The sun was rising over the city of Elyria as the four prepared to depart. The clear sky reflected shifting colors on the crystal towers, and the light emanating from the restored Light Crystal was now softer, more balanced, offering a gentle warmth without the harsh edge it once had.
Aliana stood on the guesthouse balcony, gazing at the city one last time. The new crystal—small, dark—now hung from a delicate silver chain around her neck, pulsing slowly like the heartbeat of a sleeping child. It felt warm against her skin, not cold as the previous one had been.
"Do you miss the old crystal?"
It was Lemon, joining her on the balcony, his bag slung over his shoulder and his long sword at his side.
"Yes," she answered honestly, her fingers touching the new crystal. "It was… the last thing Cairn gave me, the last piece of him I kept."
"But your sacrifice was necessary. Without it, we couldn't have restored the Light Crystal or defeated Sena."
"I know," Aliana sighed. "And this one… it isn't bad. Just different. I feel… it's closer to a true balance, not just a shadow with a flash of light."
"Just like you," Lemon said, smiling. "You're changing too… growing. Becoming stronger."
"And so are you," she replied with a smile. "When you faced Sena yesterday, I saw something of the warrior I once knew… before."
"Ilira and Selene have prepared the supplies for the journey," Lemon said, changing the subject with a slight hint of shyness. "And Zenira gave us a detailed map to Iranil. Looks like it's going to be a long trip."
"Yes, we'll have to pass through the Antrox Pass first, then across the Misty Plateaus, before we reach Iranil." Aliana looked out towards the distant horizon, where another mountain range loomed, darker than Mount Sierra. "It'll take weeks."
"Isn't there a shorter route?"
"There is one other way," Aliana replied, lowering her voice, even though they were alone. "Through the Valley of Forgotten Light."
Lemon's eyes widened. "The Valley of Forgotten Light… the place where Mira disappeared?"
"Yes. They say it's… a dangerous place, unstable, where dimensions and times meet in strange ways. But it would cut the journey in half."
"Why didn't Zenira mention it on her map?"
Aliana sighed again. "Because the valley… is forbidden. After Mira disappeared there, the council banned anyone from entering. They say it's where many priests and guardians were killed by the Keepers, on that fateful night."
"Then we'll take the long road," Lemon decided, ignoring the hesitation in Aliana's eyes. "Our mission is too important to risk in an unstable valley."
"Yes, that's probably for the best," Aliana nodded, though something in her tone suggested she wasn't entirely convinced.
[Cairn would have chosen the more dangerous, more direct path…]
The thought floated through her mind suddenly, like a voice from far away, but she pushed it aside. No, Cairn would also have protected his companions, choosing wisdom over reckless adventure.
"Let's go," she said at last. "The others are waiting."
In the main square of Elyria, a large crowd had gathered to bid farewell to the four. Though most didn't fully understand what had happened the previous night, word had spread quickly that the three strangers had restored balance to their crystal and saved the city from certain disaster.
A number of priests stood at the front, dressed in white robes embroidered with gold threads. In their midst, carried on a comfortable litter, was the old priest Sandol, who had once been Sena. He was still in a deep sleep, but his features were peaceful, and the small golden crystal on his chest glowed with a gentle pulse.
The acting High Priest—a venerable man with a long silver beard—stepped forward, carrying a bundle wrapped in soft white cloth.
"In the name of the City of Light, we thank you once again for what you have done," he said in a deep, formal voice. "And as a small token of our gratitude, we wish to present you with these gifts."
He opened the bundle, revealing four bracelets of transparent white crystal, each engraved with different symbols, and in the center of each, a small stone made from the same material as the Light Crystal.
"These are Bracelets of Light," the High Priest explained. "Crafted by our finest artisans and blessed by the Light Crystal itself. When you need light in the darkest of places, they will shine for you, and remain lit as long as hope endures in your hearts."
The four stepped forward to receive a bracelet each. As Aliana took hers, she felt a strange sensation—a pulsing warmth, as if something alive was settling onto her wrist. For a moment, the small stones in all four bracelets seemed to glow in the same steady, harmonious rhythm.
