A Journey That Changed The World

Leira’s hands paused over the controls, her gaze darting between the viewport and the others. ”Then we stay quiet and keep our distance,” she said firmly. ”I’m boosting the mana range to check for any structures or anomalies nearby. If there’s a realm hidden out there, we’ll find it, without getting crushed in the crossfire.”

As the crew watched, the crab landed a devastating blow, its pincer shearing through the eel’s tail. The wounded creature let out another bone-chilling screech, its movements growing frantic. The crab pressed its advantage, but the eel wasn’t finished yet, thrashing as it fought to survive.

The ocean itself seemed to tremble with the power of their struggle, and the women could only watch, hearts pounding, as the battle unfolded. Just then, Mary stepped forward, her green eyes narrowed as she revealed. ”The Ironclaw will try to attack us next. I’ll go deal with it before it can do any damage.”

Hemera was about to speak, but the older woman vanished, appearing outside the window while transforming into her Nameless Thing form. The group watched as a massive snake grew around the sub. Once the change was complete, Mary lunged for the crab, trapping it with her body, crushing it into nothing.

Blood washed out and blocked the view from the sub annoying the women as the machine began traveling through the Deep Sea. Soon, the older woman rejoined them and materialized in the viewing room, muttering. ”Damn creatures are beginning to get annoying.”

”They will only get worse,” Hemera revealed. ”We’re coming up the Blackwater Chasm, our first stop on this journey.

***

As the first group explored deep underwater, Archer was walking through the streets of Starfall, the old capital of the Avalon Empire. The place was a ghost town until he came upon the square, only to stop short when getting a vision of three young men arguing in this very place.

”Baren! Father said we can rebuild this place!” A blue haired young man exclaimed. ”It’s Mother Leira’s homeland, she’d love if it rose again.”

”What’s the point?” A white-haired young man retorted, a mocking expression appeared on his face. ”We can rebuild this whole continent and it won’t make any of our parents happy!”

”Enough, Jackson, Baren!” an older boy interrupted sharply, his face etched with determination. ”We’ve been entrusted with restoring this place to its former glory, as it was in Mama’s time. Father will honor us if we succeed.”

Archer watched as the two younger boys turned to their older brother. His eyes widened at the sight of lion-like ears atop the newcomers head, a trait shared with Nala, who stood in front of him. ”Aslan,” he murmured. ”It seems you’ve inherited my wisdom and compassion.”

His gaze shifted to the white-haired Baren, whose fiery temper and skepticism mirrored his own flaws. Then he looked at the youngest who must be Jackson, a male reflection of Demetra, with vivid violet eyes that radiated his kindness and love. He was shocked as he thought. ‘Have my sons gained different parts of me?’

Archer’s gaze lingered on the three boys, their resemblance to himself and the women he loved stirring an odd sense of familiarity. Yet, he didn’t know them, not truly. As he processed their presence, three more young men emerged from a nearby road, their footsteps crackling leaves that covered the cobblestones.

Each carried a distinct air that tugged at something deep inside Archer, as if they mirrored fragments of a self he barely recognized anymore. The first to step forward was a tall youth with a roguish grin and hazel eyes that sparkled with mischief. His eyes widened as he realized whose son this was. ‘Llyniel!’

The young man’s short brown hair caught the fading light, and his easy, playful movements suggested he could turn any moment into a game. Archer didn’t know his name, but the boy’s carefree energy reminded him of his own youthful days, when he’d teased his way out of tense moments with a joke.

There was a warmth to this stranger, a loyalty that shone through, as if he’d rally others with a laugh when hope faltered. ”Brothers!” the boy suddenly said, a big smile crossing his face. ”I’m glad we could meet up outside of college, the mothers have us on a strict routine when it comes to learning.”

Aslan and the other two turned to the newcomer as the eldest spoke. ”Lorienn, it’s good to see you little brother.”

