The month had passed...
Slowly at first.
Then faster than anyone could have imagined.
Ever since the decree of the Supreme Council of Humanity had been issued, the movement of people toward Zeta had not ceased for even a moment.
Every day, new caravans arrived.
Every day, new ships crossed the skies.
And every day, newly constructed cities welcomed thousands, then tens of thousands, and eventually hundreds of thousands of people.
But now...
Only the final day remained.
The thirtieth day.
The day on which the deadline granted by the Supreme Council to all humans outside Zeta would come to an end.
At sunrise, the newly built cities were already bustling with activity.
In the main squares, officials stood watching the final caravans arrive.
Families descended from ships and carriages, carrying what little they owned—or everything they had managed to bring with them.
Some were exhausted from the journey.
Others stared at the new cities in astonishment.
Many of these cities had not even existed a few weeks ago.
And now...
They possessed massive walls.
Wide streets.
Residential districts.
Markets.
Warehouses.
And defensive facilities.
Some had already begun transforming into genuine, thriving cities.
The scene was like the birth of an entirely new civilization.
In one of the cities, an old man stood before a massive gate.
He stared down the distant road.
Only a handful of caravans remained in sight.
One of the guards standing beside him said:
"It seems most of the returnees have already arrived."
The old man nodded.
"Yes."
Then he raised his eyes toward the sky.
"The month is almost over."
The guard was silent for a moment.
Then he asked:
"Do you think the Council will close the return gates?"
"They will," the old man replied.
"The moment the deadline expires."
Then he added:
"The decree was clear."
The guard looked back at the crowded city.
"I never imagined I would see this many humans gathered in Zeta."
The old man gave a faint smile.
"Neither did I."
He remained silent for a few moments.
"But I don't believe this is the reason behind everything that's happening."
The guard turned toward him.
"What do you mean?"
The old man looked toward the horizon.
"The Council does not undertake something of this magnitude without a reason."
Elsewhere...
The final caravans were still on the move.
Some arrived only a few hours before the deadline.
Others were desperately trying to reach Zeta before time ran out.
The roads leading toward Zeta were more crowded than they had ever been.
Ships filled the skies.
Caravans covered the land.
Various means of transportation crossed the borders without interruption.
But one thing had become clear.
The return was entering its final stages.
At midday...
Massive bells rang throughout Zeta.
Without any prior announcement.
Their voices spread across the cities.
Once.
Then twice.
Then a third time.
Millions of people raised their heads at the same moment.
At that very instant, screens belonging to the Supreme Council appeared throughout the public squares.
The symbol of humanity appeared upon them.
Then a single message emerged:
[Only a few hours remain before the return deadline expires.]
Silence descended over many of the squares.
Everyone understood what those words meant.
For an entire month...
The decree had been the subject of discussion across almost every corner of Gandalia.
And now...
Its end was approaching.
Inside the headquarters of the Supreme Council of Humanity...
The main chamber was quieter than usual.
Valor stood before the enormous map.
But the map had changed almost completely.
Zeta no longer contained the vast empty regions it had only a month ago.
New cities had spread across enormous portions of the continent.
The network of roads had grown denser.
New ports had appeared along the coastlines.
Residential and agricultural regions covered vast areas.
Thorin stood beside Valor.
The other three Pillars watched the map in silence.
One of the officials entered the chamber.
He bowed.
"The latest reports have arrived."
Valor looked at him.
"Speak."
The official opened the report.
"The overwhelming majority of humans outside Zeta have complied with the decree."
He continued:
"We have received enormous numbers over the past several weeks, and some caravans are still on their way."
Valor raised his eyes.
"How many remain?"
The official hesitated.
"Only a small number compared to those who have already arrived."
He paused before continuing.
"However, there are distant regions that will not be able to reach Zeta before the deadline."
Silence filled the chamber.
One of the Pillars spoke:
"Should we consider extending the deadline?"
Valor looked at him.
"No."
His answer was decisive.
"The deadline was one month."
He turned his gaze toward the map.
"And that time is over."
No one objected.
They all knew that this decision had not been made arbitrarily.
The hours passed.
The sun began to sink toward the horizon.
The final day was drawing to its end.
In the cities, some activities temporarily came to a halt.
Large numbers of people filled the streets.
