There was only darkness around him—vast, endless, immeasurable.
It wasn't the darkness of night, where stars pricked the sky and a silver moon softened the shadows. No. This was something else. This was suffocating, absolute. A black ocean without surface or depth, stretching on forever.
He realized he was sitting on something—flat, unyielding, smooth as stone. A floor, perhaps, though he could not see it.
Slowly, Vladislav pushed himself upright, his body rising into the void. He turned his head, scanning left, right, up, down—yet there was nothing to see. Nothing but the consuming black.
"Where am I?" His voice echoed faintly, swallowed by the emptiness.
He wasn't afraid. Not exactly. His chest didn't clench with panic, and his legs didn't tremble. But the unease was undeniable, crawling at the edges of his mind. To be so utterly alone in a place so infinite—it pressed against him, like a weight he couldn't shake.
Still, he began to walk.
One step. Two. A steady rhythm echoing faintly in the nothingness.
He didn't know how long he walked. Minutes? Hours? His sense of time slipped away like water through open fingers. His body did not ache. His legs did not tire. No hunger gnawed at him, no thirst burned in his throat. It was unnatural. Unsettling.
Yet he walked on. Aimlessly.
Wherever his gaze turned, the same darkness greeted him. Not the darkness of a candle snuffed out, not even the midnight sky. This was deeper, denser. It carried a chill that seeped into his bones, a silence that rang too loudly in his ears. It was terrifying—yet strangely comforting, like returning to a place long forgotten.
"How long has it been?" he wondered aloud. "Hours? Days? Weeks? Months?"
He had no answer. Only steps, endlessly repeating.
"I should be exhausted. I should have collapsed long ago… so why do I feel nothing?"
His voice broke the silence again, but no reply came.
"Am I in a dream?" His words were little more than a whisper now, but even whispers carried in this abyss.
No one answered.
So he kept walking.
Then—he felt it.
A presence. A weight heavier than the dark itself. A gaze.
His skin prickled. A shiver crept along his spine, raising the hairs at the back of his neck. He stopped. Slowly, he turned, eyes narrowing into the abyss.
At first there was nothing. Then—something shifted. The blackness thickened, or perhaps his sight adjusted. Shapes emerged where no shapes should be.
Eyes.
Countless eyes. Piercing. Silent. Patient. Watching.
They stared into him, through him, stripping away every defense. His breath caught.
And then the darkness spoke.
A voice, vast and echoing, without mouth or face:
"If you gaze long enough into the abyss… the abyss will stare back at you."
Vladislav's lips parted. "W–what?"
That was all he could manage before the world convulsed. His vision twisted, flipped, shattered. Blackness rushed at him like a wave, and everything collapsed into nothing.
His eyes shot open.
Sunlight filtered through the carriage window, casting shifting patterns across the wooden walls as the wheels rattled along the cobbled road.
The carriage.
Vladislav exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling. He looked around—everyone else still slept soundly, their breathing steady in the quiet. Everyone except Leon.
Leon's aloof eyes studied him from across the carriage, sharp as ever.
"Nightmare?" Leon asked. His voice was flat, but not unkind.
Vladislav rubbed his temples, forcing a shaky laugh. "Yeah… how did you know?"
Leon raised a single finger and pointed.
Vladislav followed the gesture. His right hand trembled violently in his lap, the fingers twitching uncontrollably.
"Damn…" he muttered, clenching it into a fist, lifting it before his eyes.
"Don't worry," Leon said simply. He leaned forward and rested a hand on Vladislav's shoulder. "It was only a nightmare. It will pass."
The steadiness in his tone grounded him.
"Thanks, Leo." Vladislav gave him a grateful smile, though his voice carried the weight of lingering unease. "How long was I out?"
"An hour."
"I see…" Vladislav breathed.
He turned to his left, his gaze softening at the sight before him. Athelstan slumped against the bench, drool streaking down his chin.
A laugh escaped him.
Mary sat peacefully with Asa resting her head gently against her shoulder. Clara and Laura leaned into one another, their heads tilted together like mirrored statues.
Vladislav chuckled again, shaking his head. Sleeping beauties, he thought.
He sighed and turned back toward the glass window. He could not bring himself to close his eyes again.
Outside, the world rushed by in full daylight. Other carriages rolled along the road, their polished wheels flashing in the sun. Above, ships floated across the blue sky, sails shimmering as they drifted toward the horizon. Flying ships.
We must be close to the city, Vladislav thought.
But his mind would not settle. His thoughts returned again and again to that dream. What kind of vision was that? Was it the void again? But… I haven't touched the void since Lady Umbra forbade me.
His hand had stilled, no longer trembling. Yet the memory of countless eyes staring into him remained like a phantom weight.
Minutes slipped by.
Gradually, the others stirred.
"That was a good sleep," Athelstan muttered, stretching so hard his shoulders cracked. He yawned wide enough to swallow the room.
Vladislav smirked. "Yeah, it really looked like you were enjoying yourself—especially with all that drool."
Athelstan's head snapped around. "Liar! I do not drool in my sleep!"
Vladislav's grin widened. He didn't need words. He just looked at Leon.
Leon sighed but raised his hand. A mirror of ice materialized in his palm. He held it out without expression.
Athelstan grabbed it, then froze. His reflection glared back, chin streaked with dried drool.
His cheeks flamed red. "T-this is nothing!" He fumbled, wiping furiously at his face.
Mary, awake now, offered him a handkerchief with a gentle smile. "Here."
Vladislav and Asa burst into laughter, clutching their sides. Even Leon's lips twitched with the ghost of amusement.
Athelstan muttered curses under his breath, scrubbing until the last mark was gone.
