When I returned to the Dungeon, even on the first floor I could feel a fundamental difference, the feeling I felt was the same as when I was in the Cradle of Fairies or Spirits, I could also see some Spirits and Infant Fairies nearby.
"..." (I)
Without saying anything I went straight to the city floor, as soon as I put my feet on that floor I could feel the same sensation as the first floor much stronger now.
As soon as I left the safe room I got scared, even inside the Dungeon the Elemental energies still followed some kind of flow, that was the flow of the Dungeon, there was never energy of nature inside the Dungeon.
But now I was feeling a strong energy of nature that I can only compare with a World Tree, of course, it doesn't compare, the level of energy of nature is far below what I feel near World Trees, but I have no other example to compare.
I could also feel that the energies were more in order than before, I remember that every energy had its own flow, but now all the flows are parts of a whole as if it were a single flow.
"(Wake me up... come... I wait for you)" (Layla)
"(Wake me up... come... I wait for you)" (Nix)
"..." (I)
But those weren't the only changes I felt, I could hear Layla and Nix in my head, it was their voices, but it didn't sound like the way they spoke, mostly they were saying the exact same thing.
The connection with them still existed, it felt stronger than before, but somehow I could feel a presence derived from the girls reaching out to me through our connections.
"Something wrong, Dad?" (Vanessa)
"I feel something different around me, but I don't know exactly what it could be?" (Alice)
"I don't feel anything, so I'm going ahead, come with me Samira" (Elsaris)
"I want to eat something sweet..." (Samira)
"I'm going back to my lab, I have a lot of information to process and I don't care about any of it." (Nicole)
"Interesting..." (Elizabeth)
I stayed put to just focus on my connections with my two Familiars and was able to track them back to the same places they were when I left the Dungeon.
"Go ahead, take this to me, Freya." (I)
I throw the supposed gift that Luminus handed to me with Freya as I pull it out of my pocket and throw it towards her, I do this while running towards Nix who was close at hand.
I could feel their call, I could feel that they still needed me and I ran to Nix, but as soon as I was at the edge of the lake I noticed that the waterfall stopped in time and the Lake seemed to reflect a starry sky when in fact the sky above was with the Sun close to reaching its highest point.
As soon as I arrived I noticed ripples in the water of the lake originating in the center, then I felt eyes on me, it was only now that I noticed the Spirits everywhere, they were just there looking without doing anything.
"(Here... here... Zenos is... here...)" (Nix)
When I heard that voice inside my head again I realized that something was rising from the center of the lake, it was Nix, but it looked exactly the same as before if it weren't for his eyes being full of stars like that lake.
She walked towards me with a form just half transformed into a Dragon walking over the water of the lake, she came towards me when I thought I was getting a hug, then suddenly I feel a strong bite on my neck before my blood is sucked out.
I just waited without doing anything to her knowing it must be something important, just as I was waiting to see what would happen, I could feel my blood dissolve into pure energy that spread through her body before leaking out like a red mist of water your body.
I could feel it as it blended with the environment itself, I could see the flow of nature energy in this place swirling around Nix like a heart, I could also feel it as this red mist mixed with that nature energy.
At this moment my shadow moves on its own in front of me where it makes contact with the lake, so in the star-filled image inside the lake it revealed a door that started to open.
When the door opened fully a column of energy rose out of the lake made of pure Spirit energy spreading energy around until the column of energy disappeared.
Nix stops kicking my blood and a pulsation starts inside her, then the environment starts pulsing in the same rhythm until everything calms down and Nix turns to me revealing her eyes return to normal just like mine.
"You took a long time waking up this time." (I)
"If you think it's easy?" (Nix)
"Of course not, but it would be nice to communicate a little better next time." (I)
I take her hand and we sit on the edge of the lake as we watch the mundanes, visually nothing has changed but we can both feel the real changes taking place.
The lake continued to reflect a starry sky that was not above with an open door in the reflection, the only change was the waterfall that was stopped before falling again as it opens like a curtain revealing 2 crystal statues an age of Nix in its form of Dragon while the second statue was of the God of Spirits.
"I have to go now, are you going to be okay?" (I)
"Yes, but I'm going to need some time to get everything in order." (Nix)
"Take your time." (I)
I get up and go to the back of the mansion where the Fairies' crib is, it doesn't take me long to find Layla.
Unlike Nix who only showed up when I got to the lake, I found Layla right in front of me as soon as I got to the flower garden.
I wanted to speak but before I even had the chance she floated to where she was and waited, I know Nix needed my blood and I thought I'd offer it to Layla but before I had that opportunity 4 roots came up out of the ground and through my back before I could start absorbing my blood.
I was close to fighting it out of pure instinct when Layla put her hands on the ground as she landed, then while bent over a flower opened on her back as a red energy rose from the ground to her hand as it passed through her entire small body before passing through the flower like a transparent red liquid that was sent in all directions as it blended with its surroundings.
The process Layla was going through was different and faster, I just had to stare, I could leave everything to her.
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Pov Alice:
I saw Mr. Zenos leaving and I was about to leave when Freya threw something in my hands, when I looked it was the thing Zenos received from Luminus, so I recognized who it was and kept it in a good place.
I looked at his Sisters as they surrounded me they didn't take anything from my hands but were they wanting to have a look at what's going on?
"What do you think?" (Natasha)
"He should thank you, this will save a lot of time." (Elizabeth)
"I could get that, but I don't need that kind of thing." (Natasha)
"I can take it, but it wouldn't be useful, the message seems clear." (Caitlyn)
The three started talking while ignoring my presence, which is good since I know what these three are capable of and I don't want to be on the bad side of any of them 3.
"Just don't let others bother you." (Freya)
"I'll be fine, but it looks like we have a lot of things to sort out." (I)
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Pov Alan:
On the way back I had to join Zenos' group again, I went with him back to the Dungeon, I was with my brother and my team keeping a little away from Zenos' group.
"What can I do to get even more..." (I)
I still remember the way I fought, I think the worst of my fights was in that forest, having my senses blocked like that was more than strange.
I need to find alternative ways to use my senses or at least acquire a new sense, that would be enough to give me a fighting chance without relying on the help of the madmen beside Zenos.
That would have helped, but it won't be enough, I need something that can leverage my power once more, I don't want to depend too much on Zenos and his group.
I see Zenos leaving and followers of him, as well as his sisters, started acting up because of something Freya threw at them, it seems to have been something important.
"Let's go back, I don't want to see these situations anymore." (I)
If I let these people go, they'll waste their whole day on these pointless things, so I wave to the rest of my team as well as my big brother.
I just wanted to eat something before throwing myself into training once more, I have to fix my mistakes I made in these last few battles, next time.
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