Chapter 1: Picking up a little bird caused a huge disaster...
"The last snow orchid has finally survived."
Enid ran into the cabin through the pouring rain, her eyes and brows seemingly radiating a powerful joy. She and her mother had protected the transparent flower, which had survived countless days and nights in the cracks, and were now struggling to live.
“The snow orchid is the most precious gift, but of course it’s not as precious as our Enid.” Her mother’s smiling face appeared before her. She could almost imagine her mother’s beautiful smile when she heard the good news, but when Enid ran into the room, her words and the sparks that exploded in the fireplace jumped out at her, she was stunned.
The cabin was eerily quiet, with only the hissing sound of the flames licking the wood chips in front of the fireplace. Occasionally, a faint explosion would suddenly sound, only to be silenced again by the patter of rain outside the window. Her emerald green eyes gazed quietly ahead, their burning reflection illuminating the scene.
She seemed to remember…
Those emerald green eyes were still fixed on the surroundings. In the not-so-large wooden living room, including the corners that had not been noticed, even though half a month had passed, the house was still the same as before, without any change.
But she was all alone in that room.
It turns out... Mom has been gone for half a month, but her memory is still stuck in yesterday. They were clearly discussing snow orchids and her father, whom she had never met.
An incomprehensible pain began to spread and grow. She tried to knock on the door, but the rain outside kept falling, and the warmth of the fireplace seemed to have been dispelled. She was cold, shivering with cold. Enid's legs seemed to weaken, and she almost fell. She could only barely support herself with her hands, and slumped onto the plush cushion in front of the fireplace. After a sudden, bitter laugh, her red curly hair, which had been tied back, drooped down and scattered on the floor, as unexpectedly as shards of broken glass.
"Aww—"
After that, the gray wolf howled, breaking the silence in the air.
It struggled to squeeze through the gap between Enid's arms and waist, trying to find a point to hold onto. As usual, after much difficulty, it finally managed to lift Enid's hand and place it on its body. It proudly shook its wolf head and lay down obediently.
“My mother told me to go find him, but I’ve decided it’s better not to,” she paused, “I… want to shut this place down completely.”
As if her bones had been removed, she suddenly lost all strength and collapsed onto the wolf's soft fur. The wolf turned its head in a human-like manner, seemingly wanting to comfort her, and tried to stick out its tongue to lick her, but Enid keenly avoided it. Actually, she wasn't disgusted by the wolf's saliva, well... she admitted there was some, just a little.
For the first time, Enid began to feel that being alone wasn't so great.
However, at that moment, a violent and terrifying sound seemed to spread around her. She tried to stand up to see what was going on, but almost fell again. Finally, with the wolf's help, she stood up. Her emerald eyes seemed to be able to perceive faint traces in the distance through the distant obstruction.
The doors and windows, which had been frozen in place, probably shattered. She clearly felt some strange touch suppressing the runes she had scribbled around the sacred forest, or perhaps it was some kind of disruption? She couldn't quite describe what it felt like, only that it was very strange.
"Walk."
Her sorrowful gaze vanished instantly, and the wolf's eyes beside her revealed a cold, almost human-like look. The rain poured down, and they braved the biting downpour as they traversed the muddy, withered trees. The wind and leaves played a cruel symphony, with only thunder and lightning keeping them company. It seemed there was nothing else.
Enid's body erupted with cracks and struggled with its scars. She was soaked to the bone in the storm, which also extinguished the faint flames on her body. This was enough to bring her back to her senses. Her steps were not very strong, although she would still accidentally step into the mud.
"Sorry, I don't think I was watching where I was going. It's okay, I'll protect this place, don't worry."
She looked at the gray wolf who had been getting soaked in the rain with her, and her expression softened slightly. Just now, the gray wolf had supported her with all his might, otherwise she would have fallen in. But now she didn't have much time left; she had to hurry and close the entrance to the forest so that outsiders wouldn't be able to find this place.
Because her mother's message emphasized the need to close the forest, this was something she had to do. She had to close it within the time her mother specified, which was within an hour. Actually, she had almost forgotten the time. It was the gray wolf's reminder and the strange sounds outside the forest that woke her up.
Enid had to admit her poor physical condition, which was strongly related to her recent lack of food and water. By the time she rushed to the source of the noise, half an hour had passed. She had less than half an hour left. She frowned, trying to appear calm, but something seemed to be preventing her from doing so.
She saw it; there were traces of something falling, and her runes. Faced with a choice, she didn't have time to do anything else. She could only take out her staff to add the runes. She tried her best to maintain her cold expression and rationally finish drawing the runes.
