Kai did not see any reason to remain in Sylvastra once his plans had been confirmed with the elves.

Every moment mattered now. He needed to move, gather resources, and begin preparing the ritual as soon as possible. The elves had promised to share any information they could find about the Earth Plane, and that was all he could ask for at the moment.

Still, before leaving, there was one thing he needed to do.

On the morning of his departure, Kai quietly flew toward the Elder Tree.

It was still burning.

Even under the pale light of dawn, flames clung to it without weakening. Ash drifted through the air like dark snow, carried endlessly by the wind. Kai landed nearby and stood in silence, watching it for several long minutes.

The sight felt unreal.

The death of the Elder Tree had always been a major event in magical records. Every knew of it. The books had described it as something natural, something inevitable—a tree simply reaching the end of its long life.

Looking at it now, Kai knew that the truth was far harsher than what would ever be written.

He moved closer slowly. His hands trembled slightly as he remembered the calm presence he had felt the last time he spoke with it. That quiet, sacred awareness that had filled the forest.

He was not here to speak today.

The elders had already told him the Elder Tree was using every bit of its strength just to keep the flames from consuming it completely. There would be no answer, no gentle presence reaching back toward him.

Still, there was something he wanted to say.

Kai stepped forward and placed his hand against the burning bark. Heat pressed against his skin, fierce even through his mana, but he did not pull away. He pushed his mana forward gently, not to heal or interfere, only to let it know he was there.

Then he spoke softly.

“I’m not here to talk to you,” he murmured. “Just focus on holding the flames back.” His voice lowered further. “I’m here to tell you something.”

He closed his eyes briefly.

“I’m going to save you from these flames,” he said. “And I’m going to give you a new life.”

The heat crackled around him.

“I know you are prepared for death,” he continued quietly. “I felt it the last time we met.”

Kai paused, looking up at the burning tree.

Then he continued. “But the world still needs you. I won’t be enough to hold back Maleficia alone.” He took a slow breath. “So please… just keep fighting until I come back.”

After saying that, he slowly pulled his hand away.

He did not know if the Elder Tree understood him. He did not know if it could even hear him in its current state. But he had said what he needed to say, and that was enough.

Kai stepped back, watching the flames move across the branches. He hoped it would still be standing when he returned.

After giving the burning giant tree one last look, he pushed mana through his legs and lifted into the sky. Wind gathered around him as he rose and then glided away, leaving the clearing behind.

He flew through drifting ash and past endless burning trees as Sylvastra slowly stretched behind him. The farther he moved, the heavier the feeling in his chest became. Every scorched trunk he passed filled him with a mixture of dread and fury.

During his conversation with Elder V’aleirith, he had asked more about the attack and the man who caused it—Xantheus. He had never heard of him before, but the name stayed with him.

A part of Kai wanted to abandon everything and hunt him down across the world. To make him pay for what he had done. But he held himself back.

Saving the Elder Tree came first.

And he knew Maleficia would reveal themselves again sooner or later. When they resurfaced, Kai promised himself he would end them once and for all.

For that, he needed to become stronger.

That made the journey to the Earth Plane even more important.

If everything went according to plan, he would not only save the Elder Tree. He would return stronger than before.

A Sixth-Circle Mage.

***

Kai landed in Veralt a few hours later.

He did not waste time resting. Almost immediately, he called for a meeting with the people closest to him who were present in the city—Francis, Killian, Princess Amara, and Claire. Once they had gathered, he began explaining everything he had seen during the two days he had spent in Sylvastra.

He told them how Raven’s words had all been true. How Sylvastra was burning. How the destruction was even worse than he had imagined. He described the Elder Tree’s condition, the despair of the elves, and the ritual they had been preparing—a ritual that would cost them their souls just to prolong the tree’s life.

Then he explained his own decision. His plan to travel to the Earth Plane and search for another Elder Tree seed.

The room fell silent more than once while he spoke.

It was clearly a lot for all of them to take in. They had only just come out of a civil war, and the kingdom was still rebuilding. News like this could easily disrupt everything they were trying to stabilize.

But Kai had not called this meeting to burden them with more work.

After finishing his explanation, he said calmly, “I’m not telling you this because I need kingdom resources to set up the ritual. Other than using the Watchers to gather some information and minor materials, I’ll be handling everything myself.” He looked at each of them in turn. “I’m only informing you so you can prepare for my absence.”

Amara spoke first, her brows drawn together. “How long will you be gone, your highness?”

Kai shook his head slightly. “I can’t say. I want to go to the Earth Plane and return as quickly as possible, but that won’t entirely be in my control.” He paused before adding, “Time also doesn’t move the same between planes. One day spent there equals about ten days here.”

Francis’s expression tightened immediately. “Then even three days there becomes a month here,” he said quietly. “That is a long time.”

Kai nodded. “I know,” he said. “That’s why the entire quest has to be done as fast as possible. But before anything else, I’ll need information.”

Francis leaned forward slightly. “What kind of information do you need, Lord Arzan? Ansel is occupied with a great deal of work at the moment, which is why he isn’t here, but I’m sure he and the Watchers will do everything they can to gather whatever you require.”

Kai already expected that. From the latest reports, the Watchers were still digging through Regina’s activities over the past two decades. She had rarely left the capital, which made their work difficult. They were trying to piece together information about Maleficia and its members by tracking her movements outside the castle. But with the royal palace destroyed during the war, much of the records had burned with it.

Part of Kai figured Ansel might even appreciate having a new objective.

