ã€ŠCrown Eaterã€‹


 Chapter 1: I Donéˆ¥æª› Like Snakes

    The smell of blood.

    That night, for the third time of the week, the strong winds from the bay spread its coppery stench all over the streets of Melhem. And for the third time, he watched.

    From the top of his building of stone and metal, he needed to reflect on how the maze that had become his home had once again turned into a hunting ground: another infected, another child, another victim of the Tree.

    The beast was on the loose, and by paying attention to the screams down below, anyone could tell how the creature''s rampage was unfolding. They ceased. The feast was interrupted, the hunter became the prey.

    From where he was spectating, the chase was safe, but a poor seat selection for those who sought to enjoy the performance. However, that wasn¡¯t his type. Staring at the dancing shadows was more than enough. Even then, it wasn¡¯t out of fear, what was there to be afraid of when the gods sent their agents?

    Slithering faster than any man could run, the large shadow cast by the lights of Church Alley was tall enough to spread over 3 rowhouses. Four arms, and what looked like multiple tendrils sprouting from its back flailing behind as it was making its escape.

    As the boy tried to figure out if the head was more snake-like than human, the beast stopped on a dime. A chilling howl echoed through the narrow streets of this forsaken place, a cry of distress ¡­ it was about to start.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a snake¡­¡± he uttered.

    In an instant, the infected creature was cornered by two new shadows, their humanoid figures could be distinguished as the wind swayed their capes away. Lord Ethan¡¯s Swans arrived on the scene, beings above the common man, those who don¡¯t fear the beasts.

    A third figure was standing on top of the building who gave this infamous street its name, immobile, it wasn¡¯t a shadow. The temple¡¯s light cast an eerie shine on this Swan¡¯s white cloak, a hue that always captured the boy''s heart.

    The Maze was all he knew, he was molded then tainted by it, yet every time they came down here, they seemed as pristine as the last time.

    Suddenly, the sounds of broken glass resounded as his eyes dropped back to the hunt. The large mass that was projected through a building, slithered out of the hole its body created, almost too fast for the young spectator to even perceive.

    It finally started.

    Like the puppet shows his sister used to make for her siblings, the walls of the surrounding houses served as screens, as their shadows took care of the play. While the serpentine creature¡¯s movement seemed random and erratic, its hunters seemed like they were following a composed and graceful choreography.

    Their swords looked like an extension of their arms as they waltzed and slashed around the beast. The sight was almost hypnotic, from afar, the ignorant would think these moves were easy to execute. A part of him still thought so, but after seeing them in action for many years, deep down, his young mind knew better.

    It didn''t take long for their prey to get lost in their lethal rhythm, every missed step became a missing limb. First a few tendrils, then an arm, then another. The boy wondered:

    Do you still feel it when you turn?

    That primal instinct that is the fear of death.

    As one of its assaillants stepped back from the bloodbath, their victim, mistaking it for weakness plunged towards the legs of the dancer, it wasn''t aiming for the kill anymore, but to slow them down and get away. But it was indeed a mistake.

    There it comes¡­

    In a flash, a splash of blood covered the shadow theatre, followed by a loud but pitiful final growl. A Sword Art, like the ones from the plain or the Emperor¡¯s men. Something that the simple arm swing imitated by the shadows couldn¡¯t explain, or maybe it''s something that he just couldn¡¯t even comprehend.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Like that, the hunt came to an end, the red curtains closed the show.

    As the corpse started to convulse, the lighting of the alley turned violet, they started the purification. The Swans slightly bent toward the slayed body they set on fire, they were chanting their prayers. Their admirer watched them in silence, what was fascination a minute ago turned into dreadful apprehension.

    The soul of another child makes its way back to the Tree, and just like two days ago, he used a sharp stone he picked up earlier to update today¡¯s score.

    ¡°Three¡­¡±

    To him, what used to happen around twice a week, had become a frequent occurrence since last month. Who was next?

    He knew.

    As they finished their prayers they left the dark, leaping through the air, jumping from one roof to another. They joined the Swan who was posted up the church¡¯s ivory tower with relative ease, now they were all shining. Not a drop of red on them.

    Father Lark brought him up once. Up there, he could see the Lord¡¯s estate. Holding what seemed to be a bright stone, one of them briefly waved in that direction. Their mission was over.

    That green light had a shade he could never forget. In fact, it''s a shade that every citizen of New Gates recognized all too well, the outcasts of Melhem even more. As he turned his head towards the sea, it stood there, tall, far away yet so close, the Emerald Bay¡¯s pride.

    The Jade Thorn, large like a town, tall like a mountain, towering above the waves like it never belonged there.

    From where he was, it looked like an oversized branch covered by some ever-glowing crystal crust. The young man was told it was some sort of resin, that the thorn was the Inverted Tree¡¯s favored root. But he never cared about these stories. He hated it.

    All he knew was: ¡°It''s the place where men are sent to disappear¡±¡ªmining their lives away.

    When kids his age asked him about his father, his get-away answer was always: ¡°My mom said he stays in the mines¡±.

    But as time passed, now lost in his thoughts, staring at the jade behemoth on the horizon, he wondered. What if it was true? What about this thing would be so amazing,

    ¡°-that you would rather stay over there than with your family?¡±

    ¡°I told you that I wanted you home once I came back Kal¡­¡± said an inquisitive feminine voice right over his shoulder.

    Brutally interrupting his monologue, without thinking, the boy jumped off the small wooden crate he used as a scoreboard and theatre seat. As the woman swiftly avoided the rising shoulder that would have collided with her chin otherwise, she caught him by the collar stopping him in his course.

    ¡°You ain¡¯t going nowhere! I told you to stop watching them, you know that¡¯s not good for you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running! Let go!¡± He continues ¡°It¡¯s just¡­the horns, when I heard them, I knew who they were hunting¡­¡±

    As she looked down at his pulled-up and worn-down shirt, his words and the sight of the dark mark on his lower back echoed in her mind, reminding her of her younger brother''s grim fate. She slowly released her grasp.

    ¡°It¡¯s Meryl, the tailor¡¯s son, he got marked last week I think¡­Guess they ran out of medicine...¡± Said the boy as he stared back at the purple flames.

    ¡°That''s what he told you..? Kal¡­¡± her grief quickly turned into anxious anger ¡°...but you didn¡¯t talk about yours right? Kallen, I swear if you ever-¡±

    ¡°I would never! You know that ¡­ Plus, he never told me anything.¡±

    ¡°Who told you then? If you just heard about it somewhere, I don¡¯t think you need to worry, you know how it is.¡±

    The disheveled boy pulled down his shirt, carefully avoiding touching the dark omen on his backside.

    ¡°That was him¡­ last time we met, I just knew he was like me. It¡®s like it was burning¡­And I felt like he knew too, so I started to avoid him ...¡±

    He then turned back to face her. ¡°And he is not my friend. He does errands for Mors behind his father¡¯s back¡­ I don¡¯t like snakes¡­¡±

    As she realized that he spoke as if his friend was still around with teary eyes, she buried his head against her body and embraced him tightly. The boy was scared, she was too. But she needed to smile, for him, and for her ¨Cthat night was their last together.

    ¡°Snakes? What about snakes? A month ago you told me you loved all animals?¡±

    ¡°Not anymore¡­ I would never turn into this¡­. when I come back, I will be a Cloak. Just wait for me okay..?¡± Despite his trembling voice, the brave front held by her younger brother was enough to break down the mask she kept up until now, but it was okay. With his head facing her chest, she could let a tear or two drop down her face distorted by sorrow.

    ¡°We will be there Kal, we will always be waiting for you. Aren is coming to pick you up tomorrow, he just promised me he would take care of you himself. You trust me right?¡±

    The siblings remained immobile, as if just as they wished, time stopped taking its course. They both felt like words weren¡¯t needed anymore, they just wanted to be reminded that they cared for each other to wash the sadness away.

    ¡°¡­Speaking of Aren¡­ Will he finally take us out of here? When I come back, I would rather it be in the city...¡±

    The sadness on her face almost instantly disappeared as she slowly pushed him away.

    ¡°Aannnd you ruined it. You¡¯re sooo lucky to have me, I ran all around the city for days to save your life and you think that¡¯s the moment to tease me? You¡¯re so ungrateful! And way too young to get it anyway.¡± But her annoyed expression slowly turned into a gentle smile as she realized how quickly her sibling had unknowingly restored the mask that was in pieces just moments ago.

    ¡°...If you feel better come down, your brother¡¯s hungry and I know you are too.¡±

    As he followed his sister towards the door, he took one last glance behind him, imprinting this view of Melhem by night in his memory, the thorn, the fire, the church. As he inspected the temple, Lord Ethan¡¯s finest were already gone, as shadows of priests came to chant around the inferno.

    Tomorrow was his birthday. While he wasn¡¯t able to escape the curse, he still felt hopeful. He intended to spend his last day with his family, in peace, before he was taken away. Tomorrow he won¡¯t be a snake, tomorrow he will be 13.

    ¡°Hey¡­were you crying just now?¡±

    Chapter end

 Chapter 2: Happy Birthday

    The next morning, 7th day of the 3rd Cycle, year 495

    Kallen woke up first; his sleep was cut short by a nightmare. Short of breath, he couldn¡¯t exactly remember the details, but his sweaty body and the vivid reptilian images were enough to connect the dots.

    His heart was beating fast. Struggled to fall asleep and woke up in a hurry. However, resting wasn¡¯t within his plans anymore, today was just too important to waste any more time in bed.

    Even shut, the gentle light of the sun could seep through the small wooden trap that served as their bedroom¡¯s only window. It was early enough.

    The birthday boy took a moment before leaving his bed. He needed to take in every moment. This might be his last morning here with them.

    He stared at his corner of the ceiling. Its stone bricks, their texture, the cracks, and the wall supports made of old pine. That was their room, the one he had slept in since the day he was born, the one he shared with everyone, even his late mother.

    As his gaze shifted to scan the other side of the room, he could see the thin sun rays that managed to sneak inside, highlighting his sister¡¯s bed with their warmth. She was sleeping peacefully. In this state, her temperamental nature seemed like a dream too.

    Where the light was concentrated, her brown skin looked golden, and so did her dark blonde braided hair. According to the endless messages he had to deliver from grown men, he figured it was probably how they saw her. Rare were those who were able to get close to Kara, Flower of Melhem. One who managed to bloom even on rotten soil.

    The way they looked at her, those weren¡¯t the eyes of people who could take care of a flower. While the reasons behind her popularity went right over his head, he was grateful they hadn''t experienced the wrong kind of attention yet.

    Father Lark was their benefactor. How did their mother earn his affection? He never knew. Even after her passing, they were still under his protection. But until when?

    As one of the maze¡¯s many errand boys, his innocence was mostly gone long ago. He was familiar with the vice of men. If the old priest was ever to disappear...

    He frowned. Against them, what could he do? He was just a child. The streets of Melhem weren¡¯t known for their mercy, even for Striga¡¯s son.

    Especially if he was gone.

    Right under the window, low enough to be spared by the light, was a small body bowled up under an ancient but well-crafted red bed cover. Its subtle twitches caught Kal¡¯s attention. This was his other sibling, Alm.

    The 8-year-old boy was feeling the last faint winter breeze making its way into the room. In the past, his older siblings kept pestering him about sleeping under the window, but he wouldn¡¯t budge.

    This was where their mother used to sleep; She chose this spot to keep them away from the cold when the weather got harsh. Every child of hers got to sleep in it before eventually getting their own bed, but it came to a brutal stop a year ago. The two oldest managed to grow out of it, but Alm couldn''t.

    Take care of each other, Kal.

    As his emotions swelled up, Kallen finally got up and quietly left the place. As he gently closed the door behind him, he turned away to walk toward the window of their living space and the only other room. As he pushed its wooden flaps, the wind and the orange glow from dawn took over the space. He liked that feeling.

    He knew he would miss this view of the bay. From up the hill, the chaotic mess of houses and towers meshed together in a way that made the maze look like one of those paintings from the temple. The only advantage of the crumbling Hollow Tower and its many residents. Unlike those who lived down below, here, the air that saturated his lungs was free of any aroma.

    Even the sea hadn''t woken up yet. The soothing bronze shade of the clouds, the tall habitation spires shading the streets, even Melhem could be beautiful from the right angle. He admired the sunlight dressing the Thorn in darkness with its soft touch over the horizon.

    As he turned his head eastward, he could see the rest of the tentacular New Gates city sprawling as far as he could see. The mostly white and beige well-organized buildings highly contrasted with his end of the town. They were outcasts ¨C ¡°unofficial¡± citizens. They couldn¡¯t afford to be.

    But the reason he lingered for quite some time around the window was to observe the second highlight of the area, Naar-Aje.

    Like another small town inside the city, dominated by the largest edifice he had ever seen in his short life, this was where the Swans were made, where they lived¡ªtheir monastery.

    While being more ancient, the sophisticated, almost otherworldly structures behind the forbidden walls always stimulated his imagination. From the colors to the style, It had nothing in common with the slums he lived in or even the more dignified habitations of the city. Who built it? Where are they now? Why does the Eternal Flame never die?

    On top of Naar-Aje¡¯s main temple, a tower was standing strong, the city''s tallest. He could see the blue lights escaping from its highest windows, subtly illuminating the side that couldn''t bathe in sunlight yet¡ªthe lord¡¯s flame.

    Ever since he received the mark, he never missed the occasion to catch a glimpse of the symbol that was engraved on the cloaks he admired so much. He felt drawn to it. Tonight, he would be closer to it than ever. Full of apprehension, he clutched his pendant almost to the point of hurting himself.

    Watch for me.

    ¡°Your neck will hurt if you keep twisting it like this.¡±

    Once again interrupted during his inner monologue, he abruptly pushed his body away from the window and turned his head around, surprised by his sister¡¯s voice. She continued.

    ¡°Staring at it won¡¯t make time go faster you know. Not afraid anymore? I thought you wanted to spend the day with us.¡± She said with a smirk, hands on her hips.

    Slightly embarrassed, Kal finally turned around but couldn¡¯t look his sister in the eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, I was just curious¡­ It¡¯s weird, all this. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just toying with you, don¡¯t apologize.¡± Amused by her brother¡¯s now annoyed face, she turned around in the direction of their food reserve. ¡°Go fetch some water and come back to eat. Today will be a long day.¡±

    Somehow feeling defeated, without a word, he walked towards the large water jar sitting next to the door, grabbing his winter cloak that was hanging by a chair on the way.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Facing the exit, as he sat down to put his boots on, he felt Kara¡¯s gentle embrace from behind. She buried the lower part of her face in his wavy hair, he could feel a sigh. A sigh of longing, even though he was still among them.

    It felt warm. Warm enough to forget the cold wind that infiltrated their home a moment ago. Just like that, a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Happy Birthday Kallen.¡±

    *** Sometime later ***

    Their worn-out wooden door creased, and Kal made his entrance, a full jar in his hands. While going up the ancient ruin¡¯s many stairs, the familiar scent of boiling soup reached him before he could even step in. As he tried to close the door with his back, a familiar childish voice reached his ear.

    ¡°Happy Birthday Kal!¡±

    As he stretched his head to look over the container, the boy who was hiding under his bed cover some time ago was now standing before him. His unkempt honey-blond hair, his runny nose, and the mark of bed folds imprinted on his tan cheek indicated that he had just woken up from a much-needed slumber.

    ¡°Thanks Alm. Grab a bowl and wait for me at the table, I¡¯ll pour some water so you can clean that face of yours.¡±

    Now embarrassed, the boy tries to awkwardly swipe his face with his sleeve. Then he continued.

    ¡°You need help?¡±

    ¡°I got it, thanks. Don¡¯t worry, you will have lots of trips to the well once I¡¯m gone.¡±

    The instant Kal finished his sentence, his younger brother¡¯s expression turned sour. A sharp stare from the eldest cutting some vegetables on the other side of the room prompted him to carry on with a forced smile.

    ¡°But as soon as I come back, you will need to be an expert if you want to impress a Swan.¡± Alm¡¯s golden eyes regained their shine almost immediately.

    Kallen knew how much he looked up to him. His brother always watched him in awe as he overcame the many hurdles the maze imposed on its inhabitants daily. A role model, that¡¯s how he was perceived.

    He can¡¯t lose.

    Kal could read his mind through his eyes, almost like it was written on his forehead. Only this time, he wasn''t sure he could live up to the expectations.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re gonna be like Aren. You will come to visit us often too, right?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I could even bring you around on some hunts.¡± He responded full of overblown pride. ¡°Just don¡¯t go brag about it until I come back.¡±

    ¡°Alright boys, time to eat, got a store to run.¡± Said Kara as she came around them to pick up the jar. ¡°Save your strength, I¡¯m going to need those extra hands later, birthday boy.¡±

    And a few moments later, they proceeded to eat their first meal of the day. Maybe it was because of the situation, but it tasted better than usual. He originally wasn''t a fan of his sister¡¯s vegetable stew; it grew on him.

    Left by herself to run the household, Kallen saw his sister slowly embrace the mother¡¯s role. She even took over the family¡¯s shop in the city. And as he glanced at her reflection through the old mirror behind her, he could see the feint shadow of its previous owner.

    Still staring, he reminisced about how his siblings'' personalities were similar to their mother¡¯s, but he was clearly the one who resembled her the most.

    His pitch-black hair, darker skin, fiery amber eyes, and his slightly more striking face contrasted heavily with the other two. Those were the traits of the lady from the south, why people were weary around him.

    ¡°No errands for you today, you¡¯re going to stay with me and Salma behind the counter. I want you for myself; Mikhal will take over for you¡±. Kara twirled her spoon in her stew as she looked at his almost full bowl. ¡°I hope your little arms are ready to get active. And you better finish your plate, last time you got tired even before the Mid-day march.¡±

    ¡°It was a month ago! I¡¯ve been training you know. If you can do it all day, so can I.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about those little push-ups you do before sleeping?¡± She smiled as her brother started eating as fast as a beast. ¡±Real men do it in the morning when no one sees them.¡±

    Wanting to be included, Alm swallowed his food promptly to speak.

    ¡°Aren told me he does hundreds of them to warm up.¡±

    ¡°Come on man, you know he¡¯s a show off.¡± Said Kal with his mouth slightly dripping with soup. ¡±Maybe that¡¯s not even true at all, he''s just tryna score some points.¡±

    ¡°You think so? We weren¡¯t playing any games though¡­¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s jealous.¡± Said the eldest with a smirk as she handed Kal a cloth to wipe his face.

    Finally noticing the mess he made while eating, he reluctantly grabbed the cloth and fixed himself up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not! I just don¡¯t see how he is different from the others besides¡­ looking cleaner...¡±

    ¡°Cleaner than you, that¡¯s for sure. He is willing to assist you during your sealing ceremony, what more do you want from him? Kids are so ungrateful these days.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re barely an adult.¡±

    Shortly, the table banter came to an end, it was time to rally the city. As the bowls emptied and the conversations came to an end, a part of Kallen¡¯s day already belonged to the past. An uneasiness started to build up within him, but he decided to ignore it. It was time to work.

    *** Shortly after***

    The Maze. A labyrinth for the outsiders, home for its dwellers. The streets were often so narrow that you couldn¡¯t even see the sky. This was where the outcasts of New Gates were born and also where they tended to die. The siblings were used to the filth, they knew who was who, what was what, and where they should or shouldn¡¯t go.

    As they navigated down the hill, snaking their way between the makeshift homes and a few tower ruins, Kal anxiously looked around like it was his first time. He took this route more times than he could count. However, today, he wanted to immortalize it in his memory.

    He looked at every house in his way, the few trees that managed to grow through them to become part of the landscape, every person that entered his line of sight, the way they dressed or stood. His eyes followed a few rats moving around the path¡¯s old stone tiles buried in the mud, a vestige of a brighter past. They stopped around the hands of a man lying down against a wall. The foul smell emanating from what could look like a corpse from afar was something he was used to. This was the state many were subjected to in this place. Comfortable in his rags riddled with holes and a straw hat to cover his face from the sun, the man was waiting to die.

    After lingering a moment, his focus went right back to the rest of his surroundings. He observed everything to the smallest detail. He was in a trance and nothing could pull him out of it. After being ignored a few times, even the other two stopped trying to talk to him¡ªthey understood. It went on until they reached Church Alley.

    As they arrived, the sight of the most important tower in the district wasn''t Kallen¡¯s priority. He directly gazed upon the scene that was, for a short moment, his late-night entertainment. The widest and longest street of Melhem was in a poor state, even by its standards. Crushed stalls, bent lamp posts, broken walls, all tainted by splashes of red and gore.

    Even though the believers were wandering around, taking care of whatever remained of the victims, the morbid scene wasn¡¯t able to move him for once. His attention was on the pile of ashes lying in plain sight. The monster¡¯s corpse was gone, purified, but to him, its presence remained. He had to cover his brother¡¯s eyes but his were wide open.

    The Cloak or the torch¡­

    ¡°Miss Kara, I will be on duty today, I¡¯m ready to go. Father Lark salutes you all.¡±

    This deep voice behind him belonged to Solman, a member of the armed militia of the church. He and the siblings all knew each other, but every time they met, it was almost like it was the first. Solman was a man of duty beyond reason. Tall and well-built, his pale inexpressive hairy face and the scars carved on it made him one of the most effective street pacifiers and the boys always felt a mix of fear and awe in his presence. As Kal glanced up, he was met with a dark and cold gaze he could not forget.

    Ah¡­ He remembers¡­

    ¡°Thank you, Sol. I know it can be tiring to station in the city. I heard you were hurt ¡­Are you feeling better? We can hold the goods if needed.¡± Replied Kara with an unusually worried tone.

    ¡°It was nothing too serious. If I am here today, it means I¡¯m able. Ready when you are.¡±

    As his coldness practically matched the wind surrounding them, they silently marched along the street, toward the city gates.

    Their bodyguard¡¯s heavy footsteps lead the group. They advanced, but Kallen¡¯s eyes were following another trail¡ªthe trail of blood left by last night¡¯s monster. Like carriage marks on mud, its slithers drew a lengthy red path on its way to its demise. As they walked along, he knew the traces would stop at some point. He was patiently waiting for that point to come.

    He looked at every broken door, wall, stall, and shelter. The bloody stream seemed to never end.

    Until it did.

    As soon as he laid his eyes on the scene, they dropped right back to the ground. Deep down he knew, he was sure even, but his young heart wasn¡¯t strong enough to face it. He tightened his fist hard enough for his unkempt nails to almost pierce his own skin as he heard the shattering cries of the tailor.

    His instincts were right, Meryl was truly gone. His father was spared, but his voice didn''t sound like it. Muffled by the many people trying to console the grief-stricken man, Kallen could hear his helpless voice mumbling about how his son didn''t do anything wrong, how he took his medication on time, how he even spared his own father and their shop.

    While Stone Lilies pollen was quite effective, even the boy knew that he wasn¡¯t completely safe from Beastification. Its mark-warding properties weren''t guaranteed and if he was not careful, he could turn too. The optimistic mindset he had earlier, disappeared before he could realize it.

    He started to regret his sister''s decision not to send him in isolation. He had better immunity, but what about the people? Beyond that, what if he turned on his siblings? Could he be as strong as Meryl if the curse took him away?