"Awoooooo—"
The gray wolf let out a long howl, then tried to drag someone in with it. It was a well-built man wearing a blue and black bodysuit. There were no visible marks on his forehead or body, but the wolf seemed to indicate that he smelled of blood, a smell that even heavy rain couldn't wash away. He was badly injured.
"quack"
Calls came from afar, and birds flew overhead, screeching sharply. Enid's already tense mood grew even more anxious. She heard them telling her that there was a battle outside, a fierce battle, a battle involving high-tech weapons that was about to reach her.
What are you hesitating about...?
Enid questioned herself, glancing at the man lying on the ground. She bit her lower lip, but her hand mimicked the gesture her mother had taught her. Instantly, white smoke began to spread from all directions. Amidst the intensifying patter of rain, the shouts in the man's earpiece gradually weakened until they disappeared completely.
The forest... is gone.
"Oh no, Nightwing has gone missing." Oracle's voice came through the channel. The location of the operation had been flashing. It could still be tracked when it was first sent out, and the nearest Red Robin had already passed by, but it was still too late. He watched helplessly as the forest disappeared, and this place became a barren plain. "The video has been uploaded."
"I will let you know."
Batman's calm voice rang out in the channel. In fact, he immediately sent messages to Zatanna and Superman. The operation was still in full swing, but perhaps because Nightwing's disappearance had spurred everyone on, the operation ended faster than expected. Zatanna and Superman arrived just in time.
Unfortunately, Superman's arrival did not help in finding Nightwing, because he could not feel Nightwing's heartbeat in this universe. However, Zatanna made a new discovery.
“Hmm, this is an ancient spell, but unfortunately I can’t break it right now.” Zatana knew a little about it; it seemed to be one of the oldest inherited spells in the Druid religion, used to protect the holy sites of the Druid religion. It was a very ancient and powerful protective spell.
...
"Thank goodness, Naya, Laila, and Seid are all here..."
The gray wolf named Seid showed a helpless expression, as if he knew his little master would want to save this male two-legged creature. In fact, he had brought it over with the intention of getting rid of it. Although it smelled like a good guy, he did not expect that Enid would ask him to spare it and bring it back.
As soon as Enid sat down after magically drying her wet dress, Serd immediately lay down beside her, remaining alert and staring intently at the man. The black cat Naya, lying on the small blanket on the other side, also tensed her muscles. Even the ferry bird Lyra, standing on the bird perch, had a wary expression. Enid quickly stroked the gray wolf and the black cat beside her and gave Lyra a reassuring smile.
“I know you’re worried about me,” she said, trying to sound as relaxed as possible. But it was clear that neither of them had forgotten her zombie-like state over the past two weeks, and they were even more worried that this guy might harm her. “It’s okay, I can still protect myself, and besides, you’re here with me.”
She sighed, looking at the still unconscious man with some difficulty. "I can't just leave him here. After all, if he's left outside and gets hurt when the circuit is closed, he already looks very vulnerable. If something happens to him outside... I'm sorry to have worried you."
"Meow." The black cat jumped up and skimmed across her knees before settling down at the head of the bed, indicating that it would keep an eye on the guy. "Meow meow meow meow."
"I know, I'll get some rest. Thank you for your help, Naya."
She smiled and winked, then quietly slipped away. Naya had the ability to bestow good or bad luck upon humans, and she had just asked the unicorn Aura to check on him. He was fine now, but it seemed that due to the forest magic, his memories would be disrupted for a period of time.
Enid felt a little guilty about it, as this was the first time she had hurt someone, even though it was unintentional.
At that moment, seeing the man lying on the bed breathing steadily and seemingly sleeping soundly, the black cat jumped out of the window. After a long time, it opened its blue eyes.
What place is this?
Who am I...? I think my name is... Dick?
A note from the author:
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All information regarding Enid's sect and Druids is a heavily modified version based on Celtic mythology. Please do not attempt to verify any aspects of the original Druidic tradition. (bows)
The following is about the names and meanings of Enid's pets, as well as some information about her that she can disclose.
Enid Niamh Grady
Nickname: Fia (Deer)
Ethnicity: Celt
Ancestral home: Ireland
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Identity: Druid
Vision: 2.0
Blood type: AB
Birthday: January 10th
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Dominant hand: Right hand
Graduated from: Oko Witch Academy
Specializes in: Herbalism, Potions, Divination, Astronomy, Alchemy, Basic Magic, and Advanced Magic
Graduation Level: Advanced Witch (High School Graduation)
Height: 157cm
Waist circumference: 65cm
Hip circumference: 85cm
Bust: 90E
Weight: 55kg
Grey Wolf: Thad's mother, "Brave"
Black Cat: Naya (Princess) "Elegant"
Flying Bird: Lila (male) "Night"
White Deer: Seren, meaning "star, bright".
Unicorn: Orla, mother of the "Golden Princess"
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