A shiver runs through Aileen.
I gather a few logs, stack them carefully, and coax a bright, crackling fire to life.
Aeltiàfisar stretches his hands toward the flames, smiling like a boy stealing warmth on a winter morning.
There's light in his eyes—real, unguarded joy.
And then he continues his story.
-----
"When Aer came back to me… stars above, I still don't know how to explain the happiness we felt.
To touch her again. Hold her. Smell her hair when I took her hand.
To feel her gaze on me—after so many years of silence.
I thought my heart would burst."
-----
His voice softens, full of tenderness.
-----
"And there was something else… the certainty that now she'd become one of us, my parents would finally have nothing left to object to. I would bring her home. I would marry her. We would live together for eternity.
That was the plan. Perfect, wasn't it?"
-----
Aileen and I answer at the same time.
"It really was."
But the old elf's expression darkens.
-----
"I thought so too. But I was wrong. My parents believed in the purity of the royal bloodline. A ruler of our kingdom was expected to marry only nobles of the same race—so the throne would always be inherited by an elf.
Aer… she wasn't even considered an option. A human girl, turned clouder—an 'impure outsider,' in their words.
Her children would be hybrids of unpredictable nature.
To them, it was unacceptable."
-----
I can't stay quiet any longer. It's outrageous.
"I don't get it. Yes, she was human, but her energy was nothing like that of ordinary Earth-dwellers, or she would've never transformed into a clouder in the first place. And politically speaking, Cloudland has always been the most powerful kingdom. Am I wrong?"
"In theory, no, Dorcha. But back then, my realm was competing fiercely with Cloudland. Their sovereigns had established universal laws—rules binding for every kingdom—and many rulers didn't take kindly to that."
Aileen tilts her head.
"But why were they chosen to lead? Why not your realm—or any other?"
"A fair question…" Aeltiàfisar nods. "It had to do with how the Sovereigns of Cloudland handled power. Wise, just, and unwavering in their belief that every being deserved equal rights and equal duties, regardless of race.
Under their rule, peace among the realms held strong.
That—more than anything else—was why the Great Sage entrusted them with leadership."
"That actually makes perfect sense," Aileen says, bright with conviction.
"Yes… but in the other lands, envy festered. Many rulers couldn't understand the Great Sage's choice. In their minds, power should have rotated—each kingdom ruling in turn."
Honestly… that makes sense too.
"Maybe they weren't entirely wrong," he admits. "In any case, I should have considered all of this before making my choice.
But I was young. Naïve. Blind to the consequences."
-----
He falls silent, drifting back into memories.
No one else is around anymore.
The villagers have gone back to their homes; the forest is quiet.
Only the fire crackles, steady and warm.
I wait for him to continue.
Aeltiàfisar adds another log, watches the sparks rise, and finally speaks again.
-----
"After Aer transformed… she no longer had a family. I wanted to marry her—whatever the cost—but we were still too young. So, while we waited, I decided to find her one.
And not just any family.
If I wanted my parents to reconsider… it had to be the right family.
The Sovereigns of Cloudland had no children.
They were perfect.
If they accepted her, Aer would become an Heir Princess—just like me.
And then, maybe… just maybe… we'd have a real chance."
He smiles faintly at the memory.
"So I went to see King Gràsol and Queen Lasrà, presenting myself as the Crown Prince of the Elves.
They welcomed me with unexpected kindness.
When I told them everything… they didn't hesitate. They agreed immediately.
They loved Aer from the moment they saw her.
And just like that, she became Cloudland's future sovereign.
From day one, she proved worthy of the title.
She studied the laws of the Golden Realm, earned the affection of every clouder… and grew into a leader in ways even I hadn't imagined."
-----
Aileen listens, breath held.
-----
"Under Cloudland law, Aer would have to marry a clouder on her twenty-first birthday.
I wasn't one, of course—
but the Sovereigns knew how deeply we loved each other.
They trusted me.
So they appealed to the Great Sage on our behalf.
And he… already knew. He always knows."
-----
Aeltiàfisar's eyes soften.
-----
"He knew I had no hunger for power.
He knew I would never twist Cloudland's future for my own gain.
And so, he blessed our marriage—
the first union between two different races in all Seven Realms.
It was a beautiful day but…"
-----
Aileen leans forward.
"But?"
"But no one believed it was a marriage of love.
Gnomes, merfolk, fairies, sprites, orcs, trolls… all of them… thought our wedding was a political scheme orchestrated by my parents.
A move to seize control of the realms."
'What?!' Aileen jumps to her feet. "That's absurd!"
Aeltiàfisar gives a tired nod.
"Aer and I reacted just like you.
But from their point of view, it made sense:
I, an elf, was now the future King of Cloudland—
and therefore the future High King of the realms.
To them, it was unthinkable.
It's almost funny now.
If only they'd known the truth—
that my parents, my entire clan, disowned me for marrying her.
Becoming High King was the last thing they wanted from me."
He sighs deeply.
"In the beginning, only Baelkers stood by my side.
But when the Elves realized they were being falsely accused of a conspiracy, they rallied behind us.
At that point, it became a matter of pride—and I was welcomed back into my family.
The Sovereigns of Cloudland and the Elves tried to reason with the other rulers.
They called for a Grand Council, a meeting of all powers.
It changed nothing.
War erupted in a matter of days—
the longest, bloodiest conflict our world had ever seen.
Every realm became a battlefield.
And before long, our side was pushed to the brink.
We were forced to abandon Cloudland's castle, leaving behind everything we knew, and relocate the entire army here—into the Emerald Forests, which became our new stronghold.
While I fought back and forth with the trained warriors, the elves who couldn't fight were kept safe behind layers of protective enchantments.
The war dragged on for years.
We were exhausted, hollowed out…
but the will to defend our people burned stronger than our fatigue.
