Tracey overcame a powereplisevelusion with Imperial's help, unlocking his inner strength. Meanwhile, Ari awakened a rare healing spell to help the elder's wife, pushing herself to her limits. As Imperial and Tracey discovered the second pillar, the mystery deepened.
Village Awakening
As dawn broke over the peaceful village, a few villagers noticed Ari unconscious near the outskirts. Alarmed but quick to respond, they gently carried her to a quiet room in the elder's home. The old elder, upon hearing the commotion, rushed inside—only to stop dead in his tracks.
There she was—his wife—awake.
Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, and she weakly tried to sit up. The old elder, eyes wide and full of disbelief, rushed to her side.
"Don't strain yourself," he whispered, voice trembling. "You need rest."
He helped her lie back down gently, still unable to believe what he was seeing. For years, she had been unresponsive, lost in an unknown slumber. But now... she was awake. Tears welled in the elder's eyes. In his heart, he silently thanked Ari.
"What she's done for me… for my wife… it's beyond imagination."
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Morning Arrival
Meanwhile, Imperial and Tracey raced through the forest on the backs of summoned beasts. They hadn't rested since the Illusion Battlefield. The urgency in Imperial's heart grew heavier with each passing mile.
By morning, they finally reached the village.
A crowd had gathered outside the elder's house, murmuring with excitement and curiosity. Sensing something important, imperial and Tracey hurried over.
As soon as the villagers spotted Imperial, they quickly stepped aside to clear a path.
Inside the room, Ari was resting peacefully on a cushion. A few villagers and the old elder sat around her, offering quiet prayers and words of thanks.
Imperial approached the old elder. "What happened? Is Ari alright?"
The elder turned to him, smiling through aged lines. "Yes, she's fine now. She's exhausted and needs rest, but she's completely safe. What she did... she awakened my wife after all these years. I didn't wake you this morning because the village wanted to gather quietly to thank her."
Imperial's heart warmed. He nodded and gently placed the small locket—once lost, now found—beside Ari's hand on the bed.
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A Hidden Drawing
Just then, Goh approached Imperial.
"I need to show you something," he said, his tone serious. "We found something strange in the cave while clearing it for use."
Tracey and Imperial exchanged glances. Without delay, they followed Goh back to the cavern.
As they stepped inside, Imperial noticed the air felt older than expected, like time had been trapped in the stone.
"This way," Goh led them to the back wall.
There, etched into the ancient stone, was a circular symbol divided into seven parts.
Imperial stared. "What… is this?"
Tracey's eyes widened. "It looks like elements."
Imperial moved closer, examining the parts one by one. "This... this is lightning. And this looks like... wind?"
"Yeah," Tracey agreed. "Waves of air, maybe."
"Third—stone or earth. Fourth—a drop of water. Fifth—a flame."
Then came the sixth and seventh.
But it was blank.
Imperial frowned. "Why is this part empty?"
"Maybe they forgot to finish it?" Tracey shrugged.
Imperial pulled out his notebook and copied the drawing. "Or maybe… we haven't discovered what it means yet. Maybe Ari will know something."
They searched the rest of the cave, but found nothing else. Still puzzled, they returned to the village.
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A Night of Rest and Celebration
That evening, Imperial and Tracey finally got some much-needed rest. When they awoke for dinner, they were pleased to see Ari sitting up and eating as well.
Imperial walked over. "Feeling better?"
"I am," Ari nodded softly. "Did you find it?"
Imperial smirked. "I did. But I'm starving, so let's talk after dinner."
Later, under lantern light and the cheers of villagers, a celebration took place in honor of the old elder's wife awakening. Songs were sung, food shared, and for one night, joy returned to the village.
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The next morning, Ari and Tracey met in Imperial's room. Imperial laid out the ancient paper with the strange text they found.
Ari read it aloud:
"He started his move."
The three of them went silent.
Imperial furrowed his brows. "That… doesn't sound good. The last message wasn't this ominous. What does it mean?"
He jotted the translation into his notebook as Ari turned to the drawing he copied from the cave.
Then imperial tell everything about the drawing and then also tell Tracey story that he has some kind of promise to his grandfather which he can may achieve if he travel with us.
Imperial nodded. "so Tracey's coming with us."
Ari smiled warmly. "Welcome aboard, Tracey."
Imperial looked outside. "It's time we leave this village. That message—it might be about the gods making their move. We need to find the other three pillars, fast."
"But we leave tomorrow," he added. "The elder said you still need rest today, Ari. You're our healer now—we can't take any risk."
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That afternoon, Imperial meditated in the forest. Ari joined him, sitting quietly beside him beneath the trees. The wind was calm, the village peaceful.
Later, as they returned to the village, one of the villagers approached Imperial with a wrapped bundle.
"It's ready," the man said.
"Thank you for finishing it so quickly," Imperial replied.