CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: DIMENSION
I watch the sky, mesmerized by its fucking beauty. The bluish color of it is like the ocean, the only difference is that the sea dances with waves. As I look at it, I realize that there's no cloud in any part of the sky.
An idea came to my mind, so I had to try but I don't have enough mana for it, so before I could decide to just wait for her and let her kill me, I moved my body to just stand up. I focus my remaining mana on my chest, where it hurts so bad I want to rip it off to stop the pain.
I reach the pocket on my coat to get the potion I made last week, and I immediately remove the cork from the potion bottle. I didn't even think twice to drink the whole two bottles, may this replenish my fucking mana or just wash the pain away that I'm feeling right now.
She's just one meter away from me when I was able to cast a spell to fly upward, not just a simple fly or float to avoid her, but to plunge myself into the sky.
There, I saw all of them fighting. Craige is dealing with Raiven's copycat while Lira and the others are also dealing with some people they probably know, or as this illusion wants, it is to face the person you hate, love, or even the person that you want to compete with.
Or is it?
Craige and Raiven are using swords to fight each other, you can see how serious they are in their fight. As if this is the time to show who's stronger and weaker than the other. There are times my eyes can't even catch their moves. One moment they're facing each other, and the next their swords are already meeting again. Neither of them seems willing to back down.
Craige glances in my direction, and for a brief moment, I see the worry in his eyes. But that's all he can do. Raiven charges at him again, forcing him to raise his sword and meet the attack. The clash of metal echoes through the battlefield as the two become locked in combat once more.
Instead of staying where I am, I force my body to move. Everything feels heavy, as if my body is carrying twice its weight even though I'm up here. My muscles ache, and my chest still burns from the pain, but staying still is not an option. Not when Avelyne is still hunting me. Not when one mistake could get me killed.
I need to find where Grace is, but I couldn't find her. I look down to see where Avelyne is. My face turn grimace when I couldn't see her anymore.
I need to fly forward more, when I am about to go to another direction, to the east, it is too late for me because she's already in front of me.
She didn't even wait for me to sink in that she's in front of me and attack me with a simple spell, but powerful enough to make me fall into the river.
"Astral Veyr."
The spell sounded almost like a whisper, but the force behind it was monstrous.
"Fuck!"
I cursed loudly, the word coming out sharp. I didn't even plan to do anything, but I could feel the water dragging my body down, pulling me with the current. I got swept along until I slammed into a big rock. It hurts like hell.
I grabbed onto the rock and used it to steady myself, forcing my body up so I wouldn't get carried away again. I held on tight just to keep myself stay sane.
"Fucking copycat!"
Again, I pulled out another potion and drank it. I need to figure out its weakness. I'm sure these copies are stronger versions of the original they were copied from. Most of the time, they copy whoever they see as the strongest.
I smirked when I realized something.
I'm not even in it.
Whoever created this… fuck you!
I raised my middle finger to the sky as if that could make my blood boil less.
Stupid mages, if this is all for politics as to why this is happening, I am gonna swear to all living mages that I will not stop until I hunt every one of them…but on the other hand, can I even do that knowing that I can't even fight this copycat on the same level without any tricks, all I can think is run and just hide.
I need Grace, she's the only one who can figure out a spell to fucking get out of this.
I forced myself back to my feet and searched for enough strength to hide behind a massive tree. Its trunk was thick enough to hide a carriage, its roots twisting through the earth like giant snakes. I pressed myself against the rough bark and fought to steady my breathing.
"Ready or not, Seraphina. Here I come... where are you?" A chill ran down my spine at the sound of her cold voice.
I had no idea how much longer I could keep running and hiding from her, but it was the only thing I could do right now. Every second I spent fighting would only bring me closer to death.
It's not like I knew any powerful spells. The only magic I had learned consisted of the basics, and even those weren't enough to make a difference against someone like her.
The worst part was that this body had always been weak, limiting everything I tried to do. Every spell drained more mana than it should.
