Starry Eyed Fighters

Chapter 3: A desolate path?

As Belle stepped inside, a heavy, foreboding aura settled over her, like an unspoken warning to turn back. The path stretched ahead, a barren void of darkness broken only by a narrow road of brown bricks. The air hung in an eerie balance, at once warm and cold, leaving her skin prickling with unease.

Driven by curiosity about what lay beyond, Belle attempted to expand the glow of her light orb in every direction. Yet each time, the darkness seemed to crush her efforts, as if stomping out an ant beneath a heavy boot. Despite repeated attempts, her magic could not pierce the oppressive blackness.

"Damn it, why won't it work?" she muttered to herself, frustration tightening her brow. "It's like this place is suppressing magic."

"I should stop," Belle thought, her mind calculating her next move. "No point in overexerting my mana supply on more Elven light spells. They might not cost a lot individually, but they drain quickly when overused. Even with plenty left in the tank, it'd be foolish to waste it."

"Granny always said, 'Don't be messin' around with yer mana supply, or ye'll wither like a dry leaf without a drop o' moisture" Belle chuckled to herself, remembering the advice with fond amusement.

Resigned to the meager light she could muster, Belle pressed forward. The path seemed endless, stretching on in a dismal silence. Yet, oddly enough, the road itself was polished and clean, as if someone tended to it regularly.

Someone's been here recently, she thought, glancing down.

"Pl...ea...se... he...lp... me," a faint, tremulous voice whispered from the bricks.

Belle's ears twitched, and a shiver crawled down her spine. "Is someone there?" she asked, bending cautiously to inspect the ground. Her fingertips grazed the surface, and a flood of desperate cries erupted in her ears.

"Let us out!" the voices wailed, their pleas merging into a dreadful cacophony.

In that instant, a powerful force began to drain her mana and vitality, as if sucking her very soul from her body. Her arm shriveled before her eyes, the skin losing its youthful hue and moisture, shriveling like a drying leaf. She reeled in pain, gritting her teeth as the voices grew louder, a maddening chorus pounding against her sensitive elven ears.

"Stop a chur leis! Let go o' me hand!" she cried, her voice tinged with panic as she fought to free herself. Her struggles were in vain, her strength slipping away as quickly as her mana energy.

With one final burst of will, she reached for her duffel bag, fumbling to unzip it with her free hand. She grasped a small vial, uncorked it, and drank the elixir in a desperate gulp. Warmth surged through her, restoring her strength just enough to wrench her hand free from the cursed ground.

Staggering back, she clutched her chest, gasping for breath. "Thank the gods I spent those research funds on a few mana elixir vials," she murmured, her voice barely audible between heavy breaths.

Quickly securing the vial back in her bag, Belle resumed her journey, now more cautious with each step. She could feel the subtle drain of her mana as she moved, a persistent tug that grew stronger the farther she went.

Six hours, she thought, glancing at her grandfather's pocket watch. The unending brown brick path seemed to mock her as the darkness pressed in on all sides. Six hours of this damned road, and nothing to show for it. No signs, no landmarks, nothing but endless gloom.

The weight of her isolation began to sink in, deepening her frown. With her phone gone and nothing but snack bars for company, hope started to fade. She wondered if she would find anything at all, let alone the answers she sought.

After trudging for several more hours, chewing on the last of her snacks, she suddenly halted. Before her, two doors loomed, side by side. The left door was a rubber material, blood-red, and inscribed with an unfamiliar language. The right door was a wooden material, yellow colored and bore a carved white star at its center.

The two doors stood as if they were exits from the endless, soul-sapping road—a choice she had not anticipated, but one she would have to make.

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Thanks for reading first of all. Please don't forget to leave a comment, vote if you like it, or follow. I'm going to be as consistent as I can be with the story, especially since I go to college. Big plans for this story. This is my first story I've uploaded, so I hope you stick with me. ;)
Quick Side note, any Irish/ Gaeilge I use is from google translate and some 3rd party sites. So I hope it's depicted as accurate as possible.