Akari led Ren, Ryota, and Morvon to the secret room. They all sat down, though Morvon seemed nervous in the unfamiliar space.
Akari glanced at him. "Why is this boy so scared?"
Ren shrugged. "I honestly don't know what made him this fearful."
Akari then turned serious. "Do you have any idea what kind of person the ruler is?"
Ren shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint, but we have no clue. But first—tell us. Is Hayato safe?"
"Don't worry," Akari replied. "He's here."
Just then, Hayato stepped out of a side room.
"Did you find anything in the library?" he asked.
Ren sighed. "Not much about memory manipulation or the curse. But I do have my doubts about the Celestial Beings. Why did they give us magic? And what exactly are the five reality-bending powers?"
Akari shook her head. "We have no idea."
"I've read a bit about them in the past," Hayato added.
Ren frowned. "Then going to the library was pointless."
Ryota changed the subject. "Hey, you mentioned someone else who opposes the king."
"Oh, right," Akari replied. "I don't know much about him. I tried to approach him, but he doesn't cooperate. He's emotionless, wears black clothes, and has a bandage on his left hand…"
Ryota interrupted. "Wait! I think I met that guy. He was so rude. Just remembering him still makes me mad."
Akari nodded. "He's like that with everyone. Even I can't figure him out."
Ren asked, "So, do you know anything else about him?"
"Not really," Akari said. "I'm as limited as you. Many people here want me dead—they support the new king so I can't freely move outside.
Ren leaned back. "For now, we should rest. We've been traveling nonstop."
"I'll prepare some food then," Akari offered.
She began cooking and soon served curry. Everyone enjoyed it, though Morvon hesitated.
Ren comforted him. "Don't worry. It's tasty."
Morvon took a bite and nodded nervously. "It's actually good."
After dinner, they all rested and took a short nap.
That night, Ren had another dream.
He stood surrounded by tall, glowing tower-like beings—the same figures from before. They spoke in unison:
"Prepare for war. Prepare for destruction.
Gain power to increase strength.
The test begins."
Ren woke up with a jolt. "Again, those weird dreams... Why do they keep happening? Is there some hidden message? What test are they talking about?"
Scene Shift: Rooftop of a House
The man in black stood atop a building, the wind rustling his clothes. He stared into the distance.
"Is the king really so cruel—to destroy a town for no reason? Does he crave destruction? What kind of person is he? I need to know. But… I guess I'll have to fight them. Taking on four commanders and a bunch of soldiers… might be fun—if I don't lose."
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed across the town.
He turned sharply. "It started. From the inside of the library…"
Scene Shift
Ren, who had stepped out for some air, saw smoke rising in the distance.
"What the—? An explosion? From the library?"
Inside, Ryota, Hayato, Morvon, and Akari all woke up in alarm.
Ryota jumped up. "What was that sound? And where's Ren?!"
Morvon trembled. "W-What's happening? Is this the end?!"
The group rushed outside, except Morvon, who was too scared to move.
Akari's eyes widened. "The library… why would they attack it? Why destroy it?"
Scene Shift: Library Ruins
Commander Archvivion stepped out of the smoke with a group of soldiers. One of them asked, "Sir Archvivion, why are we destroying the holy library and this town? Weren't you its protector?"
Archvivion replied calmly, "A new library can always be built. But we may never get another chance to prove our loyalty to the king. If we earn the grace of a supreme being like him, our lives will be filled with joy. Our sins—erased. Our future—heavenly. That is why we must follow his orders."