Not long after Lantis and Shinre left Cephiro, the royal announcement declared that a new city would be built. This city, Neo Cephiro. Neo-Cephiro was planned to be a massive city, accommodating millions of people from various nations—Cephiro, Fahren, Chizeta, Autozam, and Runes—serving as the capital for the five nations striving for unity. Everyone welcomed the news with great joy.
By the fourth month after the Runes-Cephiro Second War ended, efforts to construct the city began to take shape. Thousands of people flocked to the site and started clearing the land. Meanwhile, hundreds of large warships frequently flew over the skies of Cephiro and Runes. The Albatross Vision readily provided all the materials needed for everyone to build the city. Hundreds of carpenters and masons worked tirelessly, supported by the powers of mighty monsters and djinns. Sorcerers designed grand and beautiful castles. The towers and skyscrapers were soaring into the sky and shining under the sunlight. Never before had there been buildings like this in Cephiro. The people of Runes even judged this new castle to be more magnificent than their former Iron Palace. The wind blowing through the towers echoed mystical melodies, and from the peak, one could see all of Cephiro, Fahren, Runes, and Chizeta in the distance.
Surrounding the main castle, which housed the royal family and generals, soldier settlements were established. Outside the soldier settlements, trade zones were built where the people could interact. Houses and large buildings were constructed. In addition to dirt roads, special lanes for flying vehicles were made, with the people of Autozam becoming the experts. They built sizeable underground water tunnels, connecting springs in the mountains to every resident's home. Large power plants provided ample energy... Every night, the city sparkled, rivaling the stars in the sky.
Beyond all that, fields, farms, and plantations spread out. People cultivated nearly every kind of commodity. In some areas, large farms sprawled, as well as gigantic mines. Further still, battlefields were created to train militaries, not to fight with each other, but to support the future with their might. Small towns began to emerge in the remnants of destroyed settlements. Giant roads were made connecting each slowly developing town. Open borders allowed many people to freely pass from Runes and other places to Cephiro and again from anywhere.
Such was the picture of Neo Cephiro, the city of the five nations. However, some places could no longer be inhabited. Drenched in destructive light, the old lands of Cephiro began to turn into dead soil where springs started to dry up. The great death there turned the area into a vast grave for fallen soldiers and magic swordsmen. The massive craters created by battles could never be filled. Some surviving castles became a cause for concern and ultimately collapsed.
After months of the people and the royal family flocking to the new city, at the end of the 24th month, two years after the war ended, the old capital of Cephiro was officially abandoned. No one looked back at the dead city. Time indeed played its role. The desolation became evident, with tall grasses and wild trees decorating the land. Large, moss-covered stones began to decay. The roads that once existed vanished. The greenery only occurred during spring. In summer, everything dried up. In winter, everything turned white and then shattered.
"Umi, let's go..." Fuu said, tugging at her hand. Umi remained still, touching the trunk of a dead tree. "What are you doing?"
Umi took out red, blue, and green ribbons. She tied them to one of the branches, then closed her eyes to pray and opened them again. "We won't return here anymore."
"Yes," Fuu thought to herself. "It's been two years..."
"Yeah. We have to move on," Umi sighed. "Ah, I shouldn't be sad. Haven't we been living without her all this time? But still…"
Fuu immediately hugged Umi. "I know, the decision to stop the searching is so heavy. After two years of hoping to find her, it's painful to stop struggling. I can still wait, but Ferio can't. He said we must go forward to the future."
"I don't blame him. He's right; everyone is so tired. If we want to build a future, we must be brave enough to let go of the past." Fuu looked at Umi. Umi nodded to reassure her. "Let's go home."
The two women turned to the group of soldiers who had been waiting for them. They received the latest news from the last search team that had just returned. After a few brief discussions, they all started the journey to Neo Cephiro.