After passing through the tornado, a brief moment of calm settled in, but no one dared to breathe a sigh of relief. They still had no idea how far they were from their destination—or what other horrors awaited them on the way.
Ethan, still sitting on Fayra's back, let out a tired sigh.
"Just one question… What are we gonna fall into next? A sea full of sea monsters? An active volcano? Or maybe straight into the mouth of a giant?"
Luna smirked mischievously.
"If you want, I can arrange another freefall for you!"
Ethan shot her a half-lidded glare.
"Look, after that death tornado, no joke can affect me anymore… What I really need right now is a therapist."
Selena, still on high alert, stared into the distance.
"Alright, we got past that part, but there's still a long way to go. If Fayra's calculations are correct, our destination should be inside that dark region."
Everyone turned their gaze in the direction she pointed.
In the far distance, a dark and mysterious land stretched before them. A thick black mist swirled above it, and sunlight barely reached its surface.
Alice gulped and muttered in horror,
"Oh, great. Just look at that place… It's screaming 'Welcome to Hell.'"
Fayra's eyes still gleamed with determination.
"Well, then we better hurry. Every second we waste, that dark version of Ethan is getting stronger!"
Without hesitation, the three dragons increased their speed, flying straight toward the Land of Darkness… But this time, an unsettling feeling washed over them.
A Heavy Presence – A Power Floating in the Air!
The closer they got to the Land of Darkness, the heavier the air became. It was as if something unseen was pushing them back.
Ethan frowned.
"Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like their body is getting heavier?"
Selena nodded seriously.
"This must be the effect of dark energy… It's like this land doesn't want anyone entering."
Alice, now struggling to keep her balance on Luna's back, looked pale.
"Okay, I get it… But why does it feel like I'm experiencing double gravity?!"
Luna glanced downward and grumbled,
"Damn it… This—"
The Land of Darkness – A Realm That Pushes Everyone Back!
Luna glanced down and grumbled,
"Damn it… Something's pulling us down!"
Selena frowned.
"No, this isn't just normal gravity… This place is actively trying to keep us out."
The air was getting heavier by the second, and flying was becoming harder for the three dragons. Their wings seemed to bend under some invisible pressure, and even breathing was a struggle!
Ethan, now feeling completely drained, clenched his teeth and yelled,
"We can't give up here! We have to find a way to get inside!"
Fayra, trying to keep her wings steady, said with difficulty,
"I've got an idea… But it might be really stupid."
Alice, who had already shut her eyes out of fear, screamed,
"Stupid or not, just say it!"
Fayra took a deep breath.
"If we dive straight down at full speed, we might be able to break through this invisible barrier!"
Silence.
Ethan let out a dry chuckle.
"So, you're suggesting… we throw ourselves from the sky and hope we don't die?"
Luna, eyes shining with excitement, shouted,
"Oh, hell yeah! Now that's the kind of craziness I love! Let's do it!"
Selena hesitated.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea…"
Fayra smirked.
"Got a better one?"
Selena sighed, saying nothing. They all knew Fayra was right.
Fayra signaled to the other dragons.
"Alright, everyone get ready. We're going full-speed down. The moment you feel like we're close to hitting the ground, spread your wings to slow down."
Ethan, trying really hard to act like he wasn't terrified, mumbled,
"Oh yeah, sure, just casually falling from the sky into a pitch-black death trap… Exactly what I expected from a nice and peaceful trip."
Fayra shouted,
"Alright—HERE WE GO!"
Freefall – Breaking Through the Darkness!
In an instant, all three dragons folded their wings, turning into black meteors as they plunged toward the ground at an insane speed!
The wind slammed against their faces, and Alice's terrified screams were completely lost in the howling air.
Ethan yelled,
"Just saying—this is probably the dumbest thing I've ever done!"
Luna cackled like a maniac.
"And it's just getting started!"
Faster, faster—until suddenly, everything changed!
It was like they had passed through an invisible curtain. The crushing weight vanished, and suddenly, they could move freely again!
Fayra shouted,
"NOW! Open your wings!"
The dragons spread their wings, slowing down just in time to land on the hard ground below.
Silence.
Everyone just sat there, trying to catch their breath.
Alice, still keeping her eyes shut, whispered,
"We… we're still alive?"
Ethan stumbled off Fayra's back, looking completely done with life.
"Oh yeah, we're alive… but I think my soul just aged ten years."
Selena scanned the area, her voice low.
"Well, we made it inside… But this place is… really weird."
Ethan finally looked up, taking in their surroundings. Now that they had passed through, he could actually see the Land of Darkness for himself… And honestly, it was way creepier than he imagined.
The Land of the Dead – A Place Where Everything Feels… Lifeless.
The sky was completely black, not a single star in sight. No wind, no sounds—just pure silence. Around them, all they could see were dead trees, cracked ground, and massive, jagged rocks.
Luna muttered uneasily,
"It's like… there's nothing alive here."
Ethan took a step forward, feeling a strange sensation in his gut. It was like this place was watching them.
Selena, tense, warned,
"We need to be really careful. There could be traps here that we can't see."
Alice gulped.
"And what if some giant monster just pops out of the ground?"
Ethan exhaled.
"Let's not manifest that into reality, okay?"
And right as he said that—
The ground beneath them started shaking.
Everyone froze.
Fayra's eyes widened in horror.
"…Ethan… I think you just jinxed us."
The earth cracked, something massive moving beneath it.
Ethan, face pale, muttered,
"Welp. Time to RUN!"