She tightened her grip and forced her fingers around the ribbon.
This time, it obeyed.
Violet tore the ribbon open.
A burst of flame exploded in her palm.
Her eyes widened. "What the…!"
A fireball formed instantly, bright and violent. Instinct screamed.
Violet flung it away.
The fireball struck the carpet.
A black scorch mark spread like rot, and the smell of burned fabric filled the room. The flame vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only a smoking hole.
Violet froze.
Her fingers slowly curled.
"That wasn't a portal…"
She grabbed another scroll.
Tore it open.
Fireball.
She threw it away again.
Another burn mark.
Her breathing turned rough.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each time, the same result.
Every so-called Town Portal scroll turned into ash the moment she activated it, leaving only smoke and the cruel stench of failure.
When the last scroll burned out, Violet stood there in silence.
Ash on the floor.
A ruined carpet.
A book in her hands that suddenly felt like a joke.
The hope that had flared inside her chest collapsed like a candle snuffed out by cold wind.
Violet slowly sat on the edge of her bed.
Her shoulders felt heavy.
Not from training.
From reality.
She wasn't powerful.
She wasn't special.
She was just a girl trapped in a world that wasn't hers.
Moonlight slipped through the shutters and fell across her face. A cool breeze drifted in, drying the wetness on her cheeks before she even realized tears had formed.
Violet pulled the blanket around herself and curled up like it could protect her from the truth.
Her shoulders trembled.
And in the silence of the night, a weak voice escaped her lips.
"Dad…"
A pause.
Then softer.
"Mom…"
English.
A language no one in this world understood.
The voice of someone stranded beyond the edge of home, calling into the dark like the dark might answer.
But the night stayed silent.
*
Morning sunlight poured over Raven Castle like molten gold.
From a distance, the fortress almost looked majestic, its towers cutting into the sky, its battlements casting long shadows across the plains. Even among knight castles of the same rank, Raven Castle was unusually large.
Not because House Raven was rich.
Because their first ancestor had been stubborn.
When the Raven family first claimed this land, the first Lord Raven spent ten full years building the castle, pouring everything into stone as if walls alone could protect a bloodline forever.
The result was this massive fortress, standing at the edge of the Holy Land, facing the Dirt Mountains like a beast staring down an enemy.
But the castle's size didn't match the family's current status.
House Raven had once held a true noble title.
A real lordship.
Then generation after generation of incompetent heirs bled it away. They wasted resources, lost battles, offended the wrong people, and slowly watched their authority rot until only one thing remained.
A knight title.
Nothing more.
Whenever Valerius Raven spoke about it, his voice always grew colder.
For him, the greatest regret wasn't losing the noble title itself.
It was what he had failed to earn during the Orc Wars.
He had fought.
He had bled.
He had been relentless.
But bravery wasn't enough.
In the eyes of nobles, promotion required merit. Combat power. Achievements that could be traded like currency.
Valerius Raven hadn't accumulated enough.
And so House Raven remained stuck.
A castle too large for their income.
A legacy too heavy for their shoulders.
And to make it worse…
He had no son.
That regret shaped everything Valerius did now.
Especially with his daughters.
Rowena had to become a full knight before thirty.
Not as a dream.
As survival.
If Rowena failed, Raven Castle would become nothing but a stone coffin waiting for a stronger house to claim it.
Or worse… Valerius would be forced to marry his daughters into noble households for wealth, selling pride for stability.
It wasn't forbidden.
But it was shameful.
So Valerius poured everything into Rowena.
Food.
Time.
Training.
Resources.
Even his own dignity.
As for Violet…
Valerius had never planned much for his second daughter.
The original idea had been simple. Teach her household duties, arrange a marriage, let her live quietly under another man's protection.
That was the normal path.
That was the safe path.
But Violet refused.
She chose the knight's road instead.
And that decision unsettled Valerius Raven more than he ever admitted.
Because Violet wouldn't inherit the castle.
Without land, without stable income, without armor, without war horses… Violet's future as a knight would likely be that of a wandering blade.
A noble in name only.
Selling her sword for food.
Saving coins slowly, praying she could afford real equipment before time and monsters caught up with her.
And most wandering knights didn't reach forty.
They died on the road.
Bandits.
Beasts.
Wars.
Or monsters that didn't even bother leaving bones behind.
That thought had kept Valerius awake more than once.
Violet had a better path.
Marriage.
Safety.
A warm house.
But Valerius wasn't the type to force his daughters.
