Elly suddenly dragged me into the river. I struggled a bit before Elly casted her ‘no breathing, breath’ magic onto me. I will ask her the name of this spell later.

[“Yuu... why is your face looked so funny whenever we are in the water?”] Elly asked while swishing through the river, with a hand pulling mine, heading into the cavern side. Which an underwater tunnel seemed to be connected there.

How do I answer...If I open my mouth, the water will get in... can I talk into her mind too?

I tried concentrating while keep repeating the words ‘I don’t know’ inside my head. Elly with one hand pulling me, she keeps swimming forward, while spreading her glowing bubbles to lighten the area.

No reaction from her... maybe I should ask her to teach me to do this ‘telepathy’ thing

We speeded through the tunnel, it was not long until we reached into a lake.

[“This is it! Where I found Yuu”] Elly swished to the center of the lake and swim in circle to point at the spot she found me. I looked above me, the lake surface was calm as always. Then Elly suddenly speeded up, heading straight above. To where the monsters should be lurking.

[“Wai...t!!”]

Elly stopped abruptly, then she swished back down and front facing me. She tilted her head in confusion, no sound could be heard from this dark lake, except the glowing bubbles that was floating around and popping.

I think I’ve just did it... the ‘telepathy’...?

[“What’s wrong Yuu?”] Elly asked.

I tried again, doing the mind talking thing, but it didn’t work anymore. So, I started gesturing, telling her to follow me.

I started moving myself in the water. As though dividing the water, I spread my arm and swing my legs. To prevent the last mistake, I swim to the direction of the shore.

Slowly, I plopped my head out of the water with hand hooking onto the shore.

“Hah” As expected, the breath started regulating normally at the exact moment my nostril hit the air. I gasped but as noiseless as possible. I lied my head low above the lake.

Elly swished to my side, her head almost submerged underwater, leaving only her eyes. Her hair floated on the lake surface and moved as she turned her head looking at what I was looking.

It was the same place where I got separated with Sasaki. I looked around the cave ground, but what I have learned was just surprise.

“Yuu?” Elly questioned as I pulled myself up shore.

What is that.

I quickly pulled myself up shore, while dripping wet, I stood at the lake side, staring at the scene in front of me.

[“Yuu... why do you looked surprised? Those are just rotten flesh, you should have seen more in the Canyon though?”] Elly wondered as she moved to my side with her already transformed legs. She stared at me with her big blue eyes filled with curiosity.

“Did you do this?” I promptly asked.

Elly stared at the objects I was talking about then she shook her head.

[“It has been like that when I found Yuu”]

What’s in my sight right now, made my head spin in confusion.

How long have I been in coma? It couldn’t be long... right?

The monsters, they were dead. And now was rotting into the level that should have some period of time passed already. As if the monsters were killed long time ago. And the blood on the ground, had dried. My sense of time suddenly crumbled.

[“I used to come for their eggs... that day I found Yuu... they were dead and their eggs were gone too, ahh... they taste delicious... too bad”] Elly pursed her lips while her eyes staring at the center of the cave, reminiscing the taste of the eggs, and gulped.

“Elly... " I called.

"Hmm?" Elly responded with a hum as I walked to her, front facing.

"How long have I been unconscious since you found me" I carefully assembled the question.

Elly hummed solemnly as she walked to the nearby rock and leaned her back toward the big rock with head turned facing me.

["Hmm... Yuu was gravely injured. It took me almost a day until you fully recover"] Elly tilted her head while eyes looking at the upper corner of her sight, thinking.

A day... There’s no way those bodies would rot into this state within a day, right? Their bodies were sunken, the flesh almost thinned out. Only the bones and the scaled skin remain intact.

I walked further into the center of the cave, the rocky hill where the dragon snake resided. The pungent smell hit my nose as I get closer. Wait...

"Elly... at the moment you found me, the dragon snakes were still alive, right?" I asked her seriously. Elly looked at me, throwing her confused stare.

