Mr. Gharrick's foot slipped on a moss-covered, slick stone. In that same instant, the pendant in his hand slipped free and soared through the air, reflecting a bright green light in the dark cave. All eyes were fixed on the floating pendant—Mr.Gharrick was shocked, the woman was stunned, and Neir froze in place.
Mr. Gharrick could only stare with bated breath. "Ah, like releasing a bird from its cage without knowing where it will fly. This is bad. Very bad."
The pendant moved too quickly to be stopped. Before anyone could do anything, it struck Neir's left eye. A blinding green light erupted, enveloping the small girl's body, filling the entire cave with a terrifying humming sound. The woman stepped back with an expression of fear, while Mr.Gharrick tried to reach for Neir, but the light was too intense.
"This light... it's like fire in a dark night, too bright to be real. What have I done?" Mr. Gharrick tried to steady himself, but his body remained frozen on the brink of helplessness.
"No!" Mr. Gharrick screamed, trying to shield Neir, but the Etherium energy released from the pendant was already too powerful to contain.
He tried to step forward, but vibrations from the Etherium energy shook the ground beneath him. Every inch of the cave felt like it was boiling, reflecting strange sounds not of this world. "This is no ordinary pendant. What's really happening? What have I unleashed?"
In an instant, the green light faded, and Neir collapsed, unconscious. The woman fell silent, her expression turning to confusion mixed with fear.
Mr. Gharrick immediately approached Neir, his heart pounding like a war drum. He checked the little girl's body, but his eyes were drawn to her left eye, which glowed faintly, like a dying ember. "That eye... this isn't a normal Etherium effect. Something is different. Oh, Neir... what have I allowed to happen to you?"
He felt a deep regret piercing his heart. "This carelessness is mine. If I'd been more careful, this wouldn't have happened. I should have been wiser, but I failed to protect what was precious."
The woman, who had previously appeared confident, now retreated with trembling steps. The green light shining from Neir's body seemed to have a strange effect on her own.
"Impossible... this wasn't part of the plan," the woman muttered. Her face now looked paler, and her body began to lose balance. The scattered Etherium in the cave seemed to slide like water drawn to its source—toward Neir.
"No... not like this! Etherium isn't supposed to react like this!" the woman screamed, but her voice was interrupted by a harsh cough. Black blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, making Mr.Gharrick flinch.
"Her body can't withstand the Etherium pressure returning to Neir. That's clear. She did something she shouldn't have. But is this a just retribution? Or is it simply her own foolishness destroying her?" Mr. Gharrick thought.
Within seconds, the woman fell to the ground, her body convulsing before finally lying still. The remaining Etherium around her vanished, leaving a terrifying silence in the cave.
Mr. Gharrick heaved a heavy sigh, but not from relief. "She died a tragic death, but can I blame her entirely? All this feels like a domino effect of bad decisions."
He looked at Neir, limp and weak in his arms. "Neir... I should have been able to protect you. You're just a child, you don't deserve to face all this. And now... you have to bear something even I don't understand."
Mr. Gharrick closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his mind. "That light... its reaction to the pendant. This can't be just a coincidence. If this green pendant is truly made of ancient Etherium, as I suspected, then its material composition must be more complex than an ordinary catalyst."
He recalled fragments of knowledge from the library. "To create an effect like this, it requires pure Etherium stabilized by special materials, like Shadriun crystal or Illvaria root powder. But in her hands? Did she mix it with something wrong? Perhaps this Etherium energy is too wild to control."
He looked at Neir again. "One thing is certain, this small body won't survive without consequences. This pendant, like a double-edged sword, has given her something, but at what price?"
Mr. Gharrick carefully lifted Neir. His steps were slow, but his heart was heavy like a stone sinking to the bottom of the sea. "I must find answers. I've lost control of this situation, but I won't lose Neir."
---
Mr. Gharrick stepped out of the cave with Neir in his arms. His breath was ragged, but his steps remained measured. Like an archer knowing his last arrow is his final hope, he couldn't afford to miss. The mysterious woman, whether alive or dead, was left behind. Now, there was only one goal in his mind: to save Neir.
The night sky above the dark forest was illuminated by a faint moon. The sounds of wild animals were occasionally heard, but Mr.Gharrick kept walking. When a wolf crossed his path, he moved with the precision of a hunter familiar with the terrain.
The journey out of the forest felt like trying to read a book in the dark. Time seemed to stretch, yet every passing second gnawed at his calm. After hours, he finally reached the forest's edge. Night was nearly over, the cold air bit sharply, and his body was covered in sweat and dirt.
