So the days went on.
Master Kaelji sank deeper into his own world of calculations. Lady Mingyu visited less frequently. The life settled into rhythm. Mornings began with Joy and the strange stillness of the seer's work. Afternoons drifted between official duties and soft inquiries.
Until Master Kaelji found Firme.
Fengyu hadn't been expecting it.
Master Kaelji's "calculations" had not been purely theoretical after all. He had been plotting a continuous drift through dimensions, threading formulas into predictions, and sending them quietly back to Mytharok.
He temporarily upgraded Soliraen rustic gates for his testing. Fengyu thought of it as a quirk of a scientist. Quite an expensive one, to be honest. And now… confirmation.
Firme had reappeared.
The visit to Solirae, the mentorship, even the diplomatic exchanges - had all been, in part, a cover. Not for Solirae. Not even for Fengyu. But for others. For those in the Magic Guild, perhaps. Or entities beyond even that.
They hadn't wanted the news to spread too early. Too loud or too fast.
Joy explained.
"It is because it is Firme," he said, because that alone answered everything.
Firme was where it all had begun. The First Gates. The originals.
That rustic gates they had flew through were the very first gates.
"The First Gates," said Joy, "are not just older. They are complete. Every function that known gates perform, they do - but more. Much more. They are the most powerful. The others are copies, never full to the extent of the original."
Fengyu listened, frowning. He already understood the idea of drift correction - the way gates followed the subtle motion of worlds across dimensions. But there was something else.
"They had forcing," Joy continued.
"You mean a gate that can open… where there's no other gate?"
Joy nodded.
"Temporarily. At a cost. Enormous energy. High risk. But yes - gates that do not find a twin, they create one. The gates on Firme had this ability naturally. They didn't require mirrors. They punched through."
"And only the grand gate at the Magic Guild has retained that feature?"
"As far as we know," Joy continued. "And even that one has severe restrictions. They say its foundation base is a fragment taken from Firme itself."
Fengyu thought back to his brief encounter with the grand gate at the Magic Guild. He remembered seeing it, behind the reception desk, up a flight of magnificent marble stairs. He hadn't been permitted near it, but the memory was vivid. A colossal arch carved from a single slab of black onyx, veined with jagged white lines and deep crimson spots. The red streaks that seemed to pulse…
The portal to anywhere in the 16 dimensional space. At that time he had no idea that such a thing even existed. Highly coveted secret of the Magic Guild. And so much different from the rustic thing in Firme.
"We've found it again," Joy was still talking. "And because there are others who may already be reaching for it."
"That half-mage may have been mistaken", said Fengyu. "What if it is not Firme?"
"Still worth the effort. Even if there is a small possibility, it is still worth the effort. The magic guild had not attempted opening a connection to an unknown place for centuries."
"How do you know? They just may not be telling…"
"Oh, we, the seers, know. The energy cost is enormous. We would see the splash in the Nyx Void. Besides they do not have seers of their own. They do not know where to look. They would not make such an expense without certainty that there is something and something worthy there."
The tension between the Temple and the Guild had stretched for centuries. They had long stood on the opposite banks of the same river, but refusing to share boats. They did not cooperate.
Or did they? The simple thought about such a possibility sent a shudder down Fengyu's spine. What kind of world would we be living in then? These two organisations sharing the power and knowledge…
Fengyu had not much time to ponder.
"So what now?"
"Now?" asked Joy with a wild smile. "Now we go."
"Where?"
"To Firme, of course. We need to secure that gate. You will join us. Master Kaelji has already requested your assistance from Lord Shengyu."
Fengyu arrived to find Lord Shengyu seated at his favourite the stone table in the terrasse garden, his long sleeves folded neatly, a steaming cup of tea untouched at his side. This was not an official place, not his study, but he could be most often found just here. He didn't look up as his brother approached.
"You've heard," he said simply.
"I have." Fengyu folded his hands behind his back. "They want me to go."
Lord Shengyu's eyes flicked toward him. "And you intend to?"
Fengyu shrugged lightly.
"Last time you were adamant I would go," he said provocatively, although he did not know where this came from suddenly.
"This isn't a test, brother." Shengyu's tone was quiet. "This is a real campaign. With real risks."
He looked away, toward the far end of the garden, where sunlight slanted between the trees like a blade of gold.
"I know you think I've been trying to control you," he went on. "And maybe I have. But this - this is serious. If you go to Firme, I want you to go knowing what you're walking into."
