The first thing Erek felt...
Was warmth.
Soft.
Comforting.
Familiar.
His eyelids slowly opened.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling above him.
A beautifully decorated ceiling.
Golden patterns stretched across the white surface, illuminated by the gentle morning light entering through the nearby windows.
Erek blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His vision slowly became clearer.
He was lying in a large bed.
His bed.
His room.
The royal palace of Frostalia.
Erek slowly turned his head.
Everything was exactly where he remembered it.
The curtains.
The furniture.
The small table beside his bed.
Yet something felt different.
His body felt strangely heavy.
Before he could think any further—
The maid standing beside the bed suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened.
"Prince Erek...?"
Erek looked toward her.
"You're awake..."
Her hands immediately covered her mouth.
Tears began forming in her eyes.
Then—
She turned around and rushed toward the door.
"YOUR HIGHNESS IS AWAKE!"
Her voice echoed through the corridor.
"PRINCE EREK IS AWAKE!"
Footsteps immediately thundered through the palace.
Erek blinked.
"...What?"
The doors suddenly burst open.
"Erek!"
A woman rushed into the room.
Long silver hair.
Beautiful features.
Eyes filled with tears.
Luna.
Erek's mother.
The moment she saw her son sitting awake upon the bed...
She stopped.
For a single second...
She simply stared.
As if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Then she rushed forward.
"Erek!"
She wrapped both arms around him.
Tightly.
So tightly that Erek could barely breathe.
"My baby..."
Her voice trembled.
"You woke up..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I thought..."
Her voice broke.
She hugged him even tighter.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
Erek's eyes widened.
"Mother..."
Luna pulled back just enough to hold his face between her hands.
Her fingers trembled.
She looked over every inch of him.
His eyes.
His face.
His hands.
As though she needed to make absolutely certain he was really there.
"You slept for an entire week."
Erek's expression changed.
"A week?"
Luna nodded.
"Yes."
"Seven days."
Her voice shook as she spoke.
"After you collapsed..."
"You started vomiting blood."
Her eyes filled with tears again.
"We didn't know what was happening to you."
"Zox carried you back..."
She swallowed hard.
"He was terrified."
"He kept saying we had to treat you immediately."
"He wouldn't let anyone stop him."
"He carried you himself..."
"...all the way back."
Luna's voice became quieter.
"And then..."
"You wouldn't wake up."
She closed her eyes.
"I stayed beside you every night."
"I kept waiting for you to open your eyes."
Her forehead rested gently against his.
"I prayed..."
"Every single day."
"Please..."
"Just wake up."
A tear fell onto Erek's hand.
"I don't care what happened."
"I don't care what you saw."
"I don't care what you did."
"Just..."
Her voice broke completely.
"Just don't leave me."
Erek remained silent.
He stared at his mother's tearful face.
For a moment...
He didn't know what to say.
Then he gently placed his hand over hers.
"I'm here, Mother."
Luna smiled through her tears.
"Yes..."
"You are."
She pulled him into another embrace.
And this time...
Erek didn't resist.
He simply allowed her to hold him.
---
A week.
Erek stared silently toward the window.
*One week...*
He remembered collapsing.
He remembered the blood.
Then...
Orion.
That throne.
That endless darkness.
That impossible pressure.
Erek's eyes narrowed.
*I only remember saying that name...*
*Orion.*
He slowly looked down at his hands.
*Then I walked...*
*But time was different there.*
His expression became serious.
*If only one week passed here...*
*How long did I remain there?*
Before he could think any further—
The door opened again.
Several royal attendants entered the room.
And behind them...
The palace physician.
Erek's eyes narrowed slightly.
The moment he saw all of them...
He realized something.
Whatever happened to him...
Everyone wanted answers.
---
Far away...
Kingdom of Sanctoria.
The royal palace gardens were unusually quiet.
A gentle breeze passed through the enormous courtyard.
Flowers swayed softly.
Water flowed through a nearby fountain.
But Drakar noticed none of it.
His eyes were fixed upon one thing.
Dragons.
Tens and more of them could be seen throughout the vast grounds.
Some rested beneath the trees.
Others stood silently upon the stone platforms.
A few spread their enormous wings beneath the sunlight.
