The time to leave the fairy realm was upon them.

Orion and Amelia packed their belongings and checked multiple times to see if nothing was missing.

Karteira was doing the same. Tiohr-nam already told her that she was to go with them and that seeing the world would be best for her.

She also received a blessing from the mother of the fairies, something that would be helpful in her journey.

Once they were ready, they walked toward the training arena like they would usually do, but instead, their destination was further: the Realm Connector.

It was a massive room that was once again filled to the brim with fairies, similar to their arrival.

They were here to protect the opening in case something showed up. Though, they wouldn't be of much use.

Orion arrived first. He asked to remain alone until the time to depart came. He had a lot to think about.

'I'll be using your ring carefully, dad. Just watch. I'll find mom's ring in no time.'

He asked Tiohr-nam before if she remembered the direction of the three remaining lights that separated from the pillar of light two thousand years ago.

The only thing she could remember was:

One fell directly north, the second fell south-east of Eogis, and the last one followed the second one but flew further.

Knowing the map of Triazils, it was easy for him to approximately deduce where they flew from the starting place, Elliott's seal.

The only problem was that Eogis merged with the mainland at this point.

There was considerable thinking involved in pinpointing the current locations.

'The first one is the most problematic. It has most likely fallen somewhere close to the Cape of Pearl Waters, at the tip of Eogis.'

'The second one might have fallen somewhere around Noctelagia, a city ruled by a supposedly friendly Apostle. Or, in the worst-case scenario, directly into the Carmel Sea.'

Since it was on his way, he would definitely look around.

'The last one might have crashed further than expected, but it should be somewhere in the Frigoria Plain.'

The most dangerous place on this continent. There were recurring invading hordes of corrupt beasts coming from this place that had to be dealt with.

It was impossible to go to Eogis right now, for many reasons.

This was too far, completely opposite to their position, just like Noctelagia, and this was the place where one of the strongest Apostles lived.

He remembered the water wall that almost caused his death during the last moments after crashing the 'Ceremony'. Layla was far too strong to be messed with at this time.

Four lights fell on the continent after sealing Elliott. If two were the rings of his parents, then what could be the remaining two? He had no ideas.

The only thing to do was to check and confirm what they might be.

Four months was the time he had to travel across the continent and find as much help as he could to fight back the corruption.

'I will have to trust that man, Florian. If the ring leads us near one of the cities he named, we will make a stop there. We have to replenish many things since Karteira is coming with us too.'

'I will test if what you said is true. I'll see for myself, and then I will believe it. If I can avoid killing innocents, then I'm all for it.'

Pondering for a moment, he crossed his arms.

'What was the name of the cities again?'

Orion recalled the part where Florian gave the names of the cities and their rulers. He began to remember while counting on his fingers.

'There was himself, Florian, in Albriar. Olivia in Noctelagia, Eric in Turric, and Kamala in Hocride. These four. Better remember just in case.'

His enemies were the ones ordering atrocities, the ones torturing their people or other factions, and the people trampling on another's dignity.

The corrupt beings were obviously a priority in case he encountered one.

These conditions were absolutes for Orion. Anyone causing just one of these decisions was his enemy.

"Orion, how long have you been waiting here?"

Karteira entered the large building, noticed Orion, and walked to him with a small bag on her shoulder.

He stopped thinking about his probable future and smiled at Karteira, who surprisingly arrived before Amelia.

The moment he looked at her, he blinked a few times, seemingly stunned.

"Karteira, where is your tail? And why are you wearing your eyepatch again? Is your eye hurting again?"

The first was surprising, and the second was worrying.

"Don't worry, my eye is fine. Look"

She pushed the white eyepatch up, revealing a perfectly fine blue eye.

"I'm glad. Then why do you wear it again?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. Karteira knew she would be questioned about it.

"It will sound weird, but I want to keep it for a few reasons. It helps me train my spatial awareness and can be used to surprise an opponent."

Orion knew she was hiding something else, and he could feel it.

"And the real reason?"

Stolen novel; please report.

Karteira blushed when she understood her bluff had failed to work on him.

