I Can See Evolution Paths

Nobody spoke.

Nobody even blinked.

Then Arthur blinked once. "What?"

The student slowly nodded. "You disappeared for almost two months," he said.

Everyone fell silent once more before the reactions began one by one.

Arthur lightly laughed. "That’s not funny," he said.

The student didn’t smile and simply closed their eyes.

Arthur’s own smile slowly faded. "We were only inside for a few days," he said.

Sun immediately shook his head. "No. No. That’s impossible," he said. He looked toward Arthur. "Arthur. Tell him."

Arthur quietly answered. "I can’t."

Sun’s expression slowly stiffened.

Mithra’s smile completely disappeared. "Two months?" she said, unconsciously gripping her sleeve. "Father—"

Arthur immediately noticed. "Mithra?"

She slowly looked up. "Father’s probably," she started, and didn’t finish.

"We are sorry, we will give you some time." And the students stepped back a bit, allowing Arthur and the others to process everything.

Athena slowly adjusted her glasses. "There is only one explanation."

Everyone looked toward her.

"Time Dilation."

Arthur frowned. "But... Halburn never mentioned anything like that."

Athena nodded. "Because I don’t think it was part of the City."

Arthur’s eyes slowly widened. "The Sanctuary."

Athena nodded again. "When Eden activated Dawn Sanctuary. We assumed it only created a barrier and teleported us somewhere safe." She looked toward the distant mountains. "But what if that wasn’t all it did?"

Arthur slowly looked back toward the Ruins of Evolution and recalled the Golden Dome. "The Sanctuary wasn’t just protecting us."

Athena nodded. "It was hiding us. Until it decided it was safe."

Silence.

Vedas slowly looked toward the forest. "...From that thing."

Everyone immediately remembered.

The cracked sky and the overwhelming pressure.

The voice and the feeling that they couldn’t even resist.

Athena nodded. "That existence already knew Eden had awakened. So what if Dawn Sanctuary didn’t release us until it could no longer sense that it was nearby?"

Complete silence.

Arthur quietly looked down at his hands.

It still didn’t feel real to him as the Siege of Dawn had ended only days ago. Now two months have already passed.

Sun slowly rubbed his arms. "That’s actually terrifying."

Leon quietly looked toward the distant Secret Realm. "A skill capable of hiding an entire city from something like that..." His golden eyes narrowed. "Now that’s worthy of a King."

Athena slowly nodded. "That would explain several inconsistencies in Halburn’s journal."

Everyone looked toward her.

"His preparations weren’t only for war but for a chance he lost. And so he created a way for them to survive after it."

Melo quietly looked toward Eden. "Then we weren’t trapped. We were being protected."

Everyone slowly looked toward the tiny Fairy. No one said anything for several seconds. It was only now that they truly understood what she had done.

Eden blinked. "Did I do something good?"

Arthur smiled warmly and gently patted her tiny head. "Yeah. You saved all of us."

She immediately beamed. "...Really?"

Arthur nodded. "I don’t think we’d be standing here without you."

Eden hugged his hand tightly. "...I’m happy."

Silence settled once again.

Arthur quietly looked back toward the Ruins of Evolution. "You really thought of everything." He scratched his cheek and smiled. "Guess I should have thanked him a bit more. And then try to figure out how he gained a skill like that."

Vedas quietly smiled. "He would’ve liked hearing that."

Leon sighed. "There’s a good chance my mother already heard I disappeared." He scratched his cheek. "I just hope those lunatics didn’t destroy half the town."

Arthur blinked. "Who?"

Leon answered naturally. "My family," he said.

Everyone turned toward him.

Mephistopheles sighed. "His family tends to solve even small inconveniences with overwhelming force," he said.

Arthur and the others said nothing.

Leon slowly covered his face. "They’re not always like that," he said.

Mephistopheles immediately replied, "They are."

Leon sighed. "Fair," he said.

The tension eased slightly.

Vedas quietly looked toward the forest. "The Cronwall Tribe," he said, clenching one fist. "That must have been why they looked so weary and their words before."

"Huh? Wait, you did desummon them before." Sun’s eyes widened. "Why didn’t they tell us anything?"

Arthur crossed his arms. "To not freak us out. But I’m not sure if this was any better."

