Three days had passed since he arrived at the Ahklar clinic. The icy morning wind cooled his skin; the young man gazed at the horizon with curiosity and longing.
'What a beautiful landscape,' he thought. 'Are there more beautiful places? What do the other Ecos think? I want to explore the world.'
The village was surrounded by grasslands where they grew their food, and beyond that stretched a dense forest that vanished into the horizon. In the clear, blue sky, birds from the Old World and the New World flew freely.
The young man shifted his gaze to the television mounted on the wall of his room.
'Now that I remember… I could see things from the world through this device.'
He turned it on and remained standing about two meters away.
The news channel they had left on appeared. It showed the broadcast of his continent: Lonrion. The anchor wore a white dress, had pink hair, and yellow eyes. At the bottom of the screen, a title read: Seraphine Roseveil, Main Anchor.
"…where we were fortunate enough to secure an interview with him. Just moments after stepping off his ship, he agreed to answer a few questions regarding the famed expedition to the unknown continent—a place which, as a reminder, was discovered three months ago by navigator and captain Amis Misnitre. Today, we finally have progress on what lies there."
The image transitioned to a pier, revealing a man dressed in deep wine-red attire made of the most exotic fabric. Only his upper torso was visible. His hair was sapphire blue, matching his beard—which, though long, was meticulously groomed.
What caught the young man's attention most were his light blue eyes, striking against his serious, slightly furrowed expression.
"Was the two-month journey to the new continent worth it? Did you find anything there that could benefit humanity?" asked the reporter, off camera.
"Of course it was worth it. Every expedition benefits those that follow," he replied. "For now, however, we don't believe it's a habitable place. And if it ever is, that day is still far off." His voice was deep and confident.
As the man spoke, a title appeared at the bottom of the screen: Syr Arkael Noxarion, Champion of the Horizon. Current World Top 5.
"Top five…?" the young man murmured. "Is he an Echo?"
"Will you attempt another expedition soon, or wait some time?"
"For now, we'll take a few days. My men need rest—and time to consider our next move. Perhaps the most sensible option is to form a larger group before venturing deeper into the unknown continent. Volunteers?" A brief laugh escaped him.
Arkael exhaled, glancing toward where the cameras couldn't follow, and added:
"That place is… crawling with Colossi and Titans. I'd even dare say what we encountered one day was a Lord."
Camera flashes engulfed him nonstop.
"In the two months we spent there, we didn't encounter a single animal, beast, or monster under thirty meters tall," he said, sighing. "At least for now, it's an extremely dangerous place. We've dubbed it: the Uninhabitable Continent."
"Does that mean it surpasses your strength?"
Arkael laughed at the question and replied playfully:
"Nothing surpasses my strength. I just need a… little help." He winked, followed by a sly smile.
"Any message you'd like to give humanity—or our viewers?"
"Hmm… On behalf of the Order of the Hounds, we promise to eradicate any threat to humanity and the Ecos alike. On our next expedition, we swear we'll bring back the heart of a Titan to the lands of Lonrion."
The interview ended as Arkael stepped out of frame amid flashing cameras. The transition returned to Seraphine, who concluded:
"And those were the words of one of today's living legends—Syr Arkael Noxarion, one of the most influential Ecos, and perhaps the most important of our era. We'll take a short break and return after these messages."
The young man, watching silently, sat down on his bed and gently touched his bandages.
"A legend… even with our curse?"
At that moment, someone knocked on the door, drawing his attention.
"Knock, knock. Good morning, pretty eyes."
"Ah, good morning, Miss Nashira."
"How are you feeling today? Still haven't brought your breakfast?"
"Yes, they left it on the table, but I'm not very hungry."
"You have to eat to recover. I know your metabolism is better than a human's, but you still need food," she said, sitting on the small stool in front of him.
Nashira picked up the tray and utensils, removed the transparent cover over the food, and said:
"I'll feed you. Open up."
"Mm…"
"What? Don't tell me you're embarrassed."
The young man stared at her with those innocent, pure eyes—something that made Nashira lose her composure.
'Those eyes are so beautiful…,' she thought. The reason she came every day was precisely to see them.
Nashira smiled tenderly, never breaking eye contact, and spoke softly:
"Don't look at me like that, or you'll melt my heart."
"Um?" he murmured, tilting his head to the side.
"By the way, now that I remember—you don't have a name, do you?" The young man shook his head. "I've been thinking of one this whole time. If you don't like it, you can reject it," she added with an awkward smile.
Nashira gently held his cheeks with both hands, making him look directly at her.
"We all need a name. And I've never seen eyes this beautiful. We found you in your purest, untainted moment—aside from your wound, something that damaged that purity and innocence. I'd prefer your name to carry symbolism tied to your existence, not just be another ordinary one."
She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and, gazing into his eyes, said:
"Eden. From now on, your name will be Eden."
She leaned back slightly, showing her palms nervously, smiling shyly.
"Of course, if you don't like it, you can choose another one someday."
"Eden… What does it mean?"
"It refers to the first creation. Something pure and untainted, that eventually became corrupted and brought a curse upon humanity. That's what ancient texts say. And I love your eyes, Eden." She smiled, closing her eyes.
Eden looked up at the ceiling, trying to process the moment—but his thoughts were soon overtaken by something else.
"Miss Nashira, I want to understand how that Echo on the television gets to know the world. I want to know it too."
"Do you mean what the Ecos do?"
"Yes. Mister Aren said they're saviors of the world. I want to go outside and discover creatures."
"We can go. There's nothing stopping us. But first, you have to finish your breakfast. So come on—be a good, obedient boy and eat, Eden."