Six years, three months, and twelve days.
That's how long it had been since her eyes had beheld him - the living, breathing version of him, not just the shadowy echoes imprinted on her memory's canvas.
These were years painted in the vibrant hues of longing and anticipation.
It's been more than a year since she had returned to the vast expanse of the Magus Universe and still she couldn't find him.
Until she found a rumor of him which made her take on a perilous journey deep into the treacherous terrain of the neutral zone, propelling her towards Magus Alliance Outpost near the planet in question.
However, her progress was once again hindered, a roadblock surfacing in the form of stringent regulations.
"Canta Planet is a green zone. You're unlikely to encounter hostility there, but entering it requires proper clearance," a Magus Alliance officer explained, his words dropping like stones in the quiet room.
Again, she was thrust into the agonizing loop of waiting, her patience tested over weeks of anticipation. When the approval finally arrived, it bore the crushing weight of denial. "The person you are looking for is not present here. Your request is denied." The response seemed to echo the harsh truth she had realized too late. She had sought him under his real name, a folly in retrospect. Even if she had known his alias, the possibility of his existence being denied was exceedingly high.
Frustration gnawed at her, but it was quickly replaced by determination. She began reaching out, pulling at strings in an attempt to build a network that could assist her. She tapped into various sources: the influential Karat family, former headmaster Delbrand, and even the infamous Zodiac King himself.
Once again, she found herself tethered to the grueling process of waiting, each passing moment an excruciating reminder of the distance between her and him.
Then, like a beacon cutting through the fog of uncertainty, she stumbled upon a piece of news that stirred her stagnant hopes. There was an event happening in the designated city, The Potion Master Forum. It was an event that catered to the very skills he had honed, a gathering of individuals like him. She knew with an unwavering certainty that he would be there. This was her opportunity, her golden ticket to finding him.
Without wasting any time, she sought to secure another clearance, this time for a different purpose. It was a pass allowing her three days to enter and attend the event. Days slipped into a week of waiting, filled with hopeful expectation and growing restlessness. Finally, through a fortunate twist of fate and the aid of an unlikely ally, her perseverance paid off.
Master Dulin, a dwarf master she had become acquainted with during her time on the privileged planet, lent her a helping hand. With his influence, she was finally granted the much-coveted clearance.
Even then, a sense of urgency gnawed at her. She had clearance, yes, but time was still not on her side. "You need to hurry though cause the event is tomorrow and it takes 20 hours to reach the place," the same Magus alliance officer who had denied her previous requests informed her, his voice echoing a reminder of the ticking clock.
A small ship was arranged for her journey, elevating her status to that of a Magus Alliance envoy.
The journey, despite being a mere 20 hours, felt like the culmination of her long wait. Each passing hour was a milestone crossed, the last barriers between her and him. The anticipation that gripped her heart made the trip seem even longer, her pulse racing, prompting her to meditate during the journey to calm her mounting anxiety.
Her heart leaped as the verdant expanses of the green planet came into view from her window seat. But her arrival was timed with the start of the event. As the ship landed, she was met with the familiar routine of waiting for confirmation from the Sylvari guard, who needed to verify her identification and clearance.
As she waited, she could hear the excited whispers of attendees discussing the remarkable victory of a human apothecary in the junior master challenge. "A human? In the master challenge?" she echoed their words, disbelief ringing in her voice. Could he have actually participated in such a challenge? And won?
Ignoring the curious gaze of the Sylvari guard, she boldly asked for the name of the victor. The response made her heart flutter with a strange mixture of joy and anxiety.
"Merlin Meryddin,"
Merlin, the name he had often used in his apothecary days, coupled with Meryddin, the name of his ancestor, the Eastern Beast. There was no doubt in her mind now - he was indeed here.
Confident of his presence near the palace, she prepared to cast a spell to notify him of her arrival. However, she was cut short by the guard's permission to proceed.
"You may enter."
An impromptu plan formed in her mind. She decided to surprise him. She raced towards the place, her heart pounding with anticipation, ready to leap into his arms regardless of whether his memory had yet recognized her. After all this time, all she cared about was seeing him again.
Breathless and expectant, she finally arrived at the unique and vibrant location known as the Grove. This was where the competition had been held. Compared to other parts of the event, this area was somewhat less crowded. Most of the spectators and competitors had dispersed, moving on to other areas of interest. the bustling crowd, her gaze fell upon familiar faces.
"Morgana!" She exclaimed, her voice carrying the weight of surprise and a slew of memories.
Their encounter was steeped in disbelief, a mutual shock that found voice in Morgana's guarded reply, "You.. why are you here?!"
However, any lingering doubts about her identity evaporated when a plant creature, nearly unrecognizable due to its grown size, approached her.
"Twik! You... you're so grown-up now!" she couldn't help exclaiming.
In response, the creature articulated a rough, "Kuang.. Ku.. Klea."
A warm wave of nostalgia washed over her as she heard her name from Twik's voice. "Ah, you can say my name now," she commented, fondness lacing her words.
However, as much as she yearned to catch up with her old friends, her heart, pulsing with anticipation, refused to let her attention drift. She was here for one reason, and that was to find Emery.
"Where is he...? Where is Emery?" she asked, her gaze darting back and forth between Morgana and Twik, her voice edged with rising panic.
The look on their faces was enough to fuel her anxiety. Morgana voiced their mutual concern, "We've been waiting for hours. He hasn't returned from the warehouse."
A chill ran down her spine at those words. "What?! What do you mean? Where is he?" Her voice echoed the alarm coursing through her. The beating of her heart accelerated, turning into a deafening rhythm in her ears as dread seeped into her.
Before she could spiral further, a Wood Elf Grand Magus approached them, his words slicing through the mounting tension. "They say he left an hour ago with a female human."
The world seemed to stand still at those words.
"Who!?"
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