Fri, confused about how to respond to the question, decides not to hide his concerns. Under the immense pressure that Torth unknowingly exerts on him, he tells him what he has experienced up to the moment of entering the cathedral.
"At the moment, I don't know what I should do or where I am, I only know that this 'world' is nothing like the one I come from. I don't know what you mean by the entities you're talking about…wait, are we on Ominis!?."
Torth stays silent, thinking, theorizing whether what the boy he just met says is true or not, especially about all the oddities surrounding him. His face becomes serious as he strokes his perfectly shaved chin.
After finishing his more than long moment of contemplation, he clears his throat, looks firmly into Fri's eyes, and while showing a soft smile, invites him to sit down.
"You are in Ominis, as you must already know. It is a parallel reality to what you know as the real world. Here, humans usually come only for its secrets once they have awakened, though some try their luck without being one of them."
Fri tries to connect everything the cleric is saying with the information he already knows. He is aware that it is true, yet, even without having been here before, he can sense that this place is unusual, even within Ominis.
"Specifically, we are at the northernmost point of this world. Each of the cardinal points in this world hides a secret; the one to the north is this cathedral."
"But isn't it said that the closer you get to the edges of this world, the more beasts appear and the stronger they become? And hasn't the elite of the Adones only managed to reach the Fourth Fall?"
At that moment, Fri himself realized something: the title of "Adones" is something every human knows. It belongs to the highest rank of explorers—the elite of humanity—the primary force in eradicating the dangers of Ominis, and, moreover, those closest to divinity.
"How is it possible that I've made it here? That both of us are here?"
The old man clicks his tongue and, in a tone that is hard to determine whether it's mockery or concern towards the boy
"Even if I wanted to explain it to you, you wouldn't be able to withstand the weight of this information," the cleric responded. "It's been a long time since I last heard about humanity's progress… So, you've already reached the Fourth Fall? There must even be some angels by now… As for how you got here, I honestly have no idea. But I can take you out of here and return you to the real world."
"Falls" are turning points for humanity, crucial moments when they must face and defeat a particular Monster, similar to a raid boss in MMO games. Once the area's leader is eliminated, the limit of Ominis that can be explored expands, allowing new awakened ones to appear. However, this also significantly increases the mortality rate among new explorers. Even so, with each Fall overcome, humanity gets one step closer to uncovering the truth behind the strange power that was granted to them 200 years ago by the ruler of Ominis.
"Boy, I'm going to send you back to your world. I'm sorry I can't help you figure out who you are, truly, but I have a strange feeling that your answer might be here. I recommend that once you return, you train to become an Awakened. As far as I remember, there were four specific dates when the gates to this world would open. The moment you awaken, enter as soon as possible and, once here… survive."
Fri, perplexed by the cleric's recommendation and surprised by how casually he explained the awakening process, thinks: "Does he really believe one can awaken just like that? Only one in a hundred humans ever does, and even then, it can happen at any point in their life. There's no guarantee I'll be able to do it once I return…"
"Before you say anything, don't worry. When I send you back, I will give you a spark of my power. This will ignite your core and make your awakening easier. The most common place where new explorers arrive is Infralar. Once there, look for a blacksmith named Daimon and say the words 'Inner Voice'. He'll know what you mean. Now, if you have no more questions, how about I send you off?"
With a warm yet enigmatic smile, Fri nods while watching a strange portal, completely white, as if made of pure light. After a long sigh, he steps into it. Once he has passed through, a final "Until next time, Torth" can be heard.
-Inside the Cathedral of Dreams-
"I suppose I don't need to tell you that boy is special, do I, Torth?"
The old cleric looks at the figure standing at the entrance of the cathedral with an expression of surprise, joy, and curiosity. His long hair sways with the gentle breeze, his torso is bare, and his pants are torn. He leans on a staff held in his left hand, decorated in a strangely captivating manner.
"Enough for you to show up after all this time, *****. I have no idea how he got here, but it never hurts to help those who need it the most, does it?"
"Haha! I see I taught you well… But seriously, I couldn't see that boy's future. You already know that's not normal—if anything, it's concerning," he says, shifting between a playful tone and a calm seriousness.
"Old friend, there's no need to be so distrustful of everyone. Only time will tell if we should worry about him or not."
By the time the cleric Torth realizes it, the figure of that man, with expressions as benevolent as those of a fallen angel, had already vanished, leaving only a trail of wind that shuts the cathedral's entrance behind him.