Chapter 2

Kagayaku falls to the ground.
His small body.
His wounded chest.
The dawn illuminates him.
And his blood… glows.

SCENE – The reaction
The gravity circle dissolves.
The central mage runs toward the princesses.
The other two run toward the baby.

Mage 1 (shouting) –
“Kagayaku!”

Mage 2 (with tears) –
“No… no… no!”

The garden is silent.
Only the sound of footsteps.
And the restrained cry of a child… who can no longer cry louder.

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Kingdom of Arathen – Gardens of Fire
7:10 a.m.
Kagayaku’s body lies motionless. The mages can do nothing. The princesses, now healed, cry in their parents’ arms. The maids, the butlers, all surround the little one. The air is still. The pain is absolute. Until the sky… breaks.

SCENE – “The Judgment of the Innocent”

SCENE – The circle of silence
Kagayaku’s body remains at the center of the garden.
The three mages, kneeling, with trembling hands.
The eight princesses, embraced by the kings, cry in silence.
The maids and butlers surround the little one.
No one speaks.
No one breathes.

King Aldren (with broken voice, hugging his daughters) –
“It shouldn’t have ended like this… not like this…”

Queen Lysara (whispering, stroking the youngest princess’s hair) –
“He… only wanted to live…”

Princess 1 (kneeling, red-eyed) –
“Kagayaku… please…”

Mage 1 (trembling voice) –
“He’s not responding… no magical pulse…”

Mage 2 (teary-eyed) –
“We tried everything! Everything!”

Mage 3 (looking at the sky) –
“Where is justice for someone like him?”

SCENE – The tremor
Suddenly, the ground shakes.
Violent.
Deep.
Roots stir.
Stones crack.
The garden shatters like glass.

Maid 1 (shouting) –
“What’s happening?!”

Maid 2 (covering her mouth) –
“The ground… is breaking!”

Butler 1 (stepping back) –
“This isn’t magic… this is something else!”

The sky darkens.
And then… it cracks.
White fractures cross the firmament.
Like shattered crystals.

A celestial choir is heard.
Female voices.
Pure.
Immense.
Singing without words.

SCENE – The arrival
From the cracked sky descend five figures.
Women.
Angels.
Wings white as snow.
Hair golden as the sun.
Eyes sky blue like dawn.
They do not speak.
They do not smile.
Their mere presence fragments the surroundings.
The air becomes crystal.
Time… stops.

Princess 6 (trembling voice) –
“Are they… angels?”

Maid 3 (kneeling) –
“I’ve never seen something so… pure…”

Mage 1 (wide-eyed) –
“They’re not summoned. Not called. They… come by will.”

SCENE – The ritual
Each angel wields a golden sword.
They form a circle.
And slide their swords downward.
The tips touch.
And in the center… a white pentagram appears.
Golden electric details run through it.
Below, three more pentagrams emerge.
From largest to smallest.
A white flash concentrates.
The air vibrates.

Princess 3 (choked voice) –
“Are they… doing something?”

Mage 2 (with reverence) –
“They are judging. Not the world. The pain.”

SCENE – The celestial decree
The five angels open their lips.
And speak in unison.
Their voices are not human.
They are judgment.
They are response.

Angels (in unison) –
“The cry of an innocent reached the throne of heaven…”
“And we respond.”
“Return his soul… not as a child, but as judgment.”
“May his breath break curses, and his gaze consume darkness.”
“Rise, chosen of light… and make tremble those who thought you weak!”

SCENE – The rebirth
A white flash emerges from the pentagrams.
It envelops Kagayaku’s body.
His body floats slowly.
His arms open.
His hair stirs as if the wind calls him.
The surroundings transform.
Flowers crystallize.
Leaves float.
The sky turns white.
The ground rises in fragments.
As if the world itself bowed before him.

Maid 4 (crying) –
“He’s floating!”

Princess 8 (hands on chest) –
“Kagayaku!”

Butler 2 (broken voice) –
“He’s… glowing…”

Mage 3 (with tears) –
“The light… is claiming him.”

 SCENE – The breath
Kagayaku’s body shines.
His chest lights up.
And then… he breathes.
His small mouth opens.
His chest expands.

Kagayaku (whispering) –
“…Rhazkar…”

His eyes open.
They are no longer just golden.
They are light.
Pure.
Uncontainable.

Princess 2 (crying with joy) –
“He’s alive!”

King Aldren (kneeling) –
“Heaven… has returned him.”

