The next morning, Aryk woke up before his siblings and reached under the bed, searching for his journal. Shaking, he looked for the nearest pen, closed his eyes, and placed the journal in front of him.

"I must remember something, anything! This is the ninety-first day. How could I not remember any of my dreams?"

As Aryk was in this state, Lilya woke up.

"Aryk? Is that you? What are you doing up so early? The sun hasn’t even risen yet."

Hearing his sister’s voice, He quickly hid his journal under the blanket, looking flustered.

"Nothing! I just felt like I had slept enough."

Lilya, convinced by her brother’s words, covered herself up and went back to sleep.

"I see I won’t remember anything," Aryk said as he returned the journal to its place under the bed and left the room.

In the kitchen, he was surprised to see his mother, Fatima, already awake.

"Good morning, Mom. Isn’t the weather beautiful today?"

Fatima looked up at her son, hiding something in her hands, and replied, "The weather is indeed lovely, so much so that the sun hasn’t even come up yet. Aren’t you up very early today?"

Smiling, Aryk responded, "I’m trying to be active."

Amidst their laughter, Magner woke up.

"It seems the whole family is up early today."

Fatima, seeing Ragner come out of the room, agreed.

The family had breakfast together and chatted about the state of the village under Emperor Starstoid’s rule.

The village of Eldonia was located in the southwestern part of the Dark Continent and was the third largest continent after the Red and Ice Continents. Each was characterized by its climate and terrain. The Dark Continent had a moderate and warm climate throughout the year, while the Red and Ice Continents had drastically changing climates, making them home to many mythical creatures. The Red Continent was known for its dragons, and the Ice Continent was known for its ghouls. However, the Great War III had eradicated all these creatures as they posed a threat to humanity.

With this information in mind, Aryk asked his mother, "Could some mythical creatures have made our continent their home? It’s strange that we have no information about any of them here."

Fatima smiled. "No. The Starstoid family exterminated all the mythical creatures from the Dark continent in the Great War II, and they were a major reason why these creatures sought refuge in other continents."

"Does that mean some mythical creatures existed before Emperor Starstoid?"

"Yes. The Dark Continent is the largest of the three continents. Before the emperor, all mythical creatures resided here under the rule of the Great Tree of Life. But after the Great War II, the Great Tree abandoned this continent and vanished."

Aryk fell silent, processing the information his mother had shared.

In the midst of Aryk's silence, Fatima remembered something.

"Aryk and Ragner, I need you to deliver this dish to our neighbor Cecilia. It’s some leftover cake from yesterday."

Cecilia was Fatima’s childhood friend. After Aryk, Ragner, and Lilya’s father passed away, Cecilia helped Fatima through many hardships and is considered like a sister to her. Aryk changed into casual clothes, took the dish, woke Ragner, who had been sleeping at the table, and they left the house after saying goodbye to their mother.

In front of Cecilia’s house, Aryk knocked on the door and waited.

After a short while, Zack opened the door. Zack was Cecilia’s son and a friend to the three siblings, as he was around their age. Zack’s father, Roger, was a swordsman in the empire and was rarely seen in the village.

Aryk handed the dish with a smile. "Mom wanted me to deliver this. It’s the famous chocolate cake."

With a smile, Zack took the dish and looked at Ragner with a laugh. "I think I know who won yesterday’s contest."

Ragner did not respond to Zack’s provocation, being too drowsy to get upset.

"By the way, there’s new gossip in the village. It seems the emperor will visit our village next week."

Curiously, Aryk tilted his head. "Why would the emperor personally visit our village? We’re barely on the map."

Zack agreed with Aryk’s observation. "Yes, it is quite strange. However, my father told my mother this news, and I wanted to let you know so you can inform your mother, as you know she dislikes the emperor."

Aryk fell silent while Ragner remarked, "Why all this fuss? The emperor is just visiting our village. What’s he going to do, imprison our mother because she dislikes him? Nothing’s going to happen, Now, can we go? I can barely keep my eyes open."

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Understanding his brother’s condition, Aryk bid farewell to Zack, though Zack was not finished talking.

"Hold on, Aryk. I’m not done yet. My father told me yesterday that the emperor ordered to guard a cave near our village. I wanted to get more information since my father assigned a guard there, but he refused, saying the matter was classified. Do you want to come with me to scout it?"

Aryk’s eyes widened at Zack’s news. The fact that the emperor himself ordered the guard and his unexpected visit occurring in close succession meant that the cave was likely the main reason for the emperor’s visit. The desire to see the situation for himself indicated that the matter was extremely secretive.

Excitedly, Aryk replied, "Of course. I’ll come to your house with Ragner after lunch, and we’ll explore the cave together."

After bidding each other farewell, the brothers returned home and fell into a deep sleep.

At lunchtime, Aryk woke up with red eyes, feeling very tired. Despite having had plenty of rest the previous night, his nap had exhausted him.

He looked at his brother and found him fully energetic.

"It seems he really isn’t human. Being more like a dog seems appropriate and more understandable."

After lunch, Aryk regained his energy and went with Ragner to Zack’s house, where they found him waiting for them by his front door.

After exchanging greetings, Zack pulled out a map of the forest.

"My father marked an 'X' here yesterday when he spoke to my mother about the cave. I saw it and quickly drew it. The location isn’t very precise, but I’m sure it’s in one of these areas."

