Chapter 4: The Prophecy (2) 

As they journeyed to another place responsible for administering access tokens known as The Naughty Flowers Eamon had warned Lily about its reputation as a criminal area urging caution. Lily feeling confident in her ability to handle any potential threats brushed off the warning assuring him that her unique appearance would likely deter any would-be attackers however upon reaching The Naughty Flowers she was greeted with a disconcerting smell, a repugnant blend of foulness and overpowering perfume that made her feel nauseous. Reacting swiftly Eamon handed her two small white cotton balls explaining that they were called Snow Cotton and could remove unwanted odors. Grateful for the inventive solution Lily placed them in her nostrils but to her surprise they unexpectedly shot down her throat prompting a fit of coughing.

'They flew into my stomach!' She complained clutching her throat.

Amused Eamon clarified that the Snow Cotton came from a demon known as A Gentle Step to Hell who was renowned for producing these odor-removing items. He further mentioned that the demon's brand also offered popular candies and snacks in Elysium adding to her belief that they were indeed crafted by supernatural beings.

Continuing their journey down a wide road the buildings around them grew darker until they were completely black. Eventually they arrived at a bustling giant square teeming with city life and in the center stood a white marble round area dominated by a large white statue of a man in a hooded cloak. The face lacked intricate details but there was an inexplicable feeling that the eyes were staring fiercely at Lily.

'Who is that?' She inquired.

'That's Savior, a mysterious figure who is said to come to Elysium's aid during times of turmoil. I've never met him before.' Eamon explained.

Though there was no nameplate identifying the person Lily couldn't shake the uneasy sensation emanating from the statue's gaze and suggested they move on.

As they continued their walk she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that the statue of Savior was still watching her. The sensation made her shiver confirming that it wasn't just her imagination playing tricks on her. Suddenly she noticed a building to the right emitting a reddish glow piquing her curiosity and she halted and headed towards it and when Eamon noticed he inquired about the cause. She pointed at the house and explained what had caught her attention. Eamon, though initially not seeing anything special about the black wooden house became curious and joined her in exploring it and as they entered they were engulfed in a warm wave feeling like they were being blown over. The interior of the house was filled with thousands of small yellow glowing dots resembling stars and intricate drawings with ancient writings adorned the walls and Lily was surprised to discover that she could read the script.

'I can't understand it. It seems ancient.' Eamon remarked observing a drawing of a man in white clothes wielding a red spear facing a massive black snake with red eyes.

Lily read the inscription below the drawing revealing a prophecy: 'In 100,000 years the world will be doomed if Karhrlin Sanszhin Amenale and Labunagaan are restored in harmony. The Spirit Flow and Dark Matter will be disturbed.'

She inquired about the Spirit Llow and Dark Matter and Eamon explained that they were integral to the world's balance that kept things in harmony akin to day and night. Realizing the grave consequences of restoring the four realms Lily became determined to prevent it from happening and she feared that if Elysium fell apart she would remain trapped there without any hope of finding a way back home. Below the drawing of the snake, she noticed a small black dot reminiscent of the wolfsbane symbol she had seen on Seraphina's note and unsure if it was merely a coincidence she took note of it for further consideration. Leaving the house, they continued on their way to obtain the access tokens and before long they arrived in front of a grand black rectangular building that shone like obsidian. Two large glass windows at the top revealed nothing from the outside as everything within appeared dark and mysterious.

Inside the building Eamon explained to Lily that it was a place where the black market operated, which surprised her. As they entered the crowded hall a magnificent jewel chandelier adorned the ceiling illuminating the entire area and paintings of majestic figures adorned the ceiling adding an air of grandeur to the place. They approached a small counter with a glass box where a man in a white shirt and a black tie sat and he had a handsome appearance with chestnut brown hair, light brown skin and dark eyes.

'I need an access token to Arral.' Lily said trying to remain composed.

The man greeted her warmly, 'Welcome guest. What can I do for you?'

Being cautious not to offend him like the previous encounter Lily cleared her throat and said, 'I need an access token to Arral.'

The man handed her a yellow paper and instructed her to fill it out for evaluation and she took a black ballpoint pen from the table and began to complete the form. The questions were extensive, and she started to feel a headache coming on unsure of how to answer some of them. Eamon advised her to fill in all the fields even if she had nothing specific to write and to avoid using simple 'Yes' or 'No' answers as it might increase her chances of approval.

With determination she started writing:

Full name: Lily.

