Revend And Retournement

Underground, nearly twenty minutes had passed. The teams had been formed, and the plans were set. They decided to search for the object that could break the Expiria magic.

The first team—Nam and Larod—was tasked with finding the object while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

The second team—Luth and Reina—had the same goal, but more importantly, they had to make sure no one else was nearby.

Ay was left alone. His only task was to search.

—

Nam and Larod moved through the ruins, prioritizing collapsed buildings. But there was nothing.

Nam lifted a wooden plank as he kept searching. "How did you manage to get a body?"

Larod pushed some stones aside. "This body is only temporary."

After that, neither of them spoke again.

—

Luth and Reina wandered through the area, checking the less damaged buildings. But it felt like they were just aimlessly walking.

Meanwhile, Ay calmly flipped through the pages of a book.

~Whispers dance upon the air, echoes lost yet always there. Shadows weave in silent flight, bound to neither day nor night.~

~A name forgotten, a fate untold, a voice that lingers, quiet and cold. Steps unseen in empty halls, a song that fades, yet never falls.~

~Distant stars begin to wane, threads of time unspool in vain. What was once will be again, yet never quite as it had been…~

This time, everyone heard the song. Not just Nam.

Ay shot up from his seat, quickly rushing out of the underground toward the source of the sound.

Luth and Reina stood frozen. But Reina quickly snapped out of it, grabbing Luth's hand and pulling him away.

—

The voice was close. Nam could feel it. Something was off.

He didn't hesitate and started walking toward the sound. With each step, it felt like he was walking through emptiness.

And the song… it only grew more beautiful.

Larod followed behind, his sharp eyes scanning the area.

This time, the voice was not masculine—it was feminine.

Nam turned a corner and stopped.

A figure sat atop the ruins, gazing into a mirror. Their body was not entirely physical, shifting like mist. Sometimes clear, sometimes distorted.

And yet, they spoke without moving their lips.

Larod, seeing Nam stop, followed his gaze. His eyes widened.

"A Song Spirit?! I hope we don't lose our memories…"

Nam noticed Larod's reaction. His fingers twitched slightly, but there was no turning back now.

The spirit kept looking into the mirror. "I am Ariax. What are your names~?"

Nam glanced around. There was no one else. "Nam. The one beside me is Larod."

Larod stiffened and took a step back.

"Larod?" Ariax frowned, glancing up at the sky. "That name… sounds familiar."

A moment of silence passed before a smirk formed on their lips.

Nam's eyes flickered toward the mirror. "That mirror… It's needed to escape Expiria magic, isn't it?"

A soft chuckle. "You don't think you can take it from me, do you?"

Nam tensed. He knew he couldn't defeat Ariax. But if Larod had heard the song, that meant the others had too.

Ay was probably on his way. Luth and Reina had likely retreated.

All they had to do was buy time.

—

Ay ran through the ruins, trying to reach the voice. But no matter which path he took, he kept ending up in the same place.

Someone was interfering.

He grabbed a stone and scratched a mark onto a wall. Then, he ran again.

He stopped. The mark was right in front of him.

"...I see." His eyes darkened.

"Come out, Vaelis!"

His sharp gaze locked onto the bell tower.

—

Reina pulled Luth into a hidden spot. "You'll be safe here." She grabbed her sword from the ground and left.

Luth blinked before realization struck him.

"H-Hey, but Brutus is still underground—"

But Reina was already gone.

—

Larod moved quickly, pulling out four small stones—just big enough to fit into an ear. Two for himself, two for Nam.

"Put these on. Now."

Nam obeyed without question. The moment the stones were in place, Ariax spoke.

"Now I remember." Their eyes gleamed.

"Larod Nam. Light of the Shadow!"

Larod clenched his fists. "That title belongs to the past, Ariax!"

Their gazes locked, a silent battle unfolding.

Nam took the chance and searched for something—anything.

There. A rope. Torn, but still usable.

—

Vaelis stepped down from the bell tower, a faint smirk on his lips. His clothes—the same as before. The same as in the previous timeline.

"I have just one question." His gaze bore into Ay.

"Why are you helping them, Selinor Nyxborne?"

Ay reached up, slowly removing his mask and letting it fall.

"Why?" A small smirk appeared on his lips as his hand slipped into his coat.

"Of course—because of him."

Three potions flew through the air.

Vaelis dodged, barely. His foot caught on a plank, but he quickly regained his balance.

Then—more potions.

Vaelis dodged again.

But this time—his foot slipped. He fell.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, a quiet voice.

"Is it really… for him?"

No answer.