In a tranquil space, with a bright light falling off the ceiling, the room lay in ruins.

  The pillars supporting the high ceiling had fallen. One wall was scarred deeply, while the other had been blown to bits.

  On the fallen debris, four people sat beside each other, with some faces holding skepticism while the others held wariness.

  ‘How awkward. I was not even this silent when alone.’

  Asher thought and rubbed his hands.

  He turned his head to look at Chris. Who averted his gaze from his side.

  What—?

  Chris… He was useless. Certainly. Asher could not help but lament at this moment before turning his head to his left, where another man sat silently watching his face, without blinking even once.

  Asher closed his eyes.

  But then—

  A small fluttering sound entered his ears.

  It was as if tiny wings had been flapping together and coming closer.

  He opened his eyes abruptly and stood up to the group's confusion.

  “Come out already.”

  Asher said.

  “What happened?”

  Summer asked with a perplexed look.

  Chris didn’t say anything and just followed Asher’s gaze to see nothing in the corner of the room.

  “Is that spirit yours? ”

  Asher crooked his head in surprise.

  “You can see it?”

  Enzo shook his head.

  “No, I can’t. But I can feel it. This shadow specifically, since its element matches with mine, I think.”

  “Oh.”

  Asher nodded as if he understood what Enzo meant.

  “Wait! That damn thing is yours?!”

  Summer interrupted, her voice came like a chilly wind.

  Asher couldn’t help but be taken aback.

  What could this little spirit have done for her to get this enraged?

  ‘What did you do?’

  Obviously the spirit of shadow, which only Asher could see, couldn’t read his mind. It simply turned away, going lower before dipping in his shadow.

  ‘Sleepy.’ The spirit muttered.

  He felt his head starting to throb as he sighed before speaking with an even voice.

  “Did it do something to you guys?”

  The spirit had gone silent after Asher dealt with the beast, so he had his doubts. And now seeing it tired and almost drowsy, those doubts had almost been confirmed.

  “Something?” Summer scoffed and Enzo averted his gaze as if embarrassed by something he didn’t wish to speak about.

  “That little piece of—” Summer was about to continue but matched with Asher’s gaze; a small awkward silence lingered.

  “Ahem, I mean that little whatever attacked us when we were coming this way. Of course it couldn’t be a threat since it was us who fought it!”

  “I see. And can you tell me now what actually happened?”

  Asher pressed her to answer with a soft gaze.

  Summer lips twitched as he looked at her without batting an eye.

  “...We were covered in darkness and couldn’t see anything and lost our way.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  She finally answered.

  “I can’t believe it took me several minutes to find the way out of it. Since everything was covered in shadows, my senses were overwhelmed. I could only distract the spirit to find a way and let Summer escape and reach Chris from another route after we got separated.” Enzo added with a frustrated look over his face.

  “Ah, that’s why it took you guys so long to reach us.” Chris chimed in.

  Asher's smile froze as he heard them speak one after the other.

  That little thing clearly messed with them... Asher touched his lips, trying not to laugh.

  Even though Asher found the situation, he also knew how competent the small bud of inky darkness truly was. He had witnessed it firsthand; even for a low-rank spirit, it was incredibly versatile, if not strong as well. Asher wouldn’t be surprised if it became a spirit of the same rank as Lyra in some years of time.

  They bickered for a while before Enzo stood up and looked at Asher.

  “We should start moving now. Staying here will bring more danger.”

  “Yes, do you guys have any place you are staying or are you also wandering like me?”

  Enzo nodded.

  “We do; Anny and Liber will also be there by now. I am sure you are worried about them as well.”

  “...Thank you.”

  Asher said, pursing his lips.

  Not seeing all of them together had been dreadful from the inside. He didn’t let it show on his face but he was worried for their safety. He just didn’t get the right opportunity to ask about it till now.

  “No worries. Let’s move now.”

  Asher nodded and started to follow them out. The roads were flooded with creatures of beyond. It was an uncanny and apocalyptic sight to see so many of them surround the inner sanctum of a city, no matter how ancient it might be.

  In a sense the outskirts of the wall were relatively less dangerous and that's where they seemed to be moving using the gaps and narrow paths between the tall buildings.

