At 9 a.m

Sarina had reached the ocean.

From the coast, she looked at the expanse of blue that never seemed to end. A horizon filled with nothing but shades of blue.

She jumped down and landed on top of the sea itself. She stood on the water as if it was earth itself.

She placed a hand on the water and began to disperse spiritual energy in a certain rhythm. It created a certain specific melody.

She played it for half an hour before stopping.

As she did, the gigantic head of a serpent erupted from the water in front of her. The head itself was bigger than a building.

It was Grunleden.

Sarina smiled as she saw him.

Grunleden was frowning as he coldly asked: “How do you know this melody?”

Sarina chuckled as she asked: “Did you already forget your aunty Sarina, little Grun?”

Grunleden’s eyes opened wide as his mouth opened and closed many times. It took him a few seconds to steady himself and figure out what was going on.

He asked to confirm: “You’re her remnant soul”

Sarina nodded with a big smile. She said: “I’m glad to see you again after so long”

He sighed.

This was beyond him. And he was already someone standing at the top of this world. He asked her: “How?”

It was the biggest question of all.

She told him everything without hiding anything. He listened attentively. Then, once she was done, he nodded and stated: “There is only one man that I could trust to sail you out of this place. I will contact him, leave this to me”

She grinned: “I knew I could count on you”

He nodded: “I still owe you so much. I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did back then”

She shook her head sideways as she stated: “It was under the call of Justice”

He stated: “Your Justice”

She nodded pensively. Then, she asked something she had been curious ever since reviving: “What happened to the Justice Alliance?”

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He sighed as he looked elsewhere and recalled: “After you and Cheng left, they were forced to disband and hunted through the whole world until none remained”

She smiled sadly. She expected as much but ascertaining it was another matter. It was not the same.

She felt empty.

Time truly cared for no one and nothing.

Everything that was built would indeed someday crumble.

They were having a lengthy chat when, suddenly, the calm water vibrated. Grunleden’s head turned away at the very moment the ripple reached his scale.

Sarina’s gaze turned serious as she asked: “What happened?”

Anger could be seen in Grunleden’s eyes as he coldly stated: “Two forces broke the holy agreement”

Sarina frowned.

The holy agreement had been drafted under the eyes of the heavens so long ago…Long before she was born. Long before her grand ancestors were born.

Sarina asked: “Who?”

Grunleden stated: “The Nightmare unleashed his undying while The Greedy let out the debtors...” he turned his head towards Vrislorin and added: “…in there”

Sarina’s eyes opened wide as she turned around. She trembled as her fists clenched. She knew exactly what it meant for those two forces to be unleashed upon this lower continent.

It would be erased.

Millions upon millions would die.

She turned back towards Grunleden and asked him: “What are the Oceanics going to do?”

Grunleden sighed.

He told her the truth, harsh as it was: “Nothing. They are warning everyone not to get close”

Sarina’s mouth opened wide in incredulity then she screamed: “But millions will die!”

He nodded as he stated: “But no Oceanics”

Tears threatened to drop from Sarina’s eyes. She said: “This world is rotten”

She looked straight into the eyes of Grunleden.

He sighed.

He already understood what she meant with that look.

He sighed again. There was nothing he could ever refuse her. He stated: “I can only bring my own forces”

She smiled brightly: “Thank you, little Grun”

He nodded as he arched his head towards the sky and howled fiercely.

Ripples were created from the sound and travelled through the wide ocean. Creatures of the blue expanse heard his call and responded.

Tens of thousands of Oceanics moved as one and an army formed. Once Grunleden was satisfied, he stated: “We go to war!”

The powerful roars of acknowledgement by the army of fishes shook the oceans. Then, they started to transform as they swam to the shore and started to move on their newly transformed feet.

Grunleden himself was at the front next to Sarina, leading his troops. They hurried through the forests, mountains and plains and ran straight to the Capital.

As the night fell, they finally reached it.

Sarina sighed as she saw the different forces that appeared around the gigantic tree.

Grunleden next to her stated: “We’re not too late”

Sarina nodded but painfully added: “Yet millions will die”

Grunleden nodded somberly.

He looked back at his people. Was it the right thing to do? How many would be able to return? How many would remain here as a dried corpse?

He led them here.

He would have to bear the weight of that decision.

The weight of lost lives.

Then, he looked back at the other beings that stood facing the army of undead.

This made him question the worth of a life.

As always.

He glanced at Sarina and saw her crying with eyes wide open. He sighed. This world was cold and cruel. It had always been.

It was not a place for a warm hearted one like her.

He had wished to the heavens so many times for her. In hopes that she found a better world beyond.

Yet, here she was again, once more walking the land of this horrible world.

Once more crying.

He would forever remember what she told him that day: “If only people were willing to share between each other’s”

He braced himself.

This time, even his survival was uncertain.

This was Vrislorin. He was not a hegemon here. He was equal to most.