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They landed softly on the parapet, Elio still holding her in his arms. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Only they existed, their gazes intertwined, their hearts beating in unison.

"Elio," Zara whispered, her voice breaking. "You're alive."

He smiled, a smile that contained all the relief and joy in the world. "I couldn't just die, could I?"

Tears began to fall freely down Zara's cheeks. Without thinking, she relaxed forward, resting her face in Elio's chest.

He hugged her tightly, his own eyes moistening. "It's okay," he murmured, gently stroking her hair. "I'm here. I'm home."

Around them, their friends watched in amazement and joy, unable to believe what they were seeing. The impossible had happened… Elio had returned, defying death itself, and in that moment, hope blossomed anew in their hearts.

♢♢♢♢

A bit more than an hour before…

Fathoran turned to his sons, his penetrating gaze evaluating them. "I see doubt in your eyes, Mordred," he said, his voice laden with disappointment.

He approached Mordred, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I haven't spent countless nights wrestling with the necessity of it?" He shook his head, a flash of something, regret? Sadness? passing over his face. "But it must be done.

For the greater good."

Fathoran's eyes bored into him, cold and implacable. "This is survival, my son. The survival of our family, our city. Of humanity itself."

"Father," Estin began, his voice trembling slightly, "you know we're loyal. But the potion..."

"The potion?" Fathoran arched an eyebrow. "Is that what concerns you? Your own mortality in the face of our city's fate?"

He approached his sons, his presence overwhelming. "I've given you the potion twice, extending your lives beyond what any other citizen could dream of. And yet you ask for more?"

Estin and Mordred exchanged panicked looks. They knew that without another dose of the potion, their days were numbered.

"The potion has a cost," Fathoran continued, his voice low and menacing. "Not just in mana, but in responsibility. If you want to keep drinking it, if you want to continue leading this city alongside me, you must be willing to do what's necessary..."

"Father," Estin began, his voice tinged with urgency, "you know I'm loyal. I'll do whatever it takes to avenge Marcus and secure our control."

Mordred, more cautious, added: "It's not doubt, father. It's... concern about the execution. A plan of this magnitude requires more summoners or..."

"But," Fathoran interrupted, his voice now a dangerous whisper, "only those who prove their worth will drink it. Only those willing to do what's necessary to ensure our family's future."

Fathoran strode towards the door. "Send someone to fetch the other summoners. It's time to start taking out the trash."

♢♢♢♢

Around 15 minutes before Elio's arrival…

The messenger arrived breathless at the top of the wall, after asking and searching for everyone's whereabouts. He finally reached the place where the section leaders were gathered.

His eyes were wide with fear and urgency as he reported. "Summoners Lucien, Selene, and Raelar," he gasped, "Patriarch Fathoran requires your immediate presence in the families' building."

The three exchanged glances. Fathoran's summons could not bode well, especially at this moment, with the phenomenon in the sea of monsters still going. The call seemed particularly ominous.

"Do you think he knows?" Selene whispered as they walked hurriedly towards the imposing building.

Lucien clenched his jaw. "It's possible. But if he knew, why call us and not see to it himself?"

Raelar interjected: "Whatever it is, we must remain calm. We can't afford to make mistakes now. We mustn't reveal it if he doesn't know yet."

♢♢♢♢

Back at the wall…

The initial euphoria gave way to a silence laden with unspoken questions. Elio and Zara's friends surrounded them, their faces tinted with amazement, relief, and confusion.

Micah was the first to break the silence. "Elio, buddy, how... how is it possible that you're here?"

"Elio!" exclaimed Brok, his voice booming. "You're alive! You're really alive!"

"And flying!" added Kriz, disbelief and admiration in his tone. "How in the world did you do that?"

Elio laughed, the sound full of joy and relief. "It's a long story, friends. A very long story..."

Zara, still in Elio's arms, blinked as if coming out of a trance. Suddenly, the reality of what she had just done hit her. An intense blush spread across her cheeks, and she stepped away from Elio, stumbling slightly.

"I... I don't know what came over me," she stammered, avoiding everyone's gaze, especially Elio's. "It was as if..."

Kriz, rubbing his jaw where Zara had hit him, couldn't resist the temptation. "Oh, I think you do know. Love made you crazy, huh? Though next time you want to declare yourself, a poem would be less painful. For me, at least."

Zara shot him a murderous look, but her face reddened even more.

Elio, for his part, wasn't much better. Scratching his nape nervously, he tried to change the subject. "Well, uh... Did anyone else notice how quiet the monster sea is now?"

Brok let out a guffaw. "Seriously, Elio? You fall into the monster sea, survive somehow miraculously, and you want to talk about the scenery?"

"Hey," Elio shrugged, a shy smile on his face, "after what I've been through, I appreciate the simple things."

He sat on the edge of the wall, his fingers caressing the stone reverently. "You have no idea how good it feels to be up here again."

"Speaking of appreciating things," Brok approached, his eyes scanning Elio up and down, "looks like the System has treated you well. Have you been lifting Locus or what? Also tell us about those new clothes."

Elio looked at his own body. It was true, his once slender figure now showed more defined muscles. His new Summoner Robe… "Leveling up has its consequences I guess..."

Ren, always the most observant, noticed something different about Elio. "You've changed," he said simply.

Elio looked at him, a mix of emotions crossing his face. "It's... a long story."

"Well," said Brok, sitting on the ground, "it's not like we had other plans for tonight. Start talking, small muscle man."

Elio laughed, the nickname breaking some of the tension, and the others imitated him, forming a circle.

"Well," he began, "it all started when I beat the fourth level and came out into a mountain of cores..."