It was Shi Hon's turn, as everything else seemingly became silent.

Except for, of course, everything that composed it. If that certain absence meant nothing, then the last bits of the natural spoke of the obvious.

However, one could wonder what nature was, in that department. Before him, stood a massive arch, with two other pillars extending at the sides, sliced in half when they tried to climb above the gate in the middle.

Darkness extended above and faded into nothing, only leaving the pulsing, uneasy sounds to echo towards the demonic figure waiting right by, constantly listening.

As if trying to discern the light, since there seemingly wasn't any. It felt as if something inside the arch continued to transform.

A pool of shallow, transparent water constantly swam up the stream and disappeared where the gate ended, and when Shi Hon strutted up to look, he couldn't see his reflection.

He never could, in all honesty.

At least, he never dared to, since it only seemed inconvenient. Maybe he'd find someone else staring down his neck because he always expected it.

That feeling came back again too, with a chill crawling up his neck.

It wasn't Leiru trying to convince him. It wasn't Isak, trying to tell himself of his lies or trusty Leopold who'd listen to his words.

After all, he only wanted to be left alone.

"Fella, you're here again," he spoke to himself. "Watching over the moment right when it's supposed to happen. I guess there was no better time."

Shi Hon stepped away from the gates, glancing around the small rocky structures.

"Can you see it too?" he asked, looking up. "The stars are finally aligning in all the perfect shapes and the moon seems as clever as it did hundreds of years ago. Back then, I really thought I wouldn't fail, ya know? That this fella named Shi Hon, a little demon then, could've changed the world if he tried. So I did try. I kept trying and counting on the same chance as I'm doing today."

He put his hands on his knees as if waiting for an answer.

"Spinning until every single thing in the world I could grasp would find itself not only at my fingertips, but everyone's out there. Remember. When the sun shines the brightest, it means it creates the biggest shadow. I could argue for hours which one here speaks of love, but the world will tell you their own, unpredictable stories. Full of surprises, so I guess I'm going to surprise everyone too."

He breathed out, listening into the arch.

Something seemingly rumbled, as if that chance opened.

"You need that little push, and we'll see it again. All of us. The demons are wrought in chaos, and humans thrive in the moment because they keep getting stronger. Because you'll keep growing and growing until you're sure you'll be able to defeat me."

The demon stood up, finally taking the last few steps towards the arch, finding himself only one away from entering.

"...and maybe, if I stopped trying, that'd be the right solution for the world. But I won't and I know you won't either." he chuckled. "Guess fate will tell, but until then, this is the last anyone will hear of me, so you better hold onto these words."

Putting his hand in, Shi Hon's fingertips turned to dust, likewise with his entire figure, moving through.

When one eye landed, he swore he saw it.

A shadow over his neck left that body behind.

"Good luck, Morio."

***

Sound was the first thing that came to him upon waking up. It resembled the strikes of the familiar wooden clock that sat in the living room of his house.

Morio recalled the few hours he'd spent sketching a map and sitting near the table, and the noise eventually came to irritate him when his Mama was out and about with the day's business.

This time, however, it felt strangely calming. He didn't want to open his eyes, because he knew that would mean snapping away from that vision.

A familiar, now dull pain seeped in, and he involuntarily moved his hand to his side to pressure it, only finding a rather rough bandage.

Rolling to the side of some comfy, green carpet, his eyes were finally open, and the first thing he met was the exact source of the earlier noise.

It certainly didn't resemble what he expected. Numbers were written on it, much like they would in Galliath, and that caused him to blink a couple of times and sit up, still staring.

The item's backdrop resembled the same thing that coated Koyote's temple: great, wooden walls with flower-like decorations ending right near where they transformed into windows, letting the setting sunshine in.

"You've noticed it, haven't you?"

A soft voice broke the moment, as Morio turned towards a figure sitting at the other end of the room, atop a few more blankets. His legs were crossed, likewise with his hands. He stared through closed eyes and bushy brows, meeting the Morian's shock.

"N-Noticed what?" Morio quickly asked.

"The clan and Galliath share a few similarities. The Ainan people once inhabited Mainland Errarion atop the island in the outer regions. They were the few who travelled on those boats with Harans and proposed the designs of Omer Narrows. I've been to the place a few times, and it seems we share a similar tale from a few of your stories."

"My stories?" Morio continued, blinking, inching a bit closer. "How do you... know?"

"Seems like your memory's a little faulty." he chuckled. "You lost the fight against Zhen, and then we took care of the things from thereon. You've been knocked out for a good solid while Morio."

"Ah." Morio seemingly realised, in the span of just those words. His hands instinctively landed on both empty sheaths, and his eyes widened in the process. He stared up at the man again, who didn't even flinch, or seemed surprised for that matter. "You-"

Before anything else could be spouted, the man chucked some sheet in his direction. Morio moved back a little, sitting back down and picking it up.

