One of the beings said nothing for a few moments.
Only those glowing eyes stared at Kais from within the darkness.
Then slowly...
Very slowly...
He stood up from behind the table.
He was tall...
Far too tall.
As if his body had been made of shadows.
With every step he took, the darkness around him rippled.
Kais clenched his teeth.
"Answer me...! What did you do to me!?"
The being stopped.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, in a heavy voice, he said:
"We did nothing..."
Kais shouted:
"Don't lie! I can't even sense a trace of magic!"
The being tilted his head slightly.
"Exactly..."
...
Silence.
Kais narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
The being raised his hand.
At that very moment...
One of the glowing chains began to shine.
Vooooom...
Kais's entire body trembled.
And suddenly—
He saw something.
A brief image.
One moment.
Just one moment...
But it was enough.
His eyes widened in horror.
A crimson sky...
An ocean of corpses...
Mountains with half their mass destroyed...
And at the center of everything...
A man was standing there.
With a black cloak.
A massive sword resting on his shoulder.
And eyes that shone like two purple suns.
The being calmly said:
"Do you recognize him?"
Kais's breath caught.
His heart slammed against his chest.
No...
It was impossible.
That face...
That appearance...
It looked exactly like him.
"No..."
His voice trembled.
"No... that's not me..."
The beings around the table fell silent.
One of them whispered:
"So he still hasn't awakened..."
Another said:
"That's natural... after a thousand years of sleep..."
Kais suddenly lifted his head.
"What do you mean a thousand years?! What are you talking about!?"
The chains shook violently.
The sound of metal and light echoed throughout the tent.
Zzzzzzt...
Zzzzzzt...
But nothing happened.
Kais gritted his teeth.
The veins on his neck bulged.
He used every ounce of physical strength he had.
But the chains did not move even a centimeter.
His breathing grew heavier.
"Damn it...!"
His eyes were filled with fury.
"Let me go!"
The being standing before him stared at him for a few moments.
Then he slowly raised his hand.
At that moment...
The shadows around his body began to move.
The being standing behind him suddenly said:
"Wait!"
All eyes turned toward him.
This time his voice was more serious.
"We aren't allowed to show him our true faces."
But another being seated beside the table let out a short laugh.
"Allowed?"
He lifted his head.
Two red eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Either way, he's going to die. It makes no difference whether he sees us or not."
Silence...
When Kais heard those words...
He froze for a moment.
Then rage exploded within him.
"Shut up!"
He pulled on the chains again.
"I'm not going to die!"
Boom!
His whole body lunged forward.
But the glowing chains suddenly shone.
Vooooom...
A sharp pain surged through his body.
Kais clenched his teeth but did not scream.
The beings remained silent for a few moments.
Then the one standing in front calmly said:
"Interesting..."
He moved a hand toward his face.
"Even now, he's not afraid."
Kais glared at him with hatred.
"You still haven't answered my question."
His voice was low but dangerous.
"Who are you people?"
The being remained silent for several seconds.
Then...
Slowly, he placed a hand on his face.
The shadows began to tremble.
As if something were being peeled away.
The sound of something cracking echoed through space.
Craaaaack...
And the shadow covering the being's face disappeared.
At first, Kais only saw two eyes.
Completely black eyes.
Without pupils.
Without whites.
Then the rest of the face gradually appeared.
And for the first time...
The anger vanished from Kais's face.
His eyes slowly widened.
Because that being...
Was not a monster.
Was not a demon.
Instead...
His face looked almost human.
But on his forehead was a strange glowing symbol.
A symbol that Kais felt he had seen somewhere before.
The being gave a faint smile.
And said:
"Now you should ask a different question..."
His eyes gleamed in the darkness.
"Like how you possess the power of our founder."
For the first time...
Kais's heart stopped not from anger,
But from shock.
"What...?"
And at that very moment...
The symbol on the being's forehead and the mark hidden on Kais's chest...
Began glowing simultaneously.
The glowing chains were still wrapped around Kais's arms and body.
Every time he struggled, the golden lines upon them grew brighter.
Zzzzzzt...
Kais clenched his teeth and pulled the chains with all his strength.
But nothing happened.
His breathing had become heavy.
Rage surged in his eyes.
"Damn it...!"
He raised his head and glared at the beings before him.
