Five months had passed.
Morning sunlight washed over the quiet town of Sereneth. The air was fresh, and a gentle warmth spread through the village streets as people began their daily routines.
But for three young travelers standing near the shrine gates, the morning carried a different feeling.
The darkness that once crushed Vyvian and Faye's hearts had faded slightly, yet it had not disappeared. The wounds left by the past still lingered like clouds that refused to fully clear.
Even so, their minds were no longer lost in despair.
They carried something else now.
Resolve.
Rem stood beside them, silent as usual. His intentions remained unclear even to them, yet one thing was certain—he was ready to stand beside his friends.
It was finally time for them to leave.
Elder Seriyah handed them a bundle of maps and supplies.
"These roads will guide you through the surrounding regions," he said calmly. "Travel carefully and avoid unnecessary danger."
Faye smiled faintly.
"Thank you, Elder."
Vyvian bowed his head respectfully.
"Thank you very much for everything."
The old man looked at the three of them with a mixture of pride and worry.
"Take care of yourselves, children."
His gaze rested on Rem for a moment longer.
"And you… be careful, Rem."
Rem nodded.
"See you later, Grandpa."
With that, the three of them stepped away from the shrine and walked through the bustling streets of Sereneth.
Soon the stone roads gave way to the familiar forest path beyond the village.
For a while, they walked in silence.
Then Vyvian spoke.
"Where should we go first?"
Rem thought for a moment before replying.
"Remember that man we met before the tournament?"
"The one in the strange village."
"He seemed to know many things."
Vyvian nodded.
"Alexander."
"Yeah," Rem said. "If anyone might know something about monsters like the one that destroyed your village… it might be him."
Faye nodded slowly.
"You're right."
Vyvian looked ahead.
"Then let's go."
The three moved deeper into the forest.
Questions filled their minds.
Determination burned quietly in their eyes.
As they walked beneath the trees, Vyvian suddenly stopped.
A strange presence brushed against his senses.
He looked up.
"…Cherri?"
A raven sat calmly on a tree branch above them.
The bird tilted its head.
Then it jumped down and landed on the ground before transforming back into human form.
"Long time no see," Cherri said casually.
"Where are you three headed?"
"Ephemer Village," Vyvian replied.
Cherri raised an eyebrow.
"Why there?"
Rem answered.
"There's someone there who might have answers to some questions we have."
"I see…"
Her eyes moved between Vyvian and Faye.
"What's with those faces?" she asked. "You two look unusually serious."
Vyvian and Faye remained silent.
Rem quickly stepped in.
"They're just having a bad day."
Cherri nodded slowly, though she clearly didn't believe it.
Still, she didn't press further.
Instead she looked at Vyvian again.
"So… have you gotten stronger?"
Vyvian's expression hardened slightly.
"Certainly."
Inside, however, a different thought echoed.
Not strong enough.
Not strong enough to stop that monster.
Cherri smirked slightly.
"You look determined."
She cracked her knuckles.
"Want to spar?"
"Not now," Vyvian replied. "We have things to do."
"Alright then."
Cherri shrugged.
"See you around."
In an instant she transformed back into a raven and flew into the sky.
Faye watched her disappear.
"…Let's keep moving."
Rem nodded.
"Yeah."
By afternoon, they arrived near Ephemer Village.
The massive crater surrounding the settlement looked just as strange as before.
They descended the slope and entered the village.
Nothing had changed.
Adults sat idly along the streets with dull expressions.
Children barely played.
No laughter echoed through the air.
The village felt… empty.
Even though people were everywhere.
The three entered the small tea shop.
Behind the counter stood a familiar figure.
Alexander.
His wide eyes focused on them.
"You three again?"
He smiled slightly.
"Welcome back."
"What would you like this time? Tea… bread… biscuits…"
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"…or perhaps answers?"
Rem stepped forward.
"Three cups of tea."
"And bread."
He paused.
"…and a few questions."
Alexander studied their faces for a moment before nodding.
"I'll be right back."
He disappeared into the kitchen.
Faye leaned closer to the others and whispered.
"What should we ask him?"
Rem replied quietly.
"Let me handle it."
Vyvian and Faye nodded.
Moments later Alexander returned with a tray.
"Here you go."
He placed the tea and bread on the table.
Then he sat down across from them.
"So," he said calmly.
"What questions do you have?"
Rem looked at him directly.
"Do you know about a monster that slaughters villages?"
Alexander's large eyes widened.
"Why do you ask?"
Faye suddenly slammed her hands on the table and stood up.
"Because one destroyed our village!"