    ¡°You told me you ain¡¯t no snake right?¡±

    Only now he felt his sister''s hand resting on his defeated shoulder as she whispered words of encouragement, like she could read his mind. Walking behind him, she softly grabbed his head, making him face in front of him as they walked. His built-up anxiety slowly cooled down as they advanced toward the city gates.

    I¡¯m happy you didn¡¯t let him down in the end Ryl.

    Chapter end

 Chapter 3: Please, Donéˆ¥æª› Open It

    As they approached the majestic twin spires that served as the entrance to the main city, a simple nod from Solman was enough for the guards to escort the group through the long line without even slowing their pace. They could feel the jealous gazes of those clumped together, pleading to pass the gates. Such were the privileges of those sponsored by the Church.

    The myriad of soldiers forming a human wall made way for the siblings and their stern guardian, as if they were the city doors themselves. While he had grown accustomed to it, the stark transition never ceased to make him feel as though he had been transported to another world.

    The decaying muddy alleys gave way to neatly tiled wide stone roads lined with rows of sturdy white buildings and an organized grid of streets. Here, the people looked healthier, their clothes finer, and even their lives seemed more carefree. Yet, as Kallen knew all too well, appearances could be deceiving. Mere gates couldn''t possibly limit malice.

    The plants on the roofs, the footbridges connecting the buildings, and the elaborate tapestries stretched above the most exposed streets protected against sun, wind, and rain. Living there was a dream of his, a place where he could lower his guard. Having run many errands around this commercial district and beyond, the young man had a naive understanding of the city''s dark sides. But to him, that was enough. It was better than the maze.

    "There we are."

    With just a nod, the eldest prompted Solman to drop the herbs inside. After passing by two crossroads, they finally took a right turn to arrive at one of the many markets of the district, where their shop was situated.

    Striga¡¯s Wonders - Apothecary

    The family¡¯s pride. Kallen stared at the wooden store sign for a moment. He remembered these words being one of the first few he ever wrote, proud to show off the results of his writing classes in the church to his mother while she was watching him with the brightest smile.

    ¡°Alm~!¡± A black-haired young girl as tall as Kal came rushing in their direction and hugged his younger brother. Clutching his head in her arms, she continued.

    ¡°You¡¯re not staying at the temple today?¡±

    "Salma... Kara said Father Lark was busy today..." The eight-year-old replied awkwardly, turning his head away as if asking for help, unaccustomed to lying to her.

    "And that''s why you three will get busy in the back while I care for the clients. Mikhal, come here. I have the address list for you." Upon hearing his name from Kara, her two siblings finally noticed the slim, gloomy, redheaded boy seated on the bench against the shop¡¯s wall. He got up, revealing his tall stature. Equipped with a large pouch slung from shoulder to hip, he calmly walked towards them.

    ¡°You got the easy job today Kal, try to not have too much fun without me.¡± And without even stopping in his tracks or even waiting for any kind of witty answer to his remark, he walked straight out of the market, list in hand. That was Mikhal, odd and distant. But everyone was used to it.

    Sure¡­

    The squeaking of the wooden floor, accompanied by the subtle smell of spice and herbs, felt like the kitchen they left back up the hills. Here, even as an outsider, it felt like home. The aromatic plants hanging from the roof, looking down on the exotic mixtures and flora exposed all over the walls, looked more like decorations than products.

    Large enough to host ten clients at most, this room was mostly built out of old wood encased in this building of cold white stone. It had an organic charm that was rare to find. Now in his element, Kallen followed Salma as she dragged his younger brother behind her. They entered the backroom.

    This dark space, only lit by keeping the door open and controlled growth of Moonlight Trumpets nested on walls and the ceiling, was where everything was stored and prepared. Ingredients, products, and books were meticulously arranged on tall wooden shelves and libraries. Helped by the church, his family sold all kinds of products and elixirs from the South for as long as he could remember. But the store lost in popularity when its so-called ¡°witch¡± passed.

    The limited space allowed only two people to work simultaneously. Lighting the fire under the cauldron and within the oven, the store was finally open as they prepared today''s batch.

    *** Sometime later, right before noon ***

    The day had taken on a rhythm of its own. Kallen was on brewing duty while Salma was taking care of smaller orders sent to them. Alm, eager to learn the ropes, volunteered to carry the readied orders to the front. This seemingly small addition and the moderate flow of customers allowed them to have moments of rest.

    With his arms worn out by his tiresome mixing efforts, Kal allowed himself a pause. Letting the fire dwindle down, he sat on one of the room''s two stools. Leaning against a storage cabinet, he extended his legs and surrendered his arm to gravity as he breathed relief. He was much more comfortable using his lower limbs than anything else.

    With his eyes now accustomed to the darkness, he could see the room in greater detail. Wary of Salma, as she usually nagged him whenever he worked at the store, his gaze naturally turned to her first. However, he was surprised to see her completely dedicated to her task, her green eyes focused on the herbs package she was making.

    When she started working with them, her bossy personality used to irritate him, making him sometimes happy to always work outside. Seeing her diligent side take over was unsettling.

    Highlighting her olive skin with an ethereal blue hue, glowing mushrooms sprouting out of the wall¡¯s mushy stone brick pattern was now where his attention shifted. Many products in this room were averse to sunlight, and they were one of them. He could still see his mother collecting them carefully with a smile, humming the soothing melody from her hometown she used to serenade before he and his siblings went to sleep.

    These were also her babies in another way. She delicately placed them in a glass jar, letting them rest until they lost their glow, and then they sat on the shelf over there.

    That place.

    On his left, right at the corner of the room was a tall wooden storage shelf with fragile ingredients and foreign books. However, only he and Kara knew its true purpose. Behind it stands an old black metallic door; the boy only saw it once.

    When he was as old as Alm, he climbed the shelf, curious about how the luminous fungi would taste like, causing it to fall over him.

    Alerted by the sound, his mother rushed into the room, only to find her son surrounded by books, wood debris, and broken glass. She quickly tended to her child as blood began to trickle down from his forehead. Applying pressure on the wound with a piece of cloth hanging around, she urged Kara to bring the ointments exposed at the front. After briefly asking if he was alright, the moment his eyes turned to this door that wasn¡¯t there a minute ago, her teary smile of relief turned into darkness he had never seen in anyone to this day.

    ¡°Kallen, whatever you do, don¡¯t get near this door. Never. Let¡¯s forget about it, okay? Listen to your mom. Please, don¡¯t open it.¡±

    In normal circumstances, his nature would have pushed him to investigate further behind her back to satisfy his curiosity. But not this time. Her expression was something he had never seen. She spoke words of care, but her amber eyes felt like they were the same color as the liquid tainting the cloth. She was trying to scare him, he could tell, but over everything, she looked terrified too. He never knew what was dreadful enough to force her into a state that could even justify the witchcraft accusations.

    But the fact that even she, the strong woman who was cold and fierce to anyone but them, could break down in this manner was enough to freeze him solid when she tightly hugged him right after. Even today, he subconsciously avoids this corner of the room.

    ¡°Listen, I know the shop can be boring around this time, but you could at least help me, you know?¡± Pulling him out of this painful memory, Salma finally turned her attention to Kallen, who she had caught scratching the vertical scar carved on his forehead.

    ¡°It''s usually quiet with Mikhal but I wasn¡¯t expecting it coming from you.¡± She continued, leaving her package on the table, finally sitting on the stool that was behind her.

    ¡°...A guy I knew died last night. He turned. The Cloaks got him.¡± Replied Kal.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­really sorry to hear that. May he rest in the Tree¡¯s embrace.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­I know priests love to preach around here, but I never knew you turned religious.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m just practicing. If I start to act like them, maybe mom will finally keep me out of the brothel.¡± She said as she bitterly chuckled.

    ¡°Miss Marsa hates the church?¡±

    ¡°No, at times, even a few priests sneak in. I just want her to know I don¡¯t want to stay around. Everything about that place disgusts me.¡±

    ¡°Her place is popular, you guys make a ton of money. You¡¯re sure you''d rather stay here?¡±

    ¡°Money isn¡¯t everything Kal.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, city girl.¡±

    He knew she hated it whenever he said that. While she was probably aware it was merely banter, she was one of those who gets embarrassed easily. And Kallen¡¯s playful demeanor irritated her even more.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing. It won¡¯t work.¡± She said with a frown drawn on her face.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡±

    ¡°You tease people when you¡¯re worked up. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Kal suddenly gets tensed by the surprising perceptivity of a girl he had known to be self-absorbed until that point.

    ¡°Nothing. It was just a joke Salma, I do that to people all the time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you got many friends besides me. I know you even better than Alm do.¡±

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m a maze rat doesn''t mean that I don¡¯t have frie¡ª¡±

    ¡°KAL!¡±

    Her violent interruption cracked the defensive shell he had built up until then. The usually nonchalant boy couldn''t help but let his anxious frustration spurt out for a moment.

    ¡°Stop prying! Maybe I should listen to your mother when she orders from us just to convince me to bring you back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a..!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out, Mikhal should be back with some firewood...¡±

    He expressly exited the room, slightly regretting the words that came out of his mouth. As he traversed the door to reach the front shop empty of clients, he saw his sister leaning on the counter. With just a glance, he knew she heard the whole conversation.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you guys to argue like that. I even kept Alm out of there to give you guys some alone time.¡±

    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯ll wait for Mikhal outside.¡± Replied Kallen. Coldly.

    ¡°Got it. But it¡¯s okay, you know? We only truly argue with those who matter.¡±

    ¡°I hope the curse gets you!¡± Salma¡¯s voice resounded from the backroom, cutting off their conversation. But unbeknownst to her, what was an innocent outburst of anger reached the siblings in ways that she couldn''t possibly grasp.

    ¡°SALMA!¡± Kara hurled back, angrily. She then turned to Kallen with a softer voice. ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± replied the young girl, just as angry.

    ¡°She does.¡± with a quick reply, the young man hurried out, wanting to clear his mind from the anxious atmosphere.

    As he finally took his first breath outside, he was welcomed by the chill wind of early spring infiltrating his lungs. Too proud to return inside and pick up his cloak, he opted to endure the cold. Standing on his left was the tall and stoic Solman, guarding the place on the church¡¯s behalf.

    Oh¡­forgot about him¡­

    Luckily, his fear of having to wait in silence next to this statue of a man was relieved as he noticed he was talking to a priest of the local temple. Turning on his right to sit on the bench next to the door, he finally noticed a shivering Alm wrapped in his oversized winter cape.

    ¡°Hey, you can go back in. I told Kara I would wait in your place.¡± Said the older brother, softly rubbing his sibling''s head, trying to somehow comfort him in his suffering.

    With just a nod, the cold-stricken boy hurried back inside without an ounce of hesitation.

    As he leaned back against the stone wall to rest, its temperature forced him to bend forward, compelling him to stay alert, eavesdropping on the conversation taking place next to him.

    ¡°We know he won¡¯t accept them, but Father Serkin sends his deepest apologies.¡±

    ¡°Our children are dying. We need support, not words.¡± Solman answered to the priest with a more animated tone than his usual coldness.

    ¡°The Lord asked for patience¡­ the amount of marks is growing here too, and even if Naar-Aje took everyone in, the odds won¡¯t change. For ten children sent, about eight will return as ashes¡±. The priest grabbed his pendant as if he were emitting his prayers to Solman. ¡°We are undermanned, the city is too vast, please understand¡­¡±

    These sentences alone were enough to send chills across Kallen¡¯s spine. He was looking for relief outside but was met with a harsher reality instead.

    He knew. Everyone knew. The Sealing Ceremony was more of a death sentence than salvation, but it was easier to forget about it. The words of encouragement and comfort from his siblings helped him build this shield of delusion and ego characteristic of a child his age. Thinking that he could escape reality until moonrise, the truth of his unreasonable expectations came back to haunt him when he expected it the least. His breathing started to accelerate as that one thing he questioned the existence of within Meryl came creeping in.

    The fear of death.

    Cold sweat started to drip from his forehead. He could almost taste the wind and the dust coming in and out of his mouth. He was trembling; only he knew it wasn¡¯t due to the temperature. But even on the verge of panic, he couldn¡¯t let it be known, he promised. He knew all too well how marked children were treated, especially those from Melhem. He dropped his head to face the ground, hiding his shaken face from the two church members, waiting for Mikhal to come and save him.

    ¡°Are the children of our believers not valuable enough? I expected it from the Lord but not from one of our own. Everything changed the moment he became House Rysoars¡¯ puppet. Maybe even you, a child of the Tree, only see us as maze dwellers now.¡± Continued the shop¡¯s guard.

    "Watch your mouth, Solman!" The priest interjected, his voice strained with exhaustion. "We are all doing our best under these circumstances. We must have faith and pray for the Tree''s mercy."

    ¡°Just pray? Father Lark prayed enough, we all prayed enough. It¡¯s about actio¡ª¡±

    As he covered his ears with his hands, the conversation began to fade into nothingness, leaving Kallen a prisoner of his own mind. The voices, the breeze, and the sound of coins clinking, all went away to make place for utter silence. He could only feel one thing: his heart pounding as if it were about to escape from his chest.

    I don¡¯t want to die.

    A buzzing noise invaded his mind, disturbing and distorting his train of thought. His sense of hearing was cut out, making this sound the loudest.

    I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die.

    He closed his eyes, completely shutting himself out of the outside world. He thought about his mother, the melody she used to hum to him to sleep, his way to concentrate, his way to find peace. Slowly but surely, it started to take on the noise that crept inside.

    I can¡¯t die.

    He was reaching stability.

    I won¡¯t die.

    ¡°Kallen¡­ Are you crying?¡±

    Opening his eyes to see a pair of long-used leather boots facing his, he instantly recognized it as Mikhal¡¯s, freshly back from his morning deliveries. He quickly wiped his eyes to face him.

    ¡°No¡­ got some pepper in the eyes, should have cleaned my hands.¡±

    ¡°So, you then decided to wipe it off with those same hands¡­¡± Replied Mikhal with his usual dry tone.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...Let¡¯s get inside. It¡¯s heavy, all this.¡±

    The fear was tempered by embarrassment. Placing his hands on his knees, he slowly got up as if he had been sitting there for hours. Too flustered to even glance at Solman and the priest who probably witnessed the scene, he promptly opened the door for Mikhal to go through and followed right after, head down.

    Happy to come back to the warmth of the store, he was thinking of a way to keep his friend quiet as he sucked in the familiar scent of the shop. However, there was a slight change in odor. To his surprise, as he closed the door behind him, he was embraced by a feeling even warmer than the room as soon as he lifted his head. His siblings and his friends all stood around him.

    ¡°Happy Birthday, Kallen!¡±

    He almost forgot. Actually, when Kal fell prey to anxiety and fear earlier, he did. On the counter was the basket covered with a cloth Mikhal was holding as he came back. Unable to identify it earlier with his senses numbed, he now recognized the smell he adored: apple pie. Stunned by the unexpected turn of events, the looming threat that rested on his backside could be relayed to the background for an hour or two.

    ¡°Sorry about earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you like that, especially today.¡± Salma slowly walked towards him, hands behind her back, feeling apologetic. A slow nod from the still-surprised Kallen was enough for her to feel forgiven and continue.

    ¡°But admit it, you thought I forgot uh?¡±

    ¡°I was not expecting anyone to remember¡­¡± He replied.

    ¡°Your eyes¡­ are you okay¡­?¡±

    He quickly threw a menacing glare at Mikhal, witness to his breakdown. As a silent reply, the lanky young man broke character and smirked. They both knew what it meant.

    ¡°You owe me one.¡±

    The birthday boy advanced towards the shop¡¯s wooden counter, where, instead of goods and money, his favorite dessert was lying there. His sister was smiling, but her eyes were those of a worried woman. She didn''t need Salma¡¯s remark to notice tears had been shed. After all, she saw him cry since the day he was born.

    But it wasn¡¯t the time for sadness.

    He barely managed to escape it and couldn''t afford to go back to that state. The young man was at his limits. Any more and the hopeful delusion that has been protecting him until now would be completely shattered. He just wanted to forget.

    ¡°What''s your wish Kal?¡± Asked an excited Alm, rejuvenated by the chimney¡¯s fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±

    He had a wish but was too scared to express it. He wanted so many things at the same time: stay with his family, their safety, force time to stop, survive. But tradition makes it so you only choose one, and the Tree may grant it to you this year around. Just like his mother, Kallen wasn¡¯t much of a believer despite growing up among men of faith. But today, as hypocritical as it sounded, he was willing to ask for help from a higher power.

    After a moment of hesitation, he joined his hands together, closing them onto each other with a tight grip; he was ready. The room followed his lead; Kara took care of the prayer.

    ¡°May the Tree heed our wishes and bestow its blessings upon us. One more year on your earth, one more year under your shade. May those who share your blood overcome the trials laid upon their path and become the voices and hands of your world. Grant this deserving child a wish, a sign that your essence is among us always.¡±

    As everyone slowly opened their eyes, Kallen had already made his wish¡ªsomething he wasn¡¯t willing to reveal to anybody, including his siblings. He wasn''t superstitious, but from what he knew, if this tradition stood the test of time, it was for a reason. What he wasn''t aware of, however, was that this wish would come back to haunt him for the rest of his life.

    ¡°Hope you wished to change that temper of yours.¡± Said Salma as a joke right after a moment of silence.

    Kal looked at her for a moment. Reminiscing his harsh world from earlier, he looked away, embarrassed by his unusual past behavior.

    ¡°...Shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you¡­ sorry.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Replied Salma, pleasantly surprised as she smirked.

    ¡°You heard me.¡± Said the young man in a cold tone.

    ¡°Am I hearing things, or have I just heard him apologize?¡±

    ¡°I heard him too.¡± Said Alm, who already had a slice of pie in his hand.

    ¡°Alright, Salma. Don¡¯t push it. I don¡¯t want you guys yelling at each other again.¡± Kara interrupted the burgeoning argument with an amused attitude. She doubled down. ¡°Take Milkhal, for example. Just enjoy the moment.¡±

    Mikhal, seemingly focused on the food he brought to the shop, couldn''t even hear his employer¡¯s compliment.

    ¡°I was just so surprised. I thought the apologies were only reserved for you and Aunty Striga.¡± replied her apprentice, now slicing a piece of pie for herself.

    ¡°Ha, Maybe he did wish to fix his temper.¡±

    As Kara continued the banter, the time offered by the midday march of the Cloaks, distracting potential clients, was used to celebrate her brother¡¯s birthday. This hour of calm encapsulated multiple days of positive memories at once. Every sentence, moment, and even the taste and scent of his beloved birthday pie were now engraved in his memory forever. Striga¡¯s Wonders were home to many core moments of his, and this was a new addition to the list. He needed this. He was looking for company as he was about to thread a path he would have to walk alone. For this, he was infinitely grateful.

    As the market started to replenish itself, it was a sign that the little party reached its end. Everyone had to return to their occupation, and even if Kal immortalized this moment in his mind, time had to take its course. As he prepared to follow Alm and Salma to the backroom, he paused in front of the door, waiting for Mikhal to leave for his second delivery shift. Noticing that Kara had picked up on it, he stood silently, while she waited for him to speak. But since the young man kept his mouth shut, she was the one who opened the dialogue.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­ Just wanted to say ¡­ thank you.¡±

    *** Sometime Later, at moon rise ***

    As the sky darkened, they were already back on Melhem¡¯s hills. They closed the shop early; today was a special day, after all. Kallen parted ways with his friends with a smile as if he was about to see them again tomorrow morning. It felt better that way. Maybe a part of him still believed it was just another day. Solman went back to the church¡¯s tower, somehow more avoidant than he usually was. It honestly wouldn¡¯t be a surprise to Kal if the man connected the dots. But there was nothing to be scared of. It was already too late; that night was the night. Besides, he knew how to keep a secret.

    Leading the group, as he stepped into the Hollow Tower, something alarmed Kal¡¯s senses. It was hot, too hot for the ruins he spent his life in, especially around that time. The air was slowly getting warmer with every breath he took. On alert, he looked around with his eyes darting every corner of the place. All he could see was what he was already familiar with. The spiraling stone stairs that somehow managed to never crumble, the moss that was growing dangerously close to the well sitting at the center, and the missing sides of the building that allowed tonight''s full moon to shine over the scene.

    ¡°¡­Why is it so hot all of a sudden?¡± Said the young man as he broke the silence they established on their way back.

    ¡°Hot? With this kind of wind? Are you okay¡­?¡± Replied Kara, surprised by her brother¡¯s absurd interjection as they went up the stairs.

    He couldn¡¯t feel the wind. He couldn¡¯t tell how chilly it was. It was all him. This realization made him slow down his pace. It wasn¡¯t suffocating; in fact, it was like the fire was from within, powered by the very air that reached his lungs. He took a moment to understand. Without even noticing, his hand was already inside his shirt, scratching his lower back, scratching the mark.

    A chill of dread ran through every part of his body. It was reacting. He, who was deemed to have good immunity by the witch herself, froze at the thought of kneeling to the curse just before potential salvation. It was growing.

    Not now not now not now not now not now not now not now NOT THEM!

    ¡°Kal¡­I think someone¡¯s inside...¡±

    Alm¡¯s small voice reached his ringing ears. Regaining his senses, he lifted his head to warn them of the incoming danger. However, he was surprised to see they had already reached their floor. The door to their home was right in front of him. Even more surprising, light was escaping through the gaps. Kara was already holding their younger brother¡¯s hand in apprehension. Aren told them he would arrive right before midnight, yet they already had company¡ªcertainly the unwanted kind.

    ¡°Kara¡­Please¡­Don¡¯t open it.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 4: Child of Fire

    The words that came out of Kallen¡¯s mouth might have been the most sincere he had ever pronounced to this point. So much so that the other two instinctively felt the distress emanating from his vocal cords. But as he was about to urge them to run away, a most familiar voice cut him off.

    ¡°Kallen? Is that you?¡±

    Aren, the Swan in training infatuated with his elder sister, was the one to speak up. The following silence prompted him to continue as they heard his footsteps approaching the door.

    ¡°That was you, right..? Is Kara with you?¡±

    The door slowly opened as the siblings watched, uneasy. Standing before them was the man they expected: tall, with well-kept shoulder-length brown hair and a pair of green eyes characteristic of the Emerald Bay¡¯s nobility. But unlike the many times he had paid them a visit, he wore his armored leather tunic and his white cloak. Tonight, he was on duty.

    ¡°Happy to see you coming this early¡­¡± Said the man with a smile.

    ¡°Aren¡­Why..? You weren¡¯t supposed to come until much later¡­How did you even get in..?¡± Replied the young woman with a hint of caution built up by her brother¡¯s words.

    ¡°Ah, about that¡­ Sorry, but I had to break the lock...¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds terrible¡­ We got an emergency...¡±

    ¡°Well I REALLY hope it''s important! Why!? You know how dangerous it is for us out here and you still¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was the one who broke it; please forgive my young disciple. We only wish for your safety.¡± This deep, aged voice came from deeper within their home.

    This voice.

