“CAN YOU HEAR ME, WALKER.”

“I can. That didn’t take long.”

“COME MEET ME ON TOP OF THE SHRINE.”

Nolan leaped and was instantly glided into the shrine not far from him. He landed on the stone path of the shrine and followed it until he was in a nest-like clearing. But what surprised Nolan was not the trees with crystal leaves. The dragon whose aged smile showed humanity. Nolan stopped for a second, before letting go of his desire to be on guard.

“Welcome to Concordia, Child of Terra.”

“Hello, Dragon?”

“Are you surprised?”

“No.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be. You should have seen dragons in your perpetual lifetime. I am Dalia, Guardian of Concordia, a dragon that rules the wind, time, and space.”

“Nolan,” he sat cross-legged. “I am a walker.”

“Not going to attach ‘bleak’ to it?”

Nolan looked up. “I see that you know something.”

“I saw you fell there,” the dragon pointed above. “The sky opened up and I heard the whispers of the eon-father and his incoming demise. That poor old fool. Hmm, welcome to the life of a perpetual, Nolan.”

“What do you know?”

“I know what I saw. I may say that your involvement within these loops in time had made you near my age. I do not pity you. Do you know why?”

“…”

“Because you got used to it.”

Nolan smirked painfully. “Well, that hurts me than it should. I thought I was going to be a nobody, but look am I, I even have to seal my rune weaving. This world’s too peaceful or was it not like this?”

“I assure that you that it was not. Years ago there was a war between an empire and those who would not be slaved. Blood was shed and orphans wandered alone with a burning hatred. But alas there was a kind hero that showed that there is more to this world. I can see that this peace would last enough for a lifetime.”

“A peaceful and happy world, huh.”

“Indeed,” the dragon seemingly smiled. “A grand spell had allowed this to be true. That hero managed to put multiple words to shame. Sorry, Nolan Salvatore, but this is a world where a hero had already saved it. There is nothing to be found here but peace. Something a soldier like you might be able to stand.”

Nolan’s brows joined. “Why do you imply that I don’t want that? Besides, why do you know so much?”

“I told you. Space and time and the Eon-father telling me before his death. Your wife, oh, which one is her again? She seems to have ascended to a higher realm. She’s one of the many now. But do not fret, your wife, she’s here, but with a new body. But I doubt she remembers anything other than a few. She’s been here longer than you, and you could say she had helped this world already.”

“Even here, damn it.”

The dragon looked at Nolan, perplexed. “Oh my, it seems that you didn’t receive his memories. A soul too broken to realize, but I am sure that the sentiments will remain.”

“Will we meet again?”

“Oh you will, you always do,” the dragon smiled through its fangs. “That the curse you two share. But then again your meetings take two incarnations or more or sooner. Her soul had gotten favors and mercies for she was blessed. But you are forever lost with what you carry. Before you come here you might not have remembered the world before this. Your time is blurry, Nolan Salvatore. You could be called a resident of time. Your soul is tethered to the fabric, sewn itself to time. You do not possess the powers of those who usually are sewn into time. You are human with a body of a dragon turned wraith. You are closer to the existence of the spectators and the observes, but unlike them, you are a wandering kind.”

Nolan trembled. He felt his vision tunnel and rotate. “Does it mean that I won’t have rest?”

“It depends on you. You have some, but not complete control of your fate.”

“I see,” Nolan pulled on his hair. “I guess this isn’t within my control.”

“Do you know why I called you here?”

“To tell me this?”

“Yes, and that because I want to welcome you. You are a lost soul and it isn’t every day that you find a new soul wandering into your world.”

Nolan patted the blue leaves on his lap. “Is that all?”

“Yes, it may be hard to believe, but this is a peaceful world. You won’t do much here other than wander the lands or you could stay and have a chat with this lonesome one.”

“You have people down there.”

“I know,” the dragon said. “But they look up to me too much to say anything. But I believe that you won’t treat me the way they do.”

“I might.”

“A wanderer of the bleak who faced gods and demons would still say that? Please, I’ve seen some of the visions, and I say that, that is a lie.”

Nolan snorted. “Is that all you want to say?”

“That is all. But Nolan Salvatore,” the dragon’s voice became firm. “You are tired. I can tell. You have walked quite a path and I say that you use the time you have here as a way to rest. I do not pity your journey, for that would be an insult to your wanderings, but alas let me offer this island of mine as a place for the wandering soul called Nolan Salvatore to rest, oh my, what’s with the tears?”

“Can I stay here for a while?”

“Of course you can, oh your poor child. Have you forgotten to be soft, Nolan?”

This island was painful. It was quiet and kind and warm, that the words of Dalia were like a truck hitting him. Before this world, every world he woke up to was him fearing for his life. It was extremely unsettling for him to walk up to kind people and a happy world. He had forgotten the air of calmness that it scared him.