["No... They were already dead by the time I found Yuu... Speaking of that, how did you do that??"] Elly suddenly leapt and moved closer to me. She leaned forward, her eyes sparkled and she stood on her toes while trying to align our face close, as if something stuck on my face. She looked at me intently.

"Huh? What do you mean by doing what?" Her sudden change of behaviour startled me, my legs moved backward subconsciously. She was too close. And then, she was saying that the monsters were dead when she found me. But, how did that even possible? Could it be that the rule from my world applied differently in here? Like, the bodies rot quicker?

["Yuu had mana barrier formed and was invisible! it might be invisible to the eyes of many, but not Elly! So... Actually..."] Elly moved her body back and started fidgeting. ["...Elly accidentally broke your barrier and almost drown you, ehehe"] She smiled sheepishly at me.

Mana barrier? Invisible? This is getting weirder... I didn't remember anything special during the moment I was sinking. Only darkness. Wait... There was something, though I am not sure if what I saw in that flash of moment was real or not. It could be me imagining things.

"How long have the dragon snakes dead when you found me?" I asked.

Elly shifted her eyes to the upper corner as she pursed her lips, thinking of an answer to my question. Then, she turned her head facing me.

["Hmm... I am not sure. They are now almost just bones and scales, so... probably a month?"] Elly's eyes looking at me, her voice sounded unsure.

A month?? How could I be still alive during that time? I was in the water and moreover I have got a huge chunk of my stomach screwed. Unless if that Mana Barrier thing which Elly just said was real, and it did something to my body.

Elly was still staring at my confused self. I cleared my throat and adjusted my stance.

"Elly... have you ever found anyone beside me?" I asked.

["Like who?"] She innocently asked.

"People like me?" I added some description. I don't know how she viewed me as. Like how I viewed her, she is a mermaid, but she can transform into human form anytime she wanted, she's nothing like the fairy tale in my world, where a mermaid would need to sacrifice her voice to be transformed into a human. It was a popular sad love story, though there were many versions, none of them was described like Elly.

Elly became quiet. She averted her eyes for a moment and then she looked at me again, but her gaze was imbued with a bit of anxiety. Then she threw her sight to the ground. Her hands were clenching on her cloth.

She’s hesitant

"Elly?" I walked toward her and then raised my hand to pat on her fluffy blue hair.

"You don't have to force yourself if you found it hard to speak" I stated as I stroke her head. She seemed to like it when I do this. I do not want her to suddenly change her mind about going out of this place. It is impossible for me to do that alone. I need her strength.

Elly raised her head and plainly stared at me with her big blue eyes for a few seconds.

["There were... lot of human suddenly appeared in here"] Elly started talking, even though she was clearly hesitant.

"When was it? Was it around the time the dragon snakes were found dead?" I further asked since she had opened the chance for me to ask more.

Her eyes widened, she seemed to be a bit surprised. ["How did you know?"] As she looked at me bemused.

I was under the lake when the monsters were killed. But, I wasn't found on that exact day though. From how she stated, I was found in the lake approximately a month after that incident.

"Elly... Have you ever go under this lake, at the time period between the day you found the dead monsters and the day you found me?" I asked.

Elly frowned her brows and mulled over it. ["Uhmm... Probably, a few times"] She answered while looking at me intently, as if waiting for the next question.

Huh... But she has only found me recently... I should already be under the lake during that time though, despite of that, she didn't notice me until recently. Why?

I glanced at Elly again. She didn't seem to find anything weird with that. She went through the lake a couple times, even though I have always been under the lake during that time, she didn’t see me at all.

I remember the moment when I was sinking in this lake. Right before my vision turned dark. It was just a flash, but I did see a flash of light brightened the surface of the lake. The light was sudden as if lightning flash and it was bright like the sun on mid-day, no, probably more if I could see it from underwater.

Let's assume that the light I saw was real. It might have the connection to what happened in this cave and somehow killed the monsters.

"Then... Elly... it's okay if you don't like answering..." I continued asking, but trying to approach her in a gentle way.

