Drifter felt a warmth he hadn't experienced in a long time.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes. Sunlight kissed his skile, unfamiliar. He pushed himself to his feet, his grip still tight around the bck cube.

  He stared at it, the whispers still lingering in his ears, though faint now—nothing like before. He don’t even know what they’re saying… The st time he uood anything, it was just two words.

  "Help us."

  But what did it mean?

  He lifted his gaze. The vast ndscape before him was nothing like the ruin he had left behind. Instead of desotion, a green open pin stretched out, ice-capped mountains rising in the distance.

  What happened? Where am I?

  He started walking, his mind rag. A soft breeze brushed past, carrying the fresh st of earth and grass. It stirred something in him—memories of home, of a time long lost.

  What did the cube do to me?

  Dimensional magiother world? The thought sent a chill through him.

  From what he knew, even if an Abyssal Breach was sealed, the nd it touched never recovered. It remained lifeless—barren soil where nothing grew, skies forever swallowed in darkness.

  Yet here he stood, beh an open sky, bathed in sunlight.

  It had been so long since he had seen the sun.

  As he crested a small hill, utled over him. The world around him was too quiet. No creatures, no people—nothing. Only silence.

  Then, a sharp voice cut through the stillness.

  "Don't move!"

  Drifter’s pulse quied. His brown eyes soward the source—a woman standing before him. Her long bck hair, swept to the side, framed her pale face. Her pierg gaze locked onto him, freezing the air between them.

  Instinctively, Drifter stepped back, clutg the Bck Cube tighter. Though the woman made no overtly threatening moves, she stepped closer, her presensettling.

  As she drew near, Drifter took in her appearance. A beauty mark just below her lower lip. She wore a bck gown, with a small bck rose pio the right side of her head. Her clothing, her style—it all felt out of pce. A gown, ohat might have been worn by nobles before the camity in his time.

  He gathered himself and faced her directly.

  "I mean no harm," Drifter stammered, his voice wavering. "I’m with the Evocaier Order. We were on a mission to recim Paxluma."

  At the mention of Paxluma, the woman's expression shifted. Her blue eyes narrowed, her posture stiffened.

  "The mission you speak of... that was seven hundred years ago." Her response came in a ft, resolute voice.

  The words hit him like a hammer to the chest. Drifter staggered, blinking rapidly.

  Seven hundred years?

  How did she know that? And the operation—she knew about it. If the Order still existed after all this time, then maybe… she was one of them.

  But as he looked around at this world, at how different it felt, the truth settled in like a weight in his chest.

  It was logical.

  There was no way he was still in his own era.

  "No… That 't be." Drifter's voice was barely a whisper.

  "You heard me. Seven hundred years." She took a step closer, her voice edged with something unreadable. "Now expin—where did you get that?"

  Her focus shifted to the Bck Cube in his hand and Drifter felt a chill crawl up his spine.

  "I... I found it during the battle, just before everythi dark. It... I..." said Drifter.

  The ressed her lips into a thin line, her hand twitg.

  But then, another voice rang out—calm yet anding, slig through the tension like a bde.

  "Luna, report."

  Drifter turoward the sound of approag footsteps. Two figures emerged beside Luna.

  The first was a tall man with ly swept-back golden-blond hair, silver armor. Beside him stood a girl with pink hair tied in a side ponytail, dressed in a white blouse and a pastel pink skirt.

  The woman, Luna, turo the man.

  "This man... he cims to have crossed time, from the past." Her voice wavered, sharp and unsteady.

  "Crossed time? That’s impossible." He said.

  The pink-haired girl poi Drifter’s left wrist, her eyes wide with curiosity. She g her father, determination flickering in her gaze.

  "Dad, look! That’s su old model of the Lumina Core! "What if he really is from the past?" She said.

  Drifter lowered his gaze to his left wrist. The Lumina Core—a bulky, arm-mounted device desigo trol Evocyte and unleash magi bat. He ruly , able to wield Evocyte without assistance, but its she unication was invaluable otlefield.

  Then, Drifter noticed that all of them wore some kind of accessory on their wrists—something resembling a wristband. Is that a Lumina Core? From the future? he thought.

  A low rumble pulled him from his thoughts.

  Drifter’s gaze shot to the ground as it split open, revealing Razorpedes—segmented, armored creatures with sharp legs, their bodies glowing faintly with brown energy.

  Above, the sky echoed with shrill cries. Windchaser Hawks circled, their red and white feathers stark against the twisted horns and long tails.

  Then it appeared.

  The Pins Harbinger—a massive, two-headed creature adorned with jagged horns, six bd-white wings, glowing blue eyes, and scaly tails.

  "Luna, Alma—positions! Prepare for bat!" the silver-armored man anded.

  In an instant, they materialized their ons.

  Drifter observed the se around him.

  A mad greatshield. No doubt—he was a Holy Knight.

