Gala closes her book with a soft sigh, her gaze drifting to the window of her snug cottage. The star-speckled night sky seemed endless, and her instincts whisper that midnight had long since passed. A rumbling snore shatters the tranquility, and she turns to her right. There lay Margaret, mouth agape, a comical snot bubble inflating and deflating in rhythm with her breathing. Gala's lips twitches in amusement before her eyes slid to the left. There sits a young armored boy, his expression distant, his thoughts adrift on some unseen sea.

  Concern flickers in her chest, and she leans over to tap his shoulder gently.

  Jaco (startled, shaking his head) "Wha—Wha?! S-Sorry! I... I drifted off. Not exactly the behavior befitting a knight."

  Gala (softly) "What troubles you, my child?"

  Jaco (hesitant, fidgeting his fingers) "It's just... I've been thinking about Evolan's past. The stories are so wild— some say it was a lifeless wasteland, others a kingdom ruled by tyrants, or a land tormented by Leviathans. And then there are the heroes... the ones I admired growing up. I thought they'd strike down those horrors without hesitation, as their titles suggested."

  Gala (smiling) "Ah, but history likes to weave exaggerated myths and legends around its figures. Few remember that even heroes were once vulnerable, just like us. Transforming an entire continent isn’t done in a day. It takes patience, strategy, and the will to grow stronger."

  Jaco (with a thoughtful stare) "The Hero’s Journey... It's a storytelling tool the Mindan scholars penned after Sarah and Diana's exploits. Or perhaps... the heroes themselves inspired it, shaped it through their deeds. Either way, it makes sense. I’ll keep this lesson to heart."

  Gala "Tell me, Jaco, why do you push yourself so hard in an era of peace?"

  Jaco (resolute, his voice firm) "Peace isn’t eternal. For a knight born in peaceful times, the least I can do for the world is... To prepare!"

  With that, Jaco leaps from the bed, his determination blazing in his eyes. He dashes for the door, sword in hand, and disappears into the nearby forest.

  Gala (murmuring to herself) "Training at this hour? His resolve... it’s so much like his. Could he and Margaret be... No, the odds are impossible. And yet, fate works in strange ways."

  The rhythmic clang of steel striking wood echoed through the still night, carrying an almost melodic quality. Soothed by the sound, Gala let her heavy lids fall and drifted into slumber. Far away, in a time long past, a group of old friends reunited once more but time... in a group meeting call.

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  Kanji "Hello, everyone. Before this turns into a tangent-fest (Yes, I mean you, DAVE) does anyone need immediate help?"

  Mina "YES! HELP! WE’RE TRAPPED IN A HOLE AND RUNNING OUT OF OXYGEN!"

  Amelia "Steady on, lass. Breathe slowly."

  Mina "Right... Okay, okay. I’m calm now."

  Azan "Are you two alright?! Any idea how long you’ll be stuck there? Can’t you guys dig your way out?"

  Mina "NOT A CHANCE! WE’RE BOTH EXHAUSTED AND ALSO— WE’VE GOT NO LEGS!"

  Azan "Shit, that does sound bad. Claire, can you please assist them?"

  Gwen "Ummm about that... why couldn't they just open the portal to the inventory space?"

  Amelia "...Oh. We might’ve overlooked that. How embarrassing."

  Mina "Yeah... uh, sorry for overreacting, everyone."

  Azan "No harm done. Now, about your legs... We’ve got four syringes left. They should be enough to restore them. Unless someone else here need these supplies?"

  Kanji "I have no need for them."

  Noah "WAIT A SECOND! Where’s Sarah? And Diana?!"

  Adrian "Oh, no! What if something bad happened to them?!"

  Gwen "Calm down, both of you. They’re alive. Injured, yes, but not as badly as... what happened to Claire."

  Adrian "How do you know that? And why do you sound so distraught?"

  Gwen "Because... it’s my fault! Claire’s injured, and I couldn’t do anything without Izzy! If I’d been even a second slower, she’d be— she’d be dead!"

  Kanji "Gwen... whatever happens, we’ve got your back. Don’t forget that. I'm assuming that Claire is completely fine now."