And we had a secret weapon.
Fheall.
The little gnome who had grown up at our side—
sharp-minded, fearless, fiercely loyal.
She chose to believe in us when so many turned away, and she joined the war not as a soldier… but as a General.
Her battalions were unbeatable.
Unpredictable.
Terrifying.
And then there were the three of us—
me, Baelkers, and Fheall—
cutting through the skies on our dragons' backs.
The enemy froze whenever they saw us descend, like the sun had blacked out.
Everyone called us the Three Knights of the Golden Light.
And Aer… whenever she could, she rode behind me, pressing a hand to my back to channel her mind magic into our attacks.
She fought with a courage I still can't describe.
"Dragons?" Aileen whispers, eyes shining.
"Oh yes… dragons," he laughs softly.
"And where are they now?" I ask.
"In the Realm of the Two Rainbows," he replies, "resting in an enchanted valley."
"Was it hard to fight while riding them?"
"Not at all. They made everything easier."
"Dragons or not, fighting every day for years must have been exhausting", I say it aloud.
"You're right, Dorcha. It was.
But war wasn't only blood and terror—it was also friendship. Love. Hope."
He pauses, and suddenly his voice warms.
"There's one day I'll never forget.
Aer stayed home that morning—she wasn't feeling well.
When we returned at dusk, she ran toward me with a smile so radiant it cut through all the darkness of the war. She was pregnant with our child."
-----
Aileen gasps.
-----
"I was so happy I forgot every wound, every fear. I lifted her, spun her around—she laughed. Her laugh… was sunlight."
-----
A breath trembles in his chest.
-----
"A few months later, our baby was born.
Lanitae. Sky-blue eyes, emerald curls, cheeks round and soft. Perfect.
Gifted beyond anything we had seen—natural levitation, his mother's mind-touch magic, the agility and spellcraft of elven blood.
For Clouders and Elves alike… his birth changed everything.
For the first time, our peoples felt united."
-----
He stops, and the firelight flickers across his face.
-----
"It was a time of rebirth.
Even with the war gnawing at us, we were… happy."
A shadow drops over his features.
"It didn't last."
-----
Aileen tenses.
-----
"One night, they attacked.
Without warning. Savage. Merciless.
We were caught half-asleep— and in those few unguarded seconds… everything ended.
We were numb. Unprepared.
In a heartbeat they disabled me… and slaughtered Aer and Lanitae right before my eyes.
And the cruelest part?
I didn't die with them."
-----
We're frozen.
Aileen's gone pale, her eyes glassy.
Aeltiàfisar's breath turns ragged—like he's reliving every heartbeat of that nightmare.
After a moment, he forces himself onward.
"When I woke and saw their bodies lying there… something inside me broke.
A hunger. A hatred. Pure, blinding.
My only purpose was to kill.
And I did.
I hunted down the ones responsible and tore them apart.
Then I tore apart anyone who stood in my way.
Somehow… I always spared the elders, the women, the children.
How I distinguished them while drowning in bloodlust… even now I have no answer.
I was unstoppable.
Until I attacked my own brother.
Came within a breath of ending him.
That was the moment I finally snapped out of it.
Grief hit me like a blade to the chest.
And I understood—revenge would never bring them back."
-----
He pauses, voice trembling.
-----
"That day, the Great Universal Sage took pity on me.
He opened his Realm and allowed me a few stolen moments of joy.
I saw them.
Aer. Lanitae.
I held them as if my arms could keep them from vanishing again.
I cried every tear I hadn't allowed myself to shed.
And then I begged—begged—to stay.
But I was denied.
The Sage told me that only by abandoning hatred, embracing understanding and forgiveness, and replacing vengeance with Love—true, capital-L Love—would I earn the right to join them again.
One day, he said, when I was ready… my time would come."
-----
Aeltiàfisar's gaze drifts to the flames, golden and far away.
-----
"Leaving them was… unbearable.
But at least I finally had a purpose.
Before sending me back, the Sage placed a gift in my heart: the Knowledge of the Heart—the memories, joys, triumphs, and sorrows of every being across the seven realms.
With a burden like that, fighting became impossible.
So I entrusted command to Baelkers and Fheall… and sealed myself inside the Crystal Oak.
I devoted my life to spiritual growth and to helping anyone who sought guidance.
Meanwhile, the war continued to devour everything.
My parents were killed too—throats slit with troll axes.
Baelkers went to the Great Sage, and together they created the Sigillum Maximum: a golden perchment containing seven magical secrets—the condensed wisdom each race had earned through centuries of suffering."
-----
Aileen gasps softly.
I can barely breathe.
"It would be guarded by the rulers of the Golden Kingdom.
And when the Perchment was born, its light tore across the world.
The Seven Realms imploded—then burst outward, recreated more beautiful than before.
Those who survived were sheltered in a great sphere of light, each returned safely to their homeland.
From that day, the Perchment became our world's memory. Its essence.
It replaced Cloudland as the Core that held the realms together.
If it were ever destroyed… it would mean the teachings of the past were forgotten.
Seven years—compressed into seven magical months—would be given to repair the damage.
If we failed… everything would end.
Only Cloudland would remain, drawn into the Realm of the Great Light.
And now… here we are."
-----
My stomach twists.
I destroyed it!
The memorial of our world.
The sacrifice of millions.
Aileen's warm little hand finds mine.
She looks just as shaken as I feel.
"There's always a way," the elf tells us gently. "The seven months aren't over. You both carry great power—not just magic. There is a bright light inside you. Trust it. It will guide you."
-----
What light could I possibly have?
Haven't I caused all this?
But… if he believes it…
-----
"It's late," he says softly. "Go rest. For the journey ahead, you'll need suitable clothes. You'll find them in your rooms."