The vision was gone.
But nobody moved.
The city that had been celebrating only moments ago had fallen completely silent. Even the wind seemed to have disappeared.
Kael continued staring at the empty space where the mysterious young man had appeared.
Another Connector.
Someone who was supposed to become him.
The words repeated inside his mind.
"Someone who was supposed to become you."
Kael slowly turned toward the World Tree.
"Explain."
The tree's branches moved.
"I cannot."
Kael frowned.
"You showed me the vision."
"I showed you what remains."
"Then you know who he is."
"I know what he could become."
Kael stepped closer.
"Could?"
The World Tree remained silent.
Elara walked toward Kael.
"That's important."
Kael looked at her.
"What?"
"The vision wasn't showing us the present."
Caelum suddenly spoke.
"She's right."
Everyone turned toward him.
His silver eyes were glowing.
"I couldn't determine the exact time."
Kael frowned.
"What did you see?"
"Everything around that person was unstable."
Caelum looked toward the World Tree.
"The sky changed several times."
"The landscape changed."
"The man's appearance changed slightly."
"That wasn't one moment."
"It was multiple possibilities."
Kael's expression became serious.
"So we don't know when he exists."
"No."
"Or whether he exists at all."
Caelum shook his head.
"He exists."
"How do you know?"
"Because I saw him."
Kael looked at the tree-shaped mark on his palm.
The ninth branch was still glowing.
"What does he want?"
Nobody answered.
Then the World Tree spoke.
"He wants what you have."
Kael looked up.
"Connection?"
"No."
The tree's roots trembled.
"An ending."
Silence.
Kael waited.
"What does that mean?"
"He believes the existence of Connectors is a mistake."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because every Connector eventually connects something that should remain separate."
Aren crossed his arms.
"That's vague."
"It is meant to be."
"Why?"
"Because the future has not been decided."
Kael looked toward the distant bridge.
"So we're dealing with someone who knows what a Connector can become."
"Yes."
"And he wants to stop me."
"Perhaps."
"Perhaps?"
The World Tree's branches lowered.
"He may not want to stop you."
"He may want to replace you."
Kael's expression hardened.
Aren immediately stepped forward.
"Then we find him first."
Kael shook his head.
"No."
Aren looked at him.
"No?"
"We don't know where he is."
"Then we search."
"We don't know when he is."
Aren paused.
Kael continued.
"And we don't know whether finding him now would change something we aren't supposed to change."
Aren sighed.
"So we do nothing?"
Kael shook his head.
"We prepare."
Lyra nodded.
"That's the sensible choice."
Seraphine looked toward the World Tree.
"But there's another problem."
Kael turned.
"What?"
"The invasion."
"The old beings weren't simply testing the ninth world."
She pointed toward the sky.
"They were testing the connection."
Kael understood.
"They wanted to know how quickly the seven worlds would respond."
"Yes."
"Which means..."
"They now know that the network works."
Kael looked toward the crossroads.
"And they'll come back."
Seraphine nodded.
"Stronger."
Kael was silent for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Good."
Everyone looked at him.
Aren raised an eyebrow.
"Good?"
Kael nodded.
"Now we know what we're preparing for."
He turned toward the city.
The people were still gathering.
Some were wounded.
Some had lost homes.
Some had lost family.
But nobody was running.
Nobody was blaming anyone.
The first connected civilization had survived.
And Kael realized something.
The ninth world had not been created to be protected.
It had been created to teach.
Not just him.
Everyone.
Kael walked into the city.
Aren followed.
"Where are we going?"
"To the people."
"What are you planning?"
Kael stopped.
"To ask them a question."
Aren smiled.
"That's usually dangerous."
Kael continued walking.
The central square was filled with thousands of people.
Humans stood beside elves.
Beastfolk beside dwarves.
Dragons watched from rooftops.
Spirits floated above the crowd.
Aria stood before them.
When Kael approached, she stepped aside.
Kael looked at the people.
"I won't tell you what to do."
The crowd became silent.
"I won't ask you to follow me."
"I won't ask you to fight for the other worlds."
"And I won't ask you to trust worlds you've never seen."
He paused.
"But I will tell you what is coming."
The crowd listened.
"The worlds are no longer separate."
"Seven worlds have already been connected."
"And now the ninth has joined them."
Some people exchanged nervous glances.
Kael continued.
"That connection will bring opportunities."
"Knowledge."
"Trade."
"Magic."
"Friendship."
"But it will also bring danger."
"Those who want the worlds separated will come."