  Gwen "I... I’m sorry, my emotions have gotten over me. Yes, I had to reopen the wound, perform surgery, and use 3 more bandages to properly fix her punctured lung. As for your question, Adrian, I implanted morphabots in all of our hearts. They track our lifelines."

  Dave "Creepy tech, bro. But hey, respect for the fire idea! Also, I hope Cla’bro is doing well."

  Gwen "She’s lying there with her eyes closed, smiling like a dummy."

  Adrian "Yep, that sounds like her. Alright, Gwen, I’ll trust you. Noah and I don’t need healing right now, but we do have a request for Claire... it can wait."

  Gwen "That’s fair. Knowing Claire, she’d do anything to help a friend even in this state."

  Azan "So, it seems no one else needs the syringes? Dave and I are fine if anyone is wondering."

  Amelia "Hang on. I’ve got a brilliant suggestion. These syringes clearly work better than the bandages— why do we bother with both?"

  Kanji "It’s mainly about speed. Bandages are quicker to apply. But maybe we should rethink our methods. Any ideas?"

  Gwen "The syringes could be redesigned. Turn them into auto-injectors, like medical EpiPens. And perhaps let’s call them 'Healing Ampules'. I’ll relay the idea to Claire once she wakes up."

  Azan "A simple, effective name. I like it."

  Kanji "Now that the immediate crisis is handled, it’s time for the report. Let me begin with a disclaimer for my end— there’s a significant royal political conflict brewing in Ordan."

  Dave "Oh nah, shit about to be complicated."

  Azan "Perhaps I can offer some perspective. Please, go on."

  Kanji "To summarize, I was invited to meet in a secluded spot by Michael Greystorm, the so-called black sheep of Ordan’s royal family. He opposes the king's oppressive regime and operates under a set of special rules designed to defy the system. His rules make him untouchable— no one can harm him, and he can’t harm others."

  Adrian "I wish for an ability like that. It’d solve a lot of problems with my pacifism curse."

  Dave "Nah, don’t sweat it, Adbro! You are enduring it and that makes you stronger, big man!"

  Kanji "Ahem. Anyway, I learned Michael has two secret noble allies— Otium and Calin. I don’t know much about Calin yet, but Otium is the ruler of the city where I’m staying. He possesses an extraordinary ability— it’s practically every good ruler’s dream. He can create two versions of his city— the real one and a clone. The real city exists in a separate dimension, shielded from harm. The people there live in hope and peace, their morale so high that learning combat becomes a hobby. Meanwhile, perfect copies of these people, complete with their skills, interact in the real world."

  Azan "... I won’t lie, I’m a bit jealous. My father would give anything for a power like that."

  Mina "Err... Azzy, are you sure it’s your dad who wants it... or is it you?"

  Azan "HMM... Fair point. My dad’s kingdom was once... perfect, so I assumed an ability like that would help restore what we lost after the crystal was taken. But since I’ll inherit the throne one day... yeah, I suppose I want it even more just to ease the burden."

  Mina "Whatever makes you happy, Azzy."

  Azan "Huh? Is something wrong, Mina? Your voice sounds... off."

  Mina "Oh, it’s fine. Let’s just talk about it when we meet in person."

  Kanji "Alright, enough sidetracking. Let me finish... so I signed a contract with Michael and his allies. The agreement is to aid them in usurping the throne and to keep their secret meetings confidential. If I leak anything to anyone aligned with the king’s faction, I’ll take... let’s just say, severe damage."

  Dave "Good thing I know nothing about no king."

  Azan "Kanji, you’re playing a clever game of connections. Well played. Now, for our report— Dave and I decided to take on the persona of a charismatic duo called 'The Twin Hats'."

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Dave "Oh yeah! Dripped out in red and blue, my dudes. Call us Agent Red Hat and Agent Blue Hat. We even fucked up some crazy priest who was getting all freaky with a group of nuns. After we handled that mess, Azbro left me to hype up the crowd with my killer rhymes."

