Staring up at the stone ceiling, Han rested his head against the wall of the prison cell he was in. He thought about how all of them had been transported back into the past and arrived in the ruined city outside of the Academy.

Though the soldiers had initially been very hostile, they relaxed a little once they saw that Han and the rest of the group weren't going to act in a hostile manner. They still required them to go towards a holding area, as they discussed with the Priestess. There seemed to be something going which none of them were aware of. The strangest part was when one of them asked if they were with the gods.

"Master, there is no need for us to be in this situation. Command us, and we will break free of this place and wipe this city off of the face of the world!" Anacolis voiced her opinion, anger in her voice. The others also showed the same outrage.

Tilting his head, so that he could look at them, he smiled at their passion. "There is no reason to go that far. There seems to be something that is going on here, so let us just play things out."

Hearing his thoughts, they all became quiet.

"What do you think is going on?" Selestra asked him.

"By the way they reacted and asking if we were with the gods, I think there is some kind of connection with how this place was overrun with the monsters. I think this may be a good opportunity for us to learn more, so let us be patient." He explained and emphasized his wish for them to stay within the cell.

Fortunately, Han was with everyone when they stepped onto the transportation device. The other students and adventurers were divided up and placed into different cells. This was good because he didn't need to hide as much stuff, considering Ha-Yoon knew some of what he was able to do.

-------

Relissa was in the meeting chamber, talking with the members of the City Council, getting preparations made for the Overflow. Whenever she went to sleep, her dreams were filled with urgency and images of destruction. Never before had the Overflow generated such images, which made her very concerned.

"Will the walls be ready?" She asked a woman in charge of the city's defenses.

"Priestess, there will be no issues with the walls. We were already prepared for the Overflow, but with your guidance, the completion of the upgrades are nearly complete." The woman saluted and bowed towards Relissa.

She leaned back on the chair and sighed in relief. "At least that is one less thing we need to worry about." After several moments, Relissa straightened her back and looked at those in front of her. "WIth the wall nearly completed and our supplies ready, all that is left for us to do is wait for the Overflow to begin."

Everyone's expression reflected the uneasy feeling they felt in their chest. Even without her visions, they likely understood that this time the Overflow would be different.

"Priestess!! There are intruders that appeared within the city!!" A young soldier rushed into the chambers, his face flush from running here.

"How dare you enter into this sacred chamber, without receiving permission!" The city's Defense Officer yelled at the soldier. Realizing what he had done, there was a look of fear in his eyes.

"Idrenis, allow the soldier to speak. With us being so near the event, having such an event happen is nothing to brush aside." She halted Idrenis from ordering the soldier punished.

Seeing that he was no longer in danger of being sent off to clean something dirty and smelly, he quickly bowed to her and said, "Priestess, there was a large group of people that suddenly appeared. I was ordered to rush here and alert you of this event, and request that your personal guards be ready for an attempt on your life."

"Could it be the gods?!" Idrenis looked towards her, fear and determination in her eyes. "Is it possible that they know?!"

"That would not make any sense, considering our suspicions that the gods are connected with the Overflow..." Her advisor muttered.

Nodding her head, she agreed with her advisor's conclusion. "No. If they suspected our plans, they would likely only need to use this opportunity to strike us down with the monsters."

"Why would these people suddenly appear when we are so close to the Overflow?" Idrenis asked out loud. "It seems too much of a coincidence."

-----

After they had spent several hours debating how to handle this new development, Relissa decided to go down and see them for herself.

"Priestess!! It is too dangerous for you to go yourself! Allow me to go in your stead!" Idrenis begged her for the umpteenth time.

Shaking her head, she looked at her as they headed towards the prison. "You know as well as I do that we need to determine if they have a connection with the gods. The only person that can do that is me. If we do not do this now, then they could potentially cause irreparable harm at an inopportune moment."

Idrenis growled and clenched her fist in frustration. "Those damn gods! Who allowed them to use us as their plaything!"

Gently placing a hand on top of her shoulder, Relissa comforted her by saying, "we will be ready. With this, we will show the world that there is no need to fear the Overflow. No longer will the gods be able to treat us as their toys. With the strength of our technology group's research, we will be able to fight even the gods."

Seeing Relissa trying to cheer her up, Idrenis calmed herself down. "Priestess, I will do everything in my power to make sure that the world you envision will come to pass. It was only through your guidance that we were able to develop such a small city into one that not even empires could stand against."

"I could expect nothing less from you, Idrenis." She smiled at her, appreciating how much Idrenis looked after her. Whenever there was doubt in her heart, all she needed to do was talk with Idrenis, and her fears would evaporate.

