He turned his gaze toward Elena. It wasn't just a casual or fleeting look; it was as if he were trying to cling to a lost dream that had suddenly reappeared before him. He approached her slowly, as if he could hardly believe who was standing there. How could she touch the depths of his soul like this from the very first moment?
As for Elena, a single thought echoed in her mind:
"Why did you leave me, Father?"
She felt a deep sense of confusion toward him; he seemed to truly love her... as if he had genuinely missed her. In fact, he appeared so overwhelmed with joy that he could barely maintain his composure. But what she had not yet realized was that his decision to leave her with "Rosie" was not born of simple fear—like the Shadows of Light rejecting them, for instance. No... there was something much deeper and far more dangerous behind it; something that meant certain destruction.
Without warning, Ravaz stepped toward Elena again and took her hands. His eyes, radiating a mixture of excitement and confusion, betrayed his emotions. But even that wasn't enough to earn her full forgiveness. She whispered to herself:
"Despite everything... in my eyes, he is still a coward who abandoned his daughter."
For a moment, she wanted to simply forgive him without a confrontation, but no matter how hard she tried to ignore those thoughts, she couldn't hide them.
Ravaz walked away, leaving Rash standing alone with Elena. His gaze pierced the space between them—a look full of wonder and questions. They both whispered internally:
"What is happening?"
"I must keep my cool," Rash said in a calm tone intended to hide his agitation. "Follow me; let me show you Azapheria as I promised."
He rose into the air gracefully, intentionally moving slowly so she could take in every detail. She followed him directly, watching his movement as if he were a dream woven from light. All her senses were drinking in the transparent buildings, the hanging bridges, and the light that seemed to breathe. But her eyes always returned to study Rash, observing him as if seeing him for the first time, despite a strange sense of familiarity.
His shiny black hair fell over his forehead, and his symmetrical face carried prominent masculine features: a straight nose, full, defined lips, and glowing turquoise eyes in which light danced like rare, burning jewels. The glowing blue patterns spread across his body—every detail of him pulsed with something beyond the ordinary. His tall, well-built physique, his toned muscles, and his voice... his voice was another story entirely. To her, it felt as if time had stopped just to listen to him speak.
She whispered to herself: "Is he actually real?" Everything about him felt like magic, but the true magic lay in those exchanged glances—looks suspended between the past and the future, between confusion and attraction.
Rash stopped at the edge of a transparent arched bridge connecting houses that looked like Ferris wheels turning smoothly in stunning harmony. The houses were lined up side by side as if the universe had arranged them one by one with the brush of an artist who knew the exact meaning of balance. Although the houses glowed and sparkled from the outside, it was impossible to see what was inside, no matter how hard one tried.
From atop the bridge, Azapheria looked like a living painting of light, design, and soul. Elena stood beside him at the edge, and for a moment, she felt as if she might fall; in another moment, she forgot she was no longer entirely human. Her eyes devoured the view like a child seeing the sky for the first time.
Rash stole a quick glance at her, then blinked several times as if trying to pull himself together. He said in a melodious voice:
"I think the picture is clearer now. And while you can zoom in with your eyes, the closest view... is always the most beautiful."
Elena replied, still under the spell of wonder:
"Yes... but it's strange. These buildings that look like Ferris wheels... how does any of you know which house is yours?"
He flashed that smile that Elena no longer knew how to resist and said:
"True, everything looks identical from the outside. But houses are like anything else—they may seem the same at first, but if you look closely enough, you'll see the difference."
He pointed toward one of the buildings and said:
"Every house carries unique markings unlike any other, just like a human fingerprint."
Elena nodded in admiration. "I see. Every house has its own identity."
Rash answered with a warm smile: "Exactly. And from the inside, every house possesses its own consciousness; it responds to its inhabitant, expanding with their experiences and transforming according to their thoughts. It preserves their memories... and even their ambitions."
Elena wanted to ask more but hesitated, then said while observing her surroundings:
"Are there shops here? Restaurants? I don't see anything that looks different from the houses."
Rash let out a warm laugh that snuck into her heart as if it had known the way forever. She thought to herself: "What is happening to me? Am I falling in love? No... that would be the fastest love story in human history." Rash answered her while gazing at her with his enchanting eyes:
"We do not eat the way humans do. We feed on the energy flowing from the 'Second Source,' whose roots extend to every part of Azapheria."
He continued, pointing toward a magical river: "But there are two things that double that energy. The first is that river."
Elena said: "I saw it when I arrived, and just a moment ago... just looking at it brings joy."
The excitement in Rash's voice grew as he said:
"And the second is a rare fruit that grants pure, unrefined energy; it is the fruit of the 'Silvaris Tree.' It resembles an Earth pear in shape but is much larger and boasts a stunning array of colors. When it ripens, it glows like a ball of burning light, sparking everyone's desire."
He continued: "When it reaches its bursting point, it turns a glowing red. Everyone waits for that moment, and then the chase begins. Whoever catches it absorbs pure, original energy that lasts them an entire week."
Elena exclaimed in surprise: "All that competition... for just one week of energy?"
Rash smiled faintly:
"It's not just about the energy. This is energy from the 'First Source'—the one that was destroyed. Whoever obtains it becomes more radiant, their markings are renewed, and their entire being becomes more balanced and refined. It is the original food of the Shadows of Light."
