The sun filtered softly through the canopy of Etheria's great forest, casting dancing shadows on the soft mossy paths that wound through the elven village. The breeze was mild, rich with the scent of blooming mana flowers and the hum of mana sprites drifting lazily. It was the kind of afternoon that felt too serene to disturb, unless, of course, you were one of the Twelve.
After exiting the dormant dungeon, the party decided to spend the day separately, each group pursuing their own quiet adventures before their next grand journey. The stillness of Etheria was a rare luxury, and each of them, in their own way, welcomed it.
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Group A, Yuuna and Fuhiken, walked with purpose along the path to the Main House. Yuuna's steps were as composed as ever, her expression calm, her eyes calculating. Fuhiken, on the other hand, wore his usual polite smile, though his pace hinted at his concern over leaving the others unsupervised, especially Kyle.
The heavy wooden door of the Main House creaked open after a gentle knock, its ancient hinges groaning under the weight of years. Warm light from within spilled onto the forest path, catching the edge of Fuhiken's polished boots. He stepped forward first, the Staff of Creation balanced across his shoulder. The artifact, dense with dormant power and made of ironwood and crystal, was far too unwieldy for Yuuna's smaller, more delicate frame. Even in its inactive state, the staff exuded a quiet pressure, as if it remembered the countless dimensions it once opened. Behind him, Yuuna walked with her usual composed gait, unburdened by the staff's weight, her sharp eyes already scanning the familiar room beyond the threshold.
Inside, the scent of old parchment and herbal tea filled the room. Lucretia, their silver-haired mother was scribbling something incomprehensible across a stack of papers. Her golden eyes lit up the moment she looked up.
"Fuhiken, Yuuna. Come in," she said warmly.
Fuhiken stepped forward and bowed, presenting the Staff of Creation wrapped in protective mana cloth. "We've returned the staff, Mother."
"Thank you, dear," Lucretia said with a smile. With a gentle flick of her fingers, a small shimmering portal opened beside her desk, just large enough to accept the staff. It shimmered in hues of soft blue and gold, absorbing the staff into its depths before closing silently.
Yuuna's eyes didn't leave the space where the portal had been. "May I ask a question, Lucretia?"
Lucretia gestured toward the chairs in front of her desk. "Of course. Sit. Have some tea."
As they sat, Lucretia poured herbal tea into fine wooden cups carved from moonlight cedar. The smell was soothing, mint, lavender, and something faintly floral.
Yuuna took a sip before asking, "About the dragons… can you tell me where did they go?"
Lucretia leaned back and tilted her head, her expression shifting into a faraway look. "Ah. The four pairs... That was a long time ago. Hundreds of thousands of years, I think. I only remember the direction each flew. One pair definitely headed south."
"Toward the Machinia region?" Yuuna asked, her tone still calm but laced with curiosity.
Lucretia chuckled, shaking her head. "Dragons dislike humans. The pair likely flew even further south, past Machinia, toward the ocean. They're quite territorial. I wouldn't be surprised if they nested near the southern beach cliffs or beyond."
She stood and shuffled to the side of the room, her long silver hair trailing behind her like a ribbon of moonlight. Her hand reached into a tall, precarious stack of parchment, scrolls, and maps piled beside her overflowing desk, a structure so unstable it seemed to defy gravity by sheer will alone. As she tugged at one of the larger maps from the middle, several loose papers near the top fluttered down like lazy autumn leaves, landing in disorganized piles across the polished floor.
Lucretia paid them no mind, entirely focused on extracting the map she sought. Her mind often drifted through thoughts older than the village itself, mundane messes like this simply didn't register.
Fuhiken, ever the eldest and most responsible of the Twelve, bent down without a word. He carefully gathered the fallen papers, some official, others covered in Lucretia's absentminded doodles, and organized them into neat stacks. After aligning their corners with practiced precision, he gently placed them back on the desk, away from the teetering pile.
Meanwhile, Lucretia unfurled the wide map across the table, its edges curling slightly from years of use. The parchment was thick and stained with age, yet still clear. She traced her finger across winding rivers, dense forests, and jagged mountains, stopping at last near the southernmost tip of the continent, a stretch of coastline nestled between distant cliffs and the glimmering ocean beyond.