Before he could recover his pride, the driver's voice cut through the laughter:
"We've arrived."
The carriage slowed, the door creaked open, and warm morning air swept in.
They stepped out together.
"Welcome to the city of Izélia, my grandchildren," Mary said with a smile.
The sight that met their eyes was staggering.
The city stretched outward like a jewel carved into the land, towers and spires rising proudly into the clear blue sky. Skyscrapers of stone and crystal glistened in the daylight, and above them, flying ships drifted in graceful arcs—some approaching the city, others leaving for distant skies.
Their mouths fell open in awe.
"Wow… it's so beautiful," Asa whispered.
The streets were alive with movement. Thousands of people filled the plazas and avenues—humans mingling with other races. Merchants called out their wares. Shop windows sparkled with jewelry, artifacts, silks, and trinkets of every shape and design. The air carried the smells of fresh bread, grilled meats, and spices.
Athelstan's eyes locked on a food stall. His stomach growled audibly.
"Restaurants everywhere," Vladislav noted with amusement. "You'll be drooling again soon."
He was right. Athelstan's mouth already watered as he stared at a row of sizzling skewers.
Mary chuckled softly. "The city is a mix of old and new. Medieval walls and modern marvels. You'll see wonders here you cannot find anywhere else."
Vladislav pointed discreetly at a short figure with a braided beard. "Is that… a dwarf?"
"Yes," Mary said. "But don't point so obviously. They might take it as an insult."
Vladislav nodded quickly, though fascination still gleamed in his eyes. It was his first time seeing races other than human.
"Athelstan, if you don't drink more milk, you'll be his height one day," Vladislav teased.
"Yeah, right." Athelstan clicked his tongue.
"Stay close to me, children," Mary said firmly. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grandma!" they chorused.
"Good. Now, let's begin our tour."
They followed her through the bustling streets.
Laura nudged Vladislav playfully. "What did I tell you? Beautiful, isn't it?"
He smiled. "Yeah. It looks so cool."
Even Leon, usually unreadable, let his eyes wander, the faintest flicker of surprise breaking through his aloof mask.
Athelstan tugged at Mary's sleeve, pointing eagerly at a skewer stand. "Grandma, can we stop there? Please? Just look at those!"
Mary sighed, amused. "Very well."
Even before they reached the stall, the aroma of grilled meat and spices wrapped around them, making their mouths water.
"Good day, young masters, young ladies, madam," the startled vendor greeted, bowing quickly. Their fine clothes and bearing had already marked them as nobles.
Mary gestured to the skewers. "How much are they?"
The vendor stammered, recovering his composure. "The chicken, pork, or vegetable skewers are eight to twelve bronze each. The lamb, beef, or spiced skewers are twenty to thirty bronze."
"I'll take two of each!" Athelstan declared instantly, already drooling again.
Mary smiled and with a flick of her hand produced a gold coin[1] from her dimensional ring. The vendor froze in shock, realizing what her casual display meant—an awakener of high status, spending gold as if it were silver.
They each chose their skewers, biting into the tender meat.
"Hm! This is amazing!" Athelstan said, his mouth full.
Asa laughed. "Finally, something that shut you up."
Even Leon was quietly on his second skewer.
"These are delicious," Vladislav admitted.
The vendor bowed. "Thank you! My daughter made them."
Mary's smile softened. "No need to bow. Your honesty is worth more than gold. Many would have tried to cheat us, but you did not."
The vendor flushed, overwhelmed by the praise.
Laura added warmly, "Your daughter must be a great cook."
Vladislav smirked. "Better than you, Laura."
Her punch to his shoulder nearly made him stumble. "We'll see who cooks for you again!"
They all laughed, even the vendor.
Before leaving, Mary bought the entire stall for five gold coins, despite his protests.
"Please, take it," she said firmly. "You deserve it."
Tears welled in the man's eyes. "Thank you. Please, come again! My name is Dante Licht!"
They waved goodbye, smiles lingering on their faces as they continued.
The crowds whispered as they passed.
"Nobles, surely…""Look at their clothes… flawless…"
Mary ignored the stares.
Athelstan puffed out his chest. "They're talking about how handsome I am."
Vladislav rolled his eyes. "Earlier, you called me the narcissist."
Soon, Mary pointed ahead.
"There," she said, her voice filled with pride. "The Magic Tower—where your mother once studied."
Their eyes widened. The tower soared above the city, black and white stone gleaming under the sun. Tiny dots circled it—mages in flight.
"It's so tall…" Athelstan whispered.
"Why are magic towers always that tall?" Vladislav asked.
"Isolation," Mary explained. "Secrecy. Safety. Experiments that could level city blocks are contained within those walls. And defense—few fools would dare attack a magic tower." She smiled knowingly. "Your mother was once a shut-in within those very halls."
She looked at Leon. "And perhaps you will be too, if you work hard enough."
Leon's eyes gleamed faintly. "I won't disappoint, Grandma."
"I know you won't," she said warmly.
Asa giggled. "I can already imagine Leon with dark circles under his eyes, locked away in a lab."
The group chuckled, while Leon only raised an eyebrow.
Mary smiled and said. "And now… I think it's time you children had dimensional rings of your own. I saw how your eyes looked at me when I pulled out the golden coins."
Their eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes!" Athelstan cheered. "Now I can store food and eat it whenever I want!"
Vladislav groaned. "All you think about is food."
Asa shook her head, laughing softly. "I'll miss these brats one day…"
**********
A/N : Bruh , thank you for the 100k views, I honestly did not expect that many views lmao, thank you so much:)
[1] 100 Bronze coins = 1 Silver coin, 100 Silver coins = 1 Gold coin, 100 Gold coins = 1 Platinum coin.