Farewell
After bidding farewell to Sky City, Jon moved forward with hope for his destination, while Victor walked with a broken heart. The golden towers of Sky City had now disappeared from their sight, and the dense jungle surrounding them marked the beginning of a new journey.
Victor walked in silence, his mind still entangled in thoughts of Alina. Seeing his somber expression, Jon tried to lighten the mood with a playful remark—
"Were there not enough girls among humans that you went to fall for an angel?"
Victor didn't respond. He simply kept looking ahead, as if Alina's image was still lingering in front of his eyes.
Jon tried again to make him laugh—
"Just leave her behind and move on. Besides, why would angels ever fall for humans?"
Victor looked up slightly and, with a touch of sadness in his voice, said—
"Why do you think that angels cannot love humans?"
His words carried deep sorrow. As he spoke, his body trembled slightly. Jon realized Victor's pain and put his arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a comforting embrace.
"Hey Victor, are you okay? Did you really love Alina?"
Victor didn't say a word. His eyes welled up with tears, and slowly, they rolled down his cheeks. Jon now understood that Victor wasn't just attracted to Alina—he was emotionally deeply connected to her.
After a few moments, Victor spoke in a trembling voice—
"Even if Alina had told me gently that she couldn't come with me, I wouldn't have felt so bad... But why was her behavior so cold and distant?"
Jon, trying to reason with him, said—
"She must have had her reasons. But I believe she prioritized her age and experience over emotions."
Victor frowned in confusion and asked—
"What do you mean?"
Jon, with a serious tone, said—
"Zenisha told me that Alina is one of the earliest angels. Her age is over 10,000 years. In all these years, she never married anyone. Maybe that's why she rejected you too."
Victor listened intently, but his eyes were filled with uncertainty. He was struggling to fully grasp what Jon was saying. Seeing this, Jon further explained—
"Victor, angels are immortal. They never die of age and remain forever young."
Victor, now more serious, said—
"But Alina still looks only 25, and even her behavior matches that of someone her age."
Jon, trying to motivate him, said—
"If you can uncover the truth behind the angelic curse and find a way to break it, then who knows? You might get Alina back!"
Jon's words had a strong impact on Victor. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and with determination, declared—
"I will find out about the curse and free Alina from it!"
Jon smiled and patted his back—
"Now that's the spirit of a true warrior!"
With renewed determination, both continued their journey. The jungle grew denser, and the darkness deepened. A cool breeze rustled through the trees, breaking the eerie silence of the forest. From here on, their real test was about to begin…
After a long day of walking, Jon and Victor finally stopped to rest. They gathered some dry wood and lit a fire. The flames flickered, casting long shadows on the trees. The jungle around them was eerily silent, except for the distant rustling of leaves in the cold night breeze.
Jon, staring into the fire, broke the silence—
"Going to Sky City has greatly increased our strength and stamina. Normally, it would take ten years of training to gain this much skill."
Victor nodded and added—
"I felt it too. I've become a professional swordsman now."
Jon smirked. "That means we can face dangers more easily now."
Victor, still lost in thought, sighed— "Yes… but we still left something behind."
Jon immediately understood that he was talking about Alina. He didn't want Victor to drown in those emotions again, so he quickly changed the topic—
"Instead of stopping here, we should keep moving through the night. The sooner we reach Gandharva Region, the better. We might find valuable information there."
Hearing this, Victor immediately stood up and said—
"Then why are we still sitting here? We should move forward!"
Jon chuckled, shaking his head—
"Looks like my brother's heart still beats for an angel."
They both laughed, and in the dim light of the moon, they continued their journey. The cool night air carried an unsettling silence as they walked deeper into the unknown.
A Mysterious Descent
After traveling for half the night, they reached a place where the jungle suddenly ended. In front of them lay a steep, dark slope that plunged into the unknown. The path ahead was completely invisible in the darkness, as if leading into a bottomless abyss.
Jon stopped at the edge and hesitated—
"We should wait for sunrise before moving forward."
Victor, however, had a different thought. His eyes narrowed as he examined the slope—
"I think we should take the risk. We don't have time to waste."
Jon looked at Victor, sensing his urgency. But was it really wise to step into the unknown without knowing what lay ahead?
The Depths of Darkness
Jon could have convinced Victor to stop, but he understood his emotions. With a faint smile, he said—
"For you, even my life is at stake. Let's move forward."
Both of them stepped onto the dark slope. This was no ordinary path. There was nothing but dense darkness around them, as if they were descending into an endless abyss. A cold breeze occasionally blew past them, and faint rustling sounds added to the eerie silence of the deep jungle.
The Infinite Descent
They moved forward cautiously, carefully placing each step. The ground beneath them was unpredictable—sometimes firm, sometimes suddenly soft. Occasionally, small stones dislodged from under their feet and tumbled downwards, their echoes continuing for a long time, hinting at the unfathomable depth of this place.
Two hours had passed, yet there was no end in sight to the descent. Jon paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. He glanced around, but all he could see was darkness.
"By now, we could have descended from the Himalayas," Jon remarked seriously.
Victor nodded in agreement, worry lines appearing on his forehead. Even the air had grown colder, and a thick fog was beginning to form in patches.
The Mysterious Light
Then, suddenly, Victor's eyes lit up! He pointed forward and said—
"Look! There's some light ahead!"
Jon immediately turned his gaze in the same direction. Far ahead, in the darkness, a faint light flickered.
It wasn't steady; it wavered slightly, like the trembling flame of a torch.
"Could it be fire?" Jon murmured, his voice cautious.
"Or a doorway to another world?" Victor replied in a mysterious tone.
Now, they had two choices—
1. Move towards the light and see what it is.
2. Stay back and assess the situation before proceeding.