"I also offer the council's apologies that we could not provide you with additional companions for your journey," the High Priest continued. "After recent events, we need every hand to protect and rebuild the city. But Priestess Ilira will be an excellent ambassador—she is among Elyria's finest."
Ilira bowed her head respectfully. She now wore practical traveling clothes—loose white trousers, a light jacket of pale leather, and around her shoulders, a silver shawl interwoven with golden threads.
"I will represent the City of Light to the best of my ability," she said clearly.
"And finally," added the High Priest, gesturing to one of the guards, who stepped forward with a small leather bag. "Here are some medical and healing supplies. The Healing Priestess made them especially for your journey."
"Thank you for these generous gifts," Aliana said gratefully, speaking for the group. "And for your hospitality. We promise to continue our mission, striving to restore balance to all the crystals, and to the world itself."
"And when you return," added the High Priest, a wise smile on his face, "perhaps Sandol will have awakened, and he'll have much to tell you, I'm sure."
With these final words, and after more farewells and good wishes, the four departed through Elyria's eastern gate, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, heralding the start of a new day—and a new stage in their journey.
"I visited Iranil once, years ago," Ilira said, as they walked down the long sloping path leading from the City of Light to the eastern plains. "A very strange city… sad in a beautiful way."
"How can sadness be beautiful?" Selene asked in surprise.
"In Iranil, sorrow is not just loss or pain," Ilira replied thoughtfully. "It's deeper than that… it's an understanding that loss is part of life itself. They say the city was built around an eternal sorrow—a divine grief, a creator weeping for his creation."
"I've heard of the Keeper of the Crystal of Sorrow," Lemon said. "There were many stories about him even in Edolith."
"Obitus," Aliana murmured his name. "In the old world, he was… a strange man, solitary, but with a wise heart. It was said he was the oldest of the crystal bearers, and had lived for more than two centuries, for sorrow granted him extraordinary longevity." "And what exactly does this guardian do?" Celine asked.
Aliana furrowed her brows, recalling memories from another world. "The Guardian of the Crystal of Sorrow carries the sorrows of others... takes them from them, absorbs them, eases them. It is said that everyone who visits the city leaves a part of their sorrow there, and takes instead... a kind of peace."
"That sounds... contradictory," Lemon remarked. "Carrying the sorrows of others—doesn't that make you even sadder?"
"The philosophy of the Crystal of Sorrow says that sorrow cannot be destroyed, only transformed," Elira explained. "Opitus doesn't rid people of sorrow completely, but helps them understand it, accept it, and turn it into something... deeper, more meaningful."
By midday, they had left the mountain slopes behind and entered the eastern plains—vast open lands covered in tall, silvery grass, rippling in the wind like waves on a calm sea. In the far distance, another mountain range shimmered, darker than Mount Sierra—the Antrox Mountains.
"We'll reach the lookout point at the pass entrance by tomorrow evening if we keep up this pace," Elira said, pointing to the road ahead.
"Good," Lemon nodded. "I hope there won't be bandits or other dangers in these plains."
"This area is relatively safe," Elira reassured him. "The eastern plains of Ailoria are protected by the crystal's light, which stays with us for a day or two's journey."
As the sun set, they set up a simple camp among the tall grasses and lit a small fire. The night was cold, the sky clear, studded with stars sparkling like gems buried in black velvet.
During dinner, Aliana was quiet, lost in thought, gazing at her small crystal, whose blue glow seemed a little stronger in the darkness.
"Thinking about Cairn?" Celine asked quietly, sitting beside her.
"Yes, and also... about the Valley of Forgotten Light."
"The shortcut you mentioned?"
Aliana nodded. "It wasn't just a shortcut. It was the place where Mira and her child... Cairn, disappeared. The place where Sandol vanished, too. Something... draws me to it."
Lemon, sitting by the fire, looked at her with interest. "Are you seriously considering crossing that valley instead of the pass?"
"I... don't know. Part of me says there might be answers there. Another part..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Elira, who was making tea over the fire, interrupted her.
"The Valley of Forgotten Light?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You're thinking of crossing it?"
"You've heard of it?"
