"…The cost of a brighter future"

Silence followed. Long, uneasy, stretching into seconds that felt like minutes. None of them seemed to understand what he meant, even Elaria and Thalia exchanged uncertain glances.

"...A brighter future… sir?" one of the group finally asked.

"Yes," Taufik replied, his tone steady but not unkind. "The cost I ask is a promise. If I grant you the chance to wield Mana again, then you must swear to create a brighter future, for your descendants, and for all of humanity in Midgard"

The group hesitated, exchanging wary looks.

"If… if we can't?" one of them ventured cautiously.

Taufik's faint smile didn't reach his eyes.

"If you can't…" He paused, letting the silence fill the space between them. "Then forget it. You can imagine what will happen"

The air seemed to thicken with the weight of his words. None dared to speak, their gazes flicking between one another and the three strangers before them.

Taufik gave them a moment, enough time to feel the gravity of the choice placed before them. Then he asked again, quietly but firmly: "So? Will you accept it, or not?"

The group exchanged another series of glances, a silent conversation of uncertainty and hope. Finally, the oldest among them stepped forward. His back was slightly bent with age, but his eyes burned with a resolve long thought forgotten.

"...We will accept your offer, sir," the elder said at last. "As for the cost... perhaps it won't be fulfilled in my time, but I'll pave the path for those who come after me. They will pay that cost"

Taufik nodded in quiet satisfaction.

"Good," he said, his tone deep and resonant. "Then as promised… I shall bestow upon you a sacred fire, the First Fire"

As he spoke, Taufik raised one hand and snapped his fingers.

Instantly, every artifact within the underground hall trembled, swords, staves, orbs, talismans, all the ancient relics sealed behind runic barriers. One by one, they broke free from their glass prisons, drawn toward Taufik like stars pulled into orbit.

The humans could only stare in awe and disbelief.

The room was bathed in a brilliant swirl of light and shadow, relics circling him in a slow, mesmerizing dance. None of them moved, not even when their most precious treasures left their cases, they could only watch, spellbound, as something beyond comprehension unfolded before their eyes.

"I'm going to use these scraps as a container," Taufik said casually, glancing at them. "Do you mind?"

They shook their heads almost in unison, speechless.

Seeing no objection, Taufik pressed his palms together.

The relics collided in midair with a soundless flash, melting into pure radiance. The glow brightened until the room was swallowed in white. When the light finally dimmed, the artifacts were gone, replaced by a single object, floating before him.

It resembled a chalice, smooth, silver-white, its surface etched with runic veins that pulsed faintly with life.

Beneath it, a curved handle of black metal spiraled like the roots of a tree, anchoring it in midair.

The air around it shimmered with heat and pressure, yet no fire burned.

But Taufik wasn't finished.

The newly formed vessel remained suspended before him as he slowly spread his hands apart.

The ground beneath their feet vibrated softly, and the air seemed to hum in anticipation.

Taufik's eyes reflected the glow as he whispered, "... Power of Creation"

The air trembled.

The space around Taufik warped as faint lines of gold began to draw themselves across the cup's surface, forming ancient runes, runes older than the written word, older than the world itself.

Elaria and Thalia instinctively stepped back. Even they, who had seen him do this, could feel it, this was something different. This was not just power; it was creation itself.

Taufik exhaled slowly, his voice lowering to a whisper that still echoed through the chamber.

"From the ashes of what was lost, and the silence of a dying world… Let there be flame once more"

His words weren't incantations, they were laws, and the universe obeyed.

A spark flickered between his palms.

At first, it was small, almost fragile, yet the air around it pulsed with warmth, with life. The spark grew brighter, its light no longer gentle but pure and untamed, a golden-white flame that burned without heat, without fuel, without end.

The group shielded their eyes, trembling as their shadows danced wildly along the walls.

Thalia whispered, almost reverently, "It's… beautiful"

Elaria's gaze stayed fixed on the flame. "No… not beautiful. Alive"

Taufik extended his hands, guiding the flame toward the floating vessel. When the flame touched the cup, it sank inside like water filling a hollow. The runes ignited, glowing in perfect harmony, and the entire facility shook as if the Earth itself had taken a breath after ages of slumber.