Queen Lysara (with tears) –
“And transformed him.”

Mage 1 (soft voice) –
“He’s not the same.
He is judgment.
He is response.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Kingdom of Arathen – Gardens of Fire
7:15 a.m.
Kagayaku has been reborn. His body floats, wrapped in light. The world watches in silence. The five angels, who descended from heaven to answer the cry of an innocent, have fulfilled their purpose. And now, the sky prepares to close.

SCENE – “The Star of Silence”

SCENE – The closing of judgment
The five angels remain in a circle.
Their swords still shine with the pentagram’s glow.
The air vibrates calmly.
The surroundings, still fragmented like crystal, begin to stabilize.
Without a word, each angel raises her sword.

Princess 5 (whispering) –
“Are they… leaving?”

Mage 2 (with reverence) –
“They’ve done what no one else could.”

SCENE – The golden star
The sky, still cracked, lights up with a new radiance.
A golden star, enormous, appears above the garden.
It doesn’t shine like fire.
It shines like memory.
Like promise.
The five angels rise slowly.
Their wings extend.
And one by one… they enter the star.

Maid 1 (eyes full of tears) –
“They are… part of heaven itself.”

Butler 1 (soft voice) –
“They came… only for him.”

SCENE – The rest
Kagayaku, still floating, descends slowly.
His body settles gently on the grass.
His light fades little by little.
Not from weakness.
From peace.
His eyes close.
His breathing is calm.
He is asleep.
Not wounded.
Not broken.
Just… at peace.

Princess 1 (approaching carefully) –
“He’s… asleep.”

Mage 3 (soft voice) –
“After everything that’s happened…
it’s the only thing he deserves.”

King Aldren (looking at the sky) –
“Thank you…”

Queen Lysara (stroking the child’s hair) –
“Sleep, little one.
The world can wait.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Kingdom of Arathen – Gardens of Fire
7:25 a.m.
Judgment has been pronounced. Kagayaku has been returned to the earth. The five angels, bearers of the celestial decree, have fulfilled their mission. But the sky does not close without leaving one final sign.

SCENE – “The Broken Sky”

SCENE – The celestial closing
The five angels remain in a circle.
Their golden swords vibrate with the echo of the pentagram.
Without a word, each one sheathes them solemnly.
The air calms.
The surroundings stop fragmenting.
Then, the entire sky cracks.
Not like before.
Now, each fracture glows in gold.
As if the firmament were yielding to something greater.

Princess 4 (looking upward) –
“The sky… is breaking…”

Mage 2 (with reverent voice) –
“It’s not destruction.
It’s opening.”

SCENE – The four-pointed star
From the center of the celestial cracks emerges a golden star.
Four perfect points.
Bright.
Silent.
Majestic.
The five angels rise slowly.
Their wings extend.
One by one, they enter the star.
And disappear.
The star pulses one last time.
And dissolves.
The cracks close.
The sky returns to its form.
But the world… is no longer the same.

Maid 2 (with tears) –
“They left… as if they had never been here…”

King Aldren (softly) –
“But they left something… greater than themselves.”

SCENE – The growth
Kagayaku lies asleep on the grass.
His small body.
His peaceful breathing.
But then…
a golden flash surrounds him.
The air vibrates.
Leaves rise.
Flowers bow.
Kagayaku’s body begins to grow.
His hair lengthens.
His limbs stretch.

Princess 1 (with trembling voice) –
“He’s changing!”

Mage 1 (wide-eyed) –
“It’s not magic.
It’s design.”

In seconds, the child transforms.
He is no longer a baby.
Now he is the age of the princesses.
His face is serene.
His body, wrapped in white light.
And still… he sleeps.

Queen Lysara (looking at the young Kagayaku) –
“And still he sleeps… as if the sky protects him even in dreams.”

Mage 3 (softly) –
“It’s not just a rebirth.
It’s a transition.
From innocence… to judgment.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Kingdom of Arathen – Gardens of Fire
8:10 a.m.
The garden remains in reverent silence. Kagayaku sleeps, his body already transformed by forces no spell could explain. A golden sword with unseen runes and a silver blade glowing red-hot floats beside him. The kingdom surrounds him, expectant. And then… he awakens. And the world changes.

SCENE – “The Silence of Power”

SCENE – The surroundings
The air is still.
Crystallized flowers bow toward the center of the garden.
Leaves float suspended, as if time had stopped.
The light of dawn filters through the trees, bathing Kagayaku’s sleeping body in golden tones.
The sword floats beside him.
Its golden hilt pulses slowly.
The silver blade burns red-hot, without emitting heat.
The runes along it move as if breathing.
Ancient language.
Forgotten language.

