The days blurred into a whirlwind of relentless training, with Alai pushing Aletha to her breaking point, challenging her endurance, and demanding flawlessness in every movement. Aletha felt determination mingling with exhaustion as she struggled to meet every expectation.

The crisp mountain air stung Aletha's cheeks, a bracing contrast to the anxious flutter twisting in her stomach. Every breath seemed to burn with anticipation and self-doubt.

"Remember what I told you." Alai's voice echoed across the valley, her crimson eyes drifting to Aletha's foot tracks, the food sizzling next to her. "Remember the prophecy."

"O… Okay," Aletha replied, wiping sweat from her brow. She eyed the sizzling food, thinking of all she had to prove through this training. "And then I can have breakfast?"

Aletha's arms flailed left and right as she caught the enticing scents drifting from the house, her eyes darting toward the window.

"We will see," Alai said back as she flipped an egg. "We will see…"

... As the days passed, the training routine became familiar, but a new energy stirred in the house.

Now that Emine, Phthonus, and Pridia were there, Alai finally has use for the extra bedrooms in her house.

They all woke up relatively early. Alai bustled between the kitchen and dining table, happily serving breakfast to everyone except Aletha, who waited nearby.

"Tsk, Breakfast is served!"

The eggs sizzled, bacon strips steamed to crisp, and toast baked to perfection.

As Phthonus, Ubel, Pridia, and Emine eat a delicious meal, they quickly sparked a conversation, hearing Aletha struggle in the background.

"So tell me… now that we can talk…" Phthonus said, mouth full. "Why did you choose to train Aletha? Doesn't she have experience?"

"She does mentally, but physically she… struggles." Alai took a sip of milk straight from the can and then tossed it to the trash, boasting, "I saved her butt from these pesky thieves back in Clearstar. She trusted me after that and decided to train with me, hoping to get stronger."

Pridia glanced over to the window, watching Aletha struggle outside as she trained and scattered her movements across the yard.

"So what is your cheeky motive?"

After taking a bite of the yolk of the egg, Alai proudly revealed

"It's not for the race, nor is it for the prize."

After biting into the egg yolk, Alai revealed the prophecy book, flipping to the page about the strong girl.

"It's to make her fulfill a prophecy."

Immediately, Phthonus, Pridia, and Emine's eyes broadened to the glowing text,

*"A powerful girl shall swoop in and land perfectly. And so shall the strong girl scale the deceased king's peak and restore order to the nation of Happiness.")

"There's no way she can scale that mountain. Not with her wits," Emine said, her voice trembling as her eyes flashed with worry. "That's too dangerous."

"Dangerous, yes. But impossible, no," Phthonus replied, his voice tight with worry. He drew a shaky breath. "If Aletha succeeds, she could change everything for the better. She's smart enough; I believe that's why we need her to succeed."

"Wasn't it all about getting money to pay for the train?" Ubel said as Aletha came racing up the stairs. "Prophecy this, prophecy that, I won't believe it until I see it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Aletha cut in. "Wait. All of you are eating without me?"

"Hold on, Aletha. Take a breath," Pridia said, munching toast with a teasing grin. "We don't need you losing it just because you haven't had breakfast."

"Pridia, unnecessary!" Emine said with a pouty face. "The last thing we want is a fight with you."

As the two argued back and forth, Alai slammed her fist on the table and said,

"No fighting in my house. If you want to fight, it happens outside."

"Nah, I'm not doing that," said Pridia. " Ever since the tornado touched down, I felt all my energy drained. But I don't care, I have physical aspects that encourage me to fight."

"Wouldn't that power come with weakness?"

... Training pressed on, leading them to new challenges outside on the grass plains.

A warmness breathed upon emerald grass plains, the dirt track covered in footprints. As Pridia, Ubel, Alai, and Emine came together near the benches, they all watched Aletha train with grief.

Ubel, as knowing as he was, tried his best to tame the wolves embedded on his chest. Phthonus watched as Aletha climbed hurdles, Emine talked with the crew, and Pridia also witnessed Aletha's legs hitching forward.

"Way to go, Aletha!" Pridia applauded as she observed Aletha's sprint. "Just two more laps."

As a wind passed by, Alai clapped her hands, acknowledging Aletha's best efforts and saying…

"Not bad!" Alai commented, "Not bad at all."

But that wasn't the end.

The next trial was even more strategic. Aletha leaped and tumbled across uneven ground, wind whipping her hair. She faltered, but as she knelt, she remembered her purpose.

"For the money…" She mumbled, "This is for the money."

Everything rushed by as memories surfaced: being beaten by Clearstar savages, dragon feuds, running across geysers, seeing the sky portal, and surviving the tornado. She remembered it all.

Not only those thoughts, but even Alai's prophecy flew in.

'A powerful girl shall swoop in and land perfectly.'

"That's it!" Alai exclaimed, sensing a sudden shift. "Remind yourself why you're doing this."

"For… Asahi, Alai, Ubel, Emine. All of them." Aletha mumbled as she clenched her fists. "And this is for Drimi. My goal is to help them and prove I can overcome anything for us all."

