I walked out of the tent with my mind in turmoil. My hands trembled, damp with sweat. I stopped in the middle of the night, under the clear sky, and searched for the pendant beneath my clothes. Grasping it between my fingers, I looked at it for a moment, trying to calm myself.

“Selene... now I remember you more clearly,” I whispered. The weight of those words pressed on my chest. “Now that I know I can bring you back, I must find a way to return to the past era.”

I tucked the pendant away and resumed my path toward the center of the village, where nighttime activity continued. Upon arrival, I saw the demi-humans and giants resting near the tower. The construction was progressing quickly, already halfway done. Some sat, others stood chatting while eating and drinking water. They looked exhausted, their faces marked by the constant toil.

Gronn was the first to notice my presence. He raised a massive hand and called out, his voice booming across the area.

“Hey, dwarf! Come over here. You’ve been gone for a while.”

I approached the group, greeting everyone with a nod.

“I was helping Kaerith,” I explained, trying to sound nonchalant. “I see you’ve made good progress on the tower.”

Gronn frowned, eyeing me suspiciously.

“I hope you weren’t up to anything strange with her... I can barely tolerate that naga. But those lizards? They’re even worse.”

Some demi-humans nodded in agreement. Others began to voice complaints, mentioning that the lizards couldn’t be trusted and were making several villagers uneasy. Clearly, tensions between the groups persisted.

As the murmuring grew, I noticed Eldrek, who had been sitting on a nearby log, stand up and approach me. His gaze locked onto my face, his expression shifting to a mix of curiosity and concern.

“Are you okay, Darius?” he asked quietly.

“Uh... not really, Eldrek. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Alright, let’s find somewhere quieter.”

Before we could move far, Gronn stood up and hurried to catch up with us.

“Hey! You weren’t planning to leave me behind with those boring lot, were you?” he said, gesturing toward the rest of the group.

Eldrek glanced at him, sighing.

“Darius said he needs to talk to me, Gronn.” Gronn either missed the hint or ignored it.

“Ah, but I’m sure Darius doesn’t mind me tagging along, right, dwarf?”

“Uh... well... I suppose it’s fine,” I replied, still unsure.

“Ha! See, Eldrek?” Gronn exclaimed, clapping me on the shoulder so hard I nearly lost my balance.

“Hey, Gronn! Do you realize that every time you do that, you shake my entire world?” I complained, rubbing my shoulder.

“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied with mock innocence and a wide grin. “Let’s head to the plaza; we can talk there.”

We made our way to the plaza, a grassy area a bit removed from the center. The night was calm, but a few meters away, the lizards’ large tent was visible. Even from that distance, their voices—more like growls than words—could be heard. I thought to myself, “Couldn’t find a wilder bunch if I tried.”

Eldrek, Gronn, and I settled near the grass, ready to discuss what was happening. I knew this conversation wouldn’t be easy, but I needed to clear my thoughts and decide how to proceed.

“You already know I lost my memory. For all this time, I’ve only had flashes that brought more confusion than clarity. So, I thought of asking Kaerith if she knew a way to help me recover it.”

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Gronn and Eldrek listened intently.

“That was smart of you,” Eldrek commented. “I hadn’t considered that option. How did it go?”

I took a deep breath before answering.

“Well, you see... I don’t know how to put it. Yes, she was able to help. She accessed my lost memories. I still have some gaps, but I think I now remember most of them.”

“Damn naga,” Gronn muttered. “Despite her pleasant demeanor, she’s proven to be quite useful.”

“Quite useful indeed,” I replied, allowing a faint smile before my expression turned serious.

“So, what’s the problem?” Eldrek asked, noticing my concern. “Regaining your memories should be reassuring, but all I see in your face is doubt.”

“Because my life before coming here was far from trouble-free,” I answered, running my hands through my hair. “Argh, damn it!”

“You’re starting to worry me, and that’s not easy to do,” Gronn said seriously. “Why not just tell us everything and clear the air?”

I looked at them hesitantly but finally nodded. I told them everything: how Kaerith cast the spell, how we explored my memories together, and how, inadvertently, I ended up hurting her, the guards, and the spirit. I spoke of my ability to jump between eras, the power of my chaos magic, and how it could corrupt me if I overused it.

