Everyone watched the scene, breathing a sigh of relief. Some soldiers headed towards Hiner's crash site, while the majority stayed behind, effortlessly defeating the remaining Creatures. Aestus embraced Spes, and they jumped together in celebration. Orkan resumed collecting some crystals left behind after the soldiers' work. The battle was tough but exhilarating. The fights against the Creatures, one after another, were electrifying. Aestus suggested they return and help organize things. The three of them then headed towards the city, engaged in lively conversation.

"I didn't get to fight much," Aestus recounted, gesturing. "I defeated a saber-toothed tiger on my own and then got knocked out by that explosion next to me."

"I was mostly healing and protecting whoever I could," Spes said, mimicking spellcasting gestures. "But then I saw Aestus lying there, and I rushed to his side."

"Oh, I managed to defeat several Creatures," Orkan boasted. "I was about to defeat an armadillo when a Saci appeared to help! Can you believe it? A Saci!"

"Oh, I saw a very young Summoner earlier," Aestus said. "It must have been her. Ah, look, there are her parents over there," and he pointed to two visibly concerned adults.

The group approached the Summoner's parents, intending to congratulate the girl but also curious to know what had happened. When they reached the couple, the scene was not a pleasant one. The mother was sitting on the ground, with her daughter lying down and resting her head on her lap. The Summoner's clothes were stained with blood, and she cried softly. A bandage covered her right eye. There was no healing magic powerful enought to restore a pierced eye. Orkan looked around and noticed that there were other people nearby who had also been healed but had lost arms or legs. Many were in shock, seemingly not fully grasping what was happening. A little further ahead, rows of bodies could be seen on the grass, some already covered with white cloths. The number of casualties was not high, but it didn't matter. Any loss would be irreparable for friends and relatives of the victims.

That scene left the three young men quiet and introspective. The harsh reality of war hit them like a sledgehammer, shattering any excitement caused by the previous battles. They walked toward the flag where the gathering took place before the battle, as there was a group of people there. The white-haired Lagomorph was in the same spot, giving instructions to those who remained. The fight was over, but the city had been damaged by the lightning strikes. Some houses and trees had caught fire, but nothing too severe or widespread. The worst damage had been concentrated on the large central tree, where the fire had also been brought under control.

There wasn't much to be done now. The three young men walked toward the city center in mostly silence. Spes decided to go to the large tree to look for Janis, while Aestus and Orkan went to the Guild, in search of something to eat and a place to sleep.

"Well, see you tomorrow then," the Lagomorph bid farewell to the two with a cheerful tone, though clearly trying to disguise the melancholy. "I'll meet you at the Guild early in the morning. I have a proposition to make. Bye!" And he ran toward the entrance of the town hall.

Aestus and Orkan entered the Guild and were met with a different scene. The place was crowded, with people sitting at tables talking, and others chatting at the bar. It seemed like the battle had rekindled the Hunter spirit in many inhabitants, bringing them back to the Guild. It felt like a school reunion party, with people from different backgrounds talking as equals. The atmosphere there was lighter than the rest of the city, lifting the spirits of the two young men. Baitu was busy behind the bar counter and hadn't noticed the newcomers' arrival. A middle-aged Lagomorph helped him prepare some meals and drinks.

The two young men sat at the end of the counter. Orkan observed the people present, trying to guess the Classes of those around him. He managed to identify several Light Mages, but there were also a few lost Rogues, many Archers, scattered Guardians, and few Dark Wizards. These were the most common Classes in Kairos, after all. The Guild was a place where everyone treated each other as equals, knowing that each had their function and role in battles and society. This mentality was lacking outside of the Guild. Orkan was startled by a slap on the counter from Baitu, bringing him back to reality.

"Look who showed up!" Baitu said with a smile. "I thought I had lost you in that battle. I didn't see much of what happened because I stayed behind, fixing weapons and armor for those in need."

"And this crowded Guild? Who would've thought?" Aestus said, looking around.

"Well, lad, I just came back a little while ago and saw a bunch of people at the door. Couldn't believe it. I think they wanted to catch up with their friends without thinking too much about the work it'll take to rebuild this whole city."

A great collective effort would be needed to rebuild the damaged structure in the tree. Now they could only hope that the Creatures would give them a respite and that Hiner wouldn't appear again. If he followed his pattern of attacks, Silvi would be safe for many months. There was also a chance that Baruc's soldiers had captured the Warlock in the forest, which Orkan thought was unlikely. Hiner always escaped, as if he could vanish into thin air.

"And do you think Baruc helped the mayor out of the goodness of his heart?" Orkan asked sarcastically.

"Oh, certainly not," another older Lagomorph responded, joining the conversation. "The mayor will make an announcement early tomorrow. Update your resume if you want to work in the new mines."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Lapan," Baitu said while preparing a bowl of sauce for snacks. "Although I also think it'll be something like that. Let's wait and see. Look," he said, looking at the newcomers, "if you want something to eat, we're only serving appetizers. We don't have time to make elaborate dishes."

After considering the options, Aestus and Orkan placed their orders. They chatted among themselves and with some people in the hall while they waited. It was enough to push the images of the battle's aftermath out of their minds. Now they had to think about the future, the next steps in their Hunter careers. They would have to deal with death on several occasions; it was inevitable when dealing with Creatures and adventurers. The veteran Hunters in the Guild shared their stories, often clearly exaggerated and embellished, but highly captivating. The food arrived, and it was quickly devoured by the young men. They didn't realize how hungry they were.

