The northeast of Gaia was a place few had ever seen.
Beyond endless forests.
Beyond towering mountains.
Beyond winding paths that seemed to shift with every passing season.
Hidden deep within nature itself...
A valley remained untouched by the rest of the world.
Ancient trees stretched toward the heavens, their branches weaving together into a living canopy. Crystal-clear rivers flowed between weathered stones, their gentle currents feeding a wide lake at the valley's center. Towering cliffs surrounded the sanctuary, where countless waterfalls cascaded into the waters below, their echoes becoming the valley's only song.
The air itself felt different.
Peaceful.
As if violence had never existed here.
Beneath the tallest waterfall, a lone man sat upon a smooth stone.
His legs were crossed in a lotus position.
Water crashed relentlessly against his shoulders, yet his breathing never faltered.
His eyes remained closed.
Hours passed.
Birds landed nearby without fear.
The wind drifted quietly through the valley.
Nothing disturbed the silence.
Footsteps echoed across the stone path.
An woman wearing simple robes approached the waterfall.
Her long red-black hair swayed gently behind her as she stopped several paces away.
She waited.
Without speaking.
Several moments later...
The man beneath the waterfall slowly opened his eyes.
The calmness within them was almost unsettling.
No impatience.
No irritation.
Only quiet understanding.
The man smiled faintly.
"So, Zane..."
The seated man spoke, his voice steady.
"Where's Kai?"
Zane folded her hands behind his back.
"He should be arriving soon."
The man slowly rose from the stone.
Water streamed from his clothes before dripping back into the lake below.
For a brief moment, the valley became silent once more.
Then the man's face was finally revealed.
Andre.