The clearing came to a different kind of tension that settled in.

"We don’t have the luxury of acting blindly anymore," Erend said. "If this energy is tied to the Creation, then we already know where the root leads."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"I plan to gather the people in this world who understand Magic at its deepest level. The ones who know its structure, its origin, its limits. If we bring them together, then we can work out a way to change the Sky Anchor itself. Rewrite it or redirect its purpose so it stops doing whatever it’s doing now."

The words settled heavily.

Sylven frowned.

The shift in his expression was immediate and striking. The faint boyish lightness that usually lingered around him disappeared completely, replaced by older and far more measured expression. When he spoke, his voice carried that same maturity.

"I thought your objective was to destroy the Sky Anchor," he said. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Erend shook his head without hesitation.

"That was one option," he replied. "But not the only one."

His tone remained firm.

"As long as there’s another way, we don’t need to destroy it. You already said it yourself. If the Sky Anchor is removed completely it could destabilize this world. That would just create another disaster."

A brief silence followed before Sylven slowly nodded.

"I see," he said. "So you’re choosing the more difficult path."

Erend did not deny it.

"It’s the right one, I think," he answered.

Sylven studied him for a moment longer, then gave a small nod of approval.

"Then I agree," he said. "If there is a way to alter its purpose instead of destroying it, that would be the better outcome."

His gaze narrowed slightly after that.

"Where did you get this idea?" he asked.

Erend’s expression did not change.

"From a trustworthy source," he replied.

Sylven held his gaze.

For a moment, the air between them tightened again from unspoken questions. His eyes shifted subtly, glancing toward Eccar and Aesa as if searching for confirmation or contradiction.

But he found neither.

The three of them remained steady, composed, and silent. There were things they were not saying. Things they could not say to him at least for now.

Sylven exhaled. He let it go.

"Okay. I think for now that’s enough for me," he murmured.

Then his focus shifted back to the matter at hand.

"I know someone," he said. "Someone I trust. He already knows what I am, so we won’t need to waste time explaining that. He’s one of the most capable mages in this world. If anyone can help us begin this, it’s him."

Eccar crossed his arms slightly, thinking.

"We shouldn’t just start at one," he said. "If we’re going to do this faster, we need to meet all of the important figures who understand Magic in this world at that level at the same time. We don’t have time to move slowly."

Sylven shook his head.

"That would complicate things," he said immediately. "People like them are cautious. If they sense multiple powerful presences approaching them at once, they won’t cooperate. They’ll hide or put up defenses before we even get the chance to speak."

His tone sharpened slightly.

"We need a mediator. Someone they already trust. That way, we approach them without triggering suspicion."

Erend nodded.

"That makes sense," he said. "We need to do this carefully, or we lose our chance before we even start."

Aesa gave a small nod as well, her expression calm and focused.

"Okay. We follow your lead," she said to Sylven.

The decision settled quickly after that.

Sylven raised his hand.

This time, the space in front of him did not erupt with wild plant growth. Instead, a controlled distortion formed, similar to a standard portal but edged with subtle traces of vines and leaves that curled along its boundary.

"I’ll take you to him," Sylven said.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and entered first.

Erend followed immediately after. Eccar moved next. Aesa stepped through last.

—

The transition ended in an instant, the distortion of space collapsing behind them as their surroundings changed completely.

The scent of damp earth and forest air vanished, replaced by an older and more enclosed environment.

They stood within a tall chamber built from deep red bricks.

The interior carried a sense of age. Not from decay but from long use, every surface bearing the mark of time and careful preservation. The space felt lived in, studied, and guarded.

Paintings lined the walls from end to end.

They were not simple decorations. Each canvas depicted Magical beasts in striking detail. Creatures from across different regions and ecosystems.

Massive winged predators, serpentine entities coiled around ancient ruins, beasts formed of flame, stone, and storm.

The artistry captured not just their appearance but their presence and their essence, as if the painter had studied them up close... or survived encounters with them.

Their gazes moved across them. This place was not just a home. It was a mind laid bare through careful observation and control.

Sylven stepped forward first, completely at ease.

"We’ve arrived," he said calmly.

The words had barely settled when a sharp sound broke through the stillness.

Wood scraped against stone from the far side of the chamber.

A figure rose abruptly from a chair positioned near a large desk. The man’s movement was so sudden that the chair slid back with force.

He stood there for a moment with a dumbfounded expression.

He was an old man with long, unkempt hair that fell past his shoulders streaked with gray. His robes hung loosely around him, marked with faint traces of ink and burn marks.

His posture was slightly hunched from years of work, but the energy in his eyes cut sharply through any sign of age.

He stared directly at Sylven. Then moved to the others behind Sylven, looking at Erend, Eccar, and Aesa in a single sweeping glance before snapping back.

"You can’t just appear like that," he continued, his voice carrying both confusion and a rising edge of disbelief. "Not without warning. Not without—"

He stopped himself mid-sentence.

Because whatever protest he had prepared clearly no longer mattered.

The air in the room had already changed when they were three more beings like Sylven here.

—