Then silence.

The First Fire floated gently, radiating warmth, not destructive but nurturing, like sunlight after eternal night.

Taufik lowered his hand, and the flame hovered between him and the group.

His voice, calm yet heavy with meaning, filled the chamber.

"This is the First Fire... the seed of life, the heart of what once was. It will awaken the Earth, slowly, gently. Guard it well. If it's corrupted, Midgard will burn instead of bloom"

The old man stepped forward, trembling. "We… we will protect it with our lives"

Taufik nodded, satisfied. "Then let it be so"

With a wave of his hand, the vessel descended slowly into the old man's grasp. For the briefest instant, the man felt warmth course through him, not fire, not heat, but the warmth of hope.

Taufik turned toward the portal, his silhouette bathed in gold.

Without looking back, he said softly,

"Remember, this fire isn't mine anymore. It's yours. Don't waste it"

And then, he stepped through the light, vanishing with Elaria and Thalia.

The chamber was silent again.

Only the First Fire remained, floating faintly above its vessel, a quiet sun waiting to awaken the world.

--------

As they left the group behind, Taufik, Elaria, and Thalia stepped out into the open world once more. The air outside felt lighter, fresher, the tension of the underground chamber fading into the whisper of the wind.

Thalia glanced at Taufik. "Is that chant really a must?"

Taufik paused mid-step, then looked at her, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Of course not. I just said it because it sounded cool, you know, to add a bit of gravity to the moment. Think about it: if I just created the fire silently, with a flick of my hand and no words…where's the drama in that?"

Thalia blinked. "So you did it just to look cool?"

Elaria folded her arms. "You did," she said flatly.

"Of course," Taufik replied without hesitation.

Thalia sighed. "You're unbelievable"

Taufik chuckled lightly. "Well… I don't care"

They walked a few steps in silence, the mood more relaxed now, until Elaria asked quietly, "But… why didn't you leave your Name behind?"

That question made Taufik smile faintly.

"They'll know," he said. "After all… I left my Name inside that container"

Thalia gave him a skeptical look. "Wait. You… did you just sign your name into the holy artifact you created?"

Taufik's smirk widened. "Of course. Wouldn't want history to forget me"

Elaria raised an eyebrow. "You, are you by chance a narcissist?"

"Maybe," Taufik said, completely unfazed. "Everyone has that side, even if it's just a little. I'm no exception"

Thalia shook her head, half amused, half exasperated. "You already did what you wanted… so what now?"

Taufik looked toward the sky, his expression softening, thoughtful.

"Back to Asgard," he said quietly. "Heal Thor… and then return to my world"

A gentle wind passed between them, carrying with it the faint, lingering warmth of The First Fire, a silent reminder of what they had just set in motion.

---

They kept walking in silence after that, the sound of their steps blending with the distant hum of the world slowly awakening to Mana once again. What Taufik had said earlier hung in the air like an echo, their journey was nearing its end.

After a long stretch without words, Thalia suddenly stopped.

Elaria and Taufik turned to her.

"Thalia?" Taufik asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elaria didn't speak; she just looked at her sister, her expression calm but knowing, almost as if she already understood what Thalia was about to say.

"…Fik, can-"

"Thalia," Elaria cut her off gently. "Think before you say something"

"I already did," Thalia replied, her tone steady but soft. "There's no point staying here any longer. I crave a journey of my own. I want to experience the things I remember, not just as memories, but for real. Mother has you, and our brothers. Even without me, nothing will change"

Elaria's eyes softened, but her voice remained firm. "Then you'll need to ask our mother's permission first"

Thalia hesitated. "…About that, can you ask her for me?"

"No," Elaria said flatly. "You must do it yourself"

"Bu-"

"Wait, wait, hold on," Taufik finally interjected, raising both hands in protest. "Why is this conversation going as if I've already agreed to this?"

Both sisters looked at each other... then, in perfect sync, smiled.

"…Just accept it," they said together.

....

...

..

.