"Of course. There are many legends about it in Ailoria. They say it's a place where dimensions meet, and that those who enter may never return... or may return, but in another time, or another version of the world."
"Is that why the council banned entry?"
"Partly. The other reason is that the place became... very unstable after the reshaping of the world." Elira handed them cups of fragrant tea. "And there are rumors... that beings from other dimensions have started to appear there."
"What kind of beings?" Lemon asked, his tone clearly anxious.
"No one knows for sure," Elira shrugged. "The guardians sent by the council to investigate... only one returned, and he was mad, talking about 'shadows that walk upright' and 'lights that devour time.'"
A heavy silence fell among them. Aliana stared at the small black crystal between her fingers, thoughtful.
"Echoes of shadow, Sanna... these beings are the result of cracks in reality after the world's reshaping..." Aliana muttered, thinking aloud. "Maybe what appears in the Valley of Forgotten Light are other manifestations of the same phenomenon."
"But more dangerous, it seems," Lemon added.
"Or maybe..." Aliana paused, a new idea lighting up in her mind, "maybe they're not just creatures escaping through the cracks, but entire dimensions overlapping, colliding... trying to find a new balance after the great upheaval."
"If that's the case, crossing the valley would be extremely dangerous," Lemon said. "We can't risk that."
"Maybe. But..." Aliana gestured toward the line of dark mountains on the far horizon, "the pass won't be any less dangerous. Antrox is known for ancient battles fought there, and for the ghosts that haunt those who disturb its silence."
Elira, who had been a silent listener until now, cleared her throat softly. "There is... actually, a third path."
Three pairs of eyes turned to her in sudden interest.
"I... haven't mentioned it before because it's not an official route on Ailoria's maps. But it's known among a few explorers from the City of Light."
"And what is it?" Aliana asked eagerly.
"The path through the Forgotten Dream Kingdom, Serimond."
"Serimond?" Celine repeated in surprise. "I've never heard of this place before."
"Because it's a strange place, outside the normal concepts of space and time. It's... an ethereal kingdom on the edge of consciousness itself. It can't be reached by ordinary walking."
Elira paused, as if carefully choosing her words, then continued: "But there are gates... certain points in the world where, if one knows the right rituals, one can enter Serimond and cross through it to another region entirely."
"And you know these rituals?" Lemon asked, clear skepticism in his voice.
"Yes. I was... not only a priestess of the Light, but also a trainee in the arts of crossing. And I know there is a gate to Serimond nearby, in the heart of the Silver Plains."
"And where exactly will this gate take us?" Aliana asked.
"To a place very close to Iranil. It will save us a whole week of travel."
Celine exchanged a doubtful glance with Lemon, then asked, "And what are the risks?"
Elira sighed. "Serimond is not an ordinary place. It's the Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams—dreams that were never completed, dreams that were left behind and forgotten, dreams from worlds and people who no longer exist. There are... strange creatures, and places that do not obey the normal laws of reality. But they're not necessarily dangerous, not like the valley."
"And how do you know this gate is here?" Lemon asked, still skeptical.
"Because I've... passed through it before. Two years ago, as part of my training."
Silence fell again, as each of them considered the options before them. Finally, Aliana spoke:
"The Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams... it seems somehow connected to Teralith, the City of Dreams."
"Yes and no," Elira replied. "Teralith is the city of conscious, living dreams. Serimond is the kingdom of forgotten dreams, which no longer belong to any dreamer."
Aliana stared at the fire for a long time, weighing her choices, then looked at her companions.
"I think we should try the Serimond path. It seems less dangerous than the valley, and faster than the pass. What do you think?"
Celine and Lemon exchanged another glance, then nodded slowly.
"If you think it's the best way, we'll follow you," Lemon said. "But we'll be careful. The world of forgotten dreams sounds like a place that could easily deceive us." "Tomorrow then," said Elira. "At sunrise, I will lead you to the gate."
As the calm of night settled over them, Alyana's thoughts swung between hope and worry, the small black crystal on her chest pulsing as if trying to tell her something—a warning, or perhaps a promise—of what awaited them in the Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams.
