“Whoville”

Everyone was merely looking around to the situation they were in, Nico on the other hand standing still, sensing the vibrations throughout the area, before suddenly sprinting forth through the ravine.

"Eh!? Nico, wait up!"

Everyone chased after Nico, though they couldn't match the speed of his vibrational boost. He unsheathed his sword before slashing forth, a man appearing as he had ducked under the attack. Ratio Ryoto.

Ratio was shocked by Nico sensing him, readying to just barely dodge multiple other slashes, before disappearing once more, though Nico didn't let him get away, catching him by his shirt before he could run away.

"The hell are you doing here?"

Everyone caught up with Nico, confused. As Nico saw Ratio in his grasp, those around him saw Nico merely standing there.

"Nico, what are you doing? Snap out of it."

Kiara approaches Nico, snapping her fingers in front of his face as he blinks, the appearance of Ratio disappearing as he seemed confused.

"What's up with you, randomly running off like that."

Kiara bonked him in the dome, as he shook his head, holding his chest well looking around.

"I thought I saw someone.. I've dealt with illusions before, but that one felt so.. real…"

Everyone looked at eachother, wondering if Nico was going crazy, though Kiara seemed completely fine with this knowledge, thinking to herself.

"Is anyone here aware of what Uvie's ring actually is..?"

They were a bit surprised by her question, Uvie's abilities were quite strange compared to other rings. Even Evan, who studied these rings, had no clue.

"Well, they make those creepy faces, and tendrils, right? It's probably something to do with monsters."

Evan claimed, Kiara shaking her head as she crossed her arms, beginning to explain.

"Uvie isn't creating anything, she's altering the already existing matter. If you examined her closely you'd realize that she always required a base to form her ability out of. This is also how she turned into a bird. Her ring lets her alter and form matter as she pleases. She just has a.. very odd imagination."

Evan was surprised by Kiara's assumption. She just seemed like a normal girl, though Kiara was actually quite smart.

"Now that I think about it.. Uvie's castle was really weird. The walls were moving and she was walking on the ceilings as if it were her own playground… Is Uvie just a big child? No wonder she's a horrible ruler.."

Reece exclaimed, Kiara shrugging as she looked up to the top of the ravine, tilting her head.

"Some of us can likely get to the top quite easily, well others can't.. Nico, carry me up there."

Nico was surprised as Kiara randomly began climbing up onto his shoulders, everyone holding in their laughter as Nico tried shaking her off, complaining, which Kiara replied by bonking him in the head.

"Ow.. Fine..! Damn it.."

Nico muttered as he charged his prosthetics, firing explosions to the ground as he boosted up to the top of the ravine. Reece shrugged as a tendril of flesh came out her back, wrapping around everyone else. Her arm mutilated into a much more monstrous, larger one, swiping her hand to the ground as she was sent up in the air, landing beside Nico and Kiara.

Nico shook Kiara off of him, as Reece let everyone go, placing her hands on her hips as she looked around. The landscape was a dry drought, cracks filling the surface. Vultures could be seen sitting on the branches of dead trees, with the bones of animals beneath them.

"Is this some sorta desert? Why the hell would Uvie bring us here? What's she planning.."

Reece questioned, walking forth through the landscape, being careful of stepping into a crack as the rest followed. It was burning hot, easily tiring the group as they traveled forth.

"Holy fuck, we're gonna die out here.."

Bennett complained, Reece hitting him for even thinking of such a fate, as he rubbed his head, sighing.

"Bennett, don't say that..! Maybe you should stop being a little bitch and make your merchant gig useful for once..!"

Reece yelled, Bennett flinching as he entirely forgot about that, taking off his satchel as he searched through it, everyone using this time to take a break and cool down, fanning themselves down with their hands.

"Uh, yeah. When Uvie flew us from the forest she went right from the setting sun.. so we just gotta go south and we'll return to the forest."

Reece raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as Bennett took a compass out of his pocket, tapping on it until the hands aligned correctly, putting his bag back on.

"Yeah, sure. How would you remember something like that??

Reece asked rudely, Bennett gaining a smug smirk on his face as he began walking south, everyone following.

"Maybe I'm not as useless as you think I am.."

Bennett chuckled, Reece gritting her teeth and clenching her fist and beating him to the ground, before taking his compass and dragging him, continuing to go south.

"This better be the right way or I'll start eating you guys to survive.. Starting with Bennett..!"

Bennett gasped and struggled around, trying to free from her grasp as everyone else laughed at the shenanigans.

Hours Later…

The group was exhausted and sweating, no forest in sight, as Reece was beginning to get angry, holding Bennett up.

"God damnit, Bennett! There's no fucking forest here at all..! You're carrying me now.."

She dropped Bennett, as he slowly slouched up, Reece climbing on his back as he groaned in pain, carrying Reece as they continued walking.

Bennett looked up, stopping suddenly as Reece started kicking him like a horse. He leaned in closely before his eyes widened, running forth, the others confused.

"I see a house..!!"

The others thought he was hallucinating, but followed him regardless, as through the sand blocking their vision, they slowly began seeing a brick wall, their eyes widened as they smiled, increasing their speed.

They arrived to the house, a small one with brick walls and a chimney, designed in an olden fashion, like one you'd see in fairy tales or in the medieval times.

"Why's there a single house out here..?"