    Behind the arguing couple, a tall man draped in black was standing next to the table they shared a meal this morning. While he was facing the window, he seemed to be watching the scene from the old mirror¡¯s reflection. The instant Aren opened the door, Kallen¡¯s gaze was fully focused on his direction, completely ignoring the conversation that was taking place before him. And something within him made him feel like it was reciprocal. Only his back could be seen, but he knew this was the source. What lit his insides on fire, his fear materialized, this man with the dark veil. The moment he spoke up, his presence projected a heavy atmosphere all over the room and beyond. Still spectating from the family heirloom, he continued.

    ¡°As my disciple was saying, we had to come earlier than expected. I apologize as well for the intrusion. I understand how rude my actions were.¡±

    ¡°Master! There is no need to apologize. They¡¯re my people, I need to take responsibility.¡± Replied Aren, full of the kind of humility Kal couldn¡¯t imagine his sister¡¯s lover possessed.

    ¡°I am Alvan, 9th Ascetic of Naar-Aje and protector of its Divine Flame.¡± As he finished his sentence, the man turned around without emitting a single sound, making his calm but imposing demeanor almost supernatural. He then adds. ¡°And I came to assist my protegee.¡±

    He was completely covered from head to toe. The thick veil covering his face, supported by a silver circlet with intricate spiral ornaments, was of such darkness that light appeared to be sucked in, never to escape again. The same went for his cloak. While Aren and his brood tended to keep it open, his master¡¯s was closed shut, akin to a robe. He was there yet out of reach. As if cut off from every connection to the physical world. Inside it all, only him and his purpose. A true Ascetic. As he approached this home¡¯s owners, the absence of visible leg movement made it look like he was floating, which added layers of intimidation but nobility to him.

    Kallen couldn¡¯t stop his hands from shaking. The eery mortal enemy he felt earlier was now standing at his door. But he had to calm down. Even a child like him knew that agitation would only make the situation worse. If he revealed that the mark was reacting, what if they cut him down right away? He joined his hands together in an effort to appear less daunted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kallen, it''s nothing serious. Please, it''s your home, so get inside. It¡¯s just an extra measure we have to take. Have you packed your stuff?¡± Said Aren, with a much warmer tone, as he made way for the family to get in.

    ¡° We received a vision from the Flame. The Collect has to be effectuated earlier today.¡± Pursued the Black Swan, still standing next to the door, apparently not willing to linger. ¡°Have you caught wind of the increased amount of marked children these last months?¡±

    ¡°Please excuse my rudeness, my Lord. But¡­what is going to happen to him..? It¡¯s too sudden, and we couldn¡¯t even say our farewell..!¡± Retorqued Kara, starting to feel overwhelmed by the events.

    ¡°No need for formalities, we are no object of worship. However, as unfortunate as it is, I am forced to ask you to let him come with us as soon as possible young lady. A lot of children are waiting. This young one was recommended by my disciple, so I agreed to come here first. But I can only extend this kind of special treatment for so long.¡±

    The words of the old master felt like a knife to the chest. Kal could only watch as he saw Alm in tears and Kara¡¯s hands covering her face. His current life ended much earlier than he expected. While deeply saddened by the news, a part of him couldn¡¯t help but think it was maybe for the best. The mark. His head was about to explode, the efforts needed from him to keep his composure were such that he struggled to show any kind of strong emotion despite the situation.

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± That was all he could manage to say at the moment. Dragging his feet, he turned around, it was time to go. He continued. ¡°Can you guys help me packing?¡±

    His siblings quickly moved in his direction, yearning to spend these last moments with him. Aren tried to follow but was stopped by Kara''s hand. She was smiling awkwardly, stopping herself from bursting into tears.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we just need a moment¡­¡±

    He stepped back in silence.

    As she closed the door behind Kallen, he could hear her sobbing as quietly as possible. This sound was something he only heard at their mother¡¯s funeral. It broke his heart. Seeing her in this state was disturbing enough to shake off some of the mark¡¯s effects.

    ¡°Kara¡­Can you bring me the pot?¡± said Kal in a small voice.

    ¡°...What? Do you mean the¡ª¡±

    Without even letting her finish that sentence, he covered her mouth with his hand. He could read the incomprehension in her grieving eyes. He couldn¡¯t let the Swans know that the mark was active. He absolutely needed their stock of Stone Lily pollen to keep it at bay. After a moment of silence, her surprised expression showed him she understood. But he could tell that her state got worse by the hot air blowing on his palm as she started to sob even louder. She then took the small pot placed under her bed and handed it to him. He quickly plunged his nose in, inhaling the silvery powder.

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    He felt an almost instantaneous relief. He never used much of it. It was only his second time, the first being the day Alm noticed the curse on his back more than a week ago when they bathed in the river down behind the hill. As he never felt symptoms of Beastification since, they concluded that their mother was right concerning their strong immunity. But even mothers could be wrong at times.

    ¡°Kallen, are you okay?¡± The weakened voice of his younger brother reached him as he lifted his head up. The boy stopped crying, surprised by Kal¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Yeah¡­It¡¯s all good. I¡¯m just sad like you guys, that¡¯s all.¡± He replied with a forced smile.

    ¡°But you were¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, help me find my lucky coin, won¡¯t you? It should be around my bed.¡±

    ¡°...Okay¡­¡±

    This was a decent enough distraction to change the topic before Alm could reveal anything compromising. He knew nothing about Vessels, those who survived the Sealing Ceremony and wielded the Tree¡¯s Essence. But if they were truly the next step of human evolution just like in the epic tales he grew up with, their sense of smell and hearing was likely far beyond the commoners. Thankfully, the pollen was odorless.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early¡­It¡¯s too much..! We were supposed to just leave our stuff here and visit her grave before you go¡­¡± His sister''s cracking voice interrupted his thoughts.

    He turned towards her and saw Kara almost stumbling in his direction. She was devastated, and it was hard to bear. Even as the younger brother, he tried to console her.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming back, remember? It¡¯s just goodbyes¡­¡±

    ¡°...I know Kal¡­ I know¡­¡±

    She took him in her arms and then fell on her knees abruptly. She reached her limits. This time she couldn¡¯t hide her tears. Oddly enough, while his eyes got watery, Kallen couldn¡¯t find himself to cry. His sadness was real but empty. He sensed it in her words, in her voice. He could sense that deep down, a part of her may have already acknowledged the fact that she just lost another family member that night. He always felt sincerity from her whenever she told him that he was going to survive. It was genuine, true even.

    But not tonight.

    He thought that it was probably unconscious. After all, she also acted like this the day their mother left. As if his sister knew she was going to return as a corpse. Whether it was a way to protect herself from false hopes or not, it stung nonetheless. He could only remain silent as he gently stroked her golden hair.

    Multiple times today, he fell prey to fear. As they prayed for his wish earlier in the shop, he made a vow instead. The consequences of said vow compelled him to give his everything to fight for himself. From that seemingly peaceful moment, consciously or not, this prayer to the Tree may have granted him the drive to push through, even if no one, including himself, has faith in him.

    He turned his head toward Alm, who was silently watching as his siblings seemingly exchanged their roles.

    ¡°Come here¡­¡±

    Those few words were enough for the youngest to rush and hug his siblings. Kallen was the one who had to leave, but it felt like he was the one comforting them. However, As he rested his head on his sister¡¯s, he took a last glance at their room¡ªwhere he had built so many memories with his family, where he slept, laughed, cried, and even sometimes ate.

    As his gaze stumbled on their mother¡¯s golden bracelet lying on the only wooden shelf next to the door, his emotions finally set in. He was still a child, too. Two slim streams of water finally came out of his eyes, but not much more. Sobbing now would mean agreeing with the odds that he would never make it back. Those tears were for those he was going to leave behind, betraying their mother¡¯s wish. Even if he became a Vessel, young Swans were forbidden to leave the monastery until years of training. What if something happened to them after he left?

    ¡°Aren¡­maybe he¡¯s alright¡­¡± Said Kal, trying to cheer everyone up. While nobody responded, the cries lowered in intensity. He pursued. ¡°I will send letters now and then, hope he can help with that. I won¡¯t be that far away. If you miss me, watch by the window.¡±

    ¡°...Right?¡± Replied Alm, eyes glimmering with hope.

    ¡°Yeah buddy, like I said before, we are just saying goodbye. You guys need to quit crying like I¡¯m dead already.¡±

    Kara held Kallen much tighter as she heard these words, almost like he would wither away if she let go. In return, he did the same. She stopped crying and just stayed in this position for long minutes. This moment of silence was a way for him to ingrain this moment in his mind. Of any memories he was planning to keep in his heart as they went their separate ways, he wanted this to be the one. And he knew she was doing the same.

    After a few more minutes, they felt like they shouldn¡¯t abuse the ascetic¡¯s patience. They silently turned around to help him collect all the precious things he wanted to keep close. They were few. After all, it was not like he owned much. Alm gave him the necklace that was offered to him by their mother. Kal leaned forward and had his brother attach it around his neck. It was a pyramid-shaped red stone attached to a leather rope. They never knew the history behind it. The truth is that they never asked.

    ¡°I give it to you so that you can give it back. I will tell the others it¡¯s a Swan necklace.¡± Said Alm with a naive but bright smile, his eyes still red. He then put his hand in his small pocket to reach for the coin Kallen had asked for earlier. ¡°And I found your coin too.¡±

    This was the first coin he ever earned. It was his lucky charm until last year¡¯s tragedy. He let it collect the dust in their room, but he felt like he might need it this time around. Kara approached him with a scroll marked with a strange seal. The young man wasn¡¯t exactly versed in literature, but he could tell that those symbols looked foreign. It seemed old but precious, justifying why she held it with her two hands. Her expression hid something else beyond her apparent sadness, but he couldn''t quite figure out what it was.

    ¡°This is from mom... Open it only as you arrive, then destroy it. Never reveal whatever you read inside, okay? It¡¯s important, and I think you¡¯re old enough to know by now¡­¡±

    Kallen was quite stunned. He felt that his family had its secrets. But as he aged, his interest in them dwindled. He liked the image he had of his close ones, and he didn¡¯t want it to change. However, as his sister gave him this strange piece of paper with that look in her eyes, his curiosity resurfaced.

    ¡°Got it¡­ Thank you¡­¡±

    After putting the final element of a really small list in his spare delivery leather bag, he stared at their bedroom door for a moment. The moment he opens it, his life here will truly be ending. He held his siblings'' hands tight.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Said Kara, with a much lighter voice than earlier.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He replied solemnly.

    As they crossed the door, they found the two Swans in almost the same positions they had left them in.

    ¡°We will take proper care of him, Kara. He will be back so soon you won''t even have the time to miss him. He isn¡¯t like most of the kids at the Collect Camps, you know. He has potential, I can tell.¡± Aren was the first to come forward. Hearing his lover and her family in tears was probably not a pleasant experience.

    ¡°I know you will¡­¡± She replied with a forced smile and a meek voice, trying her best to keep face.

    The Black Swan came forward to stand in front of Kallen.

    ¡°You¡¯re a brave child. Among the many I Collected, I will remember you as one of those willing to face their fate head-on.¡± As the wise man finished his praise, his hand emerged from his black cloak. As Kal expected it, a glove and a black uniform fully covered his arm as it extended towards his small shoulders.

    However, the second his hand came in contact with Kallen, the primal fear that haunted him moments ago came back in full force. What was akin to a campfire earlier reemerged as a brazier¡ªfrom within and, this time, from the mark too. Completely dismayed by the sudden shock, he stayed immobile like a statue, but his hand shook uncontrollably. His labored breathing became audible to anyone in the room. This time, it was obvious¡ªtoo obvious.

    ¡°Kal!¡± Kara rushed to grab his hand, fearing for the worst.

    ¡°Kal¡­are you alright?¡± The White Swan looked at him with a confused but worried expression.

    The worst scenario he had imagined came to happen. He was stuck at the mercy of the Vessels who came to save him in the first place. The choice was now theirs. Whatever they asked of him, he had to give the right answer. Or else...

    Run.

    Even if he knew it wasn''t an option, it was the first thing that came to his mind. But this simple thought reminded him of the intuition he had before they even reached their floor. The mark was afraid. Afraid of this man in black¡ª tremendously so. In fact, he only had any kind of reaction to it the moment he arrived in the picture. Was it because he was around a Swan? It never happened when Aren was around. Why did his master appear that night to begin with? Especially when he had never heard of him from his student? What is the "emergency"?

    This was when a frightening idea started to flourish in Kallen¡¯s mind. Something even worse than anything he ever imagined until now. He was afraid, but the fear of it being potentially true compelled him to ask anyway, no matter the risks encountered.

    ¡°You¡­You were never planning to bring me to Naar-Aje, were you..?¡±

    A deafening silence then took over the room. He looked at everyone. He could read the confused expressions on their faces. Only the face covered in darkness was a mystery. He could only wait for his reaction. The maze made him accustomed to treachery and setups. Life in the slums subconsciously made him stop believing in coincidences. He chose to trust his instincts over these beings he admired so much.

    ¡°Oh Kal¡­I know it can be scary to¡ª¡± The young Swan was interrupted by his master with a simple movement of the hand.

    The Ascetic then lowered himself to the boy¡¯s level. He couldn¡¯t see it, but Kallen could feel it¡ªthe intense gaze piercing through this thick piece of black cloth. He felt nude, like he was an open book. Even if his hand weren¡¯t on his shoulder, he felt like he would still be unable to move. After a few seconds, the master stood back up. However, his grip on the boy¡¯s shoulder was firmer. He then uttered the words that would be engraved in this child''s mind forever on this fateful night.

    ¡°Brave indeed. It burns, isn¡¯t it? Child of Fire.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 5: Ignite

    Kallen stared back at the ascetic, his eyes hollow. The boy stood there, immobile, still. Despite his attempts to stay positive and keep moving forward, his path seemed to have already met an obstacle he couldn¡¯t surmount. The old man easily saw through him. No, maybe he knew from the very beginning. What if he was the ¡°emergency¡± all along? However, the first to break the silence was not the person Kal expected.

    ¡°Please, forgive me Master¡­But this must be a mistake. It just can¡¯t be. From his sister¡¯s testimony¡ª¡±

    ¡°Insolent! Does love blind you to the point of doubting me? I, an Ascendant?¡±

    To Kallen''s surprise, Aren went out of his way to oppose his superior, but he was shut down immediately.

    ¡°¡­What testimony¡­? What is going on...? What did you tell him Aren!?¡± Said Kara, feeling betrayed by the man she loved.

    ¡°I can see it as clear as day, those putrid flames corrupting the flow of life¡­ What you believe in is of no consequence, disciple.¡± With a tone full of disdain and disgust, the veiled sage¡¯s gaze never moved from his prey.

    Kal was used to this kind of treatment, being looked at as less than. But this time, he could tell that the second the atmosphere changed, he was no longer considered human. Perhaps he was never held in such regard to begin with.

    Run away.

    He tried to escape, but his body wasn¡¯t obeying any of his commands. In panic, he desperately tried to move but was still within the grasp of the Black Swan and his sister¡¯s hands. His eyes darted in every direction, desperately looking for something that could help him, someone. They landed on his sister, but in search of a thread of hope, he could only find the same terror in her look. They were both powerless.

    ¡°I suppressed your ability to move, child, don¡¯t fight it.¡± The sage¡¯s firm grip was the lock that caged Kal inside his own body. ¡°Fear not. If the Tree still cares for you, it will end fast enough.¡± As he pronounced these words, Kallen was violently tackled to the floor. The heavy black glove pressed the left side of his face against the stone layout of his own home so hard that he felt like he would be crushed.

    ¡°Kal!¡± Alm''s voice finally made itself heard as he started to understand the situation.

    ¡°LET GO OF HIM!¡± With a voice mixed with distress and fury, Kallen witnessed his sister hysterically trying to remove the hand holding him down. Pushing, kicking, punching, it was as if she was taking on a mountain. He, who was thrown to the ground seconds ago, couldn¡¯t even feel the reverberations of her hits through the ascetic¡¯s body. ¡°HE¡¯S JUST A CHILD YOU LUNATIC!¡±

    ¡°Disciple, it¡¯s out of love that I am letting this happen. Please, don¡¯t make this harder for everyone.¡± With a tone as cold as the ground he was pinning his victim against, the master urged his student to act.

    And he did.

    ¡°AREN! ¡­What are you doing..?!¡±

    Kara¡¯s voice resounded once again. The Swan they grew to appreciate, and trust was now restraining her. The man clearly didn¡¯t put much effort into doing so, but his face was strained like he was holding a raging bull. It was brief, but Aren¡¯s words from earlier built up embers of hope in Kallen¡¯s heart. He could only watch as the same delusion now submerged his sister''s expression.

    ¡°...Not you¡­Did you plan this..!? All this time¡­¡± Kara¡¯s trembling voice was testimony to the shattering disappointment and pain she was subjected to. This was too much. They all knew how strong he was, she had no means to escape. Completely helpless, the tears came back raining as she broke down. ¡°He-¡­Help him..! He¡¯s just a baby¡­ I beg you¡­Please¡­!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Kal¡¯s voice interrupted his sister¡¯s plea as he saw Alm standing up to the traitor with their old firewood axe in hand. He was sobbing, his eyes guided by fear and anger. The hands were shaking¡ªhis voice, too.

    ¡°L-Leave her alone!¡±

    Everyone in the room could read through Aren, full of sorrow and pity. The turmoil inside the man¡¯s head was so strong that the previously handsome face ended up distorted by doubt. He probably never expected this kind of situation to happen. But after a few seconds of hesitation, he closed his eyes momentarily, then reopened them with a look that plunged Kal in much more anguish. The boy hoped to see a change of heart, but doubt was replaced by determination instead.

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    ¡°I am sorry¡­I should have never come barging into your lives to begin with¡­ But if Master saw what he saw, then Kal¡­¡± He hesitated. The words were stuck in his throat as he struggled to continue his sentence. ¡°...Kal must die¡­¡±

    It sounded surreal, like a bad dream. While Kara began to scream for help in despair, knowing well that no one in this tower or the maze was foolish enough to answer the call, Aren¡¯s words detached Kallen from reality for a moment.

    Why?

    He couldn''t process it. He couldn''t understand why he ended up in this situation. In the span of seconds, memories came rushing to his head, but none could rationalize or justify what was unfolding. And the fact that he couldn¡¯t do a thing made it more horrifying. Reduced to a simple spectator of his own demise, he could only wait for his executioner.

    ¡°Duty Over Heart, Purpose Over Pride. Congratulations disciple; you bring honor to your House. I came with you thinking that you were not ready yet but looking at you now, in time, you may even possess the potential to wear the black.¡± While the master praised the student, the free right hand that was still within the robe came out. An orange glow escaped from his black glove as the sage clutched a small object Kallen couldn''t identify.

    That was it. His fear materialized not in the man but in whatever was in his hand. As soon as this mysterious object was revealed, his captor almost felt invisible. He could only see it with one eye, but even the young pubescent hair from his paralyzed right hand in front of him straightened in its direction.

    ¡°Ignite.¡±

    At the sage''s commands, golden flames erupted from his hand, illuminating the room with their purity, putting the home¡¯s lanterns to shame. The powerful burst blasted away furniture and small objects alike. The caster¡¯s cape floated behind him, revealing the sinister armor of leather and dark metal hidden beneath. Alm, who was defenseless at the time, was projected with his axe against their lunch table as his captive sister watched in horror.

    The flame. It was dancing, moving in ways your regular bonfire couldn¡¯t¡ªas if it were alive. Engulfing the man¡¯s arm like armor, it was eyeing its prey. The heat was way beyond its size, and Kal was the closest.

    However, Kallen wasn¡¯t reactive. In fact, he became completely numbed. He couldn¡¯t feel or move his body; his ears were crushed between stone and an even harder hand; his head was ringing as the mark screams completely overwhelmed his senses. And finally, his eyes saw and cried enough. He was empty, defeated. Just a body forced to watch as his family pleaded in vain for his life. His birthday promise? He was ready to give it up.

    ¡°After this¡­What happens to them after this¡­¡±

    Kallen uttered these words with a tone he was sure his siblings never heard. He was tired, he wanted it to stop. Seeing the two who shared his life this helpless was like torture. He wanted to know if the Swan¡¯s wrath was only limited to him. Even if he feared the answer. Upon hearing this, Kara¡¯s screams stopped. For the first time in this life, her brother was admitting defeat.

    ¡°...What a shame, if fate wasn''t against you, you would have been a decent Warrior.¡± After a short pause, he continued. ¡° No, nothing will happen to them. You and your family are innocent. This sacrifice, like many before yours, is a necessary evil. Don¡¯t forgive us, never. This is not just. However, I promise in my name that your death won¡¯t be in vain. Your family will come to understand¡ª¡±

    A loud hissing sound interrupted the ascetic¡¯s monologue. Alm, who was thought to be agonizing against the table, threw the rest of the water jar Kal filled up this morning. But as the steam cloud started dissipating, only disappointment could be seen on his face as the golden flame instantly vaporized most of the liquid, protecting its wielder.

    ¡°I-I am sorry, master! I got careless¡­ I thought...¡±

    ¡°...They have been through enough. They don¡¯t need to see how it ends.¡± Said the old man in an irritated tone.

    With a simple nod, the pupil freed one of his hands and lifted it as a faint green hue emanated from the tip of his index and middle finger. He swiftly pressed them against Kara''s neck, seemingly releasing this mysterious light into her body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kal¡­This is all my fault¡­¡± Her dried-up and exhausted voice was full of regret. She, too, was defeated.

    Her words were enough to make her ex-lover flinch, but he carried on. Seconds later, her body goes limp as a few last words managed to escape.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­ mo¡­¡±

    Aren delicately laid her body on the ground. Only now that she was in a deep slumber, he treated her like a flower. His gaze turned toward her youngest brother, who could only watch in horror how his life turned for the worse. With the same glow from earlier, the disciple closed the distance in an instant, sparing him no time to speak or even escape. The look Alm gave to Kal just before losing consciousness stung. It stung so hard that he felt physical pain, as if the sage was killing him already.

    ¡°Help me...¡±

    Those were the words written on that frightened face. He saw immense distress in his eyes, yes, but what affected him the most was the hint of deception beneath it all. He let him down. The image of the older brother pushing through any obstacles, braving any danger. All this turned to ashes the moment he allowed his eyes to lose the spark of life. And he could never bring it back.

    ¡°Your brother, as brave as you are. We spared them a memory they would have struggled to carry on. This pain, you will have to bear it alone. The world can¡¯t afford to have even one more of you roaming around. May you rest in the Tree¡¯s embrace, child.¡± As the sage finished his sentence, the flames doubled in intensity, roaring as if it couldn¡¯t wait anymore.

    A part of Kallen felt relieved. His sibling or his mother won¡¯t be able to see what was going to happen. But another part of him was a growing sentiment of unfairness. Why him? He couldn¡¯t truly accept the fact that he was going to die for a reason he wasn''t even made aware of. And he had no means to fight back. Now that his siblings were out of the picture and he was facing it all alone, fear started to creep back into the child''s heart, slowly dissolving his earlier apathy.

    I don¡¯t want to die...

    ¡°? True Divine Flame¡­ Purge your mother¡¯s sins!¡±

    I don¡¯t want to die!

    If Alm and Kara were still conscious they may have regretted not having been sedated earlier, as the screams that came out of Kallen''s mouth were more akin to a beast than a child.

