— Are you sure about this, Milo? — a boy asked his friend as they walked along a dirt path.

— Of course, Endo. He’s been spending way too much time in this place — Milo replied, veering off the main trail and heading into the thick forest.

Milo was a ten-year-old boy with dark skin and straight black hair. His eyes were green, with a darker pupil and a lighter shade in the iris. He always wore a green toy watch on his right wrist and a frog-shaped hoodie with bulging eyes where ears would be. His tight black pants were ripped at the knees, and he wore a striped white and dark green shirt along with dark green boots with lighter soles. He was of elven descent.

His friend Endo, also ten, had green hair — faded on top and darker at the tips. His almost-transparent brown eyes gave him a peculiar look. He wore bands on his arms, a belt with a leather sheath holding an adaptable sword, and iron pauldrons on his shoulders. He wore blue pants and a faded brown shirt, with a band tied around his apparently injured left leg. Like Milo, he had elven lineage.

The two were in another elven territory, still under Hambar’s rule, searching for one of their friends. The territory was called Dinger, located in the central region, close to Clara’s home. What made the place unique was the vast forest and a crystal-clear river — so transparent one could see the bottom.

— L1nk!!! — Milo shouted, calling out for their friend.

— Are you sure we should keep this place a secret? A lot of people are struggling because of the water shortage — Endo whispered, worried.

— L1nk made it clear he didn’t want anyone to know. If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut.

— But— — he began, cut off as someone landed in front of them.

— What do you want here? Did you make sure you weren’t followed? — asked the boy with a serious expression.

It was L1nk, a fourteen-year-old boy who always wore a black beanie. His right iris was completely black, with a white “X” as the pupil. His left eye had a heart-shaped black pupil surrounded by a fully white iris. His hair was gray, his skin extremely pale, and gray freckles decorated his cheeks. He wore a white shirt with gray cuffs, faded dark blue pants, and long black boots. On his right hand was a black and white glove, and he always carried his baseball bat. He was an elf.

— Yes, you idiot. You’re the one who should be careful — you’ve been disappearing a lot lately — Milo retorted, sitting on a rock near the river.

— Have they figured out what’s causing the drought? — L1nk asked, turning to Endo.

— N-not yet, L1nk — the boy replied nervously.

— The council’s a joke. It’s been months, and all the territories are still without water — he grumbled, sitting beside Milo. — We should’ve investigated on our own by now to figure out what’s going on.

— And what are three kids supposed to do? — Milo mocked.

— A lot more than the guards — L1nk snapped back.

— Come on, man. They’ll figure it out soon — said Endo, sitting with them.

— Yeah... They say that every day.

— You don’t trust the council? — Milo asked, curious.

— We’ve been abandoned by them for a long time.

— But L1nk, all seven members of the council are from the four elven territories...

— So what? They’re the elite, you idiot. Obviously, they’re not struggling like we are.

— But you’re not struggling. You come to this river all the time — Milo teased.

— I’m speaking in general terms, dumbass.

— Anyway, whatever the cause, it’s centered in the Scolli territory — Milo stated.

— Isn’t that where almost all the top-level scientists died? — Endo asked.

— Yeah... That territory’s terrifying. First the drought, then that massacre less than a week ago. And to think we live right next to it... — L1nk sighed, lost in thought.

— I wonder how Clara’s feeling with all this going on. Well, in a way, it’s Hambar’s fault — Endo commented.

— Clara’s a spoiled brat. If it doesn’t affect her little princess life, she doesn’t care — L1nk muttered.

— I’m sure the problem lies in Scolli. So? What do you want to do, L1nk? — Milo asked, waiting for a definitive answer.

— What? You’re actually thinking of going with me, Milo? — he asked, surprised.

— Anything to stop the water shortage in our village.

— I still think it’s a bad idea for you two to try to solve this on your own — said Endo, uneasy.

— Do you know the water’s path to the village? — L1nk asked, ignoring the concern.

— Well, there must be some kind of underground entrance. But if it’s been months, something must be blocking it.

— Or maybe the problem is that no one’s been able to get through because of the size — L1nk suggested.

— You think so?

— Want to find out?

— Guys, I really don’t think this is a good idea... — Endo warned, worried.

— Let’s go! — Milo replied excitedly, as he and L1nk ran out of the forest, completely ignoring their third friend.