“The ritual itself is extensive,” Kai said. “I can handle constructing it. The elves are already gathering pure essence for me, which I’ll refine to power the ritual.” He paused before continuing. “But I’ll still need at least three different elemental essences. And I’ll need a Shadow Mage to help stabilize the ritual.”

Killian frowned immediately. “Shadow Mages are rare, Lord Arzan. Extremely rare. And the essences won’t be easy to obtain either.”

Claire nodded in agreement. “Yes. My father only came across concentrated shadow essence once, and it was pure luck.”

Kai nodded, agreeing with both of them. “I know. But I can gather the elemental essences myself. I already have plans for that by hunting beasts and refining them through alchemy.”

He glanced around the table, letting the weight of his words settle. The ritual would not be simple, but at least part of it was within his control.

Kai turned to Francis. “Ansel only needs to get me the locations of beasts I ask of,” he said. “I’ll handle everything else myself.”

Amara frowned slightly. “But that still leaves the Shadow Mage,” she said. “Why do you need one so badly?”

Kai leaned back in his chair, thinking back to what he had read about planar travel. “Shadow Mages were the ones who first made travel between planes possible,” he explained. “Most of the rituals were designed by them, and because of that, there’s a heavy shadow mana component built into the structure.”

He folded his arms. “I could try to substitute it with alternatives, but a Shadow Mage is needed to keep the ritual stable. Without one, the chances of failure increase too much.” His gaze hardened slightly. “And we can’t afford more risks than we’re already taking.”

In truth, shadow aspected mana acted like an anchor. It held the connection between this world and the space between realms together. Without that stabilizing force, the ritual might collapse within seconds even if every other part worked perfectly.

Kai could not perform that role himself. Shadow was not his element. Attempting to force it would not only fail—it could harm him.

As he finished explaining, Claire spoke up. “There’s a Shadow Mage from Verdis, Your Majesty. I remember testing him for mana organs there. He awakened the shadow element recently.” She thought for a moment. “He returned to his family recently, but he should come back to the tower soon.”

Kai shook his head. “A novice won’t be enough. This isn’t something I can entrust to someone still learning basic control. Even a Third-Circle Mage would struggle if their control isn’t refined.” He paused. “We need at least a Fourth-Circle Shadow Mage for this.”

At that, Francis and Killian exchanged a glance. They were clearly thinking the same thing Kai already had.

Finding a Fourth-Circle Shadow Mage might just be impossible.

Kai knew most of the talented Mages in the Sorcerer’s Tower, and none of them were even close to that level yet. Even among the older Mages of the kingdom, reaching the fourth circle was rare, and many of those who had managed it had died during the civil war. On top of that, shadow was one of the rarest aspects. It simply did not appear often.

And that rarity was exactly what made Shadow Mages so dangerous.

A well-trained Shadow Mage, if careful with mana and smart in battle, could fight someone above their own circle.

For a brief moment, two faces crossed Kai’s mind. The assassin Regina had sent that night. And Veridia.

The first was dead. The second… he had no idea where she was. Even if he did, he had broken her Mana heart, and he would never trust her enough to place something like the ritual in her hands.

Kai looked around the room and made his decision.

“Let the Watchers try,” he said. “Send a drone to Elias. See if there’s anyone in his kingdom who might be willing to help.” He paused before adding, “And start looking into independent Mages in other kingdoms as well.” He turned to Francis. “The Watchers have already begun moving into neighboring kingdoms, haven’t they?”

Francis nodded. “Yes, Lord Arzan. But only a small number. They mostly moved as refugees fleeing the civil war.”

“Good,” Kai said. “Send instructions immediately. Have them search specifically for Shadow Mages.” His voice hardened slightly. “Finding beasts and gathering materials won’t be the problem. I can handle that myself.” He leaned forward. “This is the Watchers’ main objective now.”

Everyone nodded, and the conversation shifted quickly to other parts of the ritual. Amara and Killian were especially interested, asking questions about the structure of the whole thing and the risks involved. Francis, on the other hand, kept returning to the same concern. Again and again, he reminded Kai that the kingdom was still rebuilding and needed him present.

Each time, Kai gave the same answer.

“I’ll return soon.”

The topic eventually moved to who would be accompanying him on the journey. Elder Caelith had already agreed to go, but Kai felt that bringing a few more people might make the search easier once they reached the Earth Plane.

At that point, both Killian and Claire offered to come.

Killian did not surprise him. The man rarely stepped away from danger if Kai was involved. Claire, however, was unexpected. She explained that the Storm Sovereign, as an old spirit, could be useful in the Earth Plane and had expressed a strong desire to go during the meeting. She also admitted that she wanted to respect his wishes, especially since he had been confined to the city for so long.

Kai did not agree immediately.

“I’ll think about it,” he said.

Unlike Killian, Claire did not have extensive combat experience. Even with the Storm Sovereign beside her, the Earth Plane was far too dangerous, and Kai did not want to risk her life unnecessarily.

Eventually, the meeting came to an end.

Kai stood and said, “I’ll be heading back to the Ashari Desert for now. I’ll return in seven days. Ten at worse.”

Amara looked like she wanted to say more, but before she could speak, he added, “I’ll see you before I leave for the Earth Plane.”

With that, he left Veralt once again.

As he flew, the city faded behind him. This time, his destination was not simply the Valkyrie Tower itself. He was returning for something specific.

The first resource he needed for the ritual.

The core of a sand elemental.

***

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