[Verdantia – Present Timeline]
The magic circle still glowed faintly.
Dozens of elite mages lay collapsed on the floor — drained, confused, gasping for breath.
The Queen stood in the center, fists clenched, the silence ringing in her ears.
"We did everything right," one mage muttered."Power, structure, link precision— it should've worked."
Another scholar shook his head.
"The spell reached its target."
"It was stable."
"And then…"
"It just… died."
🧠 The Elder Speaks
The elder, now aged twenty years from his time in the chamber, stood leaning on his staff.
He wasn't confused like the others.
He was quiet.
Then, he spoke.
"He refused."
The Queen turned slowly toward him.
"What?"
"It wasn't failure," he said.
"It was rejection."
"The Demon King—he's alive. Whole. Awake."
"But he said no."
💔 Why Would He Refuse?
The Queen stepped away from the center of the room, her voice calm but edged with thought.
"He must not know…"
"The truth."
The court looked to her, silent.
"About what really happened here."
"About his kingdom's betrayal. About the lie of his birth. About his so-called family and their role in sending him away."
She turned to her advisors.
"To him… we're still the enemy."
"He may think we're trying to chain him again."
🗺️ The Question That Follows
"Can we reach him?" someone asked.
"Explain the truth?"
"Show him what Ashura did to this world while he was gone?"
The Queen looked at the spell circle.
Then the elder.
"Is there a way to send a message instead of a summon?"
He shook his head.
"Not across dimensions. Not like this."
"The only way… is full soul anchoring."
🛑 The Dangerous Question
Another mage stepped forward, hesitant.
"If he won't come willingly…"
"Is there a way to force it?"
The elder immediately frowned.
"Yes," he said quietly."There is a theoretical way."
"A full-bind recall. You anchor his soul forcibly, lock the tether, and pull him here."
"But it would cause… damage."
"To him. Possibly to both worlds."
"And it would require a ritual of horrifying scale."
The room went quiet.
👑 The Queen's Decision
"We won't force him," the Queen said flatly.
"Not yet."
"He's not a tool. Not a weapon."
"If we treat him like one again… we'll only create the very monster Ashura once feared."
Her voice dropped.
"We need another way."
"We need someone who can get close."
"Or something that can reach across worlds… and speak."