The second day since Han's abduction arrived with a heavy stillness that clung to the room like a cold mist.
The curtains were drawn, allowing only a thin sliver of morning light to cut across the floor. The air was quiet. Too quiet.
Beside the bed, Eva sat with her hands clasped, whispering prayers under her breath. Her voice trembled with each word, her mind spiraling between hope and fear.
She had barely slept.
Her eyes were red.
Her heart was exhausted.
But she refused to leave Han's side.
Then—
A faint sound.
A shift.
A breath.
Han moved.
Barely. Weak. But undeniably alive.
His head tilted slightly toward Eva's presence, as if sensing her warmth through the darkness. His body remained limp, unresponsive. His one remaining eye was covered in layers of bandages, leaving him blind to the world.
His lips parted.
A fragile whisper escaped.
"Who... are you...?"
Eva's breath caught.
He continued, voice trembling with confusion.
"Why... can't I feel my arms... and my legs...?"
Tears instantly welled in Eva's eyes. She forced herself to breathe, to steady her voice, to be gentle for him.
"It is I... Eva," she answered softly. "I'm right here. I'm glad you're awake."
Her voice cracked despite her efforts.
At that moment, the door opened.
Sam stepped inside, carrying a tray of fresh bandages. She froze the moment she saw Han had shifted from his original position.
Her eyes widened.
"Han...?"
He turned his head slightly toward her voice.
"Sam...? Why... why can't I see...? And why can't I feel my arms... and my legs...?"
Sam's breath hitched.
Eva covered her mouth, tears falling freely.
Eva wiped her eyes and turned to Sam.
"Sam, can you call everyone? Please tell them that Han is awake now."
Sam nodded quickly.
"I'll go now."
She hurried out of the room.
The silence returned.
Eva took a deep breath, gathering her courage.
"My dear... do you recall anything that happened that night?"
A long pause.
Then Han spoke, voice shaking.
"I... I can't remember well. All I remember is... I was inside a dark room... tied upside down... and then something poured over me. It was burning me... like some type of chemical."
His breathing grew uneven.
"Then... I lost consciousness."
Eva squeezed his hand gently.
"Han... I'm going to tell you the truth. Can you be strong for me, my dear?"
A moment of silence.
Then:
"Okay... tell me."
Eva's voice trembled.
"Han... you were severely injured. That chemical they poured on you... it burned almost everything on your body. It blinded your left eye."
Han's breathing quickened.
She continued.
"Your legs... they were damaged so badly that they required amputation to prevent further harm."
His breath hitched sharply.
"And your right arm... the pigments burned all the way up to your shoulder."
Tears streamed down Han's face.
He couldn't see.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't feel his limbs.
But he could imagine it.
And that alone crushed him.
Eva leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly.
She whispered into his ear.
"I am here for you... no matter what. We will get through this together. I will not leave you, no matter what happens. It will be us... till death do us part."
Han felt a small warmth bloom in his chest — a fragile spark of happiness.
But the pain in his heart remained.
Moments later, the door burst open.
Shin, Isolde, Chrome, Ciara, Sakura, Pixie, Alodia, and Dr. Eldric entered the room together — all of them breathless, anxious, and wide‑eyed.
Alodia stood near the back, hands clasped tightly, her expression a mix of worry and guilt.
Dr. Eldric stepped forward immediately.
"Han, may I remove the bandage from your eye? It will help us assess your condition."
"Please... do it," Han whispered.
The doctor carefully unwound the bandages.
Light hit Han's eye for the first time since the incident.
His vision was blurry at first — shapes, shadows, colors blending together.
Then slowly...
Faces came into focus.
Everyone stood around him, watching, waiting, hoping.
"Thank you... doctor," Han whispered.
Dr. Eldric nodded.
"If ever you need me, I'll be in my office later. But for now, I must continue my rounds and assist the other patients. I wish you well, Han."
He bowed slightly and left the room.
The door closed.
Han blinked, adjusting to the light.
Then he frowned.
