Eight exhausting hours had already passed in that dimension, and the physical and mental resistance of the three was almost at its limit.
Colin persisted tirelessly in his search for the Lithium, while Safira had managed to glimpse a remnant of that precious element.
However, Brighid's objective was to guide them so that both could discover the Lithium at the same time, synchronized in their evolutionary advance.
Maintaining the dimension intact and playing the role of guide in this rare evolutionary process was a task for few monarchs. Brighid, in turn, possessed exceptional abilities in this regard, being practically an encyclopedia when it came to arcane knowledge.
Determined to carry the process forward, Brighid adopted another hand position, intensifying her efforts.
The concentration was palpable on her face, her closed eyes were no obstacles to her expanded perception. As if by a miracle, a black sphere began to form exactly in the middle, between Colin and Safira.
The fairy felt that finally all three were entering synchrony, and this motivated her to dedicate herself even more, amplifying her power.
While her temple pulsed with protruding veins and her body perspired intensely, Brighid gave herself completely to this arduous task. Sweat ran down her skin, evidencing the superhuman effort she employed in this critical moment.
The result of her efforts seemed to be manifesting before her eyes, driving her to continue fighting tirelessly.
In the middle of that dimension, the small black sphere began to gradually transform into a small sprout, while time seemed to accelerate.
The sprout grew, as fast as lightning crossing the skies on a stormy night, transforming into an imposing tree of gigantic proportions.
Brighid let out a sigh of relief and opened her eyes.
"We did it!" she declared, satisfied. "You can open your eyes now."
Colin and Safira, still amazed, obeyed and contemplated the vision before them.
Roots emerged from the central tree, extending through the surrounding space, and from these roots, twelve other trees began to sprout, each of them majestic and leafy.
Each tree possessed a distinct color, forming a vibrant and exuberant spectacle.
Colin had difficulty assimilating everything he was witnessing.
His eyes, sensitive to the intense light emitted by the trees, seemed to struggle to adjust to that brightness. It was as if he saw a glimpse of a distant mirage, something beyond comprehension.
However, after a few seconds, his eyes finally got used to the luminosity, allowing him to clearly see the twelve trees in constant growth.
Their roots extended to infinity, connecting with the immensity of the space they were in, creating an impressive and magical scenery.
He stood up and looked around.
"Is this the Lithium?"
Brighid nodded and raised her index finger.
"This is only a small part of it. A minuscule part of an almost infinite whole."
Colin slowly raised his right hand and gently rested it on the trunk of the central tree. In an instant, his mind was swept away by a flood of images and information that unfolded at a dizzying speed.
He saw everything, from the beginnings of existence to its inevitable destruction. He witnessed the cyclical nature of life and death, witnessed the emergence of magic and its eventual extinction.
Countless worlds paraded before his eyes, including his own. Indistinct silhouettes of countless people emerged while the world drowned in desolation.
Colin observed beings facing terrible entities, and glimpsed the absolute chaos that surrounded these cosmic confrontations.
It was then that he saw himself standing in the middle of a scenario that seemed straight out of a nightmare.
The air was heavy, saturated by the metallic smell of blood and the stench of burned flesh. Around him, hundreds of bodies covered the ground, as if the field itself had become an open cemetery.
Men, women, even children lay there, dead in ways he couldn't fully process. Their expressions were contorted in agony, their lifeless eyes turned to a void that seemed to consume them.
He didn't recognize any of them, and yet, something inside him whispered that he had known them for years. They were familiar faces in some distant way, like echoes of memories he couldn't fully reach.
He tried to move, but his feet seemed stuck, as if the ground itself refused his presence. Then, something caught his attention ahead.
A silhouette, almost indistinguishable in the chaos, hovered over a magic circle that pulsed with a pale and sinister light. The circle's lines glowed in crimson and golden tones, intricate symbols that seemed to move, dancing in disconcerting patterns.
Colin felt his blood freeze when his eyes captured the contours of the figure.
That... is me?
He widened his eyes, incredulity hitting him like a blow. The figure moved, slightly tilting its head, and the weak light of the circle revealed the face of his reflection.
A diabolical smile curved the lips of that Colin, a smile that carried everything he feared being, everything he avoided admitting about himself.
"Who..." Colin tried to speak, but the word died in his throat.
"Don't worry, boy, you will be reborn in a world blessed by magic."
Time seemed frozen, stretching in a moment that seemed to last an eternity. Colin felt his mind being consumed by vertigo, as if he were on the verge of falling into a bottomless abyss.
He didn't know if that was real or an illusion, but the sensation of familiarity and terror was overwhelming.
Finally, with tremendous effort, Colin managed to pull his hand away from where it was resting. The sensation of vertigo became unbearable, and he staggered, almost falling to his knees.
His mind spun trying to assimilate the magnitude of what he had just experienced.
Stunned and astonished, he fell sitting on the ground, seeking to steady himself and find some point of support to understand the vastness of the knowledge that had just been revealed to him.
"What the hell was that?" he babbled.
Safira also touched the trunk, and soon was on the ground.
When she looked at the palm of her hand, she saw blue flames leaving the tips of her fingers.
"What did you see?" Colin asked.
She stared at Brighid with wide eyes.
"I... didn't understand it right... I saw so much, but..."
"But what?"
