After the storm, faded, something else happened. Farrynelle became seasick.
A low hum echoed in the sealed chamber below decks as Vastarael and Elyonari worked in tandem over Farrynelle's fragile frame. She lay motionless on the bed in her modern based chambers. Her skin was pale, her breathing shallow and lips cracked like someone walking the brink between exhaustion and expiration. To anyone else, she looked like she was standing on death row.
Xander stood by her side, his hands balled into fists as he watched. Perched beside him, Narisva leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Vastarael was kneeling beside Farrynelle now, his glowing hand hovering an inch above her chest as he examined the faint pulses of her body. Elyonari had one hand on the side of her head, using an ancient elven method of scanning.
"She's losing energy by the second," Elyonari finally said. "This isn't seasickness anymore. She used a lot of Elemental Energy during the storm but even so… something's draining her energy away from the inside."
"She's leaking?" Vastarael asked with a frown, fingers drawing another rune in the air.
"No. It's not leaking. It's being taken. Something is actively absorbing her. It's subtle and parasitic… like a siphon that adjusts depending on the energy used. Divine Energy, Elemental Energy, even the Nature Energy feels like it vanishes too quickly now."
Xander stiffened. "What does that mean?"
Elyonari met his gaze with reluctant honesty.
"It means that the more someone relies on Elemental or Divine Energy, the faster they'll weaken. Farrynelle's a Lightning Elemental specialist. She burns through energy faster than any of us. That's why she's the first one to drop."
Vastarael rubbed his temple and leaned back.
"That has to be the second test of the voyage. I read something about The Cradle of Whispering Seas. It's a portion of the Asmaphaeri Ocean that drains all energy types that exist within its mystical boundary. It doesn't activate immediately. It just starts drawing from everything living until only husks remain."
"But why didn't we feel it?" Xander asked, his voice rising in fear.
"We did. we just didn't notice."
Vastarael nodded in agreement. "Our energy pools are enormous. Divine Energy regenerates fast and we're attuned to more passive states unless we exert ourselves. Farrynelle is unique. She uses her Elemental Tether actively and constantly. She's basically an open fire so of course she burned out first."
"And if it keeps going…" Elyonari looked down at Farrynelle. "She'll lose her entire energy flow. Her soul will fracture. Three hours is the limit. If we don't solve this, it'll be irreversible."
Xander exhaled shakily. "Then we solve it."
Vastarael placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him.
"We will. But we have to move carefully. If we don't know what's absorbing the energy, hitting it might be the same as feeding it."
Narisva stepped further into the room with a sigh.
"My Spatial Energy hasn't been affected. I've been using Sight Teleportation and Dimension Creation since we got to the ocean to look for any potential threats."
Elyonari nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Spatial Tethers exist outside natural laws. They're disconnected from environmental siphoning. Mine, on the other hand, is affected but not too badly. As long as I stay close to nature, I'm fine. Nature Energy pulls from ambient life, not inner reserves."
Vastarael exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "So that's three of us not at risk for now. But Divine Energy is the real problem. You, Eldrigan, Peroncerea… you all rely heavily on your cores. Once it starts pulling on that, we're all going to fall one by one."
Xander looked down at Farrynelle and gritted his teeth.
"…Then we find the source and cut it off."
"I agree, but we can't make rash decisions. First, I'm going to make Lightning Runes to cover her completely to compensate for losing her energy. That'll buy her time."
-------
Above deck, the air had turned oppressively still. There was no wind, no movement in the sails, or sounds of waves lapping against the hull. The sky overhead was a pale, soulless blue. Everyone except Xander, who stayed behind to tend to Farrynelle, had gathered near the helm. Eight of them now stood in a loose circle. Adelasta was the first to speak.
"This isn't just a test of sailing anymore. We're caught in something far worse."
"It's affecting the five of us the most," Eldrigan said, irritated by how heavy his own limbs felt. "Me, Peroncerea, the twins, and Xander. It's like our Divine Energy is bleeding from our cores. I can feel it… something is feeding off us."
"We noticed," Natalis muttered, her usually elegant voice dulled by fatigue. "Our flight has gotten slower by the hour. Denisia nearly collapsed after her aerial sweep earlier. It's like the moment we use Divine Energy, it starts eating us alive."
"Which means we can't even fight if something comes at us," Peroncerea said with a low growl. "And Xander is not in any shape to leave Farrynelle. If this keeps going, she's done for."
Adelasta looked over to Vastarael, her lips tightening.
"We can last. Our Soul Energy keeps us intact even without Divine Energy. But most of them don't have that luxury."
"Same goes for me," Elyonari added. "My Nature Energy is bound to the World Tree, and the sea's alive. It's trying to help… but it's like it's being drowned too. I tried summoning the wind earlier and nothing answered. Not even the breeze. We're stuck."
Eldrigan's face twisted. "Then we need to get out of here before it kills us."
"We can't," Denisia cut in. "Since dawn, we've barely moved. The ship hasn't advanced at all. It's like we're sailing in place."
"There's no tide," Natalis added grimly. "We're not on the ocean. We're inside something."
That's when Narisva blinked and her eyes shifted.
The whites of her irises faded into a stormy space as her irises as her Mystic Eyes of Spatial Awareness activated, creating a faint shimmer across her pupils. Her body stilled completely. She stood at the edge of the deck and slowly turned, scanning in a perfect 360-degree arc.
"We're not on the ocean anymore. We're inside a closed-dimensional space."
Everyone froze.
"This isn't just the sea draining us. We've been isolated. It's like my Dimension Creation but on a massive scale. This space has a structure. It's preventing movement, energy flow and even external influence. We're not going anywhere until we understand the rules of this place. And that might take hours. Or days."
Without waiting, she moved to the center of the deck and folded her legs into a lotus position. She let her scythe dissolve behind her and closed her eyes, her arms resting gently on her knees.
"I'm going to start decoding this dimension. But until I'm done, no one should use their energy, not even passive enhancements. Suppress everything. If attacked, use your physical capabilities alone."
"Why?" Peroncerea asked, visibly sweating. "It's not like we're burning energy if we're standing still."
"Because if you use it, even a little, you'll be feeding whatever's behind this trap. Xander's instincts picked up on it when Farrynelle fell. And he was right. Everyone powers down. No casting, no flight, no healing. Only I can work through this without bleeding herself out."
No one argued because the second test had begun… and they were already losing.