The academy gates faded behind him as the car rolled back onto the main road. The city moved around him in a steady rhythm of wheels, footsteps, and distant whistles of spirit powered trains. 🚗🌫️
Ahead, the road split in two.
One path curved toward the familiar iron gates of Ravenshade Château. The other stretched toward the administrative heart of the nation, where stone towers and flags marked the domain of power.
Kael's gaze lingered on that second road.
"Take the government quarter," he said quietly.
The old driver nodded without question and guided the car onto the broad avenue. 🛣️
The scenery slowly shifted. Homes gave way to towering structures of grey stone and arched windows. Tall flagpoles stood like silent sentinels, banners of Krythalis swaying in the wind. 🏛️
Nothing here had changed much.
The same massive buildings.
The same guarded entrances.
The same air of authority that made ordinary people lower their voices without realizing it.
Grimsford was not just another city. It was the backbone of Krythalis. Its ports opened the country to the world, ships arriving with foreign goods and leaving with treasures from its soil. Beneath its mountains lay rare metals, glittering diamonds, veins of gold and iron, and countless valuable compounds that fed industries across the land. ⚓💎⛏️
Because of that, power lived here.
Ministers. Military officers. Trade authorities. Every important branch of governance had its headquarters in this district. And above all, Grimsford carried the weight of being the capital itself. 👑
As the car drove deeper into the quarter, the streets grew wider and quieter, watched over by uniformed guards and towering government halls that seemed to press their shadows onto the road.
Kael looked out the window, eyes steady.
He had not come here just to look around.
The car slowed beside a broad stone building whose windows reflected the pale afternoon sun. Kael tapped the glass lightly.
"Here is fine."
The driver brought the vehicle to a smooth halt. 🚘
Kael stepped out, coat settling around him as a cool breeze swept through the avenue. Before him rose a five storey structure of polished grey stone and tall glass panes. Lining the front were flagpoles in perfect rows, colors from every corner of the world dancing in the Grimsford wind. Nearly a hundred and fifty banners moved like a living mosaic. 🌍🚩
At the center above the entrance, carved into dark marble:
Diplomat Office of Krythalis
He walked through the grand doors.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The outside world felt loud compared to the stillness within. Footsteps echoed softly against marble floors. High ceilings carried the faint scent of paper, ink, and polished wood. Everything looked orderly, almost too orderly. 🏛️
On the ground floor sat a long reception desk of dark oak. Behind it, a neatly dressed receptionist looked up as Kael approached.
"Is Mr. Vortemillien present right now?" Kael asked calmly.
"Yes, he is currently in his office," she replied. "Do you have an appointment?"
Kael shook his head slightly. "Actually, I am not here to meet him. I came to meet his son."
Her expression shifted with understanding. "I see. You may meet him. Third floor."
"Thank you for your help," Kael said with a polite nod.
Without another word, he turned toward the staircase, his footsteps quiet as he made his way deeper into the diplomatic heart of Krythalis.
The third floor felt like a storm made of paperwork. 📄 People moved quickly through the corridor, shoes tapping against the floor in uneven rhythms. Some clutched thick folders to their chests, others argued in hushed but urgent voices, and a few waited outside doors with tense expressions. The air buzzed with responsibility and deadlines.
Kael stepped carefully through the crowd, his calm presence strangely untouched by the chaos around him.
He stopped a man hurrying past with a bundle of documents stacked almost to his chin.
"Excuse me. Could you tell me where Finn Vortemillien is?"
"Room 304," the man replied without slowing, already moving again like a leaf caught in a current.
Kael continued down the corridor until he found the number etched into a small brass plate beside a wooden door.
He knocked lightly.
"May I come in?"
A young voice answered from inside. "Come in."
Kael opened the door.
Inside, the room was quieter than the hallway, though stacks of files and books covered nearly every surface. A tall young man stood near a shelf, placing books into neat rows. He looked to be around twenty, with short blonde hair and a sharp, well kept appearance that carried both youth and responsibility.
