In the mortal world where Kazien and his family resided, time marched forward with a merciless velocity.
Three and a half years had passed since the historic day of Kazien Altavis's wedding.
Just as Goddess Nirfelia had decreed on that day, the deadline for concealing the truth had expired. News regarding the threat of Lunarias's resurrection and the predicted destruction of the world was finally made public.
That dark news spread incredibly fast like a storm, sweeping across every corner of the Azvel Continent, before extending across the oceans to the Yovel Continent, the Diovel Continent, and all the way to the Reavel Continent.
A global-scale mass panic was the unavoidable first response. However, as time went on, that panic slowly transformed into something else.
Beneath the looming fear of the apocalypse, all territories and civilizations around the world began to unite and prepare themselves.
The survival instincts of humanity and other races were triggered to an extreme degree. Every kingdom raced to enhance both their military and individual strength to face the dungeon phenomena predicted to emerge.
In the Capital of the Garveon Kingdom, the clashing of swords and shouts of command could be heard from the break of dawn until the dead of night. The soldiers trained with intense diligence and rigor, pushing past human limits. The royal mages and academy scholars worked ever harder, draining their energy to focus their training on the destructive power of their magic and efforts to expand their mana capacity.
The exact same resolve and circumstances occurred in the Guartav territory, and of course, the Altavis territory. The absolute threat looming over the world had forced everyone to cast aside their complacency.
Yet, in stark contrast to the hustle, bustle, and tension enveloping the outside world, the atmosphere inside the Altavis family mansion in Lazavis City felt incredibly silent.
Inside a bedroom of the mansion, Ritalia stood quietly beside a large bed where the physical bodies of Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken lay in absolute tranquility.
More than three years had passed, but thanks to the immortal power they possessed, not a single one of the four youths had aged in the slightest. Their faces remained the same, as if they were merely taking a long afternoon nap.
Ritalia gazed at her brother's face. The girl who used to constantly seek his pampering had now grown into a beautiful and charming young woman.
"Brother Kazien... I am almost sixteen years old now." Ritalia said softly, breaking the silence in the room. Her eyes never left her brother. "While you have been asleep here, I haven't just sat around crying. I have been studying magic diligently, and I also continue to hone my swordsmanship every day. I... I have grown so much stronger now."
Slowly, Ritalia climbed onto the bed. She laid her body in the empty space between Kazien and Alvin. She wrapped her arm around the silver-haired youth from the side, seeking the warmth that had always protected her.
"Brother... I miss your voice so much." The girl's voice began to tremble, her emotional defenses slowly crumbling. "Until when must you sleep like this? Is your training in the divine realm still not finished?"
Without realizing it, her defenses completely collapsed. Tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes, dampening the bedsheets. Ritalia released her embrace, then directed her slightly trembling right hand toward Kazien's face. She stroked her brother's cheek very gently, channeling her deep longing through that touch.
"Soon... I will be marrying Hudeon." Ritalia continued in a hoarse voice, her thumb softly caressing Kazien's cheek. "I know the chances might be very slim right now... but I really hope you can wake up and attend my wedding later."
With tears continuously streaming down her cheeks, the girl forced a sincere yet heart-wrenching smile. She missed the figure of her brother whom she could now only look at and touch, without ever being able to hear his answering voice again.
"I miss you so much, Brother..." Ritalia whispered. "I hope you return soon."
Meanwhile, while their physical bodies slept soundly in the human world, deep in a dimension that transcended the boundaries of time and space, Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken finally stood with relieved breaths. The four of them, having completed the entire grueling training regimen, now looked intently at the Goddess's face.
"Have we... have we truly finished all of this training?" Kazien asked to confirm, as if he still couldn't believe their hellish torment had finally reached its end.
"Yes, Kazien. The four of you have completed it!" answered Goddess Nirfelia. Her face, which had previously been stern and intimidating as an instructor, now once again radiated the gentleness and affection of a mother.
Hearing that absolute confirmation, the atmosphere between them grew slightly quiet for a moment. However, Alvin, remembering a promise made by the Goddess, immediately took a step forward.
"So...?" Alvin chimed in suddenly, looking at the Goddess with mint-green eyes sparkling with anticipation. His hands unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes, holding back the surge of emotions in his chest.
Goddess Nirfelia smiled. The Goddess's gaze shifted from Kazien, looking at the faces of Alvin, Allen, and Arken in turn. The Creator completely understood the meaning behind the hopeful gazes radiating from the three youths.
"Of course, Alvin!" said Goddess Nirfelia in a very gentle and soothing tone. "As I promised... I grant the three of you permission to meet them."
Instantly, an expression of pure happiness clearly illuminated the faces of the three youths. Their hearts pounded fiercely. They truly could not wait any longer to meet the parental figures they had been longing for in their hearts all this time.
Clap!
The Goddess clapped her hands once gracefully.
Right in front of them, the air vibrated, and a giant, majestic carved door suddenly manifested out of thin air. Slowly, the door began to open.
As soon as the door opened wide, a bright and blinding white light radiated from behind it, sweeping across the vision of the four youths.
From behind that blinding white light, several silhouettes of people emerged, stepping out from within.
The first figure to walk out of the doorway was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build and an incredibly warm facial expression. As soon as the light faded and clearly revealed the man's face, Arken instantly froze.
The brown-haired youth carved a happy smile, but at the exact same time, tears immediately streamed down from both his eyes.
As the distance between them began to narrow, Arken, who had felt the loss of a protective figure all this time before finally meeting Kazien, could no longer hold himself back. He immediately dashed forward and hugged the man incredibly tight.
"Father..." Arken sobbed while embracing his father's body.
Borris, Arken's father, smiled with deep emotion. The man returned his son's embrace with overflowing affection and an equally profound longing. His large hand gently stroked Arken's back, channeling the warmth that had been missing for years.
Not long after, another silhouette of a man stepped out from the door of light. The black-haired man with a tall, broad, and highly authoritative stature was Lordius, Allen's biological father.
Lordius walked slowly, his eyes gazing at Allen with full pride and the regret of not being able to watch his son grow up.
Seeing that figure standing real before him, Allen immediately ran toward his father. When the distance between them was reduced to about two meters, the purple-haired youth threw himself forward and hugged his father's body tightly.
"I missed you so much... Father..." Allen whispered with a trembling voice, his tears soaking his father's chest.
The black-haired man could only close his eyes, holding his son tight to release all the pent-up yearning.
Then, from behind the threshold of the light door, the last two figures emerged. Two High Elves, an incredibly handsome man and a beautiful woman, both with golden-yellow hair, stepped out with the characteristic grace of their race.
The long-haired male High Elf was Atlasion Dass'ell Latreess, Alvin's biological father. Meanwhile, the female High Elf radiating a motherly charm beside him was Sylvina Dass'ell Latreess, Alvin's biological mother.
Seeing the parents who had once died to protect him, Alvin's defenses completely crumbled. Tears of joy filled with absolute longing poured down, wetting his cheeks. Without wasting a second, the High Elf sprinted forward. He spread both his arms and hugged both his parents at once with a feeling of happiness that could not be measured by words.
"Father... Mother..." Alvin sobbed, his voice muffled between the warm embrace of Atlasion and Sylvina, who were now holding him with boundless love.