Marin slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in a strange world devoid of any sign of technology. The trees were tall, and the air carried the scent of soil she was unaccustomed to. She looked beside her and saw Lilia standing near a tree trunk, her eyes clouded with bewilderment and suspicion.
Lilia asked nervously: "Marin... Where are we?"
Marin answered, looking around anxiously: "I don't know... Are we dreaming?"
Their contemplation was brief, as a violent quarrel not far from them caught their attention. A man with long brown hair and green eyes, with a strange stitched mark at the corners of his lips... was eliminating his opponents one after another with a cold winning smile. He ran close to them without giving them any attention.
But before they could grasp what was happening, a strong hand stretched out and grabbed Lilia's arm.
She shrieked: "What?! Leave me alone!"
She tried to wriggle free, while Marin grabbed a small stone and hurled it at the man with all her might. She cried out while throwing more: "Run towards the village! Quickly!"
Lilia managed to break free and ran behind Marin, striking anyone who approached her. Before she got away, her eyes met those of the fighter himself... He was watching the scene with boredom, with no clear desire to intervene.
They finally reached the village, and Lilia gasped for breath: "What is going on here? Are these a gang? My heart almost stopped..."
Marin patted her shoulder, trying to calm her: "Doesn't this seem... like a fantasy novel world?"
Lilia looked at her with worry: "Don't tell me you're starting to think those absurdities now!"
Marin smiled faintly: "Maybe... but the place looks a bit like the Victorian Era. Anyway, we need to find a way back."
They walked through the dusty alleyways until Lilia sat on the ground exhausted: "I want to go back! What is this annoying place?!"
Marin, meanwhile, was busy stroking stray cats that passed nearby: "Try to pull yourself together... Panic won't help us."
Before Lilia could stand up, she bumped into the chest of a bandit. She recoiled in horror, seeing daggers being drawn from their sheaths.
Marin stood in front of her, shielding her, while she looked up at a nearby high wall... The same strange man was sitting there, watching them.
He said dismissively: "Hello... Do you need help?"
Marin replied impatiently: "Isn't it obvious?!"
The man crossed one leg over the other, smiling: "Well, how much will you pay for me to get them away from you?"
Marin lightly searched her pockets with a sliver of hope... Nothing. "How about you consider it a charitable act?"
He gave her a bored look: "Two tourists with no money?"
Lilia intervened in a composed voice despite her fear: "We are not tourists. We are lost... so you won't gain anything from us. Just let us pass."
The man lazily flipped a small dagger between his fingers: "Pathetic... I was planning to rob you. But I see you're poorer than I am. So, I have nothing to do with what happens to you."
Anger blazed on Marin's face: "Step aside or else...!"
At that moment, a pure blue crystal on her forehead lit up, glowing with a strange intensity.
One of the men shouted in fear: "Edgar! She's a witch! We must kill her immediately!"
The man—Edgar—raised an eyebrow coldly: "That's not magic... Are you from the Temple?"
Marin backed away, pulling Lilia with her: "From the Temple?! I don't follow any religion!"
Edgar stood in their way with scrutinizing eyes: "No religion... and possessing a holy power? What nonsense is this?"
But Marin didn't wait; she pulled her friend and they ran away. Strangely, Edgar and his men did not follow them.
**
They sat near a stone fountain, the surface of the water rippling over their weary faces. Marin said: "It really looks like we're inside a novel's world..."
Lilia replied, trying to process what happened: "I don't want to believe that... but what did that man say? Holy power?!"
"He must be raving," Marin said nervously.
Lilia brought her hand closer, touching the mark that was still faintly glowing on her friend's forehead: "But it's actually there..."
Marin looked at her reflection in the water with astonishment and horror: "Where did this come from?!"
They tried to think... but exhaustion overwhelmed their minds. Marin slept in one of the alleyways, while Lilia wandered aimlessly until she was drawn by a strange energy... an energy she couldn't resist, as if she were hypnotized towards something.
**
In the morning, Marin opened her eyes in a panic. Lilia was not beside her. She called out in a trembling voice: "Lilia?! Where are you?! LILIAA!"