Chapter 5

At that moment, as if by a miracle, the earthquake stopped.

Everything became quiet.

Feeling the vibrations cease, I slowly opened my eyes. It had really stopped. The movements of the iron that had been undulating just a moment ago had come to a halt. The iron windows and walls that had appeared haphazardly around me were now just standing still.

I dazedly got up and looked around.

"What is this...?"

Only then did I come to my senses. I looked around in a panic, feeling flustered. First, the exit that had been in front of me just a moment ago was nowhere to be seen. All I could see were the iron windows in a row, the strangely bent floor and walls, and that was all. Even the area around me was surrounded by iron, like a wave about to engulf me.

Would I have been covered by the iron if it had stopped a little later? The thought made me shiver.

Because of this, I could only see what was close by. I left the hollow to look around more. Beyond the iron wave, a desolate scene with iron pillars jutting out haphazardly was revealed. As I looked around, I finally opened my mouth, filled with fear.

"Teacher...?"

I couldn't see the exit. I couldn't see the teacher or my friends.

The sky and the ground were nothing but a silvery color with a metallic sheen.

Just a moment ago, it was full of beautiful flowers and trees...

I slowly clenched my trembling fists. In fact, the original structures and plants were still there, just rearranged. It was just the iron that had sprung up from the ground that created a desolate atmosphere.

My voice echoed emptily. But there was no response.

I dazedly looked at my hands. I couldn't see the line of magic that had connected me to the teacher. It had been clearly visible to me, even without the teacher engraving it, because I could see the color of the magic.

Moreover, the warmth I had held in my hands just a moment ago...

"Yumi...?"

Muttering dazedly, I finally realized. I was alone in this terrifying room.

How could this be! I looked around again with a worried face. But there was still no exit or people. Only the iron sculptures and plants filled the area. The plants in the botanical garden, which had looked beautiful just a moment ago, now seemed more terrifying and frightening to me. I slowly took a step.

"Is no one... anyone here...?"

The voice I uttered echoed back without any response. I raised my clenched fist to my chest with a pale face. Really alone? Am I alone?

Being alone in such a place is no joke. I felt fear and anxiety pressing on my chest and quickened my pace. I tried to organize the jumbled thoughts in my head.

'Why did this happen all of a sudden?'

It seemed to have happened in an instant. As if enchanted, I reached out my hand toward a strange bead inside the flower, and the surroundings suddenly began to shake. ...Ah, right. Now that I think about it, that's what happened. I definitely grabbed the bead embedded in the flower.

In my panic, I didn't even realize I was holding something in my hand.

I opened my left hand, which I had been holding. A bead with a rather strong magical power rolled in my palm.

It was indeed a strange magical power. It might be part of the plant, but it felt very different from the plants I had seen just a moment ago.

While thinking this, I carefully examined the bead and was startled. Now that I think about it, this bead was part of the flower. Even though it's a bead, it was probably the stamen, given that it was in the center of the flower. But now, only the stamen was in my hand...

'...No, wait. This is part of the flower? I destroyed it without the plant's permission?'

Unbelievable! How could I do such a thing! No, really, it was unconscious... Ahhh...

But thinking about it, that had nothing to do with this situation. Clutching my head in confusion, I regained my composure and looked around again.

So, why did this happen? What I can think of... maybe a magical surge? But why did a magical surge happen all of a sudden? If something like this had happened before, the glass botanical garden wouldn't be so popular.

Then, I looked down at the bead in my trembling hand. Could it be related to this gem? After all, it has a strange magical power...

'Maybe there was a reason for the arrangement of the plants, and by grabbing this bead, I disrupted the balance...'

No, no, that can't be. I shook my head. Even if it was unconscious, I couldn't think that only a few people would do the same thing. If that were the case, the botanical garden would have been closed long ago. How many children reach out to plants without knowing anything?

I recalled the situation when the incident happened. I held the bead in my hand, and the entire floor was filled with light. I remembered the shape of the light spreading as if following lines already drawn on the floor. It just happened that way.

I clenched the bead tightly and trembled.

"What should I do..."

