It took Dall nearly thirty minutes to finish cleaning himself by bathing in the river. He really hadn’t expected Avice to follow him all the way, let alone stick around and watch him cool himself off. Her calm demeanor put him off.

According to her, she had just battled what was most likely the toughest battle in her life. She should've been tired, exhausted, possibly even traumatized. Even if that Achaea woman healed them, the battle she had described to him didn't seem something that a normal person could just shrug off. She had also seemed to be much more approachable and amicable than when he had first met her.

I guess that’s kind of a given, though.

Yet she was calm. Almost as if she didn't care.

As soon as he said he was done, she nodded and led him back to the clearing.

“Okay, Elyu. We’re ready to go.”

With Avice’s words, the three of them finally exited the clearing, and entered the thick sea of trees.

Dall estimated that maybe five minutes had passed since they started. He scanned his surroundings, taking good looks at the trees and the flora around him. He leaned his head to the side, and focused on his ears, trying to listen to any signs of life in the forest.

However... 

Nothing. No animals, no people, not even any monsters, he thought. I’m guessing we’re deep inside of the Devil’s Forest. We’re quite close to Nucen. Hopefully they’ll be willing to help.

He steadied his breathing, closed his eyes, and activated Deep Sight.

The world around him blackened out, and white lines wrapped around and drew out the entirety of the area before him. When he focused his attention on Avice, he noted that the lines around her were a light shade of purple, rather than pure white.

What is… this? He studied her carefully. I vaguely recall Father speaking about Aldrians before but… for some reason it’s all pretty hazy.

He remembered that the word Aldrian was a pretty big name, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“AAGH!”

Avice tripped over a log in front of her. He opened his eyes and stared at her collapsed figure. He stopped next to her and held his hand out.

“N-No, no, I’m fine,” she mumbled as she got up herself, patting off the dirt of her pants. She continued onward keeping a steady pace a few feet in front of him. 

He turned his attention past her.

Floating further beyond them was the Spirit Elyu. 

Dall still couldn’t believe that he, a mere human, was blessed with being allowed to be in the presence of such a legendary being. He had been told the stories that addressed all of his questions countless times by his father;

Why were humans the only ones on the continent to not be able to see Spirits? Why were the Eldreds the only ones among the humans who could?

It was ingrained in him that there would’ve been no chance in his life to be able to see the powerful creatures said to have descended from the Elemental Gods - creatures capable of manipulating the world at its core.

So it was no surprise that Dall felt like he was in a dream. Once in a while, he’d pinch himself, to make absolutely sure that he was wide awake.

He sighed, then stared at his hands.

Even though that Achaea woman said she had healed him, Dall could still see the burn marks on his palms. The burns served as a haunting reminder. A memory that he should never forget...

“Eldred bastards,” he cursed under his breath. “What the hell are they planning…?”

He had always known. Ever since that party years ago, he’d been a witness to their atrocities. The very first thing he had thought when he encountered them was, 'Scum of Eden'. They were vile people who would do anything to get what they wanted, who took everything that they found worthy of them, who believed themselves to be the most powerful of all humans.

They were, after all, the people who demanded for war. The war where he had ended so many lives...

Dall grit his teeth and clenched his fist. He really couldn’t complain about them anyways. No one could. How could a normal human hold a candle to a Spirit-user? It was only recently that those who couldn’t speak with Spirits could use the powers of nature. 

Dall frowned. 

“The Captain himself appeared… The bandits looked subservient to them,” Dall whispered. “Well, not really, but they were following their orders. So the recent Bandit Unification is due to… the Eldreds…” He covered his hand with his mouth and furrowed his brow. “This is really bad,” he muttered. His eyes lit up. “And Oliver was on his way to Pasia…” He groaned. “I really need to head home. Father, I hope you-”

“Shut up!” Avice yelled. “AH DAMMIT!”

She completely fell on her chest. Her brown hair, covered in dirt and leaves, sprawled on the ground. She heaved a heavy sigh.

He had initially believed that she was addressing him. But judging the distance between them and his hushed voice, he thought against it.

Dall rolled his eyes and moved in front of her. Kneeling down, he calmly asked, “You okay?”