★

Elven Village – Scolli

— M-My lord! You're late! The meeting has already started! — his messenger warned, hurrying alongside him.

— There were more important matters at the moment, Bonsai. Return to your post — ordered Hambar, walking resolutely down the long corridor lined with elven guards.

Miss Bonsai was a personal messenger for the elite, but she held a certain familiarity with Hambar, the leader of the entire elven village and ruler of the largest territorial region.

The messenger was peculiar. Instead of a head, he had a small tree with three long branches full of leaves. From the neck down, however, his body was human.

His skin was dark, and he wore a long gray coat with light green trim. Underneath, he had a dark green collar, dark grayish trousers, and worn-out elven boots, also gray around the cuffs and inner lining. He wore silk gloves and always carried a gray yo-yo with a light green heart drawn at its center.

Deep breath, Hambar. It’s just the council. Open the door and take your seat.

Upon opening the door, Hambar was met with what looked more like a verbal war between council members. Some were shouting, others humiliating one another—everyone had an opinion, and the room was in complete chaos.

— This is unacceptable! The Sccha territory cannot move forward without water! We need to resolve this immediately, now! — shouted Owlette, slamming her hand on the table.

Owlette was an elf from the Sccha territory. She was three hundred and thirty-six years old, mastered basic witchcraft, and always carried her pet owl on her left shoulder.

There was always a leaf on top of her head. Her long brown hair was tied into two voluminous braids. She wore oversized brown glasses and had deep dark circles beneath her brown eyes. Her body was covered in feathers similar to an owl’s. She wore a brown fabric coat and skirt, trousers, and leather sneakers. She also hid large wings under a cloak she always kept on her.

— I understand your frustration, Owlette, but in Caesnta territory we’re facing even greater problems. The stones and even the houses are losing their solidity, as if being eaten by termites. And this didn’t start yesterday. If we don’t solve it in a few days, the place where I grew up will be completely destroyed — said Willow, with his usual poise.

Willow, from Caesnta territory, was three hundred and eighty-eight years old and was one of the most charismatic and kindest members of the council. He treated everyone with respect, regardless of the situation.

He had antler-like horns. His white fringe contrasted with the darker tone of the rest of his hair, tied in a partially cut ponytail. His pupils were star-shaped, and his irises and eyebrows matched his dark hair.

He wore a light green jacket with a white hood, a cropped shirt of the same color, loose white pants, and twisted branches wrapped around his wrists and legs. He also had a tail resembling a tree trunk, with leaves sprouting from the sides.

— We’re dealing with something similar in Dinger territory. At night, you can hear the creaking of countless spiders coming from underground. I fear something serious is about to happen. The people are in danger — warned Anastasia, her expression grave.

Anastasia, from the Dinger territory, was six hundred and sixty-nine years old, perhaps the oldest—and certainly the tallest—elf in the village.

She had four horns protruding from her forehead — two large and two small. Her brown hair turned gray at the ends and was tied in a huge braid. Her pupils resembled those of snakes, with irises in light green mixed with a darker shade and facial creases striped like markings.

She wore a black shirt and shorts, a faded green suspender, bandages on her arms and right leg, and had a scar in the shape of an “X” on her shoulder. She had grayish wings and a dark tail of the same tone.

— Didn’t you already ask Zephyros to investigate? — Willow asked, puzzled.

— He couldn’t find an entrance, and he’s been far too busy lately — Anastasia replied, folding her arms.

— If only the Blessed Ones would show up... — murmured Shen, his head resting on the table.

— You all depend far too much on those lazy egotists, who only help the village when they feel like it, even though they grew up here before awakening — snapped Terrra, indignant.

— Are you crazy to say something like that!? What if they showed up right now? — Willow shouted in panic.

— Don’t be a fool, Willow. They don’t care about us. If we’re not being annihilated, they won’t lift a finger, even if children and women are dying — retorted Terrra.

— You know very well that’s not true, Terrra. You know how important all four of them are and how each one of them is — Annabeth said, serious.

— So what if they maintain the magical barrier? It’s barely working anymore! Termites, spiders, lack of water... What’s going to be the next problem? — he shouted, exasperated.

— You talk a lot for someone who hasn’t done anything so far, don’t you think? — Annabeth replied, annoyed.