"Why is Alodia here?"
Shin stepped forward.
"Darnel came along with Alodia and visited you during the night of the incident."
Alodia lowered her head, unable to meet Han's gaze.
Han's face remained expressionless.
"Old man Darnel, huh."
Shin cleared his throat.
"Han, I know you've just woken up... but I wanted to ask you something. Do you want to consider a different treatment?"
Han turned his head slightly.
"What kind of treatment?"
"You remember your metallic arm that Isolde gave you?"
Han nodded faintly.
"We're going to ask the inventor to create you a full body suit made out of mithril."
Han said, "Interesting."
"Darnel also advised it," Shin added. "He said this is a second chance you can take."
"Who is the inventor?" Han asked.
Isolde stepped forward.
"Maeve the blacksmith. We still don't know who she is or where she's at... but I can track her."
Han gave a faint smirk.
"So that blacksmith was the inventor of advanced technology."
Everyone looked confused.
Before they could ask, Han spoke again.
"Eva, in my satchel... there's a small orb device with a push button. Can you take it out?"
Eva nodded and checked the satchel.
"I found it."
"Press the button," Han said softly. "And place it in front of me."
Eva pressed the button.
The orb emitted a bright pillar of light upward.
A hologram flickered into existence — the image of Maeve, the blacksmith from Mirage Springs, working on her cluttered table. Tools, gears, and glowing crystals surrounded her.
She spoke casually while tinkering with her carriage engine.
"Han, I told you this is just a prototype and you're supposed to use it only in emergencies, right? Are you a crazy person or what?"
Everyone in the room stared at the hologram, stunned.
Maeve paused, hearing the commotion.
"And you used this device in front of many people?! For crying out loud, Han!"
She finally looked up — her eyes widening as she saw Han's condition.
"What happened to you?! Why are you missing an eye, and your other arm looks like it's already dead... rotting?!"
"I was in an accident, Maeve," Han answered calmly.
Alodia stepped forward.
"Maeve, this is Alodia. Darnel wants to give you this badge. He told me to inform you that he wants you to give Han that invention you showed him before."
Maeve's expression shifted instantly — serious, focused.
"Alodia... what are you doing there? That invention? I don't have enough mithril in my stash right now."
From the back, Chrome shouted:
"We have plenty here, so there's no problem! And if you need more, I can mine it for you!"
Maeve squinted, trying to see who was yelling.
"I swear I really need to update this thing to a better version..."
She sighed.
"Alright. I understand. And since it's Darnel and Han, I'll prioritize this first. Expect me to be there before sunset."
She pointed at Han through the hologram.
"We're going to make you better. I promise you."
She waved.
"Ciao, everyone."
The transmission ended.
The orb dimmed.
Silence filled the room.
Shin exhaled deeply.
"Are you up to it?" he asked Han.
Han looked toward Eva, his voice steady.
"There's no other place left for me to go... only with you guys."
Eva smiled softly, warmth blooming in her chest.
Isolde stepped forward.
"You better get ready for the procedure and regain your strength. Me, Eva, and the rest will help you recover so you can endure it."
From the back, Chrome raised a hand.
"And if you need more mithril, me and Pixie can mine it in the caves. Just leave it to us."
Pixie saluted proudly.
Sam added with a gentle smile,
"Me and Ciara will help you with cooking healthy foods for you."
Han smiled — small, but genuine.
"Thank you, everyone."
Then Shin turned toward Alodia.
"How about you, Alodia?"
Alodia immediately looked away, staring at random corners of the room while whistling loudly and suspiciously.
Shin's expression tightened — eyes wide, sweat forming, jaw clenched, eyebrows twitching — the look of a man pushed past his limit.
He exploded.
"You're not even trying to help!!"
Alodia flinched, still whistling, pretending to examine the ceiling.
Everyone else tried not to laugh.
The room felt lighter — not because the pain was gone, but because Han wasn't facing it alone.
Later that day
As time passed, everyone settled into their tasks.
