Thousand Mansion

The sound of muffled voices filled the darkness. "What do you mean?" A girl's voice echoed in the room.

"Verily, I must impart unto thee that it is imperative that we transport him to a more suitable abode." The voice of a grown man, firm and resolute, came from the same location.

Tobias' eyes slowly fluttered open, her vision blurry as she tried to focus. She found herself lying on a large bed, surrounded by a canopy of netting. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a large window covered by thick curtains. The warmth of the blankets and the softness of the mattress made her aware that she was in a comfortable and safe place. As her vision cleared, she looked around the room, taking in the high ceilings and the elegant furnishings.

"Him? Alright, I'll take her to my room." The sound of soft footsteps was barely audible.

Another set of footsteps tried to follow but was quickly silenced. "Ephi! Let it be known, his strength surpasses even the limits of my dimensional-."

The two sets of footsteps stopped abruptly. "How dare you call such a cute girl a boy. I know you want to put her in an underground prison, don't you?" Ephi's voice was filled with anger and disgust.

Tobias heard a faint conversation coming from a distance. She tried to sit up but found that her body was too weak to support her. Her arms trembled as she tried to push herself up, but she was unable to lift herself from the bed. Despite the inconvenience, she remained calm and laid back on the mattress. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her mind racing as she tried to piece together what was happening and where she was. She knew that she needed to be patient and wait for her strength to return before she could try to get up again.

"You said that this was my responsibility. Therefore, don't interfere with this anymore. You also know she just woke up, I'm going to see her." The figure's voice was firm and resolute, leaving no room for argument.

The door to the room slowly creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. Tobias, still lying on the bed, could only move her neck to look towards the door. She could only see the silhouette of the person, but she could sense their presence.

"What about your body? Does anything feel weird?" Ephi asked Tobias as soon as she reached the bedside.

Ephi stopped at the edge of the bed. The light was just enough for Tobias to see her appearance. She had green hair and was wearing a simple dress. According to her height, she looked the same age as Tobias herself. Tobias thought that there was nothing particularly striking about her appearance.

Ephi had green hair and was wearing a simple dress. According to her height, she appeared to be the same age as Tobias. At first glance, there was nothing particularly striking about her appearance, and Tobias couldn't help but think that she looked quite ordinary. However, as Ephi walked around the room, opening the curtains to let in bright light, Tobias caught a glimpse of something she had never seen before.

"My name is Ephi."

With the added light, Tobias could see Ephi's face more clearly. Her eyes and hair were more defined, and her unique longer, pointed ears became more prominent. It was a small detail, but it was enough to make Tobias realize that Ephi was not like anyone she had ever met before. The pointed ears added to the otherworldly feeling that Tobias had about Ephi, and it made her even more curious about who she was and where she was.

"Hmm? What's with that look of yours? Is there something strange about me?" Ephi noticed the look of surprise on Tobias' face. "I know you noticed, the shape of my ears. But don't worry, I'm not one of those evil guys." Ephi laughed, trying to ease Tobias' concern. Ephi smiled warmly and touched her green hair, Tobias couldn't help but feel reassured. It was hard to imagine that someone with such a warm and friendly smile could be evil.

As Ephi opened the curtains, letting in the bright light, Tobias could now clearly see the whole room. The walls were adorned with ornate ornaments, and a wardrobe stood beside the bed. On the other side of the wall was a large oval mirror, with a chair and table placed in front of it. A grandfather clock stood in the corner of the room, its long swinging pendulum marking the passing of time. Everything in the room seemed larger than normal, and the spaciousness of the room made the furniture appear more spread out. The furniture seemed farther apart than it would in a regular-sized room, emphasizing the grandeur of the space.

"Hey, where are you looking at?" Ephi's voice startled Tobias, she had unknowingly sat down on the bed next to her. Ephi noticed the surprise in Tobias' eyes as she looked around the room.

"Uh-oh. Sorry. Where am I?" Tobias asked, trying to orient herself.

Ephi playfully tugged on Tobias' nose. Even though Tobias' body was still weak, she didn't expect Ephi to do something like that. "Tell me your name first then I will answer it."

With her nose now red, Tobias said, "My name is Tobias."

"Tobias?! Have you heard of the great forest of Litianth Anterum?" Ephi's expression changed to one of surprise and shock upon hearing Tobias' name.

"Litianth Anterum...?" Tobias felt a sense of familiarity with the name, but couldn't quite place it in her memory.

"Huff. I'm sorry. I seem too excited." Ephi sighed, her expression returning to one of calm. "Forget what I said earlier."

"Then, what are we going to do? I don't have anything to do. Do you need anything?" Ephi asked, trying to change the subject.

"Ummm... Can you... " Tobias attempted to get back up, but her body was still weak. Ephi immediately stepped in to support her, helping her sit back up with a balance. "Thank you," Tobias said gratefully, Ephi only responding with a smile.

Tobias looked down at her clothes, noticing they were now whole and undamaged. She opened the blanket to check her feet, finding not a single scratch or wound. Everything appeared to be fine, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of heaviness in her body.

"Do you want to walk outside? I can help you if you want." Ephi offered, noticing Tobias' confusion and unanswered questions. Tobias wanted to ask so many things, but the feeling of something being off in her mind made her forget.

Tobias tried to move her legs but found them to be still heavy and impossible to lift. "I can't even get up, walking seems impossible," she said, feeling defeated.

With a flick on Tobias's forehead, Ephi smiled reassuringly. "That's why I'm here." She stood up and opened the window, letting in a gust of fresh air. "I'll get you out of here faster."

