The village lay almost in ruins. The remains of the walls were scattered across the ground, and the air was still heavy with the scent of battle. The semi-human villagers, along with the few surviving lizardfolk, gathered in the center to assess the situation.

Khoryn was speaking with the female lizardfolk from her village. The wounded were being tended to by those less affected.

Near Kaerith’s corpse, the nagas who had fought by his side approached calmly. Without showing sadness, they carefully gathered his bones, wrapping them in cloth they had brought with them. Their movements were solemn, and pride shone on their faces. When they finished, each one of them looked at me and nodded slightly in a gesture of respect and gratitude. I returned the nod in silence, and they withdrew towards their refuge. Despite their peculiar nature, they had been of great help.

Eldrek and Gronn approached, both visibly shaken. They knew many of the scaled giants had been part of the attack, and they couldn’t help but wonder if any had survived. Gronn, more affected, could barely hold himself together.

“I’m going to check if any skarnill survived,” he said firmly before turning and heading towards the village’s interior.

I watched him as he sifted through the rubble. From afar, I saw him come across several dead skarnill. His frustration was clear, and I had to admit that I, too, feared for my faithful companion. But at last, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Aeryn alive in the distance. Without hesitation, Gronn mounted her and rode towards us.

“We’re heading to my village,” he said as Aeryn shifted restlessly beneath him. “I need to make sure there are survivors.” I approached Aeryn, stroking her neck. I was glad to see her still with us.

“Be careful,” Eldrek replied seriously. “It might be over here, but you never know.”

Gronn nodded, giving us one last look before departing. I watched him disappear into the trees, and a small part of me felt relieved that this stage was over.

Eldrek sighed and sat on the ground, clearly exhausted. “Are you alright, Darius?” he asked after a pause. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. My control over the earth is for crafting weapons, not for battle.”

He said it with sadness, avoiding my gaze. I approached and placed a hand on his back. “Eldrek, don’t say that. You did more than enough for this village. Without the tunnels you dug, the villagers wouldn’t have been able to hide, and we wouldn’t have been able to trap the scaled ones. And those walls you raised so quickly... without them, we wouldn’t have lasted.”

Eldrek kept his eyes fixed on the ground. “I hope some of the giants survived,” he whispered.

“I hope so too,” I replied.

Meanwhile, Thalrik, the semi-human leader, was thanking each of the survivors with genuine gestures, even offering to tend to the wounded lizardfolk.

“Eldrek,” I said, “let’s go over there. I have something to propose to everyone.”

He looked at me curiously, though his tired face showed doubt. Finally, he stood up. “Let’s go,” he said.

We walked together towards the others. When Thalrik saw us, he approached with tears in his eyes and his hands extended. He shook both of our hands, deeply grateful.

“I have no way to thank you for your invaluable help,” he said. “Without you, we wouldn’t have lasted a minute.”

Eldrek shook his head. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop the destruction of your village,” he replied, his voice heavy with regret.

“That doesn’t matter,” Thalrik replied firmly. “This can all be rebuilt. What matters is the people.”

I nodded. “About that,” I interrupted. “I have a proposal. Can you gather everyone?”

Thalrik immediately agreed and called the villagers together. Although many were still in shock from the destruction, they began to gather. The female lizardfolk alongside Khoryn also joined the group. Once everyone was present, I stepped into the center.

“Friends, I’ll be direct,” I began, my tone weary. “None of this would have been possible without everyone’s efforts. Each of you is part of this victory. But it’s also true that many have fallen, and not just here. Many races have been affected beyond this village. If I’ve learned anything from all of this, it’s that from now on, we must stay united and in communication.”

Everyone listened intently.

“What I mean is... when this village is rebuilt, will you continue living alone, as before?” I paused, letting the words sink in. “Think about this: what if, as we rebuild, we invite other races to live here? Everyone cooperating and growing together.”

The villagers murmured immediately. Some looked doubtful, others discussed the idea with their neighbors. A semi-human raised his voice. “And how will we do that? Force them to come here? That would be absurd.”

I shook my head. “No one will be forced. We can send messages to the villages, explaining the proposal. It would be voluntary. Think about it—many have lost their villages entirely. Possibly worse than here.”

Silence fell again, but this time it was followed by murmurs of agreement.

