“Disciples—an ancient order loyal to the Supreme Being for centuries. They were once ordinary people who sought to free themselves from the shackles of this world,” the old lady began, her voice low in the dimly lit room. “They took part in a ritual called ‘The Walk,’ to cleanse themselves and their life force of every impurity and the sins they bore.”

Hades tended to his wound, with torches casting shadows on the stony walls. The temple maiden sat perched on a chest.

“Over time, their numbers grew, and with it, their power,” she said. “But when Ryunosuke rose to leadership, everything changed. They altered their ways just as the world shifted through the seasons, turning against the very one they had sworn to serve”

“They fought the Supreme Being?” he asked, being sceptical.

She cackled, glaring at him with her bright yellow eyes. “Child, you can’t comprehend the depths of their might. Hundreds of exiles, each wielding a gift or an incredible control of their lifeforce. And at their helm, a ruler whose strength is said to be greatest in this forsaken kingdom. Let me be clear—seeking them out may bring you more harm than good.”

“I have to find Lily,” he said, tightening the poorly wrapped bandages around his torso. “For years, my mind was a storm of chaos—memories I wanted to bury kept clawing their way back. But now, I can finally think clearly. I won’t leave her alone again.”

“Thinking clearly? I doubt it”

Hades flexed his arm, testing its movement despite the ache. Memories flooded him, both sweet and bitter, threatening to spill his emotions over. He lowered his head, whispering. “This... this isn’t me at all. She’ll see me like this and listen. But... will she forgive me?”

Forcing herself off the chest, she walked to Hades. “ An undying flower plucked from the high peaks. A scarf woven with unyielding patience and care. A box that once held glasses. Knives coated with a mild poison and a lover’s diary containing nothing but needless imaginations,” she said, looking up at him. “She brought them all here, child. For safekeeping. I can bet my favourite armour, she'll be shocked to see you”

Hades completed putting on his worn garment, securing his sheath beneath it. A dark scarf draped over his shoulders and a blue flower was fastened to his waist. With it, was a well-designed box and had a knife concealed on his ankle. Finally, he slid a small book into a hidden pocket.

“You’re taking that too?” she asked, adjusting the scarf around his neck.

“It’s better than leaving it to gather dust,” he said, holding his hat. “Besides, Bon always knew how to cheer someone up.”

He glanced at his reflection in the cracked mirror. The face staring back was a younger version of himself—a boy consumed by loneliness and longing for something more. He saw himself among friends, training together, while he showed off. Then, at the feet of the mountain, he almost lost everything. Hades, wore his straw hat, making a promise to himself.

“I don’t deserve to carry the things you cherished,” he whispered to the image, his fists clenched. “But it’s my responsibility to bring all of you to the world we dreamed of exploring. The past won’t repeat itself. I’ll make sure of it”

The old woman handed him a small brass bell. “Take this. It will guide you into the Disciples’ world. It summons a high-ranking member of the disciples. A pain in the ass, if you ask me. Ring it only once the temple is out of sight. And remember—respect is key, or you may never meet her.”

"Respect?"

"A mortal who thinks she's a goddess. Just play the part, if you want to meet Lily, this shouldn’t be a challenge"

Hades bowed before heading to the exit.

“Wait,” she called, stopping him in his tracks. “What about the other boy?”

His hands curled into fists. “I’ll deal with Jin later,” he said, his voice steady. He paused again. “I’ll return my jacket, it’s a gift from a friend, and I can’t lose it”

*

Pasta, Emilia, and Mr. Swordsman sat around a campfire near a makeshift tent at the corner of a silent, darkened forest. Their voices were barely audible as they waited for their dinner. The meat sizzled over the flames, ready to be devoured. Wasting no time, Pasta lunged toward it, crashing into the fire.

Pasta awoke with a growling stomach. His eyes were fixed on the jagged hole in the roof. When he looked down, he saw the bandages wrapped tightly around his body, a blood-stained cloth near him. Beside the bed, a bucket of steaming water sat, tinged with a slight red hue.

The fire crackled on, eating at the logs while a large figure sat next to it, peeling a potato. Two masks rested beside him.

“Finally awake?” Kabal said. “Told you it was suicide”

“I don’t need your lectures,” Pasta growled, shutting back his eyes. “Still… thank you”

Remembering what he saw next to Kabal, he sprang to his feet. Though the pain sent him straight to the floor, making a heavy thud, he looked up. “Where did you get those masks?”

