That evening, after a long day of seemingly trivial tasks that concealed the Bureau's covert surveillance, Henry returned to their small apartment, where Sophia had prepared a cozy dinner. The scent of chamomile tea and hot food wafted through the air, a fragile peace amidst the swirling undercurrents. He cherished every moment with Sophia, trying to push aside anxieties about the future and the secrets he carried.

But that peace was short-lived. While Sophia slept soundly, Henry tossed and turned in bed, trying to banish the images of Bonecrack Valley, as a sudden, uncomfortable pressure arose from his right shoulder. The Light Tree tattoo of the Sanctuary Enclave, the one Will had imprinted on his soul, was agitating violently, like an urgent alarm bell. He knew Will had something incredibly urgent to convey.

Quickly leaving the bed, not wanting to wake Sophia, Henry went into the small room used for training, focused his aether, and projected his spirit into the private space connecting him to Will. Instantly, the familiar darkness of the room vanished, replaced by the boundless space with its undulating ribbons of light. Will appeared, the usual warm white glow, but this time, beside Will was another aura, a gentle blue light that nonetheless concealed astonishing inner power - Socrost.

"Hello, Sir Will, Sir Socrost," Henry began, trying to maintain composure despite his inner turmoil.

"I was eager to see you, Henry," Will's voice resonated, a little more urgent than usual.

"That Sanctuary symbol in Verodawn Forest... was that you?" Socrost asked, not beating around the bush, going straight to the point. His blue light gently pulsed, his spiritual gaze seeming to pierce Henry's thoughts.

Henry took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't hide it. "Yes, Sir Socrost, it was. During the final battle with Raum, I sensed a sudden emergence of Lifestream. The Sanctuary Seal on my person reacted strongly, and when I channeled all my power into striking the Altar, the Light Tree symbol appeared. I didn't expect it to be so distinct". He recounted honestly.

"Henry, you are currently in an extremely dangerous situation," Socrost said, his voice incredibly serious, devoid of the gentleness from their previous encounter.

"I… I still don't quite understand?" Henry frowned. He knew the symbol's appearance might draw attention, but he hadn't imagined it would be this dangerous.

"Because you created that symbol. And more importantly, because you are a member of the Sanctuary Enclave," Socrost stated bluntly, without evasion.

"Just because I'm a member of the Sanctuary… makes it that dangerous?" Henry was astonished.

"Far more than you can imagine," Socrost affirmed. "If I'm not mistaken, you will soon be summoned by a Demigod. Perhaps Pope Vincent, or Alfie, or even Karatyr himself".

The words "Demigod" struck Henry's mind like a heavy stone. He was stunned. Demigods? Legends, those at the pinnacle of Tehra's power, beings a low-level warrior like him could only hear of in tales but never dream of meeting. Yet now, simply because he was a member of a secret society, they wanted to personally summon him? What weight did the name, Sanctuary Enclave, carry to make even Demigods pay attention? For a moment, Henry was utterly bewildered and disoriented.

"Could you explain more clearly, Sir Socrost?" Henry tried to compose himself, his voice becoming serious.

"Very well," Socrost said. "As you know from Will, the Sanctuary Enclave's mission is to prevent cataclysmic disasters that could befall Tehra when they are still in their infancy, while also opposing the Great Religions, dark forces, or anything that might upset the delicate balance of this world". He paused, observing Henry's attentive reaction, then continued.

"And we have done so silently for a hundred thousand years. However, precisely because of that role, the Sanctuary Enclave is viewed by most nations, mainstream religions, and even official alliances… as a calamity, an ill omen. Because, whenever we appear, whenever the Enclave's symbol is seen, it is almost certain that place is facing or about to face an extremely serious problem, directly related to the safety of a vast region, or even all of Tehra. So, even if we successfully avert that danger, the destruction of a few nations, or at least their suffering heavy losses in the process, is… entirely normal".

Henry was speechless. He tried to digest what Socrost had just said. "A few nations destroyed… is normal?" He felt his throat go dry. "You just said the threats you avert are they A-level, or even S-level dangers?" Henry stammered, trying to confirm. He knew Zephyros's danger classification system well.