"If you're thinking of investigating, ask the fishermen down here." Her finger circled a coastal village on the southern edge of the continent. "They may have tales passed down. Just stories, perhaps, but some might hold truth."
Fuhiken furrowed his brow. "Another journey already... I'm not sure Orchid and the others would survive another departure without something exploding."
Lucretia laughed. "Then rest here a few more days. Prepare at your leisure. Etheria isn't going anywhere."
Yuuna studied Lucretia's face closely, noting the subtle shift in her expression, the way her eyes lingered on nothing in particular, the slight downturn of her smile once the laughter faded. It wasn't overt, but to someone as observant as Yuuna, the emotion was unmistakable. Beneath Lucretia's warmth and playfulness lay a quiet, aching loneliness, the kind that only surfaced when the room began to feel empty again. As if each farewell, no matter how temporary, peeled away at something deeply buried in her heart. Without a word, Yuuna set her cup down gently on the table, the soft clink echoing with quiet understanding.
"Then we'll rest. Just a little longer."
Lucretia smiled, more softly this time. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
---
Group B, Fahleena, Orchid, Gigih, and Jessica, had wandered to the eastern edge of the village, where the cheerful voices of younger elf children echoed across the clearing. A small playground had been built beneath the shade of two wide-branched mana trees, their leaves glowing faintly with residual magic. The air was filled with the scent of fresh moss and laughter.
As the group approached, two elven children ran up to them, curiosity sparkling in their young eyes. One had a long blue ponytail that bounced as she walked, while the other's green hair was tied back with a bright red ribbon. They appeared no older than nine by elven standards.
"I'm Milea!" said the blue-haired girl brightly.
"And I'm Nilea!" the other added, voice shy but eager.
Fahleena's eyes sparkled with theatrical glee. "Perfect timing! Witness, the battlefield of minds!"
With a dramatic flourish, she pulled out a compact wooden box from her magic bag and opened it to reveal a finely carved chessboard. It was nothing magical, just wood and care, but each piece had been custom-made in whimsical forms. The knights resembled tiny dragons rearing back on their hind legs. The pawns had a jellyfish-like curve to their heads. The rooks resembled phoenixes with their wings tucked close, while the bishops had the long ears and graceful pose of horned foxes. Even the queen and king pieces were adorned with exaggerated regal flairs, like crowns embedded with tiny colored stones.
She set the board atop a flat, copper-colored tree stump in the center of the playground, gesturing like a ringmaster unveiling a grand performance.
Jessica chuckled under her breath. "Here we go again."
Fahleena began explaining the rules in earnest, though her delivery leaned heavily into her chuunibyou tendencies. "These jellyfish soldiers march in single steps, but never underestimate their unity," she said, pointing at the pawns. "And this noble dragon charges in 'L'-shaped leaps to strike from unexpected angles."
Milea and Nilea tried to follow, eyes flicking between the uniquely designed pieces and Fahleena's overly grand explanations. Confusion slowly crept into their expressions.
Gigih leaned closer and whispered, "Maybe... just show them a game?"
"Indeed, Minister of Effects!" Fahleena declared, rising with the full majesty of a self-proclaimed celestial tactician. She extended one hand to the sky, fingers splayed as if grasping unseen stars. "Prepare the stage, for the hour of revelation is upon us! Let the world bear witness to a clash of fate and will, an astral demonstration of intellect transcending the mortal plane!"
Gigih sighed, visibly questioning every life choice that led him to this moment, but his hands were already weaving the light magic at her command.
Orchid stepped forward solemnly, raising two fingers to her blue eyes, revealing the golden rings in her pupils. "I, Orchid the Dawnblade, shall be your opponent."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Chuunibyou mode confirmed. Two of them. This is going to be great."
Gigih rolled his eyes but complied. With a subtle gesture, he summoned a soft visual illusion of sparkles and drifting starlight behind the two girls as they sat across from each other. The lights weren't necessary, but they added theatrical flair, something both Orchid and Fahleena demanded without asking. The match began.
