Arete and Han went down to the first floor. They saw the two owners cleaning the tables.

"Here are the keys. Thanks for the good service." Han waved.

"Can't you stay for a day or more? We have a lot more to offer."

"Yeah, unfortunately. We have a new mission from the guild." Arete smiled.

"Be careful on your journey!"

Han split the cloth they used for the flight into two. They used it as a cloak with a hood. Han created an invisible platform so they could focus on where the mysterious energy was coming from while hearing the flute playing.

As expected, Han wants to support Arete but the girl has focused on the scenery she sees above the buildings.

"You shouldn't trust our sources of information." Han warned, "the people."

"I don't trust anyone now except you."

"Oh? Thank you for that. I'm the only one you have in this situation."

"I hope the other secrets you are hiding will not destroy our teacher-student relationship. I also treat you as an important person for staying in the palace for ten years."

"It depends on the situation but pray that it will not happen."

Arete became silent and stopped walking, she closed her eyes and focused. She tried to put her energy into her sixth sense. Mostly, when people talk about the sixth sense on earth, they say that they can see the entities that also live in their world. Good or bad. That is not the only scope of the 6th sense. The sense of the universe is self explanatory. It is the awareness of the energies surrounding people. When you close your access to your five main senses in the body and you are able to meditate to pass all that to the sixth sense, you can see the flow of energy in every person, animal and nature.

With her accumulated energy going to the sixth sense located on her forehead. She closed off access to other senses to feel the strange energy that kept pace with the flow of positive energy.

"Have you found anything yet?" Han asked.

She didn't answer and walked in the left direction. She expected that in her place with Han, they would be pinned immediately but when they came out, they felt almost nothing. Everything seems normal.

"!" Arete detected suspicious energy in the right direction. She immediately ran there and didn't wait for Han to react. She doesn't want them to lose the clue they are looking for because it is a hassle when it takes them days to resolve the issue.

In Arete's haste, Han immediately created an invisible platform there. It brightens with every step they take. He did not run to reach Arete. It's not that he doesn't want to know right away why someone knows about the song his friend made, he's just lazy.

"It's playing again..." Arete moved her eyes, side by side, "around this area…"

"Did you find something, Arete?"

"It's loud in this area. The flute is playing again. Can you hear it?"

Han walked past her and headed straight for the trees. To those who block Han's path, he knocks it down. He doesn't care if people or animals were hit. That side of Han always makes Arete's skin crawl. The man's eyes are also often lifeless when he asks about Iryankka in the conversation. Arete kept wondering if Han's world is really a paradise with his reactions.

"I found it." Han said to himself.

A flute plays alone on a table inside a house in the middle of the forest.

"How are you, little one?" Han picked it up slowly.

The flute stopped playing and began to tremble.

"Han, I'm here." Arete went inside, "... Is the flute playing alone?"

"Yeah. Can you talk, little one?"

It continues to shake.

"If he could speak, he would have accompanied the song about Iryankka. It doesn't make sense."

"....." Han reached out his hand and placed it on top of the flute, "Put your hand here, Arete."

"Huh? Are you running out of magic?"

"No. It takes two people when summoning a soul."

"HAH?! SUMMONING SOULS IMMEDIATELY? I DON'T HAVE THE PRACTICAL EXAM FOR THAT!"

"Here is your practical exam. Right now."

"You achieved a high level in meditation! Your energy flowed well! You did it a long time ago!"

Han sighs, "passing her duty to the teacher... As I have connected to each world that existed even before humans, I call and request you to stand before me, lost soul from the land of Sera."

The flute lit up and Han made Arete hide behind him in case the one they called brought a threat. Appearing here was a boy wearing a strange outfit. Han's eyes widened and tried to grab the boy's soul.

"You're from Iryankka, aren't you?!"

The boy just looked down and didn't answer Han. He was still shaking.

"Answer me from what I'm asking! Why do you know Jayen's song?! Only the people from the academy know that!"

