Stan and his siblings had been given a new sense of hope by Qudsiyah.
However, their hopes for a better future had been shattered repeatedly throughout the meeting. Every time it seemed like things were about to improve, reality struck them down again.
After her earlier revelations, Qudsiyah continued to provide a more detailed explanation of what she knew about the Fate Aura. Elder Rooney confirmed each point she made, citing references from the Pendragon Book of Knowledge.
Qudsiyah explained that the Fate Aura doesn't necessarily stop high beings from taking actions. It only appears when an action is about to be taken at the wrong time.
Still, the Fate Aura doesn't physically prevent a being from acting. Instead, it serves as a warning. Even if the being chooses to ignore the warning and proceeds with their actions, the Fate Aura won't intervene.
After hearing from Qudsiyah that there might be a peacemaker on Earth, Graham wasted no time. He immediately issued a quest to search for and locate the peacemaker.
Now, back in the meeting room, a heavy silence filled the air. No one spoke, as if they were waiting for a report or some new information. Qudsiyah sat back in her chair, her eyes closed in thought, while Zarathul stood silently beside her.
The stillness lingered until Qudsiyah suddenly broke it.
"You know, there's a way I can help you all," Qudsiyah said, her calm voice drawing everyone's attention.
The group turned to her, their expressions filled with curiosity. They wondered if she had found another way to help Stan without going against the will of the universe.
"I'm not talking about healing Stan," Qudsiyah clarified, noticing the questioning looks on their faces.
"But there is a way I can help you find out more about these peacemakers," she added.
The group didn't respond immediately but continued to watch her, waiting for further explanation.
Seeing their silence, Qudsiyah continued.
"The Fate Aura protects the future from being altered by our present actions. With a certain magic spell, I might be able to see the future it's trying to protect," Qudsiyah explained.
"You're saying you can see the future?" Stan asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Not exactly," Qudsiyah replied. "I can't see the future on my own. I would need the Fate Aura to guide me. Even then, it wouldn't be a full vision—just a glimpse, a small peek into what lies ahead."
Everyone sat in silence for a moment, trying to process what Qudsiyah had just said.
"Fine... If it's going to help us, then let's do it," Stan said finally.
As before, Qudsiyah walked over to him and gently took both of his hands. She closed her eyes, and a faint glow began to radiate from her horn. The room was quiet, with everyone watching intently.
After a few moments, Qudsiyah opened her eyes and looked directly at Stan.
"Just as I said, it was only a glimpse. But I managed to see a few things," Qudsiyah began.
"The first is that the peacemaker, as expected, is female. You will meet her, and it will happen during an intense fight," Qudsiyah revealed.
One word caught everyone's attention: fight.
"What fight?" Peter asked immediately, his voice sharp with concern.
"I don't know," Qudsiyah replied, shaking her head. "All I could tell was that it was a fight against strong opponents."
"What about the peacemaker?" Peter pressed. "Can we at least get a description of her face? Like what you did with Arthur's sword?"
"I told you there are limitations," Qudsiyah said. "I was able to glimpse the events, but I couldn't see anyone's face. The key point is that Stan will meet the peacemaker. When and where this happens wasn't revealed. The only thing we know is how, and I've already told you."
"At least this gives us something to work with. We know we're looking for a female," Graham said, already typing furiously on his device to update the information he'd sent out earlier.
"So, what's next?" Caspian asked, looking around the room.
"The mage," Cressida suggested. "Why don't we find out what happens with the mage too?"
Qudsiyah turned to Stan, who gave her a small nod of approval. Taking a deep breath, she activated her power again. This time, the process was much quicker—a blink of light from her horn, and then it was done.
"It seems like the mage will appear sooner than expected," Qudsiyah said, her voice thoughtful.
"What did you see?" Peter asked, leaning forward.
"A boy..." Qudsiyah said slowly. "I saw a boy—a younger version of you," she added, pointing directly at Stan.
---
Moments later, the entire group walked out of the meeting room. The meeting had ended with no one having anything else to say or ask—at least, not in front of everyone else.
As they stepped into the hallway, each of them was lost in their own thoughts. Yet one thing stood out above the rest: Qudsiyah's last words.
'A younger version of Stan? What does that even mean?' Peter wondered.
'Is she talking about Alex?' he thought. But Alex doesn't have mana in his core. So what is she getting at?
Frustrated by the lack of answers, Peter decided to push his thoughts aside—for now.
The others were equally puzzled. None of them could understand why a younger version of Stan would be the one to unlock his mana core.
Even Caspian, who often entertained the craziest ideas, found himself considering the possibility of time travel to the past.
Eventually, the group made their way outside the ship. For those who had never stepped foot on this planet before, the differences were immediately noticeable.
The gravity was significantly heavier than Earth's, making movement more challenging. The weather was peculiar—a strange mix of hot and cold that alternated unpredictably, rather than finding a balanced middle ground.
The ship they had been inside all this time had advanced technology that maintained Earth-like gravity and climate within its walls. Now, outside, they were fully exposed to the planet's natural conditions.
Another change they noticed almost immediately was the reaction of their peace energy. It was as if the energy within them was responding to the environment itself.
"This place... it might be the perfect place for us to grow our peace energy," Elder Rooney said thoughtfully, taking in the surroundings.
After a moment of silence, Elder Rooney turned to Qudsiyah. "I want to ask—can we establish part of our base here on this planet?"
Qudsiyah exchanged a glance with Zarathul before turning back to Elder Rooney.
"We don't own this planet," Qudsiyah said. "If I remember correctly, we were placed here by a Pendragon. And since you're all Pendragons, I don't see any reason why you can't stay here. Our only responsibility is to keep this place hidden from outsiders—not from Pendragons themselves."
Elder Rooney nodded in understanding. Even though they hadn't managed to restore Stan to his original state, the planet's abundance of peace energy offered a chance for them to grow stronger than ever before.
However, just as he began to consider the possibilities, Qudsiyah's expression darkened, and she looked up toward the sky.
"Something is coming," she said, her tone tense.
The group didn't immediately understand what she meant, but it didn't take long for the answer to reveal itself.
The thick clouds above them began to shift and part, creating a path in the sky. Moments later, a bright beam of light shot down from the opening, striking the ground like a massive thunderbolt.
The beam lingered for a while, glowing brilliantly, before it finally disappeared. In its place stood a man—or at least, something that resembled one.
The figure was old but didn't look entirely human. His skin was a deep shade of blue, and his hair moved like writhing snakes. Most unsettling were his eyes—four of them arranged symmetrically on his face—and the absence of a nose. His wide, animalistic mouth stretched unnervingly as he surveyed his surroundings.
'Damn it! Why is entering this planet's atmosphere so difficult?' the man thought, scowling. 'This only proves they're hiding here.'
He began scanning the area, his four eyes darting around sharply.
"Where are you, you damn dragons? Show yourselves!" he shouted, his voice echoing ominously.
It didn't take long for his gaze to fall on the ship in the distance. His unsettling mouth curled into a grin.
"There you are," he said with a sinister smile.