As I gaze at the crimson flowers, a strange sensation stirs within me. Their glowing petals, curling like delicate spirals, seem… familiar. It''s as if I''ve seen them before, not just in passing, but in a moment that lingers at the edge of memory, elusive yet insistent.

    This pull, this quiet familiarity, tugs at my heart like a magnet drawing iron.

    I trace a slow circle on the back of Eris''s hand with my thumb, sending a silent signal

    She understands instantly.

    "Felicia, so you like it?" she asks, turning to me.

    I nod, my movements deliberate, almost hesitant. "Yes… I think I do."

    My eyes drift to Alvero, who watches us with calm attentiveness. "May I… speak to Eris alone, please?"

    "Of course," he replies smoothly, bowing his head. "Take all the time you need. I''ll wait outside."

    Eris offers a polite smile. "Thank you. It''ll just be a moment."

    With a final nod, Alvero turns and steps out, the door closing behind him with a quiet click.

    The room falls into stillness.

    Only the soft glow of the orb remains.

    Eris turns to me, her expression shifting the moment we''re alone.

    "What''s wrong?" she asks.

    She knows I wouldn''t have asked unless it mattered.

    --------------------

    Now that Alvero is gone, it''s just the two of us in the room.

    The overhead lights have been turned back on, casting a soft glow across the velvet-lined furniture and polished floor. The crystal orb still hovers quietly on the table between us, continuing to project the haunting image of the gothic mansion, twilight sky, pale stone towers, and those vivid crimson flowers swaying like silent flames.

    I draw a slow breath and begin.

    Quietly, I tell Eris what I felt. The strange sensation pulling at me, the heaviness in my chest, the way those flowers stirred something deep inside, a feeling of recognition I can''t explain.

    Her expression shifts as she listens. Eyes widening, her hand finds mine beneath the table, fingers curling around my own.

    "Wait… You''re feeling that again? Like before?"

    "Not exactly," I say, shaking my head. "It''s not like what happened in the Vanessa Dungeon. It''s more like… nostalgia. Like when I saw Alter''s pendant for the first time, or her dress. Just… something familiar."

    Eris falls quiet, thoughtful. Her thumb traces a slow, calming circle over the back of my hand.

    "So… it might be one of Alter''s memories?"

    "Probably," I murmur.

    My gaze drifts back to the orb and the field of glowing red flowers.

    If I had to guess… they''re connected to her somehow.

    Those flowers must be something important, but whether they were part of a peaceful past or something more tragic… I can''t say.

    But either way… Alter herself is still resting. Somewhere deep within me, she is sleeping, recovering slowly, quietly.

    I can''t wake her just to ask about some random flower. And even if I wanted to, I doubt I could reach her.

    "So," Eris says after a pause, giving my hand another gentle squeeze, "should we just… buy the property?"

    My eyes widen. "Is-Is that really okay? It must be ridiculously expensive. And what if it''s not the best place for us?"

    Eris just smiles.

    "Of course it''s okay," she says. "Don''t worry about the money. If you feel drawn to this place, then that''s enough reason for me. And besides—" she leans back with a playful grin, "we can always sell it back to the Hearthcarvers Guild. I''ve got the Black Sigil, remember? We''re covered."

    I let out a breath I didn''t realize I''d been holding and nod, relief washing over me. "Nn. Thanks… that really helps."

    "But what about you?" I glance at her. "Do you like the house too?"

    "Yeah! It''s a cool place!" Eris replies, her tone brightening. "Sure, the eternal twilight''s a little weird, and I''ll miss the sunlight… but we can just go out of the dungeon whenever we want to sunbath, right?"

    "Right!"

    "And furthermore, it has its own charm." Eris adds. "I actually like this eternal dusk thing. We can always lounge on the rooftop when we want a breeze. The weather''s stable, and the flowers are way too beautiful."

    A smile tugs at my lips. "Yeah…"

    Eris leans forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "So, shall we go for it?"

    She pauses, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Wait, how about we visit the place first? Just to be sure."

    I nod quickly. "Nn!"

    With that, we call Alvero back into the room and proceed to go to the property right away.

    --------------

    Moments later, we''re standing inside the Hearthcarvers Guild''s teleportation portal chamber, also known, more formally, as the Dimensional Transit Hall.