Fahleena placed her hand over a phoenix-shaped rook, her eyes gleaming with otherworldly conviction. "Fly, O Radiant Flame of the Seventh Sun! Let your wings ignite the battlefield with dawn's decree! Carve a path of radiance through the void!"
She moved the piece with a dramatic flourish, as if commanding a celestial army rather than sliding wood across a board.
Orchid responded without hesitation, her fingers resting lightly on the horned fox bishop. "Stride, O Moonveil Oracle of the Everdawn! Guide my spirit with silver flame and silent howl!"
Jessica blinked, trying to follow the match. "What piece was that again?"
Gigih muttered, "Pretty sure that was a bishop."
Fahleena raised her queen, crafted to resemble a divine empress, and spoke as though invoking a ritual. "Empress of the Starbound Throne, unveil your dominion! March forth, and cast down false idols!"
Her voice echoed with artificial reverb, a haunting, celestial resonance layered over each syllable, thanks to a subtle touch from Gigih's illusion magic. The ethereal tone gave her words the weight of divine command, as if the sky itself acknowledged her move. The shimmering backdrop pulsed in rhythm with her declaration, casting radiant light across the chessboard like an omen descending from the heavens. The two elf children sat frozen in place, eyes wide and unblinking, breath caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief. Every flicker of light, every gesture, every flare of magical sound held them in spellbound awe, they didn't dare blink, afraid they might miss even a fragment of this divine drama unfolding before them.
Orchid responded in kind, her tone calm and resolute. "Let the Scarlet Heir of Rebirth descend, born from ash and war. Burn away the illusions that cloud destiny!"
The jellyfish-shaped pawns floated across the board under their command, no longer mere soldiers, but spectral entities called forth by the duelists' incantations. Turn by turn, they exchanged moves like sacred decrees.
"Awaken, my Draconic Vanguard of Twilight! Leap across the spiral constellation and strike with fang of order!"
"Shield me, Gleaming Custodian of Aether's Wall! Your wings form the last bastion between this realm and despair!"
Milea and Nilea watched in awe, their small hands clenched tightly in their laps, mouths agape as though struck silent by a miracle. Their eyes shimmered, reflecting the glowing illusions and the sweeping motions of the duelists across the chessboard. Every move, every declaration, every burst of light felt like prophecy in motion. The game no longer resembled a game, it was a ritual, a war of cosmic wills playing out on polished wood. The board gradually filled with pieces locked in sacred formations, each shift a heartbeat, each capture a clash of ideologies. The air grew heavier with anticipation, like the breathless moment before a thunderclap. Tension gathered above the chessboard like stormclouds waiting to break, not with rain, but with revelation.
Then, with the momentum of a prophet delivering divine revelation, Fahleena stood and pointed. "Now! Descend from the eternal corona, my Celestial Fang! Deliver the judgment of light, checkmate!"
Orchid blinked, momentarily stunned. Her eyes widened, then softened with reverence. "So the Wheel of Stars has turned. This vessel accepts the will of fate."
The children clapped wildly, caught between confusion and amazement.
Orchid narrowed her eyes with renewed vigor. "One more round. I shall rewrite destiny."
Gigih groaned softly, shoulders slumping as he resigned himself to another round of theatrical excess. With a flick of his fingers and a whispered chant, the illusions flared to life once more, this time even more elaborate. Cascading aurora lights swept across the sky above the board, painting it in shifting waves of violet, emerald, and gold. Glowing runes spun slowly through the air like orbiting glyphs, each one humming faintly with arcane resonance. The air itself shimmered with layered enchantment, turning the quiet playground into a divine stage suspended between realms. As the celestial radiance deepened, the second match began, not merely with strategy, but with the grandeur of a myth retold.
"Rejoice, O Spear of Solstice! Bathe the battlefield in luminous fire and sanctify the first move!", Fahleena move her jellyfish piece.
"Come, Crescent Flame of the Deep Sky! With curved blade and memory of starlight, claim the center of fate!"
