I can't sleep.
Not a chance.
The Master's story— it hit like a blade.
If only I'd known.
I have to make this right.
No matter the cost.
Help Aileen bring the Sigil back to life.
Stop the fallout of my stupid, arrogant mistakes.
Make Bàistec and Urchoicha see reason.
This isn't about power.
It never was.
There's so much more at stake.
They have to understand.
And time— time is slipping away.
So fast that even my life among the orcs feels distant now.
Like it belonged to someone else.
Maybe the enchantment doesn't stop at the borders.
Maybe it's working on us, too.
I turn toward Aileen.
She's facing the other way in bed.
Aileen…
I don't know how she does it, but she's asleep.
She's incredible.
She can sleep anywhere.
Even in moments like this.
I want to see her face so badly.
Maybe if I just—
No.
If I get up, I'll wake her.
Our first kiss today…
Just thinking about it makes my stomach twist.
It was beautiful.
Really beautiful.
But—
What if she finds out it was my fault?
All of it.
Only my fault?
That her father died because of me.
That her kingdom turned to stone because of me.
That our world is in danger because I was a reckless, self-important idiot?
If she learns the truth—
what do I say?
There's no excuse.
None.
I'll lose her.
Without a doubt.
Just imagining it leaves me hollow.
-----
I can't sleep either…
After everything today, how could I?
The First Trial shattered me.
And the kiss was—
just thinking about it makes my cheeks burn.
The unexpected celebration.
The dancing with Dorcha…
And then Aeltiàfisar's story.
I still can't believe I carry the same power Aer once did.
Dorcha isn't sleeping, either.
He's restless, shifting in the dark…
But so much happened today.
Too much.
I need to hold onto it all for a while.
Just for myself.
Only now do I truly understand how important this mission is.
And still…
I keep wondering if I'm really capable.
In theory? Yes.
Of course.
But in reality?
I have so little experience.
Still… with Grogher's help. And Dorcha's.
Dorcha… his dark eyes, his soft lips, our kiss…
Clouds above, Aileen—calm down.
My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest.
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Yes.
That's it.
And tomorrow…
mmh… I'm so sleepy…
…tomorrow…
-----
The big day has arrrived!
Is it really possible that I—of all people—
am setting out to save the worrrld?
Life sure loves its surprises.
Here we are…
are they awake yet?
The sun has barrrely rrrosen.
If they're half as excited as I am, they must be!
"Rrrready, everyone?" I call, peeking into their quarters.
They come out already dressed, answering in chorrrus, "Ready!"
And Aileen plants a quick kiss on my cheek.
I don't think I'll ever get used to that.
"So it's autumn already…" Aileen says, brrreathing in the crisp air, looking around.
"Thank goodness the elves gave us these suits!"
"That's trrrue," I agree.
The elves really are a grrreat people.
They thought of everything.
The royal tailors made us custom outfits— practical, comfortable, adaptive, therrrmal, soft, durable.
What more could we ask for?
Food?
Serrrrved!
They gave me so much we could trrrravel for months.
Together, we head toward the central square of Bealist.
They're waiting for us.
-----
The time has come to leave.
We'll miss them.
I walk past Aeltiàfisar, Inmus, and Nalar, then turn back to look at them—
and it feels like something inside me is tearing.
"You have a little over four magical months to complete your mission," Aeltiàfisar says.
"It isn't much time. That's why my brother and I took the liberty of preparing a few small gifts. We hope they'll prove useful.
Aileen… meet Raertha."
At my signal, a rare, radiant white unicorn appears before her.
He's magnificent.
Majestic wings edged in soft blue light.
A mane of shimmering silver.
He bows his head in greeting.
Aileen smiles back, stunned and glowing.
"Is he… really for me?" she asks, stroking his muzzle.
Raertha nickers in delight.
They like each other.
Good.
I nod.
"Raertha is a healing unicorn," I tell her.
"He can mend even the deepest wounds. Take good care of him—he will help you."
Her eyes grow damp.
"Thank you," she whispers.
-----
I step beside my brother and offer Dorcha a precious artifact I have guarded for centuries:
the Sword of Gultar, First King of Cloudland.