  Azan "The priest was a trap set by the leader of those rats we mentioned yesterday. Fortunately, I prevented any messengers from reporting back, so their master will be scratching their heads for a while before taking action. In short, we established ourselves as ‘problem solvers for hire’ and have already received plenty of requests."

  Dave "Yeah, we gonna be super busy, bros. Side quests galore and rack in that dough."

  Amelia "I’m terribly curious about this 'Red Hat' of yours, darling."

  Dave "Don’t worry, babe! Pics comin’ your way real soon. Stay tuned for the headlines!"

  Amelia "That’ll be rather tricky from Soulan, but I’ll keep an ear out."

  Mina "Meanwhile, this place is still the worst! Remember those monsters we mentioned before? Turns out they come in pairs— one for the day and one for the night. Each has completely different and busted abilities. The day monster this time is ‘The First Ruthless Day,’ a fast, invisible maniac that destroys everything in sight— kinda like Gwen’s ability actually! And the nighttime one... well, we can’t see much of it because its huge ass is blocking our view from this hole."

  Amelia "We may as well start staying in the inventory space for as long as we can. According to our pocket watch, there are about two hours left until midnight."

  Kanji "So that’s eight hours in the space. More than enough time to get you two back on your feet. Now, Gwen, let’s hear your report."

  Mina "Wait! We didn’t tell you about the cool metal knights who rode dragons, and were beating the shit out of a bunch of weird Castastrian soldiers!"

  Kanji "... Hold up. Castastrian soldiers? Mina, were these ones robotic? Maybe with, I don’t know, ten arms?"

  Mina "Yep! That’s them. Guess those guys are stepping up their game."

  Kanji "Has anyone else run into them?"

  Gwen "They’re the savages who nearly killed Claire and me. Probably some new Castastrian prototype designed to deal specifically with us."

  Kanji "They’re no joke that's for sure. The bastards can disguise, camouflage, regenerate, and adapt to any situation."

  Azan "Strange. We didn’t encounter any in Tradan, though I suppose we were quite skilled at keeping out of sight which our disguises helped a lot."

  Dave "Those clankin fuckers lowkey will never find us, dudes."

  Gwen "Maybe I need a disguise... No. Enough excuses! I need to stand my ground. I have to learn to survive without Izzy!"

  Mina "Hell yeah, girl! That's the spirit!"

  Amelia "Any other buzzin’ tidbits from your day, Gwen?"

  Gwen "After feeding the townsfolk, Claire and I visited 'The Forge' in the north. There, we met a curious Origen who looked like a dwarf. He introduced himself as 'Scarfbeard'. I asked about a weapon mounted on the wall, which he called 'Leviathan's Bane'. He claimed it was forged by a legendary hunter in the depths and was used to slay a Leviathan. Eventually, after pestering him, he tasked us with gathering materials from a forbidden zone so he could forge a weapon similar to it. That's all for my report."

  Adrian "Guess it’s our turn. Gwen, your device worked wonders! We managed to escape and drench our coats in the blood of 'The Sanguine Arms'. That was enough to deter most of the creatures in the area, including a pack of massive worms called 'Optical Legions'. Those freaky things ended up fighting another freaky thing called a 'Hollow Head'."

  Noah "Yeah, some giant green-headed dude. He got wrecked by an even bigger worm— I think it was their queen so I guess they’re kind of like ants."

  Adrian "Seeing how dangerous this place is, we decided to backtrack. I came up with a brilliant plan, but I need Claire to make a specific device. I’ll send you the notes, Gwen."

  Gwen "... This is... hmm, interesting. I can guess parts of your plan, Adrian, but I have no clue what the end goal is."

  Noah " We are trying to tame a Leviathan."

  Kanji "Wow, since when did you two grow this bold? Especially you, Adrian."

  Azan "This honestly sounds like something Dave would come up with."

  Dave "You already know, bro! That’s a badass idea right there!"

  Amelia "Just make sure you’re careful, lads."

  Mina "Yeah, guys, don’t end up losing your legs. Been there, lol."

  Gwen "... Adrian, I hope you’re not dragging Noah too far down like I did with Claire."

  Noah "Don’t worry, Gwen. I trust Adrian. He’s the greatest Guardian ever."