"Okay, it's ready. Wait, I have something to make sure." Tobias who was there felt weird about what Ephi was about to do. "Why is she looking out the window?" Tobias thought about it with positive thinking so she ignored it. But she still can't stay saying nothing. "What are you going to do, Ephi?"

"Take you out. Most quickly, of course." Ephi walked back to the bed. Carrying Tobias to the window.

Tobias' heart skipped a beat as Ephi led her towards the window. "Wait, then why did you take me to the window? Why are we going this way?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion and a hint of fear.

Ephi turned to her, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Why not? The stairs are a pain, and the window is a much faster option," she said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Tobias couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mind raced with thoughts of the danger and uncertainty of climbing out of a window, but Ephi seemed unfazed.

Shushhh~

Tobias felt a strong gust of wind as she approached the window, her heart pounding with uncertainty. She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked out at the view before her. Rolling meadows stretched out as far as the eye could see, dotted with pockets of trees that made up a small forest. She realized that she was in a massive mansion, the height of the window in front of her confirming her suspicions.

But as she took in the breathtaking view, a feeling of panic washed over her. "What are you going to do with me?" she cried out, gripping Ephi's clothes tightly as she looked to her for answers.

Ephi looked at her with a big smile, barely able to contain her laughter. "Relax, we're just taking in the view," she said, her voice soothing. "I promise, you're safe with me."

Tobias felt a sense of relief wash over her as she looked out at the endless meadows and the small forest below. She let out a sigh, her grip on Ephi's clothes loosening as she took in the breathtaking scene before her. Despite the uncertainty she felt, she knew she was safe with Ephi by her side.

A devious glint in Ephi's eye. "Here you go, Tobias. Outside," she said, her voice laced with amusement. Without warning, she threw her out of the window.

"E-Ephiiiiiii!" Tobias let out a blood-curdling scream as she fell, her body hurtling toward the ground at an alarming speed. She could see the dozens of windows flashing her past in a blur as she fell, her heart pounding with fear.

Ephi watched from above, a satisfied smile on her face as she looked down at Tobias' tiny form falling from the window. From a distance, she looked like a mere speck compared to the size of the mansion.

Tobias' heart raced as she felt the rush of air past her face, her body hurtling towards the ground at an alarming speed. Panic set in as she thought about the consequences of her fall. "How will I survive this?! My body is weak, I can barely even get out of bed on my own. What will happen when I hit the ground?!" Her mind raced with thoughts, none of them filled with anger or blame toward Ephi for putting her in this situation. Instead, she focused on trying to find a way to survive the fall.

As Tobias fell, Ephi stood at the window, her body convulsing with laughter. She couldn't believe how well her prank had worked. She watched as Tobias tumbled through the air, her screams of terror filling her ears.

She walked over to the table in the room and placed a few items on it, her mind still buzzing with excitement. She couldn't wait to see the look on Tobias' face when she found out it was just a joke.

Ephi walked back to the window. She took a running start and launched herself out of the window with a wide smile on her face. She felt the wind rushing past her as she fell, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She couldn't help but let out joyful laughter as she fell.

Tobias panicked even more as she almost hit the ground. She closed her eyes in the last seconds before the scene.

Ephi, lagging behind Tobias, realized she wouldn't be able to catch up with her if relying solely on gravity. She altered her stance and began sliding downward, using the wind to propel herself forward. She bent her knees and stomped on the air, creating a powerful thrust that sent her hurtling forward at a rapid pace.

But soon, Tobias realized the anticipated impact never came. Instead, she felt a hand lifting her. "We're outside, aren't we?" she heard a familiar voice say. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ephi, who had saved her from falling to the ground.

Ephi glided through the long jump, using the wind's power to propel herself forward by stomping occasionally. The grass before her parted, giving her a comfortable landing spot. After that, she and Tobias entered the forest, which they could see from the mansion. Ephi moved swiftly through the trees, jumping from one to the other with the wind's strength behind her. Despite her fast pace, she deftly dodged branches and sticks.

"Where are we going, Ephi?" Ephi who heard Tobias' question answered without turning her head. She seemed focused on her steps. "Just wait, I'll show you something." Even though Ephi wasn't looking at her, Tobias could see her smile as she answered.

Once they get to a place, Ephi starts leaping vertically. The trunk of a giant tree and they move between its equally large branches. Tobias looked down where the ground seemed to be getting farther away. Then she looked to the side and saw the colossal mansion where she come from before.

Ephi arrived at the top of the tree. She stood on the last branch carrying Tobias. "Look, Tobias." Even though the mansion is taller, from up here it looks smaller than it actually is because it's so far away. The visible edges of the forest form a line along with the eye's fading point. With the sun at ten o'clock, the light formed a straight line that illuminated the elongated thickness of the forest.

"The day and night in here are arranged by him. Therefore, I decided to take you to this place first." Ephi said, her voice filled with excitement.

Tobias was silent as she looked around in amazement. She couldn't believe the beauty of this place. "Wait, maybe at night, this place will be even more beautiful. I thought of a great solution!" Ephi said cheerfully.

Tobias couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension at Ephi's words. She couldn't shake the feeling that Ephi would do something unexpected again, like dropping her from the top of the tree.

"What is it, Ephi?" Tobias asked, her voice filled with caution.

Ephi turned to her with a smile. "We'll stay here until the night. After that, I'll show you around the mansion."

Tobias couldn't believe her ears. "What?!" she exclaimed.

Ephi was as unpredictable as ever, but her smile also made Tobias feel alive and excited. Despite the fear and uncertainty she felt, Tobias couldn't regret going on this adventure with Ephi. With all of this beauty and excitement, how could she possibly regret it?