He took a bite of the raw potato, grimacing before spitting it out, cursing himself. "We both need to eat better," Kabal whispered. "Cooking's a pain when there's no pot. Meat’s easy—heat it up and it's done. But this... this is just a hassle."

Pasta's sword and gear were under the window. He tried to move toward it but found himself too weak. "I would've cut you down right now, you know"

"What a way to thank the person who saved your life," Kabal said. "As for your question... they were our lifesavers."

Pasta breathed heavily, glaring at Kabal as if he spoke gibberish.

“If you had used your brain, you might have noticed an easier way to infiltrate a town crawling with Hunters unnoticed,” he said, biting into a carrot. Enjoying it, he took another. “ Hunters are allowed in, as long as they swear allegiance to the Lord. So I stole two masks and did just that. After your life force vanished, I spent hours searching for you. Thank goodness, I made it just in time— right when you were getting your buttocks kicked by one of their commanders”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Pasta used a chair, helping himself up. “How did you get us out then,” he whispered. “There should have been hundreds of hunters searching for us”

Kabal laughed as he held up a mask. “These things have more power than meets the eye. Just placing this over your face was enough to convince them you were merely an injured hunter from the onslaught.”

“But that that means... we’re—“

“Yes, Hunters,” Kabal said. “Adventurers are banned from putting these on, but it doesn’t matter. Not like anyone saw us wearing them. And I just can’t leave you to die over there”

He smiled, holding his stomach. “Kabal,” Pasta whispered. “I couldn’t find Emilia. The commander, that Ryder guy… he said she was kidnapped”

"I heard," Kabal said, nodding. "Their leader is organising a search for her as we speak. Today was the last day for them to gather their resources and begin the search. But you showing up... well, they didn't care much about you. Not because you were weak, but because your mission was pointless."

“They looked like they were having the time of their lives instead of gathering resources,” Pasta asked, tummy still growling.

“You hungry?”

Pasta scowled. “No”

“Ok then”

Kabal continued munching on his carrot. The sound of his chewing was louder than the fire.

Pasta sighed. “She isn’t with those monsters, but she may be with someone more dangerous,” he said, pausing. "Kabal, I need help finding her. You’ve already done enough for me, and I thank you. But if you don’t want to—"

“What are you saying?!” Kabal screamed, holding Pasta’s shoulders. "We’re comrades! We’ve ventured into the Demir of Grandeur together. We’ve spoken about women and watched a fire show together. I’m not letting you do this alone."

Pasta eyed him. “No, we didn’t. You were with your girl”

“Same thing”

“No, it’s not”

Kabal ran through his thoughts for some time, before letting go. “Yeah, guess you’re right there”

“But still, those hunters are pretty strong,” Pasta said. “ The ones I fought could control the earth like it was nothing”

“So? First, they hurt my fellow adventurers, then my best friend, Shot, and now you. They also have Emilia. Without her, we would have been stuck forever in the dungeon. I still haven’t even thanked her for that.”

Both of them locked eyes with the other for some time in silence.

They gripped hands as Kabal pulled Pasta in for a hug, but he collapsed to the floor, remembering his injuries.

Kabal hurriedly helped him up. "We can’t do much in this state. The Fourth is unforgiving to those with injuries."

“So I've heard,” Pasta gasped, struggling to catch his breath. “I know someone else who can help us. She may be annoying, but she's plenty strong.”

"Oh? How hot is she?"

Pasta fell silent for a moment, before answering, "You’ve met her. Don’t ask me."

"The only female friend you have is the one from the festival," Kabal said bluntly. "She must be the one then"

Pasta flushed, turning his head away. "I don’t talk to girls much. Tori and I have some history that's all."

“I see,” Kabal said.

“Let’s head out now, there’s no time to waste,” Pasta said,

“Ok”

As Pasta looked out the window, he thought. The Fourth Realm was far larger than the Seventh. How would I even begin to find her?

*

Hades strode away from the temple, feeling the atmosphere shift with each passing moment. As he arrived at the gate, he noticed something unusual about the old lady. Her aura was faint, flickering like a candle close to running out of wax. And she lacked the third layer.

Descending the temple's stone stairway, Hades paused halfway, veering off onto a narrow path that snaked toward another hill. Those dreams I had? Was it her gift?

A flock of birds flew passed him, striking a nerve. Hades clutched his chest

No. I’ve felt nothing ever since he thought. The life force from the birds was unlike anything I’ve sensed since entering the temple, no it’s been strange ever since. Peering over the edge of the path, he stared at the vast expanse of forest below. According to the old lady, he has been asleep for five days; not much should have changed.