  “So how did you guys come here? Did Anny and Liber also get thrown together with you guys?’

  Enzo remained silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. Then matched Asher’s gaze before speaking clearly.

  “When we completed the ritual to send the avenger your way and started to escape, we were blinded by a light. It came suddenly. Then before we knew it, we were thrown not far from this place. We tried to look around outside the city first, I mean, but it was too dangerous even with all of us together.”

  Suddenly he paused and turned his head to look at Asher with his brows raised.

  “What about you? It's been more than a month since we last saw each other. I am sure you have stories to share. About what happened in the dark forest? How you arrived here. I hope you can tell us about it in detail when we reach our safe place.”

  “I… I will. Just give me some time to gather my thoughts. I am sure disappointment and shock will be the least expression you all will be making.”

  Asher tried to lighten the mood, or at least he thought he did. But Chris, Enzo and Summer could clearly hear the hesitation in his voice and see the pale, painful face he made.

  Enzo didn’t press him further and muttered, ‘Okay, take your time.’

  The path ahead held no monsters, only silence and ruin. Debris sprawled across the road—splintered stone from shattered buildings, half-broken statues, crumbled fountains, and objects he couldn’t begin to name. They lay scattered like remnants of a world that had already forgotten itself.

  Some were massive, others small, but all were beyond description—too shattered to recognize.

  Yet Asher realized it wasn’t only the world that was broken. His own thoughts felt scattered the same way. His fingers trembled, and even forming words grew difficult, as if language itself had slipped from his grasp.

  Asher looked at the trio with a dazed look; he was sure he had gotten closer to them before arriving in this place. But now it seems the wall he had slowly broken had been rebuilt over time.

  There seems to be a large distance between them. One he didn’t feel eager to close like before.

  What has changed about them?

  No, maybe the one who had changed wasn’t them. But it was him.

  He has changed.

  This was undeniably true.

  Asher had thought time either heals or destroys when he first saw the city from the outside. But now he understood it changes something or someone as well.

  One month wasn’t a large amount of time, but for someone like him who was finding new discoveries about the world and himself at such a young age, one month was enough to shake him to his core.

  “We have arrived.”

  Chris placed one hand on Asher’s shoulders, pulling him out of his thoughts.

  When he looked up, he saw a place far smaller than the towering structures they had passed earlier. It wasn’t truly small—larger than the house he had bought back in Atlas—but compared to the giants around it, the building felt modest.

  They stepped inside. The walls, though thin, felt strangely sturdy as Asher brushed past them. The door had opened with a single push, and the interior was drowned in dust—as if no one had set foot there in ages.

  Yet Asher sensed something fresh in the air, a faint human presence lingering beneath the decay.

  He followed the trio at a slower pace, their footsteps echoing down the corridor. They passed into a wide, open room that might once have been a hall, then continued downward, descending a set of stairs swallowed by shadow.

  Asher's eyes soon saw two figures. Both covered in bruises and small injuries. One had laid a simple sword beside him as he lay with eyes closed and only opened them when they reached closer.

  Liber gasped when he saw Asher, who greeted him with a thin smile and a shocked expression. Asher wasn’t shocked by Liber; no, the shock came from the one sitting beside him.

  A beautiful woman with long yellow hair and pale white skin was sitting beside Liber. Her face looked soft and tender like a child's, with large eyes that gave her a unique innocent charm.

  Anny, who has always been beautiful, looked even more beautiful than before.

  When her eyes met his her smile froze and she ran toward him.

  A warmth enveloped him as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a strong hug.

  “Asher…”

  She whispers, almost crying, to his shock.

  Asher's arms trembled as he slowly reciprocated her hug.

  “How have you been, Anny? I missed you guys too, a lot.”

  As if a dam had burst, his emotions surged forth all at once. Asher’s lips trembled, and his vision blurred with moisture. Something deep inside him cracked—subtle, but undeniable.

  Yet he didn’t feel sorrow.

  He felt… relieved.

  “I am okay; we all are here, finally together.”

  She spoke softly, each word slow and deliberate as her breathing faltered.

  Asher stayed within her grasp, thoughts tangled between reason and emotion. The trio’s faces were frozen in shock—and why wouldn’t they be? After all—

  “Anny… when did you become an awakened?”