SCENE – The awakening
Kagayaku snores softly.
His breathing is deep.
But then… it stops.
His eyes open.
First, he blinks.
Then, he slowly sits up.
He looks around.
Sees the princesses.
The kings.
The mages.
The maids.
The butlers.
And his eyes… change.

SCENE – The elemental shift
His golden eyes light up.
And then… one by one, they transform:

Deep green — Nature: the garden’s roots stir, flowers bloom as if greeting him.

Deep blue — Water: dew rises from the grass, forming suspended droplets.

Earthy orange — Earth: the ground vibrates, stones align as if recognizing him.

Electric purple — Electricity: sparks run across leaves, the air charges with energy.

Absolute black — Darkness: shadows lengthen, but do not threaten… they bow.

Mint green — Wind: a soft breeze surrounds his body, lifting petals in spirals.

Blood red — Fire: the sword’s blade burns without scorching, as if responding to his gaze.

And finally…
his eyes return to gold.
Serene.
Steady.
As always.

Princess 1 (softly) –
“His eyes… were all the elements.”

King Aldren (serious expression) –
“It’s not magic.
It’s something deeper.”

Mage 2 (trembling voice) –
“It’s convergence.
It’s what shouldn’t exist.”

SCENE – The revelation
The central mage steps forward.
Her face is grave.
She addresses only the kings, princesses, butlers, and maids.
Her voice is low.
But firm.

Mage 1 (looking at everyone seriously) –
“Listen carefully.
What has happened here… must not leave this garden.”

King Aldren (frowning) –
“Why hide it?
Isn’t this… hope?”

Mage 1 (sternly) –
“Hope for us.
But for others… it would be a tool.
An excuse for war.
A reason to control him.”

Queen (pale-faced) –
“They would want to use him… as a weapon?”

Mage 1 (nodding) –
“Don’t doubt it.
If anyone finds out… they’ll come.
And they won’t ask.”

Princess 6 (tearfully) –
“Then… what do we do?”

Mage 1 (looking at her companions) –
“The three of us… will take him.
We’ll train him.
Protect him.
But no one…
no one must speak of this.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Kingdom of Arathen – Northern Sanctuary Gate
12:00 p.m.
After hours of quiet movement, the day comes to an end. What leaves is not just the child… it’s the air that once laughed when he laughed. The carriage waits beneath the shadow of the arches, and the world seems to bow before the moment when three mages, without applause or drums, take something they do not know if they’ll ever return.

SCENE – “Departure between light and dust”

SCENE – Travel preparations
*The maids have been working since before the sun began to fall.
On blankets spread beside the crystal well, they place fruits protected by moon leaves, warm root bread, small jars with solar flower infusion.
The baskets are filled with care, as if their contents must carry the memory of home.

Maid 1 (tying a ribbon on the smallest basket) –
“May everything he tastes remind him of who loved him in silence.”

Maid 2 (placing petals on the bread) –
“And if he’s ever hungry… may he remember us.”

SCENE – The wardrobe failure
*In the butlers’ wing, chests and wardrobes were opened without success.
The royal tunics were too large.
The apprentices’ garments were too symbolic.
Nothing fit.
Everything felt foreign.

Butler 1 (hands in his hair) –
“Not a single thread for him…”

Butler 2 (closing the last drawer) –
“We never made clothes for someone who wasn’t planned.”

SCENE – The carriage and held breath
*Two strong horses, one white and one gray, remain hitched to the carriage.
The wood is polished but worn.
The wheels are covered in dry mud, as if they already know of long journeys.
*Protection runes are drawn on the roof, barely visible under the golden light of sunset.
The three mages are ready.
Serious.
Contained.
Their staffs hang at their sides.
Their faces bare.
No one expects this to look like an event.
It isn’t.

SCENE – The child’s approach
*Kagayaku walks slowly from the inner courtyard.
His clothes are worn.
Frayed sleeves, dirty edges.
But no one notices that.
*What they see… is the calm with which he walks.
No fear.
No rush.
He approaches the carriage.
The mages watch him without a word.
And just as he’s about to climb… he stops.
He turns.
And smiles.

SCENE – Reactions

Princess 3 (hands clasped) –
“He… smiled.”

King Aldren (almost a whisper) –
“Not because he was told to.
Because he saw us.”

