They finally arrived at the dwelling.
From the outside, it was utterly unremarkable.
A small, dark wooden door, worn and scratched as if it had seen decades of use. The walls, made of light-colored stone, were cracked in several places, with tiny bits of mortar missing. The grass around the house grew wild, reaching almost to their knees, swaying gently as if the place had been left entirely untended for weeks. There were no fences, no signs of protective wards, no insignias etched in magic. Nothing about the place screamed "famous mage of the kingdom."
Lyo stopped a few steps short of the entrance, his eyes scanning every detail.
Rael mirrored him, both standing in silence.
The air itself seemed heavier here. Strange, unnatural quiet. No birds chirping, no insects buzzing, not even the faintest rustle of wind in the tall grass. It felt almost as though the world outside had been erased.
Lyo threw a sideways glance at Rael, who met it with equal caution. Neither spoke, yet the tension was impossible to ignore.
— We're here, Lyo finally said, his voice low.
He stepped forward, hand raised, and knocked on the door.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing. Not a sound from within.
Rael frowned.
— Are you sure this is the place?
— Yes. This is the address listed.
Rael raised his hand to knock again, but before it could touch the wood, the door swung open violently.
They instinctively took a half-step back, hearts jumping.
A woman stood before them. Small, almost fragile-looking at first glance, her back slightly bent. Her gray hair was tied neatly into a tight bun. A few wrinkles traced her face, but those wrinkles did nothing to soften the sharp intensity of her gaze. It was cold. Calculating. Clinical, almost.
She scrutinized them as if measuring their very worth.
— You are.
Her words weren't a question. They were a statement, precise and cutting.
— We're the adventurers sent for the protection mission, Lyo said, keeping his tone calm despite the unease curling in his stomach.
The woman's eyes narrowed, cold and assessing.
— Protection… you?
Her gaze slowly moved down their bodies, examining every detail: their weapons, their stances, the way they held themselves, their very ages.
— I asked for adventurers. Not inexperienced children. What is your rank?
Rael answered without hesitation, his voice steady.
— Rank C.
A long, pregnant silence followed. The woman studied them, unblinking, her eyes sharp enough to make even Lyo shift slightly under the weight of her gaze. Finally, she turned.
— Come in.
They exchanged a brief look, a silent agreement that neither had a choice, and stepped across the threshold.
Then the world shifted.
The inside wasn't a house. Not in any sense of the word.
It was… a field.
An enormous field of flowers stretched endlessly before them. Thousands upon thousands of petals, vibrant and alive, swayed gently as if an invisible breeze played through them. The air was impossibly fresh, carrying the intoxicating scent of every flower imaginable. And above them, a sky. Blue, vast, dotted with clouds that drifted lazily across it, as if painted there by some divine hand.
Rael froze, his mouth slightly open.
— This is…
— Impossible, Lyo whispered. His eyes swept over the landscape, taking in every detail—the way the sunlight filtered through the clouds, the shimmer of pollen in the air, the hum of life that didn't exist beyond this field.
They turned instinctively. The door still stood behind them, but beyond it, there was no path, no road. Just a distant wall of dense foliage, the world outside entirely cut off. It was as though this house contained an entirely separate dimension, hidden from anyone who hadn't been summoned inside.
The old woman walked calmly ahead of them, her movements deliberate, her back straightening with an authority that contradicted her frail appearance.
— Are you going to stand there all day? she asked, voice casual, as though it were normal to appear in the middle of a boundless flower field.
Reluctantly, they followed. Rael's eyes were wide, drinking in every detail, every nuance. There were no visible magical distortions. No glowing circles etched into the earth. No floating runes, nothing. Yet the sheer magnitude of the space they occupied defied any logical explanation. Spatial magic, advanced, far beyond anything they had ever encountered.
They reached a small wooden table set in the midst of the field. A teapot rested on top, steam curling lazily into the air.
The woman stopped and turned to face them fully.
— Who are you, and what kind of mission is this? Lyo asked, suspicion dripping from every word.
She studied them for a long moment before sighing, a sound heavy with centuries of patience.
— My name is Mirabel. A healing mage serving the kingdom.
Her gaze lingered, sharp and unwavering.
— You're supposed to know me.
Rael blinked, confusion plain on his face. Lyo remained stoic, though his instincts screamed that something was very wrong here.
Mirabel crossed her arms.
— I'm not one to brag. But I am… somewhat famous in this kingdom.
Silence. No recognition. Not even the faintest flicker.
A crease of annoyance formed on her forehead.
— Incredible… youth these days.
Rael cleared his throat nervously.
— Sorry… we've never heard of that name.
Mirabel's eyes scanned them anew. No lies, no mockery. Just the honest ignorance of youth.
— Hm.
She sat, settling into a chair as though the field itself were nothing extraordinary.
— Ah, yes. The mission.
She lifted a cup of tea from the table, taking a measured sip.
— Unfortunately, it isn't exactly a protection mission.
Both of them tensed immediately.
— The guild normally sends people here so I can test my magical recipes, she continued.
Rael's eyes widened. Lyo stiffened.
— Test… your recipes?
— Yes. Experimental potions. Enhanced healing formulas. Temporary strength elixirs.
She placed the cup down with a delicate clink.
— But lately, no one has accepted.
Her gaze pierced them both.
— So I found a way to bring adventurers.
A heavy silence settled between them.
In her mind, she thought: "Even though I was expecting someone specific." But she kept the words to herself.
— So, she finally asked, will you still take the mission?
Lyo's instincts screamed. Why lie to the guild? Why disguise a test as a protection mission? Why use such colossal spatial magic for a simple healing mage?
Rael, however, was captivated, unable to tear his gaze away from the living, breathing world inside the house. A world within a world. Magic capable of reshaping space itself. It wasn't dangerous—at least, not immediately—but it was breathtaking.
He took a step forward.
— Yes. We'll take it.
Lyo spun toward him sharply.
— Rael.
— We need the money. And she's a kingdom mage, Rael said calmly.
Mirabel's eyes flickered with interest.
— I won't force you, she said softly. But I assure you, you won't die.
Not exactly comforting.
Her magical presence pressed against them, invisible yet overwhelming. Crushing in magnitude, but not aggressive. Just… immense.
Rael drew in a deep breath, steadying himself.
— When do we start?
Mirabel's smile widened just slightly.
— Now.
Slowly, several vials floated down toward them. Red, blue, gold… and one black.
In that surreal flower field, beneath an artificial yet perfect sky, Rael and Lyo understood one thing:
This mission would be nothing like what they had imagined.
Every instinct, every lesson, every prior experience suggested caution. But the wonder, the sheer impossible beauty of the space around them, made that caution hard to maintain.
And so, with hearts both wary and thrilled, they prepared to step into a challenge far stranger—and far more extraordinary—than either of them could have predicted.