The mountain air carried the scent of damp earth and wild orchids as Arden led the way. He moved cautiously, scanning the towering trees. The others followed in silence—Zeth, Leigh, Dominic, and the rest—all sensing something off.


    The path should have been second nature to Arden, yet every step felt foreign. The deep hum of an ancient, hidden world was gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. The once mystical forest was now just… ordinary. And that terrified him.


    He had roamed these lands as a child, searching for others, only to find an endless forest. No villages, no roads, no people—just wild creatures, herbs, and lurking monsters. It was never normal. He had just never questioned it.


    Placing his hands on his hips, he exhaled sharply. "Lolo, I''m back. No more tricks, old man. We need to see you—it''s urgent."


    A chuckle echoed through the trees. "Took you long enough, twig. Hahaha! Did you get lost?"


    The group emerged into a clearing. The kubo at the mountain’s edge stood unchanged, but a golden lantern hovered at the entrance, glowing steadily. Seated beneath it, Lolo Lando watched them, his sharp eyes holding no surprise—only understanding.


    “You’ve finally come,” he said.


    Arden slowed. Relief, frustration, and something deeper churned inside him. "You were expecting us."


    Lolo Lando nodded. "Because you never truly left. The moment you stepped out of this forest, the world shifted."


    Arden clenched his fists. Something had watched him that day. Now, standing before The Hermit, he understood.


    The lantern pulsed, and the world around them changed.


    The trees dissolved into a battlefield of endless destruction. The sky darkened, the ground cracked, and Chaos loomed. At the center of it—


    The Fool.


    Arden froze. His mind screamed denial, yet his body knew the truth. It was his past, stripped bare before him.


    “When the Seal of Chaos threatened to break, you did what no one else could.” Lolo Lando’s voice was steady. “You sacrificed yourself—not in death, but in existence itself. You became the seal, binding Chaos away at the cost of your own being.”


    Silence followed.


    Zeth inhaled sharply. Leigh’s brows furrowed. Dominic—usually carefree—stood frozen. The three Goddesses exchanged uneasy glances. The General remained still, fingers curled, while Marcos clenched his jaw in disciplined restraint.


    “You should have been lost forever,” Lolo Lando continued. “But I found you.”


    The battlefield collapsed into darkness—a void between existence and oblivion. Arden''s past self had walked into a trap, sealing not just Chaos but his own fate. And the one who triggered it…


    Lolo Lando smirked at Dominic and raised his hand in an exaggerated magician’s motion—like pulling a rabbit from a hat. "What a trick that was, huh?"


    Dominic blinked. "Wait… what? What did I do?!"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Zeth sighed. "You don’t want to know."


    Leigh patted Dominic’s shoulder. "Just smile and nod, Dom."


    Lolo Lando turned to the General and Marcos. "You two ensured the Arcana''s survival when the odds were against them. For that, I thank you."


    The General laughed. "Bah! What else was I supposed to do? Leigh’s my granddaughter, after all. She just happened to also be The Star Arcana. Makes me a special kind of grandpa, don’t you think?" Lolo Lando chuckled agreeing. "True, true enough hahaha."


    Leigh rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.


    Lolo Lando’s expression turned serious. "The Tarot World cannot be reclaimed through brute force alone. Chaos has begun seeping into this world. If we do not act wisely, the battle will be lost before it begins."


    Zeth crossed his arms. "So, what’s the plan?"


    Lolo Lando gestured, and the lantern pulsed. A shimmering figure emerged from its glow—a woman cloaked in light. "This is Kasisay, the spirit of my lantern. Every Arcana weapon holds a sentient spirit, a reflection of its wielder’s soul. Some of you have yet to awaken yours."


    Leigh and Dominic exchanged glances as Kasisay turned to them. "Yours are waiting," Lolo Lando said. "You must call to them."


    Dominic hesitated, gripping Arcane Magnus. "Uh… how?"


    "Listen," Lolo Lando instructed. "Your weapon is part of you. A voice you’ve long ignored."


    Leigh inhaled deeply, gripping Venya’s hilt. A warmth spread through her fingers, a pulse of recognition. Her blade shimmered, and a celestial figure emerged, radiating starlight. "Hi, Leigh. Nice to see you again?" the spirit spoke, her voice like a song.


    Dominic’s eyes widened as Arcane Magnus vibrated. Moments later, a grinning specter flickered into existence. "’Bout time, kid," it smirked. "Try not to drop me okay."


    Leigh stared in awe. Dominic blinked. "Wow. That’s… a lot."


    Buwan, The Moon Arcana, stepped forward. "We’ve had ours for centuries," she said, lifting her twin crescent blades. "Meet Naktala and Lunara."


    Two ethereal figures appeared—one serene, the other fierce.


    "Greetings, mortals," Lunara said with a bow. "May the moon’s light guide you."


    "Hah! If they can keep up," Naktala scoffed. "I doubt any of you could survive a real fight in the dark."


    Buwan sighed. "Naktala, must you always be so dramatic?"


    "Aren’t you the fierce one? Why am I always the one getting scolded?"


    Buwan laughed. "Because you make it too easy!"


    Diwata lifted her staff. "And this is Suyod, the Keeper of Healing." A golden-lit spirit nodded in greeting.


    From the shadows, another presence stirred. Akiko, The Temperance, stepped forward. She raised her twin fans, their silver edges catching the lantern’s glow. "Balance is key in all things. And these are my guides, Kazenagi and Mizuhana."


    Two spectral figures emerged—one sharp and unpredictable like the wind, the other fluid and serene like water. Together, they embodied Akiko’s harmony between destruction and peace.


    The group exchanged stunned glances. "Wait, didn’t she use a staff in Japan?" Dominic muttered.


    Leigh narrowed her eyes. "Why the sudden shift to twin fans?"


    Buwan chuckled. "She is far more dangerous with those fans than she ever was with a staff."


    Akiko exhaled softly. "Kazenagi and Mizuhana are too destructive to use in confined spaces. My true strength lies in large-scale battles. The staff was to limit my power and prevent collateral damage."


    Dominic whistled. "So, you’ve been holding back."


    Akiko tilted her head. "Restraint is also power, isn''t it?"


    Lolo Lando turned to Arden and Zeth. "Both of you lost your weapons in the war, but they are not gone. Your spirits wait for you. You must reclaim them."


    The lantern’s glow pulsed. The air grew heavy with unspoken urgency.


    Zeth cracked his knuckles. "About time. I was starting to feel naked without it."


    Arden smirked but said nothing. Something deep inside stirred—a pull toward something long forgotten.


    Lolo Lando’s eyes gleamed. "Then let’s not keep them waiting."


    Dominic groaned, rubbing his temples. "You know what? I give up. At this point, I''m just waiting for someone to tell me my childhood pet was secretly an Arcana too."


    Zeth smirked. "Well, I have met some suspiciously powerful cats in my time."


    The tension cracked as laughter rippled through the group. Even Dominic chuckled, shaking his head.


    Lolo Lando let them enjoy the moment before clearing his throat. "Now that we’ve had our fun, let’s get serious. Your next destination is Russia. Judgment holds one of the lost weapons. If Chaos reaches him first, we may lose him forever."


    Arden clenched his fists. "Then that’s where we go."


    Lolo Lando nodded. "Be swift. Be careful. The choices you make will decide whether we reclaim what was lost—or lose it forever."


    The golden map flickered, glowing trails pulsing like a heartbeat.


    The world was holding its breath for what came next.