The Valley of the Lost was an idyllic paradise, with lush and fertile land. Most of it was flat plains, with the occasional hill here and there. Greenery surrounded us on all sides, vibrant beneath the sun's light, a stark contrast to the desolate landscape outside the valley.

Small copses of trees dotted the area. The smell of green, growing things filled the air. Off in the distance, the mountains of the Giant's Spine surrounded the entire valley, forming an impregnable wall.

The others stared out the window, taking everything in. Lorelei and Corrie in particular seemed enchanted. Not that I blamed them. This place was a far cry from the Icefall region. Not just in how it looked, but in how it felt. It was far warmer in the Valley of the Lost than in the Icefall region, and I wasn't used to it yet. I felt a little uncomfortable. As natives of the Icefall region, the heat must've been worse for Lorelei and Corrie, yet neither complained.

The land near the tunnel was wild and untamed. However, as we headed further into the valley, we saw signs of civilization. Herds of grazing animals roamed the plains, tended to by shepherds. Soon, we saw tilled fields and farmsteads. More and more buildings appeared, until we came across an entire town.

It was a small and simple place, rustic even. While there were a few shops and other businesses, they existed to cater to the townsfolk and the students of the Solarian Imperial Academy. This wasn't a tourist destination.

"What is this place?" Corrie asked, still staring out the window.

"Sanctuary." I said, smiling at her. "The only town in the Valley of the Lost. It was here long before the Solarian Imperial Academy existed."

Lorelei glanced at me.

"The Valley of the Lost is a strange name for such a beautiful place." She said.

I nodded.

"It is," I said, "until you hear about how it was discovered. According to the story, a group of refugees fled into the mountains after a horde of monsters destroyed their home. By some miracle, they discovered this valley and settled here. They called it a refuge for the lost, thus the name." I gestured to the town outside. "That's also why this place is called Sanctuary."

Lorelei smiled.

"That's a beautiful story." She said. "I like it."

She looked outside the window again. Meanwhile, Corrie glanced at me with a frown on her face.

"In that case, what about the Solarian Imperial Academy?" She asked. "What's the story behind that?"

I shrugged.

"That one is far more mundane." I said. "The founders of the academy wanted some place isolated and protected, in order to foster a proper academic atmosphere. The Valley of the Lost was perfect for their needs. So, the founders struck a deal with the valley's inhabitants. In exchange for building here, the Solarian Imperial Academy would protect the Valley of the Lost. That's why there is a giant magical barrier surrounding the entire valley, and why it's forbidden to fly into the valley itself."

Corrie's frown deepened.

"I'm surprised they didn't just take over the entire valley." She said. "From what I've heard, the Houses are tyrannical and overbearing."

I smirked.

"Most of them aren't that bad." I said. "However, you're right in that they're used to getting their way." I frowned. "I don't know why the academy's founders made a deal with the locals instead of taking over the Valley of the Lost. As far as I know, no House rules this place."

Lorelei looked at us and frowned.

"Do you think a Clan was involved?" She asked.

I mulled it over for a bit.

"Hmm, it's possible." I said. "Everything I know about the Valley of the Lost and the Solarian Imperial Academy is general knowledge." I shrugged. "However, even if that's the case, it doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with us."

The others nodded, before falling silent. We traveled through Sanctuary and soon arrived at the Solarian Imperial Academy. To my disappointment, I didn't see any floating buildings or anything overtly magical. Instead, the Solarian Imperial Academy somewhat resembled a college campus on Earth. There were several buildings spread across a large area, including lecture halls, research laboratories, student dorms, and so on. They were all built from white stone and featured a lot of towers and spires.

Our carriages stopped in a plaza in the center of the Solarian Imperial Academy. In the middle of the plaza stood a large fountain made of white stone. At the top of the fountain stood three statues that depicted two men and one woman. All three wore robes and gave off a scholarly, studious air. The founders of the Solarian Imperial Academy, I assumed.

A group of people wearing black robes waited for us next to the fountain. Like the statues, they looked like scholars and professors. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with pale skin, salt-and-pepper hair, and blue eyes. Despite his apparent age, he looked fit and strong. The man wore an amiable smile on his face as he watched us.

My parents and their bodyguards exited their carriage, while my friends and I followed suit. The House Sturm retainers dismounted from their horses and fetched our luggage from the third carriage.

After we exited the carriages, the group of people in black robes approached us. The man with salt-and-pepper hair bowed to Father, while the others held back.

"Lord Sturm," the man said, "welcome to the Solarian Imperial Academy. It's a pleasure to see you again." He looked at Mother. "The same with you, Lady Sturm."

My parents gave the man slight bows in return.

"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Dean Whitaker." Father said in a polite tone.