Morning arrived with a light mist drifting among the silver grasses, giving the plains an ethereal appearance, as if they floated in a sea of white smoke. The four began their journey early, with Elira leading the way, turning east then north, following a path known only to her.
"We'll arrive soon," Elira said after hours of walking. She pointed to a small hill in the midst of the plains, where seven tall stones stood upright in a circle, reminiscent of an ancient stone ring. "That is the gate."
"Has it always been there?" Celine asked curiously.
"Since ancient times. It's said the Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams has existed since the dawn of consciousness itself, and that these gates were the first things the First Dreamer created."
"But why don't many people know about it?" Lemon asked. "Why isn't it used for travel more often?"
"Because it's dangerous in its own way. Not everyone who enters Serimond comes back out, and not everyone who does is... the same as before." Elira sighed, admitting, "There's an old warning: 'Whoever crosses the Forgotten Dreams will carry a part of it forever.'"
"And why did you risk it before?" Alyana asked.
Elira's face darkened slightly. "As part of my training... and as a way to search for answers. About Mira, specifically."
This caught Alyana's attention sharply. "And did you find... anything about her?"
"I found... echoes. Echoes of memories, echoes of dreams. In Serimond, strong memories leave traces that can be found by those who know how to look."
They reached the base of the hill and began to climb. The silver grasses grew shorter here, giving way to gray soil and strange flowers—white, leafless, growing directly from the rocks, closing their petals as someone passed nearby.
At the top of the hill, the stone circle was even more impressive than it had looked from afar. The seven stones were tall—one and a half times the height of a man—and thick, carved from a glossy black material, covered with strange engravings glowing with a faint blue light.
"Ancient symbols of dreams and memories," Elira explained, pointing at the carvings. "A writing system that predates even the First Forgetting."
In the center of the stone ring was a slightly raised circular platform, made of the same glossy black material. At its very center, a deep, round pit filled with silvery liquid reflected the sky above perfectly.
"The Pool of Dreams," Elira whispered with reverence. "The gateway to Serimond."
Alyana gazed at the silvery liquid, contemplating her confused reflection within it. "How do we cross?"
Elira motioned for them to stand in a circle around the pool. "All we have to do is hold hands and focus on the same destination: Iranel. Serimond will take us there... or at least, very close."
"Is it safe?" Lemon asked, eyeing the pool with concern.
"It isn't directly dangerous. The crossing is quick, as long as we all focus on the same destination."
"And if we don't?" Celine asked.
"If our focus is scattered... we could end up somewhere entirely different in Serimond, and perhaps be lost there for a while."
They stood in a circle around the silver pool, holding hands. Alyana felt the small black crystal on her chest pulsing stronger, faster.
"Think of Iranel, the City of Sorrow," Elira said. "Picture it, imagine the white city, its tall tower, its blue crystal. That is our destination."
Alyana closed her eyes, trying to focus on the image required. But in the background, there was a faint, familiar voice...
Alyana...
Cairn's voice! Coming from somewhere distant, deep, like a whisper from behind a wall.
Alyana... the gate... I will find you...
His voice was fragmented, unclear, like a broken transmission, but it was real! She tried to focus more on the voice, trying to understand...
"Now!" Elira shouted, cutting through Alyana's thoughts.
The silver pool began to ripple, shining more brightly, and started to spin, becoming a glittering silver vortex. Suddenly, the liquid rose up, like tongues of water, wrapping around the group, engulfing them completely.
Alyana felt a sensation of freefall, then violent spinning, then something like being compressed and stretched at the same time. Her vision blurred, then faded completely, leaving her in total emptiness—no direction, no weight, no sensation at all...
Then, suddenly, the world opened around her once more.
Alyana stood in a place she had never seen before. There was no real sky above, but a vast dome of pale pink mist, threaded with shimmering silver strands. The ground beneath her feet was soft, pliable, like sand but not sand, colored a faint lavender. Around her stretched strange landscapes—tall, impossibly thin trees topped with huge glowing balls of colored leaves, enormous flowers pulsing with light, and mysterious structures floating unsupported in the air.
"The Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams..." she whispered, awestruck.
