Separation, I

I stared at the ground, I couldn't even think of turning to face my companions anymore.

Could this be a way to go back home? After all, the scripture is in Crisyes' Ancient Language and Alphabet, Noyer.

Crisyes, the world of my novel which I reincarnated into, is a planet made of three kingdoms, or even continents as you may call them by the standards of Earth. The kingdom of Humans, Elves, and Demons.

Other races are scattered all around these kingdoms, but only three of them managed to rise up and become the kings of the thrones.

"..."

"Helis, what's up?" Sean, next to me, noticed my unsettledness.

"This magic circle… is made by someone from Crisyes…" I trailed off whispering.

Sean's eyes shot open as he whipped his head towards it.

A circle as wide as the whole room was drawn on the ground. The circle's center was composed of a crystal in the shape of a rhombus whose vertices stretched into branches that reached the edge with characters all over it.

"Now that you mention it, its arrangement definitely reminds you of Crisyes' usual magic circles designs, but this should be old…" Sean said as he studied the ring.

"Probably around six hundred years old since I can only understand random letters here and there…"

"Six hundred?! Now that's quite the amount of time since this has been made…" Sean trailed off.

"But this proves one thing… this dungeon, has either been made by Crysiesians, or they've gone through it just like us." I rubbed my chin while thinking out loud.

"Ah, what are you guys doing there?" Soobin entered the room I and Sean were in.

"Hmm… is this one of those devil-summoning circles?" Her brow raised unconsciously.

"Ahaha, no, no, it isn't. We think it's a teleportation one." Sean spoke in my stead.

"Teleportation? Is a thing like that possible?"

It is, it definitely is, if it wasn't for that type of thing, I wouldn't have reincarnated into my novel which has become a reality… I clenched my fist.

"Considering what's happened in this dungeon, teleportation doesn't seem like a thing that couldn't work," I spoke.

"Hmm, you're right."

"Do you want to try it?" Sean spoke.

"Yes… I'll imbue mana to it, activate it, and see what will happen," I sighed, "But just in case, let's call everyone else in the room and ask if they found something else in these ruins, then, we'll proceed with the circle activation."

After a few minutes, everyone was now gathered in the opened chamber, we talked over the details, and of course, the magic circle seemed to be the most notable thing in this place.

"Are you ready, everyone?" I said as I put my hand over the circle, "Let's hope this is for the best…"

Soon after, the gray-colored circle started to take in my mana, sucking it would be more appropriate to say at this moment as I could feel more and more quantities leaving my body.

The ring started to shine a bright blue-into-white light and soon after the whole room was engulfed in it, and in the next instant–!

"Gha!"

G-Gurgle!

Gurgle!

Shit, I can't breathe, where am I?! Underwater!? How deep am I? The pressure upon my body is too high…

I can't see anything!? Oh, no…

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Why, why, why?! Always letting curiosity get the better of me!

I can't die, I shouldn't die, it's not good if I die, I can't die on them, I don't… want to die.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!

I want to do more, I want to experience more, I already died once… I don't want to die!

Gurgle!

"Phwu!" The remaining breath left my lungs as I received a kick from someone.

And I couldn't help but think that I can't let a person in the same situation as mine die.

I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die, I shouldn't let them die!

I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die, I can't let them die!

Ah, shit… my consciousness is fading, I shouldn't struggle anymore…

What a pathetic way to go off.

"Hm?" I felt a tap on my back as a silhouette whispered behind my ear.

▼△▼△▼△

Haruka Maki POV:

After that blinding light hit us all, in the next instant I found myself gasping for air, though, I easily acquired it since the water was shallow.

"Is this a lagoon?" I thought out loud to nobody but myself.

We were in the middle of an ocean, and here at this place, several bayous could be noticed.

It took me time to notice, but I was alone.

"Mai, Soobin?" I whispered the names of the women of my party, I then proceeded to yell out, "Sean, Helis, Luke, Ren, where are you!?"

"Mai, Sean!" I yelled again.

My throat went hoarse from screaming at the top of my lungs constantly for over two minutes.

"Shit, this is the worst-case scenario, we are all separated…"

What should I do? Worry began seeping into me.

I am all alone and I'm not powerful at all, my bags are all soaked.

I began approaching the shore when suddenly a weird noise like an air-pressure gun was heard.

Piiii-Kyaauu!

My ears rang from the extraordinarily-deafening explosion.

Hundreds of meters away, the sea was separated in half.

Two silhouettes were flying atop the water, as a projectile, they rose as high as a twenty-story building and were now directed towards me and the ground with the speed of a rocket.