Ki, Zephyr, and Septh met at Zephyr's room as usual. Septh, drying her hair after a bath, stood in front of the mirror. Ki gazed out at the city, while Zephyr complained loudly.
"Can you believe it? He punched me in the face the moment I saw him. Not only that, he didn't let me take a break during practice," Zephyr groaned, throwing himself onto the soft bed. "Man, I'm really tired. Anyway, what did they teach you two?"
Septh, still facing the mirror, answered, "Hannah taught me about tactics and strategies. She said she'd help me improve my sight. I'm not sure what she meant by that though. What about you, Ki? What did Kenji teach you?"
Ki, still gazing at the city filled with torchlights, replied, "Hide and seek."
"Huh?" Septh and Zephyr synchronized their confusion, turning to look at him.
"He just hid and attacked when he felt like it," Ki said, his frustration evident.
Septh and Zephyr exchanged glances. Zephyr then asked, "Do you think there's a possibility we can go back to our world?"
Septh pondered. "I've been reading books about summoning since we arrived here. None mentioned that summons successfully went back to their world."
"Is that so? Then do the books mention that creature that summoned us here?" Ki asked.
"Yes, they do. All summons arrived in this world the same way—met by that strange creature and swallowed by it," Septh explained.
Zephyr, deep in thought, finally spoke, "I don't know. I kinda like it here." He lay back on the bed, closing his eyes. A vivid image of his mother, a blonde-haired woman smiling at him, appeared in his mind.
Ki yawned, "I'm sleepy. I'm going to my room now."
Ki left the room, and Septh followed suit, heading to her own room. Zephyr, alone now, drifted into sleep. He heard a familiar humming—a song his mother used to sing when he was a child. He followed the sound and saw his mother emerging from a white light in a plain white field.
He ran towards her, hugging her tightly. The scene changed to a sunny field with a picnic blanket. A younger version of him hugged his mother, both smiling. "Do you like it?" his mother asked.
"Yes, Mom, it suits me," he replied.
In his sleep, Zephyr's hand unconsciously moved to a golden necklace with a cross pendant under his clothes. Tears slid down his cheeks as he held onto the necklace, lost in the memory of his mother.