“Erik… what are you doing out here? Do we have guests?” came the voice of a young woman—it was Klara.

“There are three humans here I don’t recognize,” the young man named Erik replied calmly.

“What? Who visits this late at night—” Klara started, but then froze. “STAR?! What are you doing here at this hour?”

“Klara!” Star exclaimed, visibly thrilled. “Who’s this young man? Is he your relative? I didn’t think your family had any connections with the Felinari race.”

“What are you implying?!” Erik snapped, clearly offended.

“My family doesn’t have any ties to the Felinari,” Klara explained quickly. “Erik’s from Chandrapura, but he fled his homeland.”

“What happened in Chandrapura?” Friedrich asked, his curiosity piqued.

Klara hesitated, her gaze falling to the ground. The weight of silence filled the air. Then suddenly—

“Chandrapura was colonized by a group called the Riftwalkers,” Erik said, his voice trembling with rage. His fists clenched at his sides. “My people were enslaved by them.”

“Colonized?” Star, Siegfried, and Friedrich exclaimed in unison.

They gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Huff... you'd better all come inside,” Klara said, motioning toward the house. “You too, Ludwig. The wind’s picking up, and it’s freezing out here.”

Star, Siegfried, and Friedrich quickly followed Klara into her house, with Ludwig trailing behind them. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by Klara’s parents, who were in the middle of their evening prayers to the gods.

Klara turned to Erik. “Could you bring some water for everyone? Four glasses, please.”

Though clearly annoyed, Erik obeyed. He poured four glasses of water and brought them over to Star and the others.

Klara then gave a brief but impactful explanation of what had happened in Erik’s homeland—how Chandrapura had fallen under occupation, how its people were enslaved, and how Erik had ended up so far from home. Star, Friedrich, Siegfried, and Ludwig listened in stunned silence, their expressions heavy with sympathy as the brutal reality of Erik’s past slowly sank in.

“...And that’s when I found Vishva in the Yggdrasil Forest. He was badly wounded,” Klara added, gently running her fingers through Erik’s hair.

“I told you not to call me that,” Erik muttered, though he didn’t pull away from her touch.

“Wait a second,” Ludwig interjected. “Aren’t the Felinari, you know, covered in thick fur?”

“Yes,” Erik answered, staring at Ludwig with a curious look. “My fur was pitch black—like a panther’s. But… I shaved it off. It made it easier to blend in with humans.”

“And I heard the Felinari walk on all fours,” Ludwig added, his voice uncertain.

Erik sighed. “Most of us do. But after Chandrapura was taken, the Riftwalkers forced us to change. We had to... twist our ribcages, reshape our backs just so we could walk upright, like humans.”

A chill rippled through the group. The idea of altering one’s skeletal structure just to survive was horrifying. Star felt her skin crawl at the thought.

Siegfried finally broke the uneasy silence. “So... do you know where these Riftwalkers come from?”

Erik turned his gaze away, his voice barely a whisper. “No... I don’t know. They’re not from Atlantia, that’s for sure.”

“Not from Atlantia?” Star leaned forward, intrigued. “What do you mean?”

“They look... strange,” Erik replied. “Their hair is in colors I’ve never seen before. Their clothes are weird—nothing like anything here. And they have weapons and machines beyond anything we can imagine.”

He paused. A shadow crossed his face. “They even made us wear iron collars. Once they were on, it was like... our strength vanished. We couldn’t use our elemental powers at all.”

Star and the others exchanged troubled glances. A sinking feeling grew in her chest. Who were these Riftwalkers really? Could they be from another world?

After Erik and Klara’s explanations, Klara turned back to Star with a curious look.

“So... why did you come to see me in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?”

“I want you to come with us to the capital of Valhalla,” Star said, glancing out the window. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the strange phenomena lately.”

“You’re going to ask the king about it, aren’t you?” Klara asked, already guessing Star’s intention.

“I’m not just going to ask him,” Star said firmly. “I think... I know the answer.”

“If my prediction is correct, that phenomenon was caused by Nidhogg, the legendary dragon who dwells at the roots of Yggdrasil.”

“Nidhogg?” Klara asked. “I’ve been wondering about that too…”

“Well then, if you’re really certain, I’ll come with you, Star,” Klara said, and began packing her things.

Klara carefully gathered her belongings, making sure to tuck her beloved crystal orb into her suitcase. After packing, she approached her parents to ask for permission.

“Mama… Papa, please allow me to journey with Star. This is my calling—to uncover the universe, Mama, Papa,” Klara said softly.

“As the Goddess Sophia entrusted me, I must use my Gnosis to seek knowledge and wisdom,” she continued.

Her parents fell silent for a moment. Then her mother spoke gently, “As mages, we are destined to unveil the mysteries of the universe.”

“This universe… is far vaster than you can ever imagine.”

“Klara, go and seek knowledge, even to the edge of the world if you must. Your father and I can only pray for your safety and for your companions,” her mother said as she pulled Klara into a warm, tight embrace.

After bidding her parents farewell, Klara made her way out and didn’t forget to say goodbye to Erik. As she stepped out of the house and boarded Ludwig’s carriage, Erik’s sobs broke the silence—he ran after her, unable to hold back his tears.

“...Erik, you need to look after Mama and Papa. You’re the only one who can take care of them,” Klara said gently, brushing his head with her hand.

Tears still streaming down his face, Erik said, “I don’t want you to go, Klara. You’re the only friend I have.”

“But I have to go, Erik. I really do,” she replied.

“Then I’ll come with you and your friends!” Erik shouted.

Klara reached for Erik’s hand, but before she could say anything, he turned and bolted into the house.
“He’s coming with us,” she whispered, almost to herself.
Star didn’t say a word, but something in the sky above her cracked just a little wider.