Two weeks had passed since Sirius left Bright Village.
There had been no second attack in sight—in fact, they hadn't seen a single human being since.
Saelira now always spoke with them, and Marn had assigned two peak-stage Self Vision realm martial artists to protect the merchants since Saelira had left.
He would normally never allow such a thing, but Aurelia had said yes—so it was yes.
Aurelia and Caelan had authority over Marn; their word was absolute.
Sirius was now like a brother to the sibling duo. One day, he told Aurelia how he truly felt—that he saw her more like a sister. He didn't want to disappoint her later. It seemed she felt the same, because her reaction was joyful, and from that day, they officially became brother and sister.
They chatted cheerfully, nothing to disturb them. Sirius also gazed at the view, which was nothing short of incredible. All those forests, mountains, and fields... it was his first real journey.
He managed to stop thinking about what had happened. It wasn't the right moment to dwell on that. He would only see Caelan and Aurelia for two more weeks before they parted ways—he had to enjoy every moment with them.
He learned about their past. They were the second-to-last and third-to-last children of the family. And because they were young, the family didn't care much about their protection. That's why, despite the rule that no one below Echo of Resolve should be unguarded, only one Completion realm martial artist had been assigned to them.
The Virelys family had eight children, most of whom were already in their twenties or thirties. Their parents, martial artists at the Crimson Step, were seventy-two years old—but they looked as young as Caelan. From the Crimson Step realm onward, martial artists gained lifespan.
Fifty additional years at Crimson Step, and two hundred more at Pinnacle. Caelan and Aurelia had no idea about the realms beyond, as no one had ever returned after ascending into the Lord Boundary.
"Sirius, you already said that one of your goals is to save others... What's your other goal?"
Caelan was the one asking, genuinely curious about Sirius' life.
"My main goal is to revive my grandfather—the one who taught me everything. It'll be extremely hard. I've read that one must become a King to revive someone.
My third goal is to understand other people. I was alone with my grandfather for fifteen years. I don't know much about others, but I want to learn."
"Revive your grandfather… That'll be beyond difficult. Not to mention, you'll have to ascend not once, but twice into greater boundaries. It's been seventy years since someone successfully ascended—everyone else died trying."
"Caelan, I've heard that reaching Pinnacle is the easiest condition. Do you have any idea what the other ones are?"
Caelan shook his head.
"My father once asked the King of Humanity, but the King only said it's tied to the power of the Pinnacle realm—and that one needs to reach it to learn more."
"I see... Then I'll just reach Pinnacle first. Do you have any goal, Caelan, beyond being a novice martial artist?"
"No, thank you. I'm someone who loves economy. And my dear sister loves flowers—she wants to become a florist, if our parents agree."
"What kind of flowers do you love, Aurelia?"
"I love horned pansies and dahlias. Ever since I was little, I've found them so beautiful!"
The three of them kept laughing together. Saelira was currently sleeping, and so deeply that even with all their chatter, she didn't stir in the slightest.
For some reason, the convoy came to a stop. Caelan asked Marn why—they seemed to have come across someone blocking the road.
Marn approached the old man who stood in the way.
"What do you want? Can we help you?"
The old man nodded.
"I went to pick fruit with my little girl... but when I turned around, she was gone. I need help finding her."
Marn was slightly annoyed—he didn't like unnecessary delays—but he knew Aurelia would insist on helping the man, so he decided to skip the discussion and get it over with quickly.
"We'll help you. But if we don't find her within the next two hours, we'll have to move on."
"Thank you, thank you so much, sir!"
Sirius and three martial artists at peak stage were sent to search for the girl. The rest stayed to protect the convoy, nobles, and merchants.
They split up—no use searching the same places. Each headed into a different part of the forest.
It was a wide, beautiful forest. Fruits and berries were everywhere. Oaks, beeches, ashes—many different types of trees surrounded him.
Sirius knew the berries were poisonous—he'd read about them in books. Every kind found here was toxic.
He headed west, to the last place the girl had been seen.
Giant ferns blocked his view and path. Crickets, birds, and snakes could be heard all around. The forest was truly stunning.
To his right, a stone path stretched through the trees. It looked ancient—the stones were cracked, and ivy covered everything. Vegetation had clearly reclaimed the place.
Sirius followed the path, which led him deeper into the forest. Along the way, he saw squirrels and voles. Even a kestrel circled high in the sky.
He was hopeful. It made sense for a little girl to follow a path when lost—especially one so beautiful.
Normally, a child would stay in the same place and just wait for someone to find them, but since the girl went somewhere, a path seemed like the kind of place she would follow.
Suddenly, a headache struck him, as if someone was calling out.
Despite the pain, he kept going.
And then, he saw her.
She was standing still, eyes fixed on something ahead. It was as if whatever she was looking at was too captivating to look away from. She didn't even flinch as Sirius approached.
"Hey, girl. I'm here to take you back to your grandfather. Come with me."
But she didn't move. Not in the slightest.
Sirius stepped closer, gently touched her shoulder, and followed her gaze.
A statue stood there. Ivy and vines covered parts of it.
But then he saw its face.
No...
It didn't have one.
The statue was faceless.
Yet when he looked at it, he felt... watched.
His headache suddenly grew heavier, as if looking at the statue was forbidden.
An unbearable, dreadful sensation ran down his spine.
Someone was watching him—through the statue.
He had no proof.
But he was certain.
An unknown entity was watching him.