Everyone in the Alliance chamber stared at Saelen in surprise. No one had expected his arrival. Questioning glances were exchanged, some representatives murmured quietly – what was he doing here?
Slowly, Saelen stepped toward the representative of Earth, stopped before him, and bowed his head slightly.
"I apologize," he said in a calm, deep voice.
Then he turned to face the entire assembly. His gaze swept across the faces of the thirteen worlds. When he spoke again, there was weight in his voice.
"I apologize for what has happened."
The room froze. No one moved.
"I should have told you the truth long ago. But what was forgotten… was meant to stay forgotten."
Silence. Hardly anyone understood what he meant. Even Rex, still grieving the loss of Meridion, now focused all his attention on Saelen.
And Saelen continued.
"You have all fought bravely today. You defended what was not your own. You stood by a friend in need. And that, my friends, is the true reason this Alliance exists. Exchanging knowledge, trading resources – many can do that. But standing with an ally when everything seems lost... that is what makes us special."
He paused briefly, then continued, his voice growing more intense.
"What happened today shows once again how important this Alliance is. But the storm we faced today... is old. Very old."
He let the words settle. The representatives looked at each other in confusion. Questions were written on their faces. Even Rex, who had remained silent before, leaned forward slightly.
Saelen took a deep breath.
"It began thousands of years ago. This enemy knows no peace. I was there. I saw the true origin of the Rifts... and the face of the enemy."
He looked around the room.
"Before you argue further, let me tell you the real story."
A murmur went through the chamber. And then – silence.
Saelen continued.
"It all began around three thousand years ago. I was still young back then," he said with a faint smile. "I had a friend – Xarion. A mage. And not just any mage. He was better than me. More powerful. More talented. But it wasn't enough for him."
He lowered his gaze briefly, then looked up again.
"Xarion found life on Azura boring. He was curious, insatiable in his pursuit of discovery. New forms of magic. New powers. He often felt misunderstood, sometimes even stifled by the rules of our world. He always sought more – more knowledge, more power."
Saelen paused, as if reliving the memories.
"He spent most of his time in Azura's great library. Studying ancient texts, searching for forgotten magic. But he didn't stay there. He traveled – to places most of us would avoid. Abandoned ruins, lost caves, dark regions far beyond the academies. That's where he felt alive."
The representatives listened intently. No one spoke.
"He searched for magical crystals he had read about in an ancient book. And one day, he found them. Deep inside a cave, hidden behind ancient wards, he discovered a book. But it wasn't just a collection of spells – it described entire worlds. Connections between them. Places we'd never dreamed of."
Saelen drew a long breath.
"Curious as always, he began studying the book. Day after day, week after week. And eventually... he figured it out. The knowledge of how to create portals. Pathways between worlds."
His voice grew more serious.
"Driven by curiosity – and despite all warning signs – Xarion began his experiments. After many days of isolation and magical strain, he finally made a breakthrough."
He paused.
"The portal was unstable, dangerous... but it was a beginning. The first step had been taken."
"Xarion closed the portal immediately," Saelen continued. "It consumed too much magic. And if he had kept it open long enough to pass through – someone would have noticed."
He lowered his voice.
"So he came to me. Asked if I would come with him. He wanted to show me something. I agreed."
Saelen took a few steps, his gaze growing distant.
"We went together to a cave, far from the academy. Remote. Hidden. We sealed the entrance with magic, so no one could follow – and so that no one could feel the energy from outside. Then Xarion reopened the portal. And I... I was speechless."
A faint tremble crept into his voice.
"It was a sight – terrifying and mesmerizing. A flickering disc of light and energy. I asked him if we could step through. He shook his head."
'Not yet, my friend,' he said. 'We have to wait.'
'Wait for what?' I asked.
'Until it's charged,' he replied.
'How long?'
'I don't know.'
"We had supplies for three days. So we decided to take turns: one would guard the portal, the other would fetch food. Every three days we switched."
"Three days passed. I went for food. When I returned, nothing had changed. The portal was still there. Quiet. Unchanged."
"Then three more days passed. This time Xarion left."
Saelen hesitated.
"And then... I saw it. The portal began to shift. It was like a window opening. I could see the other side."
"Beings stood there. With pointed ears. Humanoid, but different. Noble. Proud. They stood in a formation – and they saw me."
"I stared back. They watched me. Armed. Alert."
"Then – from the second row – one of them drew a bow. He fired. The arrow struck the portal but bounced off. The shooter was immediately pulled back. Still, I heard nothing. No sound. I could see their lips moving, their gestures – but no sound reached me."
"It was like looking through a silent mirror."
The elven representative frowned. "I... don't know this story," he said, puzzled.
Saelen nodded. "I'm not surprised. Let me continue."
"When Xarion returned to the cave, he was shocked – and delighted. He asked if I had done anything. I said no. He rushed to the portal and tried to walk through – but was pushed back."
"We tried using sticks – but they wouldn't pass through. The elves on the other side tried as well – it didn't work for them either. We could see each other, but not hear. Nothing passed through. No matter. No sound. No magic."
"And yet... we watched each other. And they watched us."
"We tried to show them we meant no harm. With gestures, with drawings. We wrote on paper – they didn't understand the words, but they saw our intent."
"Another day passed."
"Then – suddenly – the portal pulsed. A bright light filled the cave. And we heard it – the first scream from the other side."
"We jumped up. We knew: this was it. Now we could go through. But we also felt weak. The portal drained our energy."
"Xarion took another stick and passed it through. The elf who took it – his name was Thalandir."
Saelen smiled faintly.
"Thalandir was a commander – a guardian of the forest. The elven representative here in this chamber seemed to recognize the name. Tales of Thalandir's courage and strength were apparently well known."
"Finally, Xarion stepped through. He entered a new world – one he had reached through his own portal."
"Communication was difficult at first. Our languages were different. But curiosity was stronger than any barrier. We used signs, hands, expressions."
"I stayed on our side. Waited for Xarion to return. Then I went through. Thalandir also came to our side – to test if the portal worked equally for all."
"Three more days passed."
"We began to understand each other better. More elves visited. We showed them our magic – they showed us theirs. Their magic was different. It came from nature. Roots, wind, water. Not like our arcane energy – but powerful in its own way."
"But as it always goes: the portal's energy was noticed. Archmage Orthelion sensed it. He didn't know what it was – only that something strange vibrated in the cave."
"He sent a small squad – battle mages. They found the cave. Our barrier was useless. They entered. And they saw the portal."
"Xarion was on the other side. I tried to stop them – in vain. They called for Xarion. Thalandir wanted to come with him. But Xarion told him to stay – no matter what happened."
"Xarion returned."
"There was a heated argument. The soldiers demanded we shut the portal and return to the academy. Orthelion was already waiting there."
"I looked at Xarion. I knew what he was about to do."
"He said nothing. Instead, he cast a shockwave – pushed the soldiers aside, looked at me – and jumped back through the portal."
"I jumped after him."
"And then... we closed it."
"The only connection to our home – we had severed it ourselves."
"And we had no idea... if we'd ever return."