I muttered anxiously, biting my lip. Even though I learned magic faster than others, I was only five years old. Just five years old. I didn't have any magic to get out of a place like this. I could only recently manage to use clairvoyance, and teleportation was absolutely out of the question. The best I could do was create a palm-sized illusion or make a very short setting with a sentence.

To begin with, my magical power was insufficient, insufficient. Despite my hard work, I could only use the simplest protective magic, which could barely cover my arms. What could I do with that... I was really going to go crazy.

I stood there, fidgeting. Moreover, I had a strange feeling. It might be an obsession from being trapped in such a place, but I felt as if I was being watched. The longer time passed, the more anxious I became.

I decided to look around. I walked on the uneven floor, passed iron pillars, and climbed over living iron flowers. Worried that they might suddenly move again, I held onto the iron windows or walls and walked slowly. Unfortunately, my fears were realized.

Whoosh—

"What...!"

The bead in my hand emitted a metallic light, and the magical power spread to the surroundings. Just like what I had seen earlier, the magical power formed lines and spread from the bead.

Before I could understand what was happening, I instinctively grabbed the nearest iron pillar tightly. At that moment, the earthquake started again.

The iron undulated, forming waves. The waves fiercely covered the surroundings. The iron pillars repeatedly rose and disappeared. I held onto one pillar to withstand the violent waves. I reinforced my stamina and strength with magical power to endure.

The vibrations disappeared again. After the vibrations stopped, I panted heavily and collapsed.

"It's tough..."

Of course. I'm a child. A five-year-old child with limited magical power! A beginner magician who just started learning magic! My magical power container is as small as a speck of dust! Overwhelmed by anger, I threw the bead on the ground.

"It was this...! Because of this...!"

I stomped on the bead with my magically reinforced foot. I didn't know why this happened. I didn't know why this was the cause. But one thing was certain: all of this happened because of this gem.

Self-loathing also arose. Why, why did I grab this? If I hadn't grabbed it, none of this would have happened. If I had ignored it, at the very least, if I hadn't reached out...

'Really?'

A thought crossed my mind. I eventually stopped stomping on the bead. No matter how much I stomped with all my anger, the gem didn't break or even chip. I barely calmed my anger and self-loathing.

'I need to pull myself together.'

I grabbed my forehead with a deeply furrowed brow. Yes, I had forgotten, but the more I need to be calm in such situations. I need to clear my head and look around. I can't forget myself in a situation where I need to be cautious to escape.

To begin with, I don't even know the exact purpose of this bead. The only thing I'm sure of is that it served as a medium for magic. Breaking it without any preparation could lead to who knows what. This time, it might not end here. I tried to stay calm and looked around.

First, I need to find an exit. But I haven't seen any gaps or exits even after looking around.

If there's no exit, what are the ways to get out of a strange space? First, I need to create an exit. Any way will do. The easiest way is to break through the wall.

I frowned deeply.

"But this is steel."

It was impossible. My magic couldn't even break a brick. Despair rose, and I bit my lip. But I shook my head and took a deep breath.

I need to pull myself together. It will be okay. By now, they must have noticed I'm missing. Maybe they've already contacted my parents. Then, it will be okay.

But I shook my head again, trying to avoid overly optimistic thoughts. No, but if the surge happens again, it will be dangerous. I can't just sit and wait. The situation is too dire.

I tried to hold back tears. Someone will come to save me. But I can't just wait. I need to do my best.

'It's okay. It will be okay. It will definitely be okay.'

While holding back tears, I repeated this to myself and looked for the next way to escape. I recalled the magic I could use.

'What I can do... something like... teleportation is still impossible. The best I can do is create a semi-transparent illusion that anyone can see through. Protective magic is hopeless...'

I muttered to myself.

"Maybe I should look for an exit again."

But when will I be able to look around this vast and complex room? After a moment of thought, I took out a notebook and pen from my bag. I wrote on the notebook and activated the magic.

"Light to guide me to the exit (outside) or the wall closest to the exit (outside)"

How about it? Can I do it with my magical power?

The letters distorted and gathered into a circle, then floated into the air. The small light orb was a deep blue with a silver tint, the color of my magical power. The light orb moved very slowly. I followed it, feeling confident that the magic had succeeded. It eventually stopped in front of an iron wall and disappeared into it.

"...Ah."

I felt a bit of despair again. The magic had definitely succeeded. I was sure of that.