All around them, the people of Prelantia looked happy and joyful, even though they knew about the Overflow approaching. "I am truly blessed to have such amazing people in this city. Seeing their smiling faces only makes this time so crucial. Even though we have prepared ahead of time, I still worry about the future." Relissa smiled, though it was tainted by her fears.

"Priestess, your people love you. There has been no other like yourself. The Defense Force will make sure that none of the citizens are harmed so that you will continue to watch their smiling faces." Idrenis assured her.

A boy and girl playing in the street kicked a ball too forcefully, causing it to roll in front of her. The two children approached Relissa nervously, glancing between her and Idrenis.

Relissa picked up the ball and handed it back to them, saying, "Here you go. Be careful with the ball." Reaching towards her purse, she pulled out a couple of silvers and handed one to each of them. "The two of you should get something delicious to eat."

Both of the children stared at the coin in their hands, and looked up at Relissa, saying, "Thank you, Priestess!" and went running off towards their parents to show off what they got.

"We can not afford to lose." She quietly said and continued towards their destination.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

-----

The prison inside of the city was a simple structure, with no identifying features that would point it out to being a prison, aside from a simple sign on the front of the building. With how little crime there were inside of the city, the building was often calm and peaceful. Aside from the occasional fight, the guards hardly ever had to interact with prisoners.

Entering the building, Relissa noticed an increase of tension and worry from the guards. When they noticed her, one of them quickly walked up to Relissa and greeted her. "Priestess! Welcome to our humble location. Is there anything I could assist you with?"

She looked at the guard and gave him a broad smile, "Thank you. I had learned that there were intruders that were apprehended, so I came to see them."

The guard nodded his head and led her down a series of steps. For security purposes, the cells were located beneath the building, so it took some time to reach it. Compared to other prisons, theirs was a very clean and tidy facility with plenty of lights. This made the place not as gloomy as one would normally think of a prison to be.

A final locked door was unlocked, and the guard held the door open for her to enter through. Another guard assigned to watch the prisoners saw that she was walking through, and quickly stood up and saluted.

"There is no need to be nervous," Relissa reassured the guard.

"The person who seemed to be the leader is located in the first cell." The first guard answered, trying to be helpful.

As she approached the cell and looked through the bars, she noticed a man who appeared very relaxed. In the same cell were numerous beautiful women, which made the scene look quite odd.

"It seems we have a visitor," the man spoke without opening his eyes, with his head resting against the wall. Many of the women looked over at her, with apparent suspicion in their eyes.

"I am Relissa, the Priestess of Prelantia." She introduced herself. "I was informed that you appeared within the city, and caused quite a commotion."

"We were adventuring and stumbled across a teleportation device, which sent us here." The man explained, still appearing very relaxed.

"Where did you find this device?" She asked him.

Opening his eyes and turning towards her, he said, "it was a land of monsters."

Hearing his explanation only seemed to add in more confusion. "What do you mean by a 'land of monsters'?"

He shrugged his shoulders and stated, "that is all we know about that place. We had fallen into a trap within a dungeon, in a distant land, and were transported to that place. After finding the device, thinking to return to our home, we ended up here."

Relissa tried to see if the man was trying to deceive her, but didn't see the usual signs or markers of an agent of the gods. Looking at the others, they also didn't show any signs. After finding out that there may be no connections with the gods, she sighed in relief. The man raised an eyebrow, noticing the stress she had.

"I will need to talk with the others in your group, but so far everyone within this cell will be allowed to leave." Relissa looked over at the guards and indicated for them to release the man and women.

Standing up and stretching, he looked at her and said, "My name is Yi, and I appreciate your help on this matter. We seem to be far from home, so we are unsure of how to proceed."

"There is no need for thanks. I am only doing what is right. Considering your circumstances and the approach of the Overflow, I welcome you to stay within our city. There is no need to feel any fear towards the disaster that is the Overflow; our city is more than able to fend off the monsters. Idrenis, here, will assist you on any matters to make sure your stay is comfortable." She motioned towards Idrenis, who nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Relissa proceeded to the next cells and checked on the remaining members of Yi's group. She would look at them and see if any one of them belonged to the gods, before having the guard open the cell. At the last cell, she stepped back away from the cell. Idrenis sensing her alarm stood in front of her and pulled out a sword.

"Priestess, what is the matter?" Idrenis asked as she stood in front of Relissa while staring at the people inside. Whatever the reason, Idrenis handled the situation as if it was a serious matter.

Pointing at one of the men dressed up in an adventurer's outfit she said, "he has indications of being connected with the gods!"

While the other people in the cell looked confused by her statement, the man she was pointing at looked alarm. He quickly tried to hide his facial expression of looking caught, and pretended to look confused.