Following that, came a broad-shouldered young man who he recognized as Kassandra’s son with the same black hair, his face carved with quiet intensity. His violet eyes scanned the group methodically, each step measured, his hands clasped behind his back as if already sizing up the task ahead.

”Greetings, brothers. We need to show father that we’re serious about helping the empire. You know he won’t promote us because we’re his sons,” he said, looking at each one.

”Eldrin, you need to lighten up little brother,” Baren said. ”You remind me too much of father when his working on something important.”

”Maybe because this city means something to him?” Eldrin retorted, annoyed. ”This is where he met Mother Leira and wants to bring it back for her.”

Archer felt a jolt of recognition of the seriousness he carried, a mirror of the resolve he had forged through years of hard choices. Eldrin’s stern gaze held a flicker of protectiveness, a trait he knew from his own moments of stepping up. The last was a lean figure, sharp-featured and brimming with energy, his fingers tapping a rhythm against his sword.

”Brothers, did you not notice the way father asked us six to do it?” the newcomer said, blonde hair cut short just like his style.

‘Lucrezia’s son,’ he thought when seeing the newcomer.

”Yes, he was emotional,” Jackson added, smiling. ”It’s good to see him like that, especially after being injured by that dumb goddess.”

Archer noticed the others looked sad as Aslan reassured. ”Yes, Drenvar we all noticed, it’s why we’re here

”We can do it, especially when big sister Freya finally appears,” Lucrezia’s son replied to his elder brother.

Drenvar’s red eyes darted about, drinking in every detail, and his voice, when he spoke, carried a curious edge. He didn’t know him, yet the boy’s whirlwind of ideas and impulsive spark felt like an echo of his own younger self, always chasing new plans or unraveling mysteries.

There was a brilliance there, tempered by a hint of recklessness he knew too well. While standing there he watched his sons get to work as Lorienn used his Nature Magic to clear the vines and creeping trees that grew from the street. Just then, the scene started to fade and he reappeared in Starfall.

A smile stretched across his face and thanked Maria, the Mana Goddess for passing it on from a strange woman who wouldn’t meet him. He wrapped his cloak arouns him as the cold weather intensfied thanks to the Long Winter. Snow was covering everything from benches to abandoned stalls.

Archer soon realized that between the Great War, monster attacks, famine and now the weather, everyone had left the central regions of Pluoria thanks to the wilderness taking over. and life becoming hard Trees were sprouting from the street while vines covered buildings in their tangly mess.

He continued walking through the city and spotted shops he took the girls out when they were youngers. The memories flooded back, a smile stretched across his face as he noticed one cafe they weren’t while attending the College of Magic. Thinking of that place, he remembered Ophelia was now living on Draconia.

Over the years, she’d withdrawn from the world, embracing a recluse’s life, refusing to see him. Each time he ventured to her secluded cabin nestled deep in the rugged mountains of Draconia, she turned him away, her door remaining firmly closed. Undeterred, he chose to teleport directly to her sanctuary.

When Archer materialized in the clearing outside her cabin, the sight that greeted him was unexpected. The once-solitary retreat now hummed with signs of life. She had transformed the surroundings into a self-sustaining homestead. A sturdy barn, newly erected, its wood blending seamlessly with the natural landscape.

This was proof to her resourcefulness, built to shield her newfound livestock from the biting chill of the mountain winters. As Archer approached, he noticed a faint glow emanating from within the barn, accompanied by the soft crackle of a fire. Intrigued, he got closer and peered inside.

The warmth of the fire not only kept the biting cold at bay but also cast a cozy light over an assortment of animals. Chickens clucked contentedly, their feathers ruffled as they nestled in straw-lined coops. Pigs snorted softly, rooting in their pen, while a handful of goats and a single cow lounged in the far corner.

‘This place is peaceful,’ he thought, admiring the scene.

Just then, a soft voice sounded from behind him. ”Hello, Archer. It’s been many years since I’ve seen your face.”