Aldous stood proudly before the gathered crowd,his wide grin unwavering—as if his very presence alone was enough to lift the spirits of the entire camp...
Voices erupted from every direction:
"Lord Aldous! You're back safe!!!""Of course he is, you idiot! That's Aldous!!!""I heard he's evenly matched with Vice Commander Sephar!!!"
Aldous raised his hand slightly, laughing:
"Ohooo… alright!!!"
And suddenly—
Silence fell...
His expression shifted… just slightly...
"I appreciate the enthusiasm…"
A pause...
"But I wish things were that simple."
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances...
"I was on a reconnaissance mission… deep within enemy territory."
Another pause...
"I ran into… complications."
He exhaled...
"But I made it back."
Whispers spread...
Then his tone hardened:
"Our enemy is moving."
Silence.
"They're gathering forces… preparing to turn the world upside down—just to find us."
Tension thickened.
"After the prison incident… they were busy rebuilding… recovering what they call 'experiments'…"
His gaze sharpened.
"But that time is over."
A beat.
"We are now their target."
A heavy silence consumed the crowd.
"And that's not all…"
"The Dragonic cult… is expanding."
He stepped forward slightly.
"From this moment on—we split."
Focus replaced confusion...
"One group will deal with the cult…The other will continue training… or engage the SI forces directly."
The camp exploded with noise once more—
Excitement, fear, uncertainty—
All at once...
And as Leo declared the meeting over…
Everyone understood one thing:
The calm was over.
Elsewhere…
Raym sparred with Saon.
Fast. Precise. Balanced.
Yet his mind was elsewhere.
"Why…???"
He glanced at him...
"Why do I feel at ease around him????"
No words. No expressions.
Yet… he understood him.
From afar…
Lyra watched...
And when she saw his smile—
that long-lost smile—
something inside her eased.
But only for a moment.
She turned away.
The crowd returned to her.
Elsewhere…
Vail, Aldous, and Lorian stood together.
Silence...
The kind that comes before decisions.
"Are you sure???" Vail asked quietly.
"I can send someone with you."
Lorian exhaled.
"I appreciate it…"
"But this isn't something just anyone can handle."
A faint smile...
"I'll manage."
He added:
"Focus on our main enemy…"
"I'll contact you if needed."
A silent understanding passed between them.
Meanwhile…
For once…
Raym felt at peace.
But—
"Saon… it's time..."
He froze.
He knew this moment would come...
He looked at him—
but said nothing.
And Saon… didn't turn.
He simply raised his hand.
A quiet farewell.
Lorian understood...
He smiled.
And they left.
Leaving behind—
a strange emptiness.
Later…
Raym returned to his room.
Collapsed onto his bed.
Exhausted.
He closed his eyes—
and drifted away.
…That dream again.
That voice.
"Raym…"
A whisper...
"Please… live…"
Echoing in the darkness—
"Live… for me…"
Then—
softer…
"Live… for your mother."