Thalrik stepped forward. “Some time ago, I would have said no,” he admitted. “But after this, I think it’s time for a change. Darius is right. We achieved this together, with the help of different races. What do you say?”

After a brief silence, someone raised their hand. “I agree,” they said, and soon others followed.

Khoryn smiled from the side. “Well, Darius. Who would’ve thought? Races united in one village. This will be interesting.”

Eldrek approached. “An ambitious plan, but feasible. What will we call this village?” he asked. “If it’s the first to unite races, it should have a name.”

I thought for a moment while the voices mingled around me. Finally, a name came to mind. I looked up and said, “How about Nethria?”

Nethria. The name lingered in the air as some villagers repeated it softly, testing it. Eldrek smiled at me, immediately understanding that I had chosen it for a reason. He nodded confidently, and Thalrik followed shortly after.

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One by one, the survivors did the same. When everyone finally agreed, the atmosphere relaxed. There was a sense of renewed hope. The idea of uniting races that had been separated for centuries sparked excitement. Something had shifted within them.

I approached Khoryn and the female lizardfolk who accompanied her.

"I want to thank you for your help. You've been a great support to these people."

The lizardfolk exchanged glances and smiled kindly. They were different from the lizardfolk I had met before—calmer. One of them stepped forward.

"We would have liked to arrive sooner, but the distance was long. If there’s anything else you need, we’ll be happy to help."

I smiled. The opportunity was right in front of me.

"Actually, I think there is something you could do." I paused for a moment, choosing my words. "Soon, I’ll have to leave, and these people will be left unprotected."

Khoryn immediately raised her hand to stop me.

"Darius, if you think we’ll stay here to live, I have to tell you that won’t happen. We have our own customs and way of life."

I shook my head calmly.

"That’s not what I’m asking. I’d like to ask you to train these people... or rather, all the races willing to learn."

The lizardfolk glanced at each other, considering the idea.

"I believe it would benefit them to learn how to defend themselves. Of course, I wouldn’t ask you to do it for free. I’m sure you can reach some kind of agreement."

Khoryn smiled slightly.

"You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?"

"You can count on us," added the lizardfolk who had spoken earlier. "Once we come to an agreement, we’ll start training them properly."

I felt relief at her words. It was one less burden on my shoulders.

"That’s great. I’m sure with your training, this village will be much safer."

I said goodbye to them and Khoryn, then walked over to Eldrek.

"Eldrek, my friend. Come, let’s sit for a moment."

We moved away from the others and sat on a nearby rock.

"I haven’t had time to tell you everything I discovered during my expedition. I regained my memory, among other things. I want to fill you in before I leave."

Eldrek nodded.

"I’m glad you got your memory back, but what do you mean by ‘before you leave’?"

I sighed.

"I discovered a lot. Destroyed villages, the sage of the mountain, Selene... There’s a lot to say."

I told him everything. Eldrek listened quietly, his face unreadable, though his eyes reflected surprise. It all seemed too surreal, but after everything we had experienced, nothing was out of place.

"Now you understand why I have to leave. Selene is connected to the dark sage, and I have to follow his trail. But before that, I’m going to see the sage of the mountain. Maybe he can guide me a bit more."

Eldrek nodded.

"I understand, Darius. I’m sorry you have to leave, but I know why you must."

"After I see the sage, I’ll return to properly say goodbye to everyone."

Hours passed. Despite the exhaustion, everyone began working to rebuild the village. This time, they expanded the land, thinking of the races that would come.

That’s when I saw Gronn returning with Aeryn. His expression was heavy with grief. When he arrived, he quickly dismounted.

"Eldrek..."

Eldrek approached him, concerned.

"Gronn, what’s wrong? Tell me."

"Our village... it was destroyed. I found no survivors. The bodies were scattered everywhere."

Eldrek froze for a moment. Gronn’s face showed a mix of anger and sorrow.

"Damn," I said. "I’m really sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help with the bodies—"

Eldrek stopped me firmly.

"No, Darius. You have other matters to attend to. Gronn and I will handle it. Take Aeryn and go see the sage of the mountain. We’ll take other skarnill."

I nodded, knowing there was no room for debate. Saddened, I mounted Aeryn and guided her to a nearby stream so she could drink and eat. Afterward, I prepared to leave.