  Adrian "Aww, shucks. Thanks, Noah!"

  Kanji "It seems like everyone’s sorted for now. See you tomorrow."

  Dave "Catch y’all later, bros! Stay cool and don’t be a fool... HA! Just go nuts, guys!"

  Azan "I strongly advise against that. Stay safe and be careful guys."

  Gwen "I second that advice. If there’s an emergency before our next meeting, don’t hesitate to reach out to... me for help."

  Kanji "Gwen... it’s okay. None of this is your fault. You’re strong, and there’s a first time for everything. Don’t doubt yourself."

  Gwen "... Oh, thank you, kanji. <3"

  Amelia "Cheerio, everyone! And babe... take care of yourself."

  Mina "Goodbye, everyone! Watch out for those creepy robot guys. Oh, and Azan... I miss you. If we reunite, can we spend more time together?"

  Azan "Bonding sounds great, and I’d love to, but our current circumstances keep escalating. I doubt things will be peaceful even after we reunite."

  Mina "... Oh, um... okay. See you, Azzy."

  Azan "Stay vigilante, Mina."

  Noah "I just hope Sarah is okay, but knowing her, she’ll laugh off any injuries."

  Adrian "Yeah, Diana would do the same. See everyone tomorrow."

  Noah "Bye, dudes."

  ___________________________________________________________________________

  As midnight settles and silence envelopes the wielders of the devices, a world remains restless elsewhere... In the sprawling industrial metropolis of Caverrin, First General Calaprian Pulsar gazes out of his massive office window. His imposing figure is illuminated by the glow of countless facilities and workshops below, where engineers, scientists, and laborers toil ceaselessly to perfect Doc's latest masterpiece.

  The room is a shrine to human artistry, its antique replicas adorning every wall— a strange contrast to the cold, mechanical hum of the city's technological underbelly. As Calaprian takes a long sip from a chalice filled with cherry wine, the liquid disappears into his peculiar pool ball-shaped mask like a trick from an otherworldly cartoon. The general sighs contentedly, savoring the moment, but his shoulders remain tense.

  He approaches the window, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the ceaseless activity below. Thousands of drones patrol the complex, their surveillance systems vigilant against even the slightest hint of espionage. But anxiety churns within him, gnawing at his confidence.

  Calaprian (crushing the chalice in his grip) "Those bastards better not discover this... or else my grand plan will fall apart."

  His brooding is interrupted by a soft ping as a hologram materializes over his desk. Calaprian turns sharply, his pool ball-shaped mask tilting forward as he bends to examine the incoming data.

  Calaprian (leaning closer) "Ah, the statistics on the wielders. Let’s see...

  First group

  Calaprian "Failure... yet he was aided by the citizens? Strange. Or was it all part of his plan? Truly a worthy opponent and leader."

  Second group

  Calaprian "Couldn’t locate them? They must be in disguise. I’ll have to enhance the prototypes to track their abilities as an addition."

  Third group

  Calaprian (He freezes, a flicker of anger coursing through him.) "What’s this?! No footage?! I can’t extract data if they're in the books... I’ll just wait for them to resurface."

  Fourth group

  Calaprian (clapping his hands) "Bravo! Despite facing the wielder of Destruction, they inflicted considerable damage and nearly eliminated the other wielder."

  Fifth group

  Calaprian "Annihilated by Alma’s forces. Predictable, but disappointing nonetheless."

  Last group

  Calaprian "Destroyed upon landing in Evolan. How utterly tragic."

  The general exhales deeply, his mind racing with possibilities. He sinks into his chair, the glow of the terminal casting a cold light on his masked visage as he types furiously. Each keystroke brings his thoughts into sharper focus, weaving them into a sinister blueprint.

  Calaprian (grinning beneath his mask) "Tomorrow... there will be a ceremony. Eleven graves to mark their demise— and my resolve!"