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 6: You

    Life after death.

    Many believed their souls were bound to reach the Inverted Tree¡¯s core, buried deep beneath the earth. There, they would be judged by gods or the world itself. The good and wise fuse and become one with the universe, set to return to the Flow of Life. The wicked, thrown to The Devourer. Others believed their bodies would one day fuel the Great Roots and emerge as Essence, flowing all around the world like water in the ocean, observing the living and guiding future generations. While Kallen never seriously thought about his fate if he ever was to pass early, he was now sure that none of those common beliefs would apply to him. In this inferno, it was as if his soul itself was about to be burnt away, reduced to ashes so close to nothingness that even the greatest deities wouldn¡¯t be able to salvage it.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±

    The pain.

    This was a mental cry, the only way he could express the hellish torture he was put into as in less than a second, his voice and body were engulfed by the pure flames. The hellscape his mind turned into was his only outlet. Earlier, he was just lying on the ground, limp like a corpse, immobile and numb. Now, he felt his long agony in full as his executioner pressed his hand and the mysterious fiery artifact between his shoulder blades. His body was frantically wriggling, looking for an escape in vain, he was burning from outside and within. He couldn¡¯t think, just pointlessly fight.

    Fire was bursting out of his mouth and eyes like the Drakes up The Frontier. He couldn¡¯t breathe, life should have escaped from his charred shell a while ago, but it was as if his soul and consciousness were chained to his body. Fighting the golden scorch with its own kindling, a much darker one.

    However, even if death seemed to refuse to embrace him, the boy¡¯s psyche surpassed its limits for far long. When this small consumed frame stopped struggling, his cognition snapped as well. Shattering like a broken vase, it was as if pieces of himself were torn apart, scattered in every direction by a primal force. Kallen was gone.

    ***

    Even though he believed they melted away, Kal opened his eyes. The pain vanished but the shock remained, he could still feel it, smell it, taste it. Hell¡¯s bitter savor. Even if his cheeks stayed dry, he sensed his eyes getting watery, there was no fire to dry them up anymore. The amount of pain unleashed upon him, he couldn''t possibly harbor the darkness necessary to wish it upon even the worst fiend¡ªyet. He was shaking, and his legs were about to give out.

    As he tried to reach his face to wipe his nascent tears away, he stopped for a moment, horrified. His hand, he couldn¡¯t see them. They were nothing but a blur as if he could only observe an idea of his palms but not the real thing, an approximation. As he looked down it was the same for the rest of his body.

    Even if it didn¡¯t last long, Kallen started cultivating the idea that maybe, just maybe, everything that had just happened was but a nightmare. But as he lifted his head up and finally took a look at the environment around him, he could only admire the scene with stupor.

    ¡°Wha-¡­What the..?¡±

    He was in what looked like a bedroom, a large and luxurious one¡ªthe kind that was so far away from his reach that conceiving the appearance of such a space was beyond his abilities prior to this very instant. However, for some reason, its style, scent, and atmosphere all felt familiar.

    Am I..?

    In front of him, what he could only imagine to be some kind of bed was of such obscene proportion it easily exceeded the size of the home he just left. It was surrounded by an imposing circular frame as high as his chest, made of a mysterious kind of semi-reflective grey stone. Warriors and winged beasts were carved on it with precision, it was probably the most beautiful piece of decorative art his eyes ever laid their gaze upon. Around the oversized cradle, besides equally precious-looking small wooden ramps, heavy circular metal anchors were attached to the ground. Hooked to it, four large but light crimson drapes hung from the ceiling, spiraling down with elegance all over the snow-white spotless mattress.

    As Kal turned around to finally scan the whole area, he saw how much he wasn¡¯t fit for the place. This was clearly the realm of nobility. The stone walls and furniture were ornated with tapestry and patterns consistent with that thing he could only describe as a sleeping platform at this point. A series of three windows served as gentle lighting on his left. It was nighttime; he could feel the cold wind circulating around as he watched the night sky and its full moon.

    A portrait hung right above the middle window caught his attention, just like his hands, he couldn¡¯t see clearly who the painting was supposed to illustrate. The room''s other source of light was a seemingly floating stone chandelier. While the design looked sophisticated, it only consisted of three thick discs of different sizes rotating in opposite directions. Whoever owned the room, could do and possess things that Kal couldn''t possibly even hope for, kickstarting his maze-dweller instincts. The traumatizing experience he had just been liberated from made him fear Vessels like he never did before. If he ever was to be found in this place¡­

    On the ground made of large stone tile with no cracks whatsoever, a long red carpet led his gaze towards the sole door of the room. Tall and made of dark wood he decided to finally make his first move toward it. But as he approached, light footsteps made themselves heard, and they were getting closer. He was trapped.

    Oh crap¡­

    He instantly bolted to the window, hoping to find salvation. Unfortunately, he could only contemplate his distress as an endless void crowned by a snowy valley was all that was in sight. For an instant, he panicked, but was pleasantly surprised to notice what looked like a balcony westward of his position. He ran full speed straight to the closest window, feeling that he might be able to reach it from there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡±

    Just a meter away from his only chance to escape, a voice he recognized too well petrified him in an instant. Was it shock or confusion? He couldn¡¯t tell the difference. It sounded too disturbing to be real, but his brain couldn''t possibly win against his heart. He turned around as the door slowly creased open. He was on his guard, more tense than he had ever been. No, he was scared.

    ¡°How could you think about leaving me all alone again ¡­you¡¯re all I have left¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, but they were wide open. She was draped in a black dress darker than any moonless night. With her flawless dark skin, flowy long onyx hair, fiery amber eyes, and striking features so typical of her homeland, she wore jewelry that could rival those princesses attending the Emperor¡¯s court. There was standing the person he shed the most tears for.

    ¡°M-Mother¡­¡±

    Every ounce of fear and worry disappeared as soon as this aura he was so familiar with spread into the room. It wasn¡¯t like his body or the painting, his vision was crystal clear. The face he could recognize among thousands, the worried expression of a mother. Striga from The South.

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    He ran. Without hesitation, a child who had to bury her earlier than he should have, rushed toward the one who raised and nurtured him. He couldn''t even think about the many questions he had, how much sense this situation was making, or anything to say as a matter of fact. At this moment, he just needed her warmth.

    He wasn¡¯t certain if whatever he was seeing or feeling was real, but the moment his embrace reached her, this was as close as it could be. The scent, the touch, but over everything, the way she hugged him back. There was no mistaking, it was the same woman they all grieved a year ago.

    ¡°There¡­there¡­It¡¯s okay¡­I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡­I...It¡¯s been so long¡­!¡± He had so much to say, things he wished he told her sooner, things he felt she was responsible for, but his trembling voice summed up his sentiments that were towering over the rest.

    ¡°My dear¡­ I should have stayed too ¡­Only now I understand how much I plunged our family into chaos. I was wrong all along, the only way to protect you all from this madness was to never leave your side. Please find in your heart the means to forgive your foolish mother¡­If only you knew how much I love you¡­¡±

    I love you, forgive me. Those were the words he wasn¡¯t aware he needed to hear. The day she left, a younger Kallen warned her. He had a bad feeling, she had the eyes of someone who wasn''t sure they would come back. He screamed and scorned her as his sister watched in silence. From their point of view, she had a tendency to be extreme with her decisions.

    They stayed in the same position without uttering a word. He needed this moment more than anything else. He was lost, afraid, and traumatized. All the stress and emotions he had accumulated until now were released in an instant. Only around her, he couldn¡¯t feel shame if he ever cried. And he did. He finally found her, no, she found him. Whenever he was in distress, she was always there, whether it was convenient or not. Her absence forced him to grow up faster than he should have, but now he was more than happy to act like the child he is.

    Until she uttered her next sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s been long¡­Really long since the last time you let yourself go, ????????????¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡­What?

    His name. He couldn¡¯t hear his own name. She clearly said something, but his mind couldn''t make sense of the sounds coming out of her mouth. This uncanny sensation somewhat shook him out of the silent trance he was immersed in.

    ¡°Mother¡­what did you just call me?¡± He said after he finally lifted his head from her shoulder.

    ¡°...????????????¡­Why..? Is everything okay my dear..?¡±

    Her speech and accent fit the place but not the person. The woman he knew was Striga the Witch, the reserved but feared owner of the herb and elixir shop. Now that he carefully examined her delicate face, her wrinkles and marks left by time and hardship were gone, too; she not only looked younger but was also smaller.

    In fact, it was the opposite. She had always been a tall woman. Last year, the top of his head was right under her shoulder height, but now he could clearly see over her hair. Having spent many days around the shop with Mikhal, he knew for sure he wasn''t subject to any sudden growth spurts.

    ¡°Mother¡­where are we..? What is happeni¡ª¡± Before even ending his own question, he stopped himself with his blurry hand.

    ¡°We are at home¡­????????????¡­Be honest with me¡­what did they do to you¡­?¡±

    Kallen took a while to notice it himself. Until tonight, he had never called her ¡°Mother,¡± not once. Something was wrong¡ªterribly wrong. It was as if he was part of a play from the public theatre. He was familiar with the actors, but it was as if someone else was in command of the script. He wasn¡¯t sure of anything anymore, whether it was about him or her. He slowly stepped back, terrified by the idea that this whole time, the woman in front of him might be someone else toying with him.

    ¡°????????????¡­! You promised you won¡¯t hide anything from me anymore¡­Please¡­ My heart can only break once¡­¡±

    While he could understand the rest of her sentences besides his own name, they didn¡¯t make much more sense. Even more lost than earlier, he couldn¡¯t even trust the words coming out of his own mouth.

    ¡°You¡±

    The resounding voice reaching his ears, was so deep, eerie, and inhuman that it instantly alarmed the boy as a ghastly chill went through his whole body. This couldn¡¯t belong to a person. He stayed oriented towards the door in order to run away, but against his will, he slightly turned his head to see what was behind him, going against his deepest instincts. It was as if a mysterious force prompted him to do so. His eyes widened in terror.

    Obsidian scales sharper than any blades he had ever seen, glowing crimson red eyes with vertical pupils, and a set of black straight horns standing above it. Curled over the bed he left earlier and beyond, a gigantic snake, large enough to take almost half of the room in size appeared out of thin air. Its head extended right behind Kallen, it was immobile. The light coming out of the reptile''s eyes had movement, like a fire was burning within, but with none of the purity of the flames that sent the boy into this unknown place.

    No...

    ¡°M-Mother!¡± As he instinctively turned back, running in her direction, he was stupefied to find out that he was now the only human being in the room. She was gone.

    After half a second of confusion, he raced full speed to the door. But just a word, like earlier, was enough to thwart his attempt.

    ¡°Enough¡±

    In an instant, he found himself just standing, enable to muster the strength to put one foot in front of the other or even speak. The colossal beast approached slowly. Slithering its massive body around Kal, all escape routes were now blocked, making the prisoner even more defenseless than he already was.

    Once again captive of a force way above him, the boy was surprised to see his helplessness diminish in intensity, even if once again, his fate was on the line. As he watched his captor making more circles around him, the scales¡¯ color started to match its eyes. Flames as dark as blood erupted from some of them, drastically changing the temperature.

    Stuck at the bottom of this serpentine pit, Kal was surrounded like firewood in a chimney. But unlike earlier, to his great shock, it wasn¡¯t burning; rather, it was warm. Soothing even. The beast''s movements stopped, but he was still petrified under its spell. From the reflection on the lustrious scales, it could be seen that its head was right above him. They stared at each other for a moment. Like with Aren¡¯s master, he felt read through, this piercing gaze was so intense that he could melt.

    The fiery breath coming out of its nose showered him with heat much more harmful than the fire from earlier. He couldn¡¯t move but wasn''t feeling any sense of danger anymore; he was back in a trance. His heart probably pounded so hard that the monster could hear it, too. Kal couldn''t understand his own feelings. All his fear and hostility completely wore off. The moment it came closer, his pupils started to expand.

    ¡­You are¡­

    ¡°Run¡±

    ¡°..........Run..?¡± The instant a word finally came out of his vocal cords, he realized he was free once again.

    He suddenly turned around to see the snake with its gaping mouth wide open. The spell was gone, but he found himself frozen once again. It wasn¡¯t only because any attempts to flee were in vain; he intimately wasn¡¯t threatened by the prospect of becoming the serpent¡¯s next meal. As the creature¡¯s mouth fluids slowly dripped on his almost spectral body, he opened his arms wide open in the middle of this furnace of scales. Whatever was about to happen to him, it was meant to be; That was his role and he would welcome it, embrace it.

    ¡°I am ready.¡±

    As he pronounced these last words, he was showered with a rain of dark flames in his organic cell, fully submerging Kallen as an uncharacteristic grin appeared on his face.

    ***

    Screams. Accompanied by a high-pitched ring, loud cries violently intruded Kal¡¯s ears as he emerged from what looked like a journey far, far away. It wasn¡¯t his voice; it was much older and experienced. As he opened his eyes, he was still standing in the fire, but this time, he was home.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±

    The ascetic. As the boy turned around, a scene he could have never imagined unfolded before his very eyes. Sage Alvan, the terrifying Black Swan, was writhing on the ground, consumed by stygian flames. Still disoriented and unsure of his surroundings, he observed the once-dominant figure now reduced to a pitiful state. What promised his end was now the very thing tearing apart his captor. For a moment, he felt a strange mix of relief and confusion, wondering if this was truly happening or just another twist in his surreal ordeal.

    He quickly diverted his attention to the rest of the room. Aren was standing there, his trembling sword pointed at him, for the first time in his life, among many things, he could read fear in the Swan¡¯s eyes. At his feet, Kara and Alm lay asleep on the ground.

    ¡°Kallen¡­Are you still there? ¡­.Can you hear me¡­?¡± Aren¡¯s shaken voice came cutting through his master''s cries.

    Kal looked at him for a moment, confused, his head was still ringing. He heard what the man said but the noise muffled every kind of surrounding sound. After a moment, he understood what he meant.

    Right behind the only other able person in the room, was their old family mirror, and through it, he saw. His clothes were ruined, only the remains of his pants prevented him from being completely naked. His arms were on fire, but he wasn¡¯t burning. They erupted from obsidian scales growing on his hand, ending around his back and shoulder. His eyes harbored the usual amber shade but had the same vertical pupils as the colossal beast. Above the right one, a singular dark horn was protruding from his forehead. This was the curse every commoner from the Bay and beyond feared the most, Beastification.

    ¡°¡­I know it can be difficult to hear this right now, but you have to listen to me Kal...The mark is taking over...You will end up hurting someone if this continues¡­You need to calm down!¡±.

    ''Calm down,'' ''listen to me.'' These words coming from the man who betrayed their trust and vouched for his execution lit something inside him.

    Veins strained his face as he finally made a step forward. He had gone through Hell¡ªtwice. This time, he wanted to hurt. He knew all too well that in this world, you only get betrayed once; there is no such thing as a second time. His corrupted flames burst from his hands as he slowly approached.

    ¡°You.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 7: I Can Kill Him

    When was the last time he sought violence? He couldn¡¯t remember. Everything was so loud, the scream, the fire, the persistent ringing in his head, his heart. Despite all that, his focus reached its peak, right in front of him was the man who crushed his dreams, hurt his family, and brought the devil to his doorstep. This alone deserved punishment.

    Containing the mark long enough to be reborn as a Vessel was but a pipe dream if his outcomes were rigged from the start. Where the old man was courting death, his golden flames taking over half of the room were completely corrupted by Kallen¡¯s darker kind. As the child stepped forward, they danced around him like he was part of the brazier.

    The entrance was sealed; it was just him and the disciple. One could burn, the other felt right at home. Cinders gently floated around as the tension rose up. Kal may now look like a beast, but at this instant, he was no mere prey. The look in his eyes said it all.

    I can kill him.

    With every step, the infected¡¯s leg muscles twitched as he gathered strength. His target noticed right away. Half-crouching forward in an elegant sword stance, he rooted himself to the ground. It seemed he quickly accepted that words wouldn¡¯t fool the kid twice. The very next moment Kallen charged. With his clawed right hand open for a grab, the unexpectedly explosive burst closed the distance too fast. Impaling itself first on the Swan¡¯s slender arming sword, the half-beast¡¯s palm shielded him from his opponent''s cold counter.

    Before inertia forced his chest to suffer the same fate, in a split second, Kal yanked his arm away as the momentum crashed his body against the warrior¡¯s metal chest plate, sending both flying against the room''s table. In a cloud of dust and wood splinters, he rose up to his feet only to see Aren standing, his free arm reaching upward as the fleeting particles polluting the air faintly spiraled around his hand.

    With a level of strength he never experienced before, he was pulled forward by the sword he was shackled to. With the adversary''s balance gone, the Vessel hammered down a vicious chop targeted at the boy¡¯s wrist. Sensing danger even greater than the blade, the boy planted his right foot firmly as he launched his functioning arm to firmly intercept the traitor¡¯s hit. The thundering remains of the impact reverberated throughout his forearm and the rest of his body. The sound and feel of his bones trembling to the blow¡¯s weight made him wince silently in pain under the Swan¡¯s deathly stare.

    The sweet talk from earlier contrasted completely with what he could see in the disciple¡¯s eyes. This was a mutual fight to the death. As he engaged in a power struggle with Aren pushing his hand downward over this shaken body, the boy¡¯s efforts came short as he was brought to the ground once again by a broad leg sweep.

    Rolling on his back to see the next attack coming, he could only be swift enough to grab and redirect the incoming piercing blow that ultimately landed in his shoulder instead of his chest.

    ¡°GRRAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!¡±

    While he instinctively felt the pain would be less of a problem, the intense sting spreading throughout his body shattered the feeling of immortality overtaking him earlier. Aren was still in training, but a Swan nonetheless¡ªKallen, a beast in the making. The converging fingers spearing the warrior¡¯s open palm were buried deep within the scaled skin. Putting his weight onto it, he was aiming to reach the bone.

    As if it was second nature to him, the scale covering the back of his hand took a scarlet shade. Stygian flames erupted once again, scorching the young noble''s defenseless arm used as a blade made of flesh.

    ¡°AAAARRRHHH YOU LITTLE¡ª¡± Before Aren could even finish his sentence he was cut short by a violent kick to the stomach. The kid¡¯s newfound monstrous strength was such, that it projected him against the wall, letting go of the weapon nested in the glowing red fist.

    Slowly getting up, the occult fire within him grew in intensity. Akin to a volcano, it sprouted from his open wounds. The sword puncturing his hand gently bent before rupturing under the intense heat. As if burning away in reverse, his torned flesh was healing at an astonishing speed. Throwing his blazing gauntlet away, Aren could only watch in disbelief.

    ¡°? Mother¡­what became of you¡­¡±

    Despite the pain, Kallen could only grin. He was drunk on power. For the first time in his life, he could wield the weapon grown-ups used and abused for so long to solve their problems, as petty as they could be: violence. He could feel his body and his mind feel lighter. His scales grew larger, life flowed fiercely in his veins, but the flames of his wits were withering. His siblings lying around in this room that was slowly turning into an oversized furnace was taking less and less space. To escape, he needed the Cloak dead.

    Next to the wall, the white warrior''s expression went right back to what it was earlier. His cold calculating gaze hinted he wasn''t dealing with a human being anymore. It was a hunt. As he gave up his charred hand to gravity and lowered his stance, he shaped the hand that was holding his sword like it was the blade itself. When the palm faced skyward, once again, a subtle breeze came spiraling around his feet, bringing ashes and dust along. He was ready to open the dance, he was ready to waltz.

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    In a blink, the wind warrior vanished from Kallen¡¯s field of vision. Immediately, blood gushed out of a cut on the back of his right hand. When he lost sight of his target, he instinctively covered his neck with both hands and was right to do so. Stupefied, he looked behind him only to see the man in the exact same offensive stance as earlier. It was fast, too fast. It was smaller, but still there nonetheless, the gap between those who tamed the mark and those who didn¡¯t.

    Knee to the ground with his back rounded, Kal crouched, hiding his head under his crossed scaly arms, using his new physiognomy to shield himself from the incoming flurry of deadly cuts.

    Back, arm, horn, leg, back again, wounds kept appearing at an infernal rhythm all over his body. He couldn¡¯t catch him, he couldn¡¯t stop him. With his now limited sight, he could only witness the instant when the Swan''s feet paused before other splashes of his own blood tainted the ground or walls once again. He was getting hurt faster than he could heal, the cadence was ever-changing. Like a well-rehearsed choreography, the dancer made no mistake whatsoever. With every strike hitting the mark, it was only a matter of time.

    ¡­Just once¡­I need to catch you just once¡­

    The pain became less and less of a concern as his mind shrank. The entirety of his attention was directed to the swordman¡¯s footwork, the sound of it, to be precise. The time between a hit and his feet touching the ground was random, but between the step and the strike, it was more or less the same. He waited. Waited.

    The rhythm of the dance seemed to have accelerated, the kid could only deduce the disciple must have caught on. He was looking for the right moment, the small opening where he could catch him within his short range. However, now the risk was his opponent pressuring him to open up¡ªopen up just enough to cut him down for good.

    Leg, arm, the other one, back, leg once more, the assault continued, and the flames only grew weaker¡ªbut not the ones in his eyes. At the moment, he wasn¡¯t afraid of death; he merely wished to extinguish his prey.

    After a new particularly deep slash was drawn across his mutilated back, the next step made by the Swan was the one he was waiting for. Imitating the warrior, he planted his feet firmly within the pool of blood formed under him and projected his arm forward like a spear. At the exact same moment, a long vertical wound opened on the right side of his chest. It was deep enough to reawaken his dulled pain receptors in a frenzy. He let out a howl, unable to produce any kind of human-like cry.

    However, as his serpentine eyes laid their gaze back on his arm, it was tainted as well, but the blood was not his. Behind him, a silent Aren held his side, one knee to the ground. The red liquid flowed out of a wide gash, punched by Kallen¡¯s black claws. With no hesitation, the wounded beast lunged with all its remaining strength towards the cloaked warrior. His injuries were severe, but to him, this opportunity felt like pain relief. If it was suffering alone, today, he could endure it all.

    The two bodies crashed inside the small bedroom, landing on the witch¡¯s bed. He quickly noticed he lost mobility in his right arm, but the kid wasted no time and mounted the injured man like a predator pinning down his prey. It was now or never. The dark flames erupted once again from his remaining hand pushing the blade dancer further into the bed. They were not able to engulf him fully, but the small fire melting his chest plate down was enough to finish him off. With his lower body losing blood and strength, Aren could only struggle to avoid a hellish fate.

    ¡°NAAARRRGGHHHH!¡± As the heat reached the skin, the now weakened disciple cried in pain.

    Suddenly, he threw his sword hand upward, grabbing Kallen¡¯s neck. Tears in his eyes, this wasn¡¯t the look of a dying man.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Father¡­ I''ll be cleaning the mess I created¡­Don¡¯t join me too soon.¡± As the young warrior pronounced these words, the same green hue emanating from his hand, used to subdue Alm and Kara was glowing around the only remaining sibling¡¯s neck. He could feel it, he was losing strength¡ªfast. But this wasn¡¯t the worst. The sclera of the wounded man started to turn black as his eyes took a darker shade.