"Why are you pointing at me? I don't know what you're talking about." The man tried to deny her accusations.

"You, go to the wall and alert the officer on duty that I need him to bring his best men over here!" Idrenis shouted at one of the guards, who jumped from her loud voice.

"Y-y-yes!! At once, my lady!" He quickly saluted and dashed off to complete the task.

The man named Yi walked over towards them after he heard all the commotion. "What seems to be the issue?"

Though she felt suspicious of him, she reminded herself that he had no indications of being a part of the gods. Taking a deep breath, she explained, "one of the men in your group has signs that he is connected with the gods."

Yi tilted his head, trying to understand what she was trying to say. "I am unsure what you mean when you say that." He tried to get her to clarify.

"Are you familiar with the gods?" She asked him. Seeing him nod his head, she continued, "Through our research, we have learned that the gods are actively trying to manipulate events occurring around the world. The agents that they use tend to have certain signs about them, likely from their interactions with others who also follow the directions from the gods."

"And you are saying that this man is one of those agents?" Yi asked her.

"Yes." she answered.

"Well now that makes sense," he murmured to himself. This man was the one that activated that mana stone and released the demons from their prison. With this man being an agent, it likely meant that the demons and gods were working with one another.

Seeing recognition flash across his face, Relissa asked, "may I ask what you are thinking?"

"Before we were sent to the land with monsters, this man had activated a device that led to us being sent to that place. Finding out that he was an agent fits with what had happened." He looked at the man sitting there. "So what will happen to him?" Yi asked.

"We will send him outside of the city. With the Overflow approaching, I think it is a fitting punishment." She stated.

"You can't do that!!" The man rushed towards the bars, gripping them. "I'll die on my own out there!! Please, I'm not one of them!" He begged them. "You've seen them, too! You know what'll happen!" He implored Yi.

Yi just looked back at him without any care for his predicament.

"Will you be letting the other people free?" Yi asked her.

"After I have the appropriate number of guards to escort the man out of this city, the other people will need to stay inside," Idrenis informed Yi.

Seeming to accept that answer, he walked over to a nearby wall and leaned up against it. The women that were in the same cell as him placed themselves close enough to act, but far enough to give him space. They seemed to care greatly for him, which made her curious about who he was. Was he a noble from a distant kingdom or an important merchant?

----

After watching the man get dragged off by the guards, he thought about their current situation. Glancing over at the Priestess, he found her ability to be interesting. He thought about his conversations with the Elven Princess, and how they thought there were elements trying to tamper with what they were doing.

Though being sent back in time to the events before this city is destroyed, likely this was the timing for when the city fell. Han tried to picture what the gods and demons were thinking, going through all this effort. As beings with immense powers and abilities, was there a need to pull strings? With his power, there was no desire to interfere with that was happening in this world, aside from creating his city.

After leaving the prison, all of them followed Idrenis to where they would be staying.

"I am sorry to hear how you were forced from your homes, though as someone who explored dungeons I can understand the inclination to discover new things." She chuckled as she talked to Han.

"It definitely is an experience," he vaguely agreed with her, not really paying attention to the conversation. Remembering what the Priestess had said, Han asked, "You mentioned the Overflow as if you know when it is going to occur? Is this correct?"

Looking back at him, Idrenis smiled saying, "Yes. With the abilities of the Priestess, we are able to find out when an event is going to take place and have ample time to prepare for it. Truly, without her here leading us, we would never have become the prosperous city we are today."

"How is she able to do that?" He followed up.

"The Priestess receives visions that inform her when the Overflow is coming. These visions occur more frequently the closer we get to the event, and depending on the intensity of the dreams she can determine how long they will be."

To have such an ability would mean a significant advantage, compared to other places who wouldn't know until it happened. It was like developing the technology to detect micro tremors of an earthquake and predicting the intensity.

They continued to discuss mundane things as they continued towards where they would be staying.

In front of them was a large building that looked like an inn. Idrenis went inside to talk to the innkeeper and set up rooms for them. Due to the dangers of traveling currently, there would be hardly any guests visiting the city, so there wouldn't be any issues with finding them space to stay.

The inside of the Inn wasn't very luxurious and instead gave off a more comforting feel. There was a simple dining area for the guests, with everything being made out of wood. It kind of looked like a saloon from an old western movie. Going up the stairs, each of the students and adventurers went to their designated rooms. Everyone seemed overloaded by what had happened, and watching one of their own get kicked out screaming for them to forgive him.

The room Han had received was very simple, with just a bed, bathroom, and place to sit. There wasn't even a mirror, though there was a bowl for washing his hands and face.

