Ery was surprised to see Kaelyn Silverleaf look so unsettled.
The fey woman, usually so imperious and composed, now stood at the edge of the shrine with tension written across her face. Her sharp features, always held high with pride, were shadowed with uncertainty.
This wasn't like her at all.
She hesitated, then finally spoke. "This other half of yours... your split soul. Are you certain he can learn the jade thread technique faster than you?"
"Of course. Why would I lie about that? I don't want to be held captive here for decades... if he is here... he could master it in days... no... hours!"
Ery's desperation for freedom was so great that lying ca easily. He didn't know for sure how much help his light half could actually be, but seeing Kaelyn's wavering confidence, he knew exactly what to say.
Kaelyn hesitated, her gaze falling to the ground. "I just returned from Pardera. I went to Skyroot Palace, looking for him... but he's no longer there."
Ery's brow twitched. "Like I said before—he should be in the northern territories by now. Why didn't you check there?"
That question seed to strike her like a blow. She looked away, troubled. Her voice softened. "There's chaos. A large-scale invasion was reported. Pardera has already sent out a call for aid. It's... bad."
Shinta, standing quietly nearby, suddenly looked worried. "What about my father?"
Ery cut in. "I'm still here, aren't I? ...If he were dead, I'd know."
Then he looked back at Kaelyn. "So tell —why are you really here?"
Kaelyn straightened. Her usual edge returned to her voice. "Can you locate him? Your other half?"
Without hesitation, Ery lied again. "Yes. Take back to Pardera, and I can find him. Wherever he is."
What ca next caught him off guard.
Kaelyn didn't argue. Instead, she raised her hand, tracing a complex sigil into the air. Glowing strands of green light shimred and coiled through the space. Ery recognized it instantly—the Jade Thread technique, the very one he'd been forced to study for weeks, bound by its power. She wasn't just familiar with it—she had mastered it.
The spell wrapped around the restraints binding his golem body... and they dissolved.
He stumbled forward slightly, feeling an unfamiliar lightness. He was free.
"Then let's go," she said. "We don't have much ti."
Without waiting, she cast another spell. Ery's wooden golem body shrank and reshaped, compressing into a smaller, lighter form. In seconds, he was barely the size of a finger, small enough to stand on Shinta's shoulder.
It was clear now: this wasn't a sanctioned release. Kaelyn was acting without permission. It was rushed, reckless.
But Ery had no complaints. Any path that led to freedom was a path he would follow.
The three of them moved quickly through the sacred woods. As they crested a ridge, Ery saw hundreds of fey warriors had assembled in ranks, forming long queues before a massive altar.
Magus traced glowing sigils into the ground, anchoring a large portal formation that pulsed like a living thing. This was no small gathering. It was the mustering of a battle force, the one Pardera had called for.
So this was the disturbance Ery had sensed—the stirrings that had rippled through the very heart of the forest.
Kaelyn's plan was simple: sneak Ery and Shinta into the mobilized force and get them through the gate unnoticed. But just as she led them toward the crowd, Ery's voice cut through the air.
"Wait—what about the primordial wisp?"
Kaelyn turned sharply. "Absolutely not! That thing is guarded by the Moon Guardian... And... I'm not letting that... evil thing out."
Ery frowned. "Then I won't be able to track my other half. The wisp is the link between us."
Kaelyn's face contorted in frustration. "You couldn't have told that earlier?!"
"You didn't ask," Ery shot back. "You also didn't tell you were sneaking out. How was I supposed to know?"
Kaelyn let out a low growl, visibly restraining herself. Then she said coldly, "No. We're not freeing that thing. Choose now—leave with , or go back in chains. We don't have ti!"
Ery paused. He hated it, but there wasn't a real choice. He needed to get out first—then he'd find a way to recover the wisp.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's go."
The group pushed forward. With Kaelyn's high status, no one questioned them. They moved with purpose, bypassing long lines, and soon arrived at the altar gate.
But just as they prepared to step through, a familiar voice called out.
"Lady Kaelyn… You're coming to Pardera as well? I thought you just went there before? ...and you're bringing his daughter with you?"
Ery's heart skipped. The speaker wasn't a fey—it was Grand Magus Soltz. He stood among the departing war party, his expression confused. Then, as his eyes scanned Shinta, sothing shifted.
A flicker of recognition. He squinted—just enough to see the small wooden figure tucked hidden under her robe.
His expression froze.
"Wait a second—"
Before the old man could speak, Kaelyn acted.
She raised her hand. "Guards!" she barked. "This man is under suspicion. Detain him! He is not authorized to leave!"
"Wait?! What?! Hold on—!" Soltz didn't get to finish.
A squad of elite fey warriors sward him, acting on Kaelyn's command without hesitation. Magical bindings wrapped around his arms.
Ery can't help but feel bad at the old man.
But there was no ti for regret.
Kaelyn grabbed Shinta's arm, pulling her forward. They slipped past the halted warriors and neared the shimring portal. They were only a few steps away from crossing into Pardera when everything stopped.
The ground rippled.
The portal dimd, its glowing edge flickering like a candle in the wind. Then, with a sharp flash of light, the entire gate collapsed in on itself.
A powerful presence stepped forward from the crowd.
The Sun Guardian's blazing gaze stared at Kaeylin.
His voice was laced with judgnt. "To think that you of all people would dare attempt sothing so reckless..."
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