Looking at the table that had been filled with lots of delicious food, Kier and Bron, who were sitting next to each other, looked completely satisfied. In front of them were sitting Elia and Marwen. When Marwen saw that the plates were empty, she got up and proceeded to take them one by one.
"Let me help you with those," said Elia as she watched Marwen picking them up so she could clean them.
"No, no, you have done enough. Now just sit there and catch up with the boys, they won't be here for long." Marwen told Elia before cleaning the table, and proceeded to walk away.
"Yeah Elia, you need to rest a little because that was one heck of a meal, especially that cottage cheese pie." Kier said with his belly now looking like a 9-month pregnant woman's. "I gotta hand it to you, your cooking skills are no joke. No wonder you run a bakery shop down at the port."
She put her elbows on the table and rested her head on her palm. With a smile on her face she said: "Now you are just saying those things to make me blush, but anyway I am happy that the food was to your liking."
Since this early morning, Bron had been in deep thoughts; he was feeling very uneasy. His silence caught Elia's attention.
"Bron, what about you? You have been very silent since we met." Elia's words quickly snapped Bron out of his thoughts. "Or perhaps my cooking isn't to your liking?"
"What?
No, no, I really like your cooking." Bron quickly answered, as he didn't want any misunderstanding between them.
"Then what is it?"
"Yeah, you have been spacing out quite a lot today," Kier added.
"It's about that attack on the port by the pirates. They damaged a good part of it, even your bakery. I don't think you will be able to work in a place like that. Now, I know this island gets attacked very often, but you all act like nothing even happened. And the worst part is, attacks like that will become a lot more dangerous and more often because all the guards will have to be present for the 95 Years of Peace anniversary. And I don't even know who took care of those pirates before we arrived. It could be an enemy or an ally. So what I'm trying to say is that you will be in a lot of danger when we leave." After he finished, heavy breaths followed.
All the things Bron said got Elia a bit shocked.
"So all this time you have been thinking about my safety?"
"Damn man, your thought bubble must be huge," Kier didn't forget to add his stupid lines to the conversation.
"Yeah, I am worried about you. What else would I think about?"
Elia's face turned a little red on the cheeks, but she didn't forget to add her beautiful smile. Even if she didn't admit it, you could tell she was happy about it.
Bron now felt more relieved than ever, but seeing her like that, he thought for a moment about what he said. So he tried to cover it a little.
"I mean… for everyone. I am worried for everyone."
"Hahaha, you look so funny right now." Her laugh was gentle and just enough for Bron to wipe away all his worries from the day.
"Then, to get your curiosity away, Kier was the one who defeated the pirates."
"You did?" Bron turned to Kier, a little shocked. "Alone?"
"Yeah, but I didn't get all of them. One ship got away after the guards at the port opened fire." Kier said it like it wasn't a big thing to brag about. "That's why I was so tense when I met you. If it was found out that I got in trouble, believe me, I wouldn't survive to eat those delicious dishes."
"Yep, it's all true. He saved me when I was at the bakery," Elia confirmed.
"Hhhhuugg, I am so glad." Bron released his last breath of confusion.
"Bron."
"Huh?"
With a smile on her face she said:
"What do you say, will you help me rebuild the bakery again? When you return, of course."
Bron's eyes lit up and his face finally looked alive and full of colors.
"It would be my honour," he said. "We are going to make it even better than it was."
"Then it's settled. I look forward to it."
The boy who was sitting right next to them and had heard and seen the two of them didn't understand… then he did.
"Alright, I think the two of you might need some time alone, so I'll just go this way." Kier smoothly got up and tried to walk away.
"You are not going anywhere," said Bron, and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back.
"Now that we've had a nice meal and a good conversation, we have to go because we have a lot of work to do."
Bron let go of him.
"Kier, go get your things. I'll be waiting."
"Alright, I'll be quick." Kier got up and went straight toward the house.
As he opened the front door in the center of the hallway, Marwen was standing there holding a backpack. She had just closed it when Kier walked in.
"I came to take my stuff and to say goodbye."
Kier's eyes met Marwen's. She had a slight smile tugging at her face.
"Yeah, I know." Marwen showed the backpack to Kier. "Here, I prepared everything you need." She stretched her arms out so Kier could take it.
"You prepared it for me? Thanks!" Kier said, relieved since he had been worried about what to take with him.
He reached for the backpack, but Marwen pulled it back.
"First, you have to promise me to be careful—and most importantly, to enjoy it. Alright?"
"Of course I will. I promise."
She handed the backpack to him and walked him outside. Once they were in front of the door, Kier turned back.
"Then I will be go—"
Not letting Kier finish his sentence, Marwen lifted his hair and kissed him on the forehead.
A final kiss of goodbye. It left Kier completely shocked and confused, but he let it happen and didn't intervene.
Marwen, now holding Kier's face with both hands and looking into the eyes of the boy she had raised, gathered the courage to say what her heart ached the most.
"Goodbye, Kier!"
Without saying anything and without looking back, Kier began to run toward Bron, who was getting ready to leave. As Kier got closer, Bron also started to walk away.
Kier reached Elia without stopping.
"Goodbye, Elia!"
"Goodbye, Kier!" Elia responded.
He ran fast and soon reached Bron. They were now at a fair distance, so Kier turned around and waved his right hand at them.
"See yooou!" Kier yelled his final goodbye.
…
Kier and Bron were now walking alone; their destination was the port.
"Let's not take the main road through the village," Kier said. "We'll take the road that leads toward the cliff. It's quiet and gets us to the port faster."
