The group began their long march away from the corpse of the giant worm. Nerar led the way with steady steps, while Ortinus's companions studied him with a curiosity they could no longer suppress. Questions crowded their minds, especially since everything in this world seemed advanced and alien.
Darius (carefully touching Nerar's armor):
"Tell me, Nerar—what material are your clothes made of? They're light as a feather, yet they repelled the worm's sand as if they were a solid wall. In Acadia, we consider our steel armor the peak of craftsmanship, but yours looks as though it were woven from moonlight."
Nerar (with a faint smile):
"This is miral hide—a creature that lives deep within the mountains of Ziula. We treat it chemically to become like this. And despite what you see in my gear, my land, Ziula, is considered primitive and far less developed compared to other regions of the Second World, such as Sota or Frentcha."
Ortinus (astonished):
"If this is only the beginning, then what does the height of your advancement look like? And how do you know so much about us when we've never heard of your world in our books or philosophies?"
Nerar (turning to them):
"Simply because we are centuries ahead of you in development, Ortinus. We have studied your world for a long time through energy microscopes and microscopic rifts in the Water Barrier. To us, your world is like a vast laboratory—we observe your wars, your progress, and the dawn of your discoveries, while you remain consumed by your small conflicts, lacking the technology even to sense our existence."
Romilius (interrupting, thoughtful):
"There's something that doesn't add up, Nerar. You said Lios traveled to our world centuries ago, yet we arrived here only hours after setting sail. How could Lios have opened the gate centuries ago and still have our passage coincide with that exact moment?"
Nerar stopped walking and looked up at the strange gray sky.
Nerar:
"You've touched the heart of the problem, wise one. In our science, this is called the 'Relative Temporal Barrier.' Time in the Second World does not flow at the same rate as time in your world. One year here may equal a hundred years in yours."
Nikos:
"So when Lios traveled centuries ago by our reckoning, for you it was only a short time ago?"
Nerar:
"Exactly. For me, I saw Lios only a few years ago as he passed through our lands. He was an incredibly driven man, obsessed with an experiment everyone else deemed impossible. I studied him through the science of time; he wasn't merely searching for an exit—he was searching for the moment when the threads of time between the two worlds would intersect. That moment was the very hour your ship set sail."
Ortinus:
"Did you meet him personally—this Lios who turned our lives upside down?"
Nerar:
"Yes. I saw him gathering his equipment and conducting his failed experiments in the wilderness. He moved from place to place, carrying that feather as if it were his soul. He always said, 'Their world needs an explorer, and our world needs a jolt.' He wasn't evil—just curious to the point of madness. He struggled greatly to reach Ashil and place the feather into the shell."
Pikos (letting out a loud sigh):
"Wonderful! So he's enjoying roasted chicken in our world while we're here discussing 'temporal science' on an empty stomach. Nerar, in all this marvelous advancement, isn't there a pill that keeps you full for three days?"
Nerar (laughing):
"We have something better—but not here. For now, you must understand that this is no sightseeing trip. The temporal difference means that every minute we spend here could mean weeks or months lost in your world. If you wish to reclaim your kingdom, Ortinus, you must hurry—otherwise you may return to find it reduced to ruins."
Ortinus (seriously):
"Then stop talking and move. I will cross this world, find Ashil, and hold Lios accountable for what he's done—whether he was diligent or mad."
Romilius:
"Be patient, my boy. Wisdom says that understanding the road is half the journey. Nerar, tell us more about the lands we'll cross. What awaits us in the frozen region?"
Nerar began to explain the terrain ahead, while the group felt that the smallness of their First World had been nothing but an illusion—and that they were now mere chess pieces in a game far greater than they had ever imagined.