    You¡­

    Kal understood right away, he needed to get rid of him now. Pouring out everything he had left, the heat went up a notch, his opponent did the same. Each life the others hand, the first to be left behind would see his eyes closing for good. The smell of molten metal and blood permeated the room as they clenched their teeth so hard it could break. Both had death staring right at their soul, waiting for a moment of weakness to snuff out their remaining embers of vitality.

    ¡°Sacrificing yourself to the mark is a disgrace. In this case however, I can only praise your commitment to the cause, Aren Dumas.¡±

    This voice. This deep aged voice he thought he could forget about came back to haunt him.

    No..!

    His respiration was cut, the most violent blow he ever received came striking his stomach. Sent upward at a dramatic speed by a kick from the resurrected Ascetic, he crashed against the ceiling so hard he could feel a lot of his hardened bones shatter. Embedded deep enough within the stones to defy gravity for a moment, his consciousness only hung by a thread as streams of blood came out of his mouth. His body on the other hand was out of commission.

    Squashed like a mere bug, the only sounds he could produce were stuttering groans. The fire beast was no more.

    ¡°Master...what have you done?¡± The disciple didn¡¯t look at his savior with the eyes of a grateful person. This was fear, shock, and disappointment.

    The Black Swan in agony minutes ago ignored his student and gazed up at his victim for a moment, the cloak and veil were gone, revealing the face of a grizzled old man with wavy grey hair and a thick beard. However, half of his face was on fire, the golden inferno hadn¡¯t died yet. His remaining eye had the same pure light.

    ¡°Now is not the time to discuss ethics. Get up. We are not done here.¡± The sage finally answered in a tone so calm that it felt disconnected from the situation.

    ¡°This is not about ethics¡­This kind of sin¡ª¡±

    ¡°SILENCE!" He paused for a few seconds before continuing. "You know nothing, boy. Now answer me, the other two, where did they go?¡±

    ¡°T-The others...?¡± The young warrior finally got up from the bed. While Kallen couldn¡¯t see clearly from where he was, the following silence indicated something was disturbingly wrong.

    As the fell beast finally dropped down from his nest of blood and stone to end up lying on his mother¡¯s bed, the burning old man unsheeted two long daggers hanging from each side of his hips. The blades shone brightly under the firelight.

    ¡°We got busted, captain.¡±

    This unknown relaxed voice clashed completely with the tension built up in this house since moonrise. When the swordsmen took a defensive stance, Kal heard the elder utter this one word.

    ¡°...Bathory¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 8: Bathory

    Two cloaked figures appeared from the shadows of the main room. With the fire long extinguished by the ascetic, only the moonlight could cast its gentler brightness on them through the burnt-down window. Made of some sort of black cloth, not unlike what the sage discarded, the capes and hoods were unable to produce any kind of reflection, making them look foreign to light¡ªcreatures born and raised by the shadows. Only their height could truly distinguish the two.

    The shorter one, owner of the mysterious voice, was of the slender type. His mask, as difficult to discern as it was, shared the same color and properties as the dark material covering the rest of his body. The tallest had broader shoulders. The ¡°Captain¡¯s¡± more imposing frame was amplified by the ambient darkness where only blades and mirrors could shine under the full moon. Both stepped forward to the bedroom, but none made any sounds doing so.

    ¡°Honestly, we were surprised to see you emerge from the fire. We knew Naar-Aje was compromised, but who could have guessed full-fledged heretics were already within their ranks?¡±

    The slender man¡¯s voice, with his surprisingly relaxed and humorous tone, felt like an incongruity as he stood at the door of a room filled with bloodlust moments earlier. His apparent superior stood behind him in silence.

    ¡°Spare me the innocent act. If you were truly concerned with heresy, you would have extinguished the boy as soon as those flames emerged. Must I assume Lord Elias to be one as well since Bathory seems compromised too?¡± Alvan lowered the tension in his voice to match the much younger man. His body, then again, looked ready for action.

    Unable to grasp anything in the conversation, Kallen, close to having his consciousness completely fade away, could only spectate the scene unfolding before him. Four Vessels were now in his humble home, his siblings nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Black Swans like you sure are clever. However, I doubt your peers would appreciate that thing all over half your face.¡± After a brief pause and a step forward, he continued. ¡±Unfortunately, I think this is where our conversation ends. Now you, on the other hand, son of Dumas¡­¡± An arm almost as dark as his cloak extended out of the cloth, finger pointed toward the sage¡¯s disciple.

    ¡°Someone like you shouldn¡¯t sully this name with their mouth.¡± Replied Aren in a stern and spiteful tone.

    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m in hope that you will keep the same discourse for your dead master, kid. Now rest, we will talk after we are done cleaning up here.¡± The instant this sentence came to an end, what looked like a cable sprung from the window, tightly coiling itself on the injured young warrior¡¯s neck, surprising him and his guardian both.

    Before the burning man could act, the larger mystery man standing behind his more talkative counterpart, extended his arm in an attack that forced the sage to protect himself, holding his daggers in a crossguard. Generating sparks illuminating the room, the short blades were clashing in a power struggle with the tall shadow¡¯s clawed gauntlet made of dark metal.

    At the same time, the young noble was suddenly dragged out of the room with force through the window. Only a short scream made itself heard as he was pulled away. His master could merely watch with a concerned expression as he had other matters on his hands.

    ¡°Now I guess it is time for a well-deserved rest, don¡¯t you think, old man.¡± The playful shadow was already sitting on the burnt and sullied bed right next to the battered boy. Even though he was closer, the man still felt almost intangible.

    ¡°Are you leeches so thirsty for power?... Who am I talking to? All invaders are of the same flock.¡±

    Pushing away his opponent, the man joined his hands and daggers together. Powerful gusts of wind flooded the room to spiral all around the sage. Kallen was about to witness the true difference between a student and a master.

    An explosion.

    The strong currents converging in this small confined place were all released with tremendous force in all directions. Blasting away furniture, walls, and people alike in one thundering fell swoop. The boy could have never guessed that when he closed his eyes prior to the incoming shockwave, he would re-open them seconds later in the night sky, high above the ground.

    ¡°Quite resourceful, aren¡¯t you? Anyone would have already fainted by now.¡±

    Before panic could even set in, the slender shadow¡¯s voice resounded from behind, holding the halfling¡¯s broken body in his arm. Embracing the thrill of free falling over Melhem, devoid of fear, his cape was following them in their descent.

    As the man spoke, he threw what looked like a metal stake from his belt. Linked to the same kind of cable from earlier, it landed deep into the tower they were falling out of. When the cable taut, they were now swinging towards it with dangerous speed. Bracing for imminent impact, Kallen could only be surprised by how gently his savior¡¯s feet landed against the stone walls.

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    Now secured and suspended by a thread, with Kallen clutched between his lap and an arm, the mysterious man reached for his belt once again. Planting then removing a needle from the child¡¯s neck before he could even react, he then placed what looked like an old necklace in the boy¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re only alive because you turned, kid. I shielded you from his attack just now, but even then, you were already in a sorry state.¡± The man then gently put a thumb on his forehead.¡± This should alleviate the pain. Focus on that thing in your hand and rest for now. You''ve done enough.¡± Kallen, who had been almost completely short of breath until now, finally felt relief. The pain, the anger, the bloodlust slowly flowed out of his mind, washed away by a different kind of warmth. It was completely antithetical to what he was producing earlier. This one felt like peace. However, the only feeling that remained was sadness.

    ¡°¡­Wh-¡­Where is¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re safe, probably sleeping soundly with that baby Swan from earlier. You gave him quite the beating. I wasn¡¯t expecting it, honestly. But you should stop talking now, I¡¯m having a hard time keeping your mark at bay. I need to focus.¡±

    Too tired to consider any kind of deeper implication associated with what he had just heard, he was satisfied with the first sentence. He relaxed his injured body, feeling less and less discomfort. He closed his eyes, letting himself drift away by this strange sensation going from his head to the hand holding the necklace. He was done with the suffering; he was done with today.

    As he was about to fall into the embrace of sleep, a green glow bright enough to be seen through his eyelid shook him out of his torpor. His gaze went up to the stars.

    Far away, beyond the Thorn more brilliant than ever, over the horizon, colossal spectral roots reached for the heavens. Tangled in a chaotic manner, they spread all over the night sky, covering even Melhem and beyond with its jade radiance. The Inverted Tree arrived.

    ¡°Ha¡­A descent? Today? The heavens are watching you closely.¡± The cloaked man turned his head back to his patient after briefly looking up. ¡°Now, is it a blessing or a curse?¡±

    Kallen remembered every time he witnessed the Tree towering over the world. The only beautiful thing those who roamed this world could all share. Even for the non-believers, this touch of divinity was their only hint that maybe, at the very least, there was something greater than themselves in the universe. Greater than the Empire, greater than the unforgiving lives most had to go through. Last time, it was the night before his mother left, that unforgettable night.

    His long contemplation was interrupted by loud blade clashes followed by rock-breaking sounds. Looking above him, Alvan of Naar-Aje was falling through another new hole carved on the Hollow Tower, his fiery half-mane eclipsed by the green sky. As he arrived at their level, one of his two daggers was thrown at high speed towards Kal. Somehow even faster, his savior caught the short weapon by the hilt and then threw it far away immediately.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t give up, do you? Too weak to come by yourself?¡± Snarkly replied the suspended shadow.

    Quickly following behind, his accomplice flew down head-first into the enemy, taking him away to the ground in an instant. They crashed loudly into a decrepit wooden house below. After a moment, they both exited the ruin through a cloud of dust and debris. They took the fight to the streets.

    ¡°...You¡­shouldn¡¯t you help him?¡­This old man¡­He is dangerous¡­¡± Struggling to string a sentence together, Kal¡¯s aversion for the man who tortured him was strong enough to stress his vocal cords once more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry for the Captain, he is more than enough. It hurts to say, but I¡¯m only small fry compared to them. Let¡¯s say I am just really good at my job.¡± After a short pause, the man continued, ¡°Enough with the questions; just close your eyes and concentrate. We need you human.¡±

    Contrary to the man¡¯s instruction, the child''s eyes dropped down back on the battle scene. For the first time, he could witness these battlefield tales retired drunk soldiers from the city were narrating. The Vessels of the Tree. Those who, after receiving the mark, he could only dream of becoming.

    What he saw seemed less grandiose than the stories, but his short battle with Aren made him more appreciative and aware of how people like them fought. They were not clashing swords and claws for the sake of it. Now wiser, he knew that just like earlier, every hit was meant to kill. The sound of metal only signified a successful parry.

    Down below, none of the two warriors were giving an inch to the other. Firmly planted in their positions, their weapons flew at such speed that their sounds were better references to follow their rhythm. The clawed shadow had a short sword in the other hand while using his gauntlet as a shield. In front of him, matching his cadence, the sage used his remaining dagger to attack and his free hand to swiftly deflect the incoming blows.

    With a rising knee to his opponent¡¯s longer blade pommel, the only remaining Swan of the night sent the weapon up in the air. Quickly following up by joining both his hands to his chest, he then pushed forward, sending the shadow against the house behind him, lifted up by the generated wind current. Even from where they were watching, the two spectators could feel a gentle breeze.

    Without even letting his challenger land, using the aspiration of his own stream, he flew toward him at high speed, catching the abandoned blade in his path. As he closed the distance, he launched an attack from both sides, forcing his opponent on the receiving end to choose between two blades¡ªwhich one would hurt the most?

    The sound produced by the clash wasn¡¯t the one boy expected. Two metallic shrills, one from the gauntlet, the other from the tall shadow¡¯s bare hand. Now at his mercy, the sage was thrown back violently to the ground. Recovering hastily with a roll, he quickly went back to kneeling as blood spurted out his left calf and shoulder, pierced by an invisible force or something too fast for Kallen to even perceive. As the boy saw the cloaked warrior walking towards this man who tormented him and his family, he could only be taken aback by how helpless he was. He who neutralized him with a single kick.

    The moment the masked man jumped forward to finish the job, the golden flames erupted a final time, pushing him away. Bolstered by a new spiraling current, they grew taller than some of the houses around. However, expecting another explosion like before, Kal couldn¡¯t have predicted what followed instead. Incoming with explosive velocity, a fire arrow came in their direction. His caretaker could barely react.

    ¡°KID COVER YOUR HEA¡ª¡±

    A deafening blast sent the both of them flying away once more. In his field of vision, the night sky with its phantom roots fading away, the tower, his home, crumbling upon him. And finally, the now unmasked man who had just saved him minutes prior launched his hand forward¡ªdesperately trying to reach for his hand.

    This was the last thing he saw before his consciousness fell into nothingness.

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 9: Kal Must Die

    The scent of tea and herbs floating around the room slowly pulled Kallen out of what was starting to look like hibernation. He latched on his awakening senses in a pitch-black ocean of emptiness, dragging him out of the dark water. Soon enough, he finally reached the surface.

    He opened his eyelids to let the light passing through the skin blind him for a moment. As his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, he was facing a wooden ceiling, definitely not the one he was used to. It was higher, with an old pine support beam hovering over his head. A single lantern was hanging from it, but the light and warmth he felt weren¡¯t coming from up there.

    He was strangely calm. For someone who had experienced the worst nightmare, it felt like he had just woken up from the most deserved nap. Intimately, he was still hoping everything that happened was a bad dream, but deep within, he knew better.

    ¡°Ani¡­the child¡¯s awake.¡± A human voice was the first sound to stimulate his ears, a feminine one.

    Back on his guards, the boy¡¯s back rose from the bed in a hurry to scan who the other person in the room was. As he did so, pain traversed his body whole, paralyzing him for a moment of intense pain while he let a groan escape his vocal cords. Focusing back on the voice¡¯s direction, he saw the back of a woman sitting on a rocking chair beyond his room''s open door. She was facing a window, admiring the lush forest framed within.

    Her lengthy blonde braid hung behind the chair¡¯s back, gently swinging back and forth in rhythm, almost hypnotic. He was looking right at her, but it felt like she wasn¡¯t truly there, like she was part of the decor. One stared at the other; the other had her gaze turned to the rising sun. The orange warmth invaded both rooms with its radiance. Somehow, Kal woke up alongside the rest of the world.

    His room had a homely atmosphere. While not particularly spacious, it had enough space to contain a wooden nightstand next to the bed with a cup of tea on top of it. The subtle steam containing the aroma that woke him up and the stool nearby indicated that someone had been watching for him for some time.

    He turned his head towards the bedroom window, curious to know where he was. Trees, an ocean of trees as far as he could see, all over a vast valley. The view made it seem like this house was floating high up in the sky, but from the frame in front of the silent woman, he could clearly see they were in the woods. Wherever this place was, Kallen knew he was very far from home, but the scenery captured his heart nonetheless. It had a special kind of purity to it. The type of beauty and harmony nature could only reach in the absence of man.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty aye? I can¡¯t get enough of it as well. I would come more often if the homeowner weren¡¯t this stuck up.¡±

    Surprised to hear a new voice reach out to him this morning, the boy turned around in a hurry to see a black-haired young woman leaning against the door frame with a gentle smile. With pale, spotless skin, grey almond eyes, and those short braids, she was a northerner. The lady fit what Salma described as how she wished she would look as a grown-up years ago. As he started to feel intimidated, he could now understand why.

    ¡°¡­Where is my family¡­¡± The first sentence that came out of his dried-up lips. Whether it was his location or fate, nothing mattered more than this dreadful question lingering in his mind. Where were they? How were they? Safe? Alive? He needed to know.

    ¡°The right questions right away¡­Well, the short answer, they are safe. Safe but far away.¡± She responded with a warmth that could remind him of his own sister, but the gaze wasn¡¯t matching.

    ¡°Far? How far? Where are¡ªWhere did you take them!¡±

    ¡°This was the short answer. I know it can be difficult to hear that right now but you just barely recovered. Manage your efforts. We don¡¯t need another scare.¡±

    It was challenging to take it in. How could he believe her words? Even though he felt grateful, the truth was that he was at the mercy of their words and wants at the moment. He knew he was still in bad shape, he could tell she was a Vessel. Though he never ended up rallying Naar-Aje, the ones he wished never to be separated from were still out of his reach. He who had to depart now felt like he needed to be on the chase.

    Looking down to inspect his state, he was surprised to find his arms, once covered in scales and fire, full of small scars with tiny broken black shards still nested in isolated parts of his skin. He was a beast no more.

    ¡°It took some time for the scales to wear off. Rare are those who recover from Beastification once it starts; the few lucky ones who do end up still looking like monsters to some degree. Of course, you''re an exception. Don¡¯t worry, the horn will fall off on its own.¡±

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    Unaware until this information came out of her mouth, Kal¡¯s hand reached his forehead in a flash. Shorter, but still there, the horn of the monster he used to be. His memories of this night were still hazy. However, how he felt when the flames took over, he remembered vividly. The bloodlust, the hatred, feelings he never experienced before, or at least not to this extent.

    Disgusted. In a dangerous situation, he was thought to at least try to find a way to get his family and himself removed from the problem if the obstacles were neutralized or in a moment of weakness. But he cared about none of that. Not about danger, not about Kara or Alm, who could have been prey to his flames taking over their living room. He wanted to hurt. Kill. He let them down. And beyond all that, he went against their mother''s one rule he thought was ingrained within him:

    ¡°If one-day life forces you to steal and kill, even if I am far away, never forget that each lives as weight. Keeping track of the balance is what separates us from beasts. Whether we are forgiven or not.¡±

    He lost sight of the balance. He lost sight of his siblings. He might not have killed Aren, and the other two seemed to be safe, but inside, he couldn¡¯t be forgiven in her eyes or his remaining loved ones.

    As he suddenly felt warmth, he was shocked to find himself clutched in the arms of this mysterious lady. His expression exuded confusion, but he didn¡¯t fight it. Her scent. It was one of those fragrances that was popular with the ladies from the city during festivals. He knew because he used to sell some of those. Somehow, this familiarity put him at ease.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. This wasn¡¯t you. Most of us experienced Possesion at least once in our lives. Whatever you did or felt you did¡­ It wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡±

    As she slowly released her grasp on him, his mind seemed to have stabilized. However, the shame that took over his mind for being handled so easily prompted him to take back his inquisitive tone from earlier.

    ¡°...Who are you¡­Where am I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Anya, but you can call me Ani. The grumpy lady in the back is Safia; we¡¯re in her house.¡± She replied with a malicious smile, catching on to Kallen¡¯s embarrassment. She then pursued. ¡± I won¡¯t act like I don¡¯t know your name, but how do they call you back home? ¡±

    ¡°...Kal¡­But that¡¯s not what I asked¡­¡±

    The young lady paused briefly, inspecting Kallen¡¯s face as her own lost some of its brightness.

    ¡°...We, including the two who retrieved you, are some of House Bathory''s many shadows. Spies. We are currently up in Sofra, far away from trouble.¡±

    The boy''s eyes opened wide. Bathory, Lord Ethan¡¯s previous liege, High Lords of the Frontier. Those who waged decades-long series of open and shadow wars for the city¡¯s control in their eternal struggle against House Rysoar, killing thousands in their wake.

    Mazedwellers had a saying: ¡±Noble stories, noble worries.¡± Where he was from, getting involved with those who could crush you with a swing of the hand or simple words was frowned upon¡ªpart of why he struggled to accept the back-stabbing Swan in his life. You could only become something to be used for, not something to work with. Today, Kal crossed paths with the most ruthless of them all, sending a cold shiver through his already sensitive spine.

    For the first time in his life, he got away from this familiar prison, Melhem. He was now up north in their territory, the last region separating civilization from the white continent¡¯s creatures. Still, also disturbing, even from the adjacent Emerald Bay, he always heard it took a week-long journey to even reach Sofra, the nearest province.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for ten days, little man. Your wounds were much harder to heal than the scales. Your sister fought tooth and nail not to leave until you got better.¡± Said Ani, while Kallen looked at her like she had read his mind.

    ¡°Where are they now? How far?¡±

    ¡°On their way to Belistad with the Captain, they¡¯re under our protection¡­for now.¡±

    The boy did not appreciate the ominous tone one bit. He was now sure of it. From the moment he crossed his home¡¯s door back at the Hollow Tower, he lost control of his destiny. He mustered the strength to ask the question he delayed until now. The one he was afraid to ask as well.

    ¡°...What do you want from me¡­¡± He didn¡¯t bother to hide his anxiousness. He wanted answers. The silence that followed only increased the tension in the otherwise auspicious bedroom.

    ¡°...Well¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop right there.¡± The first voice he heard today came back, ringing his ears. The lady by the window stopped swinging. She got up and turned around, revealing her face. She had blue eyes and a face many would praise for its fairness, even with the long scar from her nose ridge to above her right eyebrow. Despite the apparent youth, her authoritarian demeanor and expression exuded experience. She continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join the others outside, I won¡¯t get involved in any of Oslo¡¯s bullshit. You would do the same if you knew what was good for you.¡±

    ¡°Too late~¡± Replied the northern woman with a childlike smile that could almost hide the melancholy in her voice.

    This moment of brightness was short-lived as it ended the second Kal heard the closing door when Safia left the house. Anya¡¯s expression changed completely as it grew darker. He couldn¡¯t read her at all, instantly switching from playfulness to seriousness in a heartbeat, adding a layer of distrust to his assessment of her.

    ¡°Our lives might cross each other a lot in the future. You¡¯re just a child, but I will do you a favor. What I¡¯m about to say¡­these might be the most sincere words you will ever hear from me.¡±

    A wave of dread flowed into Kallen¡¯s mind. Even his young mind instinctively knew that the following words coming from this woman¡¯s mouth would define the rest of his life.

    ¡°Please remove any feeling of gratefulness from your heart. I might not be qualified to discuss ethics and humanity, but even I feel bad for you. So listen well.¡± After a brief pause, she continued. ¡°We didn¡¯t save you. Honestly, it couldn¡¯t be further from the truth as it will only get worse from now on. This is an abduction, you and your family are our hostages. Kal from Melhem, must die.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 10: Second Life

    ¡°Kal from Melhem must die¡±

    This phrase resonated within him like a death sentence. It seemed like everyone wanted him gone; from Swans to even High-Lords. Life as he knew it came to an end some time ago, but hearing it from who he thought saved him left him stung and stunned. He could only stare in silence deep into her cold grey eyes, devoid of the sympathy she displayed earlier. Or maybe it was sympathy, after all. Having the heart of showing him mercy¡ªsparing him from the bitter taste of delusion. However, now aware of who she was, he knew emotions were not truly part of her. It was only an act. During the Shadow Wars, the people were more afraid of the dark than soldiers.

    ¡°Why..? Why me? What did I ever do to you all¡­¡± His cracking voice was charged with emotion, but his pride compelled him not to break down in front of his captors. While his watery eyes frowned in anger, his trembling hands betrayed the distress bottled up inside.

    ¡°Bad luck. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± She sighted then pursued. ¡±It could have been anyone, really. It just happens to fall on you this time around. If it makes you feel better, know that you¡¯re not alone in this case.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, bad luck?! How is that even an answer?! Why are you ¡ª¡± As anger took over his mind, Ani''s expression went from slightly apologetic to simply threatening. She quickly shut him down, putting her right thumb on his forehead. His mouth, unable to move or produce any coherent sound, forced him to settle for silence.