Shin trained with his swords.
Isolde cleaned her revolvers.
Chrome meditated, communing with the spirit.
Eva changed Han's bandages.
Sam read her book.
Ciara took a bath.
Pixie slept on the windowpane.
Sakura explored the town.
Alodia sharpened her blade.
For a moment, Oasis Edge felt peaceful.
Then—
The ground shook.
A violent tremor rippled through the village.
Sakura, who was out in the town, staggered and grabbed onto a nearby post. She looked up at the horizon — and froze.
In the distance, a massive structure was moving.
Not collapsing. Not drifting.
Moving.
A towering hybrid of ship and citadel rolled across the land, armored in wood and metal, glowing lanterns lining its sides. A brilliant blue crystal pulsed at its front, powering a cylindrical tower that shot a beam of blue light into the sky. Steam hissed from pipes, red flags whipped in the wind, and armored figures stood on its decks as it advanced toward Oasis Edge like a mechanical titan.
Sakura's voice trembled.
"Is it just me... or is that observatory moving toward the village?"
Back at the house, Shin felt the tremor and rushed to the door. He grabbed his cloak, threw it over his shoulders, and ran outside.
"Isolde!" he shouted.
Isolde looked up from her revolvers.
"I'll go with you!" she yelled back.
Shin nodded. "Let's go!"
He called out toward the house, "Me and Isolde will just check it out!"
The two of them sprinted toward the village gate.
Sakura was already there when they arrived.
"Hey, Shin," she said, still staring at the horizon. "You need to see this."
All three of them watched in stunned silence as the colossal moving fortress drew closer, shaking the earth with every step.
They ran out to meet it.
As they drew closer, the fortress finally slowed. Its engines groaned, steam vented from its sides, and the massive treads ground to a halt. The glowing crystal dimmed as the machine powered down.
A deep metallic rumble echoed as the front gate slowly opened.
Maeve stepped out first, hopping down with her usual confidence.
Shin blinked. "Maeve...?"
Before he could react, Alodia suddenly appeared beside him.
"Hey."
Shin nearly jumped out of his skin. "ALODIA—!! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
Alodia simply looked up at the sky and whistled loudly, pretending innocence.
Isolde snorted, trying not to laugh.
Maeve crossed her arms. "Looks like I arrived just in time."
Alodia approached Maeve and handed her the badge from Darnel. She bowed her head respectfully.
Maeve accepted it with a nod. "I'll take care of Han. You have my word."
Alodia then turned to Shin.
"Shin, my task here is done. I will go and aid Darnel on the frontlines of the battlefield."
Shin nodded. "Thank you, Alodia. May we meet again."
Isolde added, "Thank you for everything."
Sakura, however, ignored her completely.
A vein popped on Alodia's forehead. She waved a clenched fist at Sakura.
Sakura still ignored her.
Alodia snapped and flipped her middle finger at her.
Sakura finally reacted. "So long, Alodia! I'll miss you!"
Alodia flipped her off again, grinning this time, then gave the group a final wave.
"Try not to die while I'm gone."
And with that, she vanished into the distance.
As the dust settled from Alodia's departure, Maeve stretched her arms and cracked her neck.
"Alright," she said, "Shin, please show me where Han is now."
Shin nodded immediately. "Of course. This way."
He began escorting Maeve toward the infirmary, matching her brisk pace.
As they walked, Maeve added, "I need to check Han first — his actual condition. I can't base anything on hearsay, words, or that hologram device. I need to see his body myself, see if it's fragile or not."
Isolde, walking beside them, glanced over. "Is there a chance you won't continue the procedure?"
Maeve stopped walking for a moment and looked at both of them with a confident grin.
"Isolde... Shin... I'm the greatest inventor this realm has. I will make sure he can walk and fight again in no time."
Her smile widened — bold, fearless, and full of certainty.
Shin exhaled, relieved.
Isolde smirked. "Then Han's in good hands."
Maeve nodded once, determination burning in her eyes.
"Let's go fix your boy."