Ragner looked at his brother . "Erik, if the map is incorrect, we’ll be in serious trouble. If any guards find us, we’ll be punished. This part of the forest is known for the wolves, and since it’s under guard, we have no reason to enter it. What should we do?"

Aryk thought about his brother’s words, then turned to Zack. "Didn’t you tell us last week that your cat is accustomed to going to this part of the forest?"

Zack nodded in agreement, looking puzzled by Aryk’s question.

"Then let’s use that as our reason for being here. Your cat got lost in this part of the forest, and we’re here just to look for it."

Zack was surprised by Aryk’s suggestion while Magner smiled. "It looks like we’ve found our motivation. We can go now."

After agreeing on the plan, they studied the map and the three set off into the forest in search of the cave.

Upon entering the forest, they were greeted by the smell of earth and trees. The area was filled with the sounds of birds and insects. The tall trees cast long shadows, allowing only a little sunlight to illuminate the path. Numerous branches were scattered on the path, though some parts were cleared, making it easier for the three to navigate. They occasionally encountered tracks that resembled wolf prints but continued on their way.

After some time, Zack broke the silence.

"Didn’t Lilya want to come with us?"

Zack asked, his cheeks reddening.

"She wanted to stay and help Mom with folding clothes," Aryk replied with a calm voice

Sensing Aryk’s reluctance to talk about his sister, Zack quickened his pace, strangely distancing himself from the siblings.

Ragner approachedAryk . "Look at that guy. I told you he has feelings for Lilya. It seems he’s disappointed that she didn’t come."

Aryk whispered back, "I’ve told you before, he won’t get her without my approval. Seeing him in this state, he won’t get her even if he lives a thousand years."

Zack felt a piercing gaze from behind him, causing a shiver down his spine.

After walking through the forest for a while, Zack stopped and turned to face Aryk with a smile.

"I think we’ve arrived."

Before them was a large section of the forest covered by a white plastic tape.

"It seems he set up boundaries to prevent us from advancing. Fortunately, we’re not advancing, right?" Zack joked, mocking the barrier, and stepped over the line. Aryk and Rangar followed with smiles.

After walking a few steps, Aryk felt a hand touch his shoulder.

Turning around, he saw Zack with his finger on his lips, signaling towards a tree in the distance.

Focusing on it, He spotted an imperial guard.

Imperial guards of lower rank wore blue uniforms and carried swords and communication devices to communicate with each other.

"It seems we’re getting closer to the cave. We need to be cautious and approach slowly."

Zack responded to Aryk's advice, "My father told me that the guards take a ten-minute break at three o'clock, which means exactly ten minutes from now. We should advance stealthily and wait for the guards to take their break before entering quickly."

After finalizing their plan, Aryk and Ragnar nodded in agreement. The three moved stealthily and silently toward the guard. After a few steps, they could see the cave. It was a large opening in the mountain, completely covered in a dark aura and surrounded by white plastic threads designed to keep intruders out. They waited patiently until Aryk saw several guards leaving one by one. Finally, he spotted Zack’s father, who was dressed in a green uniform, indicating his higher rank, exiting last.

The higher-ranking soldiers carried weapons in addition to their swords. Their weapons utilized natural powers in the air, known as “Alynn,” capable of killing two giant wolves with a single shot.

Once they confirmed that all the guards had left, the three hurried to the cave. Upon entering, they felt a strange sensation as if their connection to the outside world had been severed. The cave was enveloped in dampness and silence, with the occasional sound of dripping water. Zack and Ragnar felt fear, but Aryk felt… familiarity? The entire space was covered in a dark aura and was unusually cold.

Despite the darkness, the three managed to confirm that the cave was vast. They decided to split up to cover more ground.

“Aryk, you take the eastern side. Ragnar, the western. I’ll take the center. Let’s meet back here in five minutes. Remember, five minutes,” Zack instructed.

The three quickly separated and began their exploration. Ragnar, on his western side, found a few broken swords on the ground and many excavation tools. Zack discovered several barrels and lanterns. Since the darkness was unhelpful, and using the lanterns would attract the guards' attention, they only used the faint sunlight available.

Aryk found nothing in his eastern section.

“This area seems cleaner compared to the others. This is strange,” He wondered aloud.

As he turned to return early to Zack, he caught a glimpse of an unusual light from deeper within the cave. He pondered to himself, “Should I go explore that area? But I might not return in time.” After a long internal debate, he decided to follow his curiosity.

“I came here to explore. If I don’t find anything, it will be pointless,” Aryk reasoned, clenching his fists. He hurried toward the source of the light.

The closer He got to the light, the warmer his chest felt despite the cave’s cold temperature. He experienced a strange sense of fogginess in his mind. Aryk quickened his pace as his heart began to race.

“Why do I feel this way? Why is my mind so foggy? It’s as if I’ve found a missing piece of my life,” He thought.

Aryk ran faster until he reached the light’s source. Among the excavation tools and lanterns surrounding the area, He could clearly see what lay before him. He felt as if he had been reborn. The strange and familiar sensation enveloping him prevented him from moving. He could only move his eyes to observe the source of the light.

“I remember now. I can remember my dreams now,” Aryk felt an indescribable joy.

Before him stood the trunk of a colossal tree, carved into the cave’s depths and covered in a radiant aura of light.