Vale’s eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly open beneath the towel draped over his head. For a long moment, he said nothing at all. The forest seemed to quiet around him, as though even the wind had chosen to wait.

  Eventually, he found his voice.

  “…Are you sure?” Vale asked cautiously, his tone low, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the moment.

  Callum met his gaze and gave a single, firm nod.

  The knight remained where he stood, unmoving, yet he did not need to step closer for the weight of his words to reach Vale.

  “Chimera,” Callum said, then corrected himself without hesitation, “no. Alexandria, has finally begun showing signs of full recovery following her metamorphosis.”

  Vale’s breath caught.

  Slowly, he turned and lowered himself onto the smooth rock beside the river, where his armor and the strange book lay waiting. Disbelief flickered across his expression, quickly giving way to something softer, something warmer. A small, genuine smile formed as he stared down at the ground, as if afraid that looking up might make it all feel too real.

  It had been a month.

  A full month since Alexandria’s body had changed during the latter stages of her healing. At the time, even the scientists had been uncertain, her form had collapsed inward, reshaping itself into something resembling a vast, translucent flower. Fragile. Beautiful. Unfathomable.

  No one had known what it meant.

  Only days later had the truth become clear: it was a cocoon.

  A period of transformation.

  Vale had watched from a distance ever since, forced to wait while others monitored her condition, tracked her vitals, and debated theories. He had said little, but inside he had been quietly, desperately anticipating her return.

  “So…” Vale said at last, closing his eyes briefly before exhaling, “…one month, huh?”

  Callum smiled and nodded. “Yeah. She hasn’t fully awakened yet, but her vitals are stable, and improving. All signs indicate she’s ready.”

  Silence followed. Not an uncomfortable one, but a heavy, expectant quiet that settled between them.

  Then Callum’s lips curved into a knowing smirk.

  “So,” he asked, folding his arms slightly, “are you ready to go?”

  A strange, electric excitement bloomed in Vale’s chest. He returned the smirk instinctively.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Anytime.”

  Then his expression faltered.

  He glanced down at himself, bare chest, damp skin, towel still half-draped over his hair.

  “…But give me a moment to change before we leave,” Vale added, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward look.

  Callum laughed and waved a dismissive hand. “Of course.”

  Vale moved quickly. Donning his armor took little time, his hands knew every strap and clasp by memory now. Drying his hair took longer, and even then, he gave up halfway through. It would dry on its own.

  As he finished, he glanced to the side.

  Ember lay stretched comfortably in the grass, pale scales catching the sunlight as he rested. Vale approached and crouched, resting a hand gently on the wyvern’s white snout.

  Ember opened his eyes, glowing embers staring back at him.

  “Hey,” Vale said softly, smiling. “You know what to do, right?”

  The wyvern released a deep, annoyed sigh and nodded once before pushing himself upright.

  Vale chuckled. “Good.”

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  A rush of wings sounded overhead as August descended and perched on Vale’s shoulder. The raven was nearly the size of an adult now, his growth unnaturally fast, yet his behavior remained playful, curious, unmistakably juvenile. His brothers were much the same: large bodies, childish minds.

  Vale raised a hand, and August rubbed against it affectionately, feathers brushing his fingers.

  After a moment, Vale gathered his long black hair and tied it back into a ponytail. Then he turned and walked toward Callum.

  The knight raised a brow, clearly amused.

  Ember yawned and stretched behind them, wings flexing as if already anticipating what was to come.

  “Finally ready?” Callum asked, tilting his head slightly.

  Vale walked past him instead, straight toward the cliff’s edge behind the knight. He stopped there and waved casually.

  “Yeah,” he said. “You can go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

  His gaze was fixed on the massive mountain rising at the heart of the forest, the place where Alexandria was kept.

  Callum stared for a moment, then laughed. “No,” he said, turning slightly. “I’d rather see this.”

  Vale smirked. 'Of course you would.'

  Without another word, his walk turned into a run. The ravens followed instantly, wings cutting through the air as Vale sprinted toward the edge.

  Then he jumped.

  He leapt from the cliff without hesitation, fear never even crossing his mind.

  Before gravity could claim him, Vale raised his metallic arm high. Ember surged forward, talons snapping shut around the reinforced limb with perfect precision.

  The wyvern’s wings spread wide.

  Instead of falling, they glided.

