Soon, at Stella's home, she stepped inside her bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her. The celebration outside felt distant now, muffled by the walls around her. She let out a slow breath before walking over to her bed and sitting down.
She reached for the small nightstand beside her, pulling open the drawer with slightly trembling fingers. From inside, she took out her phone, the screen lighting up dimly in the darkened room.
With a hesitant swipe, she opened her gallery.
Photo after photo appeared—memories frozen in time.
A younger version of herself, grinning ear to ear, sitting between her parents as they all posed in front of their old home. Another picture, her father laughing while carrying her on his shoulders. Her mother, arms wrapped around her and her older sister, all three of them smiling under the golden light of the setting sun.
Then, she stopped at one particular photo.
It was her and her sister—years ago. They sat together on a worn-out couch, a book in her sister's lap. She could almost hear her voice again, reading to her with excitement, telling her the stories of the Hero of the Eclipse.
Her sister's eyes had always shone with admiration when she spoke about him. The hero who had saved the world a thousand years ago. The legend she once believed in.
Stella swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the phone.
The world needed the Hero of the Eclipse again.
And somehow… he was here. But he wasn't like the stories. He wasn't the noble warrior she had always imagined. He was different—distant, jaded, reluctant.
Her sister had been taken. Her parents were gone. And she had spent years feeling powerless.
But now, for the first time… she had a choice.
Her gaze drifted to the corner of the room where her arc-blade rested against the wall. The white and yellow weapon shimmered faintly under the dim light.
She had wielded it. She had used it. And for the first time, she had fought back.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she slowly locked the phone and set it aside.
Stella lay there in silence, her mind restless. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on her.
She had always wanted to fight back. To make a difference. To stop what had happened to her family from happening to anyone else. But now that the chance was right in front of her, she hesitated.
She turned her head slightly, looking at the arc-blade once more.
Veydris had said it was unstable. That no one could use any techniques with it. Yet, she had. Somehow, the blade had responded to her.
Maybe Hugo was right. Maybe the weapon had chosen her.
She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes.
Her mind replayed the moment—the way Hugo had stood there, completely confident in her abilities, even when she doubted herself. The way Cosmos had commented on her technique like it was something completely natural.
And then there was the way the blade had felt in her hands.
For the first time in a long time, she hadn't felt powerless.
But this wasn't just about herself.
It was about the Dominion. It was about the villages like Oakwood, the people suffering under their control. It was about her sister.
The Neo Arcana Dominion wasn't going to stop.
And neither could she.
She sighed, rubbing her temples before sitting up. She glanced at the clock—still late into the night. But she wasn't going to be able to sleep. Not now.
She needed to make a decision.
Slowly, she stood up, grabbing the arc-blade by its hilt. It felt familiar now, almost natural in her grip.
With one last deep breath, she turned toward the door.
It was time to give Hugo an answer.
The next day, at the entrance of Oakwood Village, Hugo stood waiting. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets, and his harmonica rested between his fingers. He wasn't playing it this time—just spinning it absentmindedly as he gazed at the road ahead.
Cosmos, strapped to his back, broke the silence. "You really think she's coming?"
Hugo exhaled through his nose, tilting his head slightly. "She needs to make this decision for herself."
"Right, right. But wouldn't it be hilarious if she just ditched you?" Cosmos chuckled. "Imagine that. You get all dramatic, offer her the chance to change the world, and she just—poof—gone."
Hugo rolled his eyes but said nothing.
Just then, footsteps echoed from behind.
Hugo turned around to see Stella approaching, her expression determined, her arc-blade strapped to her back.
She stopped a few steps away, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "So… where are we going first?"
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Hugo's lips. "I take it that means you're in?"
She let out a sigh. "Let's just say I thought about it."
"And?"
She exhaled again, rubbing the back of her neck. "And… you're right. If I want to change something, I have to actually do something."
Cosmos chimed in, "Took you long enough."
Stella shot the sword a glare before looking back at Hugo. "So? Where to?"
Hugo turned toward the horizon, the wind rustling through his hair. "We start with information. If we're going to take on the Dominion, we need to know who's pulling the strings."
Stella nodded, gripping her arc-blade tighter. "Then let's get moving."
And with that, their journey began.