After his long journey, Zaydan had finished the job in a week, just as he had promised. Night had fallen. With tired but determined steps, he entered the tavern, heading straight for the man's table, oblivious to the noise inside.
The man smiled when he saw Zaydan. "I finished the job," Zaydan said, his voice sharp and clear.
The man nodded as if he had received the exact answer he expected. "I knew you would succeed," he said, then pulled a pouch from his pocket and held it out to Zaydan. "As we promised, your gold is here."
Zaydan took the gold, but the restlessness inside him hadn't vanished. He looked into the man's face. "I need some peace of mind," he said quietly.
The man laughed and nodded. "Fine, go and get some rest. But don't let it take too long."
Without answering, Zaydan turned and walked out.
### Journey to the Flame Monastery
When night came, he mounted his black horse and rode swiftly toward the Flame Monastery. The road was long and difficult, but Zaydan did not slow down. After a grueling day-long journey, he finally saw the magnificent silhouette of the monastery in the distance.
He entered the monastery silently, moving with caution. His eyes were searching for someone.
And finally, he saw him.
Under the dim lights of the monastery, an armless man was praying. Zaydan recognized him immediately—this was Nahid.
He took a deep breath and called out:
"Nahid."
Nahid finished his prayer and stood up silently. He was unarmed, yet he still carried the heavy presence of a warrior.
He turned slowly and looked at Zaydan. "What is it?" he asked, his voice calm.
Without hesitation, Zaydan handed him the letter. Nahid took a brief look at the letter, then focused on Zaydan's face. In that moment, a profound exhaustion could be felt in Nahid's expression. Zaydan saw the weight of years in his eyes.
Nahid opened the letter and began to read.
### Dante's Letter
"Ah, my dear Nahid. If you are reading this letter, then things have unfolded exactly as I predicted.
Yes, I am dead. Someone had to kill me, and guess who managed it? You could call it a twist of fate, or perhaps my talking too much caused it, but eventually, things led to this.
But my death is not what matters here. What matters is this: the sealing spell will break in one month. And if that spell breaks... some things will become irreversible. You know what I mean.
I don't know what I can do about this, but you must know, right? Once again, it's up to you, Nahid. You have to do something. Otherwise, the balance of the world will be overturned.
I know you are tired. But I'm sorry, my friend, you don't have time to rest.
Dante."
As Nahid read the final lines of the letter, a single tear rolled down his cheek. But his expression did not change. He silently folded the letter and put it in his pocket.
Zaydan broke the silence: "I must go."
Nahid gave him a brief look, then nodded. "Fine, go."
Zaydan hesitated for a moment, then turned and left the monastery with heavy steps.
As he vanished into the darkness of the night, he set out once more for the city. The letter had been delivered. But deep down, he felt that this business was far from over.
Nahid understood that with the breaking of the seals, Nicat and Nihad would return. His mind went blank for a moment, but he knew what he had to do. He walked with heavy steps toward the inner part of the monastery, passed through the old stone corridors, and finally arrived before the underground altar.
The Sword of the Flame God was right in front of him.
He looked at it, squinting his eyes. He remembered the past, the battles he had fought, and the things he had lost. He slowly reached his hand toward the hilt of the sword, and after a brief hesitation, he secured it to his waist.
As he left the monastery, only one thing was on his mind: Island City.
He was sure Dante would have left a clue for him there.
### Dante's House in Island City
After a two-day journey, he finally arrived at Island City. On the outskirts of the city, inside the forest, he approached Dante's cabin. However, as soon as he got close, he noticed that a great struggle had taken place here.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The place was a mess. But his eye was immediately drawn to the detail of two glasses on the table.
Dante must have been sitting here with someone.
He began to search the house carefully. His eyes caught a piece of paper tucked under the table. He leaned down, picked it up, and opened it.
### Dante's Note
"Ahh, dear Nahid. I knew you would come this far. Looking around, you can see what a 'fine' job they did. It didn't take me long to realize someone was coming to kill me, but I must admit, the men weren't bad.
But I am better.
The man following me knew too much about the seal. I would have liked to make him talk, but unfortunately, he didn't seem interested in a friendly conversation. Fortunately, I didn't need him to be alive to understand certain things.
If you are reading this note, the seal will break within a month, no matter what. That is certain. So time is short, my friend. I don't know what you need to do, but I suspect you need to kill them 'in the mold' (properly/permanently). You know what I mean.
And finally, Nahid… I hope you don't die this time. Because that would be truly boring.
Dante."
Nahid folded the paper silently. There was a strange unease within him.
"Again? Will I fight my brothers again?"
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He touched the Sword of the Flame God, running his fingers over the hilt.
He didn't know what he would do.
But he was sure of one thing.
He needed to get stronger.
He stood up silently and drew his sword.
It was time to begin training.