But the place it guided me to was a solid iron wall with no holes... In other words, there is no exit in this room.

I couldn't hide my disappointment as I placed my hand on the iron wall. But the magic had definitely succeeded. This wall must be the closest to the outside in this iron room. It's probably thinner than other walls.

I glared at the wall and took a few steps back. The room is deformed now, so it's hard to tell if this wall is properly connected to the outside just by a quick glance. To be safe, I checked if this wall was indeed the boundary of the room.

The wall extended straight and bent at the end. Ah, right, it's correct. This wall is definitely the boundary between rooms, not a wall that rose in the middle due to the surge.

I swallowed hard.

In other words, this wall is the only 'weak point' in this room.

I took the pen to the notebook with my trembling hand. Word magic is the most effective means I have now.

I don't know if it leads to a corridor or where, and my magical power has already decreased significantly from just using one magic. But this is the thinnest wall. There's no other way to escape now.

I can't even break a brick with my magical power. But if I use the word magic, which I'm most proficient in, and gather all my magical power into one point, maybe...

'Maybe...'

It was an optimistic thought. But even knowing that, I continued to think. Now, I can only cling to this feeling.

I put the notebook in my pocket and took out a magic pen. I started drawing a large circle on the huge iron wall with all my heart.

This magic is called 'word magic,' but the act of 'writing' has meaning.

It doesn't have to be 'letters.' It can be a drawing.

I adjusted the thickness of the magic pen to be about the size of a marker and drew a large circle as far as my arm could reach. It was a bit uneven because my drawing skills aren't great, but I didn't mind. I filled the circle in black to indicate a 'hole.'

The lines were drawn, creating a pitch-black circle. For some reason, even though I was just drawing, I felt short of breath. I activated the magic towards the black circle.

'...Break through!!'

With my will, my magical power was consumed. But the iron wall was only slightly scratched, about 1mm deep, and remained largely intact. I felt despair and collapsed. I covered my face with my hands, overwhelmed by despair.

'What should I do? My magical power is running out.'

Biting my lip, I took deep breaths to calm my mind. But no matter how much I thought, I could only see a desperate situation.

To begin with, this place is a completely sealed space. It's about the size of a school gymnasium, tightly sealed with no holes in the steel. The air will gradually decrease over time. How long can I hold out in here? Will someone save me before that?

I couldn't be sure of anything.

I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them. I lifted my head and regained my composure. Yes, I've only learned a little magic. I have so much I want to do; I can't just stop here.

I sat down in a comfortable position. To do anything, I first need to quickly replenish my magical power. To quickly gather magical power in my body, I decided to meditate.

"..."

But something was strange. While feeling the surrounding magical power and trying to draw it into my body with my breath, the magical power's response was unusual. It was hard and sticky, like pulling on a hard, solid piece of black rubber.

I suddenly opened my eyes and looked around to properly examine the surrounding magical power. Now I noticed that the appearance of the magical power floating around was completely different from usual. Normally, magical power moves like the wind according to the flow of air. But now, it was as if it was tightly bound or tangled together. To put it simply, it was like ice. The magical power, which was usually like water, had turned into ice and was tightly bound.

In fact, when I tried to draw the magical power, it was as difficult as moving a lump of metal. It took much longer to melt it inside me.

"What is this?"

If this continues, I'll run out of stamina before I can use magic again. I stopped drawing the magical power and looked disappointed.

"Is all the magical power around here frozen?"

It's the same as the trapped air. The magical power doesn't move. This is a steel cage designed to trap magicians. I shivered and slowly brought my hands to my mouth. I clenched my fists.

'Damn it.'

I cursed inwardly and took a step. It took five steps with my small strides to reach the wall. I brought my trembling hand to a slightly dented part of the iron. It was dented by my magic. The black, thick line was still there. This was my best effort.

"Ugh..."

My heart was boiling. Of course! How can anyone stay calm in such a situation? Someone will definitely come to save me from outside. But what if the room surges again before that and I die in the surge...!

Bang!

I punched the wall and leaned against it. A slightly hollow sound came from the iron wall.

That sound helped me control my boiling emotions. Yes... beyond this is the exit. The exit.

This is the thinnest wall in the