Shirei took a deep breath and began to narrate what he had seen and discovered in the dungeons. He spoke of the altar, the doctors and the rite of ‘sanctification’.

“Ichor” concluded Shirei, “I believe it is the key to everything. It's the anchor of this temporal rift.”

Havel touched his scar thoughtfully. “Damn. To think that a century ago they did these experiments. I thought monsters were the problem, not mortals.”

After a while he realized he had said those words out loud and turned to Ada.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

The girl gave him a weak smile. “Don't worry, Havel. I know."

The three remained silent, before Sidal's son spoke up again, "So the plan is clear: we must return to the dungeons and steal all the remaining ichor."

“The problem will be transporting it outside. It inhibits my powers."

Ada bit her lip, “What if it only affects you?”

"We cannot rely on possibilities," Cragar's son replied.

As they continued to discuss the details of their plan, movement outside the window caught Havel's attention. To his horror, he saw threads of darkness weaving through the hospital garden, slowly forming words.

“Hey, look,” he whispered, pointing to the window.

Ada and Shirei approached. The first began to tremble as she read the message that was forming: "See you soon, panther."

"The director of the hospital," Havel noted, "It must be him."

Ada collapsed to the ground again, her legs having stopped working. Her two companions were immediately at her side.

“Ada!” Havel shook her, "What's wrong with you?"

“The l-l-li-on, it's him.”

Shirei couldn't follow the conversation, but Havel's terrified look was enough to make him understand the danger.

"Shirei, let's get her up," the blond finally said. “We need to get her out of the rift. Immediately."

The boy didn't ask any questions and simply followed orders. Havel grabbed Ada by the legs, as if she was a princess, and catapulted into the corridors with Shirei beside him. The two demigods didn't say a word, but they immediately realized how the hospital had suddenly become deserted.

No noise, no living soul besides them.

They reached the road where the exit from the temporal fault was and Ada freed herself from her companion's grip.

“W-we w-don't h-have to…leave.”

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Havel opened the closet doors and moved the clothes out of the way, “If what you said is true, you can't stay here. You come before the ichor, or the rift."

The two continued to argue, unaware of the onset of a further problem.

Shirei couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his chest. It was as if something was turning inside him. He stopped suddenly, feeling his body stiffen. His barely audible voice escaped his lips like a gasp of pain.

The world around Cragar's son began to spin. The hospital walls seemed to liquify and rotate, creating a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that threatened to overwhelm his senses.

“Hey, Purple!” Havel shouted, trying to grab his partner's arm.

He sought support on the floor, but his hands seemed to pass through it as if it were made of smoke.

“It's too early to reset…”

He felt a wave of panic rising inside him and immediately put it back in its place. He had to remain calm and clear-headed.

His legs gave out and he fell to the ground.

Ada and Havel rushed to his side, but their voices seemed to come from far away.

The demigod felt his eyelids becoming heavy. The world was fading into darkness. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness were the worried faces of his companions, but they too vanished into the fog.

Then, total darkness.

In the void of unconsciousness, Shirei heard a familiar voice calling out to him. It was deep and powerful, cruel and familiar.

“Calm Sovereign,” he called him. “It's time to come back to me, help me finish what we started.”

With a start, he recognized the voice.

“Rakion,” he whispered into the void.

He felt himself being pulled forward by an invisible force. He tried to resist, but was unable to.

Bright lights streaked at the sides of his vision as he was dragged through what seemed like a tunnel of pure energy. The voice seemed to move away and this reassured the boy, he just had to be able to understand what was happening.

He could feel the mana swirling to block his passage, as if it was… an invisible wall.

An invisible wall?

Shirei immediately thought back to the strange sensation he felt while trying to access his divine path.

His skin was on fire, as if the mana was trying to break down the bonds between the cells in his body.

Cragar's son ignored the pain and tried to push forward. He still didn't understand why he was in that situation.

But, ever since I've been in the mortal world, I still don't understand anything. If I have to be a pawn, at least I want to decide the conditions.

And it was simple, he wanted access to that place. He wanted to enter the path.

With a final jerk, Shirei was catapulted against dark, rocky ground. Darkness surrounded him, but it was not a threatening darkness. It was comforting, familiar.

He stood up and moved his joints to make sure he was still in one piece.

Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he began to make out the outlines of the place. It was a vast open space in total darkness. He looked down, the ground beneath his feet seemed to be made of stone.

In front of him, there was a figure staring at him.

Shirei held his breath as he recognized himself. It was the young version of himself manifested by his subconscious.

“See you again,” came the reply, his voice an echo of his own.

Shirei took a step forward, uncertain. “What... what's happening? Why am I here?"

“Again with the same questions? Expand your vocabulary. You're here because we can't wait any longer. Time is running out and you didn't take my advice, so I took the liberty of bringing you here.”

“I can't stay. I have to go back. The Equinox Flowers need me.”

“Don't be afraid, if there is danger I will let you go back. I'm not trying to kill us.”

Shirei closed his eyes, assessing the situation. He couldn't abandon Havel and Ada so suddenly, but the opportunity presented to him was truly too great to refuse.

I still don't know how to cross the invisible wall. If it wasn’t for the help of my subconscious, I probably wouldn't be here... and I wouldn't know how to get back.

He was talking to himself, so it was obvious that he was on his side. The scene of the previous day came back to him. He saw Ada's terrified eyes and the desperation in Havel's voice.

He wanted to become stronger, powerful enough to protect them.

The young Shirei looked at him and let out a grimace of dissent at those thoughts, but the demigod ignored him.

“Have you made a decision?” he finally asked.

Shirei nodded, “Lead the way.”