Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

“You have to put your head in it. Hold your breath to the limit. Don’t worry. Yellow here will get you out.” “Cordelia.” “Yes, Korea.” “Ha…” 

If someone asked Eileen what it felt like to go underwater in a one-piece.

 

She’d say it felt like being wrapped in water plants and dumped in a lake.

 “Ugh, why is the water so cold!” “Uh-huh. Focus on the water itself. The temperature, the feel, the smell, the taste. Is it so hard to see the spirits?” “That’s why I don’t want to see them.” 

Pursing her lips, Eileen sighed heavily and dove into the lake. Cordelia clenched her fists in silence while Eileen cheered.

 

‘Well, at least it’s better than free fall.’

 

The view from the water was even more beautiful than she’d expected. Shimmering light and rippling shadows flickered above Eileen, an exotic sight she would have loved to stare at for hours if it weren’t for the freezing cold water temperature.

 

‘I’ve had enough of this, let’s go up.’

 

Slowly, out of breath, Eileen took a step toward the surface. No, she tried to step. The hem of her dress caught on a rock and she would have made it to the surface in one piece.

 

‘This is too much!!! Ugh… Ugh.’

 

Bubbles rose to the surface. After a moment of pitying the scene, Orgen scratched his cheek and said

, “Oh, no. It’s not water.” “Oh no, it’s not even water. Get her out of there, Korya.” “Aaah Eileen!!!” 

Cordelia, who had been stamping her feet, quickly scooped Eileen up. Eileen coughed violently and screamed in pain.

 “Kulk. Kuluk. Kuluk! Is this really, ugh. Is this how you see spirits?! You can’t be making fun of me, can you?” “Well, I know it’s hard, but I’m afraid it works. I’ve been there—” 

The smirk on his face couldn’t have been more condescending.

 “So how did you get the spirits’ attention?” “Me? I was buried in the ground for four days.” 

Huh?

 

Eileen and Cordelia were speechless for a moment.

 “No. When I was a kid, I went mushrooming and fell into a tunnel. But then the collapse happened. I thought I was going to die, but luckily I could still breathe, and then I met Ping Ping. Easy, right?” 

‘It’s easy, right?’

 

She thought of an old man in Rusyn painting a picture.

 

Eileen was no longer in tears, only a weak, hollow laugh escaped her.

 “Okay – no wind or water, now fire, lightning, or earth. What do you want to do first?” “I don’t want to do anything…” “Good. You can’t make fun of Halvi.” 

Seriously.

 

It’s a waste. Eileen thought to herself as she was picked up by Ping Ping and buried in the ground.

 “At least she’s a girl, so I left her face out.” “Eileen, it’s hot, let me shade you!” 

Eileen, buried headfirst in the ground, neck deep in the ancient earth, sobbed soundlessly.

 

‘Fuck off, real…’

  

* * *

  “How long are you going to do this?” 

Eileen, who had been buried for over two hours with only her head sticking out of the ground, pursed her lips.

 “Well, why don’t you come out, there’s still more to try.” 

Eileen thought for a moment. Wind, water and earth were done, so what was left…

 “Come to think of it, I think I’m still okay. It’s cozy, cozy.” “It is, isn’t it-?” 

Orgen chuckled and took a handful of cookies, leaving only Lucian, who had joined Cordelia at her side, fidgeting restlessly.

 “You’re sitting here eating your cookies, it’s been two hours and we haven’t even started yet, the earth spirits are lazy.” “So we’re supposed to stay like this for who knows how long?” “I said four days.”

Orgen chewed his lip, then opened his mouth again.

 “But don’t worry. It won’t be in vain. Unlike the wind and water, the ground feels pretty good.” 

Eileen eyed Orgen suspiciously. She had a long list of harsh words she wanted to say, but she held her tongue, figuring this was better than fire and lightning.

 “But this is a bit harsh!” 

She’s been stuck in the ground for eight hours now.

 

The ground felt cold, then hot, then cool again. The sun had long since set, and Eileen, who had skipped lunch, was quickly becoming uncomfortable.

 “It’s almost dinnertime, can’t we… do this again tomorrow?” 

Cordelia and Lucian clung to him pitifully, but he didn’t budge.

 “Not yet, not yet. You go eat first, it’s too late to stop now.” “But!” 

Orgen rose from his seat and walked to Eileen’s front, bending down to sit on his knees.

 “What about you, are you tired, do you want to quit?” “…….” “If you want to quit, say so. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find your spirit.” “…Or maybe not.” “That’s right!” 

He crossed his arms and looked down at Eileen with a loving gaze.

 “Spirits and humans live on the same land, but in different worlds, and a pact is a window between the two, and in a world so vast, it shouldn’t be so easy to find someone to share your soul with.” 

Lucian and Cordelia hung their heads, ashamed of their foolishness. Cordelia was a lucky case. Her eyes had been opened and she had found her own spirit.

 

Cordelia realized that it would be very difficult for the same miracle to happen to Eileen.

 

‘But I’m the one who drew her in.’

 

Wanting to hold on to kindness, she let everyone know that Eileen had seen the spirit, and if she had to take responsibility for her actions, she was willing to share the burden.

 “I’ll stay with her! I’ll watch over her until we find her spirit!” “I’ll stay with you too, just let me know if you’re hungry and I’ll bring you some bread!” 

The two children clench their fists and throw their wills together, and Eileen, who watched them with an impressed expression, spoke up.

 “Thank you, guys. Now, will you do me a favor?” “Sure, anything!” “Get in there, both of you.” “Huh…?” 