Oh? Dean Whitaker, was it? So this man was the one in charge of the entire Solarian Imperial Academy.

"This is our son, Gabriel." Mother said, gesturing to me.

Dean Whitaker gave me a bow, while I gave him a slight bow in return. However, despite his apparent show of respect, I noticed a hint of disdain and ridicule in Dean Whitaker's eyes. Ah, another wizard who looked down on me. By this point, I was so used to it that I found it amusing rather than annoying or aggravating.

"Greetings, Lord Gabriel." Dean Whitaker said. "Your sister, Lady Kaylee, is one of our finest students. You must be very proud of her."

Ha! What a roundabout way to insult me. Praising my sister for being a good student, even though I hadn't qualified to attend the Solarian Imperial Academy. I resisted the urge to snicker.

"Yes, I am." I said with sincerity. "Kaylee was always better at magic than me." I gave him a knowing look. "I prefer more physical pursuits."

I threw that out there, just to see how Dean Whitaker would react. It paid off. Dean Whitaker's eyes widened in surprise. Just a fraction, but enough for me to notice. Meanwhile, about half of the black robed people behind the dean also reacted.

Interesting. Unless I was reading too much into this, Dean Whitaker and about half of the professors at the Solarian Imperial Academy knew about Murim and martial artists. I didn't know how much they knew, but they were at least aware.

"I see." Dean Whitaker said.

He no longer looked at me with disdain and ridicule. Instead, he seemed wary of me, almost hostile. We studied each other for a few moments, before Dean Whitaker faced my parents again.

"Will you be staying for the ball, Lord Sturm?" He asked them. "Lady Sturm?"

At the end of every semester, the Solarian Imperial Academy hosted a ball for its students as well as their families. They did this for two reasons. The first was that this gave the students and their families a chance to socialize and forge connections. The second reason was donations.

The Solarian Imperial Academy required a lot of resources to operate. Maintenance, supplies, etc. Sanctuary provided food and other basic necessities. However, the Solarian Imperial Academy required funds for everything else. Most of those funds came from the Houses in the form of donations.

Despite the delays, we arrived the day before the ball. That was why we brought our luggage with us. We would be staying here for at least one night. After the ball, we would head for Sunheart.

"Yes." Father said, his tone colder than before. "For Kaylee's sake, if nothing else."

Dean Whitaker seemed surprised by my father's change of attitude. I didn't know why. Roundabout or not, he still insulted me to my face, right in front of my parents. What did he expect would happen?

"I see." Dean Whitaker said, a bit unperturbed. "In that case, shall I show you to your quarters? Someone will tend to your carriages and your horses. I also sent a messenger to inform Lady Kaylee of your arrival. She will meet us there."

"Good." Mother said in a sharp tone. "I'm dealing with a headache right now." She looked right at Dean Whitaker when she said this. "Seeing my daughter will help lift my spirits."

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Dean Whitaker grew even more bewildered, but otherwise didn't react. Instead, he led us away from the plaza. My friends and I followed behind my parents, while the House Sturm retainers followed behind us. Meanwhile, the other professors and scholars remained behind to greet the other House scions who would arrive today.

The atmosphere of the Solarian Imperial Academy was quiet. Fitting for a sanctuary of learning and a bastion of knowledge. However, no one said a word as Dean Whitaker led our group to our quarters. There was tension in the air as my parents radiated anger and displeasure, while still maintaining polite expressions on their faces. Dean Whitaker looked like he wanted to start a conversation, but he wilted under my parents' ire every time. I almost felt bad for the man. Almost.

Our quarters turned out to be a small manor located along the outskirts of the Solarian Imperial Academy. Well, small being relative in this case. The manor was two stories tall, and large enough to house our entire group. The Solarian Imperial Academy even provided servants for us during our stay here. Ah, the privileges that came with status.

Once we arrived, the House Sturm retainers headed off to store our luggage and get themselves situated. Leroy, Lorelei, and Corrie went upstairs to pick out their rooms for the night. Meanwhile, I followed my parents as Dean Whitaker led us to the drawing room.

It was a simple space painted in bland and inoffensive colors, with no personal touches. The furniture was serviceable, but nothing special. In fact, from what I saw, that could describe the entire manor: simple, serviceable, and impersonal. Adequate.

At least, from my perspective as a House scion. For others, it might be lavish and luxurious.

Servants came by to offer us tea. Dean Whitaker started to say yes, but my parents cut him off and said no. The atmosphere grew awkward after that. The servants looked between my parents and Dean Whitaker, before they chose the better part of valor and left. Afterwards, my parents sat down while I stood behind them. They didn't offer Dean Whitaker a seat.

