Both Ixia and Sofia were looking down at spot in the pool as if they were watching something.

Jayda was nowhere to be seen like she vanished into thin air.

Clouds were still rushing past, but Sofia's barrier made it so that they could be able to see each other.

"So, that's how it was..."

The expression on Ixia's face looked like she had lost her soul, muttering, "How did- does that- I didn't even- but over the last- should be-"

"Hey! Snap out of it," Sofia raised her voice, loudly snapping her fingers in front of the naiad's face, "Aren't you supposed to be used to something like this?"

Ixia showed a slight reaction, regaining some color.

"I should be used to this. I should've seen this coming after all. I should've known that it was all-"

She muttered, talking to herself, trying to ease herself from the shock, but her attempts made her slightly more depressed.

"Does that mean I'm not-"

"Don't be ridiculous. If you're here, then you're also there."

Sofia gestured at her then at the pool.

"I guess you're right... But, how much time has passed? Even I didn't-"

"Hush. I'm thinking."

If Sofia remembered correctly, it was before they were at the city?

But even then, it must've happened before that if she became aware.

There was something strange about Perseus.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

He had been in the Hunt for several years now, and his presence felt almost natural.

He mostly kept to himself, and was more of a background player if she had to describe him.

Most of the chores, and cooking were done by him.

Also, he taught archery from time to time.

Personally, she rarely interacted with him, and at first she found his existence bothersome.

But that was because, it was her pers-

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hellooooo?? Is anyone there???"

"Heeelllllooooo?"

Sofia turned to look at Ixia, only to find her already staring. It looked like she was asking, 'What should we do?'

The maiden shot Ixia a look saying, 'Why are you asking me?'

"Helllooooooo??"

Sofia turned in the direction of the voice. It was getting closer.

Strangely, Sofia thought it sounded familiar, but she didn't put much importance on it.

"There is a barrier around here, right?" Sofia questioned.

"Of course, there is! It's not every century that I see another living being! Well, except for this one I suppose."

Her voice lowered as she said that last sentence.

"Huh?"

"Do you know what its like being confined to this little pond? Only being able to talk to someone every hundred years," Ixia lamented, "It gets really lonely sometimes!"

"Uh-"

"Sometimes, it feels like I'm going to go crazy. But it never happens. It's like I'm cursed or something."

"Naiad."

"Even with people like you, who show up once in a while, its kind of fun talking. I mean, not that I usually talk this much, but its really strange when people like you show up."

It didn't sound like the naiad heard her.

"Naiad."

"Ah! No offense to you, of course! I would never say something so disrespectful in front of esteemed miss."

Again, it didn't seem like she was heard.

"Naiad!" Sofia urgently whispered.

"Oh. Ah! Sorry. I must've done it again haven't I."

Her fin-like ears drooped down like a sad puppy.

"No time for that. We should-"

"Eeeek!"

A loud splash of water followed after a surprised noise.

"Hubbbbub. Pah!"

"Oh my gods, why is there a lake here!"

Although Ixia and Sofia could see each other, the other person was on the opposite side of the pool, which was obscured by the still clouds that had neither of them noticed its slow movements until now.

"Ah sh-, I'm f- fr- fr- r- r- r- freezing. Tsk. This day couldn't get any w- w- w- worse," the female voice chattered.

It was at this moment Sofia realized whose voice that it belonged to.

"A- Alexie?"

Surprised by the sudden mention of her name, she let out a sound of confusion.

"Alexie, it's me," Sofia called.

"So- So- S- S- fia? Is that really you?"

"Uh. Yeah, its me!"

"Wha- W- W- W- Where are you?"

"On the other side of the lake," Sofia replied, "Should I come to you?"

"Pl- ease!"

Sofia got up from her seated position, and made her way over to Alexie.

Looking at the gray-eyed girl, Alexie asked, "Sofia! Ha- how are you- you doing that? Achoo!"

Alexie's body was covered in red bumps, small nicks, and cuts.

It wasn't anything life threatening, but she could see Alexie gritting her teeth in slight pain.

"That's not important right now. Naiad!"

A beautiful naiad swam into Alexie's field of vision.

"Who?"

"Could you please?" Sofia gestured to the shivering girl.

"Ah. Yes!"

Ixia raised her hands, creating a column of water over Alexie.

"Wait! Wh- wha- what do you think you're doinggg!" Alexie hissed.

The column of water hovered over her head for a second, then it crashed on her like a waterfall.

After being drenched for the second time again, her mouth opened to release a torrent of complaints, but she did not feel wet at all. In fact, she felt perfectly fine.

The water wasn't angering the cuts that she got from in the forest, wandering essentially blind with the clouds covering her vision and all.

And, her underwear wasn't soaked anymore.

"Why didn't you warn me before doing that?" Alexie glared at the naiad, who shrunk herself into the spring from the girl's menacing gaze.

Half of Ixia's head was underwater, allowing her marine blue hair to fan out in all directions.

"I didn't know you were going to do that," Alexie's brown eyes darted on and off the naiad, "Uh. Thanks."

The blonde turned away with a subtle redness on her face.

"Also, you're- uh- naked," Alexie quietly said.

Ixia looked down, and indeed she was naked. She had forgotten to undo the transformation either.

A red blush grew that contrasted her light blue skin as a mix of scales and ribbon-like frills appeared on her body, masking her sacred parts.

