At last, the long-awaited day arrived — the day Lizzy could finally step out from the hiding place that had served as her cage for nearly four long weeks. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she would be able to see sunlight again.
The moment she awoke, Lizzy couldn't stop smiling. It bubbled up in her chest, warm and bright, something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Milliane, of course, noticed it immediately.
"You look happy, Lizzy." The little girl was already there, helping Lizzy pack, her small hands moving with practiced gentleness. She would also be Lizzy's guide today — the exit they needed to take was different from the one Lizzy had entered through.
Lizzy, now fully dressed and standing with her bag strapped over her shoulder, turned to Milliane with a grin so wide it nearly hurt her cheeks. "I'm just… really excited! I can't believe I'll finally be free again!"
Milliane giggled softly but wagged a finger. "Remember what Brother Revanio said — don't act recklessly."
Lizzy puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "You sound exactly like your brother."
Instead of getting offended, Milliane burst into laughter. "That's because we are like siblings," she replied brightly.
Lizzy only pursed her lips, refusing to fire back — she knew too well that doing so would only make her miss her own older brother even more. Even now, the thought of Ernez tightened her chest with longing.
They still hadn't found a way to send her back to Earth. So she would have to endure a bit longer. One day, she convinced herself, one day I will return home. I just need to be patient… Brother must be waiting for me.
After making sure everything was ready, Lizzy and Milliane set off. They traveled through a narrow corridor on the opposite side of the hideout — smaller and more cramped than the path Lizzy had taken when she first arrived. They walked down the long hallway, descended and ascended stair after stair, until finally the wooden exit door stood before them.
Lizzy's hazelnut eyes lit up the moment Milliane opened it. A burst of orange light spilled inside, so bright it made Lizzy squint and wrinkle her forehead.
Even if it wasn't exactly the scenery she had imagined, the sight of Planet Laurel Zero Five in the daylight stirred her excitement all the same. To her, the landscape resembled an Earth-like sunset — an orange sky painted with streaks of pale clouds drifting gently across the heavens.
And somewhere in that glowing sky, sunlight shimmered like a soft ember cast over a world she still didn't understand.
The sight before her wasn't merely a landscape — it felt like the world unfolding itself for the first time. But Lizzy hardly had time to marvel before Milliane gently tugged her sleeve.
"Well then, my job ends here. From this point on, Brother Revanio will take over. See you at home, Lizzy." Milliane waved cheerfully before pushing the wooden door shut.
Only then did Lizzy realize — the door had been carved into the trunk of a colossal tree at the forest's edge. And when it closed, the door vanished completely, melting seamlessly back into bark as if it had never existed.
Instinctively, Lizzy let out a low whistle. So this is real magic.
It wasn't long before the trees parted and Revanio arrived, guiding a horse-drawn carriage through the clearing. He pulled on the reins and stopped before her.
"If we traveled on foot, it would take us a full day and night to reach the capital," he said matter-of-factly. "So we're taking the carriage instead. With this, it should only take half a day."
Lizzy climbed aboard, settling onto the seat across from him. "Is it really that far? It didn't feel that long when we first arrived… I swear that tunnel didn't take hours."
"That tunnel is laced with time-acceleration enchantments," Revanio explained in his usual monotone. He didn't meet her gaze once — only stared out the window as the carriage began to move. "When you step inside, your body moves ten times faster than normal."
Lizzy blinked, absorbing the words slowly. "Ooh… that explains everything."
She joined him in looking out the window, letting her eyes widen with wonder as the new world passed by. That was when she realized—
The Kingdom of Glorious sat cradled in the middle of a vast mountain range, surrounded by sweeping emerald forests that seemed untouched by time. Fresh, crisp air seeped in through the window, carrying the scent of soil and moss. Everything felt alive, harmonious, almost sacred.
Her hazelnut eyes suddenly grew even wider. There, grazing peacefully beside the road, was a rabbit the size of a grown goat.
"A—" She nearly choked on her own breath. She shoved her head past Revanio's shoulder, pressing herself against the window. "Revanio—Revanio— that rabbit! It's huge!"
Revanio blinked slowly at her antics. "…What's wrong with you?" he asked, one eyebrow lifting.
"Are rabbits here always that big?" Lizzy gestured wildly, her eyes sparkling with disbelief. "This is the first time I've seen anything like that!"
