"Let's go. We continue our journey."
Larissa stood from the rock and dusted off her clothes.
The soldiers immediately began preparing. Horses were loaded with supplies while a few men carefully secured the unconscious Grace on one of them.
Soon, the group resumed their journey.
The orange sky stretched endlessly above the jungle, bathing the trees in golden light as they disappeared deeper into the forest.
Meanwhile, far away from them, Eyrx and Nick lay on the grass after another exhausting day of training.
Eyrx let out a long sigh.
"Today's training is finally over."
Nick glanced at him.
"You've learned a lot, but this is only the beginning."
"I know."
Eyrx suddenly raised his voice.
"Darven!"
Not far away, Darven continued practicing sword swings without stopping.
The blade cut through the air again and again.
"Stop already!" Eyrx shouted. "You'll collapse if you keep going."
Darven lowered his sword for a moment.
"You two have powers."
"I don't."
"If I want to survive, I need to become stronger."
Eyrx sat up.
"And if you train all day, who's going to make dinner?"
Darven froze.
A painful realization appeared on his face.
"Ah..."
"You're right."
Nick couldn't help smiling.
The three of them laughed quietly as the evening breeze moved through the training field.
After a while, the laughter faded.
Nick looked toward the darkening horizon.
His expression slowly became distant, as if an old memory had returned.
At the same time, Hazel sat beside a calm lake.
The water reflected the orange sky like a giant mirror.
Behind her, a soldier waited patiently.
"How much longer are you going to sit there?" he asked.
"Night is almost here. We need to leave."
Hazel remained silent.
The sound of flowing water filled the air.
A few moments later, she finally spoke.
"Wait a little longer."
The soldier nodded.
Hazel looked at the lake once more.
And an old memory surfaced.
Five years ago...
Hazel stood nervously before Robert's throne.
The massive hall felt colder than usual.
Robert observed her with his crimson eyes.
"You are new to our organization."
"So your first mission will be a simple one."
He looked toward Moros.
"Send her with him."
Moros bowed.
"Understood."
After leaving the throne room, Moros led Hazel through the castle corridors.
"Go to the lake behind the castle."
"He'll explain the mission."
Hazel nodded and followed the instructions.
When she arrived, a young man was already standing there with his back facing her.
The evening wind moved through his brown hair.
Hazel approached him carefully.
"Hello."
The man turned slightly.
Hazel blinked.
For some reason, his expression looked permanently annoyed.
"I'm Hazel."
"They told me I'm supposed to go with you."
The young man stared at her for a second.
Then he turned away.
"Follow me."
Hazel frowned.
"You're pretty arrogant."
"At least introduce yourself and tell me what we're doing."
The man continued walking.
"You don't need to know anything about me."
"As for the mission..."
"We're traveling to the First Realm."
Hazel listened carefully.
"The target is the Elder of the realm."
"We kill him."
Hazel stopped walking.
"What?"
The man glanced back.
"What did you expect?"
"You joined an evil organization."
"What kind of jobs did you think they would give you?"
Hazel remained silent.
The man continued walking.
"Have you even learned how to use your power yet?"
"I'll leave after three years," Hazel replied.
The young man suddenly laughed.
A bitter laugh.
"You think they'll let you leave?"
"You came here by your own choice."
"But leaving?"
"That happens by their choice."
Hazel didn't answer.
For the first time, doubt appeared in her eyes.
After a few moments, the young man spoke again.
"You look shocked."
"You're still new."
"You haven't seen the world yet."
Hazel crossed her arms.
"I told my grandmother I was going to another city to study fashion design."
"I came here to learn about my power."
The young man stared at her.
Then shook his head.
"You're unbelievably naive."
"You really thought they brought you here out of kindness?"
Hazel narrowed her eyes.
"You sound like you hate them."
His expression darkened.
"I've hated them since I was a child."
For a moment, silence filled the space between them.
Then he continued walking.
"We leave in two hours."
He stopped and looked back.
"Oh, and my name is Ren."
Without another word, he disappeared toward the castle.
Hazel watched him go.
"What a weird guy..."
She looked toward the evening sky.
Present Time.
Hazel stared at the same orange sky reflected in the lake.
The memory slowly faded.
She stood up.
The soldier immediately straightened.
"Ready to leave, Miss Hazel?"
Hazel smiled faintly.
A rare smile.
"You've only been on one mission."
"You still have a lot to learn about this world."
The soldier looked confused.
But before he could ask anything, Hazel had already started walking.
Night slowly descended over the realm.