Long. Straight.
Its blade split into two halves—one dark, one light.
The hilt is wide and perfectly balanced, shaped like Gultar himself:
back arched, arms raised and joined above his head,
covered in golden feathers traced with glowing, diamond-bright threads.
Dorcha stares at it, stunned.
"Prince Dorcha," I say, "this is for you.
It is no ordinary sword. It can sense the emotions of any living being.
It discerns Light from Darkness.
It destroys shadow—and brings it into the open."
He looks at me, moved…
then a flicker of fear crosses his eyes.
He's lost now.
"Master Aeltiàfisar," he asks quietly,
"how can someone like me—someone with darkness inside—wield such a blade?"
"Trust me," I reply.
"I don't make mistakes in matters like this."
He swallows, gazing at it as if it were sacred.
Then, trembling slightly, with deep reverence, he takes it from my hands.
The sword flares to life.
Light surges along his arm.
I knew it.
He is its rightful heir.
He steadies himself.
"Thank you, Master."
I give him a small smile, then turn to his horse.
"Hercules… I grant you the gift of flight.
From this moment on—and forever—you will be able to fly.
Whenever you choose."
I adore the instinctive nature of animals.
Hercules rears, whinnying wildly—
startled at first, then euphoric—
before launching into the air, galloping joyfully above us.
It's a breathtaking sight.
-----
I rest a hand on Grogher's shoulder.
He looks at me, wide-eyed.
"Tell me, Masterrr Baelkers."
"It's your turn to receive," I say softly. "Here…"
With a small gesture, an immense winged white lion materializes before him—
vast enough to carry him on its back.
Grogher stares, caught between awe and shock.
He doesn't know what to think.
His chest rises and falls quickly. He's overwhelmed.
"His name is Sidae," I tell him.
"He is our gift to you. He is special as well.
He can read the hearts of others… and yours.
He will never abandon you, Grogher."
Tears spill freely down his face,
even as his mouth stretches into a huge, trembling smile.
I know what Sidae means to him.
Not just a companion—
but the first gift he has ever received in his life.
"Thanks! Thanks you, thank you! Thank you frrrom my hearrrt!" he says, unable to control himself.
He looks at all of us, one by one.
-----
These people…
these friends…
It's the firrrst time since they took me away frrrom my mother that I feel like I belong to something grrrand.
Aileen.
Dorrrcha.
Hercules.
Raertha.
Sidae.
The two elderrr elves.
All the elves.
I'll prrrotect them all.
Forever.
Even if it costs me my life.
This lion… he's beautiful.
Will he be kind?
I step closer—moved, happy, a little scarrred, I admit it.
Sidae rises onto his hind legs and wrrraps me in a hug with his forelegs.
Then he licks my face and lets out a deep, rumbling purr.
I can't help laughing—I'm so happy.
The otherrrs laugh too.
It's perfect.
"You must leave now," Aeltiàfisar says.
Yes.
It's time.
-----
Leaving… it hurts.
It feels like losing another piece of family.
I can't stop myself—I run to Baelkers and Aeltiàfisar and hug them, hard.
Really hard.
They hug me back.
Then I embrace Inmus and Nalar.
I can't speak.
If I do, I'll start crying—and I don't want that.
I mount Raertha.
Dorcha and Grogher climb onto their mounts as well.
The three of us turn back one last time, looking at the elves.
One final farewell.
And then—
we depart.
-----
It feels strange, after so long, to leave the Elven Realm behind.
As if we weren't just saying goodbye to our Masters— but to something deeper.
What frightens me most is not knowing whether we'll ever return…
because the truth is, if this mission fails, this could be a farewell.
We travel in silence, all of us,
lost in our own thoughts for most of the day.
Little by little, the landscape begins to change.
By evening, the forest thins out, until we reach the edge of a plateau—
a sheer drop into nothingness.
On the other side rises a towering cliff: steep, jagged, impossible to climb.
The only way to reach the Realm of the Two Rainbows.
So that's why the elves gave us winged mounts.
I move closer to the edge with Raertha and peer down.
It's so high!
What if we fly across… and fall?
