Silence lingered after Lucien’s departure.
The broken shrine doors stood open.
A cool breeze drifted through the underground forest.
For the first time since entering the shrine...
No one knew what to say.
Eric finally scratched the back of his head.
"...So..."
"We just let the bad guys leave?"
Damien looked toward the shattered entrance.
"We don’t even know if they’re the bad guys."
Eric blinked.
"...I hate when you’re right."
The old fisherman smiled faintly.
"Questions..."
"...are far more dangerous than swords."
Noah looked down at the black journal.
Its worn leather cover felt surprisingly warm.
Not with mana.
With age.
As though countless hands had carried it before him.
He remembered Lucien’s words.
Read it when you’re alone.
Without opening it...
He placed the journal inside his travel pack.
"I’ll read it later."
The old fisherman nodded approvingly.
"A wise choice."
Sophia looked around the pristine shrine.
"So..."
"...what now?"
The fisherman slowly walked toward the empty pedestal.
He gently rested one hand upon it.
For several moments...
Nothing happened.
Then...
A small compartment slid open beneath the stone.
Inside rested a single object.
A tiny bronze bell.
No larger than Noah’s palm.
Its surface was covered in faded silver runes.
The fisherman carefully lifted it.
"This..."
"...is why the shrine still stands."
Noah frowned.
"A bell?"
"It has another name."
The fisherman smiled.
"The Bell of Returning."
Luna tilted her head.
"What does it do?"
"It reminds wandering souls..."
"...where home is."
The words echoed softly through the shrine.
The old man turned toward Noah.
"I cannot keep it any longer."
He extended the bell.
"It belongs..."
"...to the Key Bearer."
Noah hesitated.
Then accepted it with both hands.
The moment his fingers touched the bronze...
A gentle chime rang out.
Ting...
Not loud.
Not magical.
Simply...
Comforting.
Far away...
Outside the shrine...
The old bell tower in Eldermere answered.
DONG...
Chief Elias looked toward the mountains.
His eyes widened.
"...The bell..."
Father Benedict slowly smiled.
"...Someone remembered the way."
Back inside the shrine...
The bronze bell became completely still.
The rusted key hanging around Noah’s neck pulsed once.
Then fell silent.
The fisherman stepped back.
"My task..."
"...is finished."
Eric frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The old man looked toward the underground river.
His smile was peaceful.
"I’ve been waiting here..."
"...for longer than I can remember."
The wooden sparrow fluttered onto his shoulder.
"It is time..."
"...for someone else to continue walking."
The air around him shimmered.
Tiny particles of silver light drifted from his body.
Sophia’s eyes widened.
"...You’re disappearing."
The fisherman chuckled softly.
"No."
"I’m..."
He searched for the word.
"...Returning."
Noah instinctively stepped forward.
"Wait."
"I still have questions."
"So did I."
The old man replied kindly.
"But answers..."
"...are destinations."
"Questions..."
"...are roads."
His body became translucent.
Before fading completely...
He looked directly at Noah.
"The Keeper gave you one lesson."
"I’ll give you another."
He raised one finger.
"Never fear discovering that you were wrong."
He smiled.
"Fear..."
"...stopping your search for what is right."
The silver light scattered into the underground breeze.
The fisherman was gone.
Only the wooden sparrow remained.
It circled the empty pedestal once.
Then quietly landed on Noah’s shoulder.
As if...
It had chosen its new companion.
Suddenly...
The entire shrine trembled.
Not from danger.
From release.
The underground river began flowing faster.
Blue flowers slowly closed their petals.
The floating lights dimmed.
Damien looked toward the entrance.
"The shrine..."
"...is shutting down."
The white pillars gradually lost their glow.
The ancient magic sustaining the sanctuary was fading.
After countless centuries...
Its purpose had finally been fulfilled.
Noah looked at the Bell of Returning in his hand.
Then at his squad.
"Let’s go home."
No one objected.
As Squad Seven stepped out of the pristine shrine...
They didn’t notice...
Far above the underground cavern...
A crack had appeared in the sky over Graypine Forest.
Small.
Barely visible.
Yet within that crack...
A single crimson eye quietly watched the world below.
It blinked once.
Then disappeared.
The pristine shrine dimmed behind them.
The white stone walls slowly lost their radiance.
One by one...
The floating lanterns winked out.
Not because they were dying.
Because...
Their vigil had finally ended.
The wooden sparrow flew a short distance ahead.
No longer guiding them urgently.