  Callum let out a sharp whistle of amazement as Vale and Ember swept forward through the open sky. Moments later, the knight turned away, chuckling to himself as he headed back into the forest.

  High above the trees, Vale took a deep breath of crisp, fresh air.

  His ravens flew alongside him now, free of the confines of halls and stone. Huricane’s wind manipulation eased Ember’s flight, the currents bending naturally to carry them forward.

  Below, the forest stretched endlessly, lush, green, alive.

  Animals roamed peacefully. Herds grazed. Predators watched but did not hunt.

  Vale raised a brow as he spotted a familiar shape among the trees, a white tiger. The creature looked up briefly, met his gaze, then bowed its head before vanishing into the foliage.

  Vale smiled deeply.

  He secured the Book of Nirvana tightly within the inner plates of his armor, though his thoughts were far from it now.

  Up here, carried by the wind, surrounded by creatures he had come to care for, with hope burning brightly in his chest,

  Vale was simply happy.

  Vale flew through the open sky for several minutes more, the forest below slowly giving way to stone as the massive mountain rose before him. Its presence was overwhelming, ancient, immovable, and heavy with quiet power. As they descended toward its base, Vale leaned forward slightly and whistled sharply.

  Ember let out an irritated huff midair and rolled his glowing eyes before angling his wings and gliding downward.

  “Of course,” Vale muttered with a faint grin. “You never like it when I order you around, do you?”

  The wyvern did not answer, but Vale could feel the response through the subtle shift in Ember’s posture and the faint ripple of annoyance in the bond they shared.

  Vale chuckled softly.

  As the ground rushed up toward them, Ember released him at just the right moment. Vale dropped the final two meters, bending his knees upon impact and rolling his weight forward to disperse the force before coming to a clean stop on the forest floor.

  The first thing he did was reach for the inner layer of his armor.

  His fingers brushed against the firm outline of the Book of Nirvana.

  Only then did he release the breath he had been holding.

  “Good,” he murmured, straightening as he turned toward the mountain’s entrance.

  By the time he reached the massive stone opening carved into the mountain’s base, Callum was already there. The knight leaned casually against a towering tree, flipping a coin into the air and catching it with practiced ease, golden hair catching the light as it fell back into place.

  Callum glanced at the coin once more before noticing Vale’s approach.

  Vale offered a small, knowing smile as they drew closer.

  “Glad you made it,” Callum said easily.

  Vale tilted his head, feigning offense. “What? Was I not fast enough?” he asked with a scoff.

  Callum chuckled. “For me? Yeah.”

  He pushed off the tree and turned toward the dark split in the mountain. “But nobody’s faster than me,” he added with a grin. “So that’s an unfair comparison.”

  With that, he slipped the coin back into a pocket of his armor and waved Vale forward.

  “Let’s go.”

  Vale glanced upward.

  Ember and the ravens were still circling above, silhouettes cutting across the sky. Vale sighed softly and shrugged.

  As he stepped forward, Ember descended gracefully, landing on the grass with a soft thud. One by one, the ravens followed, settling onto Vale’s shoulders and armor, feathers ruffling as they adjusted themselves. They were unusually quiet now, alert, focused, almost reverent.

  Vale felt it too.

  Together, they stepped into the cave.

  The temperature dropped immediately, cool air brushing against Vale’s skin as shadows swallowed the light behind them. The cave was vast, its ceiling lost in darkness, the walls etched with faint, ancient markings barely visible in the dim glow.

  Then a voice echoed through the chamber.

  “Callum. Vale.”

  Vale’s breath caught.

  “I am glad you are here,” the voice continued, deep and resonant. “You should not have to miss this moment.”

  A smile spread across Vale’s face before he could stop it.

  From the darkness ahead, two eyes of pure white emerged, bright and unmistakable. Slowly, the shadows receded, revealing the tall figure they belonged to.

  Barbatos stepped forward.

  His body was encased in armor of absolute onyx black, smooth and reflective like polished obsidian. His long hair fell loosely down his back, and his expression was warm, almost amused, as though he had been expecting them all along.

  Callum stepped forward without hesitation and extended his hand.

  “It’s good to see you as well, my friend.”

  Barbatos clasped it firmly, his smile widening as the cavern seemed to hum quietly around them, as if the mountain itself acknowledged their presence.

  The moment had arrived.