Chapter 1605: Gathering

Now that he understood the situation, Erend realized he would have to rely on the plan he had already prepared anyway.

He needed to travel directly to Erebus’s world with his companions and examine the curse for themselves. Only after they understood its nature could they find a way to overcome it.

Unfortunately, Veyrun could not offer much more information beyond confirming that Erebus’s world was the final destination on the list of worlds Erend, Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven needed to visit to uncover the remaining Dragonborn legacy. Even the System Administrator did not have answers to every question.

"Thank you for telling me," Erend said.

"Do not thank me just yet. You still have a difficult task ahead of you," Veyrun replied. "I hope you find what you are looking for, Erend. Good luck."

Erend gave him a final nod before Veyrun sent his consciousness back to the physical world. He opened his eyes and found himself standing inside Krono’s former home again.

A long sigh escaped his lips. He considered everything that awaited them.

The revelation had given him a clearer direction, but it had also added another layer of uncertainty.

He remained lost in thought until the first portal opened before him. Eccar emerged from it, followed by two more portals that appeared one after another. Aesa stepped out of the second, while Sylven came through the third.

Erend immediately noticed something unusual about Sylven.

The Dragonborn no longer looked like the fourteen-year-old boy he had always appeared to be. Instead, a mature man stood before them, with a broad frame and a beard that made the change even more striking.

The transformation was so unexpected that Erend, Eccar, and Aesa all stared at him in surprise for a moment.

They exchanged greetings soon afterward, welcoming one another with smiles.

Aesa just gives a small nod, maintaining the same cool expression she always wore. However, the others knew her well enough by now to understand that her reserved manner did not necessarily reflect her feelings.

She had grown accustomed to keeping her emotions hidden behind that unchanging face, and it didn’t show her true feelings.

Eccar, on the other hand, had no intention of letting Sylven’s transformation pass without comment.

"Well, look at how much you’ve grown, man!" he exclaimed, giving Sylven an amused grin. "What happened to the little boy who used to stand beside us?"

Sylven laughed. "I finally overcame whatever was keeping me in that younger body. I suppose I no longer have any reason to look like a child."

"About time," Eccar replied with a grin.

Erend smiled as well, while Aesa gave a small approving nod.

They were all pleased to see how much Sylven had grown, not just in appearance but also in the way he carried himself.

His trials had forced him to confront painful memories and emotions he had long struggled to understand. Seeing him emerge from that experience with such a visible change reassured them.

Once the initial surprise had passed, Sylven turned his attention to Erend, his expression becoming more serious. "So, what happened? You said we needed to meet again."

Erend nodded and began explaining everything that had occurred.

He told them about Erebus, the Dragonborn who lived in another world and had planned to invade his world because his people were running out of time.

He explained the terrible curse that had consumed Erebus’s homeland and described the suffering he had witnessed among its inhabitants. Erebus had not sought conquest for its own sake. He just wanted to save his people. He believed invading another world was their only chance.

Erend then explained how he had encountered Erebus and persuaded him to postpone the invasion while they investigated the curse.

He had promised to gather people capable of examining the phenomenon and finding a solution, which was why he had sought help from Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira.

He did not hide the uncertainty surrounding their mission, since even the most knowledgeable Magic users might struggle to understand a curse of that magnitude.

However, the most surprising part of the story came when Erend explained what Veyrun had told him moments earlier.

"I never expected this when I first went to Erebus’s world," he admitted. "I thought I was simply trying to prevent an invasion and help another Dragonborn save his people, but it turns out that his world is the final one we needed to visit to uncover the remaining Dragonborn legacy."

Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of confusion and shock.

For a moment, they stood in silence as they tried to make sense of the revelation.

"Hmm... this could be a simple coincidence, or perhaps not," Aesa remarked, her pale eyes narrowing slightly as she considered the revelation. "Either way, we cannot know for certain until we see the place for ourselves."

Eccar shrugged, seemingly less concerned with the possibility of fate guiding their journey than with the task that lay ahead.

"Coincidence or not, it doesn’t change anything. We still have to go there and find out what this Dragonborn legacy is all about. Besides, we already have a reason to visit that world now. We need to help those people deal with their curse," Eccar said.

His words earned nods from the others. Whatever the reason behind this unexpected discovery, they didn’t see any point in wasting time debating possibilities they could not prove.

They had come too far to turn away now and the only way to understand what awaited them was to travel to Erebus’s world first and investigate it themselves with the mages.

They agreed to meet again several days later, giving Erend enough time to ensure that Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira were ready for the journey.

The Archmages would need to prepare for an unfamiliar world and a curse that has nature that remained a mystery, so he couldn’t rush them.

Once everyone was prepared, the Dragonborn would travel together and begin their investigation.

With their plans settled, the gathering gradually came to an end. Eccar opened a portal back to his world, Aesa and Sylven followed suit, each returning to their own home.

Erend remained in Krono’s cave for a little while longer, watching the portals disappear until the familiar silence settled over the ancient chamber once more.

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