Simply leading them home.
Noah walked in silence.
The bronze Bell of Returning rested safely inside his satchel.
Beside it...
The Sixth King’s journal.
Neither felt heavy.
Yet together...
They carried centuries of unanswered questions.
Eric stretched his arms.
"...I don’t know about everyone else..."
"...but I need about three days of uninterrupted sleep."
Luna glanced at him.
"You’ll get four hours."
Eric sighed.
"I knew becoming an academy student was a scam."
Even Damien allowed himself a faint smile.
As they reached the silver river once more...
Noah stopped.
The inscription carved into the stone had changed.
Previously it had read:
Those who seek truth... walk beside the river.
Those who seek power... cross it.
Now...
Only one sentence remained.
Truth remembered is a promise kept.
Sophia smiled softly.
"It changed."
Damien nodded.
"Meaning our journey here..."
"...is complete."
They continued walking.
The underground forest seemed different now.
The silence no longer felt oppressive.
The blue flowers slowly turned toward them as they passed.
Like countless tiny bows.
After another hour...
The hidden illusion wall appeared.
This time...
It shimmered before they even reached it.
As if recognizing them.
One by one...
Squad Seven stepped through.
They found themselves back inside the Hall of Echoes.
Everything had changed.
The towering stone guardian still stood.
Its greatsword remained planted in the ground.
But instead of facing the entrance...
The guardian now faced the opposite direction.
Watching over the hidden shrine.
Its duty had shifted.
As Noah approached...
The ancient knight slowly lowered one knee.
The stone chamber echoed.
BOOM.
Eric’s jaw dropped.
"...Did..."
"...did that statue just kneel?"
The guardian spoke.
Its ancient voice was softer than before.
"The Keeper’s burden... continues."
Its helmet turned toward Noah.
"Walk well... Key Bearer."
Noah bowed respectfully.
"I’ll try."
The guardian remained kneeling as Squad Seven departed.
The path through the marble corridors was now straightforward.
The mirrors had vanished.
The murals had become ordinary stone.
It was as if the shrine had quietly tucked its secrets away once more.
Waiting...
For another age.
Hours later...
A beam of sunlight appeared ahead.
The ruined shrine.
They stepped outside.
Fresh air filled their lungs.
Birds sang overhead.
The ordinary forest had returned.
Eric looked around.
"...That’s strange."
"What?"
Sophia asked.
Eric pointed at the sky.
"It’s still morning."
Everyone froze.
They had spent what felt like an entire day beneath the shrine.
Yet outside...
Barely an hour had passed.
Damien looked back toward the ruined entrance.
"A temporal distortion..."
Luna frowned.
"So time flowed differently underground."
Before anyone could investigate further...
Footsteps raced toward them.
"Leader!"
A familiar voice echoed through the trees.
It was Rowan.
Followed by several caravan guards.
Relief washed across his face the moment he saw Squad Seven.
"There you are!"
Eric blinked.
"Were you looking for us?"
Rowan laughed nervously.
"You disappeared for less than an hour."
"We thought you’d simply gone to scout ahead."
Less than an hour.
Noah looked at his squad.
No one spoke.
The shrine had concealed more than memories.
It had concealed time itself.
As they walked back toward Eldermere...
The villagers rushed to greet them.
Chief Elias stopped in front of Noah.
His eyes immediately fell upon the bronze bell hanging from Noah’s belt.
The old chief’s face became pale.
Then...
He slowly knelt.
Not out of fear.
Out of reverence.
One by one...
The villagers followed.
The entire village bowed.
Noah immediately stepped forward.
"Please..."
"You don’t have to do this."
Chief Elias looked up with tears in his eyes.
"We’re not bowing to you."
He smiled through those tears.
"We’re welcoming..."
"...the Bell of Returning."
That evening...
For the first time in over a century...
The old bell tower of Eldermere rang on its own.
DONG...
Its sound carried across the mountains.
Across Graypine Forest.
Across Whisper Creek.
Gentle.
Peaceful.
Like a promise finally fulfilled.
Far beyond the forest...
Lucien stood atop a distant cliff.
He heard the bell.
He closed his eyes.
"...So..."
"...the shrine has chosen."
He turned away.
"We’re too late."
One of the masked followers hesitated.
"My Lord..."
"Do we pursue them?"
Lucien looked toward the horizon.
"No."
His silver eyes remained calm.
"The game has finally begun."
He smiled faintly.
"And pieces..."
"...must be allowed to move."