  Meanwhile, on the far side of the world, a trio trudges slowly along the left bank of a colossal river, five miles east of the secretive village of Los Treasa. The river's width stretches across an immense expanse— about five miles—and runs all the way south to the Silver Mountains, continuing its path northward. A former general scans the surroundings, his sharp eyes darting from tree to tree, his grip tightening around a knife. The spiral symbol on his shoulder pulses with a dark blue light, radiating a quiet readiness for whatever may come. His companions, sensing his tension, give his shoulder a reassuring pat, which seems to calm him. The symbol’s glow softens in response.

  Turning to look back, he notices Meytaz and Verto, each taking out weapons he’s never seen before.

  Karnat (pointing at the weapons) “What in the fuck are those? I thought you two were all about spears.”

  Meytaz (chuckling) “Oh, we do love a good spear, silly. But these... well, these are going to be far more useful for this hunt.”

  Verto (cringing) “Trust me... hunting a Hylix with a spear is not a pleasant experience. I learned that the hard way.”

  Meytaz (laughing her ass off) “HA! I’ll never forget that little bugger juking you and then peeing right in your face!”

  Verto (his face flushing) “Oh, for the love of— shut it, Meytaz! Don’t tell him that!”

  Karnat (smiling at Verto) “Oh, don’t worry, Verto. I’ve had worse happen to me.”

  Verto (shifting his gaze nervously) “Ah... right... thanks, I suppose.”

  Meytaz (smirking) “Alright, you two, enough love birds. Back to business.”

  Karnat “Right, right! So... what exactly are those things?”

  Meytaz “These, my friend, are chakrams. Imagine boomerangs... but, well, a bit deadlier.”

  Karnat "What's a boomerang?"

  Meytaz (letting out a resigned sigh) “It’s probably easier if I just show you how it works.”

  Meytaz raises her chakram high, displaying its striking beauty. The ring of the weapon gleams, forged from a transparent yellow metal that catches the light, its surface adorned with star-like patterns. A leather handle, shaped into the letter "M," completes the design. Verto’s chakram mirrors hers, though his is a deep purple, with a handle in the shape of "V." With a confident breath, Meytaz hurls the weapon toward a nearby tree—

  The chakram slices cleanly through 30 trees in a single, fluid line before returning, which Meytaz snatches from the air with astonishing speed.

  Karnat (arms crossed) “That’s some mighty fine metal you’ve got there.”

  Meytaz (grinning) “Oh, you like it? It’s actually made from your big brother’s teeth.”

  Karnat "Say what now?"

  Verto (rolling his eyes) “Meytaz! She means it’s made from a piece of Lord Suntarus’s teeth, the stuff the Empire calls Neo Zanite.”

  Karnat (eyes wide) “NEO ZANITE! Wait... so that thing behind the Empress’s throne was one of my brother's teeth? But hang on— Neo Zanite is normally clear turquoise, isn’t it?”

  Meytaz (nodding) “Yes, but ours are blessed by Lord Suntarus himself. We asked for these to have a special color and design.”

  Verto (with a shrug) “She wanted it to match our outfits. I mostly wanted it for the power the owner gets— always perfect a desired task constantly every time per day, that’s the real perk.”

  Meytaz (grinning nervously) “The only problem is that since we turned it into a chakram, there are a few... complications. Neo Zanite’s sharp enough to cut through almost anything, so catching it the usual way would be a death sentence.”

  Karnat (rubs his chin) “So you made it assist you in catching it? Clever. And I assume you chose these weapons specifically because of your proficiency?”

  Verto (smirking) “That, and we look fucking cool doing it!”

  Karnat (laughing) “Fair enough. Now, about the river— why are we chasing it?”

  Meytaz (eyes narrowing) “Every creature in the great forest needs water, including the Hylixes. This river’s a hotspot for a lot of them. If a creature’s been possessed by part of Lord Marsagoz’s soul, it’s bound to stir up chaos, and it’s most likely happened here.”

  Karnat (looking at the vast river) “Your logic checks out, but this river’s massive. It’ll take forever to search it all. What if the carcasses of whatever it’s hunting are already gone?”

  Verto “Then we look elsewhere! Put some effort into it, man!”

  With a reluctant sigh, Karnat follows the duo through the night, but no clues surface. The search continues, moving on to new grounds...