He turned slightly. "Yes? What happened?"
Kael stepped fully into the room.
"It's me. Kael Ravenshade… your friend."
Finn froze.
For a heartbeat, he did not move at all, as if the name had turned him to stone. Then he turned slowly, eyes widening as they landed on Kael's face.
Disbelief shattered into emotion.
His eyes filled instantly, vision blurring as years of silence, fear, and unanswered questions crashed into one moment. He crossed the room in quick strides and pulled Kael into a tight embrace.
"You're alive…" Finn's voice broke, half laugh, half sob. "You're actually alive."
For the first time that day, Kael did not stand perfectly composed.
His hand lifted slowly and rested on his friend's back.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I came back."
They moved to the worn leather sofa near the window, the cushions sinking softly under their weight. Outside, distant city noise drifted up in a dull murmur, but inside the office, time felt slower, heavier with reunion.
Finn wiped at his eyes quickly, embarrassed by his own tears, and let out a shaky breath.
"Sorry I didn't come to see you," he said. "With the festival coming, foreign delegates and trade leaders are arriving every day. I've been buried in work with my father. Uncle didn't tell me about you either."
Kael gave a small nod. "Same at my place. Father has been busy at the ports because of all the foreign shipments."
Finn blinked. "Wait… how did you even know I'd be here at the Diplomat Office?"
"I asked driver uncle," Kael replied simply.
Finn huffed a quiet laugh. "Of course you did."
Kael leaned back slightly, studying the stacks of files, the official seals stamped across folders, the flags pinned on a board behind the desk.
"So," Kael said, a faint curve touching his lips, "what are you doing here, really?"
Finn straightened a bit, trying to look more professional than he felt. "I'm my father's junior assistant now. Paperwork, coordination, schedules, reports. Mostly running around making sure nothing collapses."
Kael stared at him for a second.
Then he let out a soft, rare laugh. "Wait. You're the junior assistant to the country's chief diplomat… and the nation is still stable? That's impressive."
Finn grabbed a cushion and tossed it at him. "Idiot. I'm very competent."
"Terrifying," Kael replied calmly. "Truly terrifying." 😌
For a moment, the heavy years between them shrank into nothing, replaced by the easy rhythm of old friendship.
The laughter thinned out like smoke, leaving a quieter air between them.
Kael's gaze drifted toward the window, where flags shifted restlessly in the wind far below.
"It's been a very long time," he said, voice lower now. "I lost years of my life. Sometimes I don't understand how I'm supposed to keep up with a world that kept moving without even noticing I was gone."
Finn leaned back, studying him, the earlier grin fading into something more grounded.
"Why are you getting so dramatic?" he said, though not unkindly. "Look around. It's the same office from seven years ago. Same dusty shelves, same broken cabinet handle, same terrible curtains my father refuses to replace."
He gestured lazily at the room.
"Nothing really changed. You're just seeing everything like it's new because you were frozen in time. That doesn't mean the world ran away from you. It just… walked forward at its usual pace."
Kael didn't respond immediately.
Finn sighed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"You didn't lose the world, Kael. You just skipped a few chapters. Annoying, yes. Unfair, definitely. But the story didn't end. You're still in it."
He nudged Kael's shoe lightly with his own.
"And if you're behind, then catch up. You were never the slow one anyway."
Kael gave a small nod. "Yeah… I will try."
Finn tilted his head, squinting at him. "Still the same answer," he muttered, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You always say that when you're thinking too much." 😐
Then, as if flipping a switch, he asked, "Did you eat lunch?"
Kael shook his head. "Not yet."
Finn clapped his hands once, energy returning instantly. "Perfect. Come to the canteen with me. They added new dishes recently. Actual good food, not the usual tragedy on a plate."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You're in your twenties and still obsessed with canteen food. You really haven't grown up."
Finn grinned without shame. "I refuse to evolve in this area."