Rude and insulting, but my parents could get away with it. After all, Dean Whitaker needed us far more than we needed him. At the very worst, my parents could pull Kaylee out of the Solarian Imperial Academy. While graduating came with several benefits, it wasn't necessary. On the other hand, the Solarian Imperial Academy was always in need of funds.

A petty part of me found it satisfying to watch as Dean Whitaker swallowed back his anger.

"Now then," Father said. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Dean Whitaker?"

"Yes, there is." Dean Whitaker said with a hesitant expression on his face. "I should tell you about an incident that occurred at the beginning of the semester."

Father gave him a frosty look and didn't respond. Dean Whitaker swallowed.

"Lady Kaylee tried to leave the Valley of the Lost." The dean said. "Thankfully, we managed to find her before anything happened, but it was a near thing."

"Excuse me?" Father asked. "Why weren't we informed of this?"

I heard a faint rumbling and smelled a hint of ozone. Dean Whitaker held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Well, the rules are very strict, Lord Sturm." He said. "There is no entering or exiting the Valley of the Lost once it is sealed off. Even sending and receiving messages is forbidden."

"Aren't there exceptions to this rule?" Mother demanded.

Dean Whitaker nodded.

"Under specific circumstances, yes." He said. "We gave it a lot of thought and decided that it wasn't necessary to inform you of what happened. After all, we found Lady Kaylee safe and sound."

Mother no longer bothered with a polite facade and outright glared at Dean Whitaker.

"Did our daughter say why she tried to leave the Valley of the Lost?" Father asked.

Dean Whitaker shook his head.

"No." He said. "She just said that it involved Lord Gabriel's safety." He gestured to me. "However, as we can see, Lord Gabriel is fine. Besides, Lady Kaylee gave up after one attempt. Clearly, it wasn't a serious matter." He gave my parents an ingratiating smile. "I think Lady Kaylee just missed home and wanted to see her family. It happens sometimes with the students. They get homesick and make up all kinds of excuses to try and leave."

I froze at that. The Incident occurred at the beginning of the spring semester. It also happened a little after the point in time when Anna and Cally regressed. My heart started hammering in my chest. It looked like Kaylee was a regressor after all.

Father sighed. "It appears that we need to have a frank discussion with our daughter."

Dean Whitaker nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but a servant entered the room, interrupting him. He glared at her. She flinched.

"My lords." The servant said, bowing. "My lady."

"What is it?" Dean Whitaker. "Can't you see that we're in the middle of a discussion?"

"Lady Kaylee has arrived."

A thread of excitement and nervous wound around my heart. Finally, after twenty five years, I would see my little sister again. Not only that, but if I was right, she was a regressor like Anna and Cally. That meant it had been twenty five years for her as well. Talk about one hell of a reunion.

"Thank you." Father said. "Show her in." He looked at Dean Whitaker. "You may go now. We can speak again at the ball."

Dean Whitaker wore a sour expression on his face. However, he didn't argue. Instead, he bowed and left after saying his goodbyes.

"He's more insufferable than I realized." Mother muttered. "How come I never noticed before?"

"He's adept at putting on a facade." Father replied.

I wanted to chime in as well. However, just before I could, the door to the drawing room opened and the servant from before entered, followed by my sister.

Kaylee looked much as I remembered. While some of the details had faded from my mind, twenty five years was a long time after all, I remembered my sister's general appearance.

Similar to our mother, Kaylee had a small and dainty, almost doll-like, build. She even had Mother's fair skin. However, unlike me, she didn't inherit Mother's beauty. Instead, she inherited Father's sharp and striking looks. This, coupled with the silvery-blue hair and silvery blue eyes typical of House Sturm scions, gave her a rather distinctive appearance.

I noticed that Kaylee was at the upper end of Second Circle. This meant that in a few months, a year at most, she'd be at Third Circle. If she was a regressor like Cally, that would make her a force to be reckoned with. While I didn't remember much about Kaylee's magic, I knew she had an affinity for Air, Fire, and Lightning. This made her suited for offensive magic.

Like Dean Whitaker and the other professors, Kaylee wore a set of black robes. I assumed that this was just the uniform for the Solarian Imperial Academy. It contrasted with my sister's fair skin.

Our parents stood up to greet Kaylee. At first, when she entered, she wore an expression of icy indifference. However, the moment she saw our parents, her face crumbled and she teared up. She ran forward and embraced them both. The servant who led her here bowed and left without a word, giving us privacy.

"Father," Kaylee said, her voice thick with emotion, "Mother. I missed you both so much."

My parents shared a look, before focusing on Kaylee.

"Oh, my baby girl." Mother crooned. "We missed you too."

She stroked Kaylee's head.

"Did you have a hard time?" Father asked in a gentle voice.

