"Aether looked at Scar, noticing the signs of worry and suspicion on his face before he began to speak."
"But what exactly happened? How could something intangible like hope possibly save a land that's facing destruction?"
"That's enough, Aether. I won't answer any more questions for now. Before anything else, I must offer you proper hospitality. It isn't right to keep my guests exposed in the middle of the forest without a suitable place for discussion."
"Emily grew uneasy, realizing they had been delayed for too long. A sense of urgency pressed on her—it was time to go back before someone discovered they had disappeared."
"W—wait, we can't go! Our families will notice we're missing."
"Scar turned to her with a calm smile, gesturing at the surroundings as he spoke gently."
"You've already entered Nivar. The very fact that you can see me standing here before you is proof of that."
"His words unsettled them. Neither of them could recall crossing any sort of gate mentioned in the book, and so they quickly asked:"
"But we never entered the gate. How could we possibly be in this place?"
"Ah, you mean the gate that only opens to those who have the courage to face the first rays of dawn, don't you? Yes, that one doesn't appear in the world you came from… but if you look behind you, you'll see it"
"And indeed, when they turned their heads, they saw a magnificent gate fused into the side of a towering mountain. The sight was staggering—completely different from what they had seen just moments before. They could swear they were looking straight at the main street before stepping here, but now the place felt entirely separate. While their minds struggled to process the shock, Scar's voice called out to them"
"You see, time flows differently here. In fact… the gate you passed through was a 'Freeze Gate.' That means you are in a different time and a different place. But when you return, you'll find yourselves back in the same moment and location you left. Anyway, come along now—we have an important discussion ahead… and some tea as well."
"After arriving at his cabin, which appeared old and worn, Scar opened the door, the wooden hinge creaking loudly. He entered first, stepped aside, and gestured for them to follow."
"Welcome. Please, make yourselves at home. I know it's humble, but it's the closest thing we have for now."
"The two stepped inside. Aether's eyes scanned the room, taking in the surroundings: swords, scrolls, books, and even a map of the land. Emily, meanwhile, kept her focus intently on Scar himself."
"What's all this stuff? Is that a real sword? And wow—there's a map too!"
"Scar guided them to a seating area before moving to the other side of the room. He placed a steel kettle over the fire to brew tea, then returned and sat across from them, ready to speak."
"Well, I suppose it's time for proper introductions. I am Scar, one of the inhabitants of Nivar. I asked for help from people outside our world because the current situation is the worst it has been in the last five centuries"
Here's why:
Every thousand years, a person known as the 'Hero of Nivar' appears. This person is tasked with rekindling hope among the people of this world. Due to the nature of life here, many kinds of beings exist—humans, jinn, dwarves, fairies known as symbols of goodness and fertility… but there are also those who choose the path of darkness. A hero must rise to prevent them from seizing control and spreading injustice. This is essential to maintain balance. However…"
Scar paused briefly. Emily asked with concern
"However what?... What happened over the last five centuries?"
"Alright, I'll explain. Five centuries ago—exactly 500 years—the cycle repeated itself. It was time for the Hero of Nivar to appear… and that hero was me"
"Aether and Emily stared at him in disbelief. Aether finally spoke"
"Well? Did you succeed?"
"Scar lowered his head, weighed down by shame, and began speaking in an unsteady voice"
"When I was chosen as the hero, the vision came to me in a dream. Strangely, the situation was stable—there was no visible enemy. People saw me as a liar, as if I were just seeking attention. When I tried to repeat the vision and prove myself… my own family disowned me because of the bad reputation I brought as a 'false hero.'"
"Aether fell silent, trying to process what he was hearing. Suddenly, he felt moisture on his cheeks and realized—he was crying. Emily looked at him in surprise. She knew Aether well; he never cried in front of anyone."
"Aether? Why are you crying… Do you even realize you're shedding tears?"
Aether wiped his cheeks and shook his head, signaling that he hadn't even noticed.
"I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt the tears… But why?"
"They both turned to Scar, searching for an explanation. He nodded gravely before continuing"
"I'll explain what just happened after I finish my story. Back then, when everyone saw me as nothing but a nuisance, I was just a sixteen-year-old teenager. The pressure was more than I could bear… And in that moment, the greatest evil was born."
Their attention sharpened. Scar went on:
"That day, I found myself standing outside my house, walking aimlessly. By the time I reached the city gate, rage was boiling inside me—I felt like I was about to explode. The next moment, I collapsed to my knees… and a shadow in my exact shape began emerging from my back, as if trying to escape. Unfortunately, it succeeded. It laughed hysterically, knelt beside me, and whispered"
"I will make you see your worst nightmares"
"Then he vanished suddenly, as if he had evaporated into thin air—as if he had never existed at all. But he had been there, and that terrified me. In that moment, I fled to the eastern forests, far from any human settlement, where the worst monsters you could ever encounter dwelled. Many things happened... but in the end, since I could barely stay alive, I asked for your help."
"They looked at him, a thousand questions swirling in their minds. After a moment, Emily spoke"
"But... how can we help you? We're dealing with monsters, not humans or creatures we can defeat with our bare hands."
Aether added, his eyebrow raised in confusion:
"Emily's right. And you still haven't explained why you look exactly like me."
"Scar nodded before answering"
"As for how we'll handle this, we'll discuss that later. As for our resemblance... it's because we are both Heroes of Nivar. You are me, but from a different world. This means even Emily has a counterpart here in Nivar. However, this only happens to Travelers, as mentioned in the Hero's Guide you hold."
"Aether raised an eyebrow momentarily before noticing that the book indeed had the words "Hero's Guide" engraved on it. Before he could speak, Scar continued"
"By the way, this book is different from the one you brought. You can open it and see for yourself."
"Aether nodded and sat beside Emily. She tilted her head gently, her hair spilling over his shoulder as they began to read together. Aether started reading the first page aloud"
To be continue....