The village market was loud that afternoon.
Kael walked ahead, relaxed, hands in his pockets.
Rion walked beside him, posture straight, eyes quietly scanning the crowd.
"You're thinking too much again," Kael said.
"And you're not thinking enough," Rion replied calmly.
A loud crash cut through the noise.
A storage cart flipped. Three rough-looking men were shouting at a shopkeeper. One shoved him hard to the ground.
Kael stopped.
His expression shifted — calm, serious.
Rion noticed instantly. "Don't rush."
Kael stepped forward anyway.
"Hey," he said evenly. "That's enough."
One of the men turned and laughed. "Are you two even sixteen yet?"
The second scoffed. "Kids without awakened attributes shouldn't interfere."
"Yeah," the first added. "Come back next year when you've got real magic."
Kael tilted his head slightly. "So you need magic to bully someone?"
The man swung.
Kael stepped aside smoothly and drove a clean punch into his stomach. The attacker collapsed, gasping.
The second rushed forward.
Rion moved before the strike connected — stepping inside, redirecting the arm, sweeping the leg. One precise motion. The man hit the ground hard.
The third grabbed for Kael.
Kael caught his wrist, twisted, and forced him down.
Silence fell over the market.
The men scrambled back.
"…Monsters," one muttered. "And they don't even have attributes yet…"
They ran.
Kael offered a hand to the shopkeeper. "You alright?"
The man nodded shakily. "Y-Yes… thank you."
He looked at them carefully. "…What are your names?"
Kael opened his mouth, but Rion answered first.
"Rion. Rion Yildes."
The shopkeeper froze.
"…Yildes?" he repeated quietly.
The nearby villagers began murmuring.
"As in… Yildes the Unyielding?"
Kael blinked. "People actually call him that?"
The shopkeeper swallowed. "There are stories… about him. And about his brother."
His eyes shifted to Kael.
"Xilo… the Silver Guardian."
A hush fell over the area.
Rion remained calm. "They're just our fathers."
The shopkeeper stared at them in disbelief.
"…Then it makes sense," he whispered.
Kael scratched the back of his head. "They're not that scary."
Rion glanced at him. "You say that because you've never tried beating Father."
Kael laughed lightly. "Fair."
But the villagers were still staring.
Not at two reckless boys.
At the sons of the two strongest men in the world.