The fog around them remained thick as they entered, covering them like blankets as they waded through.
Aramith constantly felt the Youm flowing through his body, and a strange excitent flowed through his veins.
Slowly, the fog started to sink into the ground, and as it dissipated, a light started to shine through.
When the fog was completely gone, a bright flash nearly blinded them.
Squinting, Aramith shielded his eyes, after which the light started to fade, turning into a sun shining above them. Finally, they were able to see what was before them, and what the Core grounds that had been exaggerated so much looked like.
For the first ti, Aramith saw a place where he truly felt at peace just by looking.
For a location that existed just behind doors in an academy, it was shocking how grand the place was.
It was twice as large as everyplace they’d been to in the academy, and looked so surreal, he might have believed he was dreaming.
Towering mountains floated in the distance, held by nothing but unknown forces, and a large river of pure Youm flowed between a valley, the force released from them being so strong they could feel it from afar.
Ancient trees that seed to have been growing since the beginning of ti towered toward the sky, painted in shades of silver and blue.
And in the far distance, a massive formation stretched across, beneath the sun. It kept rotating slowly, changing size and shape constantly.
The beauty of it all created a strange scene that made them want to stay there eternally
Suddenly, the excitent Aramith felt earlier increased tenfold, and he smiled a crooked smile that looked stupid for Aramith.
The smile felt natural for Aramith, yet it felt strange at the sa ti, as if the emotions he was feeling were not his.
Mozrael turned to Aramith and was frozen as she looked at the odd smile on his face.
Suddenly, she felt a strange force emanating from Aramith. Aramith looked back at her without any change in expression. The energy grew stronger when suddenly two black ears popped out of his head.
Mozrael jumped back in shock, but before she could comprehend what was happening, a tail sprang out into existence.
"What?" What’s going on with him?
Aramith tilted his head. The energy continued to build up, then exploded.
Mozrael shielded her eyes, and when she looked again, her heart thumped.
Scales fluttered all over her skin as she rushed forward to where Aramith stood.
Fear shrouded her heart as she looked around in panic.
Her skin kept alternating between scales and human skin as her fear expanded.
"Aramith!" She called out, but there was no response.
"Aramith!"She scread more desperately again.
Within her, the ancient dragon who’d been resting awakened.
His voice floated into her mind.
What troubles you, little one?
Mozrael didn’t respond, desperately looking around, breathing heavily. Her eyes also started to switch between normal and dragon eyes.
Agaboz noticed the anomaly within Mozrael and used his power to calm her down.
He knew Mozrael very well, and nothing else would worry her this much apart from Aramith.
He sensed around and noticed the absence of Aramith.
Strange.
Agaboz’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed further.
Stop searching for him, he told Mozrael, but she didn’t respond.
Restrain yourself.
Again, Mozrael didn’t respond, still frantic.
Having no other choice, Agaboz firmly restricted her with his power. She was on the verge of transforming, and he knew how chaotic it would be if she did.
She might not be able to revert to normal for a long ti if he allowed her to, and worse yet, she might be in that state permanently.
After being restricted, a calming sensation flowed through her body, cooling her slowly.
She resisted it initially, but finally succumbed to it after a while. When she finally cald down, she looked very depressed.
"Agaboz?" she called gently.
Knowing her sanity had returned, Agaboz released her, and she fell.
She curled up, hugging her knees as the question repeated in her mind.
Agaboz didn’t feel any form of panic or distress and asked her.
Do you want to know?
She froze for a second, unsure if she wanted to know what happened or not.
She could tell that she wasn’t going to hear anything good, and that frightened her.
Yet, she wanted to know.
He’s not here.
"Where is he?" Mozrael imdiately asked, and Agaboz paused a mont before choosing his words. It was his nature to be blunt, yet for the first ti, the eternal dragon hesitated.
I don’t know.
Mozrael’s shoulders sank, and Agaboz’s next words shot through her heart like an arrow.
His aura is strange...he exploded.
"What?" Mozrael’s eyes widened. "Ex...plod..ded..." she muttered.
But I still sense him, just that he’s not anywhere near us. I can’t find him.
Mozrael frowned, hating how Agaboz answered her.
Agaboz felt her emotions becoming unstable again and sent so power to calm her down. Mozrael felt the calm enshrouding her once again, and her mind beca clear.
She closed her eyes, burying her head between her knees.
"Is he dead?" She asked.
No. Agaboz answered simply
"Can I find him?"
It’ll take a while; this place is not small.
Mozrael breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up.
"I’ll find him."
But she was only forcing herself to look strong.
For the first ti, Aramith’s existence beca a huge question mark.
There was nothing, and the emptiness ate at her.
.
.
Aramith opened his eyes to a familiar and unfamiliar place.
The forces around him felt too familiar, and when he sat up, he saw a small figure curled up on his lap.
His motion woke the figure up, and it looked at him. A smile appeared in its eyes, and it jumped up at him, but another figure was quick to catch it.
"No, you don’t," Mai grabbed the puppy dog that attempted to assault Aramith.
Aramith grabbed his head, feeling a throb. The pain pulsed five tis before disappearing, and his mind cleared up.
He looked at Mai in confusion.
"How did I...?"
Mai seed unsure whether to answer or not, looking at him worriedly.
Her lips parted hesitantly as she was about to answer, when Aramith realized sothing and stood up.
"Mai, send back. Mozrale will be worried."
Mai looked even more troubled when he said this.
"I... can’t..." she finally said.
Aramith’s brows creased up. "What happened?"
Mai looked down at the playful puppy in her hands and started to explain.
"When you entered, this little one beca agitated and more active..."
Aramith entered the cultivation grounds, and the constant flow of pure Youm into his realm was mostly absorbed by the puppy. Mai found it odd and decided to observe it a little more.
Suddenly, it beca more agitated and tried to force itself out of the realm, which shouldn’t have been possible without Aramith’s permission.
Mai tried to stop it when a doorway suddenly appeared before them both. Aramith appeared in their sight, which chocked Mai, but in that split second, an explosion occurred around Aramith, and he was sucked into the realm.
Aramith’s expression was one of shock as he stared at the harmless puppy in Mai’s hands.
He looked down at his hands. "So this is my real body?"
Mai looked unsure
"I don’t know..."
She looked at him so more, choosing carefully.
"Your body shouldn’t be here..."
Aramith’s eyes widened as a thought flashed across his mind.
"...yet it is here," Mai finished the shocking statent.
His expression beca complicated.
"If my body is here..."
Mai looked away.
"...then what’s outside?"
How do I get out of my cultivation realm like this?
He didn’t understand.
"Isn’t my cultivation realm supposed to be planted in my body?"
Mai waited a mont before answering affirmatively.
"Impossible," Aramith muttered, feeling dread.
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