Queen Lysara (covering her mouth) –
“The same smile he had when chasing the dragon…”

Maid 1 (eyes wet) –
“He forgives us.
Without saying it.”

SCENE – The departure
*Kagayaku climbs into the carriage.
He sits beside the open wooden window.
*The mages climb in one by one.
No ceremony.
Only purpose.
*The horses move with a soft click.
Dust rises beneath their steps.
*And the carriage rolls down the stone path leading out of the sanctuary.
*Leaves fall slowly.
Light fragments between the trees.
*And the boy looks one last time.
Without saying goodbye.
Only leaving a smile… in every corner that once heard him laugh.

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Enalya Village – Birthplace of the Mages
8:17 a.m. – Third day since leaving Arathen
The carriage has crossed misty mountains, golden fields, and nameless valleys. After two days of silence, dust, and whispers, the rounded houses, the living chimneys, and the perfumed sky of Enalya finally appear: the village without kings, but full of mages… and warm magic.

SCENE – “Enalya, land without crown”

SCENE – Arrival at the heart of the valley
The carriage creaks softly as it descends the stone slope.
Two horses pant with dignity as the village of Enalya reveals itself among the trees:

Dark wooden houses with vegetative roofs and runic symbols carved into every door.

Floating flowerpots hang from balconies, watered by small enchanted water globes.

Children chase bouncing spheres of light that never break.

Mages chat with bakers, and elders without magic play runic chess on infinite cloth tablecloths.

Enchanted hens cluck melodies, and an invisible goat chews nothing near the mill.

SCENE – Change of appearance
Inside the carriage, Kagayaku watches with curious eyes.
His white hair shines beneath the window.
His golden eyes reflect the village light.

Central Mage (soft voice, firm gesture) –
“Here, you must pass without a name.
Only as a child.”

With a whisper that barely touches the wind, she extends her fingers.
A small amber dust swirl surrounds the boy’s face.

White turns to black.
Gold shifts to brown.
The light in his eyes changes… but doesn’t disappear.

Kagayaku (touching his hair, confused) –
“…Hee…”

Mage 2 (smiling tenderly) –
“This way no one will ask.
And you… can watch without being watched.”

SCENE – Entering the village
The carriage crosses the arch carved with domestic runes.
The wheels leave travel marks on enchanted soil.
In the distance, a small child throws seeds that turn into butterflies.

Teacher (looking at the mages) –
“You’ve returned! Is that child yours?”

Mage 1 (brief bow) –
“He’s a traveler. He only seeks rest.”

Local turner (polishing an enchanted wooden sphere) –
“He looks like he’s seen more than we have.”

Local child (watching curiously) –
“Can he play with us… or is he here to study runes?”

Baker (placing solar flower bread on the counter) –
“Well if he’s hungry, let him ask like everyone else!”

The mages do not bow.
No suspicion arises.
The village of Enalya… welcomes without question.

SCENE – Atmosphere of home
The air smells of burnt leaves, fresh ink, and enchanted fruit dust.
The curved paths invite slow walking.
The runic school sings its formulas through wind chimes.
An elder draws floating maps in a plaza.

Kagayaku (watching a firefly glowing in sky-blue tones) –
“…There are no walls. Only branches… and soft sounds.”

Mage 3 (placing her hand on his shoulder) –
“Here, no one is above anyone.
Here… you can breathe.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Enalya Village – Plaza of the Blue Lanterns
12:03 p.m. – Warm day, with soft breeze and magical songs in the air

SCENE – “The Whisper Beneath the Root”

SCENE – An open plaza
Enalya breathes in harmony.
The central plaza vibrates with laughter and games.
Blue lanterns float gently, benches carved with runes of friendship are occupied by wise grandparents and resting merchants.
Children run among enchanted bubbles, toss bouncing seeds, and trace drawings in the air with light dust.
Kagayaku approaches with timid steps, his clothes dusty and shapeless.
Most of the children smile at him warmly.

Local girl (offering a colorful sphere) –
“Do you want to play?”

Boy 1 (laughing) –
“The new one will be the bubble guardian!”

But Eden, the turner’s son, crosses his arms and frowns.

SCENE – Disdain and violence

Eden (loudly) –
“Why are you inviting him? Look at him! He looks like a beggar.”

The children fall silent for a moment.
Eden’s mother quickly approaches.

Eden’s mother (pulling his arm) –
“How dare you?! You won’t humiliate someone who just arrived!”

Eden (shouting) –
“Then go away with him!”