"Where are those people now?"

As expected, Elly’s face changed when I throw this question. She frowned and went silent for a while. The atmosphere suddenly changed.

["Actually... I don't know. They suddenly appeared but then disappeared within the same day too"]

She didn't seem to be lying, but I can feel that there were more into it. She hid some fact from me. I don't know why she did that, but I feel like I shouldn't be prying more. For now, going out from this place is the priority.

"Hmm..." I walked toward the place where I got separated from Sasaki. No corpse could be seen, not even Mika and Aya. But the blood still there, dried.

Did the monster ate their bodies? But, if the monster was killed at the moment I sank into the lake bottoms, the bodies should still remain there. But, there was a possible of other monster came and got their bodies too.

I scanned throughout the monsters remain. The scales on its skin still remain intact and flawless, no sign of cut or injury, as if they suddenly just dropped dead and left to rot. Could it be Sasaki who killed the monsters? But, if she really did, she would have come to save me, wouldn't she? But then, I don't think Sasaki was capable of actually killing the monsters.

Seeing how Elly fought the previous monsters, made me think, anyone who can just instantly put those dragon snakes to death without inflicting external injuries, would be a monster among the monsters. I couldn't think of anyone stronger than Elly yet.

"Elly..." I turned my head and called on Elly.

"Hmm?" Elly hummed.

"Follow me" I asked. Then, I started walking to the tunnel where me and Sasaki came from. The tunnel which connected to the 'first cave'. Elly followed by my side, she didn't ask. But, from her expression, I guess she knew where I am heading to. I might be able to find some clues over there.

We walked into the tunnel, leaving the cave. Nothing seemed to change, the tunnel remains the same. So, I walked the path we took when escaping from that 'first cave'. Good thing is that I never forget. I remember every turning and branching points we walked through.

Elly didn't speak any words, she followed me silently while putting a serious expression. She seemed to be mulling over something. I will let her be first.

After a long walk, we finally reached the end of the tunnel, so I started treading slowly. But, Elly ignored me and keep walking straight toward the exit.

"Hey... Elly" I called her as light as possible, she stopped and turned her head to me.

["It's okay... that monster is not here right now"] Then she continued walking.

I followed her after that. The exit was drawing near, and what's inside finally exposed to my sight. I can clearly see the cave, and we finally made in to the cave. But, the cave is...

["It is empty... I've told you, they disappeared"] Elly continued walking to the center.

The cave is empty. What I have secretly guessed was right. There were no corpses, but the smell of blood is thick and strong, as if there were mountain of corpses in here before. Despite of that, it was empty, leaving only the blood-soaked ground and...

Huh? What is that?

I threw my sight toward every corner of the cave. I didn't realize it from before, as there were too many people gathered in this place back then. But, now that nothing was blocking across the cave, it got my attention.

I ran to the corner of this rounded cave and closely inspect the paint that piqued my interest. Elly followed me. She walked across that paint on the ground. The paint is in black colour, it was almost faded but still visible to the eyes if I put more focus. The black paint circling this rounded cave, scribbled with unknown letters around it, as if...

["It was a magic circle"] Elly explained without me even asking.

I looked at her. She stared at me. She hasn't smiled since we walked into the tunnel. It's not like her to be this serious.

"Do you know what happened here?" I bluntly asked. Hoping that she will give me a little bit of information or whatever she didn't yet told me.

Elly looked at the paint, then she slid her foot and smudged the paint. After that, she crouched down while looking at the part she erased.

["I am not sure, but... I think all those people were 'called' out"] Elly said.

"What do you mean by 'called' out?" I asked another question.

["They were all teleported, including the corpses"] She added which made me more confused.

"But, why didn't I get 'called' out too?" I bluntly asked. It was weird. If what Elly said was true, then why was I left in the cave?

Elly raised her head and looked at me, then she suddenly stood up and stepped forward, front facing me.

