"The wolf… was a human?" Tharic asked, his voice low with disbelief.
Kyro shook his head slowly. "I don't know what's going on. But I think it's best we ask Elaara. She might know something we don't."
Tharic nodded reluctantly. "You're right."
Kyro turned his attention back to him, his brows furrowing. "But why did you come back, Tharic? Didn't you say you wanted no part of my journey?"
Tharic glanced at him, then looked away. "Yeah… I thought so too. But I realized I was wrong about what I said earlier."
He turned his head aside, his face shadowed with embarrassment. "And for that, I'm sorry… Kyro."
Kyro's eyes widened. It was the first time Tharic had spoken his name directly to him.
"I told you to abandon your journey to protect yourself," Tharic continued, his voice trembling. "But in truth, all I was doing was protecting my own fear—my fear of watching someone else I know die at the hands of evil… just like my mother."
"That's right… your mother," Kyro recalled, remembering the conversation he'd had with Oliver.
"Your father told us about her death back at Pinehollow," Kyro added, his tone soft. "I'm sorry for your loss. If possible… I'd like to hear about her. Not just how she died, but also how she lived."
Tharic's eyes widened, stunned. "You want to—?"
Kyro scratched his chin awkwardly. "Maybe then I can understand you better. We could even be better friends. Not that we weren't before, but…"
He rambled on, but Tharic barely heard him. The boy couldn't believe what Kyro was saying. Never before had someone his age cared enough to want to understand him—let alone call him a friend.
Smiling faintly, Tharic interrupted Kyro's nervous chatter. He sat down in the grass and gestured for Kyro to do the same. "Very well. Let me tell you about my mother… and what happened to her."
Kyro immediately fell silent, nodding, and sat beside him.
Tharic spoke for nearly half an hour, recounting his childhood, his mother's kindness, and the day Pinehollow fell apart.
At last, he finished with a weary sigh. "And that's why I've been so pessimistic and fearful since the moment I met you. I thought I was being brave by trying to save you… but the truth is, I was just running from my own fears." He lowered his head in shame.
"I see," Kyro said after a pause. His expression softened. "I don't think you need to apologize for that, Tharic."
Tharic looked up in surprise. "Huh? But—"
Kyro chuckled warmly. "If I were in your place, I'd probably feel the same. Losing friends… losing your own mother… that's a pain no one recovers from easily. Honestly, given the state Sylmora is in, I think the way you handled it was completely justified."
Tharic stared at him for a long moment, then lifted his gaze toward the night sky. "Kyro…"
"Yeah?"
"Just as I once tried to protect my mother… I want to protect you, too. I've realized I can't be the flame that guides others. But I can shield that flame, keep it alive for our people… just as I tried to do for her."
He turned toward Kyro and bowed his head, voice breaking. "I see a spark of hope in you—hope that could free us from this cursed history. Please… let me protect it! I want to try again!"
A gust of wind swept through the clearing, leaving silence in its wake.
Then Kyro laughed.
Tharic jerked his head up, flustered. "What? Why are you laughing?"
"Why are you even asking me?" Kyro grinned, wiping a tear from his eye. "Of course I want you by my side. That's not even a question. You think I can save an entire country by myself? Don't be ridiculous!"
He stood, brushing off the grass, and extended a hand to Tharic. "So enough of this. I accept your apology. Let's do it—let's save Sylmora together."
Tharic looked at his hand, then at Kyro. But for a moment, his gaze drifted further—into the distance. There, faint and shimmering, he saw the image of his mother smiling at him. Tears welled in his eyes.
"I won't disappoint you again… Mother," he whispered.
"What's wrong? Are you crying?" Kyro asked, noticing the glint of tears.
Startled, Tharic quickly wiped them away and put on a serious face. "Not at all. You must be seeing things."
"There's that side of you again!" Kyro laughed.
Tharic smirked and got to his feet. "Enough sappy talk for one night. Let's head back to Elaara and tell her the good news."
Kyro nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Later, the three of them sat around a wooden table at Elaara's home.
"You fended them off? I'm impressed. Thank you," Elaara said, smiling warmly.
Kyro chuckled and slung an arm around Tharic's shoulders. "Well, I couldn't have done it without this guy."
Tharic brushed him off, scowling. "Knock it off. It's not that big a deal."
"Of course it is!" Kyro shot back, grinning. "You even used that super cool technique where—"
As they bickered playfully, Elaara smiled quietly to herself.
"The energy between them is so different now. It's been a long time since I've seen such lively young people… not since Hunter and Wolf in their younger days."
"You two," she interrupted gently.
They stopped instantly and looked at her.
"You've earned my trust. Completely."
Kyro's face lit up. "We did it! Let's go!"
Elaara leaned forward. "So, what is it you wanted to know about the aether hunters you encountered?"
"Actually," Kyro said, shifting the topic. "There's something else we want to ask—about the wolf we fought."
"Oh?" Elaara raised a brow.
"The leader was unlike anything we'd ever seen," Kyro explained. "A tall, muscular, white wolf walking on two legs. It wore tattered shorts with a silver belt."