"I like it. I look better with it."

"Does it hinder your vision?"

"No, it's a special cover made by mother. I can see through it."

She removed it and gave it to Orion, who wore it on his left eye.

"You're right. That's genius."

He removed it and gave it back to Karteira.

"So, what about your tail?"

Karteira put the eyepatch back on her right eye and closed her visible eye.

"Right there."

From the base, as if it were an illusion, the cloaking tail gradually revealed itself.

"I see, it's a way to avoid others finding out that you belong to the fairy faction. Another work of Tiohr-nam, I imagine?"

She opened her eyes and remained with her tail in plain sight, like usual.

"It's still there even when it's hidden, so I need to be careful. Isn't it another good way to surprise our enemies?"

She grinned, just imagining the faces of the people she would fight against in the future.

Just then, she noticed the gazes of all the other fairies in the massive room.

"They've been watching since the moment I entered; don't mind them too much."

Orion shrugged. He couldn't care less about the fairies that didn't bother to talk to him. Even greeting him would be enough, but they were simply standing far away.

"Well, now that I think about it, they might be nervous around people that look so human. Wasn't it the same for you? You are the most human-looking fairy in the whole realm."

The picture of the twins popped up in his head.

'Besides Dramia and Drania, who were humans to begin with, they don't count.'

Karteira nodded.

"I still don't understand why mother chose to make me like this."

She looked all over herself.

"If not for my tail and those small plates on my ankles and wrists, I would look like you."

When she said that, the question finally entered his mind.

'I never realized, but I am not human. My blood is split between an angel and a demon. Why did I never question that fact? Why do I look so human?'

Still in thought, Orion began to let his inner thoughts escape.

"I might be the same as you. We look so human that we blend in with the rest of the world. I only get it now, but when I use magic, my hair changes color. I haven't questioned that before."

"Was my legacy hidden before I was born somehow?"

Karteira remembered his complete transformation in the underground. She also began to think aloud.

The conversation began to shift to two people trying to find out more about themselves.

"This might be true. Do you remember how your body looked when you fought before? You had two wings of different shapes, and your hair had entirely changed to gold and silver."

"I don't know what other changes happened to your body at that moment, but I'm sure it wasn't everything."

Orion pondered while putting his hand to his mouth.

"So what is this form I've taken? Is this what I am supposed to look like? My true form? Did my parents know about this side of the magic?"

He recalled their words from a few years ago.

'Didn't they say that they wished for me to live as far away from Elliott as possible? They definitely knew about the spell locking someone's true form.'

Karteira smiled while nodding.

"You are like me, then. You hide your true self to blend in with the humans. The magic might have saved your life until now."

Agreeing with her, Orion stopped thinking about it.

"You're right."

He thanked his parents in his heart. He wanted to find a way to thank them, but there was nothing he could do.

They smiled at each other, having the same thought.

"We have good parents."

"Indeed."

Happy with having another common point, they kept smiling at each other for a second before feeling cold gazes on their backs.

'Get a room, both of you... flirt somewhere else.'

This was the fairies' consensus after watching their current exchange.

"You have a problem?! Want some training before I leave?!"

Karteira exploded. She walked with fury toward the fairies and began to scold each one of them.

With scary precision, she remembered the ones that looked at them weirdly a moment ago.

'She didn't change. That's good. This side of her hadn't appeared recently.'

"Sorry! Am I late?!"

Amelia, huffing and puffing, entered the Realm Connector room.

"Wait, what's happening?"

She walked next to Orion, hugging her bag.

"There's still time before the portal opens. You're not late."

Relieved, Amelia placed her bag next to Orion's and Karteira's.

She looked toward Karteira who grabbed a mantis fairy by the face and threw it toward several other fairies.

"Catch this one! Haha!"

Orion giggled at this sight. Karteira appeared to be having fun.

"As you can see, she's saying goodbye to everyone. That's her way of doing it."

Amelia smiled after listening to Orion.

Karteira was creating a mess. What she didn't know was that she created a bigger mess that would change some things in the future.

