The city felt different the moment the ship docked.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't obvious.
But something in the air had changed—like the world had taken a shallow breath and was afraid to exhale.
Luka stepped off the ship last, his boots touching the stone floor with a dull sound. His eyes scanned the surroundings automatically, instincts sharpened by something he couldn't name.
Kael stretched his arms. "Alright, that was depressing. Can we now go somewhere that doesn't feel like it's about to collapse?"
Arelia smirked. "This entire city feels like it's one bad decision away from doing exactly that."
Eren frowned, looking around. "People are quieter than before."
They were.
Conversations dropped mid-sentence. Guards stood straighter. Even the vendors spoke in half-whispers, as if raising their voices might draw the attention of something unseen.
Luka felt it again.
That pressure.
Not attacking.
Not threatening.
Just… watching.
So it's closer now, he thought.
They moved deeper into the city, unknowingly heading toward its heart.
Tall structures began to rise around them—old towers covered in glowing runes, streets paved with stone that felt older than history. The crowd thinned the further they went.
Kael muttered, "Funny. For a city that's alive, the center feels… abandoned."
"That's because people avoid it," Eren replied. "Too many legends."
Arelia tilted her head. "Legends don't scare people this much."
Luka stopped walking.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"…Someone's coming," he said quietly.
Before anyone could ask more, the air shifted.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Unhurried.
From between the towering buildings emerged a man clad in dark armor, worn but meticulously maintained. His presence alone bent the mood of the street.
People froze.
Some stepped back.
Others bowed instinctively.
Kael swallowed. "…Don't tell me."
Eren whispered, "Feno."
The man's eyes were calm—too calm. They carried no arrogance, no hunger. Just certainty. Behind him, several figures followed, each radiating disciplined strength.
Feno walked past them without a glance.
Yet the pressure spiked.
Luka's heartbeat quickened—not from fear, but recognition.
So it's him.
Someone nearby whispered, "That's him… the one who killed the Blacked Evil Dragon."
Another voice trembled. "No one has ever beaten him."
Feno stopped suddenly.
The whispers died.
He turned slightly—not toward Luka's group, but toward the inner district.
"…It's calling," he said softly.
One of his companions stiffened. "Captain?"
"The Seal," Feno replied. "It's restless."
A murmur spread among his team.
"But… we weren't ordered—"
"I know," Feno interrupted calmly. "This isn't an order."
Then, after a brief pause, "It's a pull."
Without waiting, he resumed walking.
Arelia exhaled slowly. "That man… doesn't feel human."
Luka didn't answer.
Because somewhere deep inside, something ancient had shifted again.
The deeper they went, the quieter the world became.
No vendors.
No guards.
No civilians.
Only stone. Runes. Silence.
At the end of the path stood it.
The Seal.
A massive structure of layered stone and light, etched with symbols no living scholar fully understood. Chains of glowing energy wrapped around it, humming softly—like a heartbeat forced into rhythm.
Eren whispered, "So this is it…"
Kael frowned. "I don't like this place."
Arelia felt her skin prickle. "Neither does my mana."
Luka stepped forward slowly.
The Seal reacted.
A faint vibration ran through the chains.
And far away—
Very far away—
Vicky opened his eyes.
The world around Vicky distorted as he moved.
Distance meant nothing.
Space folded—not violently, not dramatically—but naturally, as if reality itself made way for him.
His steps were silent.
Yet each one carried weight.
The closer he got, the louder the pressure became—not for him, but for everything else.
The Seal trembled.
Feno stopped walking.
His breath hitched.
His hand trembled—not from fear, but from something deeper.
"…This feeling again," he murmured.
His team looked at him in confusion. "Captain?"
"I don't know why," Feno continued, his voice strained, "but… every time I stand here…"
His knees shook.
Luka felt it too—and his eyes widened slightly.
No way…
Before anyone could react—
Feno dropped to one knee.
The sound echoed like thunder.
His armor hit the stone, and his head bowed instinctively.
His team froze in shock.
"CAPTAIN?!"
"What are you doing?!"
Feno's fists clenched.
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with recognition.
"…I don't understand," he said slowly, "but every time I come near this place…"
He swallowed.
"In my memories… in my dreams…"
His eyes widened.
"…I always see him."
Silence fell.
Luka's heart pounded.
From behind the Seal, footsteps approached.
Calm.
Measured.
Unhurried.
Vicky emerged.
His presence alone made the chains glow brighter, reacting like loyal servants.
Feno's breath caught.
He lowered his head further.
"…This person," he whispered, voice shaking, "he stands above everything."
A deep, unexplainable emotion surfaced in his chest.
"Even though I don't know his name…"
His voice softened.
"…my body remembers."
The Seal pulsed once.
And the world held its breath.