As before, the golden pool stretched outward, tendrils of light snaking their way to the two pale red nodes. These lights pulsed faintly, representing the strangers. Grey watched as the pool surrounded them, its glow branching from the center, growing more intricate—like the sprawling roots of a tree. The process was familiar now, though these connections were weaker. The golden light condensed into two small, clear orbs around the nodes. They were tiny compared to the ones formed by the villagers.

“Must be how most people are,” Grey murmured. “Not having Giant’s blood makes a difference.”

Turning his focus to Shot’s orb, Grey saw its color intensify, deepening to a rich hue. But it wasn’t enough yet. He could tell that her breakthrough would require one more Central Organ. He began the enhancement process, channeling energy into her orb. The golden pool drained rapidly, nearly emptying as her orb grew to match Keen’s in size. At last, her talent reached its peak, and she would be ready to advance with the right energy.

Satisfied but exhausted, Grey let out a slow breath. The golden pool was nearly dry, only enough remaining for two more enhancements. He resolved to let it replenish slowly through the cauldron’s elixir.

As he opened his eyes, his senses returned to the present. But something strange lingered—a faint voice echoed in his mind, unfamiliar yet unmistakable.

“What do we do, Aedric?” The soft, feminine tone was laced with uncertainty and tension. Grey’s head whipped toward the two strangers near the doorway.

Their lips moved, speaking their strange, alien language aloud. Yet in his mind, Grey understood them perfectly, as if their words had bypassed the barrier of speech.

“I—I don’t know, Leora,” Aedric’s voice responded, weary but measured. “We have time. They don’t seem to want to harm us.”

The clarity of the words startled Grey. He blinked, trying to process what he was experiencing. Was this another layer of its power?

“Grey?” Shot’s voice pulled him back, her brows furrowed with concern. “Is something wrong? I—I can advance, right? There’s no problem?”

“Huh?” Grey shook his head, refocusing. “Oh, yeah. You’re fine. Just need more time,” he replied, though his voice carried an edge of distraction.

Across the room, Aedric and Leora suddenly stiffened, their heads snapping toward the cauldron. Their movements grew tense, their eyes darting around as if searching for an unseen enemy.

“Who’s there?” Aedric shouted, his voice trembling with rising anxiety. His tone was sharp and defensive, though his words were indecipherable to everyone but Grey.

“Brawl, what’s going on?” Elder asked, frowning.

“How should I know?” Brawl responded, crossing his arms, his voice laced with confusion.

The strangers’ bodies shifted into defensive stances, their eyes scanning the room with urgency. It was as though they had sensed something—someone—watching them.

Grey’s curiosity surged. Turning toward them, he spoke hesitantly, “Can… can you understand me?

His words seemed to strike a chord. Aedric’s gaze locked onto the cauldron, wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. “You?” he started, his voice audible in Grey’s mind but unrecognizable to the rest. “The boy… no, you can’t be this young, using this skill. Why did you not reveal this telepathy before? What do you want?”

Though Grey could hear the word telepathy clearly in his mind, he didn’t recognize its meaning. His understanding of such terms was limited by his world’s knowledge. “What do you mean?” he asked, his tone cautious.

The rest of the group exchanged bewildered glances, watching the interaction unfold with no understanding of the words spoken between Grey and the strangers.

“Grey?” Keen called up from below the cauldron, his voice strained. “What’s going on? Why are they looking at you like that? And talking? Can you understand them?”

“I think…” Grey hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I think I’ve formed a connection with you. Like I did with the others here before. I can hear your words in my mind, but your spoken language is still unfamiliar.”

Leora’s voice trembled as she replied, her expression wary. “What do you mean, connection? What have you done to us?”

Aedric stepped forward, his tone laced with apprehension. “What is this? What have you done?”

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“Calm down,” Grey said, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. “I haven’t done anything to harm you. It’s… just something I can do. If it could hurt you, I wouldn’t know how. But now we can understand each other. We can finally communicate—properly.”

As the cauldron’s glow faded, the last of its liquid drained. Shot and Grey stepped out, and Grey found himself standing face-to-face with Aedric and Leora. Their guarded expressions softened slightly, though the tension in the air remained palpable.

“What did you come here for?” Grey asked gently, keeping his tone devoid of hostility.

Leora’s gaze dropped for a moment before she answered, her voice quiet. “We were searching for rare resources… training in these lands. But it was a mistake. We didn’t know how dangerous it would be.”

Grey’s expression softened. “I’m sorry about your companions,” he said, his voice low with empathy. “But what were you looking for exactly? Central Cores from the creatures here?”