Piece by piece, the apostolic chess war unfolded, part game, part divine theatre. The surrounding playground seemed forgotten, swallowed by the mystic battlefield of their imagination. Finally, after 36 turns of poetic declarations and light-crafted spectacle, Orchid declared in a clear, soaring voice:
"Now, by the Final Mandate of the Solar Phoenix Crown, ignite, ascend, and seal the cycle eternal! Divine Checkmate!"
Fahleena gasped, collapsing into a crouch with hand over her heart. "The stars... have spoken. My fate is sealed in holy flame."
Jessica had to sit down from laughing, nearly in tears. "I don't even know who won anymore. But I want to see this every day."
Milea and Nilea stood and bowed deeply again. "Please teach us the rites of astral chess, Great Ones!"
Jessica was on the ground, clutching her stomach with laughter. "I can't... I can't breathe..."
Fahleena stood, flipping her twin tails dramatically. "Their minds are now opened to the art of strategic fantasy."
"They probably still don't know how the phoenix rook moves," Gigih muttered.
"But they believe it flies," Fahleena said with pride.
---
Group C, Kyle and Sinryo, sat by the riverbank, a fishing rod in Kyle's hands while Sinryo lazed nearby with a blade of grass between his teeth.
"C'mon, c'mon... Gotcha, HEY!" Kyle shouted as the fish he reeled in made one final leap... and splashed back into the river.
"Pfft, HAH!" Sinryo burst out laughing. "That's the third one!"
"Shut up," Kyle grumbled. "Stupid slippery fish."
"You're the one who brought chocolate-flavored bait."
"It's genius bait!"
"It's fish, not dessert."
Kyle fumed while trying again, muttering about fish conspiracy theories. Sinryo just laughed harder, rolling onto his back, water splashing his boots.
---
Away from the theatrics of celestial chess and the riverside chaos, Group D found themselves nestled in a tranquil corner of the village, near a shaded grove where the afternoon sun filtered softly through the canopy.
A shallow stream babbled gently nearby, its crystal-clear waters perfect for washing away both travel dust and lingering dungeon grime. Adiw had stripped off his outer armor and dunked his head straight into the cold water with a satisfied grunt. Droplets flew everywhere as he rose, hair clinging to his face in messy red strands.
"Finally, something not trying to bite my head off," he muttered under his breath.
Nearby, Yetsan was far less chaotic in his approach. Wearing full armor even now, he had removed only a few pieces, just enough to begin meticulously scrubbing them with a soft cloth and a bucket of treated water. Each gesture was calculated, each corner polished until it gleamed. A slight frown crossed his face whenever a speck of dirt reappeared. It wasn't about defense, it was principle. Dirt was the enemy, and today he would win.
On a flat rock not far from them, Sakura sat comfortably on a folded blanket, steam rising from the tea she had just poured. A large bowl of stew, her fourth, rested beside her, the contents disappearing one spoonful at a time at impressive speed. Her face remained serene, cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed slowly. She looked like a monk in quiet meditation… if monks routinely ate like they'd skipped three festivals' worth of meals.
Gabyola sat across from her, poised and graceful, her silver hair catching the soft light like a ribbon of moonlight. She had laid out a small picnic: neatly arranged snacks, delicate flower-shaped pastries, and floral tea she brewed with methodical elegance. Every movement she made was careful, deliberate, refined, as if she were trying to anchor the day in calm civility.
"I thought we'd have more chaos," she murmured more to herself than anyone else, brushing imaginary dust from her lap.
Adiw stretched, then flopped down beside the stream. "Give it time. Kyle still exists."
Yetsan looked up from polishing a shoulder plate. "As long as he doesn't come near this area, I can maintain peace and hygiene."
Sakura, unfazed, simply went for another serving. A second stew bowl emerged from her magic bag like clockwork. No one questioned it anymore.
The grove was quiet, save for the occasional chirp of mana birds overhead and the rhythmic clink of Yetsan's armor pieces as he turned them over for another pass. A lazy breeze drifted through, tugging at strands of hair and carrying the scent of wildflowers and fresh tea.
It was a rare moment, no rituals, no monsters, no traps or flaming mishaps. Just the simple comforts of a clean stream, good food, polished armor, and a shared silence that didn't need to be filled.
For this afternoon at least, time drifted slowly… and for the four of them, that was exactly enough.
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