"Let me go!"
His voice echoed throughout the tent.
"I have to get to my brother!"
Silence...
The beings merely looked at him for a few moments.
Then the oldest elf sitting beside the table slowly rose to his feet.
His golden robe dragged across the ground.
With calm steps he approached Kais.
His ancient golden eyes remained fixed on Kais's face.
Then he said:
"Your brother is with us."
...
Kais froze.
For a few moments he didn't even breathe.
Then he suddenly lifted his head.
"What?"
The old elf repeated indifferently:
"Ashlor is with us."
Kais's heart pounded.
"Then release him!"
He shook the chains violently.
"Right now!"
But the old elf calmly replied:
"That is precisely why we brought you here."
Kais frowned more deeply.
"What do you mean?"
The old elf clasped his hands behind his back.
He took a few more steps forward.
"Do you remember the Madabi Buffalo?"
Kais narrowed his eyes.
Of course he remembered.
That enormous monster...
The very creature that had caused all the chaos.
The old elf continued:
"It works for us."
Silence...
Then rage exploded across Kais's face.
"What did you say?!"
One of the golden elves said:
"Its mission was to lure you into the depths of the Forbidden Forest."
Another added:
"And it did exactly what it was ordered to do."
Kais stared at them in disbelief.
"So all of this was a setup?"
The old elf nodded.
"Yes."
Several moments of silence followed.
Then Kais spoke in a heavy voice:
"Why?"
The old elf stared at him for a few seconds.
As if he had waited a thousand years for this very moment.
Then he slowly raised his hand.
And pointed at Kais's chest.
"Because of what exists within you."
Kais frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
The old elf answered:
"The power of Eldarion."
Several of the elves lowered their heads.
As though they had heard a sacred name.
The old elf continued:
"Eldarion... the founder of the first Golden Elves."
His eyes shone.
"The king who created our race thousands of years ago."
Kais angrily said:
"I don't know any Eldarion!"
The old elf gave a faint smile.
"But he knows you."
Suddenly, the symbol beneath Kais's clothing emitted a faint glow.
Vooooom...
Every elf inside the tent fell silent.
Kais stared at his chest in shock.
The old elf calmly said:
"The soul and power of Eldarion reside within you."
Then he looked directly into Kais's eyes.
"And we want it back."
Kais's eyes sharpened.
"And what if I refuse?"
The old elf remained silent for a moment.
Then he replied:
"Then your brother will not be released."
The atmosphere inside the tent grew heavy.
Kais clenched his teeth.
The old elf continued:
"The power of Eldarion belongs to the Golden Elves."
Then, in a calm but firm voice, he said:
"Give us the power... and take Ashlor with you."
And for the first time...
Kais felt that something far larger and more dangerous was hidden behind this bargain.
Kais answered immediately without even thinking:
"No."
Silence...
Several elves exchanged glances.
But the old elf merely gave a faint smile.
As if he had expected that answer from the beginning.
Then he turned around and walked toward the tent's exit.
His golden robe dragged across the ground.
When he reached the entrance...
He snapped his fingers.
Snap!
At that moment, one of the golden elves rose to his feet.
Without turning around, the old elf said:
"Bring him."
The young elf lowered his head.
"As you command."
Then he walked toward Kais.
Kais immediately assumed a defensive stance.
But the elf simply raised his hand.
The chains connected to the pillar of light disappeared.
Vooooom...
However, the golden cuffs remained around Kais's wrists.
Kais instantly tried to release his power.
He gathered all his concentration.
But...
Nothing.
Not even the slightest bit of energy emerged from his body.
His eyes narrowed.
He cursed inwardly.
"Damn it..."
His gaze fell on the cuffs.
"With these on, I can't control my power..."
He clenched his teeth.
"It's like I've been completely sealed."
The young elf's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Move."
Kais stood up with a frown.
But for now, he had no other choice.
A few moments later...
He stepped outside the tent.
And at that very moment...
He froze.
...
This was no longer the Forbidden Forest.
At least, it didn't look like it.
A bright blue sky stretched overhead.
Crystal-clear rivers flowed through silver grasslands.
Massive trees with golden leaves could be seen everywhere.
Magnificent white houses were built among the natural landscape.
Luminous birds flew across the sky.
And in the distance...