Drakar walked slowly among them.
His crimson eyes never left them.
Every step brought back memories.
Darkain.
Kritos.
The old empire.
The countless dragons that once filled its skies.
He continued walking.
Until he stopped.
Directly before one of the dragons.
The enormous creature slowly raised its head.
Its eyes met Drakar's.
For several seconds...
Neither moved.
Then—
The dragon's pupils suddenly widened.
Its enormous body trembled.
"...My King?"
Drakar's eyes narrowed.
The dragon immediately rose.
Another dragon noticed.
Then another.
Within seconds...
All of the dragons were standing.
"My King!"
"My King!"
"THE KING!"
The voices echoed throughout the garden.
Drakar's expression changed.
"Shhhhh!"
He raised one finger to his lips.
"Silence."
His voice became dangerously low.
"Or someone will find out."
The dragons immediately lowered their voices.
The first dragon stepped closer.
"My King..."
"We thought you were imprisoned in Meledia."
Drakar frowned.
"Meledia?"
He glanced around.
"No."
"I was imprisoned by the elves."
The dragon's eyes widened.
"The elves?"
Drakar nodded.
Before he could continue—
Footsteps echoed from behind.
Drakar's expression changed.
Shalo.
The moment the dragons saw him...
Their eyes turned toward the young elf.
Their expressions transformed.
Hatred.
Pure hatred.
One dragon snarled.
"An elf..."
Another spread its wings.
"MY KING!"
"THAT IS AN ELF!"
"IT MUST DIE!"
The dragons began moving.
Shalo's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
One dragon lunged forward.
Then—
The entire world seemed to stop.
A single voice echoed through the garden.
"KNEEL."
BOOOOOOM!
An overwhelming force descended from above.
Every dragon was violently forced toward the ground.
Their enormous bodies slammed into the earth.
CRACK!
Cracks spread beneath their claws.
The stone beneath them shattered.
Drakar stood motionless.
His crimson eyes burned with authority.
His overwhelming aura covered the entire garden.
Not one dragon could move.
Silence.
Drakar slowly looked across the kneeling dragons.
"You may rise..."
The pressure disappeared.
"...my children."
The dragons slowly lifted their heads.
Drakar's gaze hardened.
"But don't attack that elf."
He looked toward Shalo.
"I intend to present him before our King."
A dragon stared at him.
"Our King?"
Its voice trembled.
"But..."
"Lord Kritos?"
Drakar nodded.
"You may not know this..."
"But Lord Kritos is alive."
The dragons froze.
Every eye turned toward him.
Drakar continued.
"I can feel it."
Silence.
Then one dragon lowered its head.
"A king..."
"...who allowed his people..."
"...and even his own commander..."
"...to rot inside prisons..."
"...is no king."
Drakar's eyes widened.
"Don't say that."
His voice was stern.
"There must be a reason."
The dragon looked toward him.
"Then tell us..."
"Why are we serving Meledia?"
Drakar remained silent.
Another dragon stepped forward.
"We thought you were imprisoned by Meledia."
"They told us..."
"...that if we refused to serve them..."
"...they would kill you."
The dragon's voice trembled.
"We had no choice."
"We thought..."
"...saving our king's life was the only thing we could do."
The dragon spread its wings.
"But now you're here."
Another dragon roared.
"We don't have to serve them anymore!"
"We can be free!"
"LET US ATTACK MELEDIA!"
"MY KING!"
"Give the command!"
The dragons began roaring throughout the garden.
Drakar raised his hand.
"Enough."
The dragons slowly fell silent.
Drakar looked at them.
"Listen carefully."
He pointed toward the white-and-gold armor covering his body.
"Do you see these clothes?"
The dragons stared.
"I am now a Royal Knight of Sanctoria."
Several dragons looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because I have a mission."
His expression became serious.
"I am here to retrieve Fallmeth."
The name alone made several dragons fall silent.
"The sword of Lord Kritos."
Drakar lowered his hand.
"Until I obtain it..."
"...now is not the time to attack Meledia."
The dragons looked at one another.
Drakar continued.
"First..."
"You will inform every dragon."
"Tell them I am not a prisoner."
"Tell them I am alive."
"And tell them..."