When her gaze darted back outside, her excitement shifted abruptly into fear. The rabbit had just snapped up a beetle with sharp, efficient teeth.
"They're omnivores?!" Lizzy whispered, horrified. "Something that cute is dangerous too?!"
Revanio startled a little at that, then turned his head toward her for the first time. A faint, amused smile — barely there, almost fleeting — tugged at one corner of his lips.
"You can't judge something by its appearance alone," he murmured.
Lizzy froze. Her heart skipped, tripped, then tumbled over itself. Those words… they felt like they weren't about the rabbit at all.
Her breath hitched. Her chest tightened. A strange warmth rushed to her cheeks.
People here saw her black hair as something cursed, something dangerous — yet she wasn't anything like that. She was just Lizzy. A normal girl.
Revanio didn't say anything more. He simply turned back to the window, letting the amber sunlight spill across his face — softening his features, painting him in gold.
Without realizing it, Lizzy stared. And stared a little longer.
Only then did she notice — He's… actually kind of handsome. Handsome in a way that felt almost unreal. Why does he look so… majestic?
Back on Earth, faces like that only belonged to actors or high-ranking elites. Yet here he was — a young man of ordinary status, sitting across from her in a dusty carriage.
And then she remembered: Morgana and Milliane were just as stunning. This family really was blessed with unfairly good DNA…
They sat in silence for quite some time, the soft rumble of the carriage wheels weaving a calm rhythm beneath their feet. Lizzy let her gaze linger outside the window, drinking in every detail — every mountain peak, every glint of sunlight through the leaves.
But eventually a thought nudged her, quietly at first, then louder. If this world had time magic… if it had portals… then maybe—
Lizzy suddenly turned to Revanio, who sat across from her with his usual expressionless calm.
"Does this world not have… spaceships?" she asked, her voice threaded with timid hope. "Anything that can fly beyond the skies?"
If they had something like that here, perhaps she could return home.
Revanio didn't answer immediately. He stared at her — really stared — as if trying to understand the shape of her question before speaking.
"…What is that?" he asked plainly.
Lizzy's shoulders slumped. Of course. She forced a crooked smile.
"It's a vehicle that passes through the sky. It can take you into outer space, and even to different planets." She tried to explain simply — not because Revanio wasn't intelligent, but because she wasn't confident in her ability to explain anything technical.
Revanio listened, unmoving.
"There is no such thing here," he said finally. "The only tool capable of connecting our world to another is the Spiral Gate."
Lizzy's heart plummeted. No spaceship? No technology? Then how — how was she supposed to go home?
"How do you summon the Spiral Gate?" she pressed, clinging to the last spark of hope.
Revanio inhaled deeply and looked away, as though reminding himself to be patient. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
"I told you before — the Spiral Gate appears only when the energy from the Silver Sibling Moon surges. And that phenomenon happens only once every ten years."
Lizzy's breath caught. Ten years. Ten whole years before another chance could appear.
Her desperation burst through her chest. "Isn't there any other way?! What if — what if we use time-acceleration magic to jump forward to the next ten years?! Isn't that possible?!"
For the second time, Revanio let out a long, resigned breath. "No. Time-acceleration magic can't send you into the future. It only speeds up your movement — it doesn't move time itself. If used excessively, it damages the natural flow of time." He paused.
"The tunnel enchantments activate only when they detect people. If no one is inside, the magic shuts down."
Lizzy lowered her head, crushed. Her chest tightened painfully. Is there really no way home? Will I never see Earth again? Never see my brother? Never walk into my classroom again? Everyone must be so worried. Ernez… he must be searching for her right now.
Revanio's voice softened — still flat, still quiet, yet undeniably gentle. "I know you miss your family," he said, watching her carefully. "For now, try to be patient. We'll make sure you return safely one day."
Lizzy clenched her fists. "You have to promise me," she said, her voice trembling, almost pleading. "Promise you won't give up helping me."
Revanio didn't hesitate. He simply nodded. "I promise."
The simplicity of his answer struck her harder than any elaborate vow could have.
⊱⋅ ────◇✦◇──── ⋅⊰
Before entering the Royal Capital, Revanio had explained that every outsider would be required to show identification — otherwise, the Gardisto Officers would immediately become suspicious. Thankfully, he and Morgana had prepared one for her days ago.