He stood up. "Wait here. I'll tell my father I'm stepping out."
Finn walked down the corridor and entered a nearby office. Inside, his father sat behind a desk, mid-conversation with another official. Papers were spread like a battlefield between them.
"Father," Finn said politely, stepping just inside, "are you busy? It's lunch time."
His father glanced up briefly, offering an apologetic smile. "Five more minutes."
Finn nodded. "Alright. I'll wait outside."
He closed the door quietly and returned to Kael.
"Five minutes," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Diplomatic time. That could mean five… or fifteen." 🍽️
Twenty minutes later, the office door finally opened and the visiting official stepped out, still talking as he shuffled through papers. The corridor noise swallowed his voice as he disappeared down the hall.
Finn glanced at Kael with a look that said told you so.
"See? Diplomatic five minutes," he whispered. ⏳
They entered the office together.
Finn's father looked up from behind his desk, and for a moment his professional composure slipped. His eyes widened slightly.
"Kael?" he said, standing halfway from his chair. "When did you wake up?"
"A few days ago, sir," Kael replied politely.
The man walked around the desk, studying his face like he was confirming a miracle. "And how are you feeling now?"
"Much better than before. Still recovering… but I can manage," Kael said with a small nod.
Finn's father exhaled, relief softening his expression. "That is good. Very good."
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then at the stack of unfinished files on his desk, and made a decision.
"We will have lunch here today," he said. "No point sending you two away hungry."
He returned to his chair and pressed a small brass bell on his desk. 🔔
A staff member entered almost immediately.
"My usual lunch," Finn's father said, then gestured toward the boys. "And take their orders as well."
The man turned to Kael and Finn, noting their choices quickly before leaving the room.
Soon the office felt less like a workplace and more like a quiet meeting room. Finn leaned back on the sofa, Kael sat upright across from him, and Finn's father remained in his chair, jacket unbuttoned now, the tension of work easing slightly.
They talked while they waited.
About the academy. About the city. About how much had changed in seven years.
Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock, and three staff members entered carrying trays. The aroma of warm food filled the room, rich and comforting. One of them carefully served the dishes onto the table in front of the sofa before they all exited quietly.
Plates clinked softly. Steam curled into the air.
For a little while, there were no titles, no responsibilities, no lost years weighing on anyone.
Just three people sharing a meal in a sunlit office, the noise of the busy world muted beyond the walls. 🍽️
Kael rose from his seat once the meal was finished, the last traces of warmth from the conversation still lingering in the quiet office air.
"Thank you for the meal, sir," he said respectfully to Finn's father.
The man gave a small nod. "You are always welcome here, Kael. Do not disappear for another seven years."
Finn walked him to the door, hands in his pockets, the earlier cheerfulness settling into something softer.
"Come again," Finn said. "Next time without all the coma drama."
A faint smile crossed Kael's face. "I'll try to schedule my disasters better."
They shared one last look, the kind only old friends understood, then Kael turned and walked down the busy corridor. Papers shuffled, phones rang, footsteps echoed, yet everything felt distant, like noise behind glass.
Outside, the afternoon air was cooler.
The driver was already waiting beside the car, posture straight despite his age. He opened the rear door without a word.
Kael took his seat.
The engine started with a low hum, and the vehicle rolled away from the Diplomat Office, leaving behind the forest of flags waving against the sky 🌍
As they drove through Grimsford once more, the city no longer felt overwhelming. Still changed. Still faster than the world he remembered. But now, it felt… reachable.
Factories, streets, people, spirit-powered trains gliding in the distance, all of it passed by the window like pages turning in a book he had only just reopened.
Eventually, the familiar iron gates of Ravenshade Château came into view.
They opened slowly.
The car passed through, tires crunching softly over the stone path. The château stood tall and quiet ahead, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon.
Kael had left in the silence of morning.
Now he returned with a little more weight in his mind… and a few more answers than before.