Part 2 - Once again, Night

"I almost forgot! Outsiders can't navigate through the fog on their own," Aelith laughed, stepping lightly onto the dock. "Good thing you didn't go any deeper, or you would've crashed right into the rocks."

We followed her onto solid ground, officially setting foot in Zephyr. But as I looked around, there wasn't much to see—just the same dense fog that blanketed the land as far as the eye could reach. Even as we moved further inland, it seemed like we were walking into a world without form, shrouded by the ever-present mist.

"Excuse me," I spoke up, curiosity getting the better of me, "if you can control the fog, why not clear the path for us? Why let it cover everything, even the road?"

Aelith paused, a playful grin tugging at her lips. "Ah... well, the people here are used to it. If the fog suddenly disappeared, they'd think something strange was going on, wouldn't they?" She answered casually, as if that explained everything.

"Is it here...?" She whispered to herself.

Her hand waved through the air, and the fog responded instantly, peeling back in a neat line to reveal what lay ahead. What we saw wasn't what I expected—it was a village, but one that looked like it had been abandoned for years. The huts were dilapidated, their hay walls sagging and roofs crumbling. A few broken wells and houses dotted the area, and the entire place felt desolate, almost haunted by the memories of what once was.

Aelith quickly waved her hand again, and just as swiftly as it had cleared, the fog rushed back, cloaking the sad village in its mist once more.

"Ah! Sorry about that," she laughed nervously, her earlier confidence wavering. "Let's just... forget you saw that, okay?" Her tone was light, but the tension behind her eyes was hard to miss.

There was something unsettling about the way she had hurried to cover up the glimpse of that village, but before I could dwell on it, she flicked her wrist again in a different direction, this time parting the fog to reveal a straight path that led to a massive gate in the distance.

"The village," Lyra's voice cut through the stillness, her tone sharp and unyielding. "What was that about?"

Aelith rolled her eyes, her playful demeanor now slightly annoyed. "It's nothing! The people there are used to living that way—they've adapted. Just don't—" her voice turned stern, almost commanding, "Do not wander into the fog! It's dangerous, and I mean it!" She whipped around, her long hair swirling with the sudden movement, as if trying to shut down any further questions.

Lyra, however, wasn't convinced, and as we continued down the path, she leaned in to whisper to the rest of us. "Suspicious, isn't it? That village was more than just 'adapted.' But regardless, heed her warning. The island's infamous for its bounty hunters, and the fog could hide anything. Stay alert and stick to the clear path. I doubt we'd come out unscathed if we ventured off." Her words sent a chill down my spine, a reminder of how little we knew about what awaited us here.

We eventually reached the towering gate, a massive wooden structure that looked like it belonged to a castle straight out of an ancient tale. I craned my neck to take in its full height, my gaze landing on two iron handles positioned absurdly high, far out of anyone's reach.

"Are we seriously supposed to open that?" I muttered under my breath, feeling the sheer impossibility of it.

Before I could question further, a whirlwind of air stirred at Aelith's feet, and to my astonishment, she began to take off from the ground, ascending toward the gate as if she was weightless.

"Hold on! I've got it," she called out cheerfully, her body rising effortlessly on the gusts of wind. She whistled a tune as she floated upward, the sight almost surreal as she hovered near the handles, her hair whipping wildly in the wind.