"Han, calm down." Arete glared at him, "can you sit here on the invisible platform you made? I mean, does that cover the sitting of users?"

".... Yes."

Arete took the flute outside the house and the boy followed. The two seem to be connected. Arete sat in a lotus position. This position had been used to meditate.

She smiled at the boy, "I'm Arete. I'm from Earth. He's Han. He's from Iryankka. We're here in the world of Sera to find Han's friends."

".... Friends?"

"Yes. They were separated because of the tragedy —"

"I know what happened in Iryankka.... I was there."

"How did you end up here in Sera?"

"... Sera... New world.... How many years have passed?"

Han, "....."

Arete, "....."

"I don't want to see your faces but I know it's been many years since the world of Iryankka exploded."

"Do you know how you got inside the flute?" The girl asked.

".... All I know is that while I was running, the ground was exploding. Everything was exploding. I don't remember anything."

"Why do you know the melody of the song that my friend had made?" Han said seriously.

".... I don't know. All I do is play the flute that I keep so that someone can help me remember the past." The boy raised his face and looked at the two of them, "will you help me?"

Han, "Yes —"

Arete, "Depends."

"Why do we seem to have opposed opinions?" Han raised his eyebrow.

She ignored Han, "Can I know what happened in Iryankka if we’re going to help you?"

'She's interested in what happened, huh.' Han thought.

"… Maybe. I can't say."

"That's right. Exactly. That's why I said it depends because we don't know if the sharing of information is fair."

"....."

"I'm still suspicious of you, little one, but what's your name?" Han sat down because his legs were already hurting from standing.

"... Faier."

"Faier, huh... Nice to meet you."

"Wear an appropriate attire, Han." Arete scolded.

They were still inside the house where they found Faier. They did not send the boy back inside the flute for better communication. Arete and Han are arguing about what they will wear during their investigation.

"I don't need to get a round of applause from the opponent or people."

"You might get undressed!"

"And why are you concerned about the state of my body?" He crossed his arms, tilting his head in confusion.

"Aren't you afraid of getting naked?"

"No. My body is immaculate. It's just hidden."

"Stay hidden please."

"You broke my heart, Arete."

"Can I break your bones too?"

".... Han... Arete…"

They turned to Faier who was looking out the window. Arete approached the boy.

"Is there a problem?"

"..... Never mind..."

When Arete turned to Han, he was leaving the house. She let the man go because the eyes were lifeless again.

Outside, Han changed his clothes into black sleeveless turtleneck, and high waisted loosened trousers. He was wearing sandals as well.

There is no point in changing what will happen,

I should have expected this but it hurts,

Was there really peace then?

No one brings justice to the oppressed. 

Is there no hope of communication?

Can't love do anything?

Where are the principles we were taught?

Iryankka, my beloved world. 

The painful reality of where we are makes us cry,

Head magicians tell us what we should do,

We can change our habits,

I beg you to love our own world. 

Why do people do this?

Full of envy and anger in their hearts,

Is crying the only thing we can do in this situation?

Why are you locking us in the endless loop that you say is ideal? 

There is no point in changing what will happen,

I should have expected this but it hurts,

Was there really peace then?

No one brings justice to the oppressed. 

Is there no hope of communication?

Can't love do anything?

Where are the principles we were taught?

Iryankka, my beloved world. 

Han sat at the root of a tree. He makes everyone feel the energy flow of the earth and trees.

"Han, sing too!"

"Why me? I don't have a good voice." He placed the book he was reading on Jayen's head.

"We're all around people! The two of us! Top students who are still friends!"

"But it doesn't mean that I will do your passions too."

"Hmm... You have a point but you always study even during our break time. Doesn't your mind get tired?"

"I have a dream. We have both had a dream since we met. Don't throw away our promise to each other because you love music."

He couldn't see his friend's face in his own memory. He didn't know if this was the effect of the creator's curse on him. When he was in the Palace of Wisdom, he always wished to be with his best friend again. Jayen is considered a family and even any civilian of Iryankka knows that fact.

