One year later —
In the western region of the Realm of Consciousness stood a ruined palace, once belonging to Liora. Now, silence reigned within its broken walls. In one of its chambers, Lily still lay unconscious upon a bed. Beside her, sitting quietly, was Snehwal, holding her hand. From his palm flowed a soft, green spiritual energy, gently trying to merge into Lily's body. Snehwal focused intently, completely immersed in his effort to heal her.
After some time, he sat down in the same room in a meditative posture. Closing his eyes, he drew spiritual energy from the air flowing in all directions. When his body became filled with that divine power, he once again channeled it toward Lily. He had been repeating this process for an entire year, yet Lily neither regained consciousness nor did her soul completely leave her body.
She was trapped somewhere in between — neither alive nor dead.
And Snehwal, clinging to a fragile hope, continued his tireless effort every day and every night — to bring her back.
Liora came up to the door and peeked inside. Seeing Snehwal and Lily, a faint murmur escaped her lips —
"What kind of love is this…? A whole year has passed, yet Snehwal still hasn't lost hope. Truly, finding such a lover is rare. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have thought this way even once."
She stood there for a few moments, her gaze fixed on Lily. Then she said softly,
"You're very fortunate…"
Those words were meant only for Lily. Saying this, Liora slowly turned and walked away.
Snehwal was still holding Lily's hand. There was a burning determination in his eyes.
In a low but firm voice, he said
"Those four Yakshinis will have to pay for this. I don't care how powerful they are."
He took a deep breath and continued,
"I'll find another way… to bring you back sooner."
Saying this, Snehwal clasped Lily's hand tightly between both of his, as if pouring all his strength and promise into that single touch.
Then, with a broken heart, he slowly stood up, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
Darkness spread far from the palace; the deserted forest and the standing fortress looked terrifying. Master Jins, wrapped in a black robe, stood with his back turned and, advising Snehwal, said,
"In this land there are many groups and tribes. If we defeat them, we can seize their treasure and use it to heal Lily."
Snehwal stood with his arms folded and said, "No… I will not do that."
Master Jins turned with a faint smile and said, "Son, if you want to settle anywhere in this land, you will have to remove others from their place."
A slight fear filled Snehwal.
Master Jins said, "You are very soft-hearted. Have you not seen their cruelty? They capture the weak and force them to work. You could free them and become a savior… Besides, it seems you have forgotten the oath you swore a year ago — you only make words. You will be called weak."
Snehwal composed himself and, with a little anger, said, "I am not soft-hearted. I only wanted to be kind… but if this is the only way, I will not back down."
Master Jins said with a small smile, "Yes… this is the Snehwal I needed. I have been searching in the western lands for a year for a second bow technique for you — if you learn this, you will be able to release hundreds of arrows at once."
A sudden joy lit Snehwal's face. Breaking his quietness, he said gratefully, "Master… you have done a great thing."
Jins placed his finger on Snehwal's forehead. As the wind shifted and the leaves rustled, a faint glow appeared and Jins gave Snehwal the power to learn the method of releasing hundreds of arrows together.
In that moment Snehwal felt happy. He bowed two or three times — as if this blessing was the greatest favor of his life.
With his head still bowed he said, "Now I will myself teach order and law to all the nearby groups."
Jins sighed softly and said, "I will not let you go alone."
Snehwal replied confidently, "Do not worry, Master."
Jins spoke in a measured tone,
"Alright — then tonight turn this method into a technique. Practice all night; you will learn it. And yes, you have now also stepped into the Fourth Stage."
Snehwal nodded slightly in agreement and stood up with new resolve in his heart.