"Alyana!" Celine's voice came from behind her.
She turned to find Celine and Lemon approaching, both looking a bit dazed but unharmed. But...
"Where's Elira?" Alyana asked, looking around.
"Wasn't she with you?" Lemon asked, his voice tinged with growing concern.
"No, I thought she was with you..."
The three of them looked around, searching for their missing companion, but the strange landscape showed no sign of Elira.
"Maybe she ended up somewhere else in Serimond..." Celine suggested.
"Or maybe..." Lemon began, but didn't finish his sentence.
"We have to look for her," Alyana decided. "We can't leave her here."
"But this place... it's huge, and strange. How will we find her?"
Alyana considered the incredible scene around them, the small black crystal pulsing on her chest. "Elira said Serimond is the Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams. Places here aren't real in the usual sense, but are... manifestations, illusions."
"And that means...?"
"It means ordinary searching may not help. We have to... think outside the box."
She touched the crystal with her fingers, thinking. Suddenly, an idea struck her:
"Elira belongs to Ailoria, the City of Light. Maybe... maybe we should look for a place connected to her here. A place of her light."
She looked around again, searching for anything familiar, anything that might remind her of the City of Light. In the distant horizon, she spotted something that looked like a crystalline tower shining.
"There!" she pointed. "It looks just like the central temple in Ailoria!" They began moving toward the tower, passing through a constantly shifting landscape of strange trees and gigantic flowers. There were creatures as well, flying, crawling, or walking among them—semi-transparent beings that looked both familiar and alien at the same time. Some resembled ordinary animals but with astonishing changes—birds with six wings, cats with multiple glowing tails, insects the size of cats flying with stained-glass wings.
"This place… it feels like a blend of every strange dream anyone has ever had," Celine remarked, her eyes following a bizarre bird whose color changed with every flap of its wings.
"Forgotten dreams…" Lemon repeated thoughtfully. "I wonder… are they truly forgotten, or just… separated, no longer belonging to any particular dreamer?"
They reached a small hill, giving them a better view of the area. The crystal tower was closer now, glowing with shifting colors, but the path to it lay through a dense forest of tall trees with colored orbs.
"Instead of entering the forest, let's walk around its edge," Lemon suggested. "That might be safer."
They followed his suggestion, heading toward the tower but avoiding the depths of the strange forest. As they got closer, the tower became clearer—it did resemble the central temple in Ayloria, but it was smaller, and appeared abandoned, old, eroded in places.
"I expect we'll find Eilira there," Aliyana said. "It almost feels like… Ayloria's forgotten dream, maybe?"
"Or someone's memory of it from long ago," Celine added.
As they approached the edge of the forest, Aliyana heard a familiar voice, almost like a whisper on the wind:
Aliyana… follow… follow my voice…
She froze in place, stunned. "Kairn?"
Lemon and Celine looked at her with concern.
"Did you hear something?" Celine asked.
"I… yes. Kairn's voice. He's… he's calling me."
"I didn't hear anything," Lemon said, looking around cautiously.
The deep echo… follow my voice…
"He's saying… something about the deep echo…" Aliyana whispered. "It's like he's trying… to guide me."
"The deep echo?" Celine asked. "Like the passage that took us to the City of Sorrow in the old world?"
"Yes! The passage where times overlap…"
A new idea took shape in Aliyana's mind. "The Realm of Forgotten Dreams… Serimond… maybe it's like the deep echo, a place where dimensions and times overlap. Maybe Kairn can reach me here more easily than in the real world!"
"And what did he say exactly?" Lemon asked, his concern growing.
"He said to follow his voice…"
The small black crystal began to glow more intensely, its pulses quickening. Aliyana felt a gentle tug on her chest, as if it were pulling her in a certain direction—not toward the crystal tower, but toward… the inside of the forest.
"I think… I think we need to go into the forest," Aliyana said, her voice trembling slightly with excitement and tension.
"But… what about Eilira?" Celine asked. "Didn't we come here to look for her?"
Aliyana paused, hesitant. On one hand, she felt a pressing need to follow Kairn's voice, especially since he seemed so close now. On the other hand, she couldn't leave Eilira alone in this strange world.