"I don't know... I was with some other people... we were sitting on thrones while hurt people served us as if they were slaves... I saw blood on my hands... I saw..." She paused, fixing her gaze on Colin. "I saw Colin dead..."
That caught Colin and Brighid by surprise.
"Hey, Brighid, why didn't she see the same thing I did?"
"W-well... the tree only shows what it wants to show..."
"And what are the chances that what the tree showed is true?"
The Fairy hesitated, her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. With the last reserve of energy she had left, she threw herself into a tight hug around Colin.
Safira, unable to contain her emotions, began to cry uncontrollably. Brighid, taken by the same despair, joined the Asmurg's weeping.
Both burst into tears, collapsing in a torrent of tears, while Colin remained perplexed, unable to assimilate what was happening.
Moved by an instinctive impulse, Safira ran to Colin and threw herself into his arms. The two let out uncontrolled screams, like frightened children, venting all the anguish that took hold of them.
"I don't want you to die..." said Brighid, sniffling the mucus coming out of her nose.
Brighid squeezed Colin's neck tightly in a hug and he fell backward. He was too exhausted to get up, remained there with his back to the invisible ground, staring at a nebula.
If this vision left her so destabilized like this, then this supposed vision is probably accurate... what a drag, just when I was starting to like this world... will I... become that thing?
"Safira, Brighid!" Colin placed his hands on both their shoulders, pushing them away while sitting up. "You don't need to worry, everyone will die someday and relax, who knows, maybe we can reverse this with time."
Safira stared at him with a desolate expression and wiped her tears with the back of her hands, sniffling a few more times.
"But the tree said that—"
Colin stroked Safira's hair with one hand and Brighid's with the other.
"Even if you saw that in the tree, one thing I learned is that things can change. Don't worry about me, I'll become strong enough so that I never die, it's a promise."
That was a rare demonstration of affection from him. For Colin, what caught his attention most in Safira's vision wasn't his death, but that Safira was with other people.
Could these be the other Fallen?
Standing up, Colin looked around, staring at each tree individually.
"I feel better now. Thank you Brighid, thanks to you, my magical perception seems a bit sharper, I feel I'm also stronger."
Brighid wiped the tears from her face and looked away.
"You're welcome..."
"Don't make that face, Brighid, everything's fine." Colin crouched down, staring into her eyes.
"Now that I understand the mana flow a bit, I can clearly see the roots that maintain this dimension coming out of you. The conclusion I draw from this is that you're strong as hell."
Colin stared at Safira and smiled.
"You, Safira, even for a child, can have mana with such great pressure... shit... it's frustrating being the weakest."
"But Colin, you're not weak..." said Brighid.
"Compared to you two, I'm an ant, but I'm used to it. In all the games I played, I never did well with characters that were too strong."
Colin, despite not possessing mana as high as his companions, understood the importance of using his intelligence and cunning.
He stared at Brighid once more, transmitting confidence through his gaze, and a smile formed on his lips.
Brighid, feeling a tightness in her throat, swallowed hard, her cheeks blushed again.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked quietly.
"Can you recreate another plane like this? However, this time, it will be for combat training."
"Do you want to train with Miss Safira?"
Colin nodded.
"That's right, fighting against Safira will be good training for both me and her. You said you've grown big before, do you know how to fight, Brighid?"
The fairy looked away and scratched her cheek with her index finger.
"I do, but until my body gets completely used to it might take some time. All I can do at the moment is provide support..."
"That's enough!" He stood up. "You must be exhausted, and I am too. Let's rest a bit and tomorrow we'll train."
Both grunted in agreement.
Joining the palms of her hands, Brighid recited an incantation in ancestral language and that entire dimension cracked and broke into billions of small pieces that turned to dust, disappearing in the air.
They were back in the room.
Brighid staggered and threw herself on the bed with her arms open.
Safira did the same, lying down beside Brighid.
"I need a bath..." the Fairy babbled.
Colin turned his back and opened the wardrobe. He grabbed a white shirt, black pants, and a pair of flip-flops.
"Where are you going?" Brighid inquired with a hoarse voice. "Aren't you tired?"
"I am, but I'll let you take a bath first. Meanwhile, I'll take a walk."
With some haste, Colin put on the pieces of clothing.
Brighid took one last look at his back before he went through the door.
Colin... you're not tired, are you? You went through all this and act this way... not even Safira has so much energy despite being a Fallen... what the hell are you?
He felt that his body had changed a bit. Colin's physique was slightly more elevated, and the pressure he transmitted was practically different.
Anyone who observed him would judge that he was someone dangerous, mainly for maintaining that predatory look.
"I'll be back in half an hour."
◊❱───────⸂◍⸃───────❰◊
It was almost eleven at night. Brothels were open, with prostitutes outside inviting men to enter. The bars were full, and it was possible to hear the noise of bards singing non-stop when passing by the door.
Despite it being a very lively night, Colin wasn't after drinks or women, he wanted something else.
He moved away from the inn going a bit more north, following the students who stumbled drunk on the sidewalks.
The number of university students visiting such establishments was impressive, it seemed like the entire university had agreed to go out that night.
With his hands in his pockets and a stern face, Colin avoided prostitutes and drunks who didn't want to mess with someone so mean-looking.
When passing in front of a busy bar, he saw a familiar face pass through the door. That was one of the boys who was with Wiben during the attack.
He was flirting with a university girl outside, acting like an idiot while the girl burst into laughter.
"Found you!"