The small camp was quiet under the open sky.
They had travelled for two full days since leaving the palace. The road had taken them far beyond the familiar borders of Berakh. The fire crackled softly in the centre of their camp. Thorne was sharpening his axe. Elowen sat studying an old map. Sylara leaned against a tree, keeping watch.
Draven sat a little apart, back against a large rock, staring into the flames. Sero was curled up in his lap, sleeping peacefully.
Then the System spoke.
[DING!]
[Side Quest Activated: "The Lost Echo"]
[Objective: Find and retrieve the Echo Crystal hidden in the nearby Ruined Shrine.]
[Time Limit: 2 hours]
Draven completed the quest in one hour and forty minutes. The fight was sharp but manageable. When the Echo Crystal merged with him, the System rewarded him.
Two identical mirrors materialised.
One appeared in Draven's right hand — a beautiful oval hand mirror framed in silver and black. The other mirror vanished instantly, teleported away.
Draven looked at it in confusion.
"System… I only see one mirror."
The System replied calmly:
"I sent the second mirror to your wife. You have been carrying sadness since you left the palace. This will let you stay connected no matter how far you travel. You can speak to each other, see each other's faces, and change the size of the mirrors as you wish."
At the same moment, back in the palace…
Seraphina was sitting in their chambers, gently rubbing her belly while Sero slept in her lap. Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared in front of her.
A beautiful mirror materialised directly in her hands.
Seraphina gasped in shock, nearly dropping it. "What—? How—?"
She stared at the mirror, heart racing. Then the surface shimmered.
Draven's face appeared clearly in the mirror, as if he was standing right in front of her.
Seraphina's eyes widened with shock and overwhelming joy. "Draven?! What is this? My husband… how am I seeing you? Is this an illusion?"
Draven smiled softly, his voice warm and clear through the mirror.
"No, my love… it's really me. This is not an illusion."
Seraphina laughed through sudden tears, holding the mirror closer. "How did this happen? I was just sitting here and suddenly this mirror appeared in my hands!"
Draven explained everything gently — the side quest, the Echo Crystal, the reward, and how the System had sent the second mirror to her because he had been missing her terribly.
Seraphina listened with wide eyes, wiping her tears. "So no matter how far apart we are… we can talk? We can see each other?"
"Yes," Draven said softly. "And we can make the mirrors as small or as large as we want. You will never be truly alone again. I will always be with you… no matter the distance."
They talked for a long time.
Seraphina told him how Sero followed her everywhere, how the baby had started making small movements, and how much she already missed his touch. Draven told her about the road, the camp, and how much he missed her.
"I love you," Draven said at last.
"I love you more," Seraphina replied, kissing her fingers and pressing them to the mirror.
Back on the road, the group continued riding.
The sun was climbing higher when they saw two figures walking along the side of the road.
A middle-aged man, looking tired and carrying a small sack, walked with a young girl of about ten years old. The girl looked exhausted but held her father's hand tightly.
Draven slowed his horse.
The man raised his hand hopefully.
"Excuse me… could you spare a moment?"
Draven stopped. "What do you need?"
The man bowed slightly. "My name is Brase. This is my daughter, Lima. We are trying to reach Merol Kingdom. We have nothing left. Would you be kind enough to let us travel with you for a while?"
Draven looked at the man and the little girl. Lima's eyes were big and hopeful.
"Merol is on our way," Draven said. "You can ride with us."
Brase looked relieved. "Thank you, kind sir. We won't be any trouble."
As they made space for them on the spare horse, Draven asked, "Why are you travelling so far with so little?"
Brase sighed heavily. "I am a merchant. We were carrying goods for sale in Merol. On the way, bandits attacked us. They took everything… even the special box I was carrying for auction."
Draven raised an eyebrow. "What box?"
Brase shook his head. "I don't know much about it. It was sealed. No one has ever been able to open it. People say it contains some hidden power… but I only had it for auction. Now it's gone."
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing.
The group continued riding forward.
The road to Nefel stretched long ahead of them.
To be continued…