The deadline was fast approaching.

Evan and the others bowed to the King and Queen as they left in their royal carriage. Evan remained bowed, but his parents gazed at him with conflicting emotions in their eyes. The overall atmosphere was strange and somewhat melancholy.

Mathias supposed that was understandable. After all, everyone's lives were at risk, including their own. This might be the last time they would ever see each other.

Fulfilling their duty as Summoner and Guardians meant that death was almost always involved. So, farewells typically meant that everyone was ready for a funeral.

The King and Queen's carriage was special. It was reserved for them and only them, and it was enchanted with one of the best defensive spells in the kingdom. As it drove off into the distance, it slowly became invisible, and then it could no longer be detected.

At that moment, Evan straightened his back and approached the Guardians with a smile on his face.

"Ready?" he asked softly.

The Guardians all looked at each other.

When nobody spoke, Evan continued, "Nervous?"

Gideon shook his head. "It's… a little terrifying," he admitted.

Ansel was wringing his hands together, clearly anxious. "I still can't believe we're doing this."

"But we have to," Clay said quietly. He seemed the most composed of them all, as if he had already accepted his fate.

"We're ready," Elyana said softly.

"You have all contacted your friends and families earlier, right?" Evan asked gently.

All of them nodded, except for Mathias. He stood at the side quietly, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.

Hours earlier, at the banquet, they had all been given ample time and opportunity to contact their loved ones. Since they had already been on their way when Evan delivered the urgent message, they hadn't been able to spend more time physically with their friends and families.

It had been hard to say goodbye. Of course, death wasn't guaranteed, but the possibility of it was likely. A battle against the Calamity was by no means a trivial matter.

They all had someone they loved or cared about. Clay had a loved one back home, Elyana had Evan and her family, Blade had a wife, and Voss still had parents. Ansel traveled the world alone, making good friends along the way. Gideon was often busy with research in the Sapphire Kingdom, but he had companions there to help him every step of the way.

Mathias, on the other hand, had no one. He lost his parents when he was four years old due to the Calamity's attack on his village. He was taken in by the kind village doctor who soon passed away because of old age.

After bonding with Evan, his Summoner, he chose to take on the role as the Prince's aide, dedicating the rest of his life to the royal family.

Technically, the only family he had left was the Prince, who had become his friend at the age of thirteen. Even though he was only a commoner and not a royal, Evan did not care. He bonded with Mathias over time and became good friends with him.

To be honest, Evan was probably the most genuine person he had ever met.

Of course, the Prince had some flaws of his own. Sometimes he was naïve to a fault, sometimes he was too stubborn about his goals to consider other people's feelings and stances on the matter, and sometimes he tried to be too much of a hero.

That last part scared Mathias the most, because he knew that Evan would do anything for the ones he loved, even if it meant losing his own life.

So he quietly approached Evan while the other Guardians prepared for the upcoming battle on their own. Elyana, in particular, knelt before the edge, closing her eyes and going into a prayer position.

Evan looked at him with a smile on his face. "This is it, huh, Matty?" he said lightly.

Mathias sighed deeply. He could feel his defenses crumbling down. He felt particularly vulnerable at this moment, as if the slightest touch would affect his emotions.

"And you're still really calm," he remarked.

"Like I said, I need to be calm at all times," Evan said, the smile still on his face.

"Your Highness… I mean, Evan," Mathias said softly. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"A favor?" Evan sounded puzzled. "What is it? You've never asked me this before."

"Please stay alive for me."

The wind blew past their faces, causing the strands of their hair to dance in the breeze. The sky began to fade, changing from a bright blue to a light gray. It was as if it was about to rain.

But every one of them knew the truth.

It was coming.

And time was running out.

Evan's smile softened.

"We both know the answer to that, don't we?"

‏‏‎ ‎

* * *

‏‏‎ ‎

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, the Queen looked out the window and noticed that the appearance of the sky was changing.

The clouds were slowly gathering into a dense formation, swirling dangerously. The blue expanse was fading, replaced by a dull, dark gray, almost as if a great storm was brewing.

The sun was no longer visible, so the surroundings were slightly darker than the usual daytime colors. It was as though the atmosphere was becoming more ominous.

She remembered that feeling of foreboding back in the castle hours earlier, just after the knight reported to her about an anomaly.

"Do you really think that it'll appear?" the Queen asked quietly, to no one in particular.

The King sighed deeply. "Evan gave us undeniable proof. Lingers cannot die. They're already dead. No offensive magic can kill them since it will only go through them harmlessly. We all know that."

"I know. But…"

"It's difficult to believe, isn't it?"

The Queen nodded forlornly. "We only just started recovering slowly after the last one three years ago. I cannot believe that it is happening again. I thought we had more time."

"Well, apparently, all of that is ruined now thanks to a trespasser's arrival." The King's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Once we arrive at the safehouse, we will have to commune with other leaders and make a decision on how to hunt down this Otherworlder. It cannot be allowed to roam free."

"Do you have any idea who it is?"

"The Duke had left me a strange message at the castle earlier. Perhaps he knows something."

"Duke Hartengrove?"

"Yes. It appears that the trespasser might have entered the city at some point."

"Is that so?" the Queen said, her eyes still glued to the gray sky above. "Then for the sake of the people, that person must be eliminated at all costs."