Fengyu hesitated, reading between the words. "You think the Guild will follow."
"They will," Shengyu said flatly. "They won't allow the Temple exclusive access to that gates. If this is really Firme, this gates are mythical. Even a whisper of that power will be enough to stir them."
He reached into the folds of his robe and placed something on the table. It was a pendant - small, unassuming at first glance, but unmistakably crafted with care. No larger than a coin, it was shaped like a water swirl, a smooth spiral that narrowed inward.
The material was dense and weighty in the hand: a pale grey gold alloy, just enough sheen to suggest value without inviting questions. Not ornamental, not flashy. Just substantial.
Fengyu reached for it instinctively and turned it over. No inscription. No mark. Just the swirl.
"What is this?" he asked.
"I have contacts inside the Guild. If you see this, you'll know they answer to me."
Fengyu stared at the pedant. "You never told me."
"There are many things I haven't told you. But I'm telling you this now because you need to understand - this time it is serious. What happens there will shape what comes after."
Lord Shengyu finally met Fengyu's eyes.
"I want you safe. I don't care what the Temple sees in you. I care about you."
Fengyu exhaled slowly. "You've always acted like I didn't have a choice."
"You do," Shengyu said. "And you've already made it."
"Do you also have spies in the Temple?" Fengyu asked off-handedly.
Lord Shengyu didn't answer immediately. He reached for the teacup beside him and the faintest curve tugged at his lips.
"And what do you think?"
Lord Shengyu was anything but simple. Though Solirae presented itself as rustic, serene, and somewhat detached, its Lord ensured it was anything but blind. He maintained the illusion of distance while keeping his hand firmly on the pulse of events having eyes and ears in places no one expected.
Fengyu felt a flicker of something perilously close to admiration. He had known that his brother was not only a ruler but also a strategist, but he saw it clearly now, he was playing a longer game than expected, and he was playing it well.
Previously, Fengyu had known only frustration when it came to his brother's characteristics - the constant caution, the tight control over words, actions, even emotions. He had seen it as a barrier, a way of keeping him - and everyone else - at arm's length. A method of domination masquerading as duty, an unnecessary burden.
But now… now he understood. That same control made Shengyu formidable. What once felt suffocating now struck Fengyu as essential.
He still didn't like it. But he respected it.
He weighed the pendant in his hand. The swirl of pale grey gold caught the light in gentle arcs.
"Alright," he said at last. "I understand. I'll keep it in mind. And I'll try to stay safe."
Lord Shengyu gave a slight nod. "You may want to keep in touch with that new friend of yours from Pantax. He might be interested in this affair as well."
Fengyu's brow lifted. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'm not sure yet, but something's happening in Pantax. More than just the normal aftermath of the events."
Fengyu studied his brother for a moment longer, searching for a deeper meaning in those words, but Shengyu had already gone still again.
Either way, keeping in touch with Mokai sounded good. It always had.
"And I won't allow you to go alone," Shengyu added, his tone leaving no room for protest.
"I'm going with Master Kaelji, and Seer Joy," Fengyu replied, gesturing faintly.
"Good enough. But still, you'll make a good use of a few servants. Bodyguards. The kind who know how to vanish leaving only a trail of corpses."
Fengyu exhaled through his nose, half amusement, half surrender. "Alright. Fine."
Shengyu didn't respond. He didn't have to. He rose from his seat and gestured for Fengyu to follow.
They descended a flight of stairs to the garden grounds. There beneath the dense shade of a spreading chestnut waited three unfamiliar warriors. They rose as the Lord approached, but Shengyu waved the formality away. There was a strong vibe of camaraderie in the way he greeted them. His posture and aura changed dramatically.
"Enough of that," he said. "You'll scare my little brother."
The soldiers chuckled low in their throats. Whatever their discipline, they knew this version of Lord Shengyu.
Fengyu arched a brow. Well, he thought, that was interesting.
"Meet your escorts. This is Lao Zhan," he nodded toward a grizzled man with storm-grey eyes and a jaw like carved stone. "Tie Dun and Huo Yan", he finished, indicating the two younger ones, both fit and stout, but with entirely different kinds of menace.
"They are loyal and will follow you anywhere. Try not to get them killed."
Lao Zhan stepped forward with his fist over his heart in a soldier's salute.
"We go where you go, Commander."
His tone was firm and respectful. But his expression - well, his expression clearly cried what he thought about babysitting a pampered noble.
Fengyu grinned. "Oh, you're the fun kind of grim."
