Years passed – and Xarion felt increasingly alone.
After the death of Thorin, the last confidant of his youth, nothing was the same.
Saelen, once his closest companion, had turned more and more toward the crystals – those pure magical essences of the elves that stored great power.
He no longer sought portals or new worlds.
He sought harmony. Depth. Unity with the elements.
He had embraced the words of the Grand Mage:
"Do not strive for more if it means losing everything."
But Xarion could not let go.
He could not forget. He could not rest.
He withdrew – high upon a mountain above the clouds.
A place cold and remote, far from all civilization.
There, alone with his thoughts, he lived.
Torn between longing and fury.
Again and again, Orthelion's final words echoed in his mind.
And yet, the urge to discover new worlds would not leave him.
He didn't know what to do.
Should he obey the laws?
Or give in to his curiosity – the hunger for the unknown?
During their search for Azura, he had collected many twin crystals – rare artifacts capable of linking worlds.
Eventually, he gave in to his inner desire.
He broke the old commandment.
He began creating new portals.
Hidden deep within a rocky canyon, in a cave he sealed with powerful magic, he built a secret refuge.
A place no one could enter.
A place that belonged only to him.
And there – in secret – Xarion began to cross into new worlds.
Silently. Alone.
Without the council's approval, without any companions.
With the power of the twin crystals, Xarion could create portals without charging them first.
He traveled to unknown worlds, opened a portal with a single thought – and immediately forged a second crystal to form a return path.
Then he sealed the portal behind him so completely that no one could pass through it.
No one – but him.
Thus he became a silent wanderer between worlds.
If a place proved too dangerous, he fled immediately.
If the world was peaceful, he stayed. He studied, he learned – and helped the inhabitants where he could.
For the first time in years, he felt joy.
Purpose.
What he was made for.
Until he entered a world unlike any other.
There, he met a mage – a man who carried the same essence as the mages of Azura.
But something was different.
His magic was… tainted.
Colored by a foreign force.
This mage's name was Sereth.
He came from a world called Drax'Enor – a place inhabited by demonic creatures, beings who mastered the destructive powers of fire and corruption.
And yet… they lived in peace.
Peace that Sereth had painstakingly built.
Xarion was fascinated.
He spoke with Sereth for a long time and soon returned more and more often.
Sereth, like Xarion, was a wanderer. A seeker.
He told Xarion about his old master, who had taught him magic – and who once created portals to help other worlds.
But since his master's death, Sereth had remained in Drax'Enor, protecting his people.
Xarion felt a connection to the man.
For the first time in years, he felt understood.
Familiarity grew. Trust.
And Xarion opened up – spoke of the twin crystals, the countless worlds he had visited, the portals he had forged, and his secret hideout.
Of his yearning for more.
And Sereth listened.
Back to the present
Silence filled the great hall of the alliance.
Not a word. Not a whisper.
Only Saelen's voice echoed through the vaulted chamber.
"Sereth… used every bit of knowledge Xarion gave him.
He waited. He learned. And once he knew enough – he struck.
He murdered Xarion in cold blood."
A collective shiver went through the ranks of the gathered.
"With the knowledge of the crystals and portals, he began training his own warriors – across distant worlds, in secret.
He built armies.
And when the time came, he went to war.
Against any world that refused to bow to him."
Saelen closed his eyes briefly, then continued.
"A war Grand Mage Orthelion had warned us about.
A war that shook the very foundation of the worlds.
And one that ended only because of our alliance."
He looked around the hall, scanning the faces.
"You are the descendants of those who once stood side by side.
We won – yes.
But only because of one man's choice."
His voice grew quieter.
"A man who lost everything. Everything he loved. Everything he believed in.
Even his life."
A murmur rippled through the chamber.
"His name was Lazil.
He was the strongest warrior of his time.
Born in Varlkar – the world of warriors.
A world that no longer exists.
It was completely destroyed in the war."
Saelen stepped back, his gaze somber.
"Now you know the truth.
Sereth has returned – from the shadows we thought long gone.
And this time… he is stronger."
