Ren swallowed hard, his throat dry as parchment. The oppressive weight of the Queen's presence pressed down on him like an invisible hand squeezing his lungs. Elizabeth's fingers dug painfully into his arm, her crimson eyes wide with barely contained terror.
"We… we don't know," Ren finally managed, his voice hoarse. "We didn't mean to disturb anything. I woke up here… in this forest. The mirror, the portal—none of it was intentional. We don't understand what's happening in Noctiflora."
Elizabeth nodded quickly, her large breasts rising and falling rapidly beneath her black witch dress. "He speaks the truth, Your Majesty. I found him injured near the ruins. I sheltered him, healed him… but we never intended to shatter the balance. Please—"
Before either of them could say another word, the ground beneath their feet erupted.