"Han."

He turned a little and Arete was carrying a blanket.

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to sleep here? I brought a blanket for you."

Han ruffled his hair and laughed, "are you worried about me?"

".... Because Faier noticed that you were looking at nothingness. He begged me to come near you and comfort you."

"Do you like to sing, Arete?"

"Why did you ask? Is it because we heard about Faier?"

"My friend's song. Full of sadness and hope. If you sing, what message do you want the listeners to know?"

"I want people to get out of the darkness that their hearts have. Hopeful too, right?"

".... What if the person is in a cage? How can you deliver your message?"

"I will destroy that cage."

"There is no guarantee that people will be happy when they get out of that cage."

"What you said is right."

"What excuses are you going to make if there is no certainty?"

"They have other paths to take if they meet a bad ending."

"....."

"I don't know what you're thinking but don't give yourself a headache because you can't think of a quick solution."

"....."

"Come on, Han. Let's go to sleep. Faier said he'll watch over us both." Arete put the blanket on Han's lap and walked away.

"....." He stood up and shook the back of his trousers to get rid of the dirt. He followed Arete quietly.

Arete woke up when she felt someone whispering in her ear. She opened her eyes and it widened when she saw that she was underwater. It was not like when she first arrived outside the Palace of Wisdom. She can breathe underwater and she can see the bubbles that form every time she exhales.

She looked at Han who was sleeping next to her. She shook his arm but he didn't wake up. She doesn't want to think that she is the only one alive. She immediately sat down to find out if the water was shallow but even when she stood up, she was still under water. She turned to the door of the house because she felt someone watching. What she felt was right. There was a man with white hair and he was floating.

"... Who are you?" She blurted out. 

She was surprised and covered her mouth when she realized she was able to speak underwater.

"Guilty or innocent? Choose."

"Huh?"

"Faier. This boy." The man's other hand defecated and Faier was inside the crystal. The boy was sleeping.

"Fairer?! Fairer!"

The man sighed and floated the crystal in the air, "it doesn't matter if Faier is innocent. He must be returned to the place where he belongs."

She walked over to the man and held out her hands, "Give Faier back —"

The man stretched his hand out and Arete splashed against the wall, "I don't think we should meet now, Arete. If I were you, be careful in this world. It's worse than Iryankka."

'Iryankka?!'

"Who are you?! What do you mean Sera is worse than Iryankka?!"

"Just ask Han. Goodbye."

"WAIT!" She closed her eyes for a moment and the man was gone.

"—te." 

"—rete." 

"Arete."

She opened her eyes, gasping for breath and it was morning. She saw Han smiling at her and placing his hand on her forehead.

"Han?"

"Faier is inside the flute.  first. I told him he can go out and watch after nightfall. He also needs rest."

"... But he's a spirit."

"Hmm? You're right but he's aware that he still has a memory about Iryankka and that he's inside the flute and he can use energy that turns into magic."

"That's already converted? At the age of his appearance, he's not yet a teenager!"

"Exactly. There are more issues than the music of Jayen."

"... Did  I fall asleep earlier? Maybe I was just dazed or passed out."

"You were sleeping but  suddenly you had a fever. Faier saw that you were restless so he woke me up. I have been taking care of you for a while now."

".... Thank you, Han."

"No problem. I'm your teacher."

'If I was sleeping... Why did the thing I saw seem real?'

"Do you  want to say something?" Han raised his eyebrow.

"... Nightmare."

"Oh? It's not my business. I'm not an interpreter of dreams."

"I didn't say anything that you were going to interpret this."

"Ay. You didn't say it?"

"Nothing."

"You're awake now. I went to the town and bought some ingredients. I cooked your favorite garlic rice and grilled chicken."

"Do you have unlimited money and buy this food almost every hour?"

"Technically yes. But every hour is an exaggeration."

"Ugh."

Han handed the plate to Arete, "Eat well. I can sense that we are going to travel a long way."

".... Mn."