[Zeydan's Apartment – 13:57 PM, Afternoon]
The ticking of a clock echoed softly in the half-dim room.
A white curtain swayed gently, stirred by the breeze coming through the open window. Sunlight pierced the glass, casting a slanted beam over the desk, reflecting a silvery hue on a small photo frame — a picture of Ivan and his father, smiling in their full Warden uniforms.
Zeydan sat on a swivel chair, staring at his phone screen.
His hands trembled slightly as he opened his gallery and looked at that same photo — Ivan's face, unchanged since the last time he saw him in this apartment.
His breathing grew heavy, as if something weighed on his chest.
"Big Brother…" he whispered softly. "If only I could talk to you again…"
Outside, faint sounds of car horns and motorcycle engines drifted from the city streets. The real world felt so distant from everything he had just gone through.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
A notification appeared on the screen: Message from Mireya.
Zeydan straightened up and opened it immediately.
Mireya:
"Zeydan, we shouldn't have left the world of Santara yet."
"Rainer hasn't given his permission. That world isn't stable."
"Use the Crystal Device Irsyad gave you. We have to go back. Now."
Zeydan stared at the message for a long moment.
His brow furrowed.
"Not allowed to go home…?" he muttered.
The clock ticked closer to 13:58 PM.
The sound of traffic faded into the stillness of his mind. He took a deep breath and turned toward his mother's bed.
The woman lay there, her face pale but peaceful.
A cup of tea on the bedside table had long gone cold — a sign of how long she had been asleep.
Zeydan approached, knelt beside the bed, and gently held her hand.
"Mom… I have to go for a while," he said softly. "There's something left unfinished… in that world."
His mother opened her eyes slowly. Her gaze was gentle, though weak.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"You'll come back… won't you?"
"Of course, Mom. I promise."
She nodded slightly, closing her eyes again — entrusting everything to her son.
Zeydan stood up and took his old gray jacket from the hanger.
He checked his bag — the Crystal Device was still wrapped in soft fabric.
A pale blue glow pulsed from within, like a gentle heartbeat.
His hand trembled as he unwrapped it. The crystal shimmered, scattering light across the walls.
Zeydan looked at his reflection in the mirror — messy black hair, tired eyes, but a will that refused to fade.
He smiled faintly.
"Well… looks like the trials aren't over yet."
The air around him began to change — colder, stiller, as if the world was holding its breath.
He gripped the Crystal Device tightly and stood in the center of the room.
"Santara…" he whispered. "Wait for me."
The blue light from the crystal grew brighter — swirling into a vortex that enveloped his body.
The curtains flared wildly; papers flew across the room.
The clock stopped ticking exactly at 13:59 PM.
In an instant, white light filled the entire room, swallowing Zeydan whole.
When it faded, only silence remained…
and a single photo of Ivan fluttered gently to the floor, face-up — his smile frozen in time.
---
[Return to the World of Santara – Nightrune Village, Night]
A soft breeze brushed against Zeydan's face as the white light surrounding him slowly dissipated.
The gentle murmur of a river flowed nearby, mingling with the scent of wet wood and fresh leaves.
His eyes opened — and he realized he was standing in the living room of Ardelle's house.
The hanging crystal lamp glowed faintly blue.
The wooden chairs were still in the same place. A cold teacup rested on the table.
But the air felt… still.
No voice of Mireya. No light steps of Ardelle.
Zeydan looked around. "...Ardelle? Mireya?"
He walked slowly, touching the back of a chair as if to make sure the world around him was real.
"This is… Ardelle's house, right? But why is it so quiet?"
He moved toward the window. Outside, faint blue lights from the street crystals glimmered through the evening mist of Farlios.
From afar came the chirping of forest insects and the rustling of branches.
Zeydan took a deep breath. "Okay, Zeydan. Don't panic. Maybe they just… went out for a bit."
But as he stepped outside, the night air greeted him — cool, fresh, and slightly damp.
A few Furniy guards on patrol turned in surprise, then quickly approached him.
One of them, a wolf-eared soldier wearing a dark leather vest and holding a green flame lantern, spoke firmly but warmly.
"Ah, Master Zeydan!" he said. "You've finally arrived. Lady Ardelle and Lady Mireya have been waiting for you in the Farlios Forest since dusk."
Zeydan frowned. "Waiting… in the forest? But I just got here. How could—?"
The guard smiled, then tapped his shoulder. A small bird with transparent wings emerged from his cloak, glowing with soft blue light.
"This bird will guide you, Warden. It knows the fastest path to them."
Zeydan looked at it in awe. "A softly glowing bird… like a magic compass?"
"More than that," the guard replied proudly. "This creature only answers Lady Ardelle's call. Follow its flight, and you'll never lose your way."
The bird chirped — "trrriii…" — like a tiny flute, then fluttered toward the forest.
Zeydan adjusted his sword sheath and nodded to the guard respectfully.
"Alright. Thank you. I'll catch up with them."
"May the light of Farlios guide you, Master Zeydan," the guard said, saluting with his spear.
Zeydan nodded and began following the glowing bird. His steps were calm, though his mind swirled with questions.
"Ardelle and Mireya… why did they go ahead without waiting for me?" he murmured, watching the faint blue glow dance on the leaves.
The calls of night birds echoed between the towering trees of Farlios.
Moonlight filtered through the towering trees, and the mist thickened as he ventured deeper.
---
[Elsewhere – Deep within the Farlios Forest]
On the other side of the forest, Irsyad walked calmly along a moss-covered path.
His steps were silent, barely stirring the ground beneath him.
The wide brim of his hat cast a shadow over his eyes, veiling them from the moonlight.
A cold breeze drifted through, swaying his long black coat.
"Seems peaceful tonight…" he murmured.
But the tranquility shattered a moment later.
BOOM!
The ground shook — a deep, living tremor that cut through the forest.
Birds scattered from the treetops.
Then came a long, guttural roar — harsh and echoing from the valley ahead.
Irsyad halted, his gaze sharpening. "...Astrat."
Ahead, between the dark trees, loomed a massive creature — its skin black-green, scales cracked and steaming, eyes burning crimson.
Its claws dug into the ground, splitting the earth.
And before the monster stood two young humans in Warden uniforms, fighting desperately.
One was a short-haired silver-haired girl, her expression fierce and focused.
The other, a young man with the same silver-white hair, wielded a glowing energy spear.
Irsyad frowned slightly. "Ah… just Lina and Victor," he muttered.
The two Warden siblings were exhausted, their energy waning, breath ragged.
The Astrat roared again — RRAAAHH!! — sending leaves flying through the air.
Irsyad watched quietly, then took a few steps back, hiding behind a thick bush.
He inhaled calmly, eyes glinting beneath his hat.
"Not yet time for me to intervene…" he whispered. "Let's see how far they can go."
The blue light of the young Wardens' weapons flickered through the shadows.
The roars of the Astrat, bursts of energy, and the tremors of the earth echoed through the forest.
And from afar, the glowing bird guiding Zeydan drew nearer —
bringing together two paths of destiny that were about to collide.