"Uhm. Sofia, how did you get here," asked Alexie.

"I come across it when that happened," she replied, pointing at the clouds that surrounded them.

"Oh, I see."

To Ixia, that was a blatant lie, but to Alexie, who also randomly stumbled upon it, it was quite plausible.

"So, have you heard anything about Jayda? I'm kinda worried..."

'Jayda? That's the name of the little girl earlier,' thought Ixia.

The naiad looked at Sofia, who seemed nonchalant about the question.

Sofia shook her head. "But, I wouldn't be surprised if she randomly showed up."

She gave Ixia a short glance that said, 'You know what to do.'

Ah. Now?

Ixia submerged herself to secretly look at the area that she and Ixia were staring at earlier, which didn't look very secretive since the water was clear and all.

To an outsider's eye, it looked extremely suspicious.

"By the way, how do you know her Sofia?"

She glazed her eyes over Ixia as if scanning her.

"She's kinda pretty," Alexie said inaudibly.

"What?" Sofia asked.

"No, it's nothing," Alexie hastily replied, "So, how'd you know her?"

"Oh, the naiad..." Sofia realized, "I don't."

"You don't?"

"Nope. Never seen her in my life. Why'd you ask?"

What Sofia was saying was a half truth because "Sofia" had never seen Ixia in her life. So technically, "Sofia" was telling the truth.

"Oh. I just thought you two looked familiar with each other. That's all."

When Alexie looked at Ixia, Sofia also shot a look at her that said, 'Don't say a single word.'

To which the naiad complied with by awkwardly swimming upright with her hands behind her back as if she was hiding something, which in Sofia's eyes looked more suspicious than her terrible lying.

The reason why she was acting that way was because she was trying to pull Jayda out of the dream state, which was the reason why she wasn't there in the first place.

The Dreaming Pool was capable of putting someone into the dream state, which refers to a person being "awake" or "asleep".

Forcibly putting someone to sleep could have adverse effects, especially when they are younger since their minds are not fully developed, making it harder to differentiate the dream from reality.

Thus, younger people were at larger risk of staying in the dream state than an older person.

That being said, a normal person, when they enter the Dreaming Pool, wouldn't disappear as soon as they touched the pool because it wasn't a portal for living beings. And since Jayda did, it could only mean one thing...

"No... I don't even know her name," Sofia honestly said.

"Really?" Alexie looked unconvinced.

"Well, that's the truth."

"Oh. I see," Alexie nodded, not taking too much time to ponder it, "So, what is your name?"

Both of the humans turned to Ixia, seeking an answer.

Ixia, meanwhile, was trying to bring someone back from the dream state, which was easier said than done. Bringing someone back was much harder than putting them into the dream state. Because, it was like playing crane fishing for a particular toy that was buried underneath all of the other toys, and she had to do it in the first try.

"Uh- my name? Ixia."

Alexie expression hardened, which confused the swimming naiad.

"What's wrong?" Ixia inwardly gulped, thinking that she had been caught.

"No- nothing. Ixia is a super unique name. I've never heard it before. Right, Sofia?"

The gray-eyed girl nodded.

"It suits you," Alexie said, "Pretty name for a pretty person."

"Is it?" Ixia laughed nervously, glancing backwards for a second, which didn't escape Alexie's eye.

Alexie's brown eyes narrowed slightly, which made Ixia feel as though she was sweating bullets, even though she was the one underwater.

Why was she making this so difficult?

Noticing the subtle suspicion, Sofia intervened.

"Alexie!"

"What?!"

"Nothing. I felt like yelling your name for some reason."

"Are you serious?"

Alexie looked annoyed.

"No..." Sofia stroked her chin as if she was in deep thought, "I can't tell if its just me, but... I feel like you've got like a lighter vibe on you. Did something happen?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Genuine confusion appeared on Alexie's face.

"It kind of feels like you got happier..?"

"H-happier? W- what do you mean by that???" Alexie dramatically exclaimed, pointing her finger at Sofia.

Sofia was just saying words to say them, but she didn't expect her to have such an intense reaction. Maybe there really was something going on with her.

"Hmm... It's kind of like- you got a boyfriend."

Alexie's face exploded with redness.

"Me? A boyfriend? W- what are you talking about!"

She punched Sofia several times without any force.

"I couldn't possibly have one! Artemis would kill me. . . ." Alexie trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.

Sofia signaled to Ixia with her eyes to hurry up.

'I'm trying my best,' Ixia replied with a distressed expression.

"You don't particularly seem to be against the idea though?."

"!! What are you talking about! Of course, I'm against it!"

"You already have someone in mind."

"Ye- I mean. No. No.. No... Course not."

"With that reaction, I'd say that you have someone in mind."

Suddenly, Alexie seemed melancholy, which something that Sofia caught on to immediately since it was highly unusual for her to be like that.

"Alexie, what's up?"

"No. It's nothing," she smiled, or at least show what she thought was a smile.

"Alexie, come here."

"?"

"What are you- ..!"

Sofia hugged the blonde girl with great force.

"Whatever's going on. I believe in you. You're strong."

Initially surprised by the intimate gesture, Alexie gradually accepted it, muttering, "Why are you saying such embarrassing things all of a sudden?"

"Because, it looked like you needed it."

Sofia snuck a glance at the naiad, who replied with an 'Ok' gesture.

Touched, Alexie whispered an inaudible, "... Thanks."