This time, Aedric answered, his tone heavier. “No. Not exactly. I understand it now—it wasn’t the resources. It’s this place.”

Grey turned to Elder and relayed what Aedric had said.

Elder’s face darkened as realization struck him. “The weakening of the barrier,” he murmured. “It’s releasing immense energy into the world.”

Elder’s gaze swept across the group, the weight of his words pressing on them. “It means we must leave. Much faster than planned. Soon, more strangers will appear here—drawn by the energy. This place is no longer safe.”

Keen’s face hardened as he turned to Grey. “Ask them how they got here. And if it’s possible to leave with a group. We need a safe path.”

Grey nodded and turned back to Aedric. “How did you get here? Is it possible to leave safely—can you show us a safe way to walk out?”

Aedric blinked at the question, his gaze growing distant as he processed the thought. “Leave here by walking? Are you mad?” His voice rose slightly, his frustration showing. “It’s dangerous enough where we were, and the fact this village even exists here is… a miracle.” He hesitated, then seemed to weigh his words carefully. “I… I don’t know if I should say more.”

Leora didn’t share his caution. She straightened, her voice urgent. “We need the glowing core—the item you found. It’s the only way to leave. Any other way is suicide.”

Grey felt a flicker of apprehension but suppressed it. They needed more details. “How many could you take? How did you get here? And how exactly would you leave?”

Leora hesitated for only a moment before answering. “We used a mechanism—a device of our clan. It brought us near the oscillations of the massive energy. It was a gamble—a deadly one. The only way to return is to power it with something strong enough. That Demon Crystal—it’s the only thing we can use to leave this place.”

Aedric’s voice joined hers, quieter but firm. “We hoped to find more… something worth the risk. But now we understand—it wasn’t resources we sensed. It was the barrier. Fading. Dying.”

“Without the mechanism of your clan, how will you return?” Grey asked, his voice edged with urgency.

Aedric responded, “Our master, in the next room, has an item tied to our clan. With a Crystal, we could bring… ten people safely.”

Grey’s face paled as the weight of Aedric’s words sank in. Elder’s sharp eyes caught the change in his demeanor. “What’s wrong?” Elder asked cautiously.

“With the Heart, they can bring ten people out,” Grey said slowly, his voice low. “I imagine they want to fill two of those spots.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, the enormity of the situation sinking in. Finally, Elder broke through the tension, his voice cutting sharply. “Ask them if they can take eight.”

“Elder—” Grey began, only to be interrupted.

“Ask, Grey!” Elder’s voice rang with a force none of them had ever heard before.

Reluctantly, Grey turned back to Aedric and Leora. “Can you take some of us with you? Eight of us, out of this place, to your clan?”

Aedric didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said with conviction. “I personally will guarantee your safety. I may only be from a branch of the main clan, but I am the son of the head there. Eight of you will not be harmed.”

Grey turned back to the group, his expression still uncertain. “He says he can guarantee our safety… he claims to, anyway.”

Elder visibly relaxed, as if a weight carried for generations had finally been lifted. He straightened his back, his voice softer now but resolute. “It is fate,” he murmured. “Eight of you—the four who comprehended the Will and the Hunters in this room.”

“No,” Keen said suddenly, his voice steady but defiant.

“Do not make this difficult, Keen!” Elder snapped, his earlier calm replaced by raw frustration.

“I will not abandon the village,” Keen replied firmly. “I am the new Elder. I will stay. But send my daughter. She deserves a chance to be safe.” He turned to Brawl, his gaze unwavering. “You have to protect her… and the rest.”

Shot was the next to speak. “I haven’t said I’m going,” she said, her tone laced with defiance.

“None of us have,” Wild added, her arms crossed, with Serene nodding in fierce agreement beside her.

Elder took a deep breath, visibly calming himself. “This does not have to be goodbye forever,” he said, his voice steady but laden with emotion. “Out there, in a world so much larger, you can advance so much faster, together. You can come back one day—it may take time, but you can find us, just as these people found this village. They already know where we live. The barrier will hold for a few more generations, at least. The village will be safe from beasts until then.”

“And the old man?” Grey asked, his voice tinged with unease.

Elder paused, his face unreadable. “He would have to look far and brave many dangers to find us. I believe what he said were merely empty threats.” His gaze swept over the group. “This is no longer a discussion. You will all go. You will all bear the responsibility of saving our people.”

The air grew heavy with his final command, a mix of reluctance and resignation settling over the group as the gravity of their task became undeniable.