The cold night had passed, giving way to a bright morning accompanied by sunlight that pierced through the gaps between the rocks inside the cave where Elisabeth had been resting. The sound of crickets echoed that morning, calling to one another as if welcoming the arrival of hope.

  Elisabeth, who had been sleeping deeply from exhaustion since the previous night, slowly woke as the cold air mixed with the warmth of sunlight that seeped through the cave’s entrance. Rubbing her eyes, she observed the interior of the cave, now clearly visible. She strained her ears, listening carefully to the outside, afraid that the dragon might still be nearby. Yet all she heard were crickets and the wind blowing softly from beyond the cave.

  With the little strength she had left—having neither eaten nor drunk anything since yesterday—she struggled to stand. Her head felt slightly dizzy, and the damp smell of the cave filled her senses. She longed to run outside, but her mind warned her to remain alert to the presence of that creature.

  For a brief moment, she recalled the young man who had been outside the cave since the night before. Still, she knew she could not act recklessly. Her own safety had to come first.

  Using what little energy remained, she activated her talent, attempting to sense the dragon’s aura.

  “Hm… there’s nothing.”

  Strange… where did it go? Elisabeth thought to herself.

  Suddenly, the growling sound of her stomach broke the silence inside the cave, followed by a voice calling from outside.

  “Come here.”

  The voice belonged to the same young man from the night before.

  Hesitant, she slowly stepped out of the cave.

  Looking around, she noticed the young man sitting atop a large rock near a makeshift stove built from stacked stones. On the stove, a pile of firewood had burned down into glowing embers, and above them lay several snake carcasses roasting, nearly cooked.

  The rich aroma of the roasting meat drifted into Elisabeth’s nose, making her saliva drip unconsciously from the corner of her mouth.

  The young man turned the snake meat over the embers before calling out to her again.

  “Come.”

  “Sit here.”

  “It’s safe.”

  He spoke without looking at her, still focused on roasting the meat.

  Elisabeth approached slowly and sat near the stove, facing the young man. She studied him closely.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Now that she could see him clearly, she guessed he was around twenty-five years old. His skin was pale, and strands of reddish-blond hair peeked out from beneath his hood. His eyes were blue, and his nose was sharply defined—features typical of the Nordyk people.

  “What kind of snake is this?” Elisabeth asked, still staring at his face.

  “Python,” he replied.

  “They live around this mountain.”

  He lifted a piece of cooked snake meat and handed it to her.

  Elisabeth accepted it with her right hand, hesitating as she examined it.

  Noticing the change in her expression, the young man spoke again.

  “It’s fine. Eat it.”

  “It’ll be good for you—you haven’t eaten since last night, have you?”

  Hearing this, Elisabeth took a small bite and chewed carefully. The meat was extremely tough and chewy, almost making her want to spit it out. Still, she held back, embarrassed, knowing the young man was watching her.

  “This is my first time eating snake meat… it’s very tough,” she said shyly.

  “That’s fine,” he replied calmly.

  “I was the same at first.”

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  “So… does that mean you’ve been here for a long time?” Elisabeth asked.

  “Yes. Quite a while.”

  “Then how did you survive the dragon?”

  The young man fell silent for a moment, observing Elisabeth’s face, her curiosity clearly visible.

  “If you stay here long enough,” he finally said, “you’ll learn how to survive.”

  Elisabeth did not respond. She was focused on swallowing the food in her mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to disgrace herself in front of him.

  Seeing her strange expression, the young man smiled faintly, revealing neat rows of teeth.

  Feeling embarrassed, Elisabeth tried to distract herself by changing the subject.

  “Where did the dragon go?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Will it come back?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Do you think the dragon is still nearby?”

  “Yes.”

  “It was assigned to guard this mountain.”

  “How do you know the dragon was assigned to guard this mountain?”

  Silence fell between them. The young man offered no reply, and an awkward stillness enveloped the two of them.

  Elisabeth hurriedly finished her meal, searching for a new topic to lighten the mood.

  Suddenly, the young man clutched his head with both hands, letting out a painful groan like a poisoned animal. His body collapsed to the ground, writhing as if resisting something unseen.

  “Aaaaaaaarrrrrgh!”

  “Not now… please… not now!” he cried out, half screaming.

  Seeing this, Elisabeth rushed to his side. Using her talent, she tried to calm him.

  Praying to God Ilio, she placed both hands on his chest. Instantly, she felt an overwhelming aura of darkness and loneliness—but she ignored it, focusing instead on his condition.

  “God Ilio, I beg you—please help this man,” Elisabeth prayed as she activated her power.

  A bright yellow light emerged from beneath her palms, illuminating the area. Gradually, the young man’s convulsions subsided, and he began to calm down.

  Moments later, he sat up, facing Elisabeth. Looking at her, he thanked her sincerely.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “Yes. I’m fine.”

  “That’s a relief,” Elisabeth replied softly.

  “If you hadn’t helped me earlier,” the young man said, “something unpleasant might have happened to you.”

  “What would have happened to me?” Elisabeth asked anxiously.

  “Forget it.”

  He stood up and walked several meters forward, gazing toward the distant Elf Forest.

  Elisabeth followed and stood beside him.

  Clutching a small fold of her robe, she stared in awe at the view before her.

  Rows of rocky hills stretched across the land, and beyond them, the Elf Forest shimmered in the distance. The scenery was breathtaking, especially under the morning mist atop Mount Levuskan.

  The biting cold of the morning air combined with the magnificent view left a deep impression on Elisabeth’s heart.

  To her, this moment felt extraordinary. Though she had been taken away by a cursed dragon, she was still breathing freely—able to witness the beauty of the land she called home.