I want to dry myself, but that would require another mana, and I need to save every mana I have.
"Fucking illusion," I muttered to myself as I look my uniform, soaked. I slowly remove my cloak.
"Is this even an illusion? Why does it feel like—" That stops me from moving and saying anything as I realized one thing.
This is not an illusion.
I suddenly remembered my opponent, she was also taking damage, and she could still feel pain.
This is a dimension, this is not even an illusion space.
It's fucking real with some trick huh.
It is a dimension. We are stuck in here. Everything is real. The water is too real for it to be just an illusion. Usually, you will not notice it, but an illusion will not make you soak like this, it will dry immediately, the moment you step out of the river, but I'm still soaked like a kid.
Mud sticks to my boots. Dust clings to my coat. My wounds still ache.
Everything here is real.
I am not really well-versed in the difference between illusion and dimensions. But in this kind of closed dimension that fools your sense into thinking that this is an illusion, you're doomed.
There are three ways to escape.
First, to find the artifact the mage used to create this, it can be a magic circle or anything that can be used as an anchor. Second, defeat the creator or fulfill the dimension's conditions. The last one, the safest but the most brutal way of escaping, is to survive until the spell expires.
Probably, these copies are not even the copies…and that would make me want more to pulverize that girl, knowing they might not be just copies.
Could I even defeat her?
A smirk crept across my face before turning into a laugh. The kind of laugh that would've made me sound like a fucking villain.
Fucking weak-ass body.
Before I can even think, I throw my cloak to the ground and step out from behind the tree where I am hiding. In that moment, our eyes meet immediately as I watch her smirk turn into a sinister look.
"Look who found the courage to show her face now." In an instant, she moves again forward and gonna attack me.
"Are you ready to meet your death?" Before she can even finish speaking, she suddenly rushes toward me, her hands already forming a spell, a very familiar one.
"Damn it, Seraphina!" I hear every ounce of frustration in Craige's voice as he suddenly lifts me out of the way before Avelyne's spell can hit me.
Her spell is a destructive one, a combination of fire and magma.
The moment it crashes into the ground, the earth explodes. Flames burst outward while molten rock tears through the soil, leaving behind a massive crater. The heat alone is enough to sting my skin even from several meters away.
My eyes widen as I stare at the destruction.
That would've killed me.
That would've killed me.
Craige runs at full speed even while carrying me.
"Stop trying to get yourself killed," he snaps.
Before I know it, I'm already slung over his shoulder. I didn't even notice when he picked me up. My mind is still stuck on the spell Avelyne unleashed. I turn my head and look at her.
"I'm not."
Am I not? It looks like I was.
"Tsk." The sound alone tells me he doesn't believe a single word I said. Honestly, I don't want to die either, especially not at the hands of that woman.
Avelyne grins before letting out a laugh.
"How touching," she shouts as she chases after us.
She's fast.
Too fast.
The trees around us blur together as she moves through the forest. For a moment, it almost looks like the trees are the ones moving instead of her. One second she's several meters away, and the next she's already closing the distance between us.
"Do you want me kill that bad that you're willing to chase me? How cheap." I want to provoke her because I know myself, I will not stand a chance.
"If I can kill you, that would thrill me." Sagot niya.
"So. Fucking. Stop. Running." She emphasizes every word, her voice dripping with murderous intent. The moment the last word leaves her mouth, she thrusts her hand forward.
A crimson magic circle flashes into existence beneath her palm.
My eyes widen.
"Craige—!"
A torrent of molten fire erupts from the circle, tearing through the forest like a raging beast. Trees instantly burst into flames as the spell devours everything in its path.
Craige cannot help but curse under his breath after Avelyne just threw the spell at us without any second thoughts. The blast crashes into the ground where we were a second ago. I see how the ground shakes because of the spell. The explosion sends dirt, rocks, and burning debris flying into the air.
"Fucking. Hell." I can't help but shout.