"You'd rather kill a noble and get us into trouble than kiss me and get over with it? I got to say . . . this is a first." Elena didn't know what expression to portray.

"Am I ugly?" she suddenly asked, face serious to pass it as a joke.

Ren moved ahead, ignoring her. "No, you're beautiful, and anyone who said otherwise is blind."

"Then . . ."

"But I don't want to betray my girlfriend." Game or not.

Elena's wrinkled brow loosened, and she smiled once more. "I didn't know that you're the romantic type."

"I'm not. It's the normal thing to do," answered Ren.

Elena hopped towards Ren and caught up to him. The thing with the noble Fey had disappeared from her mind entirely. "So, is this girl Evie your girlfriend?"

Ren stopped at Evie's name and answered calmly, "Yes." Before he moved forward without another word.

Elena paused with Ren's honest reply. She really thought that he would ignore her. Looking at his back, she had a complicated look on her face. She didn't know what to feel at the moment, if she had to be honest.

Tiki's slithering tongue on her cheek woke Elena from her daze and came in Ren's voice.

"What are you doing? I will leave you behind."

"Ah! Wait for me!"

Ren and Elena proceeded on their way. It was almost dark soon based on the clock displayed on his screen though it was forever twilight in these lands.

But the encounter never stops from weird ones like a strange festival taking place. Everyone in the street was wearing masks of one kind or another. When they were caught without masks, the street goers confronted them and demanded that they sing in order to pass. The refusal led to a crossfire of thrown tomatoes, apparently.

Ren wanted the tomatoes, but the Princess had other thoughts. It was a festival, and she was lulled in by her love of it. She sang a lullaby that was too sweet for her rough voice, but that didn't stop her.

The crowd hooted and cheered, and when it was Ren's turn, everyone stopped, waiting eagerly to hear him sing.

Elena's voice rang in the silent night, cheering and urging Ren to sing.

Ren's face couldn't be painted. He wanted nothing but those tomatoes. "I don't want"

"I'll give you my beefy sandwich special, every day." Elena finished.

"I thought I had it all together," Ren began to sing. That sandwich would fetch a very high price. Things he would do for love.

"But then you came and changed the weather.

Now I'm caught up in this storm.

Trying to find my way back home

Cause I'm lost without you, my love

Can't find my way, can't rise above.

Every road leads me back to you.

Cause I'm lost without you

I try to fight it, try to deny

But the truth is I can't survive.

Without you by my side

I'm just a ship lost in the tide."

Ren's voice was powerful yet emotive, with a husky quality to it. His tone easily conveyed the longing and desperation that the lyrics of the song required, drawing the listeners in with its raw vulnerability.

"Bravo!"

A series of claps fell like rain and echoed like gongs.

Everyone was cheering Ren for another one, but the estranged man only walked ahead without looking back.

Elena scoffed at Ren's side and bristled. "We'll, aren't you perfect?"

"Don't forget our deal," Ren said instead, and didn't comment further. He didn't want to talk about it because he felt like he would die of embarrassment. That song . . . he wrote it for Evie back when he was drunk with romance.

Elena folded her arms and slightly shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Does your girlfriend know that you can sing?" she asked on a whim.

"No."

Elena's eyes shot at Ren, and she felt oddly happy. "So I'm the very first creature to hear you sing?"

Ren briefly threw a glance at Elena. Why was she so happy about it?

We'll he was glad that her mood uplifted ever since that drunkenness accident.

Moving forward, their next encounter was when the ground caved in beneath them, depositing them into a swampy pit filled with snakes. Each snake had tiny gems for its eyes, but their venom was lethal.

Ren equipped [Monarch Sovereignty] and killed all the snakes he saw, leaving no quarters unchecked. Those jewels would definitely fetch a high price.

If not for the Princess who pulled him up, Ren wouldn't have left until he was sure that he got all the snakes.

Elena gave him a look, and Ren only walked ahead while counting his treasures. He didn't notice a pixie food stand and accidentally stepped on and destroyed it.

The pixie owner, holding two babies, demanded that Ren pay 2 000 gil for damages. It wasn't big money, so he did and moved on.

The encounters never ended, though. From a dryad's song that charmed creatures; to naked elf stumbling to the street, ranting and raving about how Hedgegrove was doomed because there was an evil army of Winter Court soldiers marching to burn it down.

There was never a dull moment in the maze until the Spring Castle finally loomed over them.

The Spring Castle was a magnificent structure that was both elegant and whimsical. The castle appeared to be made entirely of blooming flowers and greenery, with intricate winding staircases, arched doorways, and details that resembled vines and petals.

As they approached the castle, they heard the sounds of singing birds and the gentle rustling of leaves. A light breeze carried the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, making the air feel refreshing and invigorating. The castle was bursting with vibrant colors, with flowers of every hue lining the pathways and adorning the terraces.

"Thank god. I thought it would never end," Ren muttered and faced the Princess. "How are we going to go over there if we can't climb these walls?"

Elena graced him with a grin. Instead of answering, she put her hand over the Hedge Wall. A large dimensional rift opened, revealing the castle on the other side.

A/N

Hey guys it's been a while. Sorry for the erratic update. I was burning out and pressured the last few weeks both in my novels and in real life

Anyway, we have an Event!

If we hit 20,000 in gift donations every week, we'll do 24 chapters every week too

Also,

My new book for WSA is up called, REBIRTH in other Dimensions. Its an apocalypse type with game elements. Check it our if you're curious. Though it only have few chapters at the moment

CHEERS!