Guild Training Arena — Late Morning
The training arena behind the guild was made of compacted earth, surrounded by iron fences and a few stone benches. At a glance, it looked like a typical training ground—open, hard, and free of distractions. And yet, that was exactly what made Canis uneasy.
He stood at the edge of the arena, eyes sweeping the area.
"Too exposed," he murmured quietly.
Aron turned to him, about to ask something when Canis raised one hand. A small light, like a floating candle flame, emerged from his palm. Its golden hue was calm, not blinding, yet felt undeniably real. The light slowly rose and hovered between them.
"Touch it," Canis said, curtly.
Aron eyed the light hesitantly. "What's going to happen?"
"It won't kill you," Canis replied flatly, without a hint of humor.
After a few seconds of consideration, Aron finally extended a finger and touched the light.
In an instant, a blinding flash exploded in front of his eyes. He squeezed them shut, his body frozen from the shock. There was no pain—only light—so bright it felt as though he were standing in the center of the sun.
When he finally opened his eyes, his breath caught.
He was no longer in the training arena.
Around him… there was only golden yellow, stretching endlessly in all directions. No ground, no sky, no horizon. Everything dissolved into a singular color that defied explanation. No shadows. No sense of direction. Only silence and… absolute disconnection.
Aron took one step. No sound. No echo. He couldn't tell whether he was standing on something or simply floating without awareness.
"What…" his voice barely came out.
Canis appeared beside him, seemingly from nowhere. His tone remained calm as always.
"What do you think?"
Aron turned slowly, his eyes still adjusting to the incomprehensible sight.
"This is… incredible," he admitted. "I knew you had immense power, but… creating a separate space, a dimension where time doesn't flow... this is beyond anything I imagined."
Canis folded his arms. His gaze held no pride, only clarity.
"Don't be too impressed," he said. "Out there, many great people exist—names you've never heard. The world is bigger than you think, Aron."
Aron looked around again, awe now mingled with reverence—not just for Canis's strength, but for the vast mystery unfolding before him.
"You look confused," Canis noted.
"Confused… amazed… a little scared too," Aron replied honestly. "This place… it defies all logic."
Canis gave a small nod. "That's natural. This is no ordinary space."
He raised a finger, pointing toward the invisible sky.
"In this place, time doesn't stop. But it flows extremely slowly. One minute outside—equals twelve hours here."
Aron spun toward him in shock. "What? So… while we spend half a day here, only a minute passes in the real world?"
Canis nodded. "That's why I brought you here. This space… can be for training, discussion, reflection. All without interfering with the outside world."
Aron tried to process the information. "So you could spend days in here… and people outside would only think you were gone for a moment?"
"If I choose to, yes." Canis's voice remained calm, but firm. "But power like this is not without limits. The longer I maintain this dimension, the more energy it consumes. And if I use it too often… the outside world might start noticing its presence."
Aron fell silent for a moment. "This place… it's like a secret hideout."
Canis gave a faint smile. "Not a hideout. A place for truth to be revealed."
---
Guild Hall
The building was quiet. The air inside felt colder than usual, even though the sun still hung low outside the windows. The main door creaked open gently.
Light footsteps entered the hall. Grell paused at the threshold, eyes scanning the room.
"So quiet..." he muttered. "Usually at least one or two people are here."
He walked slowly toward the receptionist's desk, now empty. The seat where Canis usually sat—with his cold coffee and untouched stack of papers—looked even more barren than usual.
Grell pulled out the chair behind the desk and sat. He leaned back, trying to get comfortable, but something about the room… felt off.
His eyes landed on a small tin of biscuits on the desk. He smiled faintly.
"Canis's stash, huh? He's not around… I guess taking one won't hurt."
He reached for a biscuit. But just as he was about to take a bite—
Something whispered.
Soft. Cold. Right in his ear.
> "Do not dare take anything that belongs to My Master."
Grell froze.
He quickly turned to his right, then his left. No one. Just himself and the golden light of the setting sun creeping through the high windows. But that voice…
It was real.
His hand trembled. He slowly placed the biscuit back where it came from.
"This… why is it suddenly creepy in here?" he whispered to himself.
Still, he didn't move. Didn't speak. And from across the room, without anyone noticing when, a window began to slowly close itself.
{Chapter 7 end}