[Scene: Old Man's Shack – Still Before Dawn]
The rain had passed, but the cold lingered.
Ashen lay curled under a thin wool blanket, using his hand as a pillow.
His breathing was steady.
Even the old man, who hadn't slept properly in months, found peace beside the dwindling lantern.
But outside—
Eron, on a cracked stone, caller shell device pressed to his ear.
His voice was low. Controlled. But urgent.
Eron (quiet): "Yes, Master… we've secured a boat."
A long pause.
Then—
Eron (deeper): "And our hunch was right."
"Something's wrong with Quinster. It's not just silence. It's strangled silence."
"Like someone's been cutting the lines before they can scream."
Through the shell came a voice that was both gentle and unshakable.
Master Madhav.
Madhav (calmly): "I knew the moment I heard the girl's voice on that distress call."
"But don't worry about the Adventurer's License exam. I know it's clouding your minds."
"We'll handle Quinster swiftly. Cleanly. Then walk into that exam island as one hell of a guild."
A smile finally reached Eron's face.
Eron: "Yes, Master. We joined Whisper's Light to protect lives, not chase paper."
The shell call clicked off.
[Scene: Two Days Later – Quinster Island, Mossveil Guild Hall]
The air inside the Mossveil Guild had never felt thicker.
A smashed glass rolled across polished marble.
Water dripped from the edge of the conference table.
Veldora Mossveil, the island's guild master, stood rigid — fists trembling, voice on fire.
Veldora (yelling): "You're telling me… a group of unknowns entered this island—MY ISLAND—on a rowboat?"
"And not only that, but they've infiltrated the main city?!"
"And you tell me NOW?!"
Guards flinched.
None dared answer.
The door banged open.
Another guard stumbled in, panting.
Guard: "Sir—A letter. It was left… outside the guild gates."
"Right on the front steps."
Veldora turned slowly, like a predator tasting blood.
Veldora: "What kind of letter?"
The guard held it up.
Veldora (gritted teeth): "Read. It. Now."
[Scene: Evening Previous Day– Northern Shoreline Wahana, Dusk Approaching]
The sky bled gold into the ocean as evening kissed the earth.
Whisper's Light ship stood moored—elegant, sharp, and battle-tested.
Three figures walked the final slope toward it.
Eron. Ashen. And the old man.
Eron carried calm. Ashen carried energy. The old man—Seth Gohan—carried a storm long buried.
From the ship deck, Kael squinted.
Kael (internal): "Am I hallucinating? Did they… bring an old man instead of a boat?"
From higher up on the crow's nest, Katrina cupped both hands into a megaphone shape around her mouth.
Katrina (yelling): "HEY! WHERE'S THE BOAT?!"
Ashen raised a peace sign without looking up.
Ashen (deadpan): "Coming after dinner."
[Scene: Aboard the Whisper's Light – A Few Minutes Later]
Boots hit deck.
Seth looked around—his eyes tracing every rail, sail, and mast with quiet awe.
The crew had gathered loosely around.
Master Madhav, robe flowing like drifting smoke, listened as Eron explained the events.
Eron finished.
Eron (nodding at Seth): "So that's what happened."
"Gramps here will take us to Quinster."
Madhav stepped forward, studying the old man's posture.
Master Madhav: "What's your name, brother?"
Seth held his gaze.
Seth: "Seth Gohan."
From behind, Arjun crossed his arms.
Arjun: "More importantly—where's his boat?"
Eron chuckled softly.
Eron: "It's docked at a different shore." "Once the sun's down, we head out."
Rhask, leaning against a mast, chewed a stalk of grass.
Rhask: "Does it fit all of us?"
Seth (gruffly): "Barely. But it'll float."
Solis trained alone near the sands — shirtless, blades in both hands, slicing arcs through the dusk-lit air.
Sweat gleamed on his back like ink brushstrokes.
He didn't turn when Seth passed.
But he noticed.
Even the waves grew quiet for a moment.
The sun touched the edge of the sea