Lastly, I revealed that this was the cause of my memory loss. I also told them about Selene and the deal I made with the dark being—a memory that surfaced just as Kaerith was injured.

Eldrek and Gronn listened in silence, processing everything. Gronn, particularly skeptical, seemed deeply impacted.

“As you can see, this complicates my priorities,” I said tensely. “Don’t get me wrong... I want to help you, but now that I know I can save Selene, it’s all I can think about. She’s trapped inside that damned dark being, and only I can do something about it.” I looked down, feeling a mix of anger and anxiety.

“This is a lot,” Gronn exclaimed. “Tell us something. If you know the future, can’t you help us with what’s happening now? Didn’t the Eldrek of those times tell you anything? And don’t you dare think of abandoning us if that’s on your mind.”

I noticed Gronn’s nerves. No matter how much he tried to hide it, it was clear this worried him more than he wanted to admit.

“I don’t have information about what’s happening now,” I replied, trying to calm him. “In fact, the same Eldrek told me he couldn’t share details of what happened in the past, as it might alter the timeline in some way.”

“Oh, come on!” Gronn said, glaring at Eldrek. “Why did you tell him that crap? If he’d known what happened, maybe we could’ve avoided all this.”

“I’m as lost as you are, Gronn,” Eldrek replied calmly. “I never imagined Darius was a traveler. We’d only heard of travelers in legends.”

Gronn, still agitated, turned to me.

“Can you at least tell me if I was alive in those times?”

“I don’t know. I never saw you, and Eldrek never mentioned you either.”

Gronn rolled his eyes, clearly disappointed.

“Look, this is as confusing for me as it is for you,” I continued. “The truth is that even now, I don’t fully understand the extent of my abilities or how damaging it could be to reveal what happened next. All I know is that Eldrek told me that by my own orders from this era.”

Eldrek crossed his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I don’t know how to proceed, Darius. You’ve caught me off guard with this information. But I do have one question.”

Both Gronn and I looked at him expectantly.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Now that you’ve recovered parts of your memories, I imagine you also remember how to better control your chaos.”

I extended my hand and let the mana flow. A faint, undulating black mist began to emanate from my palm. I carefully watched as the chaos formed spirals in the air, moving with a rhythm I could now control.

Eldrek and Gronn watched with a mix of awe and caution. I knew they weren’t entirely sure what to expect.

“I think you’re right about that, Eldrek,” I said while still observing my hand. “I feel like I have greater control now.”

The mist began to dissipate as I lowered my hand. I looked at my companions with a serious expression.

“Aelira, a companion I had in the other era, guided me and taught me how to start mastering it... I hope she and the others are doing well.” The last part came out as a low, nostalgic murmur.

Eldrek nodded slowly and stood up from where he had been sitting.

“Then, with that clear, here’s what I propose,” he said, drawing our full attention.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Tomorrow, at first light, we’ll propose to Zardak that some of his lizards accompany you to explore the creatures’ territories. They could take the opportunity to visit other towns, ask questions, and investigate. It would be a reconnaissance mission. We can’t just keep waiting for them to come to us. Meanwhile, from here, I’ll think of something to help you return to the other era.”

Gronn stood up as well, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

“You know, you’re full of good ideas, aren’t you, friend?” he said with a satisfied grin toward Eldrek.

Eldrek glanced at him and responded with a faint smile.

“Alright, Eldrek. I agree,” I said. “We need to act. I’m confident that with my current level, I can face them. I’m only worried about that sorcerer behind everything. But I’ll go. I’ll also take the chance to find out more in the towns.”

“Good,” Eldrek nodded. “Now go rest. Tomorrow will be a tiring day for you. Gronn and I will continue working on the tower.”

“Ah, damn it,” Gronn grumbled. “I’m so tired of it already. Just imagine, once all this is over, this tower will be left for those demi-humans. We’ve practically built them a new village.”

Eldrek chuckled softly as Gronn crossed his arms with disdain. I left, feeling that the night had been overwhelming.