Mountains stood with their peaks hidden among the clouds.
For several seconds, Kais could only stare.
"This..."
He slowly exhaled.
"Where are we?"
Without stopping, the young elf replied:
"The Silver Ash Clan Village."
...
Kais suddenly stopped.
"Silver Ash?"
The name was familiar.
Very familiar.
And suddenly...
A memory resurfaced in his mind.
---
History class at the Academy of Geniuses...
Several months earlier.
The teacher held a thick book in his hands.
On its cover was an image of several ancient elves.
The teacher opened a page and said:
"The Golden Elves reached the height of their power around a thousand years ago through the Silver Ash Clan."
Several students looked surprised.
One of them asked:
"What was the Silver Ash Clan, professor?"
The teacher lifted the book.
"The oldest and most powerful clan among the Golden Elves."
Then he continued:
"It is said that members of this clan could directly absorb the energy of the world. Their physical strength, magical power, and lifespan surpassed every other race."
Several students whispered in amazement.
The teacher smiled.
"But no creature is perfect."
He tapped the board.
"The greatest weakness of the Golden Elves was their soul core."
The classroom fell silent.
"If a Golden Elf's soul core was damaged, all of their power would collapse. Even the strongest among them could become helpless within minutes."
Then he opened another page.
"And the Silver Ash Clan... was the most dangerous of all."
One of the students asked:
"Why?"
The teacher gazed deeply at the image in the book.
"Because it is said they could devour the souls and original powers of others."
The entire class fell silent.
And finally, the teacher said:
"That is why the entire world feared the Silver Ash Clan a thousand years ago."
---
The memory faded.
Kais returned to the present.
His gaze slowly swept across the white houses and green trees.
His heart beat a little faster.
"Impossible..."
He muttered.
"So these people... really are the Silver Ash Clan?"
But something deep within him said...
This was only part of the truth.
And far more dangerous things were still hidden within this village.
Kais walked silently behind the golden elf.
But the farther he went...
The more confused he became.
This place looked nothing like what he had imagined.
Children ran across the grasslands.
Their laughter echoed through the air.
Several people sat beside the river, talking together.
Others were working on the white-colored houses.
And elderly men sat beneath the shade of large green trees.
Everything...
Seemed normal.
Far too normal.
Kais muttered:
"What kind of village is this...?"
At that moment...
His gaze unconsciously shifted to the right.
A girl stood among the crowd.
Her long golden hair shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Her red eyes glowed like rubies.
She wore white and gold clothing.
And she was...
Looking directly at Kais.
Time seemed to slow for a few seconds.
Kais unconsciously stopped.
When the girl noticed their eyes meeting...
She closed her eyes.
Smiled gently.
And waved at him.
...
Kais's mouth fell open.
His face gradually grew warm.
And before he even realized it...
His cheeks had turned red.
"Sh... she's beautiful..."
The thought slipped through his mind unintentionally.
But suddenly—
Thwack!
A hand smacked the back of his head.
"Ow!"
Kais immediately turned around.
The golden elf was staring at him with a frown.
"Watch where you're going."
Kais quickly coughed.
"I am!"
The elf merely smirked.
"Yeah. Obviously."
Kais frowned and started walking forward again.
But...
A few seconds later, he couldn't resist.
He secretly looked back again.
The girl was still there.
But now she stood beside a woman.
A woman with long golden hair and bright blue eyes.
The two were talking together.
The girl suddenly said something and both of them laughed.
Then...
The girl turned her head again.
And looked directly at Kais.
...
Kais immediately looked away.
As if he had been caught stealing.
His heart beat faster.
"Damn it... why did I look again?"
The elf beside him let out a short laugh.
"This is the first time I've seen a prisoner this distracted."
Kais immediately said:
"I'm not a prisoner!"
"Then are those cuffs just for decoration?"
Kais said nothing.
The elf gave a faint smile.
But at that very moment...
His gaze briefly fell upon the golden-haired girl.
And unlike before...
His smile widened.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
As though he had remembered something.
He murmured under his breath:
"Interesting..."
Kais frowned.
"What's interesting?"
The elf remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, without looking back, he said:
"This is the first time I've seen Arisa that happy."
Kais didn't understand what he meant.
But from the elf's tone...
It was clear that the situation was far more unusual than it appeared.