In the chilling night of Llahala, Marcos, Liza, Sara, and Eris sat around a small fire. A short distance away, Kai stood alone, staring silently at the moon hanging high in the sky.
Liza broke the silence.
"Now tell us," she said firmly, "who is he, and why is he calling you his brother?"
Marcos took a slow breath.
"Okay. He is the eldest brother of the Dirty Bloods," he said. "And I am the middle brother."
"What?!" Liza shouted.
Sara and Eris's eyes widened in shock.
"Y-You mean…" Sara swallowed nervously. "The brothers who killed gods… who nearly erased the entire demon race… the ones responsible for half the world's population dying a thousand years ago?"
"Yes," Marcos replied quietly.
Eris hesitated before asking, "Then how didyou sealed in that cave? And why was he sealed inside you?"
"That part I can't tell you," Marcos said. "And he wasn't sealed inside me. He was sealed inside a Divine Prison Sphere—which I kept in my pocket."
Silence fell over the camp.
After a moment, Liza spoke again. "Then why are we going to Karoka? And why are you taking Sara with you?"
Before Marcos could answer, a voice came from behind her.
"We're going to Karoka to free our younger brother," Kai said calmly. "He's sealed there."
"AHHH!" Liza yelped, spinning around.
"And," Kai continued casually, "we're taking the elf with the bow because Marcos loves her so much he can't live even a single moment without her."
"What the hell are you saying?!" Marcos snapped, grabbing Kai by the collar. His face turned red.
Sara's face burned just as brightly. Liza and Eris could only stare at her in stunned silence.
Time passed, and midnight arrived.
The three sisters were asleep, resting beside the dying fire. A little distance away, Marcos and Kai sat together, speaking quietly.
"So," Kai said, stretching his arms, "what happens after we free him from Karoka?"
"Then we go to the normal lands and wait," Marcos answered.
"Why not go straight to Arraky?" Kai asked.
"Because it's not the right time," Marcos replied. "Our powers haven't fully recovered. If we go there now, we'll die."
Kai nodded. "Fair enough."
Then he smirked. "Enough serious talk. Now tell me about the elf with the bow. How did you fall in love with her?"
"Her name is Sara," Marcos said sharply. "And there's nothing between us. Go to sleep."
Kai laughed as Marcos walked back toward the camp.
The next morning, they resumed their journey.
"So," Liza asked, "what's the plan now?"
"We'll first go to the normal lands and gather resources," Kai replied. "After that, we head to Karoka."
"I've heard Karoka is a sea filled with terrifying creatures," Eris said cautiously. "That no one ever returns from there—except gods. Can you tell us more?"
"You've heard correctly," Kai said. "But the gods only travel through the regions they've already conquered. Most of Karoka remains undiscovered. Even I don't know much about it."
"How much of Karoka have the gods conquered?" Eris asked.
"About ten to fifteen percent," Kai replied.
"What?! Only that much?" Eris exclaimed.
"Yes," Kai said seriously. "So we must be very careful, but it's a good thing because we only have to search that much area."
Liza snorted. "Look who's talking about being careful."
Kai glanced at her. "What?"
"Nothing," Liza replied.
They continued walking.
By evening, they crossed the boundary between Llahala and the Normal Lands.
"Alright," Kai said, stopping. "Now we prepare for Karoka."
"I think we should camp," Liza said. "It'll be dark soon."
Kai sighed. "Huh… fine."