After talking for a long time with different Hunters, Orkan and Aestus had decided on their path to grow in their careers and improve their rank in the Guild more quickly. They said their goodbyes to the remaining Hunters and retired to their room on the upper floor. Exhaustion washed over them. Orkan wanted to sleep without showering, but Aestus practically forced him into the shower. He took a quick shower without even washing his hair and immediately lay down afterward, falling asleep before Orkan could even turn on the shower.

***

The sun rose brightly the next day, illuminating the entire forest surrounding Silvi, with a cloudless sky. The curtain in Spes' bedroom window blocked a good portion of the light, casting the room in a soft shadow. His bed was spacious and incredibly comfortable, adorned with light green bedding and numerous pillows. The room itself was large, with only a few meticulously organized and clean pieces of furniture. Spes lay on his side, embracing one of the pillows, his back to the window, already awake. He awaited the sound of the alarm clock while pondering recent events.

After the battle the previous day, he knew he needed to leave the town and accompany the two Hunters. He wasn't meant to stay in a small town, responsible for a clinic. It wasn't just a desire; it was something he NEEDED to do. But Orkan, the Rogue, clearly didn't take a liking to him. The Knight, on the other hand, was more amiable, making him easier to persuade. But no matter what, he would show that his presence was strictly necessary for the team's success. He just needed to put his plan into action.

The alarm clock rang, but it was immediately silenced on the first ring. Spes enjoyed lingering in bed, but today was a different day. He prepared his breakfast while rehearsing what he would say theatrically. The Lagomorph made funny faces, laughing at the silly mistakes he made. He seemed to be having fun, trying to guess how the others would respond, anticipating any arguments. He sat down to eat while watching the news on television.

Hiner's attack on Silvi was the main headline, showcasing the state of the central tree after the assault. Portable cameras weren't so common, making real-time footage of the events challenging. As a result, there were no recordings of the moment when Hiner carried out the attacks, which was a shame. Spes desperately wanted to see his face up close, to try and understand the reason behind this attack on Silvi. None of it made sense. Or rather, it made too much sense. Hiner suddenly attacks the city where Baruc is located. A city that coincidentally has an unexplored mine. Pathetic.

Spes was already considered a lunatic conspiracy theorist. He couldn't keep insisting on this theory that Baruc was a Machiavellian genius. After all, people loved and revered this supposedly benevolent inventor. He would never be capable of such cunning deeds. Spes refocused his attention on the television, where they reported that Hiner had not been located after the attacks. "Obviously," Spes thought. Next, they showed an image of what Hiner's face might look like now, based on the only high-quality images that had been captured many years ago. The report then showed the infamous footage.

In it, a high-resolution security camera captured footage of a street at night. A much younger Hiner appeared, visibly nervous, glancing around. At that moment, he looked directly at the camera, unaware of its presence. He stood in front of a window of a building and raised his right hand. Just like in the battle the previous day, a fireball began to form in the air. The young Hiner seemed to be concentrating intensely, even displaying a pained expression. The fireball didn't grow much before being hurled towards the window, shattering the glass and entering the building.

In the footage, the young man was startled by the noise  and quickly ran away from the scene without looking back. A few moments later, it became evident that a fire had ignited inside the building, with flames growing and bursting out of the window, rapidly assuming monstrous proportions. The report stated that this was the first documented attack by Hiner, destroying the main orphanage in Reganta, killing all the staff and children. A motiveless, pyromaniacal, and brutal act. Spes turned away, disgusted by the images.

He turned off the television, finished eating quickly, and got ready to leave. He put on his typical white cloak, fastened the cords around his waist, and slipped on his boots before leaving the house. Spes chose to walk to the clinic, disregarding public transportation. The journey was swift, uninterrupted, as he greeted the residents, for it was still early, before the usual hustle and bustle of the workers. The city still carried a faint scent of smoke, with a layer of soot covering the streets. After a good rain, everything would be clean and fresh again, and the trees would soon recover. Nature was truly fascinating.

Upon reaching the clinic, Spes found it strange to see the door and the sidewalk cleaned. He unlocked the door and entered, finding Janis doing a general cleanup inside. She was startled by the door opening, dropping her mop and laughing at his entrance. Spes laughed too but apologized for startling her.

"Apologies, my friend. Good morning! You're up early. What's up?"

"Hahaha. No need to apologize," she said, blushing. "I scare easily. Well, I couldn't sleep properly after everything that happened yesterday. I felt more at ease after seeing you at the Great Tree, but still. I was a bundle of nerves. When the lightning struck the tree, I could swear I felt the ground tremble. I thought everything was going to collapse, that I would be buried alive right there."

"Thank goodness they controlled the fire quickly, right?"

"Yes, my friend," Janis said, sitting on the reception counter. "There were some young and older Witches in the hall. They managed to cast water spells on the tree, controlling the fire. Nonetheless, the damage was extensive. But... why are you at the clinic so early?" She asked, pretending to be interested in a pen on the table but glancing at Spes from the corner of her eye.

"Oh, well... I was going to leave you a message, letting you know that I wouldn't be coming to work today," Spes replied, as if it were something ordinary. "I was also going to leave a list of names of other Mages who might be interested in replacing me."

"You? Skipping work?" she asked, indignant but laughing. "Since I started here, I've never seen you miss a day. Besides Hiner attacking the city yesterday, did something happen?"

That was the reason why Spes wanted to arrive before Janis. He didn't feel ready to have this conversation with her, at least not now. His life was so good in Silvi, he had no apparent reason to change his whole life, to embark on an adventure. That was something for young people, and Spes had already passed that phase. But deep down, he knew it was time to leave. Spes took a deep breath, looking down as he cleaned a nonexistent dirt from his nails.

"So... I've decided to leave Silvi. I know, I know," he said, anticipating an interruption. "I always say that I want to go on journeys, adventures, but I never do anything. This time it's different; I feel like it's my last chance."