Child Of Time

The air was thick, weighted with the remnants of madness that had clawed at Grey's mind, filling every breath with whispers—a faint echo of words not fully forgotten. The cigarette burned between his fingers, its smoke merging with the eerie glow of the twin moons, casting an unsettling haze over the twisted landscape. Elsa took a drag of her own, her smirk barely concealed as she watched him wrestle his way back to reality.

"That was rough, wasn't it?" she teased, a hint of laughter at the edge of her words. "Honestly, didn't expect you to crack that easily. Did the Mirror Realm show you that many little nightmares?"

Grey shot her a steely look, saying nothing as silence stretched between them. The only sounds were the distant crackling of lava seeping through fractured earth and the sickening squelch of worms burrowing into rotten fruit. Every nerve in his body felt raw, frayed, yet he ignored Elsa's smirk as she flicked ash onto the gnarled roots of a nearby tree.

"Anyway," she continued, her voice shifting to something softer but just as maddening, "consider yourself lucky. You were this close—" she held up her fingers, barely an inch apart, "—to becoming something... unsightly. Fortunately, you have me, your wise and—let's be real—extraordinarily kind guide, to keep you from turning into forest mulch."

Grey scoffed, breaking his silence at last. "Kind? More like insufferable," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper but edged with irritation. Her eyes gleamed at that, clearly pleased to see some fight returning to him.

"Insufferable or not, I'm the reason you're still here and not drooling on the forest floor," she replied, arching a brow. "Besides, it was just a slap. I saved you from something far worse than a bruised ego."

His mind flashed back to the slap—the sharp jolt it had brought, cutting through the haze and terror, snapping him back. Beneath his annoyance, there was a reluctant hint of gratitude—not that he'd ever admit it.

"So…" he started slowly, his voice steadying, though his body still felt like a raw nerve, "what exactly was that?"

Elsa crossed her arms, leaning against a twisted tree, the bark contorting around her like skeletal fingers. "Didn't I just tell you?" She met his gaze directly, her blue eyes piercing into his golden ones, making Grey's palms turn uncomfortably sweaty.

Elsa pointed a finger at him. "Here's a question for you. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a mirror?"

Grey's eyes narrowed. What kind of question is that? He sensed it was connected to the Mirror Realm. He didn't need to think long; the answer came to him quickly. Meeting her gaze, he replied,

"Reflection."

Elsa's lips curled up into a slow, approving smile. "Exactly. Think of it as a reflection of your mind—one that amplifies your deepest fears and thoughts. If you can't handle it…" She trailed off, gesturing to the grotesque forest. "Let's just say it'll keep you here forever, in whatever shape that madness leaves you."

A shiver ran down Grey's spine. He recalled the voices, the twisted images—red hair like a serpent, the sharp whispers to kill, devour. They felt so vivid, so embedded. Swallowing hard, he tasted the bitter sting of his own vulnerability.

Elsa chuckled softly, her gaze unwavering. "Of course, it doesn't help that you're new to this place. Most people train before entering the Mirror Realm. They build up their mental strength so they don't crumble at the first challenge."

Grey's gaze hardened, but he ignored the jab. "So why bring me here, then?" he asked, forcing himself to hold her gaze.

"Because," Elsa began with a dramatic sigh, "this is the only path to the relic we're after. It cuts straight through the Mirror Realm, so here we are." She gave him a smirk, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Honestly, instead of sulking, you should be thanking me. Your big sis is giving you a tour of the Mirror Realm. Not many get that luxury. Most people would die for this opportunity—if they could even survive it, that is."

Grey narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, of course, thank you so much, What an incredible opportunity. I'm truly honored to be your personal guest in this lovely hellhole." He gave a slight, mocking bow, the bitterness clear in his tone.

Elsa's grin only widened at his sarcastic remark, clearly unbothered. "You're welcome," she replied smoothly, unfazed.

"I knew you'd appreciate it eventually," Elsa said, her smile knowing. "That's why I didn't warn you."

Her smirk deepened, playful and teasing. "Because if I had, you would've never agreed to follow me."

"Follow you?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "You practically dragged me into this."

Elsa laughed, the sound light and musical, yet oddly out of place in the eerie forest. 'Semantics,' she said, before gesturing forward. "Come on. Let's go."

But Grey remained still, his gaze sharpening. "Hold on. Earlier, you said 'we're after some ancient relic.' What did you mean by 'we'?"

Elsa froze, glancing back at him, a slight hitch in her smile. She held up her hands, her grin turning sheepish. "Ah, did I say that?" She gave a light shrug. "By 'we,' I mean you, me, and my party."

Grey's face darkened, but he managed to keep his expression controlled. "Your... party?" he echoed, his tone wary.

"Obviously!" she replied with exaggerated impatience. "You think I'm stupid enough to explore an ancient relic solo? Of course, I need a team—no matter how strong I am."

Grey cast one last wary glance around the nightmare landscape. The once serene forest had twisted into something out of a fever dream, a realm where reality blurred with hallucination. The skeletal trees seemed to shift with each step, branches clawing at the sky like hands. In the distance, lava gurgled and hissed, casting a crimson glow across the grotesque terrain.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself, then fell in behind her. Overhead, the moons cast a cold, sharp light, illuminating every contorted shadow. Worm-ridden apples dangled from branches, oozing dark, viscous pus that dripped onto the ground. The stench of decay clung to the air, thick and nauseating.

Grey suppressed a shudder, a gnawing feeling of being watched settling over him. His gaze flickered between shadows, muscles tensing with every step. "So… where exactly are we going?" he finally asked, unable to mask his impatience.

Elsa turned to him, her face silhouetted against the pale glow of the twin moons. She raised her arm, pointing toward a distant rise where the land shot upward, a massive mountain looming against the endless black sky. It towered impossibly high, as if reaching to pierce the heavens, its peak lost in shadow.

Here's the refined ending, incorporating the vast distance and adding a bit more suspense for the reader:

"We're going up there," she replied, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Grey followed her gaze, his eyes locking onto the towering peak she was pointing to. The moment he saw it, his throat went dry. There, rising impossibly high into the sky, was the volcano—a colossal mountain so far in the distance it seemed to touch the heavens themselves.

It was a sight that should have been impossible. The mountain stretched beyond the horizon, its summit lost in a veil of darkness. The scale of it was unimaginable—getting there would take more than just time; it would require a journey that could span years, if not a lifetime.

He turned back to Elsa, his mouth dry.

"That... that's where we're going?"

His voice barely broke through the thick air.