An A-level threat was enough for a nation to mobilize all its Demigod forces and army.

An S-level threat was almost apocalyptic for even the major powers.

"It's not that they are only that dangerous. It is precisely because we intervened early, limiting and containing the threat, that the final damage was only at that level. If left to develop, Tehra might not exist today," Socrost calmly replied, as if stating the obvious.

"You must know, the First through Sixth Epochs always ended with a world-destroying cataclysmic event, something that killed at least half the life on Tehra. And if the Sanctuary Enclave hadn't prevented countless threats from their inception, those epochs wouldn't have stopped at six, and Tehra itself might have been completely destroyed". Another revelation from Socrost.

Henry was once again speechless. He felt his head spin. One or two nations destroyed… and that was damage that had been "greatly limited"? Had stopped many threats that could have become Tehra-destroying calamities? Then how terrifying was the true power of the Sanctuary Enclave, and the threats, the forces they had to confront?.

"Though we have tried our best to protect Tehra silently," Socrost continued, his voice tinged with weariness, "if viewed only from the outside, the world will only see that - wherever the Sanctuary Enclave appears, terrible disaster follows. No one cares that we prevented a far greater catastrophe. They only see the destruction that accompanies our presence.

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Perhaps, we are like crows. They often appear in places where disaster is imminent, but they come beforehand as a warning, so that intelligent people can take precautions or avoid it. Crows themselves do not bring disaster; they are merely its messengers". He tried to use the simplest image to describe the complex and often misunderstood role of the Sanctuary.

"You have caused countless such upheavals for a hundred thousand years," Henry stammered, trying to imagine an endlessly long period, "so why does it seem there are no historical records, no legends about the existence of the Sanctuary Enclave?". This was what puzzled him most. Such a powerful and influential organization, how could it remain unknown for so long?.

"Because," Socrost explained, "merely mentioning the name Sanctuary Enclave is already an S-level danger. No leader, no nation wants their name associated with such an ill omen. Imagine, if a fiery comet suddenly appeared in your country's sky, and astrologers predicted it heralded falling meteorites, earthquakes, tsunamis, disasters that could annihilate an entire people… You, as the leader, would you want your people to panic, to gossip, causing social unrest, even rebellion?".

"I think with vague and uncertain bad omens," Henry thought for a moment then slowly replied, "I would try to resolve it secretly myself. Or at least find a way to reassure public opinion, to avoid unnecessary trouble and needless panic".

"Correct," Socrost nodded. "The Sanctuary Enclave is the comet, the omen of great disaster for all major powers in Tehra. Whichever nation the Enclave's symbol appears in, it is almost certain that nation is destined for terrible calamity. Other nations, instead of helping, might frantically scramble to gain benefits from that collapse. That is why the existence of the Sanctuary Enclave is a top secret for most nations and people. Except for the leaders of the greatest powers, the Demigods, and a few who possess ancient knowledge, almost no one else knows of our existence".

"So how truly powerful are you?" Henry couldn't suppress his curiosity.

"Excluding you, Henry," Socrost said, without a hint of exaggeration, "all six remaining official members of the Sanctuary Enclave are currently Rank 7 Demigods. They are all leaders, masters in their respective fields. That's not even counting the members under them, their allies, and affiliated organizations. If those forces are included, the number of Rank 7 Demigods the Sanctuary can mobilize is perhaps more than ten".

He felt a jolt run down his spine, squinting against the boundless ribbons of light and raising a hand as if the physical barrier could help him comprehend the unbelievable truth.

What the hell was happening? This entire world of Tehra, from what he knew, only had just over thirty individuals who had reached the Rank 7 Demigod realm. The three great powers like Zephyros, Klariz, and Loren combined only had nine officially recognized Demigods. Yet this secret society, its core members alone numbered at least six, and could mobilize over ten Demigods in total. Truly insane! His mind was in complete turmoil.

"So that's why I'm about to be summoned by a Demigod? Just because I'm involved with such a powerful and terrifying organization?" Henry sighed, trying to accept the harsh reality.

