The morning sun cast golden rays upon the towers of Hartz Academy when Saruto appeared in its vast courtyard. It hadn't been long, but it felt like an eternity to him. He stood in the middle of the courtyard, smiling faintly as he murmured to himself, "Finally... I'm back."
He began to wander through the academy's corridors. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to track Lucian's energy. As soon as he found it, he smiled and said lightly, "There he is, as usual, never leaving his fiancée's side."
He vanished in an instant, only to reappear suddenly before Lucian and Selena, who were sitting in the academy's garden, among the trees and flowers, talking quietly. The two froze in surprise, especially Lucian, who nearly choked with astonishment before bursting out, "Saruto! For heaven's sake, don't you know the meaning of privacy?!"
Saruto chuckled softly and raised his hands apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt... Enjoy yourselves."
Then he disappeared again before Lucian could reply. "You idiot!" Lucien shouted into the empty air. "You can't just appear and disappear as you please!"
But Saruto's faint laughter was the only response. He moved on to another spot, where Emilia stood on the academy's balcony, her hair blowing in the wind. The moment he spotted her, a small smile spread across his face, and he approached her quietly before surprising her with a hug from behind. Emilia froze, flustered and flushed. "W-what are you doing, Saruto?!" she stammered, her voice trembling.
He chuckled softly, whispering, "Don't I have the right to hug my fiancée after all this time?"
She tried to sound serious but couldn't. She simply looked at him and said, "Idiot... but... just this once."
He smiled and hugged her gently before pulling back slightly and looking into her eyes. "How are you? Was everything alright while I was gone?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about me," she replied with a small smile. "But where have you been?"
He shook his head. "I had some training to do."
Then they sat and talked for a while, chatting amongst themselves. When the meeting ended, he said goodbye with a warm smile before moving on again. This time, he found himself in another garden, quieter and filled with artificial stars that mimicked the night sky. Star was there, gazing at the sky as she brushed her long hair, lost in thought. He approached her quietly until he was behind her, then reached out to gently cover her eyes.
"Who is this?" she asked, smiling, though she knew the answer from the pulse of his energy.
He slowly removed his hands, revealing himself in front of her. At that moment, she rushed towards him with a sudden hug, exclaiming joyfully, "Saruto! Where have you been all this time? I missed you!"
He chuckled softly, patting her shoulder. "Only two days, Star, no more." She looked at him with eyes that shimmered like galaxies and said, "Two days without you felt so long."
He smiled, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm here now, so don't worry."
They sat together on a stone bench in the middle of the garden, talking for a long time. He asked about her, and she told him about the academy and what he had missed. Finally, Saruto stood up and said with a gentle smile, "I have to go now… but we'll continue our conversation later."
He said goodbye and disappeared. In the common room, Lucien was sitting on the sofa when Saruto suddenly appeared. He looked up and smiled, saying in a half-angry tone, "Finally back, you womanizer."
Saruto chuckled and said lightly, "How are you, my friend?"
He sat down next to him, and Lucien asked with genuine curiosity, "Have you reconnected with Void? How is he doing?"
"Ask him yourself," Saruto replied with a mysterious smile.
Suddenly, his tone and expression shifted slightly, and Void appeared through him, his voice deeper and calmer: "Hello, Lucien. Don't worry, my student, I'm fine. In fact, better than ever."
Lucien smiled with relief. "That's very reassuring, Void. I was worried about you both."
Void's tone gradually faded, and Saruto's normal voice returned. "Now, don't worry too much. Everything is alright."
A quiet silence fell over the room. They each went to their respective beds. Saruto stretched out, gazing at the ceiling, a faint smile on his face.