"After my master saw the real body of Azasie, he could hear her voice inside his head. It was like the world stopped and everything turned dark. In the next moment, the massive tree of Azasie appeared."

The old man watched in awe and fear at the powerful entity. Her aura was so powerful that he could feel his body turning into leaves and branches just by standing near her. Time had lost all meaning until she spoke to him.

"You have come to learn and discover about the world and yourself, but you can’t accept the blessing of nature if you skip the path. I see the intentions of your heart, so I’ll show your mercy for this transgression. If you wish to return, first walk the path and learn about the meaning of sacrifice. Walk until your feet bleed, crawl until your hands are numb, and search until your mind collapses. Only then will you see the path."

The old man returned to reality; time moved again, and he could feel his feet on the ground. He spoke to the mercenaries behind him, but they were transformed into trees.

"So she only spared your master, but the mercenaries pay the price?"

"Yes, but the funny thing is that my master saw their faces engraved in the trees. All of them were smiling or had a happy expression. They weren’t dead, they just became part of nature once more. What joy it must have felt to be whole."

"I wouldn't call it joy," Nadine said.

"It was what my master told me before passing away. I think he tried but he didn’t manage to walk the path of Azasie; he spent decades researching something but didn’t find anything, or maybe he wasn’t meant to walk that path." Huy looked at Emily with shining eyes.

"You, on the other hand, have already taken the first step."

"I can’t say that I know too much about walking this path. I’m trying to find something with Nadine, but we haven’t made any progress in the last year."

"That’s why we came to see if you have more information or maybe a clue to help get Emily’s body back to normal."

"I’m sorry to say that I don’t know much more than the things my master told me. There are tons of rumors and legends, but most aren’t based on anything. I know this may sound shameless, but could you tell me how you found yourself in this situation?"

She thought for a moment and shook her head.

"It’s not a pleasant memory; I would rather not discuss it."

"I understand. At the very least, let me help you find something to help you."

"Help me in what way?"

"I still have the notebooks and theories of my master. I can look through them and see if I can find anything that could be a lead. Not only that, but I also have several contacts in the botanic garden on the Street of Art. I’ll ask around to my friends for a clue."

"Why are you doing this for us? Do you want a special payment?"

"Yes and no. I'll leave the payment up to you, but I'm curious about the path that my master has spent his entire life pursuing. I’m not going to try to walk it, but leaving that question unanswered is going to bother me for the rest of my life."

"You're serious about this. Okay, I'll trust you, but how long will it take you?"

"Come back tomorrow for the notes. I have already read them, so it’s not going to take me long to review them."

They finished drinking the tea and talked a little about flowers. Huy volunteered to prepare a bouquet for the two women tomorrow. They tried to refuse, but he didn’t accept "no" for an answer. It was his sign of gratitude for giving him this chance to learn more about the Path of Azasie.

***

In the middle of the residential district, there was a park with children playing. They were from all kinds of races. Nora couldn’t help but be delighted by the sight. They played without a care in the world, rolling in the grass and laughing at each other; it was a nostalgic feeling.

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She recalled the children of her last class before being kidnapped by the System. She remembered their names as if it were yesterday. They were still little kids, as they had just entered primary school, but she loved to teach them. Even now, she keeps teaching about their own culture to the kids in the capital.

Exchanges between the two worlds raise her spirit every day. She was one of the only humans in the Pix-Dawn alliance, so she couldn’t offer many perspectives. She wanted the little pix kids to see and talk with human kids, but that was impossible.

"Beautiful," she said aloud to herself while looking at the two human kids playing among the other races. The Valein Empire didn’t lie; after exploring the city for only a few hours, she saw families walking the streets and playing in the parks.

Humanity had integrated into this place, and despite having powers, most humans refused to use them after the trauma of being kidnapped by the System. The few families she saw all managed to stay together and survive due to their good fortune in arriving in Empire territory.

The people who wanted to fight or use his power for something were assigned to different cities or jobs depending on their abilities.