Her voice shook with anger and pain.
"It killed everyone!"
"Everyone!"
"And ate them!"
Vyvian gently grabbed her arm.
"Calm down, Faye."
She slowly sat back down.
"…Sorry."
Rem looked at Alexander again.
"Do you know anything about it?"
Alexander remained silent for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
"…Let me tell you a story."
He looked around the quiet village outside.
"This place wasn't always like this."
"Once, Ephemer Village was lively."
"Children ran through the streets."
"Adults worked with smiles."
"Everyone lived peacefully."
His eyes darkened.
"Then one day… a higher being came."
The room grew silent.
Alexander continued.
"It announced what it intended to do."
"Torture first."
"Play later."
"And devour us afterward."
His voice remained calm, but something broken lingered beneath it.
"People panicked."
"Some hid."
"Some tried to fight."
"They died instantly."
He looked toward the crater outside.
"The moment it struck the ground… the earth collapsed."
"That crater you walked through earlier?"
"He created it with a single blow."
Rem felt his stomach tighten.
Alexander continued quietly.
"I knew we had no chance."
"But I still approached it."
"My daughter was all I had."
"I begged it to spare the village."
"And said I would give it anything."
For a moment, a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"It said it admired my courage."
"It said I was intelligent."
"Then it told me its condition."
His hands clenched slightly.
"It said it would violate my twelve-year-old daughter in front of everyone."
Faye's face turned pale.
Alexander continued.
"It forced the villagers to watch."
"I tried to look away."
"But it grabbed my neck…"
"And forced me to see everything."
The room fell completely silent.
"I died that day," Alexander said quietly.
"Even though I continued breathing."
He looked down.
"My daughter survived."
"But she could never look at me again."
"She said dying would be better."
Rem, Vyvian, and Faye sat frozen.
Alexander slowly exhaled, as if releasing a weight he had carried for years.
"My daughter never stayed in this village after that day," he continued quietly.
"She began traveling from place to place, gathering information about those higher beings."
His eyes lowered slightly.
"She wanted revenge."
"I warned her that chasing something like that would only lead to death. But she only laughed bitterly."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Over time… her hatred grew."
"She began relying more and more on Chaos Qi."
Rem frowned slightly.
"Chaos Qi?"
Alexander nodded.
"You already know that Qi can be bent toward Order or Chaos. But Chaos is dangerous. The more one uses it without restraint, the more it begins to reflect the darkest parts of the user's soul."
His gaze hardened.
"My daughter drowned herself in it."
"At some point… her hatred, her pain, and her despair became stronger than her reason."
He slowly lifted his eyes toward them.
"The creature you fought here before leaving for the tournament…"
Rem, Vyvian, and Faye leaned forward slightly.
"…that Chaotic Raven."
Alexander's voice fell quiet.
"That was my daughter."
The three of them froze.
"She lost control of herself after pushing Chaos Qi too far," Alexander continued. "Her mind twisted, and her beast form manifested as that raven you saw."
"Her darkest thoughts took over."
"She attacked anything that entered this village."
Rem, Vyvian, and Faye exchanged stunned glances.
It was Cherri.
The chaotic raven they fought earlier…
The scars Vyvian once noticed on her body…
Everything suddenly made sense.
But none of them spoke about it.
Then Alexander spoke again.
"Your monster…"
"There are many like it."
"They are servants."
"Pets."
"Companions."
Rem frowned.
"Servants of who?"
Alexander leaned back.
"The Life Triad."
"The true rulers of this world."
"They appoint the royal families."
"And the royals appoint elders across the lands."
"There are five royal capitals."
"Avaron, Prythos, Dilyn, Wrathen and Glutaria."
Alexander's eyes looked at them deeply.
"The rest… you must uncover yourselves."
The weight of his words sank heavily into the room.
The monster that destroyed Vyvian's village…
Was only a servant.
Vyvian finally spoke.
"…What is your daughter's name?"
Alexander answered without hesitation.
"Cherri."
The three of them froze.
Alexander stood up.
"I've said enough."
"I need to return to my work."
He walked back into the kitchen.
Silence filled the room.
Finally Rem stood up.
"…Let's go."
"There's a lot we need to figure out."
Vyvian and Faye nodded.
They stepped outside the tea shop.
As they left Ephemer Village behind, a heavy realization followed them.
This village had been soaked in innocent blood.
Its people had survived something worse than death.
And now…
The truth they were chasing was beginning to show itself.
But the deeper they walked into that truth…
The darker the world would become.
Because this was only the beginning.
And once they uncovered everything…there would be no path back to the lives they once knew.