Those who knew about the horrible fate facing Delwias Island refused to share their information with others. They kept on faking their daily routines to appear normal in a world that was already falling apart.
They looked their neighbors in the eyes and even smiled to their faces, all while clinging to the desperate belief that they might still be granted a chance to ascend as refugees if they simply stayed calm and caused no trouble for the authorities that had mercilessly abandoned them.
Day after day, a single grim realization grew stronger until it mutated into a rampant rumor. People began to notice the total absence of teachers, guards, high mages, those who had leveled up, and even the king himself.
It was not yet officially confirmed that they had been left behind, and none of those in the know possessed the courage to confirm the truth to a crowd of helpless people. They would not have believed it anyway.
The higher regions would never do this to us.