— What about Daichi Satou? Couldn’t he handle the spiders? — suggested Rosemary.

— Rosemary, my dear — Owlette said, gently petting her head — the problem isn’t just the spiders. It’s where they might come out from.

— Now that you mention it, it’s not a bad idea. He hasn’t been doing much lately, right? — Shen asked.

— Don’t talk nonsense. Did you forget he’s on a mission with Vinny? — replied Anastasia, slapping him on the head.

— All we have left is to rely on the Elite... — sighed Willow.

— They’re handling the water issue — Annabeth reminded.

— For months!? It’s clear that’s going nowhere! They should be solving the termite and spider problems instead! — shouted Terrra, outraged.

— What did I miss? — asked Hambar, letting out a heavy sigh as he sat beside Annabeth. No one had noticed his arrival until then.

Annabeth, an elf from the territory of Scolli, is a council member alongside Osley Hambar, who oversees the largest region of the elven village. At two hundred and thirty years old, Annabeth is not only a model leader but also a master of the earth element.

She is Black, with long green hair that darkens from the middle of her ears down to her waist. On her head, a rose is attached to her scalp by three roots extending in opposite directions. Her eyes shine intensely with life, the green irises blending lighter tones at the top and darker at the bottom.

She wears an elegant cyan-blue dress, tied with a ribbon of the same color. From the waist down, the patterns resemble wind-blown leaves in translucent shades. Around her neck are two necklaces: a purple one shaped like a flower and a simpler one. Her left arm is wrapped in bandages, and she wears crystal slippers.

— Weren’t you full of yourself just now? Say what you think now that Hambar is here, Terrra — she teased.

Terrra, an elf active in the Caesnta territory, is four hundred and seventy-four years old. Despite appearing youthful — looking somewhere between twenty and thirty — he has lived a long life. Due to his immense power, he has participated in numerous expeditions and critical missions for the progress of the elven kingdom.

His hair is a mix of light and dark green. He wears hypnotic glasses on his forehead and has a peculiar gaze: his irises are the color of fresh grass, and his pupils are small, spaced-out dots, which earned him the nickname "Soulless Elf."

He wears a long coat, open and fastened only at the top around his neck. Beneath it, he wears a white shirt. Sprouting from his back are branch-like wings with long central leaves, the same color as the coat. In the center of each wing is a large white orb with greenish edges, spinning so fast that not even the council members can track them — no one knows exactly what they are. He wears black pants and tall, laceless boots, light brown at the top and darker at the sole.

— Hambar, we can’t keep playing dumb in front of the people. They need answers! No, they need action. It’s been months of chaos around here — Shen complained, staring intently at Hambar.

Shen, representative of the Dinger territory alongside Anastasia, is four hundred and ninety-six years old. He’s one of the most experienced members in fighting A to S Rank monsters and dungeon incursions. Despite being the laziest and most seemingly uninterested, he always executes his tasks with precision and never allows room for failure.

His hair is dark gray, tied in a ponytail. A brown streak near his right ear sits next to a glowing mark shaped like a crescent moon with a star in the center. Above his left eyelid is an X-shaped tattoo, along with a bandage on his cheek and a noticeable scar on the right side of his face. His eyes are light blue, with irises made of two dark circles spaced apart, and a centered pupil.

He wears a cross earring in his left ear and a necklace with the same symbol. His attire includes a green hooded cloak for camouflage, a short cyan-green jacket with faded brown edges, and a translucent shirt with dark stripes and connected triangle patterns underneath. He wears metallic spiked bracelets, a chain belt, a faded brown suspender, gray pants, and tall sneakers that nearly reach his knees.

— Can we please focus on what actually matters? — Rosemary asked, frowning with impatience.

Rosemary is a young elf and the representative of the Sscha territory. At only one hundred and nineteen years old, she is the youngest — and also the least experienced — council member, often ignored.

Her face is covered in freckles. Her irises are an orange-yellow shade, while her pupils are a very pale green. Her hair transitions from reddish-brown at the top and tips to a streak in front matching her eye color; the central strands are a whitish green.

She wears two bracelets on her right arm — one green, the other red — and a floral hair clip. Her outfit includes a yellow shirt, a small green jacket, a brown skirt with orange details, and matching slippers.