"Neir, you must hold on. I won't let this end badly," he whispered.
Quickly, he headed toward the village, walking through long, quiet streets. He knew where to go—the house of Ersa, a healer known for her skill and, more importantly, for her spirit that remained unshaken in critical situations.
In front of Ersa's house, Mr. Gharrick knocked urgently. "Ersa! It's me, Gharrick!" he called.
No answer.
Mr. Gharrick knocked harder. Finally, the door opened. Ersa stood in the doorway with an unhappy expression. Her eyes were narrowed, her face showing signs of someone who had just been forced awake from sleep.
"Gharrick, you know it's the middle of the night, right? What are you doing here?" she snapped.
"Ersa, I need your help. This girl..." He glanced at Neir, weak in his arms. "She's injured. Badly."
Ersa stopped her protest. Her annoyed expression vanished as quickly as a shadow swept away by light. "Come in. Quick," she said.
Mr. Gharrick followed Ersa into her workspace—a small room filled with herbs, glass bottles, and medical equipment. He laid Neir on the patient bed as if placing a fragile and precious object.
Ersa immediately sprang into action. Her hands skillfully checked Neir's condition, searching for signs of stable life. But then, she stopped. Her hand touched Neir's forehead, and her eyes narrowed as if examining something unusual.
"What happened to her?" Ersa asked sharply.
Mr. Gharrick took a deep breath, trying to piece together a coherent explanation amidst his chaotic thoughts. He told her everything that had happened: the kidnapping, the strange ritual, the shattering green pendant, and how Neir finally fainted.
Ersa's face changed. Worry was clearly visible. She let out a long sigh and sat beside Neir's bed. "This is bad, Gharrick. Very bad."
"What do you mean?" asked Mr.Gharrick, though his heart had felt uneasy from the start.
"The Etherium in that pendant... it's unstable. This girl was hit by its fragments, right? That's no ordinary wound."
Mr. Gharrick straightened his posture. His eyes sharply stared at Ersa, though his mind felt like a tangled knot. "I know Etherium can be dangerous," he thought. "But what's its effect on this child?"
Ersa continued in a softer tone, almost like a whisper. "There are two possibilities. First, she might recover completely. But the second possibility..."
"...what's the second possibility?" pressed Mr.Gharrick.
"Her senses could change. Unstable Etherium often affects the body in unnatural ways. She could lose some of her functions, or even experience changes we've never seen before."
Mr. Gharrick fell silent, trying to digest her words. In his mind, he knew what Ersa said made sense—all the theories about Etherium he'd ever read supported it. But this time, the situation felt far more personal, and the scientific logic clashed with his emotional concern.
"So, you're saying she might never be the same again?" he asked quietly.
Ersa looked at him with tired eyes. "I can't be sure. But that chance exists."
Mr. Gharrick gripped the chair beside Neir's bed, trying to calm himself. "Neir is a strong child," he thought. "But will this break her?"
Ersa raised her hands and began chanting an incantation. She used ordinary mana, touching Neir's closed eyes and checking the energy flow within the girl's body.
After a while, she removed her hands. "She's stable for now. But I don't know what will happen later. You must monitor her condition carefully."
Mr. Gharrick nodded, though his mind was still filled with various worst-case scenarios. "Like trying to solve a puzzle without enough clues," he thought.
Ersa sat beside him, letting out a long sigh. "Gharrick, this child still has a great chance to recover. You know how strong children can be in difficult situations."
Mr. Gharrick stood up, bowing politely to Ersa. "Thank you, Ersa. I'll take her home now."
Ersa only gave a slow nod before returning to her room.
On the way home, Mr.Gharrick passed the ruins of the library. He paused for a moment, looking at the place with sad eyes. "Like an old book that has lost all its pages, this place has lost its soul," he murmured.
When he arrived at Neir's house, he knocked softly on the door. The door opened, revealing Mariela's panicked face.
"Neir!" exclaimed Mariela. Seeing her daughter unconscious, she immediately took Neir's body from Mr.Gharrick's arms. Her face turned into a mix of anger and anxiety.
Mr. Gharrick tried to speak, "She—"
But Mariela gave him no chance. She carried Neir into the house without a word, slamming the door shut before Mr.Gharrick could explain further.
Mr. Gharrick stood in front of the door for a moment, then let out a long sigh. With heavy steps, he turned and walked away, leaving the house under the cold moonlight.
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