The first mantis fairy she grabbed bumped into another mantis fairy, and it appears that they both fell in love instantly.

It happened again and again. The more she rampaged, the more couples she created.

The fairies were simple.

"It's almost time."

"Oh, you came too?"

Orion glanced to his right. This time, it was the sisters who entered the place.

"We wouldn't want to miss the goodbyes!"

Drania beamed at them and then looked at the piles of people in front of her.

"Ah! That looks fun!"

"Don't."

"Oww! Hey!"

Dramia hit her sister's head with a chop and grabbed her hand right after to keep her from joining the carnage.

"So, how did this happen?"

Dramia pointed with her free hand at Karteira who was piling fairies left and right.

"She's saying her goodbyes."

Amelia answered her. Dramia placed the hand she used to point forward on her brows.

"That's just like her."

"Can I-"

"No. What are you, five?"

Drania began to pout. She lived to have fun, and this looked incredibly fun. Sadly, Dramia had no plan to let her join them.

While the two sisters were having their own heated discussion, the sun began to set.

Orion noticed a small layer form on the giant ring located past the stairs.

He turned around and walked toward the door leading outside.

"Orion? Where are you going?"

Amelia asked him.

"Give me a second. I'm coming back in a bit."

'Toilet?'

She thought.

But that wasn't what he was going to do. He stopped a few steps away from the door that closed behind him, and he used the 'Eagle Eye' ability.

He looked toward the side of the mansion, directly at a window. Behind that same window, someone was also looking at him.

She smiled at him in return.

An emotion he never experienced emerged now that he was moving away: the sadness of parting with someone close to him.

Auro was his first home, and he knew that he could come back at any moment and see the villagers, Keith, and his fellow orphans again. He left without feeling this emotion.

But it was different for Tiohr-nam. He considered her a friend by now. The fact that she was a Remnant didn't matter.

'You can come back anytime you want, Orion.'

Through the soul link, she understood his emotion and said what he feared to ask before.

Holding his emotions back, he took it upon himself to thank her for everything.

For protecting his father's ring, for giving him so many leads, and for teaching him many things.

He bowed. Lower than he had done to anyone before.

"Thank you for everything."

Tiohr-nam nodded right after.

Orion straightened, and proudly, he smiled and turned around, entering the Realm Connector building.

"Oh, you're back already?"

"Yes, it seems like it's time to go."

Orion looked at the ring, and slowly, an orange sky with few clouds entered their vision.

"Karteira, it's time."

She glanced at the portal and stopped harassing her fellow fairies.

"I'm leaving, guys. Don't forget to train, or you will never be able to protect your loved one. Who knows what could happen tomorrow? See you later."

She waved to the hundred fairies while walking backwards toward Orion, Amelia, and the sisters.

"Are we ready? There is no turning back now."

Orion grabbed his bag on the floor and walked toward the stairs.

"I am. I'll follow you until the end."

Amelia picked up her bag and ran next to him.

"I'm good too. I have no regrets about leaving."

Karteira walked next to Amelia.

Motirion was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Once the group arrived near him, he spoke.

"It was a pleasure having you. Moreover, please forget our first meeting."

He flapped his moth wings, seemingly embarrassed.

"As if I would forget that."

Orion laughed while poking fun of him.

"This way, let me help you avoid the water."

Motirion managed to ignore Orion as he walked past the ring first.

They all followed closely.

Orion walked out first, then Amelia, and finally Karteira.

"This air... It's been a while since I've felt it."

Nostalgia overwhelmed Orion and Amelia. They stayed a month and a half in the fairy realm.

It was Karteira's first time out of the fairy realm, and she was excited to see a different world.

"Be careful on your journey, all of you. Please return safely."

"Thank you."

Two voices they didn't expect to hear entered their ears.

They turned around, and there were Dramia and Drania.

"What?"

Both replied at the same time, while Motirion returned inside the fairy realm, the opening closing behind him.

As the sun began to set in the distance, Orion and Amelia stepped once again on the continent's soil, with a new ally by their side: the fairy commander Karteira.

Their story was far from over, as the Apostles only increased.