Vedas sighed. "It did allow us to enjoy the celebration and our time with Utopia before. If we were told beforehand—"

"We would have left instantly," Mithra finished.

Kong slowly counted on his fingers. "One month."

"Two months."

He frowned. "That’s really long."

Arthur laughed. "You actually got the important part."

Kong proudly nodded. "I’ve been practicing."

Athy looked toward the forest. "I’m more curious on how it’s possible."

Athena smiled faintly. "You really are a researcher," she said.

"I learn from the best."

Athena lightly laughed.

Melo quietly stood up on Vedas’s shoulder. "There will be trouble when we return back to the academy. We would be lucky if we can go on another expedition after this."

Mithra laughed nervously.

Eden quietly looked around and noticed everyone suddenly looked worried. She gently held onto Arthur’s sleeve.

Arthur noticed and smiled softly. "It’s okay," he said.

She nodded even though she didn’t really understand.

Arthur smiled at her before he walked over to the Pathfinder students and asked.

"Tell me. What happened while we were gone?"

The Pathfinder students quietly exchanged glances.

One student quietly took a breath. "The Academy waited."

"At first everyone thought you were delayed."

"But after a week... The Principal organized search parties."

Another nodded. "Second Years."

"Third Years."

"Eventually... He went himself."

Athena slowly lowered her gaze.

Another student quietly laughed. "Every time he came back, he only rested long enough to prepare another search."

Arthur quietly smiled. "...That sounds like him."

The student nodded. "When the Ruins didn’t have any answers, people saw him entering the other Secret Realms. We don’t know why. We only know he kept looking."

Silence.

One student quietly smiled. "The whole Academy knew. And people kept asking if there was any news. Every day."

Arthur lowered his head. "We made everyone worry."

Nobody blamed him.

But that somehow made it worse.

Another student said, "The Vice Principal handled everything here. While the Principal searched."

Mithra quietly nodded. "That sounds like her," she said.

Another student quietly laughed. "The whole Academy knew. People asked every day. But eventually..." His smile slowly faded. "People stopped believing."

Arthur quietly finished. "That we’d come back."

Nobody answered.

One student said, "The Principal never said you were dead. He always said, ’We haven’t found them yet.’"

Arthur quietly smiled. "Yeah," he said. "That’s him."

Mithra’s expression softened before her eyes widened. "Arthur... won’t your mom be—"

Arthur’s smile slowly disappeared. "...I know."

Silence.

He looked toward the distant mountains. "...Not just Mom." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Everyone in Greenleaf is probably losing their mind. I bet they aren’t showing it, to not worry my mom even further." A quiet laugh escaped him. "I leave for what I thought was close to two weeks, and somehow disappear for two months."

Sun rubbed his face. "Can we never have one normal expedition?"

Arthur blinked. "Wouldn’t that be boring?"

Sun glared at him. "Boring is safe!"

"But it also means no treasure or fortune."

Sun froze.

Kong tilted his head and muttered. "He does have us there..."

"Be quiet..." Sun groaned as he covered his face. "My dad is going to throw a fit. And how am I supposed to explain what happened to him?"

Arthur smiled.

"...Don’t worry."

"...We’ll just tell him about the giant boulder."

Sun froze.

"...Arthur."

Arthur blinked. "What?"

"We’re absolutely not telling him about the giant boulder!"

Arthur tilted his head. "Really? It’s something to be proud of and even led to Kong evolving."

Kong puffed out his chest.

Sun stared before sighing. "There are so many reasons why not, but damn it, how do you always pick the worst possible example?"

"Oh! Right, you told him you’re a boring student! And networking!" Kong’s fist hit his palm. "Not a person involved in a secret realm and big boulders."

"So what you’re saying is, Sun’s been living a lie. What a pity," Arthur sighed.

"You didn’t have to say it like that..."

The conversation slowly died down.

Nobody knew what else to say.

Some stared toward the Ruins.

Others lowered their heads.

Even Arthur had become unusually quiet.

Only one person didn’t understand. Eden slowly looked from Arthur to everyone else. Her tiny hands tightened around Arthur’s sleeve. She tilted her head. "Why does everyone suddenly look so sad?"

