Night hadn’t fully fallen when Noen and Xiara arrived at the royal city park of Kharanax. The park was vast, filled with towering trees and hanging lanterns strung between their branches. A fountain in the center reflected the moonlight, and the sound of crickets blended with the trickling water, creating a calmness that felt strangely familiar.

On a stone bench near the pond, Kaeren sat alone. His head tilted toward the sky, as if lost in thought. Noen and Xiara approached at a light jog, with Raven perched on Noen’s arm.

“Kaeren!” Noen called out, slightly out of breath. Kaeren turned. He didn’t smile, but his eyes sparkled. He looked at Raven. Then gave a small nod and slowly stood up.

“Okay... how do we talk to him?” Noen asked quietly. Xiara turned to him. “My story power can help, but it’s not much.” “How does your story power work?” “It’s called Conscience Connection. It lets me understand someone’s heart—only if they can’t speak.” “Wow, like telepathy?” “My story power is way less useful,” Xiara replied flatly. “It’s not telepathy. I can only sense Kaeren’s true feelings. If he tries to say something but his heart wants something else, I’ll only hear the voice of his heart.”

Kaeren flinched slightly at that.

“It’s okay. I think that’s more than enough,” Noen said reassuringly. “Alright,” Xiara replied, removing her seal ring and looking at Kaeren, who seemed a bit shy.

“You really love talking animals, huh?” Xiara asked. Kaeren’s face turned slightly red. “It’s fine. We are quite adorable,” Raven chimed in casually. He understood Kaeren was the kind of person who struggled to make friends and was easily manipulated.

“You’re unsure where to go tonight, since you’re from far away? That’s the weakness of my story power—I can’t understand names of places or anything like that,” Xiara asked again. Kaeren simply nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll stay at Sleep Place Guest. I’ve been staying there while waiting for the tournament.” Kaeren lowered his head slightly. “What are you worried about? The cost? What do you mean? I don’t understand,” Xiara said, confused. Raven and Noen looked shocked, their eyes meeting.

“You’ve never been asked to pay for something like basic human rights?” Xiara continued. Kaeren’s eyes lit up. Noen and Raven still couldn’t believe it. “You come from a place that charges for human rights? What kind of insane place is that?” Xiara added.

“Ohhh, we’d better escort the champion to Sleep Place Guest. He must be exhausted,” Noen interrupted, sensing it would be dangerous if Xiara dug deeper into Kaeren’s heart. “Right, I’m starting to feel tired too,” Raven added, lying.

“Alright then. You know the way, right? I won’t be staying there since my house is nearby, and it’s getting late for me to be out. Please take Kaeren, Noen. Don’t forget our promise tomorrow—to visit the book warehouse,” Xiara said, hurrying off and leaving Kaeren with Noen and Raven.

Once Xiara was out of sight, Noen turned to Kaeren. “You’re from another world?” Kaeren simply nodded. “That’s crazy. Who sent you here? Why didn’t they come with you?” Raven asked. “Uhh... maybe we should pause the questions for now,” Noen cut in. “True. Why does the useful skill always leave at times like this?” “For now, let’s rest. Tomorrow we’ll decide what to do.”

And they walked toward Sleep Place Guest.