I felt a familiar sting as I watched the rest of my family acting like this without me. During my first life, I always thought that I didn't have a place with them. Hell, a part of me thought they were excluding me on purpose.

However, I now realized that it had all been in my head. They never excluded me. It was all me. I had been the one holding myself back, full of fear and insecurity. With that thought, the sting faded away.

Still, I held myself back. Not because I was afraid of intruding, but because I didn't want to ruin the moment. If I was right and Kaylee was a regressor, she would assume I was a transmigrator possessing my body. Anna and Cally both thought as much, and I doubted my sister would be any different. In fact, she might react with extreme hostility.

I wanted to put that off for as long as possible. This was Kaylee's first time seeing our parents in twenty five years. Why mess it up?

However, to my dismay, Mother had other plans. She glanced back at me and gave me a warm smile.

"What are you doing over there, Gabriel?" She said. "Come here and say hello to your sister."

Kaylee pulled away from our parents.

"What?!" She asked. "But Gabriel…"

Her voice trailed off as noticed me. Damn it. Well, nothing for it now. I gave her a small wave with a sheepish smile on my face.

"Hey, Little Sis." I said.

A myriad of emotions flashed across Kaylee's face over the next few seconds. Shock, disbelief, and uncertainty, followed by pure rage. If looks could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over. By some miracle, our parents didn't notice any of this.

A moment later, the proverbial gate slammed shut. Kaylee wiped her eyes and hid her emotions behind a smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. It made my blood run cold. I preferred the rage over this.

"Gabriel, my Dear Brother." Kaylee said in a disturbingly sweet voice. "I'm so glad to see you. It's been so long." She reached out to me. "Come here and give me a hug."

During my first life, my sister never spoke to me like that. Never. From the confused looks on their faces, even my parents found her behavior strange. However, neither of them said anything.

"Ugh, no." I said, shivering. "Why are you acting like this? Stop it. You're giving me chills."

"What do you mean, Big Brother?" Kaylee said, still speaking in that sickeningly sweet voice. "I always act like this around you."

I snorted.

"No, you don't." I said. "You-We treated each other with cold indifference, especially these past few years." I frowned. "In fact, I think this is the first proper conversation we've had in a while."

This was the unfortunate truth about my relationship with Kaylee. We weren't close. We used to be, but then we grew apart. I can't remember why. Either I gave Kaylee the cold shoulder since I envied her talent for magic and she reciprocated, or she gave me the cold shoulder because I was an embarrassment to her. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

Despite this, I never stopped loving Kaylee. From her actions during the First Timeline, my sister felt the same way.

"Come now, Gabriel." Mother said. "Don't be like that. Give your sister a hug."

I gave her a pleading look, but she refused to relent. With no other choice, I let out a resigned sigh and walked over to give my sister a hug. Kaylee watched me with that creepy smile on her face the entire time.

The hug was awkward and uncomfortable for both of us. I think Kaylee tried to pinch me. However, wizards had pathetic strength compared to martial artists, so I didn't feel any pain. After we pulled apart, I resisted the urge to shake.

We all sat down after that. To my dismay, our parents encouraged me to sit next to Kaylee. Perhaps this was their attempt to force my sister and I to grow closer with one another. I made sure to put as much distance between us as possible. Afterwards, Mother summoned the servants to serve us tea. It was adequate.

As we drank our tea, Kaylee talked about her school life during the spring semester. The friends she made, the classes she took, and so on. It seemed normal enough to me. However, I noticed that Kaylee spent a lot of time building connections.

This wasn't unusual. In fact, it was expected. In many ways, the Solarian Imperial Academy was a microcosm of high society. The connections a House scion made as a student would aid them for the rest of their life. This was even more important for Kaylee, the heir apparent of House Sturm.

The thing was, she seemed almost… Aggressive when it came to making connections. Not only did she make a lot of friends, but many of them belonged to powerful and influential Houses. By the time she graduated from the Solarian Imperial Academy, Kaylee would have a strong and widespread social network.

Given what I knew, I assumed Kaylee was preparing for the invasion from the Infernal Lands and the destruction of House Sturm. Strong alliances would help with both.

"Enough about me." Kaylee said after speaking for close to an hour. "What have you been up to, Dearest Brother?" She quirked an eyebrow at me. "I'm surprised you accompanied Father and Mother here. You never did in the past."

True. Kaylee was about sixteen now, and she started attending the Solarian Imperial Academy at fourteen. Despite that, I never accompanied our parents when they picked her up.

"I thought it was time that I accepted reality instead of wallowing in self pity." I said with a shrug. "It's obvious that I will never be anything but a mediocre wizard at best." I paused for dramatic effect. "So I became an adventurer."

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