Inside the Arcanum...

  Hansen and Harrietta sat at the table in her room.

  “So, what did you want to talk about? I don’t have much time, I need to run tests with my new spirit,” she said, smiling radiantly.

  “I was thinking…” Hansen began, then hesitated, unsure how to express his feelings.

  “Well, spit it out. If you’re feeling bad about that night… don’t. We’re adults, and it was just some fun,” she said honestly.

  Harrietta had no qualms about casual relationships.

  “Please, let me finish,” Hansen sighed. “I like you, Harrietta. More than I thought I would. You’re explosive, rude, quick to anger, and you curse constantly. You do whatever you want and don’t care how others feel.”

  “Hey, bastard! You don’t sound like you like me. Is this ‘Insult Harrietta Hour’ or something?” she snapped, not liking where this was going.

  “I was getting to the point,” he said. “But… you’re kind. You’re a good mother, a hell of a mage, and frankly, being near you makes my heart race. You make life more exciting. You make me want to be stronger, so you and Kran can depend on me more.”

  There. I said it. Now prepare for rejection, he thought, bracing himself.

  Harrietta laughed but said nothing, letting him stew.

  “Well, well. Took you long enough to figure your shit out, huh?” she