The carriage rolled steadily along the ancient stone road, its wheels humming like a distant heartbeat. The forest around them was thick and quiet, branches arching overhead like the ribs of some colossal beast. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in thin golden beams, flickering across the carriage windows as if the world itself were watching them pass.
Inside, the air was warm, still, and heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Eiden sat near the window, cloak draped over his lap, posture relaxed, but his eyes sharp. His gaze drifted across the passing trees, though he wasn't truly looking at them. His mind was elsewhere — far ahead, where his swords waited, where his past waited.
Dyuke sat across from him, flipping through his blue‑and‑gold grimoire. Every few pages, he glanced up, as if confirming Eiden hadn't vanished again. His fingers trembled slightly each time he turned a page.
Iris sat beside Eiden, arms folded, legs crossed, pretending she wasn't staring at him every few minutes. Her crimson eyes softened whenever she looked at him, but she always looked away before he noticed.
Vaelus lounged in the corner, boots up, chewing on a piece of dried fruit he had stolen from Dyuke's food bag. His green robe was wrinkled, his hair messy, and his grin annoyingly smug.
Selyndra sat closest to the door, posture elegant, golden eyes drifting between Eiden and the scenery outside. Her presence was calm, warm, almost divine — a stark contrast to the ruthless woman she once was.
The carriage rocked gently.
No one spoke.
Not until Dyuke closed his grimoire with a soft thud.
"Eiden," he said, "you're unusually quiet."
Eiden didn't look away from the window. "I'm thinking."
"About what?" Iris asked softly.
Eiden's voice was calm, almost bored. "About what I'll do when I get my swords back."
Vaelus snorted. "What, kill a god? Again?"
Eiden blinked once. "If necessary."
Vaelus choked on his fruit. "I was joking!"
"I wasn't."
Selyndra hid a smile behind her hand. "He's always been like this. You should know that by now."
Eiden leaned his head against the window, eyes drifting upward toward the sky.
"Today is the beginning," he murmured.
"Of what?" Iris asked.
Eiden's eyes narrowed.
"Of my return."
The carriage continued forward.
And the world felt it.
The forest grew quieter.
The wind slowed.
Even the mana in the air seemed to shift, bending subtly toward the carriage.
Vaelus stretched his legs. "Man, this is weird. It's like the world knows you're back."
"It does," Selyndra said softly. "It always did."
Dyuke swallowed. "You're all too calm about this."
Eiden finally turned his head, grey eyes meeting Dyuke's.
"Dyuke," he said, "you're tense."
"I'm escorting four of the most dangerous people alive," Dyuke muttered. "Forgive me for being a little tense."
Vaelus grinned. "Aw, come on. We're not that bad."
"You killed a dragon by accident," Dyuke said flatly.
"It was ONE time!"
Iris sighed. "He's right, though. We're… a lot."
Selyndra smiled. "We always have been."
Eiden looked at all of them, expression unreadable.
Then he looked away.
The carriage rolled on, deeper into the forest, deeper into the unknown.
And for the first time in nineteen years, the four Great Sages sat together again — not on a battlefield, not in a war, but in a quiet carriage, sharing silence, memories, and the weight of what was coming.
The journey had begun.
And nothing would stop it.