"Let’s head to Mount Velkar, my friend."

Aeryn let out a strong screech and immediately set off.

The journey to the mountain was calm and quiet. "I hope the rest of the villages survived," I thought.

Upon arriving at Mount Velkar, I dismounted and let Aeryn roam free. I knew she’d be there when I returned, so I wasn’t worried. Aeryn walked off calmly as I began to climb.

The night sky was clear, and the stars illuminated the path. I ascended slowly, appreciating the silence that enveloped the mountain. After a few minutes, I reached the entrance to the cave. Everything was as I remembered.

I stepped inside and walked towards the crystal area, but the sage was nowhere to be seen. I stopped for a moment.

"Old man?"

"Out here, Darius."

The voice came from a part of the cave that opened to the outside. I walked toward the corner where an opening led to a ledge. From there, the sky was breathtaking, and much of the land could be seen. We were at the highest point of the mountain.

I saw the sage sitting, calmly gazing at the horizon.

"It’s good to see you, old man. We faced the other sage..."

"I know... I watched it all from here. I would have liked to help, but I haven’t fully recovered my abilities."

I frowned and looked out at the distance. From here, it didn’t seem possible to see beyond a certain point.

"You have quite the view, old man. I assumed you hadn’t recovered fully yet. If you saw everything, then you know why I’m here."

The sage nodded without taking his eyes off the horizon.

"Yes, I know. I hope I can guide you properly."

He paused for a moment before speaking again, his voice more serious.

"Darius, there’s something you must know before you leave."

I approached him, sensing the weight in his words.

"Your ability to jump through time... it won’t always take you to the exact point you want. When you travel to the next era, you may arrive disoriented and without memories of what you’ve experienced so far."

I furrowed my brow. "So it’s certain that I’ll lose my memory again?"

The old man slowly nodded.

"Yes. It’s part of the price for altering the flow of time with your chaotic magic. But you won’t be alone. Lythara will know what to do when the time comes."

The name felt familiar.

"Lythara? The naga from Nethria?"

The sage turned to me, a faint smile on his lips.

"Yes. She is a descendant of Kaerith and is destined to help you. But she won’t be able to until fate brings you together again. Until that moment, she won’t be able to restore your memory, even if she tries."

I nodded slowly, piecing things together.

So that’s why she already knew me when I first met her at the herbal shop.

"No matter how much time passes... she’ll know what to do."

"Exactly. Trust in that. And trust in her."

The sage turned his gaze back to the sky. I crossed my arms, watching the old man as his eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

"Why can't you help me recover my memory when I jump through time? Just like you did last time?" I asked.

The sage sighed, as if he had been expecting the question.

"I have my own mission, Darius. I will travel to meet with the other sages to inform them of the situation. I will propose something to them… something that will leave me without much of my power for a long time."

I frowned. "What exactly are you planning?"

"Most likely, they won’t want to intervene in the mortal world," he explained calmly. "But I believe they will agree to create beings capable of replicating some of our powers."

My eyes widened immediately. "Create beings? What kind of beings?"

The old man nodded slowly.

"They will be known as Celestials."

I stepped forward, barely able to contain myself. "Celestials! Are you talking about Aelira? The Celestial I met in the previous era?"

The sage allowed a small smile. "Yes, Darius. She can become an important ally for you. That’s why it’s crucial that I create her as soon as possible… but it will take time."

I felt a wave of relief and couldn’t help but smile. Aelira had been essential in my previous journeys, and knowing she would return filled me with hope.

"I’m glad to hear that. If I meet her again, I know things can go well."

The old man gazed at the starry sky once more. "I’ve done all I can. The flow of time is unpredictable, Darius. I can’t control or alter it more than I already have."

I nodded. I knew it was true.

"Thank you, old man. Your help has been invaluable."

"It’s time for you to return and say goodbye to your friends. We will meet again in another era, Darius."

I chuckled softly. "Try not to age too much by then."

The sage laughed heartily and patted my shoulder with respect.

I turned and began to descend through the cave. Aeryn was waiting outside, her figure standing tall against the moonlight. She let out a soft grunt when she saw me. I approached, running my hand over her neck.

"How about one last trip, partner?"

She lowered her head slightly in response. I climbed onto her back with ease and set my eyes on the path leading back to the new Nethria. The village awaited us.