The searing heat of the Fire Realm had faded.
Now, before Aeren stretched a land unlike any other—a realm where the silence was heavy, not with fear, but with memory.
Prithvi Lok. The Earth Realm.
Here, the trees didn't just grow—they spoke.
The ground pulsed with a heartbeat that could be felt if you stood still long enough.
And the air carried the scent of soil—damp, alive, and filled with stories buried deep.
Aeren inhaled slowly. The peace here wasn't comforting.
It stirred something ancient within him.
Veera's voice was barely louder than the rustling leaves.
"This realm will not test your strength… but your soul."
"It will show you what you truly lost—not with your mind… but with your heart."
Aeren opened his mouth, perhaps to ask something…
But the words locked themselves behind his lips.
The Gate of Earth opened before him.
Its archway was made of mossy emerald stones.
And as Aeren stepped forward, the path beneath his feet unfolded—lush green vines curling into smooth steps, soft as breath.
From beneath the massive roots of a centuries-old tree, a soft golden light emerged—pulsing gently like a buried memory.
He reached out and touched the light.
And then—
His memory surged forward.
✨ Flashback
Laughter. Pure and ringing like wind chimes in spring.
A girl ran through a forest, barefoot, her hair a wave of brown curls.
Her eyes shimmered with the colors of the earth—deep green, warm brown.
There was no anger, no fear—only joy.
Her name was Lira.
The Princess of the Earth Realm.
She and Aeren had once been inseparable.
He used to race her to the tallest trees.
He taught her the names of all the flowers that bloomed after storms.
And on the banks of a glowing pond, he once told her—
"I'll always be with you, Lira."
"No matter where I go, no matter what happens."
And she had believed him.
But one day…
Aeren stood before her, face clouded with pain.
And said something that broke both their futures.
"I have to leave you… for your own good."
There were no tears in Lira's eyes that day.
Only silence.
And shattered trust.
🌍 Present
Aeren's eyes filled with tears.
He staggered back from the memory, breath trembling.
"I ran away…" he whispered.
"I didn't want her to be hurt… I thought leaving would protect her."
Veera stood quietly beside him, not offering comfort—only truth.
"That's when the pain truly began."
"Not for you… for her."
Suddenly, the earth trembled beneath their feet.
Aeren turned.
From the great branches of an ancient tree, a woman descended.
Leaves bowed as she passed—every flower bent toward her like she was sunlight.
It was Lira.
But not the girl from his memories.
She had changed.
She was now a queen—strong, grounded, commanding.
And yet, something in her eyes had withered.
The warmth that once danced there had faded.
In its place was a stony calm.
Not hatred… but the absence of feeling.
"So," she said softly, her voice like wind over stone, "you returned."
Aeren stepped forward, slowly.
"Not to ask for forgiveness," he said, "but to understand."
"To remember what I chose to forget."
Lira didn't reply immediately.
Instead, she bent down and picked up a smooth, glowing stone—
its surface swirling with golden threads of memory.
"This is your Smriti Patthar," she said.
"Your Memory Stone."
She held it out—but didn't let go.
"But before you touch it… answer me one thing."
Aeren met her eyes, unsure.
"Can you keep the promise… the one you broke?"
A silence passed between them.
The wind held its breath.
Aeren lowered his head.
"No," he said.
"I can't promise again what I once broke."
"But I can try—try until I no longer fail."
Lira's fingers trembled slightly.
She blinked.
And for the first time in years, a soft shimmer of emotion returned to her eyes.
Not quite love. Not yet.
But something near forgiveness.
She placed the stone in his palm.
And the moment he touched it—
The ground trembled.
From far beneath their feet… a deep, heavy sound echoed.
Like a lock turning after ages of silence.
A doorway split open beneath the oldest roots of the forest—hidden for eons.
Veera's eyes widened. Her voice shook.
"That… that is the Gate beneath the Crack."
"The place where no realm dares to go."
"Aeren… the Fifth Element is calling you now."