— A Family Walks Together
The Awakening Hall finally fell silent.
The runes dimmed.
The orb rested.
The last echo of footsteps faded behind the closing crystal doors.
Only then did Queen Elara turn toward her family, her voice soft and warm.
"Let us go to the dining hall. We should speak of today… together."
King Alistair nodded gently, a quiet breath leaving him as the weight of ceremony settled.
The elite knights bowed and stepped back to clear residual mana.
Princess Aria had other priorities.
She ran straight to Arcanis, grabbed the hem of his ceremonial robe, tilted her head up, and declared with absolute conviction—
"Brother. Pick me up!"
Queen Elara's expression sharpened instantly.
"Aria," she said with the dignity of a queen, "royal etiquette—"
But her son had already moved.
Arcanis lowered himself onto one knee with calm grace.
Aria blinked, stunned.
Elara blinked.
Even King Alistair paused mid-step.
The Crown Prince lifted his hand, gently brushed Aria's cheek, and leaned in—
—placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
Aria froze.
Then burst into a squeal so bright it softened the air itself.
"Again!"
Arcanis only took her hand—steady, gentle, composed—and rose smoothly.
"Walk with me," he said. "We'll go together."
Aria nodded so fiercely her ribbons shook, practically bouncing beside him.
Elara's breath softened into a quiet smile behind her fingertips.
Alistair's shoulders eased, pride flickering across his eyes.
For a brief moment, the morning's miracle felt distant.
Here, Arcanis wasn't a prodigy or a future monarch—
He was their son.
Her brother.
Their family.
They walked through the frost-lit corridors of Frostglass Palace.
Servants stopped mid-step.
Hands pressed to hearts.
Warm whispers followed them:
"Look how close they are…"
"Our kingdom's heart is strong."
And the palace, ancient and proud, seemed to glow a little brighter as the Vael royal family passed through together.
— Lunch in the Palace Dining Hall
The royal dining hall glimmered under a chandelier carved from frozen light.
Servants moved with practiced grace, placing warm dishes across the long marble table—spiced fish, soft breads, glazed vegetables, pastries—
And a plate of fresh cookies directly in front of Aria.
That was all she needed.
She climbed onto Arcanis's lap like a tiny conqueror claiming territory.
"Mine," she declared, hugging the entire plate.
Arcanis didn't move her.
He simply placed a hand behind her back to keep her from falling off.
Queen Elara smiled behind her fingers.
King Alistair shook his head, half stern, half amused.
When the meal settled, the conversation shifted.
Alistair intertwined his fingers, expression turning thoughtful.
"Arcanis," he began, "your awakening… we should speak of it."
The table fell into a warm, respectful quiet.
Arcanis remained composed, his star-white eyes soft beneath the chandelier's glow.
Queen Elara's voice floated next, gentle yet filled with awe.
"Three elements… and potential that defies recorded history," she murmured. "It is a gift few worlds ever witness."
The king nodded.
"It may draw attention from distant empires, even if we hide the truth. But remember—"
His gaze steadied on his son.
"You awakened today not because fate demanded it, but because you grew capable of carrying it."
Aria shifted in Arcanis's lap, crumbs smearing across her cheek.
Without hesitation, Arcanis lifted a napkin and wiped her face clean.
Queen Elara's heart warmed visibly.
"You are so calm," she whispered. "More than your father ever was at your age."
King Alistair choked on air.
Aria giggled.
Arcanis's lips lifted a fraction—barely a smile, yet enough to make Aria beam with triumph.
Queen Elara placed her hand atop the king's.
"Whatever lies ahead," she said softly, "we face it together."
"Together," Alistair echoed.
Arcanis looked at all three of them—his mother, father, and sister curled comfortably on his lap—and answered with a single, steady word:
"Yes."
Cold in tone.
Warm in meaning.
Fully his.
— The World Revealed
After the meal, when Aria entered battle with her final cookie and lost spectacularly, King Alistair stood.
"Come with me," he said to Arcanis. "There is something you must understand."
Queen Elara took Aria to wash her hands.
The king led Arcanis through a quiet side corridor into his private study.
A massive crystal map covered the back wall—alive with mana threads, each continent outlined by flowing light.
Alistair placed his palm upon the shimmering surface.
"This," he said quietly, "is our world."
Arcanis stepped closer, his gaze sharpening.
The map pulsed, dividing into seven continents.
Alistair began:
"Here… is Aravell."
His finger touched the smallest peninsula on the human continent.
"A peaceful kingdom. Overlooked. Untouched by war."
Then he traced westward.
"To the west — the Central Human Empire. Powerful, disciplined, ever-hungry."
North.
"The Dwarven Mountain Realms. Masters of metal and stone."
South.
"The Elven Evergreen Dominion. Ancient, proud, woven with spirit."
East.
"The ocean kingdoms — ruled by the Seafolk."
Then his hand moved to a region shrouded in dark mist on the map.
"And this… the continent whose secrets remain beyond our reach."
Arcanis's eyes narrowed subtly—calculating, absorbing.
"Races?" he asked.
Alistair nodded.
"Twenty-one major races," he explained. "Humans, elves, dwarves, demons, vampires, seafolk… and many others, each with their own structures, rivalries, and strengths."
His tone deepened.
"Our kingdom is small. Peaceful. But the world beyond these borders… is not."
Arcanis said nothing.
But the quiet ambition shining in his gaze was unmistakable.
Alistair placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder.
"You awakened greatness today," he said gently. "But greatness is meaningless without wisdom."
A single nod from Arcanis.
"I will learn."
Alistair exhaled softly, pride easing the tension in his posture.
"Good. Tomorrow, your true training begins."
The chapter closes with father and son standing before the glowing world map—
One king sharing truth.
One future emperor absorbing it quietly.
Destiny expanding before them like an untouched horizon.