With her claim, a surge of green energy coursed through her like a net.

Alai was stunned by Aletha's determination during practice.

"The Sealed Beatific?" Alai mumbled as the green luminance expanded, "Is this what Alaunus was talking about?"

Noticing Aletha barging in, Alai slammed her book shut and screamed, her face red.

"H-Hey, shouldn't you be practicing?!"

"I have been practicing for hours," Aletha replied, panting heavily. "How many days have we been training?"

"For around one week," Phthonus replied with certainty. "I, Pridia, Emine, and that one guy with silver hair have been witnessing you train. It even shocked me to see you build muscle so quickly. But anyway, I enjoy the free food."

Aletha's eyes broadened.

"One week?!"

"Yeah," Alai said. "We have come a long way."

"You're doing well, Aletha."

They continued practicing day and night under starry skies and the blazing sun.

. . .

One evening, under a blanket of stars, Aletha and Alai practiced intricate rope climbs, the final part of their training, while Ubel and the others rested.

Aletha climbed the walls with ease, running upward in a skidding motion.

"Almost...there." Soreness made climbing the tall wall daunting, but as she reached the top,

"There you go!" Alai said as the crickets chirped.

Aletha reached the end, high-fiving Alai as they celebrated.

"It was tough, but I did it. I haven't climbed like this in a while," Aletha said with a wry smile. "But I'm glad I'm doing it with you."

Alai fixed her ponytail as she looked at Aletha. After she set her gaze on her white hair, Alai patted Aletha's back and encouraged her.

"There you go! You're doing well." She said with exasperated breaths. "And hey, it's no problem if you lose to me.. I just want to see you get stronger."

Alai smiled at Aletha's effort, sweat showcasing pure determination. Hearing a distant echo from the peak, a memory surfaced.

The vision of a ruby-haired man with pink eyes and climbing gear.

"Now, dear, take one foot in."

(Alel.) She said in her mind. (Father

As Alai pushed her past, she shook up the tension and gave her hand, saying, "Now that's what friends are for. Shut up and give me a five!"

Quickly, Aletha slammed her hand onto Alai's, grinning widely in relief.

(CLAP)

Smiling, Alai glanced back, scratched her head, gazed skyward, and sighed. Watching Aletha cross the track, a vision of the same man appeared.

(Don't give up. Giving up is for the weak.) It was a soft voice, one you would hear when someone was trying to share a story. (The mountain you carry... is meant for you to climb.)

As the vision of her father faded, a deep ache gripped Alai's heart. Grief softened her voice, her shoulders heavy with longing as she whispered to the silent night.

"If only my dad were here to see me like this. He would have been so proud."

* * * * *

"Now show me what you got!"

It was now one day before the race.

Aletha, with her hair tied up and ready, forcefully kicked a wooden slab held by Alai with her bare feet. That quickly charmed Emine, saying,

"Wow, Aletha, you got stronger."

Even Pridia was impressed, saying.

"Good job. I knew you got the hang of it!'

That afternoon, Emine and Phthonus headed to the garden for fresh vegetables. While they were away, Alai kept training Aletha, determined to push her because she believed Aletha held the key to their future. She even unleashed wild horses to test her stamina.

From calves to bare feet, she ran across grass, chased by horses twice her speed.

"Alai, I…is this even necessary?!" Aletha shrieked as she dodged a kick.

Alai nodded her head and crossed her arms.

"Very necessary," she said as Phthonus, Emine, and Pridia stood in shock. "One more day of training. You can do this. You're not a wolf, are you…?"

"Speaking of wolves, " Aletha scratched her head and looked at the distant house, seeing Phthonus among the others sitting on chairs. "Where is Ubel?"

Alai shrugged her shoulders, tilting toward the setting sun.

"I don't know," she said. "Perhaps he's eating all those leftovers I left for him the other night."

Aletha chuckled but quickly turned serious, squinting at Alai.

"No, seriously, where is he?"

"I'm over here!" Ubel called as his silver hair flew upward. "I'm just scrutinizing this book."

Alai's ruby eyes broadened with shock.

"HEY!" Alai screamed in visible frustration. "You're not supposed to touch that!"

After seven days of relentless training, Alai saw how depleted Aletha had become. The dark circles under her eyes and her trembling limbs filled Alai with worry—a sharp pang of guilt mixed with pride at Aletha's unyielding spirit.

"Aletha, that's all you have to do today," Alai whispered as she washed Aletha's clothing. "What you need is some rest."

"We have a big race ahead of us," Ubel commented, winking his eyes. "How about you get something to eat?"

"Nope," Aletha replied as she rubbed her head. "I'm going straight to bed."

And with it, she raced to the bedroom and softened her grasp, saying good night to everyone.

As she rested on the soft mattress, Aletha stared at the ceiling, stretching her sore arms and legs. She recounted the moments where she beat a villager in a race and the times when she would collapse on the course, drenched in sweat.

Throughout the past seven days, Aletha beat villagers in a public race, rode horses, and even collapsed on the course tracks, drenched in sweat.

