The revelation from the mysterious man momentarily stunned Layla and her group, but they quickly regained their composure. Layla, taking a step forward demanded "Who are you?".

The man didn't immediately answer instead, he cast a discerning look at each of the elf women in Layla's group, his gaze lingering for a moment before returning to Layla.

"I serve the same master as you" he finally replied, this statement caused a stir among Layla's companions prompting confused and curious glances among them, Layla maintained her focus on the man trying to see if he was making it up or was telling the truth.

"I've heard many rumors about you, young one" the man continued, his voice calm but firm.

"But we don’t have time for this, there are still enemies in the area" He then began to walk towards the downed airship behind Layla.

As he passed close to her, Layla reacted instinctively, placing her blade against his throat, the sharp edge just grazing the exposed skin not covered by his helmet, the man’s group tensed, looking as if ready to cut all four elves in an instant.

"And why would I trust you?" Layla challenged, her eyes locked on his, "How could I know you are not his enemy?".

In response, the man gave a slight knowing smile, detectable even behind his strange helmet, he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper "I see you have yet to be captured by the Luna Secta that he protected you from".

This statement hit Layla like a thunderbolt, her eyes widening in shock.

With Layla’s gaze on him she only managed “How did you…?” this information was privately shared by only a handful of souls that Layla trusted, and of course her savers at the time, she lowered her weapon from the shock of his words wanting to ask.

But the man didn't wait to elaborate, he resumed his walk towards the airship, some of his men following, while the rest retreated into the canopy.

Estelle, standing by Layla's side, broke the silence with a question that echoed through the uncertainty of the moment "What should we do?" she asked.

Layla, still processing the recent interaction and its implications, replied without taking her eyes off the retreating figure of the man.

"For now we follow, but be on guard" she instructed her tone cautious.

Estelle nodded in understanding, and with a subtle gesture of her head, she signaled the other two elves, they in turn sheathed their weapons, their movements smooth and practiced, but their senses remained alert ready to respond at a moment's notice.

The group trailed behind the man, moving toward the wreckage of the airship.

The walk, though short, was laden with a heavy silence, broken only by the sounds of their footsteps and the distant crackling of fires, the air was still thick with the scent of fresh blood and death, a grim reminder of the battle that had happened not to long ago.

As they passed the armored figure still kneeling on the battlefield, the reality of its situation became even more apparent, Layla and her companions could now fully see the extent of the figure's wounds.

The injuries were beyond fatal, surpassing any known threshold of survival.

Yet, despite this, a palpable sense of fear emanated from the figure, an intangible presence that belied its lifeless state.

Layla cast a lingering glance at the figure, a mix of curiosity and unease reflected in her eyes, the existence of such a being, seemingly dead but instilling such dread in her was unsettling, to say the least, but more than that she was curious as to when did the figure draw It’s last breath, was it from the spears piercing his body? The numerous cuts and slashes all across? Or was the last blow the gaping hole in its stomach?

The group continued towards the airship following the man who claimed allegiance to their shared master, the airship, split and damaged, loomed in front of them, its hull a testament to the violence of the conflict.

As they entered the ship, Layla and her companions were struck by the familiarity of its design, it bore a resemblance to their vessel, yet there were aspects of its make that were distinctly different, an intriguing blend of the known and the unknown.

"Lady Layla" Estelle remarked, her voice echoing slightly in the hollow space of the ship, "this ship looks similar in design to ours" Layla nodded in acknowledgment but remained silent, her attention focused on navigating the wreckage.

Her eyes narrowed as she observed her surroundings, sensing almost a tangible guidance in the air, leading her through the broken pieces and scattered debris.

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That feeling, could it be? Layla thought for a moment.

The man leading them maintained a steady pace throughout the ship, his movements deliberate and unhesitating, he deftly navigated the obstacles never breaking stride, even when leaping over twisted metal and shattered wood, his silence added to the air of uneasiness that enveloped the group.

Eventually, they arrived near the back of the ship, where a corridor ahead was illuminated with unusual lights, differing from the common Caeruleum crystal lamps used in their time, the corridor revealed a grim scene.

Injured soldiers, some missing limbs, others simply bloodied and exhausted, each soldier bore the brutal marks of battle, their injuries severe, some teetering on the edge of death.

Despite the dire condition of the soldiers, Layla's attention was immediately drawn to a singular object in the room – an oval-like structure, slightly larger than a man, with a glass panel on the front.

Through the glass panel, Layla could see a man's body inside the structure.

Layla stepped closer to the structure, her eyes intently studying the man inside, the rest of her group remained alert, their eyes scanning the room, wary of any potential threats.