So he could only watch helplessly as Violet insisted on walking into the storm.
*
Under the bright morning sky, the training ground behind the castle was alive with movement.
Rowena practiced her sword forms, sweat already shining on her forehead. Her strikes were clean and sharp, her posture proud, like a young lioness raised on battle stories.
Violet stood nearby, calm as ever.
Her eyes were sharp.
Her breathing is steady.
Valerius Raven crossed the yard with measured steps, his gaze shifting between his daughters like he was weighing two weapons.
Then he stopped in front of Violet.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
There was surprise hidden behind sternness.
"You've advanced?" he asked.
Violet straightened.
"Yes, Father. I broke through last night."
For a moment, the yard felt strangely quiet.
Rowena froze mid-motion, turning so fast her sword almost slipped.
"What?" Rowena's eyes widened. "You're serious?"
Violet nodded once.
Rowena didn't wait for anything else.
She strode forward in three long steps, grabbed Violet by the shoulders, and crushed her into a hug.
Violet's feet nearly left the ground.
Rowena lifted her like she weighed nothing.
"Hahaha!" Rowena laughed loudly, spinning her once. "My little sister is a genius!"
"Put me down," Violet said, voice strained.
Rowena ignored her.
"A genius!" she repeated, as if saying it louder would make it more real.
Violet kicked her legs until Rowena finally set her down.
The moment Violet's boots touched the dirt again, Rowena slapped her shoulder hard enough to make her bones rattle.
"You're definitely a genius," Rowena declared, grinning like a proud idiot.
Valerius Raven watched in silence.
His expression barely changed.
But Violet saw it.
The smallest crack in iron.
A brief softening of his gaze, like he wanted to smile.
Then it vanished.
The knight exhaled through his nose, half relief, half pain.
"It's a pity," Valerius muttered.
Rowena's smile faltered.
Violet didn't ask why.
She already knew.
If Violet had been the eldest… the family would've poured everything into her.
If their income were higher… she'd have armor of her own. A war horse. instructors. weapons. resources.
But reality didn't care about talent.
Reality cared about gold.
Valerius shook his head, as if pushing away bitter thoughts.
Then he spoke, voice steady again.
"You've just advanced. No training today."
Violet bowed slightly. "Yes, Father."
"Go to town," Valerius added. "Relax. Don't push too hard right after breaking through."
Violet hesitated.
Then she took the chance.
"Father. I want to go to Fort Brightforge today."
Valerius looked at her, waiting.
Violet didn't make excuses. She didn't speak in circles.
That wasn't how knight families talked.
Direct question. Direct answer.
"I need to buy something," Violet said simply.
Valerius didn't press further.
He nodded once.
"Fine. Go."
Rowena immediately raised a hand. "I'll help her with the horse."
She jogged off like she'd been waiting for an excuse.
Violet watched her disappear, then glanced at her father.
Valerius Raven's expression was calm again.
No anger.
No objection.
Only quiet acceptance.
A few minutes later, Rowena returned with a bridle and saddle.
She moved quickly, practiced hands throwing leather over the pony's back, tightening straps with the ease of someone raised around horses since childhood.
"Hold still," Rowena muttered at the pony, then patted its neck. "Don't embarrass me."
The pony snorted.
Violet stepped closer. "You're acting like you're sending me off to war."
Rowena smirked. "You never know. Fort Brightforge is dangerous." Her eyes gleamed. "Merchants live there."
Violet stared at her.
Rowena laughed, then leaned closer as Violet climbed into the saddle.
"Oh, right."
Something cold pressed into Violet's palm.
A gold coin.
Violet glanced down, her eyes narrowing. "Sister…"
Rowena waved her off. "Don't give me that look. You'll need it."
Violet wanted to refuse, but Rowena leaned in and whispered harshly.
"If you refuse, I'll punch you."
Violet paused.
Then she tucked the coin away quietly.
"…Thank you."
Rowena grinned. "That's more like it."
Valerius Raven stood a few steps away, watching.
He didn't scold Rowena for wasting money.
He didn't praise her either.
But the satisfaction in his eyes was obvious.
Sisterhood like this was rare among nobles.
Brothers often bonded.
But sisters? Sisters competed.
Many noble daughters fought harder against each other than they ever did against enemies. Dresses. jewels. inheritance. even men.
Not even princesses were immune.
But House Raven didn't have that poison.
And Valerius Raven knew it.
That alone was worth being proud of.