He explained calmly, watching her wonder: "Some chase it for the thrill, some give it as a symbol of love in marriage ceremonies, some for the feeling of distinction... and some simply because they need the purest source of energy."
He paused for a moment, then added, stealing a glance at her: "Sometimes, the value of things doesn't lie in how long they last... but in what they mean."
Elena said with growing interest: "That sounds... exciting. Can I join?"
He replied: "Of course. I think it will happen tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."
She smiled and thanked him, then looked at her dress with some embarrassment:
"Do you have clothing stores here? This dress doesn't really suit me... I feel like a bride from a boring fairy tale. This isn't my style."
Rash laughed softly and teased her, saying:
"You mean the kind of fairy tales humans read in children's books? Yes, you look exactly like that. But honestly... it suits you. You look beautiful."
She looked at him in surprise, feeling her cheeks redden:
"Are you... are you making fun of me? Do I really look ridiculous?"
He shook his head sincerely: "Never. You truly look beautiful."
Then, realizing he might have gone too far, he added quickly:
"As for clothes, we don't have stores like in the human world. The dress you're wearing is an 'Ethereal Garment'; everyone in Azapheria is born with their garment. Since you are a princess, it was born with you and shaped specifically for you. You can change it at any time, just by thinking of a design and requesting its transformation. It is linked to your thoughts."
She looked at him with wide eyes and said with playful sarcasm:
"Are you kidding me? You're only saying that to make me look foolish, aren't you?"
He smiled kindly and replied: "Elena... I cannot lie. Even if I wanted to, it is simply not in our nature."
Elena said with sudden excitement: "I don't know why I keep forgetting that... show me how you change your clothes!"
Rash looked at her, surprised by her sudden enthusiasm, then answered in his usual calm tone:
"In fact, we knew nothing of concepts like lying, deception, or even betrayal... until we became connected to other worlds, like Earth."
Then he closed his eyes and said quietly: "Watch how it happens... Transform."
In an instant, his wide black trousers and white shirt began to gradually change, taking on a deep brown color with a completely different design.
Elena stepped toward him, her eyes wide with amazement, and touched Rash's new garment as if to confirm whether it was magic or reality. She then murmured in a trembling voice: "Rash... you weren't even joking... how did you do that?"
Rash replied with a side smile, as if her amazement made him feel a hidden sense of pride, and said:
"The Ethereal Garment, as I told you, is linked only to your consciousness. Imagine what you want to wear and ask it to change. Try it... this isn't a skill, but something natural for the Shadows of Light."
Elena closed her eyes and whispered shyly: "My taste is simple... and maybe a bit bad, don't laugh."
She imagined in her mind a white shirt decorated with comfortable orange patterns, wide blue jeans, and white sneakers with orange laces. Then she said: "Transform."
The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself wearing exactly what she had imagined. Rash stood staring at her in silence, as if time had stopped for a moment.
She said, looking away in embarrassment: "Don't say anything... I know my taste is bad. Zel used to always argue with me about it, and Ryo told me the same thing many times."
Silence lasted for several moments, but Elena tried to break it suddenly without introduction, saying:
"Rash... I heard you call Ravaz 'Father' more than once. Is it possible that you are my brother?"
Rash replied with a tone of surprise, then waved his hands in the air and said quickly:
"No, we are not. I am the son of close friends of Ravaz. Since I was young, I have been accustomed to calling him 'Father'."
Then his features suddenly changed, overcome by sadness as if forced to finish his sentence:
"Perhaps because he was closer to me than my real parents... who were busy harvesting energy from Earth."
He fell silent suddenly, then gritted his teeth and said in a low tone tinged with sorrow: "We will talk about the details later..."
He was quiet for a moment, trying to pull himself together without Elena realizing what was going on inside him. But her simple question had stirred painful memories within him that were hard to forget.
Elena smiled warmly and said, without realizing the weight of her words: "I knew you weren't my brother... but your answer really reassured me."
He turned to her, raising an eyebrow in silent questioning: "It reassures you that we aren't siblings?"
Then he smiled a gentle smile and added: "The word 'brother' is something we learned from other worlds. In Azapheria, there is no concept of brother or sister; we are born as a single child to each family. Anyone outside the scope of marriage is considered a brother or sister to everyone."
Elena said, trying to hide her confusion under a mask of coolness: "I know... I know. I was just asking. It's nothing important."
But while she pretended to be calm, Rash's gaze was drowning in her details, as if time had stopped at her. His eyes did not leave her face; everything about her seemed perfect to him: her captivating smile, the blush creeping into her cheeks, and the way she looked away when she felt shy. Her long black hair falling softly and shimmery, and her bangs covering her forehead... all these details captivated him as if he were diving into a living painting—without even realizing it.
Meanwhile, Elena was still fascinated by her ability to change her clothes just by imagining the design. She said with a smile bordering on a laugh:
"You know... if Ryo were here and saw me doing this, I don't know what he would say."
Rash gestured with his eyes for her to continue.
Elena said playfully: "He would say in a tone full of reproach and amazement: 'Stingy Elena! It's completely free, you idiot! Choose something more beautiful!'"
Rash did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood in total silence. His features began to reveal a hidden astonishment. The name that kept repeating... "Ryo"... stirred something strange within him. It was as if this human, whom he had never met, represented a mysterious threat. He felt a strange tightness he didn't understand, and he clenched his fist unconsciously. That feeling that had crept into him from the first sight made him feel a sense of possessiveness, and Ryo was now a direct threat.