers her.

"I will plead to them to help me before they decide to kill me."

"You pass."