It didn't take a genius to figure him out. Lao Zhan was the one who would drag him out of a burning building while complaining about his not brushing his teeth.
Tie Dun barely nodded when acknowledged, but a heavy shield strapped to his back caught Fengyu's attention.
He gave it a curious poke. "Does this come with a personality?"
"Stop teasing," Shengyu interrupted. "Tie Dun is Lady Mingyu's favourite."
Fengyu blinked.
Wait, Lady Mingyu? That Lady Mingyu?
He stared at the soldier, trying to reconcile the brooding mountain of a man - silent, sharp as a drawn knife - with the refined, poetry and music loving mistress of the palace. The contrast was almost comedic. What could possibly a lady like Mingyu see in this soldier? And yet…
"Do not judge the book by its cover," Shengyu said with a faint, knowing smile.
Just then, Huo Yan leaned in with an unbothered confidence.
"Ignore them. I brought the good supplies," he said, wiggling a satchel that jingled ominously. Inside, a neat row of explosive pellets gleamed like forbidden fruit.
Fengyu blinked, took a half-step back, then let out a slow, amused breath. "I suppose we'll get along just fine."
Then, turning back to his brother, he added, "I'm keeping them. Thank you, brother."
Lord Shengyu looked at him impassively.
"Lao Zhan served me in many missions which I should never name. His sons are lethal. Use them well."
Fengyu blinked. "Wait - sons? You gave me a whole family unit? You handed me a walking problem-"
But Lord Shengyu was already turning away, his steps silent on the path.
Fengyu looked at the three of them. The brooding father, the silent mountain, and the grinning pyromaniac.
Fengyu took a moment to reassess, then gave a crooked smile.
"Well," he said. "That's gonna be fun."
Lord Shengyu had left him with the perfect subordinates. Trouble wrapped in discipline - exactly his kind of balance. He could not understand how he did it but he did. Just the right people for the right job.
When Fengyu introduced his new companions, he felt somewhat obliged to explain the presence of the three well-armed men in his entourage. Actually he felt obliged to explain that he had an entourage. The Temple was to send a unit of guardians. Fengyu's personal guards seemed overboard. Their joining the mission almost screamed lack of trust in the Temple.
"We cannot forget the existence of the gang of poachers in Firme. We may need the men power."
Master Kaelji blinked at him. Then his gaze swept over the three men, then settled on Fengyu with a look that hovered somewhere between amusement and quiet reproach.
Joy only smiled. "I assume this was not your decision," he said.
Fengyu offered a shrug. "A gift from my brother."
"Your own unit," he said quietly.
"Let's call it… redundancy."
Joy sighed. "A rather well-muscled form of redundancy."
Master Kaelji simply inclined his head - whether in resignation or calculation, Fengyu couldn't quite tell.
In the end, neither protested.
Once introductions were done, Kaelji and Joy had both retreated to their respective corners to prepare for departure.
The three warriors didn't speak at first. Just a long pause - shared looks passing between them like silent commentary. The tension was subtle but undeniable. They might have accepted their role in Fengyu's shadow, but seeing the seer and the scholar confirmed what they'd suspected all along - this wasn't just a journey. It was a Temple's mission wrapped in velvet courtesy. A mission under watch.
Lao Zhan muttered to no one in particular, "Babysitters of the damned. And now the Temple's watching too."
Fengyu smiled at him. "Careful, that Temple is my mentor now."
"Exactly my point, Commander."
Fengyu did not comment. He slipped away. He still needed to send the message to Mokai and he did not wanted to explain that.
The message was simple.
We found Firme. Or, more precisely – Master Kaelji's calculations led Mytharok to it.
They've confirmed the continuous drift. A mission is forming to secure the site and its gates. These are the original gates - the kind that can force a connection to a place where no gate exists. Like the grand one in the magic guild. You understand the consequences.
We leave soon. I don't trust all the pieces in motion. But I wanted you to know.
I hope to meet you soon. Maybe even during this mission.
He sealed the message with wax and pressed his insignia into it, then handed it to one of the palace couriers. His official position allowed for messages to be sent immediately and unquestioned. Nevertheless, he marked the message as private.
He hadn't realised that he missed Mokai. He couldn't quite explain it. They weren't close. But there had been something - quiet understanding, perhaps. He wasn't even sure what Mokai thought of it all now. Of Firme. Of the temple's secrets. Of Fengyu himself.
Having done this one last thing he was ready to go.