Avice raised her head, her eyes filled with anger. “I’m. Fine.”

He held his hand out to her. She reluctantly grabbed onto it, and he lifted her up. 

“Thank you,” she said, a wry smile on her lips. 

Dall narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “What’s your deal?” he asked.

Avice cocked her head to the side, a confused look on her face. “What do you mean?”

“Both of you, please keep moving. We must not keep the Mistress waiting,” Elyu spoke loudly. 

“Okay, coming,” she said as she moved past Dall. She shot him a wary look, which he interpreted to be ‘stop asking stupid questions and just keep going’.

Dall stared at her back as she skipped in front of him.

Her clothes… he thought. I’ve never really thought about it before, but they’re a little… no, extremely strange. They seem so finely woven, and they look like they’re made of the same fabric as Father’s ceremonial wardrobe. In fact, everything about this girl is strange.

For starters, she was incredibly suspicious.

She didn’t seem like she knew anything about the Eldreds, not to mention the entire country that she was currently in. She claimed that she was in the forest when she was branded with the Eldred Slave mark, but she never elaborated why.

He had considered her to be a Western Union human slave spy, but judging by her overall ignorance and free mobility, it didn't seem too plausible. Was she a citizen of the Western Union in the first place? Dall recalled that among the four countries, Lysteria wasn’t too discriminatory against his kind, but getting her way through Arsa would’ve been another story. Her ability to manipulate and communicate with Spirits added credence to that possibility, but she appeared human. Yet even appearing human didn't mean anything substantial to him.

The Gaeans in Pasia were taught to hide their animalistic characteristics when dealing with outsiders, so Dall thought that Wood Walkers could've practiced similar techniques. 

There were so many off-putting things about her background. Rather, he knew nothing about it. 

“Who is she…?”

He then remembered the words that had spilled out of her mouth when she lost it. When she first went on a rant on him, she used strange phrases he’d never heard before. Avice had even said something strange such as ‘this world’. She had also called him a ‘native’. Dall could’ve sworn he’d heard similar jargon before…

Fine, well-woven clothes, an unusual, free attitude, confusion about the world around them… 

His eyes lit up. “N-No way. No… way…”

It was all familiar to him. Too familiar. His heart rate spiked, and sweat dripped down his cheeks. 

“Wait, I have to confirm this,” he muttered.

He caught up with Avice and walked by her side. She gave him a quick look and nodded. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Avice…” he started. “Before you were captured and branded in the forest, what were you doing? Where were you headed in the first place?”

She pressed her lips together and squinted. “I…” Her voice cracked. “I don’t really remember.”

“This happened maybe two, three days ago. Do you really not remember?”

“I don’t,” she said. “I think… I was on my way to Fora.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Can I ask why?”

She stammered and said, “Why are you asking me this stuff, Dall?”

“Avice, be honest with me,” he said.

He was sure of the answer.

This girl’s… everything… gave it away to him.

“Are you from another world? Namely, a place called 'Earth'?”

She paused. 

Avice stared at him, a pensive look on her face. Resting her fist on her chin, she stood there for a moment, humming and biting her lip.

Running her fingers through her hair, she groaned and incessantly tapped her fingers against her chin.

Then, she hung her head low, and sighed.

“Alright. I give in," she said. "I guess it doesn’t really matter if you know. How’d you figure it out?” she asked.

He listed off everything that clued him in. She nodded at every thing he laid out for her, and progressively, her expression darkened. "Was I really that oblivious?" she muttered under her breath.

Then, Dall said, “You’ve also told me outright. Multiple times, too.” She slapped her forehead. “Also, your aura’s… familiar to me.”

“Aura? Familiar?”

Dall nodded. “You see, the previous Hero our Empire had summoned to fight in the war five years ago acted just like you.”

“Is that so...? Then, yeah,” she grumbled. “I guess you’ve got me.”

He gritted his teeth. “There couldn't have been another summoning, though… It took so much manpower to summon the last Hero that there is no possible way that your arrival would've flown past Father's and Uncle's eyes.” he muttered. "I'm sure the Knightblades would've found at least something..."