["Because Yuu is not the same as them"] Elly answered, while her mouth shut tight, her mysterious blue eyes gazed into mine. Her voice still resonating in my head.

I am not the same?

["In this world, they were called 'Alte', they were people summoned from the other world... and as for Yuu..."] Elly looked at me intently, she blinked her eyes as I gulped waiting for her to continue. My heart started pounding. Elly leaned closer as she squinted her eyes.

["Ehh? Weird... I was sure that Yuu isn't an 'Alte' but..."] Elly closed her eyes and sniffed on me. ["It was faint, but you are indeed an 'Alte'... "] Her eyes widened, and she looked surprised. Then she mulled over her own statement while crossing her arms.

"So... You don't know why am I still here either" I concluded.

Elly stopped mulling and nodded at me.

Sigh... No question really got fully answered. Okay...

"Elly-" I called on her name, she responded. "...Let's go out" I declared.

Elly immediately frowned and hesitant, despite of that, she nodded and we left the cave.

It was finally the time, the moment where I will be stepping my feet out of this place, into another world. Thinking about that, reminded me of Grandma. She must be extremely depressed when she found out about me missing. I should find a way back. If there was a way to this world, there must be a way back to my world. That's what I convinced myself. First, I will need to find those people that came here together with me. And for what reason that we were summoned to this world? Also... why am I left in this place when Elly said they were all ‘called’ out. Why was there a naming for an ‘Alte’. Is it common for us to be sent into this world? How does the system work anyway. I know nothing. I will further ask Elly when we are out. For now, I will be focusing on getting out.

I followed Elly and we walked into the biggest tunnel entrance of this cave. The tunnel where the Cerberus monster came out. I was immediately put into alert when she chose to walk into this tunnel.

["It's fine... That thing is not here either"] Elly explained as though she knew what I was being wary about. Her words calmed me.

"How did you know?" I asked. She mentioned once before we went in to that cave, saying that the monster wasn't there.

["I can sense it"] Elly answered while keep walking and facing forward. Even though she seemed to be calm from the appearance, she was quite nervous inside. I can feel it. She didn't show her usual confidence and her face was clouded.

"Ohh..." I responded short. I don't know how she did it, but probably, it was the same like when I sensed the spiders at that canyon area. I still don't know how I did that. Even though, I closed my eyes now, I couldn't feel anything. Something weird is going on within me, definitely.

Elly lead the way, the tunnel has quite a lot of branching point, but Elly didn't hesitate and walked straight into one of the tunnel. We were now walking into another bigger tunnel. The ceiling is getting higher and the colour of the ceiling is lighter. And as we moved further in, sound of waterfall gushing could be heard, the swishing was getting more thunderous as we moved closer. The glowing substances on the ceiling were brighter near the end. Finally, we reached the end of the tunnel.

I couldn't believe what I see.

Instead of going into another cave, we were actually at the bottom of a sky high steep cliff, where a wide foamy waterfall tracks from the edge of the high cliff, tiered and plunged into the depths of a big blue crystal-clear lake, forming a whooshing vortex at the bottom and drizzling up drops of water to everywhere around it. The thunderous waterfall buzzing sound filled the entire area, I can't even hear myself breathing.

The wall of the cliff was covered with lots of these glowing substances, but they were even brighter and a bit bluish, sparkling like a milky way. I glanced at Elly, the shimmering lights reflected on her clouded blue eyes. She stared at the top of the waterfall while her mind seemed to be weighted.

I looked around the area, the bottom of the cliff, scanning throughout the lake and then to the west part of the area. The ground of this area was oval shaped and quite short, surrounded by high rock wall as if we were inside a well. But, there is a ground for footing protruding from the upper part of the wall, north of where we stood. And that is where the waterfall gushing from.

I shifted my eyes throughout, now to the east part of the ground. There were something piling though. I moved my legs out of curiosity, I walked toward the east. Elly closely followed me, she didn't say any words. As I was getting near, my heart started beating weirdly as what I was closing to... those are...

A mountain of... human skeletons?