Erend's mind raced as he explained the dire situation to his mother and sister. The weight of his responsibility bore down on him, but their presence gave him the strength to face the coming storm. He knew he had to leave them soon, but he needed them to understand and stay safe.
"Arty, Mom. I need you both to stay here and wait for me a little longer while I deal with this. It's going to be dangerous, and I don't want you involved in any of the danger," Erend said with clear urgency in his voice.
Arty clung to his arm, her eyes showing a lot of signs of worry. "But, Erend, what if something happens to you?"
Erend smiled, "I'll be fine. I promise. I have friends who will help me, and I won't let anything happen to you or Mom."
"We'll be here waiting for you. Just come back to us safely, son," said his mom, with eyes placed on his shoulder.
Erend nodded, drawing them both into a tight embrace. The moment was bittersweet, knowing that he might be walking into the most dangerous battle of his life, but he had no choice.
He had to protect them and the world they lived in.
As he pulled away, his vision suddenly blurred, and a notification appeared before his eyes, the familiar interface of his System bringing a chilling message:
[Main Quest: The Great Calamity Approaches]
[Description: The Great Calamity is finally upon the Eternal Earth. The enemy is advancing. You must stop it at all costs to protect both worlds. Time is of the essence. You have to stop it before it devoured everything!]
[Reward: the World's safety.]
Erend's eyes widened in shock. The timing was so sudden that it took him a moment to process. The calamity they had been preparing for was no longer a distant threat—it was happening now.
Before, he thought that they still have some time to prepare. But it turns out they have none.
"Erend?" his mother asked, noticing the change in his expression. "What is it?"
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "It's starting. The calamity is coming now. I have to go."
A moment later they made their way to General Lennard's office. As they entered, the General looked up from his desk, his sharp eyes immediately picking up on the seriousness of their expressions.
"General Lennard," Adrien began, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. "There have been new developments."
General Lennard leaned back in his chair, his demeanor calm but definitely he too feels the anxiety pressing on him.
"Go on," the General said.
Erend took a deep breath and recounted everything—the conversations with their families, the vision he had received, and the realization that the Great Calamity was already unfolding.
As Erend finished speaking, General Lennard's face grew more serious. He stood up, walking around his desk to stand before them.
"This is grave news indeed. What are you suggest we should do here?"
"We will try to stop it in the other world, General. But... we don't know what impact this world will have in the future. Its better if you prepare everything for the worst possibility. "Like some kind of shelter for our people, and also send this message to other countries as well," Erend explained.
General Lennard let out a sigh, "Are you sure the shelter will be enough to protect us from the calamity once it arrives?"
"No. But... I think it's the best we can do," Erend replied.
"Alright, I'll do the best as I can."
He placed a hand on Erend's shoulder. "You three have proven yourselves time and time as our protector. I trust you to handle this. Go back to the other world and... do what you must. We'll be ready on our end."
Erend, Adrien, and Billy nodded, their determination solidifying. After that, Erend called to Aurdis and telling her to open the portal back there.
They don't need to wait for too long for the portal to open. They entered it and gone again to face the biggest danger they will face.
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