Chapter 300: Infected space

Zafron and Calista pressed forward, their footsteps quick against the uneven ground. Calista led the way, her shoulders tense as her mind churned with possibilities. Every few steps, her eyes darted around, searching for any sign that this path remained unchanged, untouched by whatever force was unraveling limbo.

'Please,' she thought, her heart racing. 'Please let it still be there.'

They rounded a sharp bend in the path, and Calista's steps faltered. Before them stretched another field, vast and eerily empty, just like the others. But this wasn't just any field. Her breath caught in her throat as recognition dawned.

"No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "No, no, no..." Her hands trembled as she gestured at the barren expanse. "This is it, Zafron. This is where the herb should be. This is where it's always been!"

Zafron's eyes scanned the field, his heart sinking at her words. But then he spotted it – a small patch of green in the distance, not yet claimed by whatever force was erasing everything. Without hesitation, he pulled the collecting container from his pocket.

"There!" He pointed, already breaking into a run. "I see some!"

The ground seemed to resist his steps, each stride requiring more effort than the last. In the corner of his eye, he caught sight of another patch, further ahead, but he focused on the closer cluster. 'One chance,' he thought. 'Just one chance to get this right.' Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

As he approached, he could see the herbs beginning to fade, their edges becoming translucent. His fingers fumbled with the container's lid as he dropped to his knees beside them.

With careful but quick movements, he plucked the last remaining herb and sealed it inside.

But something was wrong. Through the container's clear walls, he could see the herb's color dulling, its form becoming hazy. 'No,' he thought, watching in horror as the infection spread through the plant. 'Please, not now. Not when we're so close.'

"Did you get it?" Calista's voice came from behind him, breathless from running. "Zafron?"

He shook his head, his jaw tight with frustration. "It's infected. Already fading." He stood, his eyes fixed on the distant patch he'd spotted earlier. "There's more ahead. It's our last chance."

Without waiting for her response, he launched into a sprint. The ground beneath his feet felt increasingly unstable, as if the very earth was trying to slow him down. Each step sank slightly, forcing him to pull harder, push faster.

'I have to make it,' he thought, his breath coming in sharp gasps. 'For Aphrodite. For all of them. I have to reach it.'

The herb ahead was starting to fade, its edges shimmering with that same terrible transparency he'd seen before.

But as he ran, movement on the far side of the field caught his attention. Two figures were approaching from the opposite direction – Thera and Aurelia, their forms unmistakable even at a distance.

"The herb!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the field. "Grab it! Quick!"

Thera was already moving, her reactions swift and sure. In one fluid motion, she snatched the herb and secured it in her own container, just as the last remaining plants in the field dissolved into nothingness.

Zafron reached them a moment later, his chest heaving. Part of him wanted to collapse in relief, but uncertainty kept him tense. "Did it take? Is it safe?"

Thera held up the container, showing the herb inside – still vibrant, still whole. "We got it in time," she said, her voice tight with barely contained relief. "But only just."

Calista joined them, her face flushed from running. "Thank the gods you were here," she breathed, looking between Thera and Aurelia. "We've been seeing... terrible things."

"So have we," Aurelia said, her usual composed demeanor showing cracks of worry. "There was nothing but an empty land at the Ravine of Echoes, same with the Field of Last Light. The spring of heart fire we saw..." She shuddered slightly at the memory. "And the fields behind us – all empty, like this one."

Thera nodded, her expression grim. "The pillars along the northern path are shifting, too. Some have fallen completely. It's as if..." She paused, searching for words. "As if limbo itself is coming undone."

"At least you didn't meet a Voidreaver," Calista said quietly, eliciting a look of shock from both Aurelia and Thera.

But she continued, "and the herbs vanishing, the ground changing. Even the air feels different." She wrapped her arms around herself, as if warding off a chill. "I've never seen anything like this."

Aurelia opened her mouth to respond, but Zafron cut in, his voice sharp with urgency. "We can discuss this later," he said, glancing at each of them in turn. "Right now, Aphrodite needs that herb. Every second we stand here talking is another second she suffers."

The others fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them. He was right – their observations and theories could wait. What mattered now was getting back to Aphrodite while they still had time.

"The path we came through is still stable," Aurelia offered, gesturing behind her. "It's the quickest way back."

"And at least the one road free from harm or danger. I don't want to run into a Voidreaver. With the way things keep appearing, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Spectral Hound lurking around one of these paths," Calista muttered, clearly anxious.

Aurelia smiled and couldn't resist a jab. "You've always been such a pessimist, Calista. Try to be positive—nothing will happen."

Calista just shrugged, unconvinced by Aurelia's reassurance.

Thera smiled, carefully securing the container with the herb. "Then let's move. Together."

They set off down the path, their pace quick but measured. As they walked, Zafron found his gaze drawn to the container in Thera's hands. One small plant, he thought, that might make all the difference. He couldn't help but wonder if they'd found it in time, if it would be enough to save Aphrodite.

The road ahead stretched before them, still solid despite the chaos they'd witnessed elsewhere. But none of them could shake the feeling that time was running out – not just for Aphrodite, but for limbo itself.

Whatever was happening to this realm, whatever force was unraveling its very fabric, it was clear that nothing would ever be quite the same again.

As they hurried toward whatever awaited them, the empty fields behind them continued to fade, erasing themselves from existence as if they'd never been there at all.