A sharp pain pulsed through Ron's skull.
He groaned. "My head… hurts. Where the hell am I?"
His voice faded into the emptiness — cold, endless, and eerily quiet.
Then, a deep voice answered from the shadows.
"So, you've awakened."
Ron's eyes snapped open. He turned toward the sound, and his pupils dilated in shock.
The old man from the Graveyard stood there — the same weathered face, the same hollow eyes that had once looked down at him among the graves.
"You…? What—what happened after the explosion?" Ron rasped, trying to sit up. His limbs refused to move. He felt as if invisible chains held him in place.
"Hero Town, huh?" The old man's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Why don't you see for yourself?"
Before Ron could speak, his surroundings shifted. The emptiness dissolved into a vision of space — Earth glowing like a blue jewel within a swirling nebula. Then came the light.
A blinding explosion ripped through the planet. In seconds, it was gone — dust and silence scattered across the cosmos.
"No…" Ron whispered. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. "No, that can't be real. Hey, old man! What happened?!"
"The Dimension of Wirelia," the old man said slowly, "is billions of times larger than the entire multiverse combined. What do you think happens when a world like that explodes? Nothing but annihilation."
Ron's voice trembled. "No… how can this happen?"
"You failed to save Hero Town," the old man said, his tone hardening. "You made a promise — at the grave of your beloved wife — that you'd protect it."
Ron's jaw tightened. The old man's words cut deep, reopening wounds he had buried long ago.
"Do you still want to save Hero Town?" the old man asked.
Ron hesitated for a moment, then nodded looking at him. "Yes."
"Good," the old man replied, his eyes gleaming faintly. "But you'll have to do something for me in return."
Before Ron could question him, the vision flickered. The explosion, the burning world — gone. Everything looked… normal. Too normal.
"Wait," Ron said, scanning the illusion. "Did everyone die in the explosion?"
"Not everyone," the old man said. "You and DA survived. But just like you, he's trapped — somewhere else."
Ron frowned. "Somewhere else?"
"Yes." The old man's gaze darkened. "Now find your way back to Hero Town. Do that, and you'll earn your reward."
"What are you talking abou—"
Before he could finish, the ground shattered beneath him. Space twisted, folding in on itself. Reality bent and swallowed him whole.
Darkness.
Silence.
Then—
HERO TOWN
Rocky wandered the streets of Hero Town, the faint scent of rain mixing with roasted coffee drifting through the air.
Everything looked normal — too normal. The same laughter, the same lights, the same streets that should've been turned to ash.
He spotted Locki near the square.
"Hey, Locki! Got a moment?"
Locki turned, relief flashing across his face. "Rocky. You're alive."
They headed to the nearby café. The bell chimed as they entered. Inside, people sipped coffee and scrolled their phones as if the world had never ended.
Rocky leaned forward. "You remember it too, don't you? Wirelia exploded. Everything… vanished."
Locki nodded slowly, his expression pale. "I remember. The sky split. The light swallowed us." He stared at his reflection in his cup. "And now it's like none of it ever happened."
A waitress passed by, humming softly. For a second, her reflection in the window didn't move with her.
Rocky froze. "Did you see that?"
Locki blinked. "See what?"
Rocky rubbed his temples. "Never mind… It's nothing."
But as they sat there, an unease grew in both of them — a silent understanding that something was deeply wrong with Hero Town.
Elsewhere
Ron gasped awake, the taste of iron in his mouth.
Above him, the sky glowed violet through the canopy — stars tangled in branches that looked alive.
He pushed himself to his feet. The air shimmered with golden dust. In the distance, a carriage rumbled forward — a massive, silver carriage pulled by soldiers. Inside, a princess sat with quiet grace… and fear.
But then the ground shook. Giants emerged from the forest, their roars echoing like thunder. The guard fought back and it looked like the situation is in their hands. But suddenly, a horn beast appeared from the woods, several more appeared after him. They surrounded the carriage, a horn beast raised his sword, about to strike the princess carriage.
Ron pushed himself to move, his head hurting a bit. He summoned the Blade of Vengeance.
[Fire Element Activated]
The blade burned crimson, its edge humming with restrained fury.
"Die!" he shouted, his voice rippling through the forest.
The giants turned. Too slow. Ron slashed through the air — and a wave of fire erupted, lighting the forest ablaze. The creatures screamed as flames devoured them.
He landed, panting. His vision flickered. The flames dimmed, and for a split second, he saw something — a reflection in the blade.
Dream's face.
"Dream…?" he whispered, reaching out. But the image shattered.
A sharp pain pulsed through his skull. The fire around him flickered, then died.
Ron dropped to one knee, gasping. "Why now…?"
The world tilted sideways, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. The last thing he saw was the princess stepping down from the carriage, her voice distant — almost like a memory.
Then everything faded to black.