Without warning, Eden throws a punch.
It hits Kagayaku in the chest, who doesn’t move.
The children step back.
The breeze stops.

Mage 1 (intervening with her staff lit) –
“Enough! This is not a game.”

SCENE – The girl falls

Girl 2 (defending Kagayaku with trembling voice) –
“He didn’t do anything! You’re the cruel one!”

Eden pushes the girl.
She falls onto an exposed root, hitting her head.
She cries.
A floating sphere bursts in the air.
An enchanted bird flies away abruptly.

Baker (from her stall) –
“…What is happening?!”

SCENE – The earth responds
Kagayaku, unmoving, lowers his head.
He doesn’t speak.
He doesn’t cry.
He doesn’t scream.
But his eyes slowly open.
The concealment spell dissolves like mist.
His hair turns white, shining like the moon.
His golden eyes flicker…
And turn green. Intense.
Alive.
Ancient.

The earth trembles.
A subtle rumble runs through the cobblestones.
From the center of the plaza…
a colossal root emerges with a vegetal roar.
Twisted.
Majestic.
Enraged.

Eden (shouting) –
“What is that?!”

The root rises toward him, and everyone steps back.
The air grows dense.
Leaves float.

SCENE – Magical intervention

Mage 1 and 2 (urgently) –
“Elemental shield, now!”

An amber dome forms between the root and Eden.
The runes pulse.
But the root strikes.
The shield trembles!
It breaks!

Eden is thrown into the air, like a fallen leaf.
But before hitting the ground…

Mage 3 (firm voice) –
“Impact suspension!”

She catches him in a circle of light.
He remains floating.
Trembling.
Speechless.

SCENE – The village watches

Mill elder (trembling voice) –
“I’ve never seen magic respond to pain…”

Girl 3 (looking at Kagayaku, confused) –
“You didn’t say anything… but I heard you anyway.”

Farmer (standing in his field) –
“This wasn’t a threat.
It was a response… from someone who has already suffered in silence.”

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Enalya Village – Plaza of the Blue Lanterns
12:22 p.m. – Beneath the shadow of the central tree, the air no longer plays

SCENE – “Kneel Before the Truth”

The dust from the previous moment still floats in the plaza.
The villagers’ murmurs have dissolved into a silence heavy as stone.
The girl who was pushed sits on a low root, with a healing leaf on her forehead, breathing deeply between dry tears.
Eden stands before Kagayaku, trembling with broken pride.

Eden (choked voice) –
“I-I… want to ask for your forgiveness…”

Kagayaku doesn’t respond.
He watches him with eyes still glowing green.
Not with rage.
With clarity.
With a single gesture, Kagayaku grabs Eden by the collar.
Not violently.
With resolve.
With the weight of truth.
He leads him before the girl.
And without unnecessary words… he kneels him.

The air condenses.
The central tree drops three golden leaves.

Kagayaku (low voice, firm as a deep root) –
“The one you owe an apology to…
is her.”

Eden swallows.
The girl’s eyes look at him without hate.
Only waiting for what’s fair.

Kagayaku (staring without blinking) –
“Kneel…
and ask her forgiveness right now.”

SCENE – Reactions from the village

Baker (placing a flower on her counter) –
“I’ve never seen someone guide forgiveness… like one who knows what it costs to receive it.”

Mage 1 (eyes fixed on Kagayaku) –
“He doesn’t seek punishment…”

Boy 3 (whispering to another) –
“Is this what truth looks like… when it walks?”

Girl 1 (taking Kagayaku’s hand) –
“Thank you for reminding him… that hurting isn’t erased by empty words.”

SCENE – The moment
Eden lowers his head.
He kneels.
His hands clumsily touch the ground.
And finally, he looks at the girl.

Eden (broken voice) –
“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.
I shouldn’t have said anything.”

The girl nods, still embraced by the scent of the calming leaf.

Girl (soft voice) –
“Now you know.
And it’s okay if you remember.”

Kagayaku turns around.
He doesn’t wait for recognition.
Nor forgiveness.
Only for the root to settle…
in the hearts that once ignored it.