  The bck-haired woman materialized glowing blue sigils in her hands—a sorceress or a mage.

  The pink-haired girl’s hands crackled with energy, each hand bearing one sigil—pink and red. Fire—and maybe Exalt magic.

  If Evocyte principles hadn’t ged in the past 700 years, she was exceptional. So young, yet wielding two elements at once.

  Impressive.

  The shrill cry of the Windchaser Hawks shattered Drifter’s thoughts as they drew closer, their eyes fixed on the group.

  "I’ll hahe skies," Luna’s voice was calm and steady.

  She raised her arms, and more blue sigils materialized around her, eae giving birth to sharp, crystalline spears of ice that struck at the cirg Windchaser Hawks.

  "Alma, focus on the Razorpedes! Luna and I will hahe ones above," the man’s voice rang out, steady and anding.

  Blinding light burst from his hand, colliding with Luna’s ice spears in brilliant explosions. Windchaser Hawks fell, disiing into mist and snow. But some of them dived at Luna, their razor-sharp cws aimed for her.

  The man’s shield intercepted their strikes, and floating shields appeared around them, defleg more attacks from the Hawks' dive.

  He retaliated with his mace, radiant energy, and Luna’s ice spears, taking down several creatures while others retreated to the sky, cirg back to unch relentless dives with their cws.

  “Got it, Dad...”

  Alma's face lit with determination as a small smile formed. Her hands began to glow, spinning with pink and red sigils that pulsed with energy. Without hesitation, she extended her palm.

  “Fireball!” she shouted, sending a bzing orb hurtling toward the Razorpedes. The impagulfed them in brilliant fmes, redug them to ash.

  Drifter watched as light, ice, and fire magic cshed in the air. Amid the chaos, a familiar hum of magic resonated, easing the tension in his chest, his resolve solidified.

  Even though they were strangers... I’ll help them, for now, he thought.

  In an instant, he materialized his sword, Exaltare, a dark gray sword that gleamed with blue energy. For a moment, his fusion was repced by a singur focus on battle. Around him, a dozen glowing blue spectral swords materialized.

  As he observed a pack of Razorpedes surrounding Alma, his eyes narrowed. She tried to retreat, but the creatures reshaped the ground, creating obstacles to trap her. Without hesitation, Drifter ordered his spectral swords forward. They spun with blinding speed, slig the obstacles into pieces and striking the Razorpedes. One by ohe creatures shattered intments.

  Then, a deafening screech tore through the air—a low, guttural sound that sent shivers through the battlefield, filling the atmosphere with foreboding.

  The Pins Harbinger desded, its massive wings sending up clouds of dust and debris.

  "Watch out! Harbinger!" Alma’s shouted.

  A sudden, thunderous fp of Harbinger wings unleashing a maelstrom of swirling green torhat ripped across the battlefield, tearing through everything in their path.

  But the man in silver armor stood firm, raising Lexivane, his glowing great shield, high.

  "Guardian’s Ward!"

  A massive radiant barrier burst forth in a blinding fsh. The violent winds cshed against the shield’s light energy, sending a cascade of sparks and swirling debris into the air. The collision uprooted ks of earth and flung several Razorpedes skyward.

  As the energy dissipated, the creature’s movements slowed, its fierce attack losing momentum.

  Luna, wasting no time, materialized anil of frost.

  "Frost Nova!" her voice sharp.

  An explosive release of iergy erupted from Luna’s sigil, striking the Harbinger’s feet. Jagged spikes of icased the creature’s front limbs, freezing them ihe frost spread rapidly, slowing its movements and f it to roar in frustration. Its cws scratched at the ice, but it couldn’t break free.

  The Harbinger desded swiftly, its massive form appearing rger as it drew closer. The sound of heavy winds roared in Drifter’s ears as the beast closed in. Alma turo flee, pached across her face, but Drifter stood his ground, unwavering.

  "Hey, run! It’s going to crush us!" Alma shouted, desperation in her voice as she gnced back at him.

  Drifter’s sword shimmered with energy as he unleashed Exalt Edge, a sweeping arc of light that tore through the Harbinger’s body. The creature staggered, its agonized shriek eg across the battlefield. As it colpsed, its massive form crashed into the surrounding trees, splintering them into rubble. The impact sent vibrations c through the earth beh Drifter.

  Alma, her eyes wide, stood frozen as she watched Drifter.

  She then unched a barrage of Fire Bolts, supp the attack as explosions of fme battered the beast. The creature roared in agony, its pained cries eg across the battlefield.

  Luna, standing posed and calm, focused otle, blue sigils spinning around her hands.

  "Don’t let it recover," she said sharply.

  She unleashed Ice Prison. Sharp ice crystals erupted around the Harbinger, f an unyielding cage of jagged frost. The creature thrashed violently, its enraged roars eg across the battlefield as the frost spread over its massive body. Despite its furious struggles, the frozen prison held firm, log the beast in pce.

