Kaen sat alone on a thick branch, high above the forest floor. The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting silver patterns over his face. His eyes were distant, lost in thought — in memory — in doubt.
A sudden rustle in the bushes below pulled him from his thoughts. He tensed.
"Who's there?" he called out sharply, his voice echoing slightly in the silent woods.
A familiar voice responded gently, "It's me. Vira."
Kaen looked down to see her emerging from the shadows. Vira — the girl who had fought beside him when the shadow beasts attacked. She stepped closer, her wind-touched hair swaying as softly as her voice.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," she said, her eyes meeting his.
"And yet here you are," Kaen replied, a faint smirk breaking through his stormy expression.
Vira smiled, but her gaze held concern. "I came because… I figured you'd be here. After everything, I thought maybe you needed someone to talk to."
Vira climbed up and sat on the branch beside Kaen, brushing the bark off her hands. There was a moment of silence between them—calm, but filled with unspoken thoughts.
"I never got the chance to thank you," Kaen said, not looking at her. "For helping me back there… during the attack."
"You don't have to," Vira replied with a soft smile. "I only did what I had to."
She extended her hand toward him. "I'm Vira, by the way. Just Vira."
Kaen looked at her, then shook her hand hesitantly. "Kaen. Though… I guess you already knew that."
"I did," she said, amused. "Everyone knows your name now."
Kaen looked away.
He hesitated, then asked, "The boy who fought with you… the one with thelightning power. Who is he?"
Vira chuckled. "That's Zei. He's my younger brother. Two years younger, actually. A bit reckless, but talented."
"Zei…" Kaen repeated quietly. "You both work well together."
Vira smiled fondly. "We've been training together since we were kids. Fighting side by side—it's second nature now."
As dawn painted the sky in pale hues, Vira climbed down from the tree. "You should come back," she said gently. "Even if they fear you… not everyone hates you."
Kaen didn't respond at first. His violet-glowing mark pulsed faintly, then dimmed. He stared off into the woods for a moment longer before hopping down beside her.
"I'm not going back for them," he murmured. "I'm going because I still need answers."
Vira nodded, understanding his words without prying further.
They walked through the forest in silence, their footsteps soft against dew-kissed leaves. Birds had just begun to sing, but the weight in the air hadn't lifted.
As Vira approached the gates of Emberhold, the guards—tired and nursing injuries from the night's attack—straightened up in surprise.
"Vira," one of them said. "You're safe…"
But their words trailed off as they noticed the figure behind her—Kaen, his cloak fluttering in the wind, his expression unreadable.
"He's back…" one guard whispered. "The Void Marked."
Vira stepped forward. "He saved lives last night. He's not your enemy."
The silence around them thickened, tension unspoken but heavy. Kaen's eyes scanned the village, the buildings he once knew, the faces now older but still filled with unease.
He had returned.
Master Thallos stood near the training yard, his robes rustling gently in the wind. He had just returned from inspecting the aftermath of the beast attack when he heard quiet murmurs ripple through the town.
He turned—and his breath caught.
Kaen stood there. Alive. The boy who vanished under a sky drenched in fear and fire had returned.
Relief surged through Thallos like a crashing wave, though he kept his composure. He stepped forward, eyes soft. "Kaen…"
Kaen simply nodded, then turned his gaze toward the training ground.
Zei was there—still sharp, still focused—practicing swift strikes with twin daggers. His movements were clean and precise, a sign of consistent training. Kaen watched silently, not interrupting, just observing. There was something grounding about it. Something unchanged.
Then Thallos turned toward the town bell and gestured for it to be rung.
Moments later, the town hall filled with murmuring voices.
The townspeople, still shaken from the previous night's attack, gathered anxiously. Whispers about the Void Mark. About Kaen. About fate.
Thallos stood at the front, hands raised.
"We cannot ignore what happened last night," he said. "Nor can we ignore the one who helped protect us."
He looked directly at Kaen, who stood near the doorway, not fully inside.
"He is no longer the child we cast out. He is stronger now. Controlled. And whether you accept it or not—he may be the only one who can help us face what's coming."
A few murmurs grew louder. One man rose. "But his marks… you said they were gone!"
Another chimed in, "You said the ceremony would protect us! But he's still cursed!"
Kaen clenched his fists.
Thallos raised his hand again. "I said what I believed then. But the truth… the truth is that we don't fully understand the Void."
The crowd murmured in confusion and disbelief. Fear clung to their voices like shadows to a flame.
But Thallos raised his staff and struck it lightly against the floor—a sharp, ringing tone echoed through the hall, silencing the room.
"With the rising threat of the Shadow Beasts and the signs we can no longer ignore…" he began, his voice steady and commanding, "I must make an announcement."
He turned toward Kaen, Vira, and Zei—each standing at a different edge of the hall, uncertain, but watching.
"The world of Aetheris is no longer safe. Darkness spreads not just across Emberhold, but across every corner of our realm. The time of waiting is over. The time of acting has come."
A pause.
"I, Thallos of the Order of Scales, hereby declare the formation of a new savior circle."
Gasps rose from the crowd. This hadn't happened in decades.
"This trio—Kaen of the Void Flame, Vira of the Soaring Gale, and Zei of the Cutting Wind—will be our new defenders. They will train, fight, and rise together. They are not just protectors of Emberhold…" he looked over the gathering with fire in his eyes.
"…They are the protectors of Aetheris itself."
A hush swept the hall.
Kaen's eyes widened. Vira straightened her posture. Zei looked away, trying to hide the flicker of pride forming beneath his quiet demeanor.
As the townspeople slowly began to disperse from the town hall, whispering in excitement and unease, Kaen remained still—processing everything. Vira gave him a small smile of encouragement, then followed her father outside.
Only Zei stayed behind.
He stood motionless near the doorway, hands clenched at his sides, his brows furrowed in frustration.
Thallos noticed. "Zei?" he asked gently.
Zei took a deep breath, then turned to face the old master. "I don't want to be in their group," he said flatly.