Cerberus & Wastu part-2

A crowd filled the small square in front of them.

A city guard stood atop a wooden stage, holding a large scroll, announcing something loudly—about a young fugitive, extremely dangerous, highly wanted.

About Arion.

Passing near the crowd, Arion lowered his head, turning his face away. His breath held in tension.

He couldn't be seen. Not now.

But hiding his face meant... he couldn't clearly see what was in front of him.

Crash!

His body collided with someone.

"S-sorry..." Arion whispered quickly, trying to leave.

But too late.

That person grabbed his wrist tightly. Then a piercing voice echoed through the air:

"The prince!!"

The crowd suddenly froze. Silence for a moment... then exploded.

Panic. Shouts. Shoving. All eyes turned toward Arion.

"That's him! Catch him!"

The guards moved fast, approaching from all directions. Spears pointed. Arion's arms were harshly restrained. He tried to resist, but there were too many. Too fast.

Aria and Nari were shocked, confused.

Why were the city guards arresting Arion? Who had shouted? What was happening?

Aria nearly ran to help—

But a hand touched her shoulder from behind.

Reflexively, Aria turned.

In front of her stood a grown man... with three dog heads.

Each head was alive, thinking, and expressing itself. That figure was Cerberus—the dimensional guardian, a living legend rare even among magical beings.

The middle head looked at her calmly and whispered:

"Let us handle this."

Before Aria could ask more, Cerberus began walking slowly toward the crowd.

Each step was followed by thick white fog flowing from the ground.

The fog grew, spreading, engulfing the streets, enveloping the crowd, and eventually... consuming everything from view.

Aria stepped back, breath caught in her throat.

What is this...?

The fog thickened.

Her head started to pound. Her eyes grew heavy. Her breath staggered.

Everything felt like it was floating...

...then went dark.

Aria collapsed without uttering a single word.

No one knew how much time had passed.

When her eyes opened, Aria found herself lying beneath a giant tree.

Sunlight pierced through the leaves above, glowing softly.

Beside her, Nari was still asleep, her breathing calm.

But that wasn't what made Aria freeze.

Looking ahead, her eyes widened.

There was something... something incredible standing not far from her.

That figure couldn't be real.

But before her very eyes, reality had shifted.

Meanwhile, somewhere hidden from the real world...

Arion was still lying unconscious.

His body sprawled on a dark surface—not soil, not stone, but as if an endless void.

Light didn't come from the sky, but from the pale white mist endlessly swirling around his body.

Before him stood a towering figure.

Tall, imposing, yet not entirely human.

Cerberus.

Three heads, one body.

And the three... were now debating the fate of the boy lying before them.

"Tch! This is boring!"

The left head growled, fierce expression, eyes sharp like a bloodthirsty beast.

"Let him rot in his illusion! Weak! If he can't get up, he doesn't deserve to live!"

The right head hissed softly, voice much lighter but still sharp like a thin blade.

"You're always too hasty... No harm in waiting. We've waited centuries, what's one more hour?"

"One hour is too long for false hope," snapped the left head.

But both fell silent when the middle head—who had been quiet—finally looked at them.

Calm. Cold. Its mature eyes observed Arion's unmoving body.

No emotion. No sympathy. But also... no intention to judge.

It spoke in a deep, heavy voice—like stone speaking from the bottom of the world.

"Not you. Not me. Not us who decide his fate."

The other two heads were silent.

Because when the middle head spoke... they knew, that was the final decision.

"If he awakens..." the middle head continued.

"Then he will walk a path from which he cannot return."

Meanwhile, slowly... Arion's fingers began to move.

His breath returned, though weak.

And from the darkness wrapping his mind—a small spark of light began to shine.