Tia stood before her own grave, the name "Tia Salisia" engraved in neat letters on the cold tombstone. A shiver ran down her spine. She hadn't imagined what it would feel like to look at a grave meant for herself. The air around the cemetery felt heavy, and though it was peaceful, a sense of dread loomed over her heart. She sighed softly, running her hand over the smooth stone.
"I'm so sorry, Leen, Tareth," Tia said, her voice barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to make everyone worry."
Leen, a tall, muscular woman with short-cropped brown hair, gave her a sympathetic smile. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at Tia. "It's okay, Tia. We thought… we thought you were gone for good. I… I couldn't let that idea settle, so I made this grave, you know? For closure."
Tareth, the broad-shouldered masked man standing beside Leen, shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a hint of relief in his voice. "Don't sweat it, Tia. You're alive and kicking—that's all that matters to me."
Tia smiled warmly, her heart swelling with gratitude. "I'm lucky to have people like you looking out for me. Really."
Tareth grinned. "Well, it wasn't just us. Word spread fast, and the whole town was worried. Batustone even summoned rovers from Avaros for a rescue mission. I'd say you're a pretty big deal around here."
Tia chuckled softly, touched by the lengths people went to for her. It was overwhelming in a good way. She gazed around the cemetery, noticing how still and quiet everything felt. The gravestones were bathed in the soft orange glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the ground. It was peaceful, but there was something surreal about standing next to her own supposed final resting place.
As they talked, none of them noticed the figure standing in the shadows across the street, just outside the cemetery gates. A tall man, his long purple hair tied back, leaned against a tree. His dark armor gleamed faintly in the dying light, and the emblem of an owl on his chestplate reflected the orange hues of the sun. He watched Tia, Leen, and Tareth with interest, his sharp eyes observing their every move.
"So, that's the girl," he muttered to himself. "The one everyone's been talking about. Tia Salisia."
He crossed his arms, an amused smile playing at his lips. He'd only been in Batustone for a few days, but it hadn't taken long to hear about Tia's disappearance and the rescue mission that followed. Everyone seemed to be celebrating her return as if she were some sort of local hero. And now that he saw her, standing in the cemetery with her friends, he understood why. Despite her low rank, she had survived the Iron Grave dungeon, one of the most dangerous places in the region.
He let out a sly laugh, his eyes glinting with dark intent. "Impressive, for someone with such little experience."
He pushed off the tree and turned away, disappearing into the streets as silently as he had come. "Hmph. I thought visiting this place would be a total boredom. This town might be more interesting than I thought… And maybe, just maybe, there's a way to make a fortune out of all this."
The man's shadow melted into the fading light as the sun dipped lower toward the horizon.
Meanwhile, Zal found himself standing at the edge of the woods, waiting. The note from Inasphyr had been cryptic, but his curiosity was too strong to ignore. He felt a strange pull, a compulsion to find out what the woman wanted. The woods, just outside Batustone, were thick and quiet, the trees casting long, dark shadows as the day began to die.
He didn't have to wait long. The woman in the green hood, Inasphyr, emerged from the treeline, moving gracefully as if she had been walking through those woods her whole life. Her grocery basket was still in hand, and her expression was as calm as it had been earlier when they first met.
"You've come," she said. "It turns out you are the one I am looking for after all."
"Let's just get to the point," Zal said, crossing his arms, "What do you want?"
The sun has set on the horizon. The skies darkened. Zal couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as Ina calmly spoke.
"I have a strong belief that you are the person I've been searching for," she said, her tone confident but tinged with uncertainty. "However… I'm not particularly good at convincing new people."
Zal smirked, crossing his arms. "Let me guess, your 'alternative methods' of convincing people involve leading them into a cryptic situation and waiting for them to figure it out?"
Ina blinked at him, her stoic face giving away no emotion. "You came, did you not?" she replied, her voice calm as ever. "Therefore, it was a successful method."
Zal couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "I came because I'm curious, not because you convinced me. And besides, not everyone would take kindly to cryptic messages. It's a good way to end up with misunderstandings… or worse."
Ina's calm demeanor wavered just slightly, and she bowed her head apologetically. "I see. Perhaps I do need to reevaluate how I approach my duties."
Zal waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm here now. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Ina straightened up, her gaze sharp as she studied Zal. "Your ability to fix the pocket watch was… remarkable. It's not something many could do with such precision."
Zal raised an eyebrow. "Fixing the watch? Is it that big of a deal?"
Ina nodded. "It is." Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in slightly, her tone becoming more probing. "Where did you learn such skills? Are you affiliated with any of the Apostles?"
Zal leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "No, I'm not affiliated with anyone. You could say I'm a lone wolf. I work for no one."
Ina tilted her head slightly, studying him for a moment longer before asking, "Have you ever met any of the Vectors?"
Zal's response was casual, a shrug of his shoulders. "Nope. Never met one. Honestly, I don't even know their names."
There was a brief pause as Ina stared into Zal's eyes, her gaze unblinking. After a moment, she nodded as if confirming something to herself. "I see no lie in your words," she said softly. "Still… it's rather unbelievable that there is a human who doesn't know the Vectors."
Zal chuckled at her comment but didn't elaborate, allowing a moment of silence to linger between them.
Ina reached into her bag and carefully pulled out three items, setting them on the small table in front of her. Zal's eyes immediately locked onto the objects, intrigued.
The first was a small, broken alarm lamp, its casing cracked, and wires exposed. The second was a microcontroller board, its circuits and components scattered and partially fried. The third was a piece of paper covered in what appeared to be a code—just a long string of 1s and 0s, no immediate meaning jumping out at him.
Ina tapped the table gently. "I need you to fix these. The alarm lamp and the microcontroller board are straightforward enough. But as for the paper…" She paused, her expression unreadable. "I'll leave it to you to figure out what to do with it."
Zal's gaze narrowed as he inspected the items. His fingers twitched, itching to start working. He felt a surge of excitement rise in him, the kind he rarely experienced. It was almost as though he had been given a new toy to play with—an odd sensation for someone like him.
"I wish to reassure myself. Fix these and pass it to me tomorrow at midnight," Ina added, handing him a small, folded map. "This will lead you to a place called Baturaja Temple. There's a hut inside the temple grounds. I'll be there."
Zal took the map, glancing at it briefly before stuffing it into his coat. "Fix these and meet you there by tomorrow midnight. Got it."
Ina stood up, her movements as graceful as ever, and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of." With that, she turned to leave.
Zal watched as she walked away, but like before, it was as if she disappeared into thin air the moment she stepped into the shadows. He exhaled, shaking his head with a smirk.
Ellen's voice chimed into his thoughts, her tone alerted. "Warning: Your energy levels are fluctuating. Are you okay, Zal?"
Zal chuckled as he pulled out the items and laid them on the table before him. "I'm just… happy, I guess."
"Please elaborate. That woman simply gave you a few gadgets that is not difficult to find in big cities, excluding that paper, of course."
Zal leaned forward, eyeing the microcontroller board with a gleam in his eye. "This tech… it's familiar to my eyes. Like something from back home. I don't know how, but it's really got my gears turning. I want to fix this stuff, Ellen. It's not just a job—it's fun."
There was a brief silence, then Ellen's voice came back, still unsure. "If you say so. Just don't get too carried away."