The Ball of the Past I

Draped in holy white robes and clad in silver armor, they carried spears and halberds. The patterns on the spears were beautiful Templar crosses, while the halberds resembled sharp spears with spread wings beneath their points. Lower down, Swallowtail Banners hung from the shafts, painted with crosses, the Radiant Sun, angels, and saints.

In ornate lettering, the banners read, "Tuiennsiorchumree," meaning the Holy Sword Beneath the Radiance.

There were elves among the ranks, with pointed ears and long golden hair tied into braids. Their warhorses were draped in white as well, decorated with patterns of sun thorns.

The entire procession was shrouded in a faint white glow as it moved slowly through the forest, yet it made no sound at all, making the scene look utterly bizarre.

"Lord! Lord!" Medisa tugged at him twice before he came to his senses. Brando let out a breath. This was the Graysius Knight Order Kingdom's Holy Church Knights, exactly as he had seen them in "Amber." No—perhaps it was that very same group.

"Rosa!" someone in the procession cried out in alarm. A knight stumbled out of the ranks. "Rosa, Rosa? Where did you go?"

"Stop him!" Brando snapped back to reality, but the people beside him were a step too slow, and the knight soon vanished into the pitch-black forest. The procession immediately grew restless, and he hurriedly shouted a warning: "Don't look over there. It's an illusion in your mind. It exists only in your memories. Those are the dream-mists of the Nameless Ones, tangled together with your dreams. If you give in to temptation, you'll join 'them' and be replaced by 'them'—"

Brando had already established his authority during the battles before this. His words made everyone stiffen, and the procession indeed settled down considerably. But Brando still saw some