[The Hydro Palace – Guest Chambers]
The celebration of the past few days felt like a distant dream as Techyon stood over his bed, meticulously organizing his gear. In his hand was a small, glowing silk pouch—a high-grade spatial artifact.
"This storage pocket is incredible," Techyon muttered to himself, tossing in a month's worth of rations and spare equipment. "I feel like I could store an entire city in here. There's just too much space!"
The heavy oak door swung open with a bang. Alya stood there, her breath hitching as she saw the half-packed bags and the travel gear spread across the room.
"Techyon?" she asked, her voice small and trembling. "Are you going somewhere? What are you packing for?"
Techyon didn't look up, his focus on securing his new cyan robes. "Alya... I'm going to Netland. It's time."
Alya stepped into the room, her eyes widening. "Oh... so you're going to Netland. When... when will you be back?"
Techyon finally stopped and looked at her, his expression resolute. "I don't know. I'm not coming back until I find my sister."
The silence in the room snapped.
"NO!" Alya screamed, her voice echoing through the palace corridors. She rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "You are not going anywhere and leaving me alone! If you're going, then I am also going with you!"
The commotion reached the ears of Neweland, who appeared at the doorway a moment later, looking concerned. "Alya? What happened? Why are you screaming like that?"
Alya turned to her father, tears already streaming down her face. "Father, tell him! He's leaving us! He's going to Netland alone!"
Neweland walked into the room, his gaze moving from his crying daughter to the determined young man standing before him. He let out a long, heavy sigh and placed a hand on Alya's shoulder.
"Alya, listen to me," Neweland said softly. "He has to find his sister. It is a debt of blood and a journey he must take. Please... cooperate with him. A hero cannot be caged, even by those who care for him."
Techyon sighed, looking at Alya's tear-streaked face. He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a serious, protective tone. "Alya... listen. I should have taken you on my journey. I want to. But what if other enemies attack you? Remember Gudmaro? Remember how strong he was? We barely defeated him."
Alya wiped her eyes and looked at him with a flat, unimpressed stare. "Barely defeated him? Techyon, that is a lie. You defeated him easily after you entered Master Auto-Counter. You threw him across the galaxy like he was a pebble!"
Neweland chuckled from the doorway, nodding his head. "That's true, Alya. He has a point. You were quite overwhelming, Techyon."
Techyon rubbed the back of his head, feeling called out by his own power. "Okay, fine. But what if an enemy stronger than him appears? Alya, I want to keep you safe. That is the only reason I am going on this journey alone. If something happened to you because I wasn't fast enough..."
Alya went silent. She looked at his determined blue eyes and realized she couldn't win this argument—not when he was using her safety as his shield.
"Fine," she whispered, crossing her arms and pouting. "You can go. But!" She pointed a finger at his chest. "I will be messaging you on your Status Window every single day. If you don't reply within ten minutes, I'm coming to Netland to find you myself!"
Techyon laughed, the tension finally breaking. "Ten minutes? That's a bit strict, don't you think?"
"Nine minutes now," Alya teased, her smile finally returning through the tears.
[The Palace Gates]
The morning mist was still clinging to the spires of the Hydro Palace as the heavy iron gates groaned open. Techyon stood at the threshold, the wind catching the tails of his new cyan coat.
"Goodbye, everyone," Techyon said, looking back one last time. "I will see you later. I promise."
"Goodbye, Techyon," Neweland replied, his voice booming with the weight of a King's respect. "The gates of Hydro City will always be open for you."
Alya stood beside her father, her hands folded tightly over her heart. She looked like she wanted to run to him, but she held her ground. "Techyon... please. Take care of yourself on the journey. Don't push yourself too hard."
Techyon gave her one last confident smile—the smile of a Master. "I will take care of myself, Alya. Don't worry."
With a final nod, Techyon turned his back to the palace and began to walk. His footsteps were light, almost silent, as he moved toward the jagged, snow-capped horizon in the far north.
Netland... Techyon thought, his eyes narrowing as the palace faded into the distance. I am coming. Cynthia... my sister... wait for me. I am coming to bring you home.