"Wh-what's this?"

"A list of the flowers that bloom in the gardens extending beyond this temple." the man nodded. "Can you tell me their names?"

Morio slowly shook his head, squinting his eyes. "Y-Your writing's horrible, sir."

Some thump sounded behind the wooden doors, and the man turned, clearing his throat, before chuckling.

"That's one way to disperse theories, then. What about this?"

Another paper was thrown the Morian's way, and he caught it this time. The material already spoke of some similarity, and when he opened it, the same message they unearthed near Axel's church came into the spotlight.

Morio slightly furrowed his brows, looking through them at the man, who still seemed calm. However, looking back at the other letter, there was a clear-cut difference between the two, which made Morio reconsider.

"I don't blame you for making assumptions. Talking it out with that other Morian friend, he knows the value of Úgau leaves, or in this case, the champagne letters formed through magic. For one, I can't cast any, since I'm not a Demonear. Second of all-"

"Signed, Quanzi." Morio read the flower letter, putting both on the ground and looking at the man, who nodded in turn.

"It'd only be the most foolish of demons signing a champagne letter. Especially, in the name of the whole Kabun Clan, but such was to be expected already."

Morio stared at the ground for a bit, gulping. "We were wrong?"

"From what we've talked out with the others... I think it might be obvious. Wrong in what you believe in, in general. Because you were fighting the wrong enemy for the right thing, Morian." Quanzi clenched his fist. "Don't doubt that."

"...and we lost." Morio looked up again. "We were all utterly defeated."

"Still, it took one of the strongest here to even make that dent in the first place, and God knows if it was to be someone else."

Quanzi adjusted something behind his layers of cloth, stuffing a necklace beneath. Morio's hand almost ventured towards his emblem, but a glance reassured him it was still there.

"Fortunately, Zhen was quick enough to notice something in your inventory that discerned friend from foe. We don't seem to have many of those nowadays."

"Z-Zhen?" Morio tilted his head.

"The very man you fought." another, raspier, and seemingly different from beforehand voice intruded as the wooden doors slid open. A tall figure crouched, making their way through before sitting down not too far away from the Morian.

He adjusted his sunglasses, brushed through his long, falling hair and breathed out, scratching his arm.

"Who's this?" Morio turned to Quanzi, pointing with his thumb. The other guy opened his mouth, in shock, and the older chuckled.

"Zhen," Quanzi answered.

"He seems a little different!" Morio raised his voice, turning back.

"You expect people to wear armour all the time?" Zhen asked. "You know how heavy all that burden is?"

"Well, didn't land a scratch on you anywhere else but-" Morio pointed towards the tattooed arm that earlier made way for the last moment of the battle.

The images of the green, translucent dragon flashed in front of his eyes, and he stopped, for that second, seemingly recalling that sting again.

Zhen adjusted his sunglasses, turning to the side a little, and sighing out accordingly.

"-y-your arm." Morio looked away. "What was that all about?"

"A power outside of the Demonear realm." Zhen cleared his throat. "It's been years, so it stings, but mentioning time... there was something you used which made me reconsider, at the very end."

Zhen sighed, pulling something out of his pocket and presenting it to Morio.

"...my twig?" he asked, curiously blinking.

"Your... twig?" Zhen blinked a couple of times too. "It's not just any twig. It's a wand."

"A wand?" Morio's eyes widened. "Hope Jyuzou heard that," he whispered to himself. "...a wand?"

"The second we realised what the item in your hand was, we knew it was no enemy we were facing." Quanzi continued Zhen's train of thought.

"...because knowing that man, even if he was full of lies, he'd always have our back. God knows what you'd have to do to steal it from him. Even the dead man wouldn't let go." Zhen turned to Morio with a serious expression.

"Sorry?"

Zhen stood up, putting the item in both hands and pointing at the window in front of the two and on the opposite side of Quanzi.

"Lano. Impereta." Zhen whispered.

Out of the blue, something popped right out of the twig's girth, almost invisible to the eye, before dispersing beneath the window, flinging it open.

He chuckled. "Had to escape those chambers in Castlenova somehow."

Turning back, his glance met Morio's, who raised a brow and in turn, stood up. "I-It really is a wand."

"...and you accordingly used one of its most difficult spells to master, as he said once." Zhen put it to the side. "You avoided my strike back then and teleported elsewhere to save your life. It could've been your fear attack, or anything else, but you fought with what you weren't sure about. It means, your bond with Bancho is far more than that."

"Bancho," Morio repeated. "THIS IS MR BANCHO'S WAND?!"