“The only village nearest to the capital had a lake, popular for ice fishing,” he whispered in shock. The village he'd once protected from hunters was gone. Hades hurried along the path heading up.

Arriving at the top, his eyes widened. “The temple…. It’s no longer there.”

In its place stood only trees and lush greenery. Hades couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. “That crafty old hag really got me dancing in her palm this whole time,” he said, calming himself. “How am I going to get Emilia's jacket back now?”

Hades brought out the bell, remembering the old lady's words. Facing the distant mountain ranges, his scarf swayed in the chill breeze. He sighed and went on his knees, and rang the bell, leaving it on the earth as he clasped his hands together. He closed his eyes.

The bell rang once more.

It rang again. And again.

The world fell silent. It felt as if everything had disappeared. The lives of the trees and the wildlife were gone, leaving only a single pulse of energy: his own. When Hades opened his eyes, he found himself enveloped in a void of pitch black.

Unlike the space for training, there was no shallow water. Before him stood a huge metal door adorned with intricate floral engravings.

Hades opened it, revealing a staircase. With no torches to guide him, he descended. The door closed behind him, vanishing into nothingness. In that instant, he disappeared.

Turning back, he saw only a blank wall where the stairway had been. He stood on the grounds of a grand coliseum. Above, red skies churned with raging storms, and monstrous shapes writhed amid flashes of lightning. Across the arena stood hundreds of statues, each wearing wide-brimmed hats, draped in bells or decorations.

At the far end, a woman shrouded in darkness sat atop the stage swinging her legs, and biting into an apple. Her voice, soft yet dripping with pride, echoed across the arena.

“Who would have guessed the infamous Weeping Swordsman would pray to me?”

Hades turned around, fighting the urge to draw his blade. “The third power: world creation,” he said to himself. “Just how many times will I see this in a day?”

"That’s the swordsman for you—skilled and knowledgeable."

She floated from her seat, her dark purple cloak transforming into a ball gown, its fabric sprawling across the coliseum floor. Her Golden locks adorned with jewels ran across her shoulders—a beauty truly worthy of the title "goddess." Her hat, unlike Lily’s, shimmered with cascading stars.

“I am Mercury. I now act as a goddess, not a disciple,” she said. “You possess Madame Lin's special bells, so she must have deemed you worthy of my presence. Tell me, mortal, what do you seek? Is it wealth? Love? Power over a country? Speak, and if it lies within my power, it shall be yours.”

Hades took a deep breath. Every ounce of energy in this world belonged to her as if her strength were limitless. He had seen this before in the past, but it had never felt as intense as it did now. This was indeed the third power.

This power could only be wielded by the gifted and had mastered their abilities, becoming one with them. It was a strength so great, it was regarded as a second gift.

He went on one knee and lowered his head. “I need to meet Lily,” he whispered.

“Bold of you to ask,” she mused. “But as I’ve said, I only grant what is within my ability.”

“The old woman said you could help”

“Yes I can, but that does not guarantee it,” Mercury whispered. “But summoning a high-ranking disciple like Lily isn’t so simple. She left you four years ago—why seek her now?”

“That’s between us”

“She’s watching us right now, you know,” Mercury said. “If she truly wished to meet you, there would be no need for this discussion.”

Hades got on his feet, stretching back his arm. I am no longer alone; I now carry the precious objects of those I hold dear. I made them all go on their knees, which is unacceptable, especially to a goddess. The very thing I despise, the very type of people I wish to kill. I’m sorry old lady, memory lost or not. I can’t stand these delusional humans. She may not meet me, but I can’t disrespect my friends or myself.

He drew his sword as the clouds raged in response. The sensation of being watched was etched into him.

"You dare unsheathe your blade in my presence?" Mercury whispered, turning away. "By doing so, you’ve signed your own death warrant."

The arena shook violently. Lightning split the sky, striking the arena. Shadowy figures appeared, each radiating the unmistakable aura of a disciple, standing atop the crumbling edges of the arena.

Mercury's dark eyes glinted as she glanced over her shoulder. "How utterly foolish of you... to think you even had a chance."

The air grew dense, suffocating with energy far heavier than the dragon’s presence in the dungeon.

Undaunted, Hades walked forward. His own aura surged, his command over the wind rippling outward and shattering the floor beneath him. Stopping, he glared up at the storm-torn sky, whispering. “Lily, in case I die here, I’ll make it clear right now,” he smiled. “I’m sorry I’m such a reckless, fighting idiot who doesn't like corn.”