That was impossible according to everything Moon understood about history.
’Unless...’
Several disturbing theories began forming in Moon’s mind, each one more unsettling than the last.
’Theory one: There were humans with awakener-like powers before the Collapse.’
’Theory two: The tiline is wrong. Either Yara’s people miscounted the cycles, or "lunar cycle" in this place was different.’
’Theory three: The "benefactor" wasn’t actually a human from earth. There are other humanoid species in this vast universe that we haven’t encountered yet. Once we do make contact, this so-called human benefactor might turn out to be sothing else entirely, potentially their enemy.’
That last theory was particularly troubling. If there were other intelligent species that resembled humans closely enough to be mistaken for them, first contact could be catastrophically complicated.
However upon a second thought, the third theory wasn’t possible, at least not this ti. For the human to be from another land, and speak English was borderline impossible.
Moon’s expression must have shown his internal turmoil because Selene leaned closer and whispered, "What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
"Six thousand lunar cycles," Moon whispered back. "That’s five hundred years, Selene. Just think...when did the collapse happen?"
Moon didn’t voice out his troubles directly. Yara might have strong ears, and based on her understanding of the language, she might seem them as non-descendants of the great warrior she spoke of.
"That’s... how..."
Yara had continued leading them toward the central fire, apparently unaware of the crisis of understanding her revelation had caused.
Moon decided to probe further once they were settled. This "benefactor" clearly held imnse significance to the Savi clan, and understanding who or what he actually was might be crucial to understanding this realm itself.
But for now, they needed rest, food, and ti to recover from their ordeal.
The mysteries could wait a few more hours. They’d already survived the impossible today. Unraveling historical impossibilities could co after.
——
Yara provided them with the finest food and accommodation her clan could offer. The hospitality was genuinely astonishing, far exceeding what Moon had expected from people living in what appeared to be a primitive jungle settlent.
Their cuisine was surprisingly similar to human cooking thods. Hunted beasts were cleaned, butchered, and cooked over open flas with special spices that created complex, appealing flavors.
The at was tender and well-prepared, the vegetables fresh and properly cleaned. Most importantly, everything appeared hygienic, prepared with care.
Moon ate cautiously at first, testing small portions for any adverse effects before consuming more substantial amounts.
At first he worried whether the food would be poisoned, but that worry vanished quickly. All of the people ate, and his body didn’t give him any reaction. He’d also asked Selene, and she also found nothing wrong with the food.
She had used a special powder which she secretly placed on the food. The result ca back negative, which ant there was no poisonous substance to the human body.
The food was really good, filled with rich flavors that he didn’t expect to co from the Savi people.
After the al concluded, Moon and Selene politely excused themselves from Yara and the gathered Savi people, citing exhaustion as their reason for leaving early. This wasn’t entirely false, they were still depleted from their ordeal.
The Savi leader and Yara both wished them restful sleep and promised enjoyable hospitality when they awakened refreshed.
Moon and Selene made a deliberate decision to share the sa dwelling rather than accepting separate accommodations. They weren’t particularly shy around each other after spending days together in the ice realm, sleeping in close proximity for mutual protection during that nightmare.
More importantly, separating while surrounded by people they didn’t truly know would be foolish, regardless of how friendly the Savi appeared. Situations could beco hostile at any mont without warning. Staying together allowed them to watch each other’s backs and respond imdiately to threats.
They also had many critical things to discuss privately.
Once inside their assigned accommodation, Moon and Selene didn’t imdiately sleep as they’d told their hosts. Instead, they sat facing each other and began discussing their situation in hushed voices.
"This is definitely a hidden realm, which ans based on our previous experience, there’s sothing specific we need to accomplish here. So objective we must complete or enemy we must defeat to exit."
Selene nodded agreent. "In the winter realm, we received our first system hint after approximately ten days. But that clue alone wasn’t nearly enough information. We only succeeded because we found a journal, from an awakener who’d been trapped there before us. His notes explained many things that we didn’t know."
Moon considered that ti-line. "Actually, now that I think about it... we were incredibly fortunate to encounter Gareth so quickly after entering that realm. Although he was dangerous and eventually beca hostile, he led us almost directly to the completion objective. Finding the Heart of Winter without his guidance would have taken weeks or months of blind searching."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "What if it’s the sa pattern here? What if the Savi clan serves a similar purpose, providing guidance toward whatever we need to accomplish, even if they don’t realize that’s their role?"
Selene nodded slowly. "It’s possible. Let’s observe how things develop naturally. So far, there’s nothing about these people that makes genuinely suspicious of their intentions. They seem sincere in their hospitality and respect."
Her expression suddenly changed, becoming lancholic as if an old, painful mory had surfaced unbidden. "Sotis the best thing to do is simply move forward. We should apply that lesson to what we endured in the winter realm..."
Moon’s eyes widened slightly, his pupils dilating for a brief mont, he felt a deeper aning behind her words.
Selene’s words struck him with unexpected force, hitting AN emotional territory much deeper than just their recent experiences in hidden realms. The advice resonated on multiple levels—about the winter realm, yes, but also about other things.
’Sotis the best thing to do is move on....’
It was simple wisdom, but profound in its implications. Perhaps so things were better accepted and moved past rather than endlessly examined.
"You’re right," Moon said quietly after a long pause. "Dwelling on what we can’t change or fully understand just wastes energy we need for moving forward."
Selene smiled slightly, seeming to understand that his agreent extended beyond just their imdiate circumstances. "Exactly. We focus on what we can control, surviving this realm, completing whatever objective exists here, and getting stronger in the process."
She stretched, her exhaustion finally catching up now that the adrenaline had fully faded. "We should actually rest now. Who’s going to watch first?"
Moon nodded agreent. "I’ll take first watch. You sleep for a few hours, then we’ll switch."
"Agreed," Selene said, already settling into the comfortable bedding. "Wake if anything seems off."
Within minutes, her breathing had evened out as she feel into her own dream land.
Moon sat with his back against the wall, staff within easy reach, his senses extended to monitor their surroundings.
Mirage laid next to him fast asleep, before Selene did.
Outside, he could hear the peaceful sounds of the Savi settlent at night, quiet conversations in their language, and the crackling of the fire.
Everything seed peaceful.
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