It was dark.
Pitch dark—rolling shadows that made it even darker. And she was drowning.
Sinking deeper and deeper into this roiling shadow.
She tried to scream, but her lips were sealed by fear. For in this sinking darkness, she could almost feel its presence.
Bizarre entities drifted in the dark, wallowing around her.
They spoke as they wandered in the shadows—murmurs she couldn’t understand, but whose existence reminded her this realm was cursed.
And their rising loudness proved they were getting closer.
If she uttered even a word, what could come next might be worse than death.
Her mind was unraveling. Her thumping heart slowed into the acceptance of death... and of sinking into the abyss.
But all of a sudden—through that devouring blackness—words echoed:
"Activate King’s Aura."
Everything instantly unraveled into chaos.
The darkness that drowned her, the abyss that boiled around her, suddenly recoiled—violently—from a power that made even it shudder.
The murmurs she had heard turned into pained roars as the entities scattered and disappeared far away.
Something had come.
Something possibly worse than the evil that let her go.
She opened her eyes... to the sight of a being that filled her not with horror, but with ultimate fear.
A figure cloaked in flaming blue, floating down gently toward her sleeping form.
But while he looked like just one man, when she looked behind him—
A shudder radiated through her soul.
There were eyes behind him—dozens—opening within his ever-expanding shadow.
The sensation could only be described as walking into a dark cave... only for hidden bats to suddenly open their eyes in unison.
Normally, one would feel chills to the bone, but then the bats would scatter, and you’d shrug it off.
But these... these were no bats.
Each was a terrifying nightmare cloaked in beautiful color.
And she knew it. Her body trembled even more as he descended closer.
Her mind was breaking into bits as the horror of what was to come and the fear of what was already here enveloped her completely.
And just before she wished for death to take her—
He was already on her.
He moved with calm and grace, and she watched as the blue flames covering him wrapped around her.
The hands of the entity wound around her neck, gently pulling her into the warmth of the flames.
Then the words came—crisp and clear:
"You’re with me, Elfie."
"You’re safe."
You’re safe...
...safe.
...safe.
...safe.
The words echoed through the cracked realm of her broken mind like a peaceful melody.
But they didn’t just stop the cracking. They mended it.
Her rigid body eased along with the horror and fear, which faded like they had all been just a dream.
And when she opened her eyes again...
It was to the sight of the familiar golden sun, and the fresh breeze blowing across her skin.
But she wasn’t alone.
She felt his hug—the one who had become more than familiar—and her limp hands slowly moved... wrapping around him as she hugged him deeply.
"I am safe."
She spoke suddenly, and Ryuk allowed the hug to linger for a few more seconds before he pulled back and looked into her eyes.
"Princess Elfie? Are you okay?" he asked, gazing into her clear, golden eyes.
"I’m fine now, Mr. Ryuk," she said softly.
And to that, she watched a relieved smile bloom on his lips.
"That’s good to hear. Let’s return to the Royal House," he said, turning to resume walking.
But he hadn’t taken more than five steps when he paused, glancing behind him.
Princess Elfie had not moved.
She stood exactly where she had been, both hands gripping the hem of her skirt, her face turned toward the ground.
"I... I can’t walk."
’Hey, system, did she get wounded in the legs?’ Ryuk asked internally, but the notification came back quickly:
[No. And they’re not paralyzed either.]
’Then... why?’
"Please... may I... request that you carry me... Mr. Ryuk?" she asked, hesitantly.
[Tsk! Who does this little princess think she is? Asking you to carry her? Hmph! Dream on, little girl!]
The system was the first to lash out at the idea, and even Ryuk’s eyes flickered with a hint of protest.
But then—
"WAAAHH!"
A yelp escaped Elfie’s lips as she was suddenly lifted off the ground into a princess carry.
"Don’t say it," Ryuk said firmly.
Elfie stayed quiet, even though a sweet smile spread gently across her lips.
Ryuk moved forward, covering meters in a single step, though not at his fastest speed, which could easily rip her skin open from wind pressure alone.
When he came to a stop, they found themselves in the middle of a chaotic mess.
A man and a group of winged horses were battling it out.
That man was none other than Coachman Percival, who held the chains of the Pegasi that refused to obey him, seemingly trying to flee.
He was frantically yelling commands, only causing the Pegasi to resist harder.
But everything stopped when a figure appeared before the frontmost Pegasus—Ryuk—his hands slowly rising.
"Hey, get the Princess out of there!"
"Don’t let her get trampled to death!" Coachman Percival shouted, but then his jaw dropped when the neighing Pegasi all suddenly went silent.
He noticed Ryuk’s hands were covered in a gentle blue flame, and ahead, each Pegasus lowered its head in submission.
Silence descended on the grass.
Elfie watched from his chest, her eyes wide with shock, as the Pegasi cooled under him.
Ryuk reached out and rubbed the largest one on its neck.
Their foreheads touched gently, and then he whispered:
"Lead us home."
Before her disbelieving eyes, the beast lowered itself to the ground.
He climbed on top, placing her gently in front of him, and with no reins, the Pegasus lifted into the sky, soaring upward, disappearing into the clouds.
Coachman Percival was so gobsmacked that the Pegasi were almost out of sight before he remembered:
"Hey!"
"WAIT FOR ME!!" he shouted from below.
But alas... in the end, Ryuk forced him to run all the way back to the Royal House, where Sir Leopold was already waiting.