"Maybe… we could split up?" Lemon suggested hesitantly. "Celine and I can keep searching for Eilira at the tower, and you…"
"No," Aliyana interrupted quickly. "Splitting up in a place like this would be far too dangerous. We need to stay together."
She paused, thinking. "Can we… split our time? Go to the tower first, look for Eilira, then follow Kairn's voice?"
Aliyana… no time… I find you… so close now…
Aliyana sighed deeply, drawing strength for her decision. "We'll follow Kairn's voice first. Something inside me says this is… important, urgent. And maybe, with his help, we'll find Eilira too."
After a moment's thought, Lemon and Celine nodded in agreement. The three of them turned and began entering the strange forest, where the pink mist thickened, the trees grew even stranger, and the ground itself seemed to breathe.
With every step, the black crystal glowed brighter, and Aliyana felt Kairn's voice growing clearer, closer. The world around them seemed to change as they approached—the colors becoming more vivid, the sounds deeper, the sense of reality stronger.
"There's… something happening," Lemon whispered, alert to the changes. "The place is shifting…"
And then they saw it: a rift in the air itself, shimmering like the surface of a calm pond, but vertical, suspended between two enormous, bizarre trees. Through that rift, they could see… another scene entirely—a deep valley, ringed by dark mountains, shrouded in a faint silver mist.
"The Valley of Forgotten Light…" Aliyana whispered in awe. "Kairn… is leading us to it!"
"But why?" Lemon asked. "What does the Valley of Forgotten Light have to do with Iranil?"
Before Aliyana could answer, a figure appeared from behind one of the nearby trees—a familiar figure, wearing a light white robe with a silver shawl.
"Eilira!" Celine cried in relief. "We found you!"
But as the figure drew closer, they saw that… it wasn't quite Eilira. She looked remarkably similar—the same face, the same body—but her eyes were… empty, without pupils, pure white. And when she spoke, her voice was different, deeper, as if coming from afar:
"I am not Eilira… I am a memory of Eilira. Or rather… someone else's memory of Eilira."
The three of them stopped in their tracks, stunned.
"Who… who are you really?" Aliyana asked cautiously.
The Eilira-like being smiled a strange smile. "I am Serimond itself, or a part of it. I am the keeper of all forgotten memories and dreams, the warden and the jailer."
"And where is the real Eilira?" Lemon asked, his hand slowly moving toward his sword hilt.
"Elsewhere, following a different path, searching for other answers. You will find her… when you find yourselves."
"And this rift?" Aliyana pointed at the floating gateway between the two trees. "Is it… a portal to the Valley of Forgotten Light?"
"Yes and no," the being replied cryptically. "It is a gateway to what you need, to what you seek, to what will lead you to answers. But it is also… a test. Whoever passes through will not return the same."
The three of them fell silent for a moment, considering the being's words.
"The choice is yours," the Serimond entity continued. "You may cross this gateway and face what lies beyond, or you may stay here, search for your friend, and find your way to Iranil as you had planned."
Aliyana… I find you… you see… at last…
Kairn's voice, stronger now, clearer than before. Aliyana looked at the shimmering portal, then at her companions, then at the strange being that resembled Eilira.
"If we cross… will we find Eilira in the end?" Aliyana asked.
"Yes," the being nodded. "All roads in Serimond meet in the end… one way or another."
Aliyana looked at Celine and Lemon, a silent consultation. "I'm with you," Celine said confidently. "If Cairn is trying to contact you, there must be an important reason."
Lemon looked less certain, but nodded as well. "Let's do it. But carefully."
They approached the shimmering gate. Its surface appeared liquid, silvery, reflecting fleeting, distorted images of what lay beyond. Eliana reached out and touched the surface with her fingertips. It was extremely cold, sending a chill up her arm.
"Together…" she said, taking Celine's hand, who in turn took Lemon's hand.
With a single step, the three of them crossed through the gate, leaving the realm of forgotten dreams behind, heading toward the Valley of Forgotten Light—the place where Mira and her child had disappeared, the place that might hold the answers Eliana had long been searching for.