The words echoed in Zego's mind like a death knell, burying his past. The silent gorge, where he had spent years in training, now felt like a prison that had locked him in the wrong time. The faces of the children he knew had grown taller, their voices deeper. Everything he remembered felt like a dream that had just passed, but reality forced him to accept that he had missed so much.
Zego spent his first day after waking up in contemplation. He sat by the riverbank, staring at his reflection, which was no longer that of a young boy filled with anger, but a 16-year-old youth whose eyes held a deep wisdom and suffering. His fingers touched the water, feeling its bone-chilling cold, but at the same time, he felt a new power flowing within him, an energy far more stable and potent than before. The leap in his strength was so immense that he found it difficult to measure, as if the entire energy system within his body had been completely rebuilt. He felt every muscle, every vein, and every cell in his body vibrating with a power he had never felt before.
Zego closed his eyes, trying to understand what had happened. His brain felt like a computer that had just received a massive upgrade, and he needed time to process all the new data. The feeling was strange. There was an immense sense of loss because the Elder was gone, but there was also a new sense of gratitude and power. He realized that the two years of deep sleep were not a loss, but a metamorphosis.
After the sun set, Zego finally decided to return to the village. He approached a group of elders who were gathered at the village hall, warming themselves by a bonfire. The scent of burning wood, the laughter of children who were now teenagers, and the whispers of mothers created a peaceful atmosphere, but Zego felt like a stranger in the midst of this familiarity.
"Uncles, Aunts," Zego greeted, his voice slightly hoarse and heavy. "What happened after I... passed out?"
An elder named Grandfather Borin, who was wise and respected in the village, smiled warmly, his eyes filled with relief. "Zego... we are so glad you woke up. We thought you would never return."
Grandfather Borin gestured for Zego to sit beside him. "During those two years, we couldn't take you anywhere. Your body was too weak after the fight against Commander Vald. You know, your Master, the Elder, never left you. He never slept, he never ate, he never drank. Every day, he sat by your side, making sure you didn't die."
Zego listened intently, his eyes fixed on the dancing flames. The guilt that pierced his heart grew deeper.
"Every time we saw you," Grandfather Borin continued, his voice slowly becoming serious, "the energy within you was exploding, like an uncontrollable fire. Your body was so hot, and we were afraid you would be destroyed from the inside. The Yin and Yang energies in your body seemed to be fighting each other. You were constantly screaming in pain in your sleep, and it was a horrifying sight."
Zego was shocked to hear this. So, the power he felt now was not the result of time, but the result of an internal battle he had been fighting for two years, which had nearly destroyed him.
"Your Master," Grandfather Borin continued, "would sit beside you every night, for hours. He would place his palms together above your chest, and the pure energy from his body would flow into you. He... he stabilized the exploding energy within you, as if he were extinguishing a raging fire. It was a great sacrifice. We saw him grow thinner, weaker every day."
An old woman named Grandmother Lia, who was sitting next to him, added, "He also healed your body, my boy. Your cracked bones, your deep wounds... he used rare medicinal herbs from the mountain peak to heal you. He never gave up. He always said, 'This child has a great destiny. He cannot die here'."
Zego's tears fell to the ground. He bowed his head, feeling how foolish he was for thinking the Elder had simply abandoned him. The Elder had not left him. The Elder had given everything for him. Zego now understood why the Elder had to go. His vital energy was completely drained to save Zego.
"Did... did the Elder say anything before he left?" Zego asked, his voice trembling.
Grandfather Borin nodded. "Yes. He said goodbye to us. He said his time to return had come, and he had to go to a place called the AETHEN Kingdom. He said that once you recovered, you must continue your journey there."
Hearing that name, Zego felt a strong premonition coming from his eyes and his heart. The AETHEN Kingdom. The name felt so familiar, yet he had never heard it before. A new destination, a hidden roadmap.
"Where... where is the AETHEN Kingdom, Grandfather?" Zego asked, his eyes radiating a fierce determination, dispelling all the sadness he felt.
Grandfather Borin shook his head. "Forgive us, Zego. We are just simple villagers. We don't know much about the outside world. But the Elder told me that the AETHEN Kingdom is in the east... across the mountains and the sea. He said, 'His journey will be very difficult, but it is the only way for him to find his answers'."
The information was vague, but it was enough. Zego now had a purpose. He would no longer be trapped in the past, mourning the time he had lost. He would move forward, searching for the Elder, searching for the truth about his father, and finding out what had happened to the world during the two years he was asleep.
That night, Zego could not sleep. He sat in front of the bonfire, contemplating. He knew that his journey would not be easy. He would have to face many dangers and enemies far stronger than Commander Vald. But he was not alone. He had the new power given to him by the Elder, and he had a promise, both spoken by his mother and by the Elder.
Zego looked to the east, toward the towering mountains, and he knew that beyond those mountains, across the sea, there was a kingdom waiting for him. He would go there. He would find the Elder, and he would discover the truth hidden behind his eyes and his past.