Cordelia and Lucian, looking like betrayed puppies, looked at each other forlornly. Eileen, who sighed briefly at the sight, looked at Orgen and said,

 “You too, I’d like to be alone.” “Ho—” 

Both Cordelia and Orgen had been alone when they first met the spirits. Spirits that shyly appear when they empathize with the

“attributes”

of nature.

 

Eileen concluded that she needed

“stillness”

to face them.

 “Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” “Even if I don’t, I’ll have to.” “You sound like an old man.” 

Wrinkling his nose, Orgen ruffled Eileen’s hair and stroked it, then strode away, dragging Cordelia and Lucian with him, who dragged their feet in frustration.

 

Eileen watched them until they were out of sight, then caught her breath. It was a corner of the manor’s gardens, but the feeling of being trapped in the dark, her body chained, was not pleasant.

 “Come on, calm down. Let’s go.” 

First, she focused on the feel of the soil around her. The texture, the humidity, the weight, the temperature. As she immersed herself, she noticed more than she expected.

 “The smell of dirt. I used to think it was fishy, but now it’s actually quite fragrant.” 

It was a bit cold, and her body was stiff from being stationary for a long time, but as she faced each one, she felt a sense of warmth.

 “You’re doing great. Keep it up!” 

Eileen felt positively encouraged, like she was onto something! It was an unsubstantiated but somehow definitive feeling.

 

For exactly one hour and twenty-five minutes.

 “Fuck the spirits, I’m not signing, I swear.” 

Now Eileen was feeling a little bit like a bitch. For over an hour, she had empathized with the land, even praised it, and it hadn’t even bothered to ignore her.

 “I won’t do it! I won’t do it!” 

The worst part was that she couldn’t get out of the dirt, even if she wanted to; the mound of soil pressing down on her body would only budge slightly, no matter how hard she tried.

 

A small tear formed in the corner of her eye. Exhaling in exasperation, her only option was to curl her fingers around the little bit of movement she was able to get, and jab her middle finger into the ground once more.

 “Fuck this…” 

That’s when it happened. She felt something bite down on her middle finger.

 “What, what!” 

It didn’t hurt, but the unexpected sensation sent goosebumps all over her body, and Eileen shuddered in shock, unable to scream.

 

She was about to call out for Orgen when she realized. The ground shook as a golden ball of light erupted from the ground.

 “….!” 

Through the cracks in the ground, she saw the roots of a giant old tree, bathed in light. Before Eileen had a chance to panic, a single root gently wrapped itself around her waist and lifted her off the ground.

 

She looked as fluffy as if she’d just stepped out of the house, thanks to the mound of dirt that had fallen away perfectly, as if it had a mind of its own, despite having been in the dirt for so long.

 “What the…” 

Dumbfounded, Eileen’s legs gave out and she scrambled over the roots of the old tree, noticing the presence of a creature biting down hard on her middle finger.

 

It looked like a furry mole, but unlike a r

eal mole with degenerated eyes, it had sparkling hazel eyes.

 *Crunch* 

A jewel-like glow emanated from the creature’s body and enveloped Eileen. An exhilarating sensation, more thrilling than frightening, washed over her.

 

‘This child is my spirit.’

 

She felt certain, as if she had found the answer to the world’s questions.

 

Suddenly, the thought of naming it crossed her mind. Names were crucial to the contract with the spirits. It was a declaration of the birth of a window between this world and the spirit world.

 

The young elementalist felt it instinctively, even though no one had ever told her. Swallowing hard, Eileen opened her mouth cautiously.

 “Earth dragon?” *Beep!* 

She was slapped. A slap from a spirit.

 “That’s too much!” *Beep!!! Beep!!!* 

She doesn’t know what it meant, but it sounded like it was telling me to be meaner. Now that it was clear it didn’t like it, Eileen’s mind was once again in anguish.

 “Hmm, latte-colored fur and hazel eyes.” 

Suddenly, she remembered a Starbucks cafe she used to frequent in her previous life.

 

‘There was a time when I was a caffeine-addicted office worker…’

 

The spirit chirped, interrupting her wistful reminiscing.

 “Star, what do you think? Well, it means star in another language!” *Chew-* 

The cuddly creature rubbed its cheek against Eileen’s palm, as if it liked the name. Eileen’s mouth dropped open at the soft touch.

 “Okay, from now on, you’re Star, and I’m Eileen. Please take care of me.” *Snicker* 

At the exchange of names, Eileen felt an odd sensation in her heart, as if it were tightening for a moment. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but she could vaguely sense that this was a contract.

 

‘My spirit. My power.’

 

The overwhelming feeling that flooded through her body brought tears to her eyes. Hugging the spirit in her arms tighter, she turned to walk back to the mansion.

  

* * *

  “Oh, my God.” 

Orgen clicked his tongue as he gazed out at the yard, which had been completely overrun. Worried for his child, who had been left alone in the night, he had lurked and watched the scene. Even with the barkeep gone, there was still a trace of golden light emanating from the ground.

 “It looks like a heart…” 

He stuttered. The cracks in the ground, lifted by the roots of dozens of ancient trees, and the streams of light leaking from them, resembled the shape of a heart with a tangle of veins.

 

‘If the Heart of the World Tree existed, this is what it would look like,’

thought the seasoned elementalist.

 

Waiting for the golden glow to dissipate completely, Orgen looked up at the sky. The ancient trees, their roots growing, were about to block out the moon.

 

The pulsing life force.

 

Eileen’s elementalism differed from the more common elementalism, which was based on physical power.

 “It is said that those with strong destinies have strong spirits.” 

He spat out a wry smile and quietly began to repair the yard.

 

It seemed that the two disciples he had gained in his later years were not ordinary people.

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