"Those who want to control the network will come."
"And some worlds may decide that the connection itself is a threat."
An elderly human raised his hand.
Kael nodded toward him.
"Why should we remain connected?"
Kael thought for a moment.
"Because being connected doesn't mean becoming the same."
The old man listened.
"It means being able to understand someone different from you."
"It means knowing that if your world falls..."
"Someone remembers."
"If your civilization disappears..."
"Someone knows you existed."
"If you are alone..."
"Someone can reach you."
The crowd remained silent.
Kael looked toward the World Tree.
"This world was created for one reason."
"To prove that different lives can exist together without becoming one."
A young elf stepped forward.
"Then what do you want us to do?"
Kael smiled.
"Nothing."
The elf looked confused.
"Nothing?"
"Live."
"Build."
"Learn."
"Make mistakes."
"Grow."
"Don't become dependent on the network."
"And don't become afraid of it."
He looked across the crowd.
"The connection should be a bridge."
"Not a chain."
The crowd slowly began to understand.
One person stepped forward.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon, thousands of people placed their hands against the roots of the World Tree.
The roots began glowing.
Not because Kael commanded them.
Because the people chose to connect.
Kael watched silently.
Elara stood beside him.
"You did it."
Kael shook his head.
"They did."
She smiled.
"You're learning."
Kael glanced at her.
"About what?"
"Not carrying everything yourself."
Kael smiled.
"I had good teachers."
Aren interrupted.
"Are we done with the emotional moment?"
Lyra immediately hit him with her staff.
Aren rubbed his shoulder.
"I was just asking."
Kael laughed.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Then Selene's book slammed shut.
Everyone turned.
She stared at the cover.
"Something happened."
Kael walked toward her.
"What?"
She opened the book.
The pages were completely black.
Not empty.
Black.
Like something had burned the words away.
Selene's expression was grim.
"This has never happened."
"What does it mean?"
"I don't know."
She turned another page.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
Then one final page appeared.
There was a single sentence.
THE FIRST CONNECTOR HAS BEEN FOUND.
Kael's smile disappeared.
"Where?"
The sentence changed.
THE FIRST CONNECTOR IS NOT THE ONE YOU SAW.
Kael frowned.
"What?"
Another line appeared.
HE IS CLOSER.
The ink spread.
A final message formed.
HE IS ALREADY INSIDE THE NETWORK.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Everyone immediately became alert.
Aren drew his sword.
"Someone infiltrated the network?"
Seraphine shook her head.
"Impossible."
Caelum looked around.
"Not impossible."
His silver eyes scanned the city.
"Someone has been here."
Kael looked at the crowd.
Thousands of people.
Some had arrived before him.
Some had lived here for generations.
Some were visitors from distant regions.
The network connected all of them.
Anyone could be hiding.
Kael's gaze moved slowly.
One person.
Two.
Ten.
Nothing.
Then he saw a child.
A young boy stood near the edge of the crowd.
He looked ordinary.
Brown hair.
Simple clothes.
No weapon.
No magical aura.
But he was staring directly at Kael.
Their eyes met.
The boy smiled.
Kael froze.
The boy's hand slowly rose.
On his palm was the same tree-shaped mark.
Seven branches.
One ninth branch.
But there was something different.
A tenth branch.
Kael's heart stopped.
The boy whispered from across the crowd.
"You found me."
Kael took one step forward.
The boy disappeared.
No teleportation.
No spell.
No movement.
He simply ceased to exist.
Caelum immediately turned.
"He's gone."
Kael looked toward the network.
"No."
"What?"
"He didn't leave."
Kael could feel it.
A presence moving through the connections.
Not toward another world.
Not toward another door.
Toward the center.
The crossroads.
Aren looked at him.
"He's heading for the World Tree."
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
Then the entire ninth world shook.
The World Tree screamed.
Its roots began pulling themselves from the ground.
The sky darkened.
And across every connected world...
The same tree-shaped symbol appeared.
But unlike Kael's mark...
This one had ten branches.
The mysterious boy's voice echoed through the network.
"One Connector created the worlds."
"One connected them."
"But ten..."
His voice became distorted.
"...will decide what happens to them."
Kael looked toward the crossroads.
The ninth branch on his palm burned.
For the first time...
A tenth branch began forming.
And somewhere beyond the network...
Something awakened.
Something that had been waiting for all ten Connectors to appear.
The First Connector had been found.
But Kael finally understood the truth.
He was not the final Connector.
He was only the ninth.