After Zeylan departed, Sirvan cast one final glance in the direction he had gone.
Then he turned to Eyria.
Sirvan: "Let's move toward the edge of Canria's borders. We may find something useful."
Eyria nodded.
Eyria: "Understood."
As they walked through the ruins and silence, Eyria finally broke the quiet, her voice hesitant.
Eyria: "Do you think the reason for the attack was... food?"
Sirvan stopped and looked at her in surprise.
Sirvan: "Food? You mean they wanted to devour the villagers?"
She nodded.
Eyria: "Yes. Perhaps their objective was simply to eliminate the people, not occupy the village. Strategically speaking, Canria's destruction doesn't have much of an impact on the capital."
Sirvan thought for a moment before answering.
Sirvan: "That is certainly possible... But what concerns me is that they didn't attack Canrio, even though it is closer and more important."
His voice grew more suspicious.
Sirvan: "And stranger still... how did we survive that attack? Who saved us? No one even saw who was responsible for our rescue."
Eyria lowered her voice as she gazed toward the sky.
Eyria: "Sometimes, I feel like we're living in the middle of a mirage... The closer we get to it, the farther away it becomes."
Sirvan nodded, placing his hand on the shaft of his spear.
Sirvan: "Since the end of the Great War against the darkness, we have never witnessed an attack like this. The presence of Dark King III himself in a small village... It makes no sense."
Eyria ran her hand across the dust covering the remains of a shattered wall. A dark glimmer of suspicion appeared in her eyes.
Eyria: "Could the reason be... the death of the legendary hero?"
Sirvan fell silent for a moment.
Then he asked:
Sirvan: "You mean Arons?"
She nodded.
Eyria: "Yes. He died years ago. He was the first person to possess the Light Element and master all the other elements as well."
She paused before continuing.
Eyria: "There are rumors that he had a daughter... but no one knows whether she is still alive, or even where she is."
Sirvan's expression darkened with concern.
Sirvan: "What if Dark King is searching for Arons' corpse?"
He imagined the possibility, his voice growing heavier.
Sirvan: "What if they intend to turn him into one of the Dark Soldiers?"
He looked toward the ruins.
Sirvan: "Imagine... forcing one of our greatest heroes to fight alongside them."
His expression became grim.
Sirvan: "Or what if they find his daughter... and take her power?"
He tightened his grip on his spear.
Sirvan: "That would be a catastrophe."
The Destroyed Gate
At last, they reached the ruined gate on the outskirts of the village, where several soldiers stood silently, staring at the devastation with sorrowful expressions.
One of them hurried toward them.
Soldier: "Commander Sirvan, Commander Eyria. The General is requesting your immediate presence. It's urgent."
Sirvan looked at Eyria.
Then he nodded.
Sirvan: "Let's go... Perhaps we'll finally learn more about this enemy's intentions."