Her muscles ache, showing the rock-solid effort coursing through her blood. In a short time span, Aletha came to realize how quickly her body was building up.

"Is this really me?" She said, shaking in front of a tall mirror. "Is that prophecy true?"

As the hands of time ticked toward a second, Aletha took a deep breath and tied her ponytail tighter.

"Just what does this world have to offer? Have I really grown? Have I evolved? No, I don't feel like it." Aletha swiftly shifted her body to the right, falling into discomfort all over. "Just what is Asahi doing now? Am I going to win the race?"

Suddenly, a flashback flashed in Aletha's eyes, remembering the bright poster attached to the wall.

"Right, it's for her," Aletha added with a sigh. "Drimi. It's for Drimi."

It was at this moment that she realized…

What she earned wasn't just a healthier body; it was also determination and will.

Sure, she could be fed great food and have fun laughs.

But it was the friends, pain, and effort to save them that motivated her to try again.

. . .

After one hour of rest, Aletha woke up in the middle of the night, the sky a dark blue. A wooden chair was placed on the door, followed by a ruby-haired girl clenching tightly onto a book. Aletha tried to be as quiet as possible, the light shining through the doorway.

But the moment Aletha made a soft noise, Alai quickly jolted upward, pushing snot out from her nose.

"A-Aletha! You're awake?"

"What are you doing?" Aletha asked, rubbing her eyes.

Alai fixed her red hair, adjusting her gaze to Aletha's gray pupils.

" This… is the last thing my father left behind. It's the book of all the prophecies he found from Alaunus." Alai turned the page.

(They shall escalate the dragon and ----)

"L-look... I'm counting on you, Aletha." Alai said, clenching both hands on her. "You are the symbol of hope. The prophesied one mentioned in the writings. I want you to win. Just like how my father believed in me."

Alai shook her head. "I'm only going hard because I want to be sure of your success."

"You're a completely different individual now, Aletha. Your strengths, weaknesses. All I can see in you is strength. The power of the Sealed Beatific is coursing through your veins. Just as the prophecy predicted."

Alai shook her head, twiddling her hair as she brushed dirt off her skirt.

"You remind me of myself." She said, "But unlike me, you should not lose. Now, hurry up and get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.

Walking back, Alai left Aletha with one more wink."

"Oh, and about the book." She added, "You can keep a copy of it. I have several of them sealed in the shed. They won't have all the prophecies, but a few of the important ones."

After she grabbed another copy of the book of prophecies, Alai slowly shut the door and whispered.

"Good night."

* * * * * *

After slowly falling into the void of slumber, all of a sudden, the bedroom got shrouded in a vision.

The air itself was thick with the weight of sorrow, a palpable grief hanging heavy in the silence between the wind's mournful song.

The stench of decay, a relentless reminder of death and destruction, clung to everything, seeping into her clothes, her hair, her very bones. Aletha's body seemed to pass through everything as if she were a ghost.

Seeing this sight, this left Aletha to wonder…

(Is this The War of the Wish?)

Abruptly, a powerful being with long dark hair and crystal blue eyes came from an explosion that rent the land in two. The remaining factions of people retreated into the horizon, while a few of the creatures challenged her.

In a last-ditch effort, she quickly erected glass walls all around the scorching mountain rings, reforming and terraforming the land into grass. She hoisted her arm into the air and generated a cyan light that pierced the monsters into oblivion.

Afterward, the dark-haired maiden formed a grassy area among the rocks, leading refugees and the poor toward the glass sanctuary.

Then the mysterious woman terraformed the land, allowing crops to form. Furthermore, she sent rainstorms to bind the soil. Grass, flora, and trees sprang up in the blink of an eye, her demonstration of power echoing across the land.

"Who would've known…" The strong woman mumbled beneath her deep breath. "That the King of Fear wished death on all other kings."

Amidst the chaos, the woman turned to the green-haired king levitating in the sky and protested.

"You are the last, the strongest of them all. And yet you waste it just for a single nation. The one to defy the Wish." She said, "You could have been more, Zargon."

"It's for my people… Adeline." He replied, staring at the glass contraption. "Or shall I call you, The Protector? Were you not designed to protect the people?"

Suddenly, before the conversation could continue, golden-winged beings appeared in the distance, unleashing the firmament's glow upon the goopy monsters and humans alike.

The echoes of screams reverberated across the barren plains, a silent chorus of the countless lives stolen by the War.

The sun, when it deigned to pierce the perpetual ash-filled sky, cast long, skeletal shadows, highlighting the grotesque shapes of monstrous creatures that patrolled the wasteland.

These beings, twisted mockeries of nature, were born from the chaos of the War of the Wishes, their forms reflecting the terrible power of the event that had reshaped the world.

TRAITOR

The ground itself felt unstable beneath her feet; the very earth itself seemed to mourn, the landscape a testament to an unprecedented act of destruction.

Before the dream could progress further, Aletha jolted up from her slumber, screaming.

"THE PROTECTOR?!"

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