"Ugh, where the hell are they?!" Hana shouted angrily, swaying in her cage. The metal bars grated unpleasantly, and her fingers clenched around the cold iron."Calm down." Kaido, who was trying to cut through the bars with magic, shot her a brief glance. Her hand trembled, and sweat covered her forehead."I don't like this either, but we have to find a way out."Hana sank to the cage floor in frustration, running her hand through her hair. Her heart pounded like a hammer, and her mind swirled with thoughts. And suddenly — a spark. An idea."What if I use the same technique I created with Kazoto?"Kaido looked at her in disbelief."You know I've never trained in lightning magic." Her voice was full of resignation. "I can't even do Spark... a basic spell."Hana jumped to her feet and extended her hand toward Kaido."Then use earth magic."Kaido glanced through the cage bars at the chasm stretching below them. A black abyss gaped beneath, and the air was heavy with the scent of burning."I don't know if that's a good idea..."Hana smiled — the same smile she had often seen on Akira's face. Defiant, almost mad."At worst, we'll lose our arms."Her joke didn't make Kaido laugh. Fear gleamed in her eyes."That's not funny...""You have to trust me."Hana didn't wait for an answer — she raised both hands, and a whirlwind of flames flared between the cages. The heat surged toward them, and the air instantly became thick and stifling."Now you have to take a risk! If you don't, we'll both burn here!" Hana shouted, and Kaido's heart racing, reacted instinctively. She used water magic, which hissed as it extinguished the flames."We'll wait another thirty minutes..." Kaido whispered softly, as if trying to convince herself that rescue would still come.Hana was silent for a moment, but something caught her attention. A pattern on the wall — a barely visible trace of energy, as if the flames had left behind something... unusual."Again." Her voice was quiet, almost emotionless."Are you out of your mind?!" Kaido jumped in shock.Hana ignored her protest. She raised her hands again, and the flames shot out even stronger than before."Kaido, now!"Kaido, teeth clenched, reached for earth magic this time. The vortex struck the flames, choking them, but instead of disappearing... the fire condensed, growing even more intense. The temperature began to rise rapidly — their skin burned, and the air became as heavy as lead."This is getting out of control!" Kaido shouted, reaching for water magic. The stream hit the flames directly... and vanished. The fire absorbed the water like a sponge."More water!" Hana screamed, looking at her desperately.Barely able to breathe, Kaido gathered the last of her strength and shot another stream of water. This time, the flames seemed to tremble, and the heat suddenly subsided.In the center of the vortex, something flickered — chaotic, shimmering energy, its surface rippling like a lake."What is that..." Kaido whispered.Hana reached out, and when her fingers touched the energy, they began to glow with a violet color. As she touched the cage bars, they vanished halfway — simply dissolved into nothingness, as if they had never existed."It worked..." Hana whispered in disbelief.Releasing Kaido, using the rest of that energy, they climbed to the top of the cages.Kaido looked up at the ceiling and saw an exit — a small opening in the stone wall."We need to get up there.""That'll be easier than you think," Hana pointed to a rocky ledge running along the wall."If we don't fall," Kaido muttered, but hope had returned to her voice.They looked at each other, clearly exhausted but ready to try.
Meanwhile, the aching Gamble, lost deep in the wilderness, spotted three people."Who are you?!" one of them shouted.Gamble stood up painfully and shouted back,"I'm Garrett Gamble from Drascels, the Land of the Dragon!"The men exchanged a few words, then ran over to Gamble, supporting him under his arms."Damn... I'm losing consciousness..." Gamble mumbled, and a moment later, his eyes closed.
He woke up in a bed and immediately jumped up, frantically scanning the room."You're awake," said a girl standing beside him."Pointed ears... silver hair..." Gamble whispered.The girl stood up from her chair and finished,"An elf. Hero of the Shield." She bowed."Ooh! He's awake!" a boy shouted as he entered the room.The girl smiled and added,"My twin brother. I apologize for him."
A confused Gamble was about to respond when he suddenly sensed a sharp surge of mana. He rushed out of the small treehouse and, using wind magic, leaped into the air. From above, he saw a sphere from which darkness emerged, forming walls.
Landing, he said, "I need to speak to your leader."