A silver badge, round and polished, engraved with the name 'Lizzy Hawthorn.' Below it, the symbol of a branching tree — supposedly marking her as someone from the distant Kingdom of Zarvan.
Of course, it was entirely fake. A disguise for her protection.
Their journey continued for eleven hours and forty minutes before the towering gates of Glorious finally came into view. Two navy-uniformed guards stepped forward the moment the carriage stopped.
"Identification, please," one of them said briskly.
Revanio extended his arm out the window, handing over both his shield-shaped silver badge and Lizzy's round one.
The guards stiffened instantly. "Captain Calyx! You should have informed us sooner."
Revanio retrieved the badges calmly, tucking them away. "I preferred not to draw attention. May we enter?"
"Of course! Please proceed," they said — only to freeze again when their eyes shifted to Lizzy inside the carriage.
"So this must be the distant cousin you mentioned," one guard murmured. "Miss Lizzy Hawthorn, right?"
The moment their attention shifted to her, Lizzy stiffened. Her breath hitched, her hands curled tightly onto her knees. The memory of armored men chasing her through dark alleys flashed in her mind like a blade's edge — the shouting, the fear, the crushing panic.
She trembled.
Revanio noticed. Without even turning his head fully, he cut in smoothly, his voice steady and flawlessly convincing.
"She's my cousin," he said. "She's exhausted from a very long journey. We really must be on our way."
The guards observed Lizzy again — her pale face, her strained attempt at a smile. Their expressions softened instantly.
"Ah— yes. Captain is right. She looks very tired. You both should go and rest immediately. Open the gates!"
The great gate of Glorious groaned open. "Safe travels, Captain! And next time, introduce your cousin properly!" one guard called out cheerfully.
The other laughed, adding, "Don't keep all the cute girls to yourself! Bring her to meet us too!"
Revanio only lifted a hand in a lazy farewell. Lizzy, meanwhile, sat frozen, arms wrapped around herself as they entered the city. Her heart still hadn't settled — the shadow of that night's terror still clinging to her skin.
Inside the carriage, the city light spilled through the window, brushing across her face like warm fingertips.
"Relax," Revanio murmured quietly. "No one suspects you now."
Lizzy glanced at him from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, he was smiling. A small smile — subtle, fleeting — but undeniably gentle.
It was the first time she had ever seen him smile at her. And somehow, that tiny gesture melted the tight knot in her chest.
Feeling flustered, Lizzy quickly turned away, sticking her head outside the window to cool her burning cheeks.
That was when she saw it — a breathtaking expanse of shimmering green water. A lake stretched across the heart of the city, its surface glowing like polished emerald under the afternoon sun. Lizzy's eyes sparkled with awe.
"That's Emeraldy Lake," Revanio said, slipping back into the role of guide. "There's a massive underground shelter beneath it. The citizens use it during high-alert emergencies."
He pointed to the tall structure rising from the lake's center — the great Light Tower. "It can detect abnormal magic across the city. Its bell rings whenever there's danger."
Lizzy listened with open wonder, her hazelnut eyes shining like the lake itself. She hadn't expected Revanio to share all this without being asked. Her excitement bubbled up again.
"Can you tell me more?" she asked brightly.
Revanio paused, studying her expression as though weighing the sincerity in her voice. "…All right," he said. "I'll be your guide for today."
Lizzy lit up. "In that case, let's get off here! I want to walk around."
Revanio blinked, surprised by her sudden enthusiasm. "It takes an hour on foot to reach home from here. Are you sure?"
Without hesitation, Lizzy nodded eagerly.
Revanio sighed — the kind of sigh that meant he had already given up trying to argue — and signaled the coachman to stop. Lizzy grabbed her things and practically leapt out of the carriage.
Revanio nearly had a heart attack. "Hey! I know you're excited, but safety first!" he scolded sharply, flicking her forehead.
Lizzy stuck out her tongue at him and dashed ahead.
Revanio stared at her, baffled. "How does she have that much energy? Running that fast while carrying that much?"
He followed her at a relaxed pace. "Don't go too far. If you get lost again, I'll be the one suffering."
As they walked toward the Calyx residence, Lizzy absorbed everything — every street, every distant tower, every shimmering stone that made up the city's architecture.
