The world was quiet.
Not peaceful.
Not calm.
Just... quiet.
For the first time in years, there was no war demanding Jax Darquebane's immediate attention.
No collapsing kingdom.
No army marching toward Solmere.
No Chaos cult trying to destroy the continent.
The United Kingdoms thrived.
The people were happy.
Trade flowed.
The roads were full.
The gates remained active day and night.
Children laughed in cities that once feared starvation.
And yet—
Jax could not sit still.
It was late at night in Solmere.
The massive Darquebane manor overlooked the city from a gentle rise.
Below, magical lanterns illuminated paved roads and bustling nightlife.
Music drifted softly upward from restaurants and taverns.
A fountain near the city center glowed with layered fairy magic, shifting colors every few seconds.
To most people, it looked like paradise.
To Jax—
It looked complete.
And completion made him restless.
He sat alone on the balcony outside his private study.
Books covered the table.
Old maps.
Ancient journals.
Translated records.
Historical accounts copied from Alexandria's royal archives.
One particular book rested open in front of him.
The Life and Journey of Adam Lightbringer.
Jax leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temple.
The more he read about Adam Lightbringer, the stranger the story became.
Not because the man sounded unbelievable.
But because parts of him sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
The earliest preserved records painted Adam Lightbringer as a unifier.
A traveler.
A builder.
Someone fascinated with cultures and races different from his own.
According to the oldest surviving accounts, Adam openly welcomed beastkin into his cities.
He formed alliances with demi-humans.
Negotiated peace between warring tribes.
Encouraged trade and education.
One preserved text even described him as saying:
"The world grows stronger when people stop fearing what looks different."
Jax stared at that line for a long moment.
Because it sounded exactly like something he would say.
Or perhaps—
Something he already believed.
But newer texts told a different story.
The versions written within the last twenty years depicted Adam Lightbringer as humanity's greatest champion against "lesser races."
The same man who once welcomed beastkin was now portrayed as their conqueror.
Some books outright claimed he fought to establish human superiority.
Others painted beastkin as savage monsters Adam had heroically contained.
The contradictions were obvious once someone looked closely enough.
History had been edited.
Twisted.
Refined over generations until the original truth became buried beneath politics and propaganda.
Jax understood that all too well.
He had watched it happen in real time with Alexandria.
Had he died during the war, history likely would have twisted him eventually too.
Some future ruler might claim Jax Darquebane fought only for humans.
Or only for fairies.
Or only for power.
People remembered what benefited them.
Not always what was true.
Jax flipped another page.
A detailed illustration of Adam Lightbringer stared back at him.
Tall.
Broad shouldered.
Dark coat.
Sword at his side.
Surrounded by multiple races standing together.
The similarities made Jax uncomfortable.
Not because they looked alike.
But because Adam Lightbringer had supposedly claimed to be from another world.
A world with no magic.
A world with advanced technology.
A world…
Jax remembered.
Kind of.
That was the strange part.
Jax remembered the concept of Earth.
Cars.
Computers.
Coffee shops.
Electricity.
Movies.
History.
Economics.
Politics.
Engineering.
He remembered ideas.
Systems.
Knowledge.
Culture.
But when he tried to remember himself—
There was almost nothing there.
No face.
No family.
No childhood.
No clear memories of his own life.
It was like someone had deleted him while leaving the world intact.
Sometimes that realization bothered him more than he admitted.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
Nyxian stepped onto the balcony carrying two drinks.
One coffee.
One Pixie Mead.
Naturally, the Mead was for her.
"You're brooding again," she said casually.
"I'm researching."
"Same thing."
She sat beside him and glanced at the open book.
"The hero guy again?"
"Adam Lightbringer."
Nyxian leaned over the pages.
"Huh. He actually looks kind of cool in this drawing."
"He also apparently shattered a continental barrier."
That got her attention.
Nyxian paused mid-sip.
"What?"
Jax pointed toward an old map.
"The original records say the continents weren't always connected."
He flipped another page.
"These texts claim Adam discovered some kind of magical barrier surrounding the known world."
Nyxian frowned.
"And he broke it?"
"Apparently."
Jax leaned back again.
"The collision between continents afterward supposedly reshaped global trade routes, ecosystems, migration patterns… everything."
Nyxian stared at him.
"You think that's what happened with the Dark Continent?"
Jax nodded slowly.
"I think barriers exist to separate parts of the world."
"And you think there are more."
"I do."
Nyxian went quiet.
That was never a good sign.
Because when Nyxian stopped talking, it meant she was actually thinking seriously.
Which was terrifying.
Finally, she sighed.
"You want to go there."
Not a question.
A statement.
Jax smiled faintly.
"I'm curious."
"You're always curious."
"The Dark Continent has been isolated for generations. Entire civilizations exist there that we know almost nothing about."
Nyxian narrowed her eyes.
"You also think there may be other summoned heroes."
Jax didn't answer immediately.
Because she was right.
The possibility had been growing in his mind for months.
Adam Lightbringer claimed to come from another world.
Jax possessed knowledge from another world.
The similarities were impossible to ignore.
But unlike Adam—
Jax couldn't remember himself.
Only everything around himself.
It was unnatural.
And it raised questions he couldn't answer.
Questions he was beginning to suspect might exist beyond the ocean.
Nyxian rested her head against his shoulder.
"You know the Vixens are going to follow you no matter what, right?"
"I know."
"You also know Bunny is going to get excited and pack immediately."
"That's basically guaranteed."
Nyxian smiled softly.
"And Zee will spend three weeks preparing medical supplies for every possible disaster."
"Also guaranteed."
"And Llandra will secretly start organizing scouting routes by tomorrow morning."
Jax laughed quietly.
"Probably already has."
Nyxian looked toward the horizon.
Beyond the sea.
Beyond the known world.
"The Dark Continent scares people for a reason."
Jax nodded.
"I know."
"You still want to go."
"Yes."
Nyxian sighed dramatically.
"You are unbelievably problematic as a husband."
Jax smirked.
"And yet you married me anyway."
"That's because you're hot."
"Ah. Understandable."
The wind shifted softly across the balcony.
Below them, Solmere glowed with life.
A city born from impossible dreams.
Jax looked at it quietly.
Everything he built.
Everything they fought for.
Everything they protected.
And somehow…
Instead of making him feel complete—
It made him wonder what waited beyond the horizon.
Because deep down—
Jax Darquebane suspected the world was far larger than anyone realized.
And somewhere beyond the sea…
Answers waited for him.