Ushinawareta Yogen no Saigo no Eiyū
The Last Hero of the Lost Prophecy
Plaza of the Blue Lanterns – Enalya Village
1:06 p.m. – Warm sky, vegetal shade, awakened gazes

SCENE – “Where hunger knows no titles”

The root has returned to the ground.
The injured girl has been bandaged with petal dust, and Eden remains beside her, respect in every gesture.
The air no longer holds judgment.
Only stillness.
Kagayaku watches silently, the mages surrounding him like guardians of the invisible.
The children still don’t know whether to play again or remain quiet.
But then, as Eden tries to gather courage to say something more…

Mage 1 (looking at Eden, with a soft and restrained tone) –
“If only you knew who that child is…”

Mage 2 (without looking at the rest, but with a firm voice that travels across the plaza) –
“He is the little prince of the Kingdom of Arathen.”

Reactions from the village
Eden remains silent, eyes wide.
Baker (pausing with a loaf in her hands) –
“The prince of Arathen, here in Enalya… and without saying it!”

Mill elder (removing his hat) –
“So he came to play as a child… not to be treated like a statue.”

Girl 2 (looking at Kagayaku with tenderness) –
“If he’s a prince… he can be cared for without needing reverence.”

And just as silence tries to return,
Kagayaku’s stomach… breaks all solemnity.

The growl no one expected
GRRRRM!
A clear, long growl, straight from his abdomen.
Everyone turns.
Kagayaku covers himself with his hands, his cheeks barely flushed.

Girl 3 (laughing sweetly) –
“The prince is hungry!”

Eden (with a shy smile) –
“Do you want to play while we wait for food?”

Boy 1 (lifting a bouncing sphere) –
“We can teach you the game of running over roots!”

Kagayaku looks at them.
He nods.
Without words.
And walks toward them.

Hunters’ entrance
At that moment, four hunters from the village cross the northern stone arch:

The eldest carries a long bow covered in moss, and a curved knife carved with moon symbols.

The young one carries a hunting blanket and whistles to call the guiding crows.

A woman with a feathered cloak sets the rhythm with silent steps.

The last carries a tracking staff wrapped in red threads.

Elder hunter (looking at the children) –
“Is anyone hungry?”

Mage 3 (nodding from the stone bench) –
“The forest will be generous. Today, we hunt out of need.”

Baker (opening her basket) –
“And meanwhile, let bread accompany the game.”

SCENE — The river that beat again
Enalya, garden path and edge of the polluted river
3:58 p.m. – The sun dyes the treetops amber, and Kagayaku watches in silence

Kagayaku walks among floating-leaf shrubs, following the distant song of the wind.
The village children run among roots while the boy stops before an apple-laden tree, its branches stretched over a shadowed well.
He tries to reach them, stretches his arms… but doesn’t reach.

Medic mage (from behind a lunar flower hedge) –
“Fruits aren’t always for those who reach highest. Sometimes, eyes that look with honesty are enough.”

She offers him an apple. Kagayaku takes it with a soft smile, biting gently.
The juice glistens on his lips.

Near the garden, four wolves with gray fur and bright eyes sleep beneath a canopy of intertwined branches.
They are village pets, old guardians without chains or harsh voices.
Kagayaku approaches silently.
He places his hand on one’s back.
The wolf opens its eyes, watches him… and settles closer.
The others approach too.
They lie beside him.
The scene fills with quiet tenderness.

Tour through Enalya
The children guide him through paths carved in stone.
Living wood rooftops, floating crystal lanterns, shops embroidered with light.
Kagayaku walks without hurry, listening to every explanation, every detail that brings him closer to village life.
Until they reach the northern edge. There, the river.

The sick river
The water is green. Thick.
It doesn’t flow, it drags.
Nearby branches are black, the stones seem to cry.
The air no longer sings.

Boy 1 (pointing with a dim voice) –
“This used to be clear. You could fish with your hands. But mages from the dark court… touched it.”

Girl 2 (looking at the surface) –
“They cast a spell. Since then, no one bathes. No one approaches.”

Kagayaku crouches without saying a word.
The wind stops.
His eyes begin to turn blue.
He slowly places his hands into the river.
A pulse of light runs through the water.

In seconds, the spell dissolves like smoke in sunlight.
Turquoise returns.
Crystal brightness spreads in both directions.

A hundred kilometers of river breathe again.
The banks are covered in glowing moss.
Small fish appear.
The trees stretch.

Reactions from the village
The children shout in surprise.
The sound spreads.
Adults emerge from houses, alerted by the commotion.

Farmer (with shovel in hand, looking at the water) –
“We thought it was another attack!”

Baker (shielding her eyes from the sun) –
“The river… it’s back! Look at the color!”

Elder (touching the water with trembling fingers) –
“I never thought I’d live to see its reflection again…”

The mages watch from afar.
They say nothing.
But among them, one nods slowly.