"Alright then, let's go faster. I don't have time to waste."
With Bron's approval, they began to run toward the cliff.
As they ran, more trees began to appear—bigger and older than the ones Bron had encountered when he first came to Kier's home.
At the pace they were moving, they soon reached an open area where the sea and the massive cliff came into view. The dense forest seemed to avoid this place entirely. The sun fully shared its light, revealing Kier's favorite hanging spot—the place where he often spent time alone.
It was beautiful.
A natural spring emerged from a huge rock. The water it carried had left traces on the ground, as if a giant snake had slithered through the land. The largest of these traces led toward the cliff, not at the center but slightly to the left, where the sunlight was most focused.
"That's the apple tree I planted when I was nine years old," Kier said. "It's grown at least three meters." His face showed clear pride.
Bron looked at it. "Yeah, I remember telling you that a white apple tree doesn't bear fruit in places where snow never touches. Guess I was wrong. It even has one apple left on its branches, half red and half white. Is that for Lady Marwen?"
"Yeah. It was the most special one out of all of them," Kier answered. Then he quickly pointed the way for Bron.
"Come here. Now, as a guest, I'd like you to choose—going down the stairs or sliding straight into the sea," Kier said as he uncovered a slide connected directly to the water.
"I'll take the stairs. I don't want to get myself wet."
"You don't know how much you're missing."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Move your legs—we need to get there soon."
They both went down the stairs carved into the massive cliff. There were many steps to take.
Finally, their feet touched the sand, and the aroma of the sea hit them fully. Kier knew this was a huge step for him—something he had wanted for a long time.
As they walked along the coast, close enough to see the water but not close enough to touch it, Bron decided to tell Kier something important.
"Kier. Now that we're alone and still have some time before reaching the port, I need to tell you a thing or two about how this world works. Since you haven't been to school like most participants in the Tournament, you might want to listen carefully.
You know that a hundred years ago, five great kingdoms united their forces and formed the Kingdom of Irene in peace, right?"
"Yeah. Everyone knows that—it's a story every kid hears."
"Good. That makes things easier. Back then, people were divided by their powers and beliefs. Actually, there were more kingdoms than the five you know, but that's a story for another time.
The powers those kingdoms wielded were fire, earth, wind, water, and metal."
***
In this world exist small particles like atoms called Sela which have phenomenal and mysterious powers. These particles exist everywhere in nature. Everyone has these particles in their body, in varying amounts — either very small or very large.
When a mother is pregnant, she passes a portion of her Sela into the child's body. At the same time, the baby inherits genetic information from both parents, which becomes the primary factor in determining what kind of powers the child may one day possess.
After birth, the baby's body begins to absorb Sela on its own.
However, even if a person possesses a large amount of Sela, the body may fail to adapt to the demands required to sustain a specific element. Those who lack this adaptation cannot create the necessary conditions to wield an elemental power such as fire or water.
For someone to wield power, the body must develop to endure and channel it. Most humans fail to develop the physical structure required for this process, and as a result, they never awaken.
For those who succeed, the external appearance of the body does not change much—it remains almost identical to before. The true transformation happens internally.
For example:
Those who wield fire rely on the heat generated by their circulatory system, with the heart acting as the core. Sela particles amplify this heat, allowing the user to create or manipulate flames, while simultaneously forcing the body to adapt so it does not destroy itself.
The heart becomes significantly stronger and pumps blood at a much faster rate. Veins and arteries are reinforced with tougher, more durable layers to withstand the increased blood pressure and extreme temperatures. Muscles become more flexible and stronger due to the constant, intensified blood flow. Finally, the skin adapts to resist burning under high temperatures.
Those who wield the power of earth primarily develop their skin and muscles. Physical contact with the ground is necessary to manipulate earth at will. The rest of the body gradually adapts to support this connection and strength.
For wind wielders, the lungs and the respiratory system are the most critical organs. Control over airflow and pressure allows them to wield wind, while the rest of the body adapts accordingly.
Those who wield water harness their power through the body's fluids. By maintaining perfect internal balance, they are able to control and manipulate water both within and outside their bodies.
All elemental abilities exist solely because of Sela particles, which synchronize with the body's corresponding organs and systems, allowing power to manifest without destroying the wielder.
***
"I'm surprised, Bron—you know all of this. But how am I supposed to remember it all now?" said Kier.
"Memorizing it was never the goal to begin with. I just wanted you to have an idea of who you're facing."
The bell at the port rang three times without stopping. They both knew they were close.
"What I just told you was basic information on how powers work among the pure ones. It might help you in the tournament. But Kier, don't mistake the past for the present."
Kier looked at Bron's side profile and noticed that he was genuinely trying to give him advice, so he stayed silent.
"If I had shared this information with someone a hundred years ago, when people were still divided, it would have been a huge deal. But now, we are past that.
Over the years of unity, people met one another and found strength, comfort, and love. That made them evolve more and more with each passing year.
So let me tell you something—and take it however you want: what we know about this world is only a mere fraction of what it truly is. The world holds many secrets and strange things that we humans are not yet ready to uncover."
"So what you told me about powers doesn't apply anymore?"
"No. What I told you is necessary because it is the foundation. What I'm saying now is that new powers have been born. And I can say this with full confidence—there are far more mixed, unidentified powers than there are pure ones.
So don't underestimate anyone, or you may face consequences. Keep in mind that everyone has value."
"You've given me a lot to think about."
"Then think, Kier. Think about it.
What happened over all these years?
Ninety-five years of peace. Ninety-five years of unity."