Helios enters the car, and the driver begins the journey. "Why do I have to go to a principality? It will take ten days to get there," Helios thinks, sinking into the plush red seat. "I also need to tell Sara. Just when my life was getting good, the royal family ruins it," he mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Upon arriving at his mansion, Helios steps out of the car as it glides toward the parking space. He walks through the quiet, empty halls and heads upstairs, pushing open the door to his room. As he begins to pack his clothes, a diary suddenly appears out of nowhere on his bed.
"Isn't that the diary I bought at the black market auction?" Helios asks himself, approaching the bed with a look of intrigue. He picks it up, and the book falls open to the last page he read.
"It seems you've read to this part, so let me tell you a few features of this diary," Agrise's writing explains. "It is protected by runes. One prevents anyone without the same energy as me from opening it. The second ensures the diary always returns to the last person who read it. Another rune gives the diary infinite pages, and you may even find entries written by others."
Helios flips through the pages until he spots a different handwriting.
"Hello. I won't tell you my name since I don't trust strangers," the entry begins. "I can tell you this: in my past life, I was from Tashaar. It was a beautiful place, but you will never visit because you're in another world and all that."
Helios knits his brows in confusion. "I don't remember this place," he whispers. "Even if I've lost some memories, I should have recognized the name after reading it." He pauses, a thoughtful shadow crossing his face. "Or did Orion not know this place despite being a historian? Maybe I should read more."
He sits on the edge of the bed and continues. "I found out something interesting: Agrise is a scammer. Everything he 'created' in this world wasn't his invention; he stole them from famous people in our old world, and only we know that. But the man needs a thumbs up for remembering all those things. "
Helios lets out a short, stifled laugh. "I never thought of that before." He keeps reading as the sun dips below the horizon, replaced by a velvet sky sprinkled with gem-like stars and a glowing moon.
Downstairs, Sara steps out of her car and enters the mansion. She heads up the stairs, but when she opens her bedroom door, she finds it empty.
"Helios isn't here? That's surprising. Is he running late?" she wonders, glancing around before stepping inside. A few minutes later, she emerges wearing her pajamas. "Maybe he's in another room," she says, walking down the brightly lit hallway.
She passes a closed door, pauses, and doubles back. She pushes it open with a loud bang. "Found you!" she exclaims.
Helios jumps, his heart hammering against his ribs as he gasps for air.
"Are you trying to scare me to death?" Helios asks with a shaky sigh, his breath slowly returning to normal. For a fleeting, terrifying moment, his mind had flashed back to a fake world—the thunder of artillery, the stench of mud and blood, and grey clouds choked by aircraft dropping bombs. He wipes a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, trying to push the vision away.
"Sorry about that! I got a bit excited," Sara says, her expression softening as she sits next to him on the bed. She glances at the book in his lap, her face contorting with confusion. "Why are you reading a blank book?"
It's blank? But I can read it clearly. Is that one of the diary's features? Helios thinks. "It's not blank. It has a rune on it," he says, meeting her gaze.
"Why did you put a rune on your diary?" Sara asks, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"It's not mine. It's Agrise's diary from the black market. You can ask Nova," Helios explains, his voice tinged with nervous energy.
"Is that so?" Sara replies calmly. She studies him for a moment before nodding. "I believe you."
Helios sighs in relief, but Sara's expression turns serious. "I have important news from Rio," she says.
"What is it?" Helios asks, leaning in with an intense look of interest.
Sara hesitates for a moment. "They found information about Luna—and where the King might have taken her."
Helios's eyes widen. He lunges forward, grabbing Sara's arms. "Are you telling the truth? Did they really find her?" he asks, his voice thick with emotion.
"That hurts," Sara winces, looking down at his grip.
"Sorry, I... I just got overwhelmed," Helios says, immediately letting go.
"They found information, but it doesn't give us an exact location yet. That's the problem," Sara says, looking away guiltily.
"As long as Luna is okay," Helios whispers. Sara hands him a letter detailing the findings. After a moment of silence, Helios looks down at his feet. "I have something to tell you, too."
"What is it?" Sara asks, watching him closely.
"I'm going on a mission to the Nether Principality. I'll be gone for a few weeks," Helios says, his voice trailing off sadly.
Sara immediately takes his hand, her face etched with worry. "What mission? Is it dangerous? Are you going to be okay?"
"It's just a mission to stop a rebellion. I'll be fine, there's no need to worry," Helios says in a gentle, comforting tone.
Sara leans her head on his shoulder and sighs softly. "Don't leave me for too long again," she murmurs.
"I won't," Helios promises.
"Why don't we pack your bags?" Sara suggests, forcing a cheerful smile.
"Okay," Helios agrees with a small, appreciative grin.
From the window, two shadows can be seen moving about the room, silhouetted against the light of a moon that shines like a pearl amidst a sea of diamond stars.