The ships from Miravia set sail for Amanara with a sense of anticipation in the air. 

The journey wasn’t long—only about two hours—but to those aboard, it felt like an eternity. 

As the island of Amanara finally came into view, a collective gasp rippled through the passengers. 

Amanara was even more breathtaking than they had imagined. The island was massive, with towering trees whose leaves shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colors. 

A waterfall cascaded gracefully off the western edge, its mist catching the sunlight and creating a faint rainbow. 

Numerous houses dotted the landscape, and at the northern edge of the island, a grand castle perched on a hill, rivaling the magnificence of the royal castle in Bastion.

Leo chuckled softly to himself as his eyes were drawn to the castle. ‘Did she have that made just for me?’ he wondered, his heart beating faster as the ship drew closer to Amanara.

Finally, the ships docked at the southern edge of the island. The passengers, eager to explore, began gathering their belongings. 

Leo moved with purpose, his excitement palpable. But as they stepped into the village, the bustling energy came to an abrupt halt. 

The crowd froze, eyes widening in shock, and a mix of surprise and anger spread through the humans like wildfire.

Standing before them was a group of demons, each one unique in size, color, and appearance. At the forefront stood Auriella, her smile broad as she spotted 

Leo making his way through the throng. She touched her chest absentmindedly, feeling an unexpected wave of self-consciousness. 

She didn’t look too different from before, but she couldn’t help but worry. 

Would he like her younger appearance? More importantly, she was filled with an overwhelming excitement to see a younger version of Leo.

‘Surely his hair is shorter, right?’ she thought, rising on her tiptoes to get a better view of him.

Beside Auriella, Oriana giggled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’ve never seen you this excited before, Auri! He must be really special to you,” she said, a sweet smile gracing her face as she turned her attention to the crowd, searching for the human who had won Auriella’s heart.

Finally breaking through the crowd, Leo’s eyes locked onto Auriella’s, and a bright smile spread across his face. He quickened his pace, closing the distance between them.

Oriana tilted her head slightly. “Is that him? I guess he does stand out compared to most of the others,” she murmured as Leo slowly approached.

Leo couldn’t contain his joy as he spoke, his voice warm and full of affection. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

Auriella’s heart fluttered, and she whispered the same back to him, stepping closer until she was safely wrapped in his arms. 

The humans gasped loudly at the sight, while some of the demons groaned in disgust. 

Oriana, however, was overjoyed. 

“Aww, I’m so happy for you, Auri!” she cooed, her hands clasped together in delight.

Leo chuckled softly, sensing the tension around them. “I guess we should hold off for now, huh?”

Auriella nodded reluctantly and stepped back, though her hand lingered in his for a moment longer. 

Behind the group of demons was a stage, and the two of them began to climb the stairs that led to its center. 

The humans gathered closer, their expressions a mix of confusion, curiosity, and suspicion.

Leo took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the crowd. 

“First of all, I’m sorry for not telling you all the truth. I was afraid no one would come if you knew the true purpose of our voyage.” 

He paused, watching as the angry faces began to soften, though many still bore a mixture of emotions.

“This may shock you all,” Auriella interjected, her voice calm but firm, “but please watch until the end.” 

Her hand brushed against the mana stone embedded in her sword, and with a surge of energy, she projected an image into the air.

The scene that played out was both captivating and terrifying. 

The image of a Voidkin squaring off against Auriella filled the air, the very same battle that had taken place in the throne room of Bastion’s royal castle. 

Gasps rang out from the crowd as they watched an older Auriella fighting alongside a slightly older Leo, whose hair was longer than any of them had ever seen. 

The gasps turned into murmurs as they tried to comprehend what they were witnessing.

But then, a single male voice cut through the crowd, laced with skepticism. “It’s obviously fake, people! I mean, it’s a DEMON showing us these weird images, for crying out loud!”

The murmurs of agreement began to swell, and both Auriella and Leo felt their hearts sink. This was not the reaction they had hoped for. Auriella glanced at Leo, worry etched on her face.

“Maybe you should just tell them,” she whispered, giving him a half-smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Leo nodded, gathering his thoughts before addressing the crowd once more. 

“I promise you, this woman truly has just shown you the truth. My father, the king, was sitting on his throne, surrounded by nobles while I killed one of those creatures. Unfortunately, two proved too much for me, and I was about to die before she showed up and saved my life.” 

He turned to Auriella, his smile softening as he squeezed her hand, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’.

Auriella returned the smile, though her gaze remained wary as it shifted back to the crowd.

Leo continued, his voice steady but urgent. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but the two of us come from an alternate future where the creatures you just saw eventually kill all of us… in ten years.”

The crowd fell into a stunned silence. No one knew what to say; the revelation was too overwhelming to process.

Auriella stepped forward, breaking the silence with a determined voice. 

“We gathered you all here to learn to live with each other’s differences so we can all make it through this impending invasion, together.”

The group of demons exchanged glances with the humans, suspicion and unease evident on both sides. 

This alliance was fragile, held together by a thread of hope. 

But as Auriella and Leo stood together on that stage, hand in hand, they could only hope that this would be the beginning of the future they had fought so hard to protect.