Hope?

The clatter of the demigod's hooves blended perfectly with the forest, and even Nathanos could feel the Tranquility, letting down his guard. Ten thousand years later, he had never truly seen Cenarius, and now he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

His upper body resembled that of Night Elf, while his lower body was that of a stag. Cenarius stood ten feet tall, supported by four unhooked legs. His eyes were golden, and his long, moss-like hair reached his shoulders. Leaves and twigs grew on his hair and beard. Cenarius had two enormous, imposing antlers on his head, which made him appear even taller.

"We've gone far enough," Nathanos reminded him, meaning to let Cenarius speak, since it was Cenarius who said he wanted to talk to him.

"May I have your name?"

"That doesn't matter; my name belongs to the person I was in life."

"So you're already dead?" the demigod asked.

Nathanos curled his lip. "You know perfectly well what I mean."

"Then why do you still move around like a living person?"

"None of your business!" Nathanos stopped in front of the demigod; he didn't want to go any further.

"Life and death are opposites, my child, but death is not the end. When my body is destroyed, my soul will enter the Emerald Dream, which is the afterlife for me. When the Night Elf die, the Moon Goddess will guide them into her kingdom."

Nathanos turned around, his crimson eyes meeting the golden ones. "You want to tell me that every soul has a place to go after death?"

"Yes! Think about it carefully, child. How does your race view death?"

The Holy Light! Nathanos immediately thought of the Holy Light! Uther, his parents and relatives, and many others—they all believed in the Holy Light and thought they could enter Heaven after death. Besides them, there were also the Kul Tiras; Nathanos had heard they worshipped the tides.

"How my race views death is no longer my concern. I don't even have any hope for them."

"So you think the person you used to care about won't accept you anymore?"

"It's not a belief," Nathanos said, closing his eyes solemnly. "It's just the truth."

They fell silent for a moment. A kingfisher perched on Cenarius's head. Nathanos watched, thinking to himself that he might never again experience life.

"Then why are you here? Why are you in this era?"

"What? So you knew all along!" Nathanos stared at him in surprise, simultaneously filled with fear of Cenarius's power. Even Azshara couldn't tell he came from the future. Nathanos was very curious about how the demigod before him knew.

"Don't be surprised, I was just speculating." Cenarius began to walk back, Nathanos close behind. "I mentioned the Emerald Dream before, have you heard of it?"

"No."

"The Emerald Dream is what Azeroth was like in its original state. It is a reflection of Azeroth before it was transformed by intelligent beings. The land there is beautiful and pure—with rolling hills, dense forests, and vast grasslands. Plants and animals enjoy boundless freedom here. Even the towering mountains embrace lush vegetation and tranquil valleys."

"But its name also says that it is a dream."

Cenarius looked up and pushed aside the branches blocking his way. "It really exists."

"It sounds like another world," Nathanos murmured.

"My student Malfurion initially thought so too. But the Emerald Dream and Azeroth are indeed in the same world; they share the sun, the tides, the sky, and even the passage of time."

"I don't understand, demigod. What does telling me this have to do with your knowledge that I come from the future?"

"The Emerald Dream allows observation of the real world. I know all the races in the world— Night Elf, Troll, even dragons. But I have never seen a creature like you, or that friend who is called an 'Orcs'."

"I see!" Nathanos nodded, but then a new question arose in his mind. If Cenarius knew about the Orcs in this era, why didn't he negotiate with them before launching a direct attack when Orcs invaded Ashenvale ten thousand years later?

Perhaps the demigods have poor memories, or perhaps... their appearance in this era is a mistake.

Change history!

These four words flashed through Nathanos's mind, filling him with both joy and fear. If only he could go back to the time before his death, if only he could avoid his own demise...

"Could you tell me more about the Emerald Dream?"

"You're back, Grand Master."

Malfurion's voice calmed Nathanos, who had been ecstatic all the way. The battlefield had been cleaned up, and the members of the Sisterhood of Elune had returned, but Tyrande remained.

"Let me introduce you, Malfurion, this friend is your new ally," Cenarius said, pointing to Nathanos. Everyone was surprised, especially Broxigar, who couldn't understand why a demigod would accept an Undead.

Nathanos was also surprised. Why hadn't Cenarius told him about this? He was about to speak up to explain, but a voice in his mind silenced him. That voice was Cenarius's.

'Listen to me, child. Go through this disaster with my students, and you'll find many answers.'

Malfurion glanced at Nathanos, only reacting when Tyrande touched his hand. "This is a good thing, and I must thank this friend for saving my life. However, I still don't know your name."

"You can call me 'Undead' like this Orcs does. My name... doesn't matter anymore!"

Undead? Malfurion frowned; he disliked the name, finding it too somber. The Druids assumed the Undead was a sarcastic jab at the Orcs, and looked at Broxigar.

"You can also call them the Undead, or the Scourge; that's what the Horde call them."

"Let's call Undead then." Malfurion nodded, then got to the point. "There was a man named Krasus who said he belonged to the Dragons ..."

"Krasus? That name sounds familiar." Nathanos couldn't help but speak, drawing strange looks from him. "Excuse me, please continue."

"He found his own kind and went to seek the help of the Dragons."

"And that human." Broxigar seemed to still be thinking about him.

"Yes, Rhonin went with him too."

'Rhonin?' Nathanos's eyes were fixed on the Druids was giving a detailed account of the situation. 'So it was him!'