Well…
sooner or later, we'll have to do it anyway, so—
I look at the others.
They hesitate.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go" I say, trying to sound decisive.
Grogher stops me.
"Better not" he says firmly.
Dorcha doesn't move either.
Hmm… Grogher is a seasoned warrior.
If he says no, there must be a reason.
"Why?" I ask. I want to understand.
He dismounts from the lion.
"Simple" he explains. "It's dark. We don't know if there are guarrrds on the other side. Better to face them in daylight than in the middle of the night, in a place we don't know."
"That's right" Dorcha agrees.
I don't feel the same at all.
Precisely because it's dark, it would be easier.
"At this hour, the gnomes' guards should be off duty, don't you think?" I argue.
"Before the night shift arrives, wouldn't it be better to go? In flight it takes only a moment— and tomorrow it would be an advantage to already be there."
"It's too risky" Dorcha replies, resolute. "Grog is right. And we don't even know their shift schedules. Ours, for example, are different from yours."
"And how do you know our shift changes?" I ask.
I'm genuinely surprised.
-----
I can't breathe for a second.
I gave myself away.
What do I say now?
She'll find out sooner than I expected.
Too soon.
What do I do?
"The Orrrch Kingdom lies among the mountains," Grogher says smoothly.
"Our sleep–wake cycles are differrrent. There's less light, more darkness. It couldn't be otherwise."
Bless you, Grog.
He saved me.
I manage a small smile.
"Y-yes. Exactly," I add.
"I don't really know their schedules, but I'm fairly sure it works like that. Let's camp here. We'll move again at dawn."
Aileen studies us.
Did she notice I was struggling?
But then she looks at the animals instead.
And suddenly she breaks into a wide smile.
The danger has passed.
For now.
"Alright then," she agrees, sliding down from Raertha.
She stretches, then turns to Grog.
"Excellent idea, General Grogher! So—what are we eating? I'm starving!"
She's unbelievable.
How can anyone not laugh?
Grogher bursts out laughing with me.
"Definitely not berries," I tease her.
She shoots me a fiery look.
How did I live without her before?
Grogher opens the satchel the elves gave him this morning.
It's overflowing with food.
"What would you like, Aileen?" he asks.
Grinning, she hops closer and immediately steals a piece of candied fruit.
We split the tasks.
I light the fire.
Grogher cooks.
She prepares our beds for the night.
Soon, we're all sitting around the fire, eating.
Tonight, we're happy.
We eat with appetite, laugh, talk.
It feels like we've known each other forever.
Grog's meal is incredible: warm, fragrant bread; a hearty soup of grains, potatoes, and legumes; a thick slice of cheese; strips of dried meat; and a few pieces each of caramelized fruit.
We eat our fill, but exhaustion soon catches up with us.
Grogher is the first to collapse.
Look at him—he doesn't even make it to his bed before he's already asleep.
Sidae curls up beside him, silent as a guardian.
It's good to see him like this.
After everything he's been through, he deserves a little peace.
Alright.
The last leftovers go back into the satchel.
Aileen is still sitting by the fire.
She's gazing at the stars, lost in thought.
"Everything okay?" I ask, sitting beside her.
"Mm-hmm…"
Right.
Of course.
"Hey… that doesn't sound like everything's fine. Tell me the truth. What is it?"
She stays quiet for a moment, unsure whether to speak.
"…fear" she finally says.
She turns to me. Her eyes are bright with tears.
Why is she sad?
I don't understand—she was so joyful just moments ago.
It hurts to see her like this.
"I was thinking about the illusion in the First Trial," she continues.
"When I was there, convinced it was real… and I saw you naked, wounded, helpless, on the verge of death… I felt like I was dying too. It was like… someone tore a piece of my heart away. The next trials will be real. If something were ever to happen to you…"
I pull her into my arms without thinking.
"It won't," I say fiercely. "Never. I'll always be by your side—and I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you, Grogher, or our animals. Aileen… you've become so important to me."
I bury my face in her long hair and rock her gently.
We lie down there, close to the fire.
Raertha and Hercules settle beside us, silent guardians.
Wrapped in each other's arms, we fall asleep.