    ¡°I told you to manage your efforts, so let me do the talking. If you understand, nod.¡±

    Taken aback by how easily he was dominated. He took an instant to cool down, reminding himself that he may be lying comfortably in a bed at the moment but was entirely at their mercy. He gently nodded, eyes wide open, exuding a hint of primal fear.

    ¡°Kallen, have you dealt with some¡­snake issues in the past months?¡±

    His eyes opened even wider. Memories flowed into his mind in volumes, bad ones. Cold sweat dripped on his forehead¡ªguilt he preferred to bury deep within.

    Then..is everything my fault..?

    ¡°Now listen real carefully. First, in the eyes of the world, you died under the rubbles of that tower of yours. We made sure of that. Supposing Naar-Aje were to find you again, you will undoubtedly become that old man¡¯s target until your death.¡± She removed her finger from the child¡¯s face and then continued. Kallen stayed immobile as if her sort of spell was still active. He was horrified; the ascetic was still alive. ¡°Second, your mark doesn''t come from the Tree. This particularity is the one and only reason your life turned out that way. Consider this your ultimate secret¡ªthe kind of secret worth selling out everything and everyone, including yourself. For your sake, the less you know, the easier it will be for you to stay alive.¡±

    The weight of what he learned was overwhelming for a thirteen-year-old to process. To support his family, Kal sometimes engaged in extra errands of questionable nature. He knew that not every truth was good for the soul. This time, he instantly knew he was way over his head. This was more than he ever expected. Infinitely worse.

    ¡°Finally, besides your family, consider who you used to be dead. From now on, if you want to keep them alive and well, you will follow and execute all our instructions and become an instrument for our cause until you die. Consider this your second life. Harsher and more cruel than what you used to know.¡±

    Kallen stayed silent. Even though Ani wasn¡¯t constraining his speech anymore, he couldn¡¯t resolve himself to emit any answer to what he just heard. Agree or disagreeing were no options. He could only look down and let it sink in. This was the condition any man was reduced to the second they were introduced to the world of nobility¡ªhis fate.

    A mix of sadness, regret, and rage swelled up in Kallen¡¯s heart. Bad luck was too vicious of an explanation for what happened to him. It just couldn¡¯t justify his dreams, aspirations, friends, and happiness being taken away to work under someone¡¯s thumb until he rots. He didn¡¯t have much, but he deeply cherished the good he managed to grasp, even in the Maze. Once again, real hatred was planted in his heart. Not one stimulated by the mark, not one directed to someone in particular¡ªKallen hated the world. He hated its unfairness, corruption, how weak it made him feel, and the strong who would maliciously toy with people like him.

    ¡°What do I need to do.¡± Kal looked back up, trying his best to keep his composure, but his eyes couldn''t hide his growing defiance.

    ¡°Good. Hold onto these feelings as your life depends on them because it does. Hate will often misguide you, but this will keep you going over there. Blind obedience tends to make bad recruits.¡± A faint smile appeared on Anya¡¯s face.

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    ¡°Over there?¡±

    ¡°Once you get back in shape, you¡¯re bound to rally Belistad as well. There, you will join our ranks, and they will mold you into a shadow of Bathory. We need you as a Vessel, a useful one. It all starts from there.¡±

    For once, the idea of becoming a Vessel did not possess the same appeal as before. Those who ruled and built the world he lives in today, those who forged history as he knew it, those at the origin of his misfortune. His dreams of wandering the continent and beyond, studying plants and creatures, fighting for something he believed in, or even answering the call of the Tree meant nothing against the weight of his sibling¡¯s survival and his own.

    What downed on him, however, was the idea that even after freeing himself from the shackles of weakness, he would still end up in an even bigger cage. Even though poverty was his previous captor, guiding his life and decisions, he could still see beyond the steel bars a life he could hope to aspire to. There was no such thing now. The prison was wider but opaque. The only thing he could provide moving forward was his own life. The anger spiraling within started cultivating an idea within Kal, typical of a child his age. He may be weak now, but what if, years later, he grew too big for his new cage? Maybe, just maybe, he could break out just before they make an even bigger one.

    He decided to hold on to this fragment of hope dearly. Kara and Alm were his priorities above all else, but if a chance to escape together, somewhere far from everything and everyone, were ever to appear, he would take it. He just needed to bear it and sharpen his fangs. Bare it long enough to maw down whoever stood between him and their freedom. After a moment of silence, lost in his chaotic thoughts, he opened his mouth again.

    ¡°I understand.¡± His tone was much more tame and firm, indicating his newfound determination.

    ¡°I like how quick you are on the uptake. I guess Maze kids are something else, I am right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Seeing Kallen''s unresponsiveness to her backhanded compliment, hands on both knees, she got up from the stool and turned toward the open door. Before crossing the frame, she stops.

    ¡°Oh, two more things¡­¡±

    Kal briefly cut his breath in fear of a new life-changing revelation.

    ¡°When you join the shadows, we expect you to be loyal but not blind; they will educate you this away regardless. But if push comes to shove, if you¡¯re forced to choose between us, your saviors,  and Bathory ¡­Choose us without hesitation; two innocent lives depend on it.¡±

    ¡°...What do you mean¡­ Aren¡¯t you from¡­¡± The kid paused his sentence, feeling he was getting close to dangerous territory. ¡±...Understood.¡±

    ¡°Quick learner as well¡­You make me want to keep you close, you know?¡± After lingering on Kal''s impassible expression with a smile, she continued. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop~ But listen carefully now. Consider it a present for being such a good listener.¡±

    Tightening his fist hard enough to hurt, Kallen steeled himself for what she was about to say next.

    ¡°The flames, if you somehow find out how to use them on your own¡­don¡¯t. They are not yours. They belong to something you shouldn¡¯t even concern yourself with right now.¡± She looked at him momentarily, seemingly gauging whether she should continue speaking. After a moment, she did. ¡°It¡¯s Witchcraft, so don¡¯t even try, understood?¡±

    Witchcraft was the greatest taboo, the forbidden art that almost ended the world twice. Whether it was at the hands of Erserk himself or The Dragon Slayer, chaos spread throughout the entire world, even within the Tree¡¯s roots, plunging civilization into dark ages plagued by the shadow of war and rivers of blood, a return to the fabled era of the Reconquest.

    When the Emperor and the Crowned Vessels descended from the Tree to end the madness, they eradicated all traces of the abyssal knowledge. But the population learned to fear it, even until this day. Not a living child could claim they never heard a witch story. He always heard that only the Crowned Houses and their Vizirs held onto the fragments of what remained of Witchcraft. Earring that a relic of the past was nested within him made his skin crawl.

    While the people of the Ivory Tower couldn''t manage to make him a child of faith, his fear of the arcane was deeply ingrained in his mind. Father Lark, Solman, and all other followers of The Path who helped his mother raise him would instantly send the Swans to purify him, maybe even the Inquisition.

    Now, he was even more certain that he was genuinely safe nowhere and could fully trust no one. Any leakage of this knowledge meant death, no matter how righteous and forgiving someone may be. If there was something the entire empire and beyond could agree on, the Dark Ages must remain a thing of the past at any cost. Whatever was burning inside him was truly a curse, a bomb that could explode at any point if ever he were to lose control again. The dark flames must never rise again. Clutching his chest in apprehension, he remained silent.

    ¡°Now I hope you understand that sometimes ignorance is bliss. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll come back with a surprise for you.¡± Ani finally left the room, leaving a disheartened Kallen alone.

    He needed to bury everything and leave who he was behind. He needed to be someone else, someone stronger, as even he understood¡ªhe couldn''t remain a child anymore. He had to mourn his life in Melhem, Salma, Mikhal, the shop, the people of the church, and his other few friends as he was about to be reborn. Only the wish he made while praying during his birthday remained. An indomitable fighter, this was what he needed to be.

    ¡°I¡¯m back~¡±

    Anya made herself heard again, but this time, a second pair of footsteps followed. Bloody white cloak, worn down leather armor, burns and cuts that remained as scars on his noble skin and handsome face, the boy¡¯s blood boiled once more when he met his green eyes.

    ¡°You again.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 11: Crown Eater

    At his weakest, a face he wished never to see again appeared right before his eyes. The man who deceived him, fooled his household. The seducer, the traitor himself¡ªAren in the flesh.

    They stood in silence, inspecting each other''s eyes as if they could decipher the soul. Kallen was an open book, his anger so palpable it could permeate through his skin. Aren on the other hand, unreadable. The boy couldn¡¯t gauge what was going through the Swan¡¯s mind. He felt a wall severing the man¡¯s thoughts and emotions from the rest of the world. This aura of emptiness¡ªat this moment¡ªresembled his master the most.

    ¡°Is he also part of this?¡± Said Kallen, voice as cold as ice, devoid of the emotions brewing inside.

    ¡°Aye! Got it quick again, but it¡¯s not what you think. If anything it will surprise you.¡± Replied Ani with a snarky smile. ¡°Green-eyed pup over here will fight for his survival just like you~ He can thank his lineage for that. T¡¯was someone else, he would have joined the Stream with his ancestors. Can''t just dispose of the Hound¡¯s son, can we?¡±

    ¡°My father has a proper name¡­¡± Aren retorted, with a tone halfway between deference and defiance. Yet, with a simple look, the northern lady made the proud scion drop his eyes to the ground, his mouth sealed shut. It straightened every hair on Kallen¡¯s back.

    The blue-blooded warrior, who used to always wear pride like a cloak, became so uncharacteristically meek when he addressed Ani that Kallen''s wariness of the woman doubled instantly. Back at the tower, he had to burn through his life just to corner him. Whatever she had done to bend his will to this point was beyond the child¡¯s comprehension. After all, killing was far easier than submission.

    Besides, While everyone knew of Aren¡¯s noble blood, Kal never exactly knew where his sister¡¯s longtime lover hailed from. The Swan stayed private and everyone was satisfied with it. He heard it a couple times on that fateful night but today confirmed it: House Dumas¡ªenforcers of the Central Plain, decorated knights of the Empire, heirs of the Iron Blood. Subjugating someone of this stature could only inspire fear. It did in Kallen¡¯s case, mixed with a hint of envy.

    ¡°...Is he¡­Will he join me in Belistad..?¡± Asked the distraught boy, much more cautious.

    ¡°No, we struck a deal he couldn¡¯t refuse. He is bound to return to Naar-Aje; we¡¯re in dire need of a rat over there¡ªsomeone close to his master and those backing him up.¡± Said Anya with her usual cheerful tone, wholly disconnected from the tension she had built up around herself.

    ¡°You mean the Swans?¡±

    The moment Kallen¡¯s question ended, the disciple''s hands twitched, the lady answered.

    ¡°What the old man used on you wasn¡¯t your regular Kindling, t¡¯was far beyond that. We are talking Witchcraft here.¡± Kallen¡¯s eyes opened wider while Aren¡¯s fist tightened. ¡°The ignorant would mistake it for some ancient Flame Art, but it can¡¯t fool the trained eyes. That fire was alive¡ªand he tamed it. The old man¡¯s allegiance lies elsewhere, and he trusted his pup enough to show it off.¡±

    ¡°...If I go back, even hurt and bruised, I won¡¯t be trusted¡­.¡± Replied Aren, avoiding any kind of eye contact with the other two.

    ¡°We know¡­ But that¡¯s part of what makes you valuable. They may interrogate you, but they would never torture a Dumas; even Naar-Aje wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with it. They will assume we are using you and attempt to seduce you to betray us. It¡¯s your role to comply but not be swayed, we already talked about consequences didn¡¯t we?¡±

    Kallen saw it again: fear. Aren¡¯s shaken gaze betrayed a weak side of him the kid couldn¡¯t even conceive before the tragedy. Anya continued, cheerfully joining her hands together.

    ¡°I brought you two here to bury the past and work together~¡±

    Her tone twisted Kal¡¯s face so much that many could think he turned back into his feral form. It wasn¡¯t on purpose. Kallen knew better than to anger the woman who held his life and more in the palm of her hand, but he couldn¡¯t help it.

    The man he slowly started to accept as an elder brother held his blade against him, threw his sister away, and was ready to let everyone burn if he was asked to. The bloodlust was no more, but the pain remained. Hatred was the only sentiment he could harbor towards him. Betrayal was the wound Kal loathed the most, it was only a mirror of his weakness and naivety.

    ¡°...At the very least, I liked that you stayed silent. Next time, contain yourself. Your seniors won¡¯t appreciate it one bit. Me included.¡± Anya¡¯s visage stayed the same, a gentle smile and expression. But her grey eyes couldn¡¯t lie. Was it disappointment? The only thing the young man was certain of was that she did it purposefully.

    ¡°Understood¡­¡± He replied, almost silently. A grim expression then drew itself onto Ani¡¯s face.

    ¡°...Good. Now, you two listen. In the event you boys were to crosspath outside of an assignment, Swanlet, I want you and your master to avoid Belistad as much as possible. Now that they¡¯re onto us, Naar-Aje will use any excuse to visit. Kid, whatever happens, that old man can¡¯t see you alive. Never. Unless you want to deal with a Crown Eater¡ª.¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Aren roared, engulfed by rage, his voice echoed loudly across the room. His meek and suppressed tone was no more. ¡±My master using the dark arts is one thing, but this accusation insults all defenders of the Flame!¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­such fervor¡­did your light exile actually turned you into a faithful servant after all?¡± Aren¡¯s eyes lit up in anger before targeting the ground once again seconds later. This sentence, whatever it ment, it stung. Ani pursued. ¡±Listen to yourself¡­The 9th Ascetic of Naar-Aje himself, is a heretic. You were so close that he felt comfortable revealing it in front of you, son of Dumas of all people.¡± After a brief pause, Anya Continued.¡± Does a single part of you truly believe that the cult as a whole isn¡¯t compromised? He would have made you their puppet if we failed to capture you. And deep down, you know it.¡±

    While Aren could only tighten his fists harder as drops of red tainted his fingers, Kallen grasped only now the enormity of what he was up against back in the Hollow Tower¡ªthe Jade Crown''s enemy. No, of the whole world. Few managed to tarnish Aedhan II¡¯s order during his almost 200 years reign, and even fewer forcibly inscribed their name in history doing so. The Black Coronation Tragedy, the end of a Bloodline, the Empire remembers.

    ¡°¡­An-¡­Miss Anya¡­is the Crown Eater our enemy..?¡± Said Kal with a voice that could barely hide how terrified he was.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he everyone¡¯s?¡± She replied almost instantly.

    ¡±You know that¡¯s not..!¡± After a deafening moment of silence he timidly added. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­Miss¡­¡±

    After staying quiet and impassible for a few seconds, she grinned then slowly walked up to the injured halfling. Cold sweat dripped on his forehead as he knew he was out of line once again. As she finally reached the bed, she elegantly crouched so they could meet at eye level. With an almost motherly smile she gently slicked back the kid¡¯s fuzzy hair, revealing his forehead, his scar, his horn.

    ¡±It¡¯s true, you went through a lot. You just woke up, and you¡¯re only a kid after all. How old are you?¡±

    ¡±¡­Thirteen¡­¡±

    ¡±¡­That¡¯s how old I was when I became a Vessel.¡± She said as she kept stroking his unruly hair gently. ¡± You seem like a quick learner, so I won¡¯t be too harsh on you today, it¡¯s your first. Should I satisfy your curiosity one last time?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Too easy, that¡¯s what it was. But Kallen¡¯s agitation was justified, in fact, anybody would tremble at the idea of going against the man who could make the Frontier fall, devastate a Greater Clan, swallow a Crowned House by himself, declare war on the Emperor in the name of the Fallen Lord. With a quiet nod, he indulged in his concern. Anya exhaled a short sight then pointed her index finger on his forehead, her sharp nail scraping against his skin.

    ¡±Fine, but I warned you, sometimes ignorance is for the best¡­¡± After a brief pause she pursued. ¡°Corrupting the Cult of the Divine Flame isn¡¯t something your everyday coven can pull off, in fact it¡¯s probably impossible. Unless¡­¡±

    ¡±Unless the corruption was born from within¡­¡± Replied Aren, with an uncharacteristic darkness in his voice.

    ¡±The pup is finally coming around~¡± Ani quipped , amused. ¡°The Fallen hailed from the cult after all, what if some of them decided to fall back on their ancient hero¡¯s ways? If that is the case, then who better to back them up than the Black Moon Swordsman, bane of House Nocta, the Crown Thief.¡±

    ¡±That lunatic doesn''t answer to anyone, blood is his only currency. How can you be sure he will comply, or that they are even allied? The Mage of the Ashes has many worshipp¡ª¡± As the Swan finally showed some spine to the northern lady, a long dark knife nested itself in the frame of the door, a hair breath from his head.

    ¡°What choice does he have, they created him after all¡ªHim and his siblings.¡± She replied coldly with a smile to match. Her eyes were as sharp as the weapon she launched.

    The two men in the room stayed quiet. Aren eyes showed he wasn¡¯t worried about the blade that missed his head by an inch, Kal neither. The man who terrorized the South then the Empire itself was merely someone¡¯s creation, others lurk in the dark, waiting for their time to appear. Even worse, those were the individuals he would need to be wary of from now on. While Aren quietly left the room, Kal remained frozen. In all honesty, this time, he would have preferred not knowing what he just learned.

    ¡±Warned you~¡± She said lightly. ¡±Take it as a valuable lesson. Sometimes, ignorance is also an asset.¡± As she removed her finger from his forehead, she finally stood up and stretched her back and arms. ¡°Now rest, recover fully, this house might be the last safe place you will see in this life.¡±

    As she quietly follows Aren¡¯s steps and leave the room, a heated liquid drips down from above his brows, snakes its way around his nose just to end on his lips, the taste of iron, blood. Was this a warning to engrave this lesson in his mind? A reminder that behind this smile she was still in control? Or maybe all this was a test all along. Falling on his back with all his weight on the mattress, he figured that as of now, he had much to process¡ªmuch to meditate on.

    <hr>

    A week later, 25th day of the 3rd Cycle, year 495

    ¡°Oh there is our immortal. The horn¡¯s not gone yet?¡±

    Kal emerged from the forest cabin, where he has been nursed for days. Most of the scales shed off, the horn shortened. The damp, rich scent of the sprawling forest greeted him, just as it had every time he stepped outside. By now, he had grown used to the fresh air, though it still felt strange after so many days confined indoors.

    Only two days after waking, Ani had helped him take his first steps outside. By the third, he could walk unaided. By the fourth, he could run. Such were the blessings¡ªand curses¡ªof the marked. But while his body healed, his thoughts remained heavy, weighed down by Aren¡¯s parting words.

    Aren left the same day they met again, but his final words to him remained.

    ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to you. I believe you''re as dangerous as those who¡¯re holding us in chains. But if you see her again¡­Tell her that I¡¯m sorry. Sorry that we ever met¡­¡±

    At the time, Kal replied with crude and bitter insults. He could feel the sincerity in the young man¡¯s words, which hurt much more.

    As he opened the door, he was greeted by the blinding light of the sun shining over the green sea that hosted him for at least a fortnight. Forced to squint by the rays who managed to slither by the oversized leaves of the Sofran Oaks, a familiar voice called to him. One that sounded deep but sweet, rough but articulate, the man who saved him in the now crumbled Hollow Tower. The playful shadow.

    ¡°Hope you prepped him good Ani, I want him to live up to the title.¡±

    With his eyes finally getting accustomed to the light, he could at last discern the face of his so-called savior. Slightly tan skin, long healthy blonde hair tied in a loose bun, irises as dark as the void, by a simple look, he knew he was in front of a Metrak man. Though he wasn¡¯t used to seeing one who had the proportions of your regular adult male. Even less seeing one without their ritual forehead scar. He greeted Kallen with a wide smile, however the kid could only reply with a cold silent expression.

    ¡±Name¡¯s Arthur, but call me Art, you¡¯re are one of us now.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t seem fazed by Kallen¡¯s cold stare. If anything, the lack of response seemed to amuse him further. ¡±You¡¯re already in the right mindset I see, did Saf¡¯ help you with the briefing Anya?¡±

    ¡±Shut it.¡± Replied Ani, matching the coldness of her prot¨¦gee.

    The talkative man was leaning against a large and long closed cart made of wood and metal. The weathered panels bleached by years of travel between the bitter cold Frontier and the warmer mainland betrayed the age of that old thing. The iron on the wheel, now rusted to a deep umber, rested half buried in the humid wild grass underneath. The two Veloses were resting nearby, one asleep on its stomach, head against the car, the other one quenching its thirst with a bucket of fresh water, standing on its 6 powerful legs. The equine creatures looked uncharacteristically peaceful, they knew that unlike with the common folks, they were safe around vessels.

    Above the car, perched atop its roof like a sentinel, a tall man sat cross-legged, almost mediating. Mask on, wearing the same cloak subject to the wind¡¯s whims, the Captain was on watch¡ªsurveilling the area, not paying attention to those beneath him.

    ¡°They came from the city just for you. From now on, life as you remember it ends. Consider it your second birthday~¡± Ani, coming from behind him, caught the boy in a possessive embrace, putting him in a mix of discomfort, and a hint of embarrassment.

    ¡±Before you ask, we left them somewhere safe, where they could at least try to live a normal life, safe from harm...Until you mess up of course.¡± While Art¡¯s words sounded like a threat, his expression didn¡¯t display any sign of malice.

    ¡±I know¡­ She kept repeating it¡­¡± Replied Kallen in his signature defiant voice.

    ¡±Hahaha that¡¯s the spirit!¡± Laughed the southern warrior while clapping his hands.¡± Not the most subtle isn¡¯t she? I think you¡¯ll be just fine.¡± After a brief pause to catch his breath, Arthur continued. ¡±Are we ready to leave? I want to reach Nightbrige before sundown.¡±

    Kallen took a last and long look at the cabin. This small haven in the middle of the first northern forests and its quiet beauty, for a few days became a sanctuary of sort. Inside, he healed his body and steeled his mind. Essence, the blood of the Tree was flowing within him, he was about to be one of them, a Vessel, but only as a mere puppet. Only two choices opened itself to him, either become these people¡¯s pet and stay satisfied with laying his hopes on a fragile promise, or take the risk to use the opportunities he will get to bare his fangs against his captors, hoping they were venomous enough to shake them off and free his people.

    To him, the choice was an easy one, but both paths rested on a common thread. Leaving his past behind him was an impossibility, for Kara and Alm survival, Kal from Melhem needed to survive, one way or another. Whatever Bathory was about to put him through, the flame that burned within must remain. Whatever he was about to get molded into, reborn as, this fire must be among its foundations.

    ¡±Take a look.¡±

    Upon hearing for the first time this voice so deep that air seemed to vibrate along with it, Kal looked back. The Captain, holding a familiar scroll in his signature gauntlet, finally made himself heard.

    ¡±Your sister, she begged for me to give you this¡­¡±

    ¡±¡­¡± While he remained silent, the young man instantly recognized the old scroll Kara gave him before his home fell under fire and stones.

