Kael tried to wake Reiro.
There was no response.
Reiro lay still, breathing slow and steady, but completely unconscious. Kael searched his body carefully, expecting to find broken bones or deep wounds.
There were none.
No visible injuries at all.
Kael frowned.
"Hey," he said inwardly, "Blood Beast. Can you heal him too?"
"No," the Blood Beast replied immediately. "Impossible."
Kael stiffened.
"What do you mean impossible? You healed me."
"That is because I am inside your body," the Blood Beast said flatly. "I understand you. I am part of you. His body is different. His structure, his soul, his circulation. I cannot interfere."
Kael clenched his jaw.
"Then what do we do?"
"Wait," the Blood Beast said. "He will wake up."
Kael hesitated.
"Really?"
"Yes," it replied. "Your attack did not damage his body. It struck his soul. Recovery takes time."
Kael exhaled slowly.
Carefully, he gathered both swords. His own, and Reiro's, still lying where it had fallen. He carried Reiro inside the small structure nearby and laid him gently on the bed.
This must be where he lives, Kael thought.
After making sure Reiro was stable, Kael stepped back outside. He sat down near the entrance, his sword resting beside him.
The morning air was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kael looked up at the sky.
Grandpa, he thought, I hope you are well.
"Kael," a voice replied calmly. "I am well."
Kael froze.
His eyes widened.
"Grandpa?" he said aloud. "How? Where are you?"
"Don't worry," Victor's voice answered. "I'm speaking through my contracted pet. Ki is always nearby."
Kael looked around instinctively.
"But you can't see him yet," Victor continued, amused. "And that is fine."
There was a brief pause.
"I saw your fight," Victor said. "And your new partner."
He chuckled softly.
"You are using that Blood Beast," he added. "Good. Use him. But do not rely on him alone."
Kael listened, silent.
"I can see you growing," Victor continued, his voice warm but firm. "Faster than you realize. Develop yourself. Learn control. Learn restraint."
Kael had tears in his eyes, but he held them back.
"Grandpa… how are you? I missed you. I missed Beatrice. I miss everyone."
"Kael after acting strong,now you are shedding tears just because you heard my voice.We all are fine,my bot,just waiting for your safe arrival.Kael I know you have a lot to ask but listen to me."
"Night Ray,they are going for soul stone.you know this but why?I think you have this question.so let me answer you. The 3 stones,life stone,beast stone and soul stone,they are the force holding and keeping the world stable,if someone were to have all this stone then that person can control all the 3 world as they please,they can change the whole reality,I don't know what exactly this Night Ray wants but,we will have to stop them if we want for our loved ones to have a future.Life stone was in Ivan,as we know,soul stone is in soul world,lastly the beast stone."
"the beast stone was with my childhood friend,our friendship broked after some something happened in our past,It was my mistake,I chosed this land instead of my loved ones.kael that's why I want you to choose your loved ones."
"Kael the man who had the beast stone,his name was Jake,and sadly his behind all this.I used my blood eye to look into Garrick's pastI can't see everyone's past but in this case it worked.so Kael I am going to tell you two things,Firstly about me and jake, secondly Garrick."
Kael calmly replied,"Ok Grandpa,I will"
[Victor's Past]
Victor lay on a small rise just outside the village, his back against the roots of a tall tree that had stood there longer than anyone remembered.
Warm wind passed through the leaves above him, slow and steady. The scent of grass and earth filled the air.
He stared at the sky, unmoving.
Jake climbed up the slope a moment later and stopped beside him.
"What are you doing here, Victor?" he asked.
"Nothing," Victor replied calmly. "Just lying here."
He shifted slightly, one hand resting behind his head.
"In this warm wind. Under this tree," he continued. "It's quiet. Comfortable."
He paused, then added softly, "This… this is my home."
Jake sighed.
"There you go again," he said. "Talking like an old man."
Victor did not respond.
"Come on," Jake continued. "Your father's calling you. He said he's teaching us something new today."
That got Victor's attention.
He sat up instantly.
"Something new?" he repeated, eyes lighting up.
In one smooth motion, he was on his feet.
"Then why are we still here?" Victor said, already moving. "Let's go."
He took off toward the village without waiting.
Jake stared after him for a second before breaking into a run.
"It's really hard to understand you sometimes," he muttered, chasing after him.
The wind continued to move through the tree's leaves long after they were gone.
The village of Pylore was larger than most.
Nearly eight hundred people lived there, spread across fields, workshops, and stone homes that had stood for generations. It was not ruled by a single bloodline, but shaped by four clans, each carrying a different legacy.
Aran.
Voran.
Keldor.
Sanguis.
Those who achieved something worthy of remembrance were given a mark of honor. A single letter added to their name.
P.
It stood for Pylore.
Not a title of birth.
A title earned.
The Keldor clan was known for physical strength. Their warriors relied on discipline, endurance, and bodies forged through relentless labor.
The Aran clan was different. They guarded secret techniques and blood arts passed down in silence, never written, never shared outside their blood.
The Voran clan worshipped the Soul King. Their arts revolved around shadows and soul manipulation, methods drawn from devotion rather than lineage.
The Sanguis clan once worshipped the Blood Beast itself.
They were feared. Revered. Hunted.
Now, they were almost extinct.
Those who survived were scattered across the continent, hiding among other clans, with only a few small groups still living in Pylore.
Jake was born into the Keldor clan.
Keldors carried a tradition of their own. They added Kel to their names in honor of their founder.
Kelma.
The legendary warrior.
The man remembered as the one who ended the Great Calamity, the war between the Souls and the Blood Beast.
With nothing but raw strength and the sword Karma, Kelma did what no mage or king could. He forced the world itself to yield.
A normal human.
Whose hard work became something too great for the world to ignore.
He cleaved the original realm, splitting the World of Souls and the Blood Beast into three parts.
They had once been a single existence.
Now, there were two Soul Worlds.
"Seeing them with my own eyes, I no longer doubted the truth of the story."
Jake admired Kelma more than anyone.
He wanted to be like him.
Strong enough to make the world listen.