For a long moment after Leo disappeared, neither Anderson, nor Mickey spoke.
The blinding flash that swallowed Leo had faded, leaving behind only the calm hum of the ocean and the faint sound of static coming from their crystal communicators.
"He's gone too..."
Mickey said as he stared at the spot from where Leo disappeared, his voice trembling between anxiety and relief.
Anderson straightened slowly, his own expression caught between relief and dread.
Relief that the suffocating pressure of Leo's aura was finally gone, that they could breathe again without their lungs begging for air.
But the dread came just as swiftly, because if even the Lord himself had vanished into that cursed island, what chance did anyone else have of bringing him back?
"Do you realize what this means?" Mickey asked, running a hand through his hair. "We completely failed today as Commanders of the Cult army. Not only could we not protect a little young boy, but we could not even follow our Lord into whatever challenge he now faces.... As future pillars of the Cult, we are a disgrace."
Mickey said in shame, as Anderson clenched his jaw, staring out toward the horizon that seemed far too still.
"Yes," he quietly agreed. "You're right, we haven't even moved out of the Time Stilled World yet and we are so useless, so I can't imagine how weak we will be when facing the Righteous Faction. Today is a reality check for us. As future pillars of the Cult, we definitely need to become more reliable."
He said, as the two Commanders stood there in silence as the wind tugged at their cloaks, guilt sitting heavy on their shoulders.
For the first time in years, both men felt like soldiers utterly unworthy of the title they carried.
However, what they didn't know was that they were not alone.
Now that Leo's pressure was gone, many aboard the ship felt inadequate.
Inadequate for not being able to withstand the Lord's pressure, inadequate for not being able to contribute more to these missions than manning a ship, and inadequate for being unable to follow him into danger.
As there were many today who resolved to become more reliable, just like Anderson and Mickey.
---
(The Mysterious Floating Island, Leo's POV)
The light from the ancient teleportation spell soon faded, as Leo found himself inside the mysterious floating island, its vast metallic floor pulsing faintly beneath him.
The air was dense with ancient mana, which was an odd phenomenon to feel, since the air inside the Time Stilled World was much thicker with mana in and off itself, however, the mana density here was ten times that of the outer world.
"Hmmm—"
He mused, as he looked around slowly, recognizing the curvature of the arches, the sharp symmetry of the columns and the towering structures that seamlessly blended organic grace with impossible scale.
It was Dragon Architecture at its finest.
Old, sacred, and long forgotten.
His pulse quickened as he placed a palm on the cold surface beside him, feeling a faint thrum—an echo of something immense, something alive.
"Moltherak..." he whispered, closing his eyes briefly.
As the name alone seemed to stir the air.
He could feel it now, the faint presence of the Ancient Beast God woven into every wall, every carved scale, every breath of mana that filled this forgotten sanctum.
However, before searching for where exactly the ancient god lay, he first searched for his nephew, as he spread his senses thin using [Absolute Vision].
'There he is...'
He thought, as within seconds, he locked onto the faint outline of his nephew's body lying motionless near the base of a colossal pillar, his small frame dwarfed by the sheer scale of the surroundings.
Without hesitation, Leo started toward him, his steps steady and silent, gliding across the metallic floor without so much as a whisper.
'My disobedient nephew,' he thought, as he finally reached Leonardo and came to a halt, standing quietly over the boy who lay sprawled upon the softly glowing surface.
His chest rose and fell faintly, showing that he was alive, though deeply unconscious.
Leo crouched beside him, resting one arm on his knee as his gaze softened.
In that quiet instant, the battle-hardened assassin was gone, replaced by the uncle who saw in this boy not just family, but the echoes of a blood connection that refused to fade.
He studied Leonardo's face in silence—the same sharp jawline, the same quiet stubbornness, the same faint crease between the brows that once belonged to his father, Jacob.
"What will I even do with you..." Leo whispered, his voice carrying both affection and exasperation. "Why did you even come here, eh, boy? What if you died a pointless death? Imagine how that would have made me feel?"
His eyes dimmed slightly as he exhaled. "I would be devastated... just like your parents."
He clicked his tongue softly, looking away for a moment as the faint hum of mana surrounded them.
He knew Leonardo could not hear him, yet he couldn't stop himself from speaking and releasing the weight of thoughts that had bothered him for the past few minutes.
All his life, Leo had been thrown from one crisis to another, as he lived with the constant burden of danger pressing down on him.
It was a dog's life, yet, he endured it not for glory, nor for pride, but for them... his family.
He fought, bled, and killed so that the next generation would never have to live the same way he did.
And yet, here was Leonardo, chasing peril as if destiny itself demanded it.
"This isn't the life I wanted for you," he murmured, the words barely audible. "I want you to chase joy, not problems"
He sighed deeply, before reaching forward and pinching Leonardo's cheek lightly.
*Pinch*
The boy's eyes fluttered open instantly, confusion filling them as his senses returned.
"Huh?" he muttered groggily, blinking several times until his uncle's face came into view.
"Uncle...?" he said softly, his voice cracking with disbelief and a hint of panic as he saw the stern look waiting for him.
Leo said nothing, as he only stared down at the boy with the look of a disapproving elder, causing Leonardo to swallow a mouthful of saliva.
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