His voice echoed like thunder.
"If we do not stop him together, he will destroy everything.
All worlds. Every one of us."
Silence followed.
No breath. No cough. No movement.
As if time itself had frozen.
Because for the first time… they all realized:
The Portal War had never ended.
It had just begun.
The dwarf representative slammed his fist on the table and stood.
"Now we know our enemy! We'll raise an army, march against him – and crush his legions!"
Shouts erupted through the hall.
Delegates rose, voices filled with resolve:
"We are with you!"
"We will defeat him!"
"For the freedom of all worlds!"
A moment of euphoric unity – until a calm voice broke through.
The elven representative stood, thoughtful and steady.
"But… do we even know where Drax'Enor is?
Do we have a twin crystal that can lead us there?"
Silence.
Everyone turned to Saelen.
He hesitated, then lifted his gaze.
"No," he said quietly. "We didn't know back then.
And we still don't know today.
I've never seen Drax'Enor with my own eyes.
None of us has ever found it."
Tension filled the air – until the representative of Celothar stepped forward.
"Then we send search parties!
Small teams – warriors with portal mages.
Let them travel from world to world.
As soon as we find a lead to Drax'Enor, we strike – and destroy him."
Then spoke Rex, the representative of Xionis:
"We from Xionis will scan the entire known universe. We will find him."
The representative of Azura added:
"We will provide every mage capable of creating a portal.
Our knowledge is yours."
The elves bowed their heads.
"We will deliver the crystals – and send our finest warriors."
A warrior stepped forward, clad in dark armor. His presence like forged steel.
"I am from Nek'zar. We fight."
One by one, each world stood ready.
Each speaker made their vow.
And Saelen looked into their eyes – and saw the determination.
The true, unshaken will to stop this evil.
But within him… concern grew.
Because he knew Sereth.
He knew what kind of enemy they faced.
And what he was capable of.
He knew:
The price would be steep.
But for the first time in ages… Saelen had hope.
For today…
The alliance was united.
On Earth, the cleanup continued.
The devastation was massive – streets in ruins, cities hollowed out. But amid the destruction, hope endured.
Humans and beings from other worlds worked side by side.
Mages lifted debris with precision, healers treated the wounded, and engineers brought foreign tools to save lives.
Despair was great, but the will to rebuild was greater.
No one asked where anyone came from – everyone helped where they could.
At the camp, the troops prepared to return to their bases.
Commander Davor Krayt approached Keal and nodded toward the man next to him.
"Who's that?"
Keal replied calmly: "This is Unutay. We found him on the mountain. He fought with us – and he's strong. He wants to help."
Leon stepped in and nodded. "If he can fight, he's welcome. We've lost many warriors. Anyone who can hold their own is of value."
He added, "But when we arrive at the main base, take him to the lab. We need to measure his stats so we know how to assign him."
Keal nodded. Mika, meanwhile, was visibly happy to have Unutay with them. The others also welcomed the decision.
But Unutay raised his hand.
"I must say goodbye… to the sons of an old friend. Otherwise, they'll worry."
Mika smiled. "I'll go with you. Then we'll join the others at the main base."
Kiro joined them. "I'll come too. Mika can't pilot a flier – so we'll fly together to the evacuation zone, then head to the new base."
So the group split. Mika, Kiro, and Unutay took a flier to the evacuation site.
There, Unutay searched for Kazim's sons.
He found them – and quietly said goodbye, in words only they understood.
Meanwhile, Mika observed Unutay from afar.
She saw him speaking with three older men – their posture familiar, their conversation deep.
When Unutay returned and boarded the flier with the others, Mika asked curiously:
"Did you say your goodbyes? And… how are they?"
Unutay nodded. "They're safe. And they understood my choice. They wished me well."
Mika hesitated. "And who were the three men you spoke with?"
But before Unutay could answer, the radio crackled.
Keal's voice came through, tense:
"The main base… is completely destroyed. I'm sending the new coordinates. We'll meet there."
Silence fell.
Then Kiro steered the flier toward a new hope – with a trace of worry in all three pairs of eyes.