The archer descended from the sandy hill with confident steps, his leather armor reflecting the pale light of this strange world. He stopped in front of them coolly, inspecting their silk garments torn by sand and their old-fashioned swords.
Nerar: "Your clothes are strange, and your swords look like they were taken from a history museum… Who are you? And how did you dare enter the 'Burrower' territory without supplies or effective weapons?"
Ortinus (breathing heavily): "I am Ortinus, and these are my companions. We fell into this hell against our will. And… thank you for the arrow. Without it, I'd be nothing but a memory now."
Nerar (coldly): "I am Nerar, a warrior from the land of Ziula. I'm not interested in thanks. I'm interested in how you reached the Second World… You resemble the humans of the First World."
Romilius stepped forward to explain: "We were in the middle of the sea. A white gate opened and pulled us in… That's all we know."
As Romilius spoke, Nerar noticed something protruding from Ortinus's pocket. The blue feather was still glowing faintly. Nerar froze in place, his face suddenly paling.
Nerar (with a trembling voice): "Take it out… Take that thing out now!"
Ortinus carefully pulled out the feather. The moment it rested in his palm, Nerar staggered two steps back, shaking with fear.
Nerar: "Impossible… The Blue Dragon's Feather? It's the key to the gates! Do you have any idea what you're holding? Centuries ago, only one man possessed it—his name was Lios. A mad explorer obsessed with the idea that another world existed beyond ours… what you call the First World."
Romilius (with interest): "Lios? What did he do with it?"
Nerar: "Lios found the feather and spent his life on failed experiments. He traveled across all the continents of the Second World, trying to open a breach in the Water Barrier, but he always failed. In the end, he reached a legendary place called 'Ashil,' very far from here. There, he placed the feather inside an ancient energy shell, and a great gate opened—sending him to your world."
Nerar fell silent for a moment, looking at them with pity, then continued:
"It seems what happened was an 'exchange.' When Lios placed the feather in Ashil and opened the gate to your world, a rift opened at the exact location where you were. He was transferred to your world… and you were brought here in his place. As for the feather, after fulfilling its purpose, it flew through the gate and was cast by the winds until it reached this tunnel."
Darius (shocked): "So we're here because of an old explorer who wanted to go sightseeing in our world?"
Pikos: "What rotten luck! The ship is gone, the king is gone, and even lunch is gone—all for a failed experiment!"
Ortinus: "So Lios is now in Actanus? In our world?"
Nerar: "Yes. He is there, exploring your lands… and you are stuck here in the Second World."
Ortinus: "I don't care about Lios or his experiments. We must return now. My father was killed, and my kingdom is collapsing. I won't stay here a single minute longer!"
Nerar (with a mocking laugh): "Return? Ashil is months away on foot, through forests of death and frozen plains. And the feather alone isn't enough—you need the 'shell' that lies there for it to work again."
Nikos (firmly): "I've crossed raging seas, Nerar. Sand and snow won't stop me. If the path begins at Ashil, then to Ashil we will go."
Romilius: "Nerar, you know this land. Help us reach it, and I will teach you wisdom and philosophy from our world beyond anything a human could imagine."
Nerar looked at Ortinus and saw in his eyes the same flame that once burned in Lios the explorer—but tinged with vengeance.
Nerar: "Lios was a friend of my grandfather… Perhaps you have the right to reclaim your world, just as he reclaimed his dream. I'll take you to the borders of Ashil. But I warn you—the Second World shows no mercy to those who wish to leave it."
Ortinus (closing his fist around the feather): "Then let us begin. Lios took my place in my world, and I will take the feather to bring myself back to it."
Pikos (sighing): "Months of walking? Nerar, is there any restaurant on the road to Ashil?"
Nerar (with a mysterious smile): "You'll eat tree roots and monster meat, fat one. Prepare yourselves—the journey begins now."