Residence: Starter Zone.

Have you been to The Free City before? If so when?: I can't remember.

Do you have other access tokens? If so mention them: I have 0.

Do you have a criminal background?: No I don't think so.

Have you been banished from Kahrlin, Sanszhin, Amenale or Labunagaan?: No I hope not.

Are you a citizen of Labunagaan?: No I don't think so.

Do you have plans to commit crimes in the future? If so which realms?: No that would be crazy.

Does your family know you're here?: No I don't think so.

Have you offended anyone with a large background?: Someone from the Sky people.

What is your purpose in obtaining an access token?: To visit a library.

Do you have a future plan with your token(s)?: To create chaos so that no realms are restored in harmony.

You've been served by Leon. Please consider giving him five stars.

Once she completed the form she handed it back to Leon hoping that she had provided enough information to secure her access token to Arral however she could see that something was amiss as he gave her an odd and suspicious look. Worried that he might call the guards on her she quickly asked if there was any other way to obtain the token. The man's attention then shifted to her staff and he seemed interested in it, and she hesitated for a moment but decided that she didn't plan to keep the staff anyway, so she handed it over to him. In return he gave her a small white stone with unknown engravings on it which she assumed was the access token.

'Thank you for the trade miss. Have a good day'. The man said with a kind smile.

As they left the building Lily examined the token knowing that it was now useless to her since she no longer had the staff however she had invested so much time in obtaining it that she decided she might as well use it and they continued on their way towards Arral.

After a short while Eamon suddenly stopped and looked at her. 'I'm sorry but there's something I need to take care of that I had forgotten about. We can meet at the librar.' He said.

'Okay you can find me in there.' Lily replied feeling confident that she could remember the way.

Eamon then left her, and she continued on her journey towards the library.

Twenty minutes later her gaze fell upon a colossal oval arena made of ancient dark wood and surrounding the arena were small towns each with distinct colors and diverse natural landscapes. She couldn't fathom the reason behind such a peculiar division and the sight of Arral a few kilometers away reassured her but she couldn't shake off the feeling of being lost believing she had retraced her steps. Nonetheless she decided to head towards the arena and the small towns hoping to find her way back.

As she passed by the arena she heard two beeping sounds startling her and the area seemed deserted but suddenly a familiar voice pierced the silence.

'It's that ugly witch who almost got us killed earlier.'

It was the woman named Vivian and she hoped they hadn't come to argue with her not thinking more about it but the next thing the woman said made her reconsider her words "Torture her and kill her."

'Fuck me.' Exclaimed Lily and not wasting a moment she sprinted away without looking back.

The labyrinthine buildings proved challenging to navigate and exhaustion soon overcame her causing her legs to give in and she collapsed on the road and cramps and pain wracked her body and Vivian's group soon caught up to her.

As they surrounded her Vivian called forth a man in silver armor who drew a silver sword and began to slice her body, tauntingly saying, "Her face already looks like a nightmare, so let's make the body match." And she felt different types of weapons stab into her feeling blood gush from her body and suddenly she felt a hard blow to the head and passed out.

When she regained consciousness she found herself lying before a white obelisk shaped like a crane standing on two legs with wings spread wide. Her head throbbed and she felt nauseous accompanied by a message stating she had acquired soul sickness. Struggling to rise she leaned on the obelisk for support and heard another message.

Would you like to pay to get rid of your soul sickness?

When she wanted to say yes she remembered that she didn't have any money on her and gave up. With the throbbing headache she looked around and caught sight of Arral and she tried to walk towards it as quickly as possible, but her body felt sluggish, and every step was a struggle.

Shortly afterwards she heard a woman's voice which she recognized immediately saying 'There she is. Catch her.'

Panic surged through her veins as she realized that the group had caught up to her and she couldn't afford to waste time being killed repeatedly and regret filled her for giving her staff to the man and for Eamon not being with her in this moment of need. Pushing herself as hard as she could she ran desperately. Her legs burned, her chest heaved and her head pounded and she glanced back and saw that she had managed to create some distance between her and the pursuing group offering a glimmer of hope but exhaustion soon caught up to her and she had to stop to catch her breath. Gasping for air she turned around and saw that the group was closing in on her again and fear clenched her heart but suddenly a figure appeared in front of her, a man dressed in a brown hooded cloak with pale skin.

Nervously she asked, 'Who are you? What do you want?' Afraid that it might be someone from the group.