The next day, Fay woke up feeling somewhat refreshed. He finally had a cozy bed to himself, well, with Mira beside him… and a small dragon too.

It seemed that Mirage only changed back into her dragon form while she slept.

Right now, she was curled up as a small, adorable dragon and Mira was using her as a pillow.

Fay decided to ignore them for now.

He cracked his neck as he sat up.

There was a lot to do today and not nearly enough time.

First on his list was hunting, the real kind of hunting.

Yesterday, he had only chased creatures while riding Grin, letting Horin do most of the work with her bow.

But today, he was going to find a kill one of those long-necked beasts by himself.

He just hoped Mirage would have the strength to carry it back. If not, they could always let her eat the heaviest parts.

A few hours later, they were already outside.

Horin hugged her father, who now used a crutch specially crafted by Elaruîn.

"We'll hopefully be back in a few hours, Dad… please try not to move around too much!"

She hugged him tightly. Lately, she had become more expressive, and Fay knew it was because of the incident that had nearly taken her father's life.

Still… he couldn't help but like this new side of her. She had always been so guarded and serious before.

"Don't worry about me and have fun. I'm sure with the boy around, nothing will happen to you… Just make sure he doesn't go crazy. Also… keep an eye on him, he tends to go overboard," Nahrin said, loud enough for Fay to hear clearly.

Fay nodded at the warning as he finished fastening the hardened leather armor that the Eluwyn had crafted for him.

It was dark teal with bronze-trimmed edges, extremely light yet reinforced enough to withstand a stab or two, offering both protection and mobility.

He particularly liked the patterns etched along the shoulders and sleeves.

A sturdy belt secured his new sword at his side, completing the look.

The two then prepared as Mirage flapped her wings, readying herself.

"Mira, wish me luck, I will bring you good food today!"

The small girl jumped in excitement as she hurried back to Harriett, who beckoned for her.

"Now give me your hands. I'm not carrying you on my back in dragon form," Mirage said, her tone making it clear she disliked the idea.

She grabbed both Horin's and Fay's hands, lifting them effortlessly.

Fay already knew his arms would ache after the long flight ahead, while Horin looked equally displeased at being carried like baggage, but neither of the two said anything.

Even fully armored and with weapons strapped on, the small dragon girl lifted them like they weighed nothing.

It gave not only Fay and Horin a sense of just how strong she was, even in this form, but also left an impression on those watching.

Fay turned to glance at Mira one last time before they vanished into the sky.

Flying with Mirage wasn't easy. Her speed made it hard to stay steady, and the wind tugged at them constantly, pulling Fay and Horin back at times.

This happened especially in those moments when a strong breeze crashed into them.

Neither of them complained, but they were clearly struggling and imagining the countless kilometers still ahead that made the journey feel even more daunting.

And it certainly was.

Two hours later, they finally arrived at a place that would've taken days to reach on foot.

They crossed barren wastelands, forests, hills, and even small mountains before finally catching sight of the lush, green fields that had patches of gold in some places.

Below them roamed countless creatures, some hunting, some fleeing, many moving in herds for protection.

It was a deeply emotional moment for Horin, who knew this place well.

Though she had never explored all its corners due to the dangers, this land was where she had grown up. This was where she, her mother, and her father had shared memories.

A place she had always hoped to return to once things settled.

Fay, meanwhile, was busy analyzing everything from above. With an aerial view of the savanna, he studied the animal movements, their herd sizes, their territories, and most importantly, which ones he might be able to target for a successful hunt.

He noticed the land looked just as he remembered until his eyes caught a darkened patch on the horizon.

A dead zone where even the grass there had begun to wither.

"What is that?" he asked.

Both Horin and Mirage turned to stare at the spot in the distance.

"I think… It's a gate," Fay said slowly. "Just like the one I came through. But… how? I thought it had disappeared."

Fay felt a chill run through him.

He knew what plagued animals could do with how much damage they'd already caused in the Eluwyn forest.

If a gate had opened here, too, it meant more corrupted creatures could spread… which in turn meant that maybe even more people would fall ill.

"We have to check it out," he said. "We can't afford another outbreak like the one back in the forest."

Without hesitation, Mirage turned and began to descend.

The area surrounding the gate was eerily empty.

No animals roamed near it, almost as if every creature instinctively knew to stay away.

[Boy. That… that is the third one. These connections they're forming between worlds more frequently than expected. I have been warned.]

The voice of the Guide echoed in his mind, heavier than usual, almost grim in tone.

Fay flew in closer and felt it again: that same crushing pressure he'd experienced the first time he crossed into this world.

"What do we do?" he asked, sensing the Guide was deep in thought.

[Destroy it. And find any nearby mutations. Your dragon should be more than powerful enough to handle this.]

Fay nodded. He had confidence in Mirage.

"Mirage... you know what to do… I hope."

The girl gave a lazy nod, then stepped forward. She exhaled a stream of fire, bright and searing. The portal rippled like boiling water before it suddenly cracked like glass shattering without leaving a trace.

"That was… surprisingly simple," Fay muttered, blinking.

He glanced at Horin, wondering if they should help clear out any mutations nearby.

"Don't worry about those," Mirage said, stretching her arms. "Just focus on hunting. Find me something tasty! I remember one of your memories saying not to eat mutations… so they're just going to be a waste of my aether."

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