"Correct, Henry," Socrost confirmed.

"If a Demigod has personally intervened, what more can I do?" Henry tried to sound calm, but his voice betrayed his despair. "Seal my memories again?" He remembered the pain and emptiness when Socrost had performed that magic last time.

"No." Socrost shook his head, his blue light seeming to dim slightly. "Even if that Demigod cannot completely break my seal, with the power and insight of a Rank 7, they will surely realize you have had your memories sealed before. That will only make them more suspicious and investigate deeper. And then, things will be much worse". Socrost's words seemed to extinguish Henry's last glimmer of hope.

"So you called me here just to tell me I'm about to die, and why?" Henry let out a dry laugh, a final dark humor before the abyss of despair.

"Not entirely, Henry." Socrost's voice remained gentle, but this time it held a determination and a hint of sacrifice. "We will gamble one more time. But this time, the price will be higher. I will erase your memories of the Sanctuary Enclave, erase them permanently. From this moment on, you will no longer be a member of the Sanctuary. You will forget everything about us, about Will, about the secrets you have learned. This is the only way to protect you now. Once you no longer have any connection to the Sanctuary, no matter how the Demigod investigates, they will find nothing suspicious".

Henry was stunned. Erase permanently? No longer a member of the Sanctuary? Did that mean he would lose their protection, their guidance, lose even the gift from the Lifestream and his special connection to it? But it was the only way to survive.

"So this is goodbye," Henry said, his voice hoarse. He quickly accepted the truth, though his heart ached. "I am grateful that you have considered me to this extent. For giving me a chance to live".

"Thank you for coming to the Sanctuary Enclave, even for such a short time, Henry," Socrost said, his blue light moving closer. "Remember, even if you no longer remember us, the good qualities within you, your courage, your steadfastness… they will always be there. Live well".

Socrost extended a hand - or rather, an image of a hand formed from blue light - and gently touched Henry's forehead. Henry stood still and, accepting his fate, let the world go dark behind his closed lids, allowing the magic to proceed.

Gentle blue light, like a magical eraser, slowly dissolved countless images, knowledge, emotions in his mind. Will, the secrets of Tehra, of the Lifestream, of the Sanctuary Seal… all faded, then disappeared, leaving only black voids, disconnected fragments of memory.

In an instant, Henry felt completely empty. His mind was hazy, unsure of what was happening, not remembering who he was, why he was here. He only felt a strange peace, a lightness as if a great invisible burden had just been lifted.

Before sending Henry's spirit back to the chaotic reality of Aerion, Socrost silently looked at Will's white light, then towards the void where Bahm had once been, whispering to himself, a whisper only ancient entities could hear: "Hopefully, the next time we meet, Henry, you will still consider us friends, not enemies. And hopefully, you will be strong enough to find your lost path on your own". Then, Socrost's blue light also faded, dissolving into the endless ribbons of light.

Henry jolted awake in his small room, drenched in sweat. He panted, his vision clearing. Sophia was sitting beside his bed, and the tenderness in her expression instantly calmed the frantic beating of his heart. "I saw you were having a nightmare, so I just sat here watching you for a bit," Her voice full of love as she gently took Henry's hand.

Henry's mind was still hazy. He felt an indescribable emptiness within him, as if he had just lost something incredibly important, but couldn't remember what it was. He hugged Sophia tightly, feeling her warmth and familiar scent. Perhaps he had just had a strange dream that he couldn't recall upon waking. But never mind, he told himself, dreaming and forgetting was normal. The important thing was that Sophia was still here, beside him.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Urgent knocking came from outside. Sophia quickly got up to open the door.

"Hello, Miss Sophia, I'm here to see Henry Strike, there's an important matter to discuss," Chief Investigator Ragley's stern voice sounded.

"Hello, Chief Ragley, please wait a moment, I'll get him right away," Sophia replied, trying to hide her anxiety.

Ragley, along with Henry and the remaining members of the Verodawn Forest investigation team - Brena, Cole, Halb - were urgently summoned to central Aerion, to the High Cathedral.

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