In a spacious room of the dojo, bathed in the soft midday light, the six of them had gathered to talk.
Samuel, Kai, and Helydia sat on a large carved wooden sofa, covered with plain but comfortable cushions. Not far from them, Canon stood by the window, sipping hot tea in one hand, a cigarette between the fingers of the other. He stared absently outside, lost in thought.
Across from them, on an identical sofa, sat Kazan and Dante. The old master drank his tea calmly, while Dante absentmindedly spun his cup between his fingers.
Kazan broke the silence:
"Since there was no winner or loser, the bet is canceled."
Samuel immediately narrowed his eyes, staring at him.
"You're the one who stopped the fight. So it's your fault there was no winner."
"That's true, old man," Dante added. "Why did you step in?"
Kazan shrugged, sincerely.
"You were about to kill each other, my dear. I wasn't going to just stand there and watch two hotheads tear each other apart."
Kai, who hadn't spoken yet, asked:
"So… what do we do about the Heart of Aethril?"
Kazan slowly set down his cup and looked at them one by one.
"And what would a bunch of adventurers like you want with the Heart of Aethril?"
Samuel took a deep breath.
"I'll tell you everything."
He began his story. His sudden appearance in this world, with no clear memory of what had happened before. Waking up in a dark cave, his first encounter with Helydia, then with Kai and Canon. He spoke of the strange merchant who had mentioned the Heart of Aethril — an artifact rumored to defy the very laws of reality.
"If this heart truly has the power to bend reality… then it's my only lead. My only chance to return to my world."
A heavy silence settled in the room.
Thoughtful, Kazan stood up without a word and approached the window. He clasped his hands behind his back, watching the bustling merchants in the distance — their shouting, bartering, colorful cloths flapping in the wind — and the trembling leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
"Leave me alone," he finally said in a calm voice. "I need time to think about all of this."
Without protest, Samuel rose, followed by Kai, Helydia, and Canon. They quietly left the room, leaving only Kazan and Dante behind.
"You too, Dante."
The young man immediately protested:
"You serious, old man? You're kicking me out too?"
Kazan didn't respond. He kept staring out at the world in silence, unmoving.
Dante frowned, realizing he wouldn't get any answers for now. He turned on his heels, visibly annoyed, and left as well, leaving his master alone.
The old man remained at the window for a long moment, eyes distant. Then, in a barely audible whisper, he murmured:
"So… This Samuel... his a Reincarnated…"