Marchio chuckled softly, settling back onto the sofa with an air of casual indifference. He said. His voice was light but carrying an edge of joy. "No wonder Jino really likes you."
Heka struggled to his feet, wincing as the bite throbbed anew. He felt weak after having a nightmare in Reversed Time Illusion.
He turned to Marchio with urgency, desperation flickering in his eyes. All he wanted was to seek the answer in the shadowy space between certainty and fear.
He asked. His voice was low but insistent. "Will everything in the Reverse Time Illusion happen for real?"
Marchio's eyes narrowed. He replied curtly. His tone was sharp and dismissive."I just said don't say anything about it. Because I'm not interested."
Heka pressed on, desperation creeping into his voice. "Can you answer it? Just say yes or no."
Marchio's expression hardened. His voice was firm, almost a warning. "I will never be able to answer it. Listen!! Leaking the future is forbidden. And the future is very uncertain and always changing."
The refusal stung like a slap, but Heka knew better than to push further. The rules of this world were weird. The intertwined existence was clear, even if it was cruel.
Marchio's tone softened slightly, though his words remained resolute. "You should return to the human realm. Before that, don't forget to eat the rabbit first. If you still want to live."
The cryptic advice hung in the air. A puzzle wrapped Heka in a warning.
He nodded slowly, the weight of the unknown pressing down on him. The Reverse Time Illusion was a place where time twisted and turned. Where futures shifted like hourglass, and certainty was a luxury he could not afford.
Yet, despite the pain and confusion, Heka's heart sank. Every Marchio's words disappointed him. He had no choice. He lacked the strength to challenge Marchio's will.
There was no other place for him to go. Only Kiervant Sky remained a refuge. A place he could call home, if only temporarily.
Heka looked at Marchio thoughtfully. He said quietly. His voice carried a rare note of sincerity. "Thank you very much for the Reverse Time Illusion. Can I keep your feather?"
Marchio shrugged. His expression changed into casual. He replied. His tone was light but with an undercurrent of something deeper.
"It's up to you. You can do anything with my feather. Because it is just an ordinary object. You can never use it to threaten me."
His words seemed to downplay the significance. However, Heka sensed there was more hidden beneath the surface.
Heka smiled faintly, shaking his head. He murmured, a hint of admiration threading through his words. "I will never be able to do anything to you. Moreover, your strength, your power ere enormous.." He paused for a moment, then asked. "May I visit Kiervant Sky one more time?"
Marchio's eyes flickered with a mixture of amusement and warning. It was sharp and unreadable.
"Why is a human like you wandering the Immortal realm? As you know, your presence is actually suicide."
His voice was calm but carried the weight of a grave caution. As if the very idea of Heka's presence in this realm was a dangerous gamble.
Heka's gaze drifted to the feather in Marchio's hand, delicate and ethereal, almost glowing with an otherworldly light. He asked cautiously. "By using this, I can go to the Immortal realm, can't I?"
Marchio caught the feathers as they floated toward him, his movements smooth and deliberate. Without a word, he burned them in a small, controlled flame, the embers glowing briefly before fading into nothingness.
"So you think you can come at any time with this?" He said. His voice tinged with a challenge. He reminded us of the limits and dangers that lie beyond mortal reach.
The room fell into a heavy silence, the unspoken truths hanging thick in the air. Heka understood that the path ahead was fraught with peril. The boundaries between realms were not to be crossed lightly.
Yet, beneath the caution and the warnings, a spark of determination ignited within him. A resolve to face whatever awaited in the mysterious expanse of Kiervant Sky, no matter the cost.
Marchio warned once again. His voice was calm but firm. "You know. You can come here, because I allow you. I'm also curious. What can make you stay for long in the Immortal realm? If you are a shenmorta or a witch, I can understand it. But look at you, you're an ordinary human."
Marchio's words crushed Heka's hope. He realized he had to stop dreaming beyond reason.
"Okay, then I'll return to the human realm." Heka's voice was calm but carried a subtle weight of finality.
He gently held up Jino, who was still clinging tightly to his neck. His small figure wrapped around Heka's with a desperate grip that spoke volumes of his reluctance.
"Jino, come here. Let him go. He must return to his world." Marchio said firmly. His tone was both commanding and compassionate. There was an unspoken understanding in his words, a recognition of the boundaries that must not be crossed. No matter how painful.
Jino hesitated, his tiny body tense as he scurried behind Heka. He was clearly reluctant to leave the person who had offered him comfort. His eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and sadness, unwilling to let go of the fragile connection they had forged.
Marchio nodded slowly, his gaze softening as he watched the scene unfold. He said, his voice carrying a rare note of concession. "Okay, I'll do what Jino wants. You can go back to Kiervant Sky. It's better, for now if you come back to the human realm."
His words were a gentle reminder of the delicate balance between worlds and the dangers that lurked beyond.
Jino's mood lifted slightly at Marchio's acceptance. And with a reluctant sigh, he moved away from Heka, returning to Marchio's side. The small creature's shoulders relaxed, but the sadness in his eyes remained. A silent promise that this parting was not the end.
"Well, I'm going to leave." Heka said quietly. His voice was barely above a whisper as he stepped toward the threshold that separated the realms. Each step felt heavy, laden with the weight of farewells and unspoken hopes.
With a final glance back at the Immortal realm, he left Kiervant Sky behind and returned to the uncertain world of the human realm. Just for a blink, the vibe shifted into the dented forest. The crestfallen carried him the weight of his experiences and the faint hope of someday returning.
Yet, in his heart, the bond with Jino and the mysteries of Kiervant Sky lingered. It was like a quiet flame that would not be extinguished.