    With a finger of his clawed hand, the cloaked warrior opened the seal and unfold the family heirloom. Without saying a word, he stared at its content, leaving only the sound of the leaves and birds chirping. After a minute, he re-folded the old document and inspected the kid from head to toe, once again making him feel naked. Too scared to speak up, Kallen could only look down, deeply intimidated by the man who almost ended a Black Swan by himself.

    ¡±Well, how romantic, even among filth and malice, a mother¡¯s love still stands strong¡­¡±

    And with a slight twist of the wrist, the scroll explode into smaller particles, destroyed in the metallic hands of the masked man.

    ¡°YOU¡ª¡± Kallen is immediately stopped in his course by Ani.

    ¡±You¡¯re nothing special. I inspected your body while you were asleep, I see a decent warrior at most. The Embers are the only thing separating you from average. We don¡¯t need average. Your spirit on the other hand, hopefully, will make this whole endeavor worthwhile.¡± The man stood up without a sound, like he was only an image, an illusion. ¡±Luckily for you, where you¡¯re going isn¡¯t a place for warriors. The art of killing doesn¡¯t require honor but cunning. If you ever get out of this hellhole, make me bleed, only then will I deem you deserving to hear your witch¡¯s last words. The weak don¡¯t have the shoulders to bear the weight of the dead.¡±

    Every sentence coming out this mask of dark metal cut deep like a knife. Fury was one of the many emotions possessing Kallen¡¯s eyes. He knew. He knew this was mere provocation by people who couldn¡¯t care less about him in order to push him through the incoming obstacles, a mere vessel for their designs, but it hurt nonetheless.

    His mother.

    Hearing this man who destroyed one of the last vestiges of her passage on earth without a care then call her this name he knew she hated deep down, infuriated him as much as the Swans betrayal.

    ¡±I swear I will¡ª¡±

    ¡±Kallen.¡± Ani, still holding onto him, interrupted the boy. But a gesture of the hand from the Captain was enough for her to remain quiet and let the boy continue.

    ¡±¡­I swear I will make you bleed, then I will decide if I truly want to hear my mother¡¯s wish from that filthy mouth of yours. ¡±

    ¡±KAL!¡± Anya, switched up her tone, visibly infuriated by her prot¨¦g¨¦¡¯s insubordination.

    The Captain leaped down from the carriage, then walked slowly toward the boy. His every step was silent, but they somehow still carried the weight of a mountain. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the one with the mask opened his mouth first.

    ¡±Well, you will come to learn that who can bleed can die, making it happen is the path we chose for you. I will be waiting to see if you¡¯re worthy to step on it.¡±

    As soon as the enigmatic leader finished his sentence, an intense dizziness took over Kallen, as he suddenly fell to his knees, his strength leaving his body once again. As he laid down in the tall grass, he saw the 3 Bathory shadows standing above him, Ani, a needle in hand. Kal intimately knew. When he will open his eyes again, it will not be as Kallen, the witch¡¯s son. He also knew that behind that mask, behind those last words, a devil was hidden beneath.

    End of Chapter.

 Chapter 12: 106

    Kallen''s awakening was anything but gentle. The chill of the rough stone pressed against his back, the air, heavy with an earthy stale odor. His head throbbed as if the ascetic¡¯s hand was still weighing on his skull. For a moment, he thought he might still be dreaming, lost in the haze of the sedative that had stolen his consciousness. The only thing he could remember was Ani¡¯s cloudy face as he collapsed on the tall grass.

    But this was no dream. His eyes fluttered open to a world of stone¡ªa small, claustrophobic room carved from the depths of some ancient place. A faint amber glow emanated from an old oil lamp perched on a crude stone shelf dug in the rocks, casting long shadows that seemed to move in the flickering light. The only furniture was a rough, rectangular stone slab that served as both a bed and his current perch.

    He tried to sit up, but his body struggled to follow. His limbs were stiff, his muscles aching as if he had just entered a borrowed corpse. It took him a moment to register the only few other objects in the room: a simple book, thin, bound in aged and used leather, placed next to the lamp. A plain wooden bowl and cup sat right on the floor beside the bed, both empty.

    As he pulled himself upright, the reality of his new surroundings began to take hold. He was alone. There were no voices, no footsteps¡ªutter silence. The muted hum of stillness, interrupted by the occasional distant drip of water echoing through unseen places beyond.

    ¡­My new life. Happy Birthday, Kallen.

    After a moment lost in his thoughts, Kal¡¯s mind finally snapped out of the torpor his body left mere minutes ago.

    He approached the book, lifting it cautiously. The cover was smooth but worn, the pages were clearly victims of the passage of time but felt strong nonetheless. It bore no title, but as he flipped it open, his eyes scanned the first lines with growing curiosity.

    ¡°To see, you must feel. To command, you must understand.¡±

    His eyes grew even larger as he started to grasp what this book was meant for: Essence, the life force of the Tree granted by the Mark. As he quickly flipped more pages, diagrams illustrating circulatory green patterns were drawn all over the pages, accompanied by quotes or instructions.

    This was more than a simple book; it was a Manual¡ªhis first lesson on Essence and his first step to becoming a Vessel.

    As he finally reached the end, he saw it¡ª a perfect circle of spiraling green energy, a dark, ominous sigil contained within. He didn¡¯t need to read what was written below, It was a Seal. The realization drew a nervous grin on Kallen¡¯s face. The moment he opened his eyes, unbeknown to him, the Sealing Ceremony already started. And he was by himself.

    Kallen nervously scratched his mark as if acknowledging the content of the book. He grimaced. He was now supposed to use the same thing that nearly consumed him and turned him into something monstrous. The fire, the snake, his mother, the Crow Eater, he could only acknowledge that he somewhat grew fearful of it all.

    As he finally left his mark alone, he finally realized he was wearing a completely different set of clothes than what he borrowed from Safia¡¯s wood cabin. He wore a simple set of light brown garments. They were strangely well suited to his body: short arm sleeves, pants loose enough to move freely, he even had underwear. Probably the only comfort he could cling to in his cell of stone.

    He could already tell¡ªfrom the look of it, survival was the only thing that would matter from now on, and he had his week in the woods to prepare his mind for it.

    He read on.

    ¡°From the Mark comes the gift. It is neither blessing nor curse. It is the burden of choice. Domination or submission.¡±

    A bitter laugh escaped his lips.

    Choice?

    What choice did he have? Yet here he was, alive in this cold stone room, his family held hostage far from his grasp. If he wanted to see them again, to one day taste a sliver of freedom, he would have to master this ¡°burden.¡±

    ***After some time***

    Time passed in a blur of frustration. The room¡¯s isolation was oppressive. Every moment punctuated by his repeated failures to "feel the Flow" felt like the space shrank around him. The book described Essence as a current moving around him but also seeping within through the mark, something to be felt, understood, and guided. But each time he tried, plunged into deep meditation, focused his attention on his mark, he encountered nothing but silence.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    His body felt heavy and unresponsive. He slammed his fist against the stone slab in frustration. The dull ache in his knuckles reverberating through his arms was the only answer to his efforts.

    Suddenly, as if to distract him from the pain, his isolation was finally interrupted. The door¡ªa seamless panel of stone he had not even realized existed¡ªslid open slowly without warning. A man stepped in without a sound, his slender features hidden within a dark cloak. His face was obscured by a featureless black mask he recognized too well. He carried a tray with a large bowl of gruel and a water pitcher, setting it down without a word.

    ¡°106,¡± the man said, his voice flat and emotionless. ¡°Your name now.¡±

    Kallen stiffened at the sound. He wanted to question him, protest, and escape through the door wide open behind, but the fear anchored in his mind by Anya and her teachings prevented him from doing any of it. The man continued without pause.

    ¡°I see that you can read.¡± Kallen promptly nodded, attentive to every word coming from the slender shadow''s mouth. ¡±Then I won¡¯t need to come here often. Turn around.¡±

    Kallen slowly turned around, facing his bed, opposing the exit. The tension made him as rigid as the stone that made these walls.

    ¡°You will survive here only by understanding and wielding the Flow. Fail, your body and mind will succumb in time. We will take care of you before the mark does. Succeed, and you may see the sun again. I will assist you once each day. That is all.¡±

    The man reached out, placing a hand just above Kallen¡¯s mark. A wave of warmth surged into him, startling in its intensity. It was not painful but disorienting, a wave of energy radiating from his back to his every limb. He gasped, clutching the edge of the slab for support.

    ¡°Feel it,¡± the man instructed. ¡°Tomorrow, show me your progress. Once you manage to get your mark contained, you may follow me.¡±

    With that, the man retreated silently, the door sealing shut behind him. As soon as the boy turned around, he was by himself again. This time, however, his wooden bowl and cup of water were full. Kallen was left with the faint, lingering sensation of the energy coursing through his veins. Holding onto it was his key to freedom. Conditional freedom.

    ***Many hours later***

    ¡°When the tides come ashore, allow it, or let it return to the sea.¡±

    As the day dragged on, Kallen focused on the book, reading and re-reading the passages on the first pages with frustration, his food and water depleted. He practiced the breathing exercises described, attempting to center his mind and body. The memory of the pulse from earlier remained vivid, a thread of warmth he tried to follow.

    But hours ago, he had already lost the feel of this energy cascading through his body. Distress started to seep through the gaps of his psyche.

    ¡°The world is an ocean you drift within. Your driving force.¡±

    The instructions were clear, the quotes, however, remained a mystery to him. It all felt too pompous, something only someone who understood would say to play with the ignorants.

    ¡°An ocean, huh..? Sucks I¡¯m in the driest place on earth ¡­ I don¡¯t want to know what¡¯s in it anyway¡­¡± thought Kallen, reminding himself of the few people he saw getting thrown away to the depth of the Bay.

    As he laid flat on the stone slab that would be his bed from now on, he turned his head towards the wall harboring the well-hidden door. After prolonging his silence for a moment, he finally decided to use his voice.

    ¡°Am I supposed to focus on those droplets I hear from time to time?¡±

    He knew only silence would follow, but to him, it was worth a try. He was utterly lost. And it was making him anxious. This was the infamous sealing ceremony he was looking forward to the day he knew the mark had a hold of him. He always thought he would emerge triumphant, easily overcoming this millennium-old curse that took the lives of the overwhelming majority of its bearers.

    He thought he was special. Actually, he still did, but he didn¡¯t expect the determination he built up for days would start to erode so quickly. He was but a child, after all. Trying to remain level-headed, he tightened his fists to fight the creeping doubt invading his mind.

    And it was when he felt it again. But this time, it was different. Much weaker but more chaotic than what the masked man infused into him. Much hotter, too.

    Rushing upright, he sat on his knees, not even taking the time to take his usual cross-legged position. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose this feeling. He closed his eyes, concentrating. Slowly, he began to feel it¡ªa faint, flickering sensation, like a spark struggling to catch fire. It was elusive, slipping away the moment he grasped for it.

    The frustration returned, but he forced himself to remain calm and follow the book¡¯s guidance¡ªthe breathing, the instructions, and the quotes. He calmly assembled the few pieces of information he could.

    ¡°Allow it,¡± he muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly in the empty chamber. He adjusted his posture, his breathing steady. Hours passed as he sat on his knees on the stone slab, hands on his lap, ignoring the pain, the flickering lamp casting his shadow against the walls.

    Finally, as exhaustion threatened to overtake him, he felt it¡ªa faint warmth pooling around his mark. It was gentle, and the heat spread within in small waves, no longer than his nails, steady and rhythmic. It was fragile, like a candle flame, but it was there¡ªhis Essence.

    ¡°Ha, Is it water or fire?¡± Snickered Kallen as an uncontrollable grin took over his face.

    As those words escaped his mouth, the warmth disappeared like wind blowing on autumn leaves¡ªgone. Stunned and embarrassed, Kallen punched his stone bed. Once more, the dull ache in his knuckles reverberating through his arm was the only answer, and no help came in through the door.

    <hr>

    By the time the lamp¡¯s light began to wane, Kallen was too tired to continue. He laid back on the cold stone, staring at the ceiling. The warmth, he found it again. This time, it persisted, a small triumph against the crushing weight of the day. This time, he could allow himself a smile.

    Does it mean it''s nighttime..? Might as well close my eyes for a moment¡­

    He thought of Kara and Alm, their lives before his 13th birthday. Of their tears the night he was taken. He thought of the promise he had made to himself.

    As his eyes closed, he jokingly whispered to the darkness, ¡°Goodnight. 106.¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 13: First Contact

    When Kallen awoke on the second day in his stone-hewn cell, the realization of his new home, at last, properly settled in his mind. The grin he fell asleep with faded away alongside his consciousness. He opened his eyes in utter darkness: no luminosity, no sounds, nobody.

    The only constants were the occasional water droplets, which he could only hear if he put his mind to it. He sat up on his rough bed slab, his body still stiff from yesterday''s efforts. He didn¡¯t even feel like sparing a snarky comment in his head.

    Yet, there was something else¡ªa faint prickling sensation just beneath his skin. His hand moved instinctively to his forehead, where he found his horn. While he tended to avoid touching it, he knew its texture and shape like no other, and it changed today. Slightly longer than before. It felt rougher, too.

    It sent a jolt through his spine. It was coming back, the Beast. Advancing, slow but steady, like a predator stalking its prey. The air coming out of his lungs felt hotter with each breath. The urgency took on a new weight. His horn and a few scales were still present after he escaped Beastification, so he knew he was on a shorter timeline than others.

    The kid didn¡¯t expect the mark to act so quickly¡ªa child¡¯s naivety.

    Feeling his heart pound like it was escaping his chest, Kallen immediately crossed his legs and closed his eyes, plunging himself into deeper darkness. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but the passages of the books he struggled so intensely to comprehend were imprinted in his mind. Understanding was one thing, but memorizing was something he was confident in. All these orders, routes, and schedules he had to remember back when he worked in the city developed one of those few skills he became proud of.

    On those mental pages stuck in his head, he decided only to keep the illustrations. He wanted to find those shapes again, those waves of warmth spreading feebly from his lower back, his Essence. Yesterday, before collapsing, he managed to capture it again, maintaining it even. This eerie sensation and this taste of victory, he needed to build on it starting now as every second counted.

    He devoted what he decided to be his morning to the exercises he practiced the day before, repeating the breathing techniques and the posture meant to help him feel the Flow. The minutes passed, but each attempt left him grappling with frustration. The sensation remained elusive, a fleeting whisper that seemed to vanish the moment he reached for it. Like his results until now were just a dream.

    Being unaware of the passage of time planted a seed of fear deep within his soul. The only thing he could rely on to count the days was the passage of the instructor.

    Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, like help from the gods, the door slid open, revealing the masked instructor. As he made his way into the room, none of his movements interrupted the oppressing silence Kallen was plunged in, as if to not disturb his concentration. Eager to get some new insight, the boy turned around and faced his bed before this shadow of a man lit the oil lamp.

    When the cold hand reached his back, he was prepared, ready to let in the energy he was about to receive. As he expected, the heat wave coursed throughout his body with much greater strength than the wavelets he caught a glimpse of the day before. Kal did his best to stay immobile, still unsettled by this foreign sensation. He needed to focus and understand the key to get him out of this cell alive.

    After a moment that felt too short, the man¡¯s hand was lifted. The inspection was done. The instructor quietly filled the bowl and cup before heading towards the exit.

    ¡°Instructor,¡± Kallen ventured hesitantly as the man went through the door without stopping in his tracks. ¡°How much time do I have before I turn?¡±

    The masked figure paused, lingering as the door closed itself slowly. ¡°Time bends to how you use it, 106.¡± Without another word, the stone panel sealed him inside once more. This time, the shadows cast by the lamp could keep him company.

    ***

    After hours of practice, Kallen¡¯s frustration mounted, his mind haunted by the instructor¡¯s cryptic response. The Flow continued evading him, leaving him adrift in his body. After the inspection, he got two things: First, he concluded that the candle''s light represented daytime, making it easier to understand how much time he spent isolated. Second, he was now persuaded that Essence had a different feel from one person to another.

    The waves he felt from the instructor were less warm than even the tiny energy he could perceive within himself. There was more space between them as well. From his perspective, the instructor merely gave him a taste of it. His goal was to find his own¡ªbut he was lost even in his own body. All he could do during his short pauses was stare at pages he already memorized and a light he could only dread to see fading away.

    Desperate, he pushed harder, his breaths ragged, his concentration fraying. Fear spread its roots deeper. And then, something shifted. He felt it again¡ªnot the calm, rhythmic pulse described in the book, but a dark, turbulent energy clawing through his veins. The Flames. The ones who burned his home and his humanity on the way.

    He froze. The memory of the fire, the scales, the horn, and the raw, monstrous power surged back with a clarity that made his breath hitch. He felt like it was in the room, the Serpent who bathed him in fire, coiling all around his body¡ª at its mercy once more.

    The boy recoiled instinctively, letting go of all efforts to concentrate. His hands trembled as he sat on the edge of the slab, his heart pounding. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to have more time. He shut his eyes and tried to calm himself, but fear had already sunk its teeth into him. He felt his blood heating up, feeling like he was about to explode once again.

    He threw himself off his bed, crashing on the rough ground, then flipped on his back. As cold sweat dripped from his forehead, he started rhythmically hitting the ground with his index finger.

    <hr>

    Days earlier, 23rd day of the 3rd Cycle, year 495

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything¡­¡± Said Kallen, his back laid on the tall grass in front of Safia¡¯s Wood Cabin.

    ¡°You think too much, that¡¯s why. Scared a Beast will come and get you?¡± Replied Anya, seated cross-legged next to him, holding his hand. The leather collar of the same necklace that tamed his transformation back in the Hollow Tower slipped through their fingers.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Coward, you should be more afraid of me than them.¡±

    ¡°True, most Beasts wouldn''t take people hostage,¡± He taught without a single frown on his face.

    Meditation sessions to keep the flames within his mark under control were a daily routine during his recovery. By inputting essence through the necklace, Ani was able to calm his symptoms. But the effects were maximized when his attention was entirely directed towards it. A challenge for a non-Vessel member of a society based on the fear of Beasts. And the fact that he knew this place was situated out of a Glade, his built-in anxiety just wouldn''t go away.

    ¡°...Why are we doing it outside today¡­Miss Anya?¡± Said Kallen, trying his best to act composed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say much, but this is good training for what will come. Comfort is a notion you will have to forget once you leave this place. You must learn to focus even in difficulty.¡±

    He understood the reasons, but the execution was something else. He had been lying there for probably more than 30 minutes but couldn¡¯t feel the pendant nearly as good as within the cabin. As he kept persevering, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to get up until he reached some form of success, a wooden squeak made itself heard. It was disturbing enough to draw a nervous rictus on Kal¡¯s brows, finally.

    ¡°Safia¡­¡± Said Anya, seemingly annoyed by the house owner, rocking her chair and watching her educate her pupil.

    ¡°Kid, focus on that instead.¡± Kallen sneakily opened an eye, scanning Ani¡¯s face, not knowing how to react. It was one of those rare occasions where Safia decided to address him. ¡±I¡¯ve been watching for a while, and he is no natural. He probably won¡¯t understand the Sixth Sense with the standard techniques. He needs something more grounded.¡±

    ¡°...Go ahead then.¡± Said the northern lady, with a frown as if she felt insulted.

    He then closed his eyes again. Focused on the chair''s rhythmical sounds, it reminded him of Father Lark. The man was in his late forties but acted 20 years older. His time learning to read and write in the Ivory Tower alongside the other maze children was one of the only peaceful moments he had outside his home. The sound of his rocking chair was soothing, a sign that he was always around. In one of the few safe havens Melhem possessed, he felt safe. His heartbeats slowed down, and as the minutes passed, his other senses were magnified.

    The damp and earthy scent of the earth, the gentle breeze rolling on his skin, the grass blades bending under his weight, and the subtle taste of the porridge that remained in his mouth¡ªin complete darkness, he could somehow feel everything in his proximity.

    Until it started to fade away.

    All that remained was the subtle vibrations between his mentor¡¯s oddly soft hands and his. It matched the chair¡¯s rhythm with no fault. He tried latching onto it, following the tempo by tapping his index finger against his mentor¡¯s skin. And as his cadence got closer and closer to the original, he felt it, a sensation of relief even greater than every meditation session prior combined.

    He caught it, the pendant¡¯s Flow.

    After a few minutes, Anya slowly removed his hand, throwing Kallen off his trance abruptly.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Only oddballs use this kind of trick. It makes things even worse most of the time. He is just like you, Safi~ An eccentric.¡±

    ¡°Can you please now get inside? I need to do my round.¡± Replied Safia with indifference.

    ¡°You also wanted a pupil, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    <hr>

    Back in the stone cell, date unknown

    Lying on his back, Kallen focused on his breathing, letting himself drift in the silence of his mind amongst the fire pulsing in his veins. He tried relaxing his muscles, fighting against his most primal instincts. The dark energy still loomed at the edges of his awareness, a shadow waiting to pounce.

    But he did not push it away. He acknowledged it, letting its presence settle without fear. He was looking for something else¡ªthe distant water droplets, falling in rhythm somewhere beyond his prison of rocks. Slowly but steadily, his finger matched the sounds that used to disturb him more than anything else.

    He needed to find a way to stabilize, and this short lesson from Safia was the first thing that came to mind.

    The subtle heat of the lamp, the tiny edges of the ground pointing at his skin, the smell of sweat steadily invading the room, the dryness of his parched mouth¡ªall senses were magnified for a time only to disappear quietly. Only Kallen¡¯s finger remained active, still following with assiduity a sound that now left his ears.

    The fire grew smaller by the second as if the fuel they used to invade their host¡¯s body was no more. When it was utterly subdued, Kal floated in darkness for a minute, appreciating the newfound calm he had reached. Until a new vibration appeared, he couldn¡¯t hear it, only feel it, although not through his skin¡ªbecause it came from within.

    Just like water, he felt this familiar wave of warm energy pour into his lower back, slowly filling his body. He instantly recognized the heat and its frequency as his Essence. What was a firestorm within him perished, leaving behind a faint current¡ªsubtle, steady, almost indistinguishable but real. Not wishing to lose his progress, he let his body become a recipient.

    As it reached saturation, The energy flowed seamlessly out of his every pore. It felt like bleeding, but without the pain and the open gashes, a sense of relief, similar to the pendant. Wanting to open his eyes, curious to see this energy for what it was, he stopped himself, noticing that the Essence exuded from his body followed a unique direction. This was when he understood.

    When the tides come ashore, allow it, or let it return to the sea. The world is an ocean you drift within. Your driving force.

    He has been basking in Essence since the day he was born. The entire world has been. He always knew that, but he had never truly understood it until now. Essence was something supposed to come to find him and not the opposite. He couldn¡¯t get a sense of it by searching himself as he was swimming within all along.

    His eyes were shut, but somehow, he could feel the entire room after a minute. The bed, its small crevasses, his empty bowls, the fire dancing in the lamp. He even had a rough idea of how much oil was left, like the energy filling the room was an extension of himself¡ªa third hand.

    But he saw nothing but a night sky when he opened his eyes. Stupefied, he sprung on his feet. The stars were never brighter. Only the moon was missing. The second his gaze dropped to analyze his surroundings, he dropped right back to his buttocks.

    Water, am I walking on water..? No¡­

    Now that he was familiar with it, he could easily confirm that it was Essence. This light green energy halfway through water, air, and light flowed in seemingly infinite threads beneath him. A quantity so impressive that he could step on its soft and unstable texture.

