The Galos Forest buzzed with unseen energy, its twisted trees casting jagged shadows under a stormy sky.
Arhaan stood, arms crossed, eyeing the man in a white shirt, black pants, and dark sunglasses.
Faust smirked, still reeling from Arhaan's blunt rejection. "Hey, do you know what you're saying?" Faust said loudly. "Don't y'all dream about becoming legends, having a new life with authority, riches? I thought otherworlders forget their old world after seeing Elysia's wonders."
"Maybe for others," Arhaan shot back, his skeptical gaze sharp, "but I've read too much to know this'll be a bullshit life. Riches? Sure, but will I stay alive? A lone person summoned outside the Holy Empire? Definitely not fishy." He scoffed. "I bet I'm caught in some grand scheme, and my life'll be hell going forward."
Faust looked dumbfounded, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You'd have been a lazy kid back home. What a dumb ass!""Hey, who're you badmouthing? I was the most active person in my city," Arhaan grumbled, but inside, his heart raced. How'd this guy know? Can he read minds?
The purple sparrow, Eliana, chirped softly on Faust's shoulder, her white-flame eyes watching Arhaan warily."Anyways, no known way to send you back in my memory," Faust said honestly, shrugging.
"Figures. Things are never easy in this drama," Arhaan muttered, kicking a stone. "I've been meaning to ask, how do you speak my language?" Faust glanced at a glowing bracelet on Arhaan's wrist. "That thing's transmitting my words' intent to your brain. Don't ask too much; it's complex." "Like a random oldie like you could explain…" Arhaan smirked, then ducked as Faust raised a stone. "Hey, what's with your violent tendencies? Throw that away!" Faust's eye twitched. Should I toss this kid to the beasts? he thought, half-serious.
"Tell me about this world," Arhaan pressed.
"Read a book or something. I ain't your teacher," Faust snorted. "Oh, come on, tell me something so we can plan my path." Faust sighed, his tone turning grim. "Fine. Two rules: One, there's all kinds of abilities. Don't trust what someone shows—dangerous people hide a third of their power. Two, stay away from the Reach or anything tied to it till you're strong."
Arhaan leaned in, focused. "What's a Reach?""It's a cursed realm, overflowing with corrupted energy," Faust said, eyes dark. "Unless you're strong, you can't even walk there. Spatium tears open randomly, exposing people to that corruption. Only way to close it is defeating the curse guardian and its minions. Even strong folks get messed up staying too long… except otherworlders." He stared at Arhaan. "That's why the Holy Empire's obsessed with your kind. Their holy powers handle demon legions, but corrupted horrors are different. They can't fight two wars. The Empire's summoned otherworlders for centuries, maybe through their deity. They're one of the oldest powers, stuck-up as hell. They don't call people heretics lightly, but demon worshippers? They'll burn every trace of demonic energy. I don't like those fogies—their high noses piss me off."
"I see," Arhaan said, mind racing.
Faust smirked. "They're probably freaking out now, realizing their summon's one short. I'd love to see their faces." Wonder what that baldy pope's doing, he thought, chuckling inwardly.
...
In the Holy Capital Lazarus, a man in pristine white garb sat on a high seat, clutching an amulet of a deity's symbol. His voice was calm but laced with fury. "What is the meaning of this?"
The room trembled under his sharp momentum, his golden irises glinting. Dominic Matters, Archbishop of the Holy Empire, radiated power beyond mortal comprehension.