Hope

Without any guidance, they wandered through the crowded streets, taking in the stunning architecture and the unfamiliar culture. Despite many differences, they noticed that the people of this land spoke the same language, though everything else was completely foreign to them.

At the end of one of the alleyways, a small carnival was taking place. Charming melodies from instruments and cheerful singing filled the streets, and the enticing aroma of fresh food lingered in the air.

"Hey, Siff! Let's go see what's happening over there—maybe even try some food."

"Yeah, let's go. Although, you do know we don't need to eat, right?"

"So what!? We can still taste it! Now come on!" Ryn exclaimed, tugging on Siff's hand.

The street was lively, bustling with people walking around while food vendors prepared delicious meals at every corner. As they sat on a bench, admiring the beauty of the plaza, a small soul descended toward them from above.

"At last, the saviors have arrived. This world shall see salvation before long," the soul whispered.

Surprised, Siff leaned forward and asked, "Hey, what's up with this world? It doesn't look like it's on the brink of destruction or anything. And why didn't you ask these people for help as well? Some of them have to be strong enough."

The soul slowly hovered beside Siff. "These people cannot see nor hear me. Unlike you, they are normal and do not possess such abilities. As for this world… its destruction is sudden and precise. A divine beast shall reduce this land to ash."

Siff took a deep breath, trying to process the information. "Wait! When will it happen? And where can we find this beast?"

"That, I cannot tell, for I am bound to this sole place. My knowledge does not extend beyond these walls. The only information I can bestow upon you is that the beast has a magnificent snowy coat and wields power that defies the very rules of nature."

As quickly as it had arrived, the soul faded away, retreating back into the sky and disappearing between the clouds.

Ryn crossed her arms, tilting her head. "So, let me get this straight… The only thing we need to do to free this world is defeat some divine beast that ignores the laws of nature?" She said, flashing Siff a sarcastic grin.

"The first thing we need to do is gather information," Siff replied, ignoring Ryn's tone. "We need to figure out where this beast is, how powerful it is, and how long we even have to defeat it. Let's look around the city—someone must know something."

They wandered through the city, poking around shops and saloons, asking dozens of people at every corner. However, no one seemed to know anything about a world-ending divine beast. They did learn that the world had beasts, but none matched the description they were searching for.

"This city is huge, yet somehow, no one has ever heard of this beast," Ryn muttered, tossing small rocks into the river beside them. "We could ask another thousand people, but I doubt it'll help."

"We've been searching all day, and come up with nothing. There has to be another way." Siff sighed, watching the sun slowly setting in the distance. "But I think that's enough for today. I found some coins earlier near that food merchant we were talking to. Let's go grab something to drink. Even if we don't need it, we can still taste the flavor. Might help clear our heads after all this nonsense."

As they walked, they came across a small tavern decorated with intricate wooden carvings and hanging flowers on the walls. Inside, they were met with loud chatter and the sound of kegs being tossed around.

They sat down and, unsure of what to order, told the bartender to bring them the most popular drink. As they discussed their next move, a tall figure suddenly approached the table.

"Excuse my intrusion, but I overheard you talking about a beast… and I can sense something familiar about you two. Are you, by any chance, also Cyclebreakers?"

They lowered their drinks, turning to look at the man. He was tall—towering over most of the other patrons in the tavern—with long blonde hair and an imposing, muscular build.

"Wait, you're a Cyclebreaker too!?" Ryn exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah. I've been stuck here for over a month now, but I still haven't managed to find any information about this beast. No one around here seems to know anything, and they just give me weird stares whenever I ask," the man replied.

"Oh! Almost forgot—I'm Thaiff," he added before sitting down.

Siff and Ryn introduced themselves, sharing their experiences and how their own search had led them nowhere. Tired and unmotivated, they continued drinking, getting to know each other.

"There is one thing, though," Thaiff said after a while. "Sometimes, when I would ask about the beast, a few people mentioned a crazy wizard who also went around town ranting about it. Apparently, he used to preach about a divine beast that would destroy the world, but, of course, no one believed him. From what I gathered, he now resides in an old library at the edge of town. Something about him using forbidden magic to summon the beast and—blah, blah—now he's locked in there under supervision."

Siff lifted his gaze from the table. "That might be our best and only lead. We don't know where the beast is or how much time we have left. Acting fast will give us more time to prepare."

Thaiff downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. "Then it's settled. At dawn, we go find the wizard!"

They drank a little more, going over their plans and discussing how to proceed once they found the beast. Finally, dawn arrived, and they set out for the library.

As they walked, Thaiff nudged Siff with his elbow. "Oh, by the way… how many marks do you guys have?"

Siff looked at him in confusion. "Marks? What's that?"

"You don't know?" Thaiff smirked. "Every time you free a world and absorb its energy, you get a small mark on your left arm. It represents how many worlds you've consumed and how much power you possess. For example, I have two green marks on my shoulder—see?"

For the first time, Siff noticed a blue mark on his own shoulder. "Oh, I never even realized it was there. Now that you mention it, this is our second world… so we must've gotten them after freeing the first one. My sword has one too."

Thaiff took Siff's sword, inspecting it. "From what I've gathered, these weapons aren't normal. They're actually lost souls that fused together, forming weapons to assist Cyclebreakers. When they find a new Cyclebreaker, they bond with them, granting them power to help free others. That's why your weapons also gain marks—they're made of souls that have consumed the energy of dying worlds aswell."

Ryn suddenly jumped into the conversation. "So that's why I could feel a connection with this lance!"

Siff turned to Thaiff. "You must be pretty tough then, with two marks already."

"Well, I think I got kinda lucky," Thaiff admitted. "My first world required me to stop a mad scientist from building a world-ending contraption. He was old, so I just smashed the machine and turned him in to the guards. In the second world, I had to stop a bunch of cultists from poisoning the planet's core. By then, I already had my mana gloves, so it was manageable. But this world? This one's different. I've been here for over a month, and I haven't made any progress. Judging by how the souls were acting, this beast must be ridiculously strong."

With that, they continued toward the library, searching for the mysterious wizard—their only real chance at finding the divine beast and stopping the imminent destruction of this world...