It was a particularly silent night.

Not that gentle sort of silence that comes when the day ends and the people go to bed.

Not that soft sort of peace that comes with the night.

No, it was the sort of silence that comes when something important is about to happen.

That sort of silence that stops the wind.

The sort of silence that makes the stars look distant.

That whispers that fate is moving once more.

Above the Kingdom of Seraiya, countless number of stars were shining in the heavens like scattered diamonds.

Moon shone in the sky at night.

Pale and silver.

It bathed the forests, the rivers, the cities and the mountains.

Everything seemed peaceful.

Quiet.

Sleeping.

Yet beneath this appearance of peace, an ancient thing had woken up.

An old thing.

An old forgotten thing.

Something that has been waiting for a thousand years.

---

In the Queens Mansion all were asleep.

Arthur’s room was dark.

The man that spent his past week buried under royal paperwork finally got some rest.

Beside him slept Elena.

Lucas had come back to the Academy and annoyed someone there.

Servants were resting.

Guards stood on their posts quietly.

Outside even the city was sleeping.

The taverns were silent.

The markets were abandoned.

Nothing but moonlight was left on the streets.

But...

There was one person that opened her eyes.

Jennie Queens looked at the ceiling.

Her crimson eyes gleamed under the moonlight that came from the open window.

She remained motionless.

Quiet.

Listening.

Feeling.

There was something wrong.

Or maybe...

There was something right.

For several moments she sat still.

Feeling it.

Strange feeling.

Pulling her.

Connecting her.

Voice without words.

Distant call echoing through her soul.

It wasn’t mana.

It wasn’t danger.

It wasn’t even instinct.

It felt much deeper.

Like if some forgotten part of her soul reached out through the centuries.

Waiting.

Calling.

Looking.

For her.

---

Jennie slowly raised herself.

Her white hair fell down her shoulders like liquid silver.

Under the moonlight, her room was visible.

Books were laid on the shelves.

The wooden desk was next to the window.

The maid’s uniform was near it.

This sight instantly ruined her mood.

She looked away.

There were still some fresh wounds.

---

The strange feeling didn’t go away.

Now much stronger.

Recognition.

Somewhere.

Far away.

Something familiar.

Something she knew.

Something she held in her hands many times.

---

Memory came back.

Battlefield.

Black sword.

Roars of dragons.

Enemies in endless numbers.

The feeling vanished almost instantly.

Jennie frowned.

Then stood.

Creaking floorboard was heard.

---

"No point in sleeping now."

Her voice was just a whisper.

No answer from the room.

But the wind answered.

It made the curtains flutter.

Gently.

Like responding to her words.

Jennie smiled.

Small smile.

The sort of smile she usually didn’t show to anyone.

---

She went to the window.

Opening it completely.

Fresh air entered the room.

Scent of distant forest accompanied it.

Fresh.

Wild.

Free.

Much more pleasant than the smell of palace cleaning products.

---

Jennie put one hand on the windowsill.

Closed her eyes.

Deeper in her body, under the flesh and bones, her mana core woke up.

Slowly spinning.

Faster and faster.

Mana flowed through her body like a river of light.

Invisible flows started spreading.

The air started trembling around her.

Not violently.

Not dramatically.

Like the pond disturbed by a single stone.

Small ripples that expanded infinitely.

---

The world reacted.

The wind started gathering.

Tiny currents came through the window.

Then more.

Then dozens.

Air started dancing in her room.

Flying papers.

Fluttering curtains.

Rustling books.

Somewhere in the mansion the sleeping servant suddenly rolled over in the bed muttering about storm.

---

Jennie smiled.

"Littel ones."

Wind immediately became excited.

Currents started spinning around her happily.

Like kids greeting their older brother.

Blue lights.

Silver lights.

White lights.

Countless glimmering points were dancing in the air.

To ordinary people they would have looked like floating stars.

But Jennie knew better.

Wind spirits.

Elementals created from mana and nature.

Beings older than kingdoms.

Older than the very history.

---

One spirit landed on her shoulder.

Second spirit flew over her head.

Third spirit sat proudly atop her hair.

Jennie paid no attention to this spirit.

Long ago she learned that spirits can never be disciplined.

---

"Can you tell me where it is?"

Spirits immediately started spinning around her.

Room filled with movements.

Tiny whirlwinds were flying around in the air.

Spirits communicate not through words but emotions.

Not through language but images.

Bits of memories.

Pieces of information.

And suddenly—

Jennie understood it.

Mountain.

Dark cliffs.

Deep tunnels.

Mining settlement.

Panic.

Blood.

Monsters.

Then—

A sword.

Buried deep underground.

Sleeping.

Waiting.

Calling.

---

Jennie’s face changed.

Playful smile disappeared.

For the first time during this night...

She looked serious.

Very serious.

That sort of face that Leonis KingHeart wore before going to battle.

---

"I understand."

Spirits cheered.

Or at least spirit-equivalent of cheers.

Several of them performed loops around her.

One of them crashed into the bookshelf.

Another got stuck in her hair.

Jennie sighed.

After a thousand years, wind spirits remained wind spirits.

---

She stepped on the windowsill.

Below the sleeping capital.

Thousands of lights were illuminating the city.

Royal palace stood proud far away.

Imposing walls surrounded the streets.

Thousands of lives were sleeping peacefully under the starry sky.

None of them knew.

None of them even could imagine.

That this night something from the Age of Legends woke up.

---

Call became stronger.

Much stronger.

The more focused she was, the clearer she heard it.

Not just familiar.

Personal.

Intimate.

Like meeting an old friend after centuries.

Like hearing forgotten song.

Like remembering the name you once loved.

---

Jennie’s heart started beating faster.

Not from fear.

Not from the excitement.

From certainty.

She knew it.

Even before seeing it.

Even before touching it.

Some part of her soul knew what waited for her beneath that mountain.

And if she was right...

Then tonight everything will change.

---

Wind gathered under her feet.

Spirits were dancing around her.

Moon was watching from the sky.

Jennie took a step forward.

And instead of falling...

She started rising.

Night embraced her.

Wind carried her.

And former Sword King flew toward distant mountains.

Toward the thing that has been waiting a thousand years for its master to come back.