Laying on the bed, he was a little excited to watch how a city dealt with the Overflow, especially this city which was rumored to have been well fortified but still was overrun by the monsters. It was like being alive during a history lesson.

A knock was heard from the door. "Come in," he yelled out. Both Selestra and Ha-Yoon walked into his room, both with concerned looks.

"What is wrong?" He reached out to hold Selestra's hands and motioned for her to sit on the bed. Ha-Yoon grabbed the only chair in the room and sat down.

Selestra placed her head on his shoulder, and said, "Yi, what are we going to do? Instead of being sent back to where we were, we ended up going back to the fall of this city."

"There is also the matter of watching this city fall," Ha-Yoon added in. "This is a dangerous place for us to stay in, considering what we know will happen."

"You could save them, right?" Selestra asked him.

Ha-Yoon also looked at him and waited for his answer.

Instead of answering right away, he sat there thinking of how to respond. "Yes. I could prevent this city from falling, but the question is whether that is the right thing to do."

"What do you mean?" Ha-Yoon asked.

"Think about everything that happens between now and the time we originated from. How many things do you think happens due to this city falling?" He asked the both of them.

"But what about these people?" Selestra asked.

Placing an arm around her, he hugged her. "For someone so kind hearted as you, I understand that this seems like a horrible thing to do but we do not know how saving this city will affect the future." He was quiet for a bit. "You must think I am a horrible person, for thinking it alright for all these people to die, right?"

Selestra shook her head, "No! Even if everyone else thinks horrible things about you, I know that you are a great person. It does not matter whether you do things that are bad or good, my feelings for you will never waver or change."

Leaning his own head on hers, he said, "It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

"Though I think it is wrong for us not to help those who are in need of help, I can respect your decision considering our special circumstances," Ha-Yoon said.

"I will keep you safe, so do not worry," Han told her.

Ha-Yoon shook her head. "With you near me, I never feared for my safety." She laughed and said, "I do not know if that makes me someone that takes things for granted or not."

"No. It just means that you can count on me as being a friend." He looked at her straight in the eye.

Seeing his earnest expression, Ha-Yoon began to tear up. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly stood up and rushed out of the room.

The two of them sat there unsure what to say after Ha-Yoon emotional departure.

"Do you think she is alright?" Selestra asked Han.

"I am not sure. It seems like she is trying to keep things locked away, and is worried about them coming out." He told her, feeling mixed about seeing Ha-Yoon like that. He could understand being in a position where emotions had to be bottled up, preventing them from leaking and being exposed to the world.

"Are you okay?" Selestra looked worried after seeing his expression change.

"Yeah. I was just thinking of something." He brushed her concerns aside.

Selestra looked at him and placed both hands on his face. "You do not have to hide yourself away from me. I do not care about your past, so do not feel that you can not share things."

"I know. For so long I have been keeping things buried, so it is a little difficult for me to open up. I hope you can be patient with me."

"Of course. I will always be waiting, so take your time." She nodded her head, tears starting to come out.

Wiping her tears from her eyes, Selestra said, "I think you should go and talk to Ha-Yoon."

Seeing her earnest expression, he kissed her on the lips and stood up. Finding out where Ha-Yoon's room was from Selestra, he walked out of the room. He kept thinking about how she reacted when he told her that he considered her a friend. Ha-Yoon didn't look hurt by the statement and instead looked grateful.

Reaching her door, he knocked and asked, "Ha-Yoon, this is Yi. May I come in?"

"Please, leave me alone, Yi. I just need time to be alone." Ha-Yoon yelled out, sounding as if she had been crying.

Ignoring her request, he opened the door, which wasn't locked, and entered. He saw Ha-Yoon standing in front of her window, as she cried. Turning around after hearing him come in, Han saw tears streaming down her face. She quickly turned away trying to hide her face.

"What is wrong?" He asked her, concerned about why she was acting this way.

"Nothing is wrong. Please, leave." She pleaded with him.

The floors creaked as he walked towards her. Listening to his footsteps coming closer, she huddled as if trying to hide from him.

"Ha-Yoon, I am your friend, and seeing you like this how can I walk away?" He touched her arm, trying to soothe her.

Feeling his touch on her arm caused her to flinch away.

Seeing that she didn't run away, he gently grabbed her arm and turned her around. With ease, she faced him but lowered her head, letting her hair cascade down to hide herself.

Taking his hand and lifting up her chin, her hair covered half of her face. Seeing her like this, both hurt his heart but also made him see how gorgeous she was. Though he didn't romantically see her, Han could admit that his heart was moved.

Using his fingers to brush back her hair and seeing her face, Han whispered, "I am here for you."