The silence somehow became even quieter.

Arthur immediately knelt and gently adjusted her flower crown. "We went somewhere. And everyone outside couldn’t find us."

Eden blinked. "For two whole months?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah."

She slowly looked around again. "That must’ve been lonely for them. I couldn’t imagine not seeing you guys for that long."

Arthur smiled softly. "I agree."

She slowly lowered her eyes. "I don’t like that."

Arthur smiled. "Neither do I."

She suddenly hugged him. "Then let’s not disappear again for that long!"

Arthur laughed softly. "Okay, we will do better."

A Pathfinder student suddenly gasped. "Right! The Principal!"

Everyone jumped.

"He left strict instructions," the student said. "The moment anyone found you, bring every single one of you back immediately."

Sun quietly muttered, "We’re dead."

Arthur scratched his cheek. "Probably just getting yelled at," he said.

Mithra slowly looked at him. "Arthur. You don’t know my father."

Arthur smiled. "He’s nice," he said.

Mithra answered, "That’s what worries me," she said.

Nobody joked after that as there wasn’t really anything left to say. The group quietly followed the Pathfinder students toward the Academy.

Each step carried them closer... to answering two months’ worth of questions.

As they followed the students toward the Wyvern Platform, the whispers slowly spread. "The missing expedition..."

A blacksmith slowly lowered his hammer. "Looks like the Principal was right."

Another merchant smiled. "He kept saying, ’They haven’t been found yet’ and aren’t dead. Guess he was right."

Arthur quietly looked around. "People really are staring."

Sun nodded. "Because everyone already accepted what happened."

Arthur scratched his cheek. "This is more awkward than I expected."

Further ahead, several children quietly pointed. "Who’s that little girl?"

Eden blinked and she immediately hid behind Arthur. "Do I look strange?"

Arthur looked at her and then smiled. "A little."

She pouted. "...Is that bad?"

Arthur gently adjusted her flower crown. "No. It just means people are curious."

She slowly peeked around him again. "Oh."

Then another whisper. "That’s Leon. He survived too."

Nobody answered.

Arthur quietly checked one last Kingdom Report while walking.

Ding.

[Utopia Kingdom Report]

[Afternoon lessons successfully completed.]

[Three Goblin children attempted to climb a Stone Guardian.]

[Stone Guardian remained motionless for thirty-seven minutes.]

Arthur burst into laughter.

Sun looked over. "What?"

Arthur wiped one eye. "Nothing. Everything’s fine," he said.

Vedas smiled. "The report?"

Arthur smiled. "Looks like nobody’s slowing down over there."

Vedas quietly chuckled. "I never doubted them."

Another notification appeared.

[Builder Gruk has submitted a proposal to expand the Forge by another twenty-seven percent.]

Arthur stared. "...Again?"

Vedas immediately laughed. "I knew it."

Arthur shook his head. "...They’re impossible."

Then another report appeared.

[Proposal Approved.]

Arthur covered his face. "...Of course it was."

They finally arrived at the Wyvern Platform. The Pathfinder students stepped forward. "We’ll inform the Academy," one said.

Arthur quietly looked toward the mountains. "Guess we’re finally going back," he said.

Mithra smiled. "Home," she said.

Arthur smiled. "Then let’s go home."

...

Steven stood beside the window in his office. His desk was covered in maps, expedition routes, search reports, a cold cup of tea. The office was silent.

The door opened. Vice Principal Elaine entered, blue-white hair, crimson eyes, a long black dress. She closed the door.

"They’ve been found," she said.

Steven slowly closed the report. He didn’t immediately answer. Instead he quietly sat down. For the first time in weeks, the tension left his shoulders.

Elaine quietly watched him. "...You should’ve rested."

Steven laughed softly. "...After they came back."

Silence.

He looked toward the search maps covering his desk. One by one he slowly folded them, placed them into a drawer, closed it. "...Looks like I won’t be needing these anymore."

Elaine’s expression softened. Only slightly. Then, "I’m still going to kill them."

Steven laughed. "...Get in line."

She folded her arms. "...After you."

Steven stood again, looking toward the Academy. A small smile appeared. "...Welcome back."

Elaine opened the office door. Sunlight quietly filled the room.

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