    It only took a few seconds more to realize that he was completely naked. But it wasn¡¯t the feeling disturbing him the most. On his lower back, his mark, he felt a tingle out of the ordinary, one he never experienced before. As his hand reached behind, he managed to grab it in one go¡ªa rope.

    He turned around.

    It stood there, a hulking serpentine creature spiraling from the abyss of the sky. It seemed malformed but pure¡ªa refined white scaly skin riddle with cracks exuding a jade brilliance reminding him of the Thorn. A myriad of arms, tentacles, wings, and horns sprouted out of them. He could see eyes appearing instead of appendices at times, but the biggest ones were the three nested on its head. A blend of raw power and ancient majesty.

    Its elongated snout was lined with scales that shimmered with the same brilliance as the cracks, each ridge almost eclipsing the stars in sharp, glinting patterns. Serrated uneven horns served as regal ornaments, curving like crescent moons, their texture rough as old wood. Its eyes glowed like molten suns, smoldering with a divinity piercing Kallen¡¯s very soul.

    The thread of Essence escaping from his mark leads straight to it. It stood so far away as a whole ocean separated them, but their eyes still met. No. Its attention was on him from the start.

    The Inverted Tree.

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 14: Ei-Sul

    As he stood beneath the endless expanse of shimmering stars and jade-infused currents, the Inverted Tree towered before him¡ªcolossal, serpentine, far away. Animated by something, he could only qualify as divinity. The air hummed with streams of Essence, the very breath of the world whispered through those threads that were invisible to him minutes ago. Its eyes, even brighter than the stars, locked with his. Its gaze was profound and unreadable, beyond mortal comprehension.

    A string of Essence, thin yet unbreakable, connected his mark to the holy creature. The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before¡ªOnly now he felt that there was a god in this world. The pulse of life itself rippled through his veins, filling him with awe and terror.

    ???? ????????????

    A wail echoed not in his ears but within his soul¡ªvast, resonant, and ancient. Not only did it shake him to his very core, but the world as well. Every single light string vibrated in unison, following an eldritch frequency. It was not words but raw intent, something so primal he could figure it out instantly. This was language¡ªthe Tree as spoken.

    He wanted to speak, reply, answers for this foreign message he couldn''t possibly comprehend. But any words or ideas he tried to formulate dissolved in the vast expanse separating him and the enormity of the behemoth. The sounds he heard were beyond communication, beyond reason. Yet, he sensed something beneath its godlike complexity¡ªan expectation.

    The pull from his mark intensified, drawing him forward across the endless green-tinted sea. He couldn¡¯t understand why, but he needed to get closer. With each step, the liquid Essence shifted beneath his feet, warm and weightless like the air in the summer. As he approached, the limbs and eyes emerged and faded from the Tree¡¯s surface¡ªmanifestations of life itself. He felt as if he was gaining in wisdom every ten steps.

    Suddenly, the tether of Essence vibrated. Kallen stopped in his tracks, not feeling the pull of the divine anymore. As he lifted his head, he noticed a change of color beneath the monster¡¯s midsection cracks. The white scales grew even whiter, akin to molten iron. The air was getting hot. Intensely hot.

    ?????? ??????????

    The Tree¡¯s wailing grew in intensity, matching the sudden heat. Kal instinctively knew what it was as primal fear had overtaken his mind. This was hostility.

    ?????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ??????????????????????

    ¡°No¡ªwait!¡± His voice echoed in his head but couldn¡¯t escape further than his own psyche. The tether strained, now glowing red hot alongside the sea beneath his feet.

    ????????????, Bathory.

    Light erupted from the Tree¡¯s core, engulfing him in white fire.

    <hr>

    He awoke with a gasp.

    The rough stone of his cell pressed against his back, its chill anchoring him back to reality. The faint amber glow of the oil lamp flickered beside his old manual, casting long shadows across the walls. His heart pounded as if he had run for miles, yet his limbs felt lighter than they ever had.

    Was that... no¡­it was too real¡­

    He touched the mark on his lower back. Echoes of the heat remained. Kallen sat upright on his stone floor, breath steadying, gaze upon his hands. There it was, this elusive energy he had been looking for these last two days, leaking out from his hands like an overflowing river. He could see it, feel it. It was warm and soothing. However, something immediately caught his attention. The Essence that circulated all around the room was colorless, but his¡­ his was¡­

    ¡°Orange..¡±

    Hearing this flat, familiar voice made Kallen jump on his feet out of surprise. As he turned towards where the hidden door should be, the instructor stood there, silent, blending among the shadows, a notebook and a feather pen in hand.

    ¡°...Is it¡­morning time already¡­?¡± uttered Kallen, scared to even address the Vessel. No, he was even more afraid to understand the situation.

    It could only be so. Kallen quickly guessed that his dream came after a much-needed slumber strained by stress, exhaustion, and sudden enlightenment. He quickly reached for his forehead, but even before touching his horn, he knew what to expect. More scales grew on the back of his hands and arms; his horn grew longer, and¡­for some reason, his hair as well, a few strands now swaying before his eyes. He was running out of time.

    ¡°Describe it.¡± Replied the shadow.

    ¡°I...I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Said the child, confused and hesitant.

    ¡°The Tree. Describe it.¡±

    A hint of recognition spread in Kallen¡¯s mind, First Contact. Aren. As the young warrior spent his time boasting about his Swan stories each time he visited their now-ruined home, Kal and his brother were told about this phenomenon that touches every Vessel-to-be.

    ¡°When Essence graces you for the first time, the Tree will greet you.¡±

    As a cynical nonbeliever, he thought it was one of the many exaggerations his sister¡¯s lover loved to narrate to look better than he actually was. Kal now realized that his words weren¡¯t just hyperbole or superstition.

    He understood now that his juvenile and shallow preconception of life meant nothing in the world he just entered. He knew nothing. Thus, he needed to open his mind to every possibility. Even about divinity, apparently.

    ¡°It was gigantic¡­A white snake falling from the sky¡­Arms, eyes, wings everywhere, head like a drake¡­It had three suns instead of eyes. It was looking at me...¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°...Sensitive¡­Acutely, so¡­didn¡¯t seem like the type. How far were you from it? Could you move?¡± Replied the instructor

    ¡°...It was really..really far. I felt like I could put an ocean or two between us¡­but it was so big that I still felt it could reach me... I kept walking forward even if I knew the distance wouldn¡¯t change.¡±

    ¡°Good. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°When it spoke, my head¡ª¡±

    ¡°It spoke..?¡± For the first time, Kallen detected a spark of emotion through the masked man. Surprise.

    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡± whispered the boy with caution.

    ¡°An orange Seer. How odd¡­Were you able to figure out what the Tree said to you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He answered too fast, and silence filled the room for a while. The air confined into the small cell felt even more suffocating than usual as the tension filled Kallen''s lungs as well. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. His instincts screamed at him to end this conversation as soon as possible.

    The Tree¡¯s hostility, the single word he managed to grasp within those eldrich vibrations: Bathory. Not every truth was good to know, and Kallen knew those new secrets wrote themselves to the short list of things he would keep until the grave.

    He was lying, and the instructor obviously noticed. The tall man stayed immobile as Kallen maintained a shaken gaze on the light-absorbing mask.

    Then suddenly, he turned without needing instruction. Facing the slab, he sat cross-legged, waiting. The touch of the instructor¡¯s cold hand against the mark sent a wave of energy surging through his body¡ªstronger than yesterday but less overwhelming. Kal''s breaths remained steady, his awareness riding the current rather than resisting it.

    After a moment, the hand lifted.

    ¡°Better,¡± the Instructor remarked coldly. He placed the bowl of gruel and water cup beside the slab. ¡°Now sit. I am to give you further instructions¡±.

    Kallen got up promptly and sat on his stone bed. Eyes filled with anticipation.

    ¡°Have you fully read the book?¡± Pursued the man.

    ¡°Yes. Fully.¡± Replied Kallen with an even tone, matching his teacher.

    ¡°Did you notice anything?¡±

    Kallen stopped for a moment. He kept gazing at the man¡¯s covered face, unable to get any kind of read on him. Finally, the boy cleared his throat and gathered his voice.

    ¡°Is it¡­incomplete?¡±

    In what felt like just an instant, the instructor opened his notebook and scribbled something in a flash before slipping it back into the darkness of his cape.

    While the book was an instruction guide for seal-making, Kal noticed that he had never actually seen a passage mentioning the Sealing Ceremony or how to apply a seal even once. The boy ignored this, thinking he would have to figure it out later, but it remained a dreadful question he confined to the back of his mind.

    ¡°Watch closely.¡±

    A right hand emerged from the shadow¡¯s dark mantle. Palm facing the ceiling, it didn''t take long until Essence started to gather over it. The colorless energy spiraled in a whirlwind, hovering in harmony until a large, perfect circle was formed.

    Kallen''s face remained firm, but his eyes struggled to hide his awe. This ring, as large as a window, floated over the instructor¡¯s hand. There was not an inch of irregularity, the Essence circulation was flawless, rotating in harmony. This was precisely what the old manual depicted, what he needed to reproduce.

    But the child¡¯s eyes regained focus when he noticed the seal slowly shrinking. The Essence flow gained in speed, with a portion of it escaping the circle, ejected at high speed. Its size kept diminishing steadily until it became no larger than Kallen¡¯s fist, no larger than his mark.

    ¡°Once you master your manual¡¯s instructions, this would be the easy part. Next, come Ei-Sul.¡±

    Confusion riddled Kal¡¯s face. He used to memorize Vessel terms for fun as they seemed so foreign to his life. This one was one of the many that escaped his grasp.

    ¡°The moment you will close the circle around your mark, it will activate and fight you. Aggressively so. It will try to break your concentration by any means possible.¡± The instructor then reached for the seal he had formed earlier just to crush it brutally with his hand. ¡±The moment you lose control means death. You yield to the beast, become one. ¡±

    A chill shiver parcoured the child¡¯s spine. There was the infamous reason the Sealing Ceremony had such a high mortality rate. He just wasn¡¯t aware it had a proper name. It was said that the corpses of children who failed the ceremony were burnt right away because they always ended up losing to the mark at the last moment. Despite his struggles, the process, as of now, indeed looked far too easy for a ritual so feared by the Empire¡¯s entire population. Ei-Sul was the actual wall he had to face, what separates humans from Vessels.

    ¡°Whenever I return to this room, I will ask you if you feel ready. If so, I will assist you. Succeed, and I will escort you out. Fail, and I will kill you.¡±

    The man¡¯s unwavering tone didn¡¯t sound like a threat, just a truth. Kallen knew it deep within his bones. The stone door slowly slid open. The instructor turned around to go through its gap, melting into its darkness. He added.

    ¡°You are free to try on your own. The result will only be a testament to your wisdom.¡±

    The stone door sealed shut, leaving Kallen alone once more.

    ***

    After eating the tasteless gruel and drinking some of the cool water, Kallen resumed his practice. The rhythm of droplets became his guide, their steady cadence aligning with his breath. With each inhale, Essence filled him; with each exhale, it flowed outward, orange, saturating the room as it turned into invisible mist.

    By following the manual¡¯s breathing methods, he quickly understood that it helped generate more of his own Essence. Now, the task was to make it bend to his will.

    What cannot be stopped can¡¯t be controlled.

    Just before the chapter about circles came a chapter about Essence manipulation, his next task. The instructions were written under a simplistic image of a man meditating with a dark symbol over the chest, protected by a thin layer of green light. Kall needed to learn how to limit the flow of Essence endlessly pouring out of his body.

    This time, the flames did not claw at the edges of his awareness. They lingered, dormant but present, like coals buried beneath ash. He wasn¡¯t scared to experiment.

    He lifted his right hand up, palm facing the ceiling, his gaze upon the energy flowing out of his grasp, dancing around his fingers. This was the most Essence he could produce at the moment. He wanted to spread it all around himself in order to get a better understanding of his own energy.

    In Essence lies intent, an extension of the self. Once one becomes fully aware of themself, they become each other''s Vessels.

    To hell with these old men''s sayings¡­

    By this point, Kallen already had an intuition that even if the instruction were written in the most explicit way possible, he probably still wouldn¡¯t get it. Success lied more in understanding and self-search than the words themselves. But even then, he felt like he would grow tired quickly if he had to study and question concepts of life every time he needed to go through a page. He was a man of action.

    Now fully coated by a dense orange layer of energy, Kallen studied its movements by moving his fingers and hand. He was quickly able to make an observation. As it flowed out, Essence wasn¡¯t trailing behind his movement. Both were perfectly synchronized, mimicking his every move, twisting around his limbs.

    ¡°Intent uh¡­¡±

    Suddenly, he threw a fist through the air, then another. The speed didn¡¯t matter, the synchronization felt all the same. The phenomenon somewhat fascinated Kallen as he continued to swing his fists left and right.

    Quickly, he grew tired and thirsty. As he searched his water cup with his eyes, he noticed something that made him freeze in place. As he found what he wanted, before he even decided to lift his hand to reach for it, Essence was already flowing in its direction. He stayed for some time in the same position, trying to figure out what to make of his discovery.

    It knew what I wanted¡­Is it because it comes from me¡­?

    With the urge becoming stronger the longer he remained immobile, Kal decided to lean and grab his cup and quench his thirst. But as he did, a deafening pain seeped into his head, his vision turning blurry, his muscles turning into jelly. His strength was leaving him. As his head hit the ground, only a single word managed to escape his dry lips.

    ¡°...Crap¡­¡±

    End of Chapter

 Chapter 15: I Am Ready

    Kallen¡¯s consciousness slowly emerged from the haze of exhaustion. His eyelids, heavy as iron, slowly lifted to reveal the dim glow of his oil lanterns. The air carried the faint scent of stone and sweat, mingled with a mist of Essence still lingering on his skin. His body ached as though the very marrow of his bones had been drained, yet a pulse of distress and determination throbbed within him.

    Pushing himself upright, Kallen steadied his breathing. The knowledge that Beastification loomed closer with every moment was a suffocating pressure. He could already feel it. His hair was even longer, and his nails took a darker shade. As he licked his dried lips to moisten them, he could feel his canines get sharper, too.

    Yet, beneath that fear was laying a spark of resolve. He could not¡ªwould not¡ªsuccumb. This time, panic wasn¡¯t weighing on his mind. He was resolved to keep his cool even in the worst situations. He knew deep down that losing more time would only bring him closer to death.

    Steadying his trembling hands, he dragged himself toward his bed, leaning against its stone surface. As he made his way there, his hand found itself in a small puddle. His water cup lost its content when his body crashed to the ground as his consciousness escaped earlier.

    Ran out of juice, ran out of water¡­

    Kallen was right. Exuding such an amount of Essence depleted the inner reserve that had slowly built up since the day he received the mark. His body transformed a long time ago, he couldn''t possibly live without it now.

    He contemplated his hands, gazing at the energy escaping them. It wasn¡¯t dangerous like before, but he needed to put it to a stop nonetheless.

    Intent.

    He thought about his little experiment, how Essence accompanied his movements with near perfection without trailing behind, how it fluctuated towards the goblet without him needing to move an inch. It reacted to his will like an extra limb, a true ¡°extension of the self.¡±

    When the instructor performed his demonstration, not a drop of Essence leaked from his clothes, only from his hand, but even then, it was colorless. Why was only his energy colored? It didn¡¯t look like it was anything special from the masked man¡¯s reaction. Kal took a long look at his aura, watching it leak from every pore of his skin and then evaporate into achromatic gas, melting away.

    After a minute of reflection, he decided to cross his legs once again and close his eyes. This time around, tapping his finger against the ground wasn¡¯t needed. He reached a state of deep concentration fast enough.

    He wanted to take a look. Observe his Vessel-to-be body through the energy that flows within and investigate how it circulates.

    Observation through sensation was something completely new to him, but for some reason, it felt natural. While it wasn¡¯t in great detail, he could feel everything: organs, bones, and muscles. The thing he couldn¡¯t comprehend, however, was the reason why his energy was pouring out of his skin, even though his body wasn¡¯t nearly saturated with it. He still felt sluggish.

    What was more interesting was that every flux of energy entering his body was colorless. It all converged toward his mark without exception before being released with this orange hue he was getting familiar with. The Essence he had some sort of authority on. But, once again, he couldn¡¯t comprehend why the instructor¡¯s energy lacked any sort of color.

    Opening his eyes from what he thought to be an infructuous insight, he quickly realized his energy was gone, or not completely. Faint, ghostly fumes persisted¡ªno coloration, but definitely his. Perplexed for a minute, he reminded himself of this passage in the manual.

    Once one becomes fully aware of the self, they will become each other''s vessels.

    Awareness¡­does it mean..?

    Without even shifting his breathing, Kal closed his eyes again, images of his cell in mind. Its size, its surfaces, the lamp, his stone bed. When they opened again, it was back, the coral aura.

    ¡­

    Kallen finally started to grasp a few things¡ªfirst,  the concept of intent when it came to Essence. Beyond being a manifestation of life and nature, it was his will materialized, a non-physical complement to the body. Mental imaging was the key. When he wanted to feel the room, it expanded. When he wanted to focus on his body, it retracted.

    Second, coloration was a matter of density. When Essence was stretched beyond his body, it gained in concentration to keep itself together and further its reach. When it is kept within, only the low-concentration excess escapes the body, which is probably what the Instructor used in his teachings.

    In conclusion, mental training was the way to mastering this discipline. Kal couldn¡¯t help but grin a little, content to have been able to make a step forward after losing so much time.

    *** A few hours later ***

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After spending a considerable amount of time releasing and then confining his energy, Kal started to get the hang of putting intention into his Essence. Looking at the illustration of the meditating man again, he now understood that the layer of light circling him was supposed to represent a boundary he had to put his mind into.

    I feel like they could have explained it easier¡­

    As he finally turned the page toward the final chapter of the manual, his face took a more serious expression.

    The Ring Method

    The final pages of the manual focused on a basic Essence manipulation technique made to help marked one¡¯s forming their first seals. The basic stance consisted of joining both hands together, then pulling them away from the chest, forming an arm ring.

    What needed to be done then was to focus on each body part forming said ring consecutively. Essence would circulate following the intended pattern, starting from the chest, then one arm, hands, the other arm, and finally come back to the chest in an infinite loop.

    He had already skimmed through that part of the old book. He caught sight of the word ¡°patience¡± a few times in the remaining pages. He knew it would take time, but he had to break through it in record time. He felt it deep within; it wouldn¡¯t be long until his end. He felt his body change by the hour, and his mind did, too. He couldn¡¯t gauge if he would turn before or after his teacher came back again.

    It was getting harder to concentrate. The sound of water droplets agitated him more than anything. Or was it his senses that gained in sensitivity? In both cases, those were clear symptoms of Beastification, and he knew it.

    He formed the arm ring: palms pressed together, then drawn outward to create a circle of flesh and bones. His focus narrowed to the flow of Essence within. He visualized the circuit described in the manual¡ªthe chest as the nexus, the arms as conduits, and the hands as the point of convergence.

    As the faint tickling sensation started flickering through his veins, He instantly knew where the difficulty of this exercise would be. Maintaining that flow was like grasping mist.

    Minutes stretched into hours as Kallen repeatedly formed and dissolved the circle, each attempt straining his willpower. Sweat dripped by his brow then down his face, but still, the ring would not condense. Frustration gnawed at him, but he clenched his jaw, refusing to yield.

    Finally, as the weight of exhaustion threatened to truly hurt his resolve, Kallen forced himself into a pause. Seating himself on the stone floor, he closed his eyes and slowed his breath. Memories of his time as a half-Beast resurfaced.

    I could use Essence back then¡­

    Or was it? Kal slapped himself on both cheeks, forbidding himself to even think about that matter.

    It was purely Witchcraft, wasn¡¯t it¡­

    And even if it wasn¡¯t, now wasn¡¯t the time to have another uncontrollable surge of flames bursting out of his every pore. There was no technique in how he used his flames, all instinct. Aren, on the other hand, possessed a certain grace. There was method behind his actions¡ªa build-up, then a whirlwind of slashes.

    A build-up¡­ Am I rushing things¡­?

    Full of inspiration, he Inhaled deeply. He visualized the circuit anew, but this time, he did not try to force Essence into his pattern. Instead, he invited it¡ªmoving as slowly as possible, he coaxed the surrounding energy to flow alongside his weak circuit by incrementing the speed one cycle at a time. Slowly but surely. A faint warmth blossomed within his chest and trickled through his arms.

    When he opened his eyes, a faint circle of rusted gold Essence hovered between his arms¡ªa success. Kind off.

    A breath of relief escaped his lips, but there was no time for celebration. The circle still wavered, unstable in its form. Narrowing his focus, Kallen willed it to shrink, to condense its size into something suitable. It resisted, rebelling against confinement. Sweat streamed down his face as the minutes dragged into hours, but Kallen pressed onward, his heart hammering with the urgency of dwindling time.

    At last, the circle compressed to half its original diameter, faint but holding steady. His chest heaved with the effort, yet a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He was close. So close. But as he let the soon-to-be seal collapse to reach for the manual for more insight, the oil lamp wained.

    ¡°...Shit¡­¡±

    He wasn¡¯t a fan of cursing. However, this time, he clearly felt like he could afford to let a few words slip. Unwilling to call it a day, he would have to use the mental pages he made up in his mind to somehow complete his learning. He was afraid to close his eyes, never to wake up again. Or to wake up as something else entirely.

    But as he adjusted to the darkness, a discovery reignited the light in his eyes that were losing hope. The manual pages emitted a faint luminescence. As he rushed to open it, he could see the ink shimmering with ethereal light.

    Why couldn¡¯t I see it before¡­

    Essence. Only now that he could see it with naked eyes with a bit of focus, this stack of paper that became his lifeline could display its features fully. Just as he wished, he could fully optimize his time and training, lights or not.

    The night was about to be long.

    ***

    The chamber door creaked open as the Instructor stepped inside, without a sound, facing the child¡¯s back. Kallen¡¯s body was immobile, but he was wide awake.

    ¡°You¡¯re nearing the limit,¡± the Instructor stated, his tone measured but firm. ¡°If you¡¯re fortunate, you may have until nightfall before the end.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Replied Kallen, his voice weakened by thirst and fatigue.

    Kallen sat on his floor cross-legged and shirtless. What remained of the top of his prisoner gown was ruined and riddled with holes, teared up by the boy¡¯s sharp and pointy scales protruding from his backside. He wasn¡¯t quite at the state he reached back at the Hollow Tower, but from the words of the masked shadow, he was probably merely a day away.

    It wasn¡¯t nails at the end of his fingers anymore but claws, not teeth but fangs. The only difference was that his hair grew widely, unlike his almost fully reptilian previous form.

    Kallen straightened his posture, extending both hands forward. From each palm hovered a small, perfectly formed seal of merigold light¡ªstable, unwavering, the air around them hummed faintly. The Instructor remained silent for a few seconds as if acknowledging the young man''s efforts before speaking.

    ¡°Orange¡­ but a Seer nonetheless.¡±

    The two circles of light broke down as Kallen surrendered his arms to gravity.

    ¡°I am Ready.¡±

    End of Chapter