His crimson eyes hardened.
"...to wait for my command."
The dragons bowed their heads.
"Yes, My King."
"Until then..."
Drakar looked toward the distant sky.
"...continue serving Meledia."
The dragons remained silent.
They understood.
Their king had returned.
But the time for war...
Had not yet come.
The scene shifted to the Kingdom of Meledia.
Inside the magnificent Royal Palace of Lunaris...
A vast throne room stood beneath towering golden pillars.
At the far end of the chamber...
King Zeek Meledia sat upon his throne.
The legendary Sword Hero.
The ruler who had stood at the heart of Meledia for seven hundred years.
Before him...
Six figures knelt upon the polished marble floor.
Riyo.
Lia.
Trunk.
Honk.
Kael.
And Soraya.
Honk slowly raised his head.
"Your Majesty..."
"We are Black Raven."
He glanced around the enormous throne room.
"May I ask why a king would summon a bunch of random adventurers?"
Riyo's eyes widened.
Lia immediately looked toward Honk.
Trunk lowered his head.
Kael's expression remained completely frozen.
Soraya simply smiled.
Zeek...
Started laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
Everyone stared at him.
Zeek wiped the corner of his eye.
"Your humility is impressive."
Honk blinked.
"Uh..."
Zeek leaned forward slightly.
"What's your name?"
"Honk, my lord."
"Honk..."
Zeek studied him for a moment.
"Are you a swordsman?"
Honk nodded proudly.
"Yes, my lord."
Zeek's expression suddenly changed.
A playful smile appeared on his face.
"Have you ever wanted to become a mage?"
Honk froze.
"...What?"
Honk's eyes widened.
Honk's hand slowly moved toward the sword resting at his waist.
Nobody noticed.
His fingers lightly touched the hilt.
The Royal Knights standing nearby remained completely silent.
Zeek looked at honk then
He laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"It's a joke."
"Do you like it, swordsman?"
Honk stared at him for several seconds.
Honk slowly removed his hand from his own sword.
"...My."
A nervous smile appeared on his face.
"That was a good joke."
Riyo quietly covered his face.
Lia sighed.
Trunk looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
Zeek leaned back against his throne.
"Anyway, Sir Honk."
His playful expression disappeared.
"I have a task for you."
Honk straightened.
Zeek's voice became serious.
"Mana monster sightings have been reported in the southern territories of Meledia."
"I want your party to investigate."
"If you truly find any Mana monsters ..."
"...eliminate them."
He paused.
"And in return..."
"I will reward you with one hundred gold coins."
Riyo's eyes immediately sparkled.
One hundred gold coins.
His entire expression changed.
He slowly reached toward Honk's clothes.
*Pull.*
Honk glanced down.
Riyo's fingers were gripping his cloak.
His eyes were practically screaming:
**ACCEPT.**
Honk understood immediately.
He cleared his throat.
"Your Majesty..."
He placed his hand over his chest.
"We are honored to serve you."
"We shall gladly accept your quest."
Zeek smiled.
"Good."
He looked toward Soraya.
"You will accompany them."
Soraya bowed gracefully.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Honk glanced at her.
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
The memory of what had happened earlier returned to him.
His sword nearly touching her neck.
Soraya smiled.
Honk looked away.
Zeek waved his hand.
"You may leave."
The six figures rose.
They bowed respectfully before turning toward the enormous doors.
Moments later...
The doors closed behind them.
Silence returned to the throne room.
Kael remained standing before the throne.
He looked at Zeek.
"Your Majesty..."
Zeek glanced toward him.
Kael hesitated.
"In all the years I've served you..."
"I have never seen you make a joke."
He frowned slightly.
"This is my first—"
Before he could finish...
Zeek interrupted.
"And you will never see me joke ."
Kael froze.
Zeek leaned back upon his throne.
His expression returned to its usual calmness.
He stared at Kael.
"Look at me."
"Do I look like someone who jokes?"
Kael slowly looked at the king.
Long white hair.
Cold sapphire eyes.
The legendary Sword Hero.
The ruler of Meledia.
Kael swallowed.
"...No, Your Majesty."
Zeek nodded.
"Exactly."
Silence.
Then...
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zeek's lips.
"...Good."