The man who had led them here finally came to a stop, turning to face Layla and her group.

"Young one, I believe you understand who this is, correct?”

As he said that the response was immediate as they all knew exactly what he meant.

The revelation from the man standing beside the pod sent a shockwave through the group, the other three elves gasped in surprise, but Layla remained silent her gaze locked on the man inside the pod – her master, the person she had been seeking for so long.

The tumult of emotions inside her was immense, a storm of thoughts and feelings, yet she managed to keep her exterior somewhat calm, the scenario unfolding before her was far from any she had imagined in her countless scenarios of reunion.

After a tense pause, Layla's voice strained and on the brink of breaking, finally broke the silence. "Is… is he…" she began but couldn't finish the question, her voice trailing off in uncertainty.

Marcus quickly responded "No, he is simply sleeping" his tone was matter-of-fact, but there was an undercurrent of something Layla couldn't quite identify "As to how or why, I cannot tell you, as I do not know either".

Layla's confusion deepened, her mind racing with questions "How could this be? Who are you exactly, and why are you here? Why is this ship in ruins?" With each question, her voice grew louder, and more forceful, seeking answers to the myriad of questions swirling in her head.

Marcus raised his hand in a calming gesture "My name is Marcus" he began, his voice steady "I’m a captain in the third legion, I serve the lord commander in his war" He paused for a moment, his gaze shifting from the pod back to Layla.

"As to why I’m here, that is something of a mystery too, I was ordered to take this ship and simply to follow the coordinates" He sighed, a hint of weariness in his voice "And to protect the lord commander with my life".

Layla was about to ask a new question and demand an immediate answer, Marcus met her gaze and said simply "I think you know" His words seemed to carry a weight of unspoken understanding between the two of them, if he knew about her then she was sure he knew her question, and the weight behind it.

Who gave him the order?

As Layla clenched her hand into a fist, the color draining from her knuckles under the strain, Marcus continued his explanation "We were attacked close by It was an ambush, as unlikely as it seems in the sky, The assailants had smaller vessels and unfortunately, they managed to destroy the Caeruleum engine, we were losing altitude quickly" he recounted, the memory of the event clear in his expression "We decided to risk landing on this cluster of islands instead of the land below, more chances of survival”.

Layla absorbed his words her mind racing with the implications of what he said, she looked back at the man sleeping in the pod, her master, the very goal of her long quest.

Slowly, she stepped closer to the pod, her hand reaching out to touch the glass.

Gently, she removed her half-face mask with her other hand, revealing her face, a canvas of complex emotions, with eyes watery and lips closed tight from fear of something precious escaping.

Her eyes lingered on her master inside the pod the sight of him, so close yet separated by the barrier of glass and circumstance, evoked a flood of memories in her, of how he taught her to use a sword, play chess, and simply to have someone to come back to after a long journey apart.

Taking a moment Layla’s expression changed and became focused and determined, she understood the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate action "Ok, what’s the situation? Who is attacking?" she asked, her voice steady and commanding.

Marcus, noting her shift in demeanor seemed relieved by her complete one-eighty "We need to get him out of here and take him to a safe place, then continue to our destination, But unfortunately..." he trailed off as he turned to one of his men.

Noticing his captain’s gaze the soldier approached and handed Marcus a small cube, its design was intricate, with faint blue light emanating from its carved patterns, Marcus took the cube and tossed it to Layla who caught it in turn.

"This is a navigation device" Marcus started explaining "or more specifically a map, however, the only device we have to read it was damaged in the crash. We’ll have to find a way to either open the map or build a similar device".

Layla examined the cube, turning it over in her hands as he spoke.

Marcus stared at Layla, his expression serious as he conveyed the critical information "As for our friends, I can't say for sure which group specifically attacked us, but they are the ones we've been fighting all this time on Mora" he said "There are too many of them to count, and these attackers didn’t wear any symbols".

Estelle's shock was evident "The Mora continent?" she exclaimed "That explains why we never found any traces of master, he was never on the continent!" Her exclamation was directed at Layla.

Layla's mind raced with new questions again, her master's presence on Mora, a continent known only from rumors about its perilous conditions and endless conflicts, so few people are known to go there, and fewer still ever come back, and those that do never really speak about what they experience there, though that is not surprising as the nature of the continent was hidden from all records for the most part by all current governments.

The notion that he had been in such a hostile environment all this time was troubling, why would he be there? she quickly refocused her attention on the immediate situation, they needed to act fast.

She turned to Marcus, ready to discuss their next steps, but her words were cut short by an explosion, the ship already damaged, shook violently under the force of the blast, yells and the sound of chaos echoed through the hull.

“We’re under attack!”.