Revanio explained each detail she pointed at, patient and thorough. She learned that Glorious was built atop the caldera of an extinct volcano. That Emeraldy Lake had once been a pool of lava. That the colossal stone walls encircling the kingdom were formed from remnants of the mountain that had collapsed long ago.
The buildings were all carved from pale white stone that caught the sunlight and glowed like crystal. Lizzy couldn't hide her fascination — especially as the sky turned dusk and the city began sparkling beneath the orange-tinted glow.
By the time night arrived, she was breathless — not from exhaustion, but from sheer amazement.
And there was more.
Throughout the city stood magnificent dragon statues — nearly one at every corner.
Earlier, Revanio had explained: "Everyone on Laurel Zero Five worships the White Dragon — what we call the Lustrous Dragon. It's an ancient tradition passed down since the early era. And even now, people honor it deeply."
Because the city was built into the mountains, its streets wound upward in narrow climbs and sharp turns. Lizzy instantly understood how she had gotten lost the first time she wandered in.
Revanio also told her that the kingdom was divided into nine districts, each ruled by a noble family. The Calyx residence was located in the higher elevation — in Pompidy District, governed by Duke Kane.
And then, his voice turned low.
"There is only one ruler in Glorious right now. Queen Gaiandra. A tyrant. She executes anyone she perceives as a threat — publicly, with their heads displayed in the Square."
Lizzy swallowed hard. Her whole body tensed. I must never get involved with the Queen. Never.
Lizzy couldn't help but cling a little closer to Revanio after that warning. Everything in this world was larger than life — grander than Earth, more magical than anything she had ever seen — yet also infinitely more dangerous.
They continued walking uphill through the winding stone streets. For a short while, the two of them fell into silence, accompanied only by the soft crunch of gravel beneath their boots and the gentle hum of the evening breeze.
Then — a sudden rumbling echoed from the street behind them.
Two large black horses came racing down the road, dragging a luxurious carriage with golden wheel rims. Citizens immediately stepped aside, bowing in respect as it passed.
"Who's that?" Lizzy whispered.
Revanio answered without missing a beat. "Lord Dexter Dorthane. The Duke of the second-highest district." In a lower tone, he added: "He is Queen Gaiandra's cousin."
Lizzy's breath caught.
Inside the carriage, through the slightly open curtain, she glimpsed a young man dressed in refined, elegant clothing. His hair glowed a soft blue, his face so flawless it almost didn't look real.
When their eyes met — just for a fraction of a moment — Lizzy felt something tighten sharply inside her chest.
Cold.
His eyes were icy. Sharp. Unmoving.
There was no warmth in them, no humanity — only the chilling indifference of someone born at the peak of a world built on hierarchy.
Revanio subtly guided Lizzy behind him. "Don't stare too long," he warned quietly. "That man doesn't like people looking directly at him."
Lizzy nodded quickly, already looking at the ground.
Goddess… even from a distance, he felt terrifying.
⊱⋅ ────◇✦◇──── ⋅⊰
Not long after, they finally arrived at the Calyx residence — a modest, beautifully maintained house built from pale stone and timber. Warm yellow light spilled from its windows. Lizzy felt her heart lighten at the sight.
"Welcome home," Revanio said simply.
He opened the door, and Milliane instantly came running. "Lizzy! You're here!" She threw herself into Lizzy's arms, hugging her tightly.
Morgana stepped into view with a gentle smile. "You must be tired. Come inside. I prepared dinner."
Lizzy's throat tightened. After everything that had happened — the fear, the running, the hiding, the aching longing for home — the simple warmth of this household felt almost unbearable.
A home that was not hers… yet welcomed her as if she belonged.
Later that night, after dinner and warm conversation, Lizzy stood by the window of the room Morgana had prepared for her. The sky above Glorious shimmered in soft violet hues. Stars pulsed like living crystals. And in the far distance, the floating crown-shaped formation — the Altar of the Sky — glowed faintly.
It was breathtaking. But it wasn't Earth. And it would never be Earth.
Lizzy pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the ache inside. I'll find a way home, she whispered to herself. No matter how long it takes. No matter what I have to face.
Outside, the night wind brushed against the city — gentle, cool, whispering secrets she did not yet understand. And so, the girl who crossed worlds took her first quiet step into the life that awaited her in the Kingdom of Glorious.