Have you returned?

Argun stood there, his eyes glowing faintly as he surveyed the damage the realm had endured over the past few hours. His gaze lingered over the fractured landscape, broken and scarred from an event that felt unnatural. A portal opened before him, revealing the vast, desolate dunes. A massive crater marred the ground.

"This wasn’t a normal occurrence," he thought, his mind racing. "This was supernatural."

With a heavy heart, Argun closed the portal and returned home, hoping, praying, that she had come back. He had rehearsed the words he would say to her a thousand times in his mind, imagined this moment over and over, each time more desperate. If he had just one more chance, he swore, he wouldn’t let it slip away. His failure to act before ate at him like a wound.

The waiting was agony. He searched the realm with his mind, but there was no trace of her.

"Come back to me, my Destiny," he whispered under his breath. She had been his heart, and the moment she left, it had shattered.

He smiled bitterly, remembering how she’d hated being called Destiny. Her name symbolized the future, but to him, she was everything—past, present, and future. She was his destiny.

He’d first seen her at a gathering at the coliseum. Her presence had been impossible to ignore. He watched her walk across the sands toward the center of the arena, and in that instant, he knew their fates were intertwined.

He would have done anything to be near her. When the chance arose to become the gatekeeper to her realm, he seized it without hesitation.

Argun cursed himself as he remembered the foolishness of his approach. He had asked her, hesitantly, if he could accompany her to the realm. And like the gentle soul she was, she had smiled and welcomed him with open arms.

How he longed to see that smile again... He closed his eyes, remembering the warmth of her presence, the scent of vanilla and lavender that always surrounded her. His thoughts grew heavy, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

A sudden shift in the air caught his attention—a familiar energy. The hounds, calm as always, didn’t seem to sense anything unusual. He smiled faintly. Was it breakfast time already?

But the energy was much stronger than the little one.

He focused, his vision sharpening to see the room clearly.

There, in the unlit corner of the room, sat someone in her chair—his chair. A sense of disbelief washed over him.

The pure nerve, he thought. He scoffed under his breath.

"Wait a minute," he muttered to himself. "Where are my hounds?"

He approached cautiously. A creaking sound came from the rocking chair. He froze, his eyes narrowing.

The hounds were gathered at the feet of this being—relaxed, at ease.

"Either you’ve bewitched them, or they know you," Argun said, his voice laced with suspicion.

A soft voice replied, "Have I changed so much? You don’t recognize me?"

Argun inhaled sharply, the familiar scent of vanilla and lavender filling his senses. His heart skipped a beat.

With a wave of her hand, the fireplace flickered to life, casting a soft light that illuminated the figure in the chair.

"When I entered the room, you were deep in thought," she said. "I didn’t want to disturb you."

Had she been here the entire time? His mind raced. How much does she know?

Her face held the answer. Her cheeks were flushed, a shy smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes, warm with affection, made him uneasy. There was no turning back now.

"We need to talk, right?" he asked, his voice low with hesitation.

"Yes, I think we do," she replied softly.

"Did you hear anything?" he asked, nervous now.

She grinned. "Heard and felt everything."

His face flushed, and he struggled to meet her gaze.

"Well... I suppose that's something," he muttered, embarrassed.

"I’m sorry to interrupt," she said, standing and walking toward him. "But this conversation will have to wait. I came here for something urgent. I need your help."

His heart skipped. "How can I help?"

---

Meanwhile, in the war room, everyone was gathered, save for Argun.

Charlene looked concerned. She glanced at Seth, who had been watching her closely.

"Why hasn’t Argun joined us?" Charlene asked. "He never misses breakfast."

"None," Seth replied with a furrowed brow. "Yeah, that's strange. Tell you what, if he doesn’t show for the meeting, we’ll go looking for him. Okay?"

Charlene nodded, her worry growing.

Professor E, Tabitha, Idris, ReNew, and Heth were all seated around the table.

"We've called this meeting to assess the events of yesterday," Seth began, settling into his chair. "We need to help the community and figure out what happened to us all."

Professor E spoke up, his tone grave. "From what I can see, the realm experienced a massive quake. But we can't confirm it yet..."

"Tell me," Tabitha interjected, "why did all of us fall asleep at once? The children are still afraid."

"We were knocked out," Idris explained, his tone unwavering. "Charlene and Seth went first, then everyone else. Right?"

Everyone nodded, sharing the same confusion.

"There was nothing natural about any of this!" Seth declared. "Someone or something did this to us, and we need to know why."

Heth and ReNew had been silent until now. They exchanged a glance before Heth spoke up.

"It’s something... extremely powerful," Heth said softly.

"God-like powers," ReNew added. "First, I was petrified, couldn't move. Then a warm sensation washed over me, comforting even. I relaxed and... returned to Charlene."

"I felt the same," Heth admitted. "Like I’d be safer back with Seth, then the quake started."

ReNew nodded in agreement. "We both believed that by putting us to sleep, they were trying to protect us."

"But to what end?" Seth rubbed his face in frustration. "Why did we all have to sleep?"

Just then, a portal opened.

"Argun!" Charlene shouted, her voice filled with relief. Argun stepped through, his hand still resting on the portal. He lowered his head in acknowledgment.

"May I present to you your Queen, Destiny?"

Everyone in the room froze. Awestruck, they looked at the figure now standing before them.

"Gi Gi!" Charlene exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace her. "I missed you so much!" Destiny opened her arms wide to return the hug, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

Seth crossed the room as well, reaching out to greet her. "We’re all so happy that you’ve returned."

Charlene released her from the embrace, stepping back to look her up and down. "Gi Gi, you’ve changed!" she said with a grin. "Loving the new look. Sasha fierce! Snap, snap. We like it!"

Destiny smiled softly, her eyes tender. "I missed you terribly. But time is of the essence. I’ve returned for a purpose, and we need to work together to achieve it. This is bigger than just one fate. This could mean the end of the realm."