Lila's Perspective – A Glimpse into the Future
Time has arrived.
After six long months of hard training, the moment we've been waiting for is finally here. As I ride my horse through the snowy paths in the northeast part of the Cero Kingdom, the cold air stings my face, but my mind is somewhere else. I keep thinking about everything that brought me to this point.
A message came just yesterday, a dungeon has been found. There's a chance that it holds a corrupted core, and now it's up to us, the Rising Heroes, to go check it out. If it really is corrupted, we have to take down the whole dungeon ourselves. Just thinking about it makes my heart beat faster.
I remember the time I entered a dungeon with a corrupted core. The fear, the strange monsters, and how close we all came to losing everything, it still makes me nervous when I think about it. Back then, we weren't strong enough on our own. We had the Grand Party with us, helping us fight, guiding us through. But now, after all these months of non-stop training, we've become stronger. We've learned so much, pushed past our limits, and grown not just in power, but in heart.
Still, even with all this strength, I know it won't be easy. Clearing my mind is hard, but I have to focus. I need to be ready. The past still echoes in my memory, but I'm not the same girl I was back then. I feel different now. I feel ready.
"Lila, get up. We're moving soon," Junith's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, reminding me that the future starts now.
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Back to the Present – The Journey Begins
After the King gave the Rising Heroes their special royal mission, it was decided they would train under the Grand Party in the northern region of the Cero Kingdom known as Avelya. Avelya is ruled by one of the twelve noble clans, the Haildaleom Clan, led by Thaldrik Haildaleom. The region is known for its tough environment: snow-covered lands, mountains to the east and north, and some green plains in the south. The people of Avelya are known to be strong, hardened warriors. Their training is known across the kingdom as some of the harshest, but that was exactly what the Rising Heroes needed.
To make sure each hero could grow in their own way, the group was split into five smaller teams. Sera went to train with Sylra in the city of Vinterhall, Doran was assigned to Orin in Gravenmire, Drakar joined Darek in Lastward, Adrian stayed under Junith's guidance in Norrvyn, and Lila traveled with Cyrus to Skaldrith. Fizzle decided to stay by Lila's side.
The journey to Avelya took nearly a week. The road was long and cold, but none of them lost focus. They had come with one goal, to grow stronger. The memories of the corrupted dungeon they had faced still haunted them, but instead of running from that fear, they embraced it. They were Rising Heroes, and their name held meaning, they would rise, no matter how dark or dangerous the path ahead might be.
Each member of the group eventually reached their training cities. Though they separated, they were united by the same purpose. They didn't exchange tearful farewells. Instead, there were firm nods, determined glances, and silent promises to meet again, stronger, smarter, and ready for anything.
Far behind, unseen by Lila, Zora had followed her all the way to Skaldrith. He didn't reveal himself, but he stayed close enough to watch over her. Even though she hadn't told him the full truth about the mission, he could see in her eyes that she had made up her mind. As a father, he couldn't stop worrying. This would be the first time they would live apart since he met her in the jungle. The thought alone made his heart ache. But he trusted her strength. Still, Zora had already decided in his mind, if anything happened, if there was any huge danger, he would change his form and protect her from the shadows, without letting her know.
As the Rising Heroes began their separate training in the snowy cities of the north, the wind carried with it a sense of change. No one knew what the next dungeon would hold, or how far their journey would go. But they had stepped forward without fear.
The time had arrived, and they were ready.