  Drifter activated Exalt Shift, vanishing in a burst of blue particles. He reappeared before the frozen Harbinger, his sword cutting through the ice with swift arcs. Glowing blue trails marked each strike, and the frost shattered with every blow. Once finished, he anded his Spectral swords to desd, striking in perfect harmony.

  With the final blow, the Harbinger let out a guttural roar of agony before its massive form shattered into pieces.

  With the chaos subsiding and the dust settling, the remaining Razorpedes and Windchaser Hawks, still locked in bat with the man in silver armor, scattered in a frantic retreat. They vanished into the shadows, leaving the battlefield shrouded in an eerie silence more.

  Hearing the heavy breath, Drifter turo the source—Alma, breathless, her hands lowered. Her voice barely a whisper.

  “Finally…”

  Her gaze met his. “You… you fight like you've dohis a thousand times.” She trembled as she spoke.

  Drifter dismissed his sword, watg it dissolve into blue particles.

  “Maybe… maybe I have.” His voice was soft.

  The man with silver armor stepped forward, his glowing shield and mace dissipating into golden particles. "You all fought well."

  "Thank you, but don’t thirust you. We still need answers." Luna said, her gaze fixed on Drifter.

  "You’re right." Drifter’s voice was low and firm.

  The man stepped closer aended his hand. "Thank you for your help. I'm Friedrich Rosenthal."

  Drifter paused for a moment but eventually took Friedrich’s hand. His grip was strong but cautious. "Drifter. Gd I could help."

  A faint smile tugged at Friedrich’s lips, though it quickly disappeared.

  "I’m Alma. Thank you… fhting with us." Alma said with smile.

  Drifter gave a small nod, his eyes briefly shifting to Luna, whose sharp gaze remained fixed on him. Her arms were crossed tightly, and her focus alternated between him and the faintly pulsing Bck Cube, its glow mirrored in her cold, calg expression.

  “Luna,” she said, introdug herself with a cautious tone. “You mentioned you're part of the Evocaier Order... and that you were involved in the Paxluma Operation?”

  Drifter exhaled sharply. "I served uhe First Grandmaster," Drifter began, his voice steady at first but soon wavering.

  "Our mission was to seal the Abyssal Brea Paxluma."

  "But…" His voice dropped to a near whisper. "When I found this… everythi dark. It ed me... When I woke up… I was here."

  Luna's sharp gaze didn’t waver, her expression a mix of guarded curiosity and deep skepticism.

  "Where did you find it?" she asked.

  Drifter lowered his head, pausing for a moment of refle before tinuing, "We fought a Cataclysmaris... one unlike anything we’d faced before. When it fell, this... thing emerged from its remains."

  A heavy siletled. Alma’s eyes widened with disbelief, while Luna’s sharp gaze hardened, log onto Drifter. Friedrich stood firm, arms crossed, his face shadowed with thought.

  “Please... aell me where we are now? And... what happeo the operation?" Drifter asked.

  Friedriced at Luna before exhaling deeply. "We are now at Verm Pin... the operation... it didn’t succeed....no ourned."

  “No ourned?” Drifter's voice trembled.

  Luna's gaze shifted briefly to the Bck Cube.

  "No one knows what truly happened." her tone cold.

  She took a deep breath, as if steadying herself. "The Abyssal Breach remains open, but the Cataclysmaris tacked again."

  Drifter’s thoughts raced, a wave of ay crashing over him as he tried to process what he had just heard.

  Paxluma... his home... still shrouded in darkness even after 700 years. His fist ched, his gaze faltering as if the weight of it pressed down on him.

  They’re not attag? That didn’t make sense. His mind struggled to accept it—after all, the Abyssal Breach had always spread, never once pausing.

  Alma watched him in silence before stepping closer. Her pink eyes met his—steady, warm, unwavering. "You don’t have to face this alone. e with us to the Verm Evocaier Academy."

  She turo Luna, her voice tinged with hope. "We help yht, Luna?"

  "That artifact could be dangerous. If you e with us, you might find the answers you’re looking for," Luna said, her tone edged with caution.

  Friedrich, standing beside her, spoke with calm certainty. "We have experieh artifacts like this. Let us help you uand it."

  Drifter hesitated, his gaze shiftiween their faces. When his eyes met Alma’s, a quiet siy reflected in her gaze.

  She seems sincere... I have no other choiyway... Drifter thought.

  Slowly, he nodded, seg the Bck Cube at his side.

  "Alright. I’ll e." His voice was firm.

  Alma’s face lit up, her smile breaking the moment’s weight. "Let’s head back. Wele to the team, Drifter."

  Without a word, Luna turned sharply, her bd white veil flowing behind her as she strode forward.

  The group began their jourheir steps sure but the unspoken tension lingering. The weight of the Bck Cube and the questions it carried hung heavy in the air, as the uain horizon stretched before them—uable yet filled with purpose.