Drakzhar Realm – Moonkeep Palace
"Prince Kazaf, please allow me to go to the Abandoned Land to search for my sister," said Kara, a young, beautiful girl standing in front of the Moonkeep throne. Her voice was filled with urgency. "It has been a long time since she left, and she hasn't returned. So many warriors have gone after her, yet still no word. I can't stay still any longer."
"Kara," Prince Kazaf's voice was stern, his brows furrowed with restrained frustration. "Do you understand that the reason the Holy Daughter's whereabouts remain unknown is because of you? She confided her plans to go to the Abandoned Land, and you kept that from me."
He stood from his throne, his cape swaying behind him. "You already made that mistake once, and now you're thinking of going there yourself? Have you forgotten why our people abandoned that cursed land? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is, especially for someone like you—whose emotions are unstable?"
He stepped closer, his tone grave. "We're already struggling to keep the Krogs at bay. You want to stir up something even worse? The Krogs may be quiet now, but we both know how deceptive they are. This peace is temporary—they've been scheming behind our backs for years. War could erupt at any moment, and when it does, we must be prepared. We cannot afford another reckless mistake."
Just then, a guard's voice echoed from outside the chamber.
"Your Highness, the elders who went in search of the Holy Daughter in the Abandoned Land have returned and request an audience."
"Let them in," Kazaf commanded.
Three elders entered the hall, each dressed like seasoned warriors. Their eyes carried the weight of many battles. They bowed deeply to the prince before the leader stepped forward.
"Your Highness, we've searched the Abandoned Land for over six months," he began. "We found no sign of the Holy Daughter's remains. We even tried to locate fragments of her soul, in case she had perished. But we found nothing. That leads us to one conclusion—she is still alive."
Kara's eyes widened with hope, her breath catching in her throat.
The elder continued, "It's possible she was wounded and has entered hibernation. We sensed her aura at times, faint and fleeting, like she was masking it intentionally. Perhaps to avoid detection by enemies."
Prince Kazaf remained quiet for a long moment. Then he said slowly, "If she is able to hide herself from even the three of you, then it means she's skilled enough to evade the Krogs as well. That's reassuring."
He sat back down, folding his hands. "You've done well. Your mission is complete. I will report your findings to the Emperor upon his return."
The three elders bowed once more and turned to leave, their footsteps echoing through the grand hall of Moonkeep Palace.
"Have you heard? Your sister is still alive, so rest assured—and don't make any more mistakes," Prince Kazaf said, his voice calm but firm as he looked directly at Kara.
"I've heard, Your Highness," Kara replied respectfully, lowering her gaze. "I will sit and wait for good news."
With that, she turned and quietly left the palace, her footsteps light but her heart still heavy with concern.
As the grand doors closed behind her, Prince Kazaf remained seated, his gaze lingering thoughtfully in the direction she had gone. Then, without turning his head, he spoke coldly into the shadow.
"Follow her every move. I don't fully trust her. She may still try to sneak into the Abandoned Land to search for her sister behind our backs."
From the darkness of a column, a figure emerged briefly—it was the silent shadow guard. With a small nod, he vanished just as swiftly as he had appeared, leaving no trace behind.
*****
Back on Earth
Night had fallen. Layla stood from the living room couch, stretching slightly.
"I'm going to study," she said casually to her mom and Emre.
"Alright, sweetheart. Study well," her mom replied with a warm smile.
But what her mom didn't know was that Layla wasn't heading off to study schoolwork. No, she had something entirely different in mind. She entered her room, locked the door quietly, and pulled out the ancient-looking books she had found inside the Holy Daughter's spatial ring. They were thick, aged, and filled with detailed knowledge about herbs, medicine, and energy channels—clearly knowledge from another world, one Earth had long forgotten.
She cleared her desk and sat down, flipping one of the books open. Her eyes scanned the pages eagerly, her superhuman hearing alert to every sound while her mind absorbed every word. She learned how to recognize rare plants, how to extract their essence, how to treat wounds, infections—even how to create potions for stamina and focus. The knowledge felt both foreign and strangely familiar, like something buried deep inside her was being awakened.
Beside her, on the bed, she had also stacked the gold bars, gemstones, and other valuable treasures she had quietly taken from the ring. She picked one gold bar up, weighing it in her hand thoughtfully.
"If I play this smart, I can build a business empire with just a fraction of this," she thought, her eyes gleaming with ambition.
Ideas were already forming—how to sell the bars without drawing too much attention, how to convert them into legal assets, how to start something big, something unstoppable.
She studied deep into the night, her lamp the only light glowing in the room. She didn't realize how late it was until her head dropped onto the open book, her breathing steady, lost in sleep.
---
The next morning, the sunlight had already poured in through her curtains when someone knocked gently on the door.
"Layla? Layla, wake up, honey," her mom called softly before opening the door. "It's already 9:30. Asma is here waiting for you."
Layla stirred awake, blinking slowly as her mom's voice reached her. She had slept like a rock. She rubbed her eyes, sat up groggily, and looked around at the books, notes, and treasures scattered on her desk.