Every step brought me closer to Nara, the village where it all started. The place where I was robbed of my chance to become a spellcaster when Kai slew The Divine. The place where he murdered my parents and everyone else who wasn't taking part in the liturgy.

Every step led me away from the forest, the place I was sent by Myriam to be saved from Kai's murderous intent. The place her parents were laid to rest. The place where I met her for the first time. The forest where I said my last goodbye to her.

I continued out of the forest and up the hill around it, reliving my memories of the grounds surrounding the village. The funeral of fire and water that my people and I had performed right after the massacre on the day of the liturgy… It reminded me how we had helped each other out of our holes of sadness and were able to move forward together.

Once I reached the top of the hill, I recognized the houses of the village I'd spent the majority of my teenage years around. Those were the homes we'd looted before fleeing Nara and starting our long journey toward the Endless Sea.

All of the houses were now dark. On the one hand, I felt a little relieved that none of the raiders had found out the village was deserted and had come to take it for themselves. On the other, I really hoped I would be able to find at least one Elysian citizen who could help me communicate with the capital.

Moving through the dark roads and alleys of Nara, trying to find something or someone to aid me in my quest to communicate with the archons in Elysia, I realized I my feet were moving sand and small rocks beneath them. I hadn't slept for quite some time and, without noticing it since my boots were making absolutely no sound, I had started dragging my feet.

My thoughts shifted from trying to find a means of long-range communication to whether we had left any beds still intact in the now-abandoned houses. Just as I thought I might have to spend the night on the hard floor of one of the dark homes, I noticed yellow light coming from an alleyway off the road I was on. The glow was probably emanating from one of the houses, and yet I did not run around the corner to see its origin immediately.

Instead, I took the road parallel to it and walked silently around the residence that stood between me and the origin of the light. I peeked around the corner and saw a wooden house, warm yellow light pouring out of its two windows and a slow stream of smoke rising up from its chimney. Whoever was in this building, they'd made themselves comfortable there.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on the windows, I couldn’t make out any occupants. I thought of the worst-case scenario—a citizen or raider from the nations north of Elysia having occupied the house. If that was the case, I would have to defend myself, but the level of my exhaustion meant that I was willing to take the risk.

I took a deep breath, touched the hilts of my swords and loosened the strap of my shield before moving toward the yard behind the house.

I reached over to open the little metal latch of the waist-high wooden gate and walked into the yard, my heart beating faster. I glanced at the windows but couldn’t see much other than furniture between the white knitted curtains. I could, however, hear a voice—a voice I thought I recognized.

I knocked on the thick wooden door and the voice stopped. I heard things being thrown to the floor before the door was flung open and I was met with the point of a golden spear. Instinctively, I reached for my shield and sword but halted when the figure in front of me talked.

"By The Divine, Adel!" The familiar voice said. The figure inside was enveloped in shadow while the light from their hearth was almost blinding me. "You scared me! I was just talking about you."

The spear was lowered and with it, the brightness of the fireplace inside magically dimmed as well, no doubt a precaution against intrusion. As soon as my eyes had adjusted to the lighting of the room, I was able to see the person standing in front of me, inviting me in.

Name : Taro Hulvert

Race : Human

Class : Diamond Lancer

Level : 31

"Taro!" I said enthusiastically, and hugged him tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"After you guys went off to search for Myriam and Kai," he explained as he rested his lance on the wall next to the fireplace, "I left the tower to visit Nara. I wanted to see what became of the place I grew up in."

His eyes fell to the ground then, as we were both reminded of the events that led to the village being evacuated.

"More importantly," he said and grabbed my shoulders, "what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the other end of the world?"

"I was," I said. "Something terrible happened and I was sent here."

"I thought so," he admitted. "I was talking with our people in the tower and heard that your sister was trying to reach you—"

"Seika is back at the tower?" I asked, a newfound energy rushing through me. "How long has it been? Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone is fine," he replied. "I was talking to the tower when you knocked, but cut my communication short thinking you might be an intruder. I'd better tell them everything is fine here too, though I don't think your sister is in the room anymore. Last I heard they were preparing to go and find you."

"They might already be there," I said, desperately. "It's been so many days since we got separated in that place and the communication earrings didn’t work. They probably think I'm dead."

"What are you talking about, Adel?" Taro asked, confused, as he picked up his communication device from the floor. "I heard Seika through this very stone, only ten minutes ago."

"But… I…" I stood there confused, my mouth open as I tried to understand what might have happened. "We were separated in that enchanted forest weeks ago."

"That sounds like powerful magic, Adel," Taro said as he wrapped his fingers around the stone. "Let's not waste any more time. I'm sure you're dying to talk to them."

"Taro?" a female voice originated from the stone, which was now emitting a faint glow. "You had us worried. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Taro replied. "Is Seika still with you?"

"No, they all left some minutes ago," replied the voice, which I now recognized as Mona, who did regular shifts in the tower's communications room. "We were just informed that Adel was left behind and they will soon depart to find him."

"Please send word," Taro said, his smile growing even wider. "Adel is right here with me."

"Hello Mona," I said. "It's nice to know everything in the tower is fine."

"By The Divine, Adel," she responded. "You has us frightened. Your sister is worried sick. Give me a moment to send word to her."

The stone lost its radiance at once and a few seconds later Mona's voice returned along with the device's soft glow.

"I sent people looking for her," she said, "but I think she's on her way to the merchant-king's palace."

"What about Krysha and Kard?" I asked.

"The whole group is heading there," she answered. "I think there was an incident with some priests of the Order."

"I'm happy to hear everything is under control," I said, almost having forgotten the little present I'd sent them with my hourglass and feeling a pang of guilt at what they must have been dealing with.

"I'll contact you as soon as we find them," Mona said. "It was nice to hear your voice, Adel. Taro, please take care of him."

"It was good to speak to you too," I replied.

"I will, Mona," Taro said. "Talk to you later."

Taro touched the stone on the table in front of him and looked me up and down properly for the first time since I'd arrived.

"You've had a scuffle?" he asked.

"I have," I replied.

"But you made it back here," he said, as if understanding that there was more to what happened.

"I am," I said, thinking of what had happened before I was saved. "But at a terrible cost."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said, and stood up, casually uncorking a small keg of ale.

"I think I do," I said, and took the mug he offered.