✦ Chapter 42 — The Quiet Before the Dive
The sea of ink beneath them, silent and still, was the first to change.
It started with the faintest tremble, like a breath held too long. Then came the rain—heavy, dark drops that fell not from clouds but from the blank sky itself, pooling and sliding off Puff's thick fur. The ink didn't ripple. It simply accepted the rain like a mirror absorbing shadows.
Jio lifted his head slightly as the world dimmed.
Ahead, the Portal of Life shimmered once more, emerging from nothing as a tall gate of twisting light and strands of memory. It pulsed softly, as if it had been waiting.
Laei sat upright, her small frame straightening on Puff's massive back. "This is it," she said quietly. "We're almost through."
Vexi took a slow breath and shook her arms out, loosening her fingers. "No strange battles or tests this time, right?"
Laei tilted her head as if thinking... then smiled. "Not this time."
Puff let out a long snore, still walking as if the rain didn't touch him. His massive, lazy steps remained steady, but he was clearly asleep—moving purely on instinct.
"Is he really asleep?" Vexi asked, side-eyeing the beast.
"Always," Laei replied, completely unfazed. "Puff doesn't really wake up unless the universe threatens to collapse."
"…Comforting," Havella muttered, pushing a damp lock of hair out of her face.
The group approached the glowing gate. The Portal crackled faintly, releasing warm pulses that passed through their chests. Like before, it was a feeling of being judged and measured—only this time, none of them hesitated.
Jio walked beside Laei, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at her.
"Do you know Approcajjot?" he asked, his tone level.
Laei didn't look at him. She just smiled.
A wide, peaceful, almost knowing smile that made the group go quiet.
Even Havella, mid-step, raised an eyebrow.
Vexi frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Laei only tilted her head, childlike. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't."
Havella exhaled. "Not this again..."
Jio didn't press further. He simply returned his gaze to the glowing gate, but there was a flicker of something in his expression. Curiosity? Suspicion?
Or maybe… realization.
Puff gave one last soft snore, shifting his weight slightly as his giant paw pressed into the shining path. It lit up instantly, guiding them toward the veil of light.
The rain began to fade, each drop slowing until it hung in the air like floating ink. The black sea below ceased all motion.
Time, it seemed, had come to a pause.
And then, one by one, they stepped through the Portal—into the unknown chaos of the Second Realm.
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End of Chapter
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