No one knew what would happen once the deadline expired.
Would the laws governing entry change?
Would the Council issue another decree?
Would another phase begin?
Questions spread throughout the cities.
But no one had the answers.
And in the final moments...
A massive caravan arrived at one of the main gates.
It was the last major group to enter the city.
Tens of thousands of people poured from it.
Women.
Men.
Children.
Warriors.
Merchants.
Farmers.
Ancient families.
Ordinary families.
They all stared at the new city before them.
Then...
The bells of midnight rang.
DOOOONG...!
Everything stopped for a moment.
Then the Supreme Council's message appeared in the sky above the major cities.
[The return deadline has expired.]
Silence.
Then another message appeared:
[The Summoning Phase has been concluded.]
There were no celebrations.
No fireworks.
No cheers.
Only an eerie silence.
As though all of humanity were waiting to discover what would come next.
At that very moment...
The special gates used by caravans arriving from outside Zeta were sealed.
Several passageways were shut down.
Designated transportation routes were closed.
The border barriers entered a state of heightened surveillance.
Zeta would no longer receive people as it had before.
The return phase was over.
Another phase had begun.
The following morning...
Zeta was different.
It was no longer merely humanity's homeland.
It had become an enormous human center.
Millions of families had settled in the newly built cities.
Markets had begun operating.
Farms had begun producing.
Craftsmen had returned to their professions.
Training centers had begun accepting practitioners.
And defensive forces had begun deploying between the cities.
Humanity was rebuilding itself.
But this time...
It was doing so in an organized manner.
Under a single leadership.
Inside the Supreme Council's headquarters...
The officials stood before Valor.
One of them said:
"The first phase is complete."
Valor replied:
"No."
The official looked at him in surprise.
Valor continued:
"The first phase ended the moment the decree was issued."
He turned toward the map.
"What we accomplished during this month was merely the preparation of the ground."
Thorin asked:
"And now?"
Silence.
Then Valor answered:
"Now the real phase begins."
The Four Pillars exchanged glances.
None of them needed to ask another question.
They already understood.
The return.
The cities.
The organization of the population.
The redistribution of resources.
The mobilization of the farmers.
The reconstruction of the military forces.
All of it...
Had merely been preparation.
One of the Pillars asked:
"Shall we begin?"
Valor nodded.
"Yes."
Then he added:
"Issue the orders."
That same day...
New orders began reaching the cities.
But they were not orders concerning the return.
Nor were they related to construction.
They concerned the organization of humanity's military potential.
The military forces began restructuring their units.
New training centers were established.
Resources were redistributed.
Comprehensive assessments of practitioners' abilities also began.
The Council was preparing for something greater.
Something that had not been announced to the public.
Something known only to a very limited number of leaders.
Meanwhile, deep within the Sovereign Palace...
Nothing had changed.
Darkness.
Silence.
The black throne.
And Fafnir.
He was still seated upon his throne.
His long black hair flowed down his back.
His youthful and imposing face remained still.
His eyes were closed.
Cosmic energy continued to circulate around his body.
Ever since his recovery had reached thirty-five percent...
The process had not stopped.
The system appeared before him.
[Recovery process continuing.]
[Body condition: Stable.]
[Available cosmic energy: Sufficient.]
Fafnir did not open his eyes.
Outside...
Humanity had completed its first month.
But within him...
The journey of restoration continued.
Moments passed.
Then another message appeared.
The appearance of the system shifted slightly.
[Initial conditions have been fulfilled.]
Fafnir opened his eyes.
His black eyes remained calm.
He read the message without speaking.
Then another line appeared:
[The first stage of preparation has been completed.]
The screen paused.
Then...
The final message appeared:
[The next stage may now begin.]
Fafnir remained silent.
He raised his gaze slightly.
And deep within his black eyes...
A faint glimmer appeared.
He did not know the details of what was happening outside the palace.
Nor did he need to.
He was focused on only one thing.
Restoring his body.
Restoring his power.
But something had changed.
After five thousand years of silence...
The wheel had begun turning once more.
Outside...
Humanity was preparing for the next stage.
And deep within the palace...
Another power was slowly awakening.
No one in Gandalia...
knew that the return of the ancient Sovereign was no longer merely a possibility.
It had already begun.