It hurt to admit, but she was reconsidering his opinion about refusing to join the empire. This park, where the children were playing, was the perfect representation of her dream. Unity and cooperation regardless of race or species.

She wanted to go and talk with the children, asking about their lives and dreams for the future, but she had to help the one in distress at her side. She could feel Franco’s emotions in complete chaos with her power.

It started when they talked with the first family, but it only grew with time as they met more humans.

"What are you thinking, Franco?" She asked playfully at his side on the bench.

"You already know."

"I don’t. I can only feel your distress; I can’t read your mind. Having this bottled up is not going to make it disappear."

"It's my problem, not yours." His voice was dismissed, and he gave a clear-cut answer. Nothing new there; everyone was used to him dismissing his emotions or thoughts. If they pushed for more, he just walked away or refused to talk anymore.

Franco's intimidating demeanor kept everyone at bay, but Nora was sick of pretending to ignore his pain. She could feel it in her own heart. Perhaps it was the setting or the situation that brought it to a boil, but she couldn't take it anymore—no more letting him suffer alone.

"Seen those families? Do they remind you of your own, Franco?"

"Don’t push it, Nora."

"You have a son." She went straight for the truth.

Franco didn’t know how to respond; his eyes were white with shock. He didn’t say a word about his son to anyone, not even the guild members. He always made sure not to talk about his past too much, and yet, she read him.

"Did you use your power too…"

"No!" she refuted instantly; her face made it clear she took that as an insult. "I had my suspicions for a long time. I have seen the smiles and happy expressions of hundreds of parents when they look at their sons and daughters with love, but I have also seen the opposite, the pain and worry. The eyes of a father who’s worried about his son."

She could tell this was the reason for his anguish. The feelings of a father who hasn’t seen his son in over a year.

"Please, tell me about your son Franco."

His voice was shaking, and he frowned while looking at her. He wanted to yell and tell her it was none of her business. When he turned to look at her, his voice cracked, his eyes felt teary, and his hands were shaking.

"You… don’t… have…" He couldn’t talk anymore. The lump on his throat made him stop, and then came the tears. He covered his face with one hand and quickly wiped away the tears.

He felt the warm touch of her hand, offering a handkerchief. Her eyes were full of compassion. He lost the will to refuse, and he led it out. Nora was older than him; he despised older people telling him what to do, but she was a friend. She was looking at him with kind eyes.

"His name is Diego. He should be six years old now. I… I don’t know what happened to him. I don’t know if he’s back on earth safe with his mother or if he was brought with us, and..." he couldn’t say it.

The mere idea that something had happened to his son was too much for his heart. The tears didn’t stop; he couldn’t stop them no matter how much he tried.

"Diego is the only good thing to happen in my life. I'd have no reason to live if something happened to him. If this is some punishment from God or the Devil, I don’t care about me. But he never did anything wrong."

"He never hurt anyone; he loves animals and plays with all the other kids. He doesn’t deserve this. If he loses his mom too, then who is going to take care of him? He doesn’t have grandparents or uncles." His face was a mess; he didn’t care about the people watching.

"You want to know why it hurts me to see those families? because I took that away from Diego. It was my fault; our family broke apart because of me. I took that from him; I stole his happiness, and now he could be in danger for my sins... I’m a terrible father. They told me I wasn’t going to be a good dad, but I ignored them. I promised myself I was going to change, but I didn’t. If this torture of not knowing is going to continue for decades or hundreds of years, then I prefer to end it now…"

Nora listened to his confession and finally understood the sadness that he had been carrying for a year and a half.

"It’s not going to continue forever. I promise we'll find a way home and find him too."

"…"

"You think that you’re a bad parent, but I can guarantee that you’re a good person, Franco. No matter what you did, I know that you love Diego with all your heart. So, don't give up and continue to live for his sake. Look for him and tell him everything. Tell him that you love him! The only thing a child needs is to know that his parents love him."

They talked until the sun began to set and then returned to the inn.