*ELOWEN*

When I woke up, I immediately checked on Therius to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep again, and my fear dissolved when he woke up. I accompanied him to the bathroom and waited outside while he washed his face. After he came out, we went to have breakfast, and everyone was there. They asked him if he was okay and how he felt, and in response, he moved away from my side and stood behind Otto. Although instead of being surprised, Fredic scolded him for not knowing if his body would collapse again if he used his mana.

After calming everyone down by assuring them that he was fine, we were led to the dining hall where a buffet awaited us in celebration of Therius waking up. We hadn't even started to sit down when Therius began devouring the food, one spoonful after another. Fredic was explaining something to him, and in response, Therius gave him a thumbs-up to signal that he understood.

Dad told us to rest a little more before leaving for Shira later in the afternoon, and we simply nodded in response, as we had food in our mouths. Therius decided to go to the training area on his own, presumably to train a bit and get some movement since he hadn't done so for a month. When it was time to leave, we said goodbye to everyone. The four-day journey from the capital to Shira had been calm until we passed through the mountains where we had been once before when we were going to the capital. Dad and Mom were dealing with some bears blocking the road.

I noticed Therius looking up, so I did the same and activated my senses. I felt something odd up there. When I opened my eyes, Therius had drawn his weapon, and I asked him worriedly what he was doing. He replied that it was nothing. Suddenly, an earthquake shook us all. The carriage driver got scared but remained still to calm the horses. At that moment, dust and smoke fell from above, followed by small stones and eventually rocks.

Boom! The first stone fell, and I felt scared. Therius held me in his arms to calm me. Mom and Dad were coming toward us, but a rock fell in their path, causing our father to be pushed back and fall. As more rocks fell, Therius carried me and tried to jump.

Then the mountain collapsed, and the earth around us began to slide. Our parents screamed, "Children!" They saw Therius jump, but he didn't jump high enough, or something interrupted his mana, preventing him from getting out of the carriage, and his foot was caught by the earth, but he managed to get out. He jumped again.

I felt his body and mine enveloped in Therius's mana once again. Feeling the mana move, I tried to do the same with mine, but I couldn't. Something collided with us or with Therius because I didn't feel the impact on myself. I heard something break, but I wasn't sure what it was. Then I heard Therius scream something, but there was too much noise from the sliding earth for me to hear.

Another stone hit Therius's head, and I watched in horror, although he didn't seem to notice it. I closed my eyes and curled up as Therius protected me. When I opened my eyes again, we were falling into the water of a river. Although it was difficult to breathe due to the falling earth on top of us. Then I lost consciousness. 

I woke up to darkness, feeling something pulling me, and I felt Therius beside me, holding me to his side to keep us together in the current.

Then everything went dark again, and after a while, I was on top of some part of the carriage floating in the muddy water. I saw Therius beside me, and I tried to wake him up, but I was too weak, so I gave up and lay down next to him.

I don't know how much time passed, but I woke up in a bed with a girl almost my age and another woman. The first thing I did was gulp air as if I were suffocating. Then they reassured me, and I tried to process everything that had happened. We were on the mountain, then there was an earthquake, then a landslide, we were falling, Therius took all the damage, we fell into the water, and then I felt tired and fell asleep again.

The girl and the woman only looked at me but didn't speak. I wasn't sure if they were being cautious or simply waiting for me to speak. I felt dizzy, so they made me lie down again, and I fell asleep once more.

A day and a half later, I woke up again, feeling calmer this time. I was with the same girl and woman as before. "Hello, dear. I'm Lora, and this is my daughter Tiara. Are you feeling better? You're in our village. Some of our villagers went to help whoever was in the landslide, and they found you and the boy," Lora explained to me quickly.

When she mentioned the boy, I looked at him suddenly, "Boy? Is my brother here?" I asked quickly, and they only nodded and opened a curtain for me.

Therius was being treated, and I learned that he was in a very bad condition. His body was bruised all over, his left leg was injured, and his right arm was broken. I fell to my knees at the sight of him receiving all the damage for trying to protect me.

I cried for a while, and then Lora comforted me, holding me in her arms to console me for a while. I cried again and then fell asleep. Two hours later, I woke up feeling even calmer. "Hello, little one, are you feeling better?" the man treating my brother asked me. "Yes, sir, I'm fine. Can you tell me how my brother is?" I asked fearfully, trying not to hear the word dead.

He looked me in the eyes and said with a smile, "Don't worry, little one, he's stable now. The head injury was critical, so we treated it first. My assistant is setting his leg, and I'm tending to his arm," the healer replied. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I said, "Thank you, thank you so much," as I cried at the sight of my brother alive and well.

Then I felt someone hug me, and it was the girl from before. Her mother entered and wrapped me in a blanket, then carried me out of where we were, but I was too weak to argue, so I let myself be carried and was taken into a house, where I was seated and given food.

"Eat slowly, dear, everything is fine now. The worst is over; we just have to wait for your brother to wake up," her comforting hand stroked my head.

After finishing eating, I thanked her, "Thank you for taking care of me, Miss Lora," I said as I bowed my head in gratitude. "Don't worry, dear, just stay calm. Come, I'll give you a warm bath," without reproach, I followed her. In the bathroom, she asked, "Can you tell me your name, dear?" She asked me, and without realizing it, I said my full name, "My name is Elowen Emwind." "Very well, Elowen. Now come out and play a bit to distract yourself and move around a bit."

I left the bathroom, and Miss Lora dried me off with her wind magic, "Thank you for the bath," I said as I bowed my head in thanks. "Don't mention it, dear. Just stay calm. Here, let me give you a blanket," she said, covering me with it.

"We couldn't leave you to fend for yourselves when we saw your brother's condition," I said nothing but left the house and went to Miss Lora's house to sleep.