    The room is vast and circular, built from polished stone laced with glowing runes. Pale silver light hums from the ceiling, and the air carries the faint scent of ozone and arcane crystal. In the center of the chamber stands the portal gate itself—an elegant stone archway, carved with intricate glyphs that shimmer faintly like starlight.

    I stare in awe.

    It looks like a miniature version of a dungeon gate… only it''s not floating mid-air. This one is set into a solid structure, built like an altar or shrine. And about its color… this one glows a tranquil shade of pale blue. Soft, swirling light ripples across its surface like water stirred by an unseen wind.

    "This is amazing…" I murmur, stepping a little closer. The magical hum tickles at the edges of my hearing, strange and melodic. "Eris, d-do you know how it works?"

    "My pleasure," Alvero replies with a slight bow. "It''s very simple, really. Allow me to demonstrate."

    He steps up to the gate and reaches for the top of the frame, where a smooth, glowing stone is nestled in a small socket.

    "This," he says, gently removing it, "is a Keystone."

    The moment he pulls it free—

    Vzzt.

    The swirling blue light vanishes, collapsing inward with a flicker and a faint sound like snapping thread.

    "The Keystone," Alvero continues, holding it up between two fingers, "is an enchanted focus. It stores spatial coordinates. Essentially, a destination."

    He steps to a side table and lifts a different stone, this one humming with a soft red hue.

    "A qualified mage specializing in spatial magic can ''record'' a location into a Keystone, imprinting it like a memory. When you insert that stone into the frame, the gate links to that place." Sёar?h the N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He fits the new Keystone into the socket.

    With a resonant hum, the arch flares to life once more. This time, the swirling energy is a warm red, glowing like coals beneath ash.

    "There," Alvero says with satisfaction. "I''ve loaded the coordinates. This portal will take you directly to the Noctis Sanctum. A teleportation anchor was installed there just a few days ago, so we actually won''t have to walk from the Southern Outpost."

    "Whoa!" Eris grins, visibly impressed. "Very nice!"

    I step a little closer, staring into the newly activated portal. The energy pulses softly, drawing me in.

    "But… we used teleportation," I mumble, blinking at the swirling gate. "Doesn''t that, like… cost something?"

    I mean, this is advanced space magic, right? There has to be some kind of price for activating a dimensional portal like this.

    "Yes, it requires mana stones," Alvero replies smoothly. "But for today, the Guild will gladly cover your travel expenses." He lowers his head slightly in a respectful gesture.

    "Oh! Thank you," Eris says, giving him a polite smile.

    "B-but… how much does it cost normally?" I ask, chewing on my lower lip.

    Alvero tilts his head, calculating. "Roughly one B-rank core per activation."

    "Hmhmhmhmmm…" I murmur, mentally pulling up the numbers. "Wait… we got 100 crowns per C-rank mana core when we turned in the Icy Frog quest, right?"

    "Yes," Eris nods.

    "So then… how much does a B-rank core go for?"

    "About 5,000 crowns," she replies casually.

    "EH?" I blink. "EEEEHHHHHH!? FIVE THOUSAND!??"

    I almost fall over. I can''t believe it.

    Five freaking thousand? So a B rank core is fifty times more expensive than a C rank core?

    "Wait, wait! how far is Mistvale from the Umbrafrost Expanse??" I ask, eyes wide.

    "If we walk at your pace," Eris says with a teasing grin, "maybe… two days?"

    Gasp!

    I collapse emotionally, feeling the soul leave my body.

    Sure, walking for two days sounds awful, definitely not fun at all!

    But five thousand crowns?? For one trip?

    Oh my gods!

    No wonder normal people don''t use this thing!

    THIS IS OUTRIGHT ROBBERY!

    "Anyway," Alvero says, gesturing toward the glowing portal with a faint smile. "Shall we?"

    "Yes," Eris replies, slipping her hand into mine. Her fingers are warm, steady, grounding me. "Let''s go."

    Alvero steps through the gate first, his form dissolving into the swirling red light.

    We follow close behind.

    And just like that—

    The world vanishes.

    We stand now on a stone-paved clearing, surrounded by a sea of crimson flowers. Their glowing petals sway gently.

    Above us, the sky burns a dim, dusky red.

    And there it is, our soon-to-be mansion!

    A dark gothic building that look like a mini castle!

    Looking at this place via that orb at the guild, it''s already beautiful

    But now, as we have truly stepped inside it…

    "Woahhh…"

    I murmur, unable to contain the awe swelling in my chest.