His mind quickly ran through all of the races that held a grudge against the Empire. Wood Walkers, Hybrids, Gaeans… it really could’ve been anyone.

“What were you doing in the human territories, though? ”

“You okay, Dall?”

“Still, though… Our last Hero was, at the very least, naive and extremely wary when we first summoned him. Judging by what you’re saying, you got here three days ago,” he said.

He glared at her.

“At least he was nervous about killing people.”

She pursed her lips. Just seeing her face, an expression as if everything he had said had nothing to do with her, lit a fire in his stomach. He clenched his fists. 

‘She’s evil. She’s just like them. She killed them,’ a malicious voice whispered in his heart. 

Dall shook his head. No, no, stop. That was just the Spider influencing me. 

‘You know it, Dall. She may be a serial killer. Save everyone by ending her.’

I won’t! He screamed in his head. I’m not killing like that again.

“Look, I-”

Before they could both finish their thoughts, a powerful howl shattered their eardrums.

Both of them screamed and held their heads.

Avice fell to the ground, clutching and scratching at her head.

Dall crashed down onto his knees, blood dripping from his lips. 

The howl stopped, and both of them panted. “What the hell was that?!” Dall exclaimed.

Then, the hairs on his arms stood on end. Avice’s breath grew unsteady, and she sweat profusely. She shook her head and backed away, muttering ‘no, no’. 

It pushed through the bushes behind them.

“A Despairity...” Dall whispered.

A massive white wolf stalked towards them from the blackness of the forest. Its massive, thick chain clanged against the ground. Countless scars covered its pure fur. Its blue eyes shimmered, its pupils dilated and empty.

“It appears that they’ve finally decided to show themselves.”

Dall's gaze rose upwards and glared at the man straddling the beast. 

There was no way he could've forgotten this man's appearance. Fiery red hair, a massive scar running down his cheek, and piercing orange eyes...

“Solace,” Dall muttered.

"We’ve found you at last. If one more day had passed, I would have perished by my master’s hands.” Solace Lora stretched his arms.

The Despairity inched closer, and Solace looked down on the two of them.

“Ahh, Dall Greatsword." The Eldred Captain smirked. "It is surprising that you would be a survivor among a hundred dead. Hiding with a Weapon of Destruction as well..."

"What do you want...?" Dall asked.

"You know exactly what I want," Solace said as he brandished a sword. He lifted it close to his lips and whispered, and within seconds, burning flames engulfed the blade. "Make yourselves useful and surrender immediately."

Dall swiftly turned to Avice and urged her to get up, but her shivering body remained frozen. Her face was pale and her teeth chattered.

“Dammit,” he grumbled.

The wolf approached them, the grass and flowers beneath its paws withering away with each step.

“Avice, come on! Get up!” he yelled. But she wasn’t listening. “We have no time for this.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

Avice flinched and tried to yank her arm away. “Let go! Don’t touch me!” she yelled.

“We need to go!” he growled. He shook her aggressively. 

She blinked and looked down at her arm. “R-Right, sorry!” she stumbled. 

The two of them sprinted as quickly as they could after Elyu.

The thudding of the wolf's paws grew in number.

Dall took a sharp breath, and swiftly activated Deep Sight.

The outline of three more Despairity Wolves appeared as they leapt through the bushes.

As his focus was quickly fading, he made a very quick scan of the forest behind them and figured that these were the only ones chasing after them.

“Crap, hurry up!” he urged Avice on.

Sweat poured down his chin. His heart raced and sank in his chest. He had the idea to stay behind and take the Despairities head on, but that thought was immediately dashed. There’s no way he would’ve survived that encounter. 

Avice threw her hands into the air, calling out for any nearby Spirits to come to her aid. He expected her to succeed in her attempts and throw their pursuers off, but she cursed.

Nothing was responding to her.

She shook her head and grit her teeth. Dall was about to ask her why she couldn’t do anything when she abruptly yelled, “Shut up!”

The wolves nipped at their backs, their chomping, razer-like teeth proving the beasts to be dangerously close. 

“You cannot escape, Aldrian. Your fate is already sealed,” Solace chided. “Surrender yourself!”

“Ignore him, just keep going!”