Tharic added, "And when we killed it… it turned back into a human."
Elaara's eyes widened. "A human?"
Kyro nodded. "Do you know anything about it?"
Her expression shifted from shock to sorrow as old memories stirred. "The man you describe sounds eerily familiar… He once lived here, in this very village."
Kyro leaned forward. "What do you mean?"
"Many years ago, there was a farmer among us. He always wore shorts and a silver belt as he worked his fields. One day, the aether hunters came. They took many of our people, including him. I overheard them speaking of experiments—horrible experiments meant to fuse human and animal, to create hybrid soldiers to strengthen their ranks."
Her voice faltered, but she pressed on. "He must have been one of them. The process twisted him into something that was neither fully man nor beast. By the end… he was more monster than human."
Kyro clenched his fists. "Hybrid species… How much more evil could these aether hunters be?"
Elaara's gaze hardened as she met his eyes. "You'd be surprised, Kyro. If you think that's the worst of what they've done… you have no idea."
Elaara glanced at Tharic, who seemed lost in thought after her explanation. "If I had to guess," she said, her tone steady, "this won't be the last of them you encounter. So be prepared to fight more as they come."
"But… why would they do such a thing?" Tharic asked, frowning.
Kyro looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why go through the trouble of transforming humans? I thought their entire goal was to steal aether from others. Doesn't this defeat that purpose?"
Elaara gave a small, knowing smile. "You're absolutely right, young one. But I'm afraid even those of us who've lived for decades don't have an answer. The Aether Hunters have shifted their methods so often that their actions rarely seem to follow any single purpose."
"I see…" Tharic murmured, still trying to piece it together.
"Forgive me if that wasn't helpful," Elaara added softly.
Tharic shook his head. "You've already helped us more than enough. Don't worry about it."
Elaara sipped from her mug before continuing. "As for your earlier question… I do know of the First Order—and another large Aether Hunter faction known as the Second Order."
"Second Order?" both boys echoed in surprise.
Elaara nodded. "Over the years, these two groups have become the primary forces that most hunters eventually align with. The First Order controls the eastern territories of Sylmora, while the Second Order has established itself in the central region."
Kyro leaned forward quickly. "Wait, what about the west?"
Elaara's expression darkened. "Since long before my time, no one has dared to pass Thornveil Row—the mountains that guard Sylmora's western edge. Even the most desperate Aether Hunters keep their distance. No one truly knows what lurks beyond. Not even the capital from what I recall as well."
"Mysterious, huh?" Kyro's eyes lit up with excitement. "When I get the chance, I'd love to explore it!"
Elaara's gaze lingered on him, recalling his earlier vow. "Boy," she said evenly.
Kyro stopped mid-celebration and turned. "Hmm?"
"Are you serious about saving Sylmora?" she asked, her voice calmer this time, almost searching.
Kyro straightened, his expression firm. "Absolutely. I want to protect the people of Sylmora from the Aether Hunters once and for all."
Elaara studied his face carefully, looking for even the slightest hint of doubt.
At last, she sighed. "Very well. But understand this—I've lived long enough to see countless promises like yours. Many shouted the same words, but nearly all fell short. Some died, others gave up before even reaching the halfway point."
Her eyes dimmed with memory. "Even the best of the best—the only group that once gave Sylmora hope—perished and abandoned their cause many years ago."
Kyro clenched his fist. "Then I'll be different. Because I will do it."
Elaara shook her head. "Proclaim it from the mountaintops if you like, but words won't convince anyone anymore. People have suffered too long. Only results will."
"Then I'll prove it with results!" Kyro exclaimed, his voice echoing with conviction.
Tharic let out a long sigh. "Easier said than done, hero."
Kyro groaned. "Oh, come on! Not you too!"
"Of course, I say that in jest," Tharic replied. "But to truly show results, to give all of Sylmora hope again… that will be a long, brutal road. It won't come easy. Trust me—I know, even from the little life I've lived so far. Giving them results, something to cheer for…is the only way as of right now."
"I know," Kyro admitted, nodding. "I never expected it to be easy."
Then, a sudden thought struck him. He turned to Elaara. "Wait a second, how have you survived all these years? Shouldn't the Aether Hunters have come for you, especially now that you're older?"
"Kyro!" Tharic snapped. "What kind of question is that to ask, why someone is still alive?"
Elaara chuckled gently. "No, it's fine. It's not a bad thing to be curious. You see, the Aether Hunters prefer younger prey. The younger a person is, the more aether they carry. As we age, the amount of aether within us diminishes until there is none left… and when that happens, death soon follows."
Her tone grew quieter. "That doesn't mean I'm safe, of course. It's still entirely possible one day they'll come for me—and I won't escape."
"I see," Kyro whispered, recalling the old man in Ashcrest who had chosen death when the Hunters drew near.
Elaara rose from her chair, stretching and stifling a yawn. "In any case, unlike you two, I'm old—and exhausted. Let's continue this conversation tomorrow morning."
The boys nodded as Elaara disappeared down the hallway, leaving them in thoughtful silence.