Deep underground, in a chamber where dim light trembled against cold stone, a pair of eyes opened.
Veer's eyes.
He was trapped inside a prison cell, the iron bars ancient and unyielding. As he rose to his feet, his gaze swept the room. The walls, the scattered clay pots, even the shadows outside the bars—it all felt… wrong. As if the chamber itself were stitched together from fragments of memory.
How is this possible?
He looked at his own body—and froze.
No wounds. No pain. Completely healed.
"How…?" he whispered.
A voice answered, hoarse and heavy with grief.
"Thanks to your special body and that enemy of ours, young master."
Veer turned sharply.
In the adjacent cell, an old man stood, separated by the cold iron bars. The same eyes. The same voice.
It was him.
The old man who had saved him from the veiled lady.The first person he had met after losing his memories.The one who appeared after Rheon's battle. And now—once again—he was here when Veer awoke.
Veer's throat went dry. "Where… are we, old man?"
His mind raced.He had so many people to check on: Eleana. Eryssa. Kerin. Lythria. Caria… John.
The old man sighed. "The Time Healing Temple."
Veer's eyes widened.
"You have been unconscious for ten days," the old man continued. "Yet outside… not even a full prahar has passed."
"That's impossible," Veer said. "Why?"
"We are prisoners," the old man replied, bitterness lacing his words. "This place… is one of their weapons."
A dry laugh escaped him. "I don't even know how those beings came to possess it—ad why its with her or why they chose to use it on us. Still… because of this place, you survived."
Veer clenched his fists. "That woman… that puppet—"
"Young master," the old man interrupted sharply, "we must save her. She is your closest friend. Don't you remember how you used to play with her… and your sister?"
Veer's shoulders sagged. "I don't remember anything."
The old man let out a soft, sorrowful laugh. "Yes… you lost your memories that day."
He exhaled. "You didn't drink water when you woke up. Do that now."
Veer took a deep breath and poured water from a nearby pot into a cracked glass and drank.
Only then did he truly feel it.
His body was empty. No cores. No star streams. The Nadis—silent.
Panic twisted his chest as he stood frozen.
A soft sigh echoed through the chamber.
"Do not worry about that now," the old man said gently. "Sit. Listen."
"To a story."
"Your story."
.........
Veer sank to the floor in deep thoughts.
"Long ago," the old man began, "In a distant land beneath the stars in a mystical realm, there was a happy family. A father. A mother. Two children—a serious boy, and a playful girl. Another child lived with them as a playmate—hired to become a maid for the young lady but ended up as a close friend. An old slave watched them, joy in his eyes as he observed the children play. It was because the maid girl was related to him.
Then one day everything changed.
There was an attack from all sides.
Giants walked the earth. Lands shook. Skies overturned. The moon shattered. Dust consumed all.
Until—a star rose into the heavens."
Veer's hear shook again as though he experienced that. Tears were falling gently as he sat hugging his legs.
"All the stars trembled that day. A war beyond comprehension erupted.
The whole family died.
The old man barely saved the three children using every desperate tactic he knew. But the enemies were too powerful.
A random strike tore through him.
Space warped.
The children were separated. The boy reached for his sister, fingers stretching—but never touched her delicate hand. The maid—the third child—was lost as well. Ha...."
Veer continued to listen with teary eyes.
"Years later, the old man arrived in Breavan. He searched relentlessly.
Until one day he arrived in Drudar. In darkness he saw a boy, battered and bleeding, trying to escape knights of Drudar—led by that knight called Myrell and his subordinate named Rio. He secured the boy but then he noticed something.
He noticed a shadow.
A battle erupted. The old man lost. The boy was taken again.
But the shadow acknowledged the old man's strength. One promise was made—the boy would not die. Their task had been completed."
The old man's voice trembled. "Young master… they experimented on you. To uncover the secrets of the stars. You..You are the last true heir of the greatest clan....that walked in Nielthric region."
"The Severing Starweaver Clan."
"I....I am so proud of you ...you didn't break..but I....I am ashamed that I was of no use to you."
Tears rolled down Veer's face as he tried to remember but couldn't remember anything.
"Why… am I crying?" he whispered.
The old man looked away. "You don't remember… do you?"
Veer shook his head.
"One day, you will."
A pause.
"She has taken Riessa," the old man said. "I will save her. But…"
Veer interjected. "What happened that day, when I went to buy gifts for Alicia?"
The old man shook his head. "I was in the guestroom. You woke… I saw you the day before. That day, they had the girl—unconscious, in the hands of a lady knight…"
"Eryssa?" Veer asked.
The old man nodded. "Yes… the same girl who came crashing into you."
He handed Veer a rune-inscribed paper through the bars. "I am stripped of energy. When you get a signal from me put a drop of your blood into this… that is all."
Veer took it, feeling its familiarity.
"What symbol ?" Veer asked and the old main said with a slight smile,"You will know it..."
Suddenly, the chamber quaked.
The old man's voice thundered. "It has started…"
Veer's voice caught. "What?"
The reply was short.
"Madness."
.........
Far away, in an ancient land, figures gathered beneath the colossal tree of Mythria. There were flower fields all around and stars glimmering beyond the great expanse.
A man resembling Lythria spoke gravely. "Sylwen… start the teleportation. Lythria must be in danger."
Sylwen nodded as she started chanting a spell
Lythria's father looked beyond as he murmured. "That day… I should have known. I should have eliminated her… Now it all makes sense."
A hand gently touched him as a voice whispered gently,"Be careful, though...I only have one person whom I love....Don't get trapped in their madness."
He laughed as he said,"As you command my lady..."
"Instruct Sylwen to protect the children ..."
"Also that boy ... I dunno if Lythria really likes him...."
"If its possible try to save him..."
By this time the others had moved ahead where a giant spell of bubble was forming.
He nodded and moved ahead.
A shimmering bubble enveloped Lythria's father, her sister Myrieth, Sylwen, Vryger, and Aowyn.
The bubble vanished gradually but just as it was completely gone...
A scream pierced the air.
"It has been interfered!"
......
Back in Drudar, chaos reigned.
Sythris approached Caria,with the injured Breavan captains at her side.
John with his group had gone quite far now rallying the citizens to evacuate to te castle.
Meanwhile many thoughts were swirling in Sythris's head,"John knows much for a golden knight....He was king's secret knight but still......Even Sethsi seems she is hiding something...sldo that princess wanted to say something...."
Neigrel said,"Sythris....there she is ..but who are these knight around her....."
Kandra said with a frown,"Their helms are strange...very strange as though they don't have a head...it's hollow..."
Sythris looked around.They really were strange. Strange emblem of a headless man with long hair in a 'x' shapped cross were among their chest armor. Sythris face became grave as she got near Caria. She was breathing barely. Her body wounded with multiple stabs and cuts .
Sythris fetched a medicine as she was preparing to feed her.
As she looked around people running in chaos she sighed,"Let's take her and be quick..."
Sythris knelt—but suddenly Caria rose. She stood up abruptly.
Golden flashes lit the air. Four screams echoed. Four knights fell, lifeless.
Sythris froze.
Caria had a smile in her face.
A strange… horrifying smile.
Behind Sythris, a supposedly dead woman, Canthia, stood. She head her eyes covered with a blindfold. A sword pierced Neigrel.
Neigrel asked ,"Why,....How...?"
Canthia whispered, "Take rest…" as a body dropped down.
Sythris's thoughts turned chaotic as though the world had shifted. All were dead around her.
Footsteps echoed as she looked back unsheathing her sword.