“I-I know!” Avice agreed in tired breaths. Her eyes widened and screamed, “There! Look!”

She pointed at a large stone jutting out of the ground. He at first wanted to dismiss the structure, but Elyu was floating next to it.

Avice made a mad sprint towards it, and Dall matched his pace with hers. “We’re gonna split them up?”

“No, no!” Avice dug her heels into the ground and stopped right in front of it. 

Thanks to their sudden burst in speed, the wolves had fallen just a little bit behind. But that didn't excuse her complete stop.

“What are you doing?!” he yelled.

Avice, with a moment of hesitation and a disgruntled expression, planted her hand against a smoothened surface of the stone. “Dall come here!” she yelled.

“Why?!”

“Just get over here, trust me!” she yelled.

It was then that the surface she had touched glowed purple.

“Authorized personnel identified,” a woman’s mechanical, monotone voice resounded. “Opening the Access Point.” A part of the stone shook violently and the smooth plate sank into the ground revealing an opening. 

“Here!” Avice hurried him.

Dall bit his lip and nodded. He sprinted towards her. 

The both of them leapt into the opening, and the plate closed up the space, blocking out all light from entering. 

“Oh crap,” Dall muttered.

Their bodies pushed against each other, a minuscule amount of space in between them. Their breaths bounced off their skin.

Avice shook her head and tried to lean as far back as possible. "Dammit, don't get close," she growled. 

“Might run out of breath in here. Don’t talk too much.” 

She nodded.

But his warning proved unnecessary when the space glowed purple.

“Eden Emergency Safety Protocol is currently active. Would you like to disable it?” The mechanical voice returned. 

“Huh?"

"The Workshops across Alder are currently protected due to the Protocol. If you do not wish to disable the Protocol, please exit the Access Point," the voice said. "Would you like to disable it?" it asked again.

"W-Whatever, yes!”

“Approval confirmed.”

The ground trembled beneath them. They would’ve fallen down if their bodies weren’t so close. “What’s going on?” Dall asked.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Activating Scenic View.” The pitch blackness of the space they were trapped in was replaced within an instant. The world outside of the enclosure became visible to them.

Dall would've gawked at the magical device they were trapped in, but what was happening outside stunned him even more. Avice's jaw dropped.

The ground around the stone tore itself from the inside out.

The Despairities whimpered and retreated backwards. 

The grassy, flat earth sunk and melted. Trees collapsed inwards from the cracking earth. A massive, deep crater carved itself out around them. One foot outside of their room would've led to them plummeting to their deaths. 

A glimmering, white plate slowly appeared beneath the sunken earth. 

With one mighty boom, the ground completely disappeared, revealing a long, cylindrical object.

They couldn't see how far it went. Upon closer look, Dall realized that the plate was nothing like he'd ever seen. Something so smoothed and polished; a material rare enough that even the Emperor would be frowned upon for using it frivolously. 

Alchemite Stone.

So much of it...

Dall stared with wide eyes.

With a rumble, it began its ascent into the sky, uprooting the trees and flora around it.

Accompanied by a deep hum, the white, shimmering building rose upwards, shadowing everything beneath it. Dirt, roots, and trees fell from above. 

Before they could see its finished form, their view was obstructed once more, and the blackness returned.

“Deactivation complete," the voice said. "May the gods bless the return of Alder.” 

Then, their bodies vibrated and rumbled.

Their vision returned as the stone walls around them melted into the floor. No words could fit what Dall saw. 

Instead of the usual scenery - the tall trees, open air, and green leaves - there was something else. 

Surrounding them on all sides were white, ivory stone walls raising high into the sky. The open area where they stood was wide, its diameter triple the space of their previous enclosure.

A beautiful, shimmering chandelier hung from the ceiling. 

All of the walls were finely smoothed, not a single crack or break in between them. There were no doors or openings, so they were trapped inside whether they like it or not. Bright, golden sconces lined the walls.

Smooth, marble-like material had replaced the grass beneath their feet.

A grand staircase lined with intricate railings and designs sat in front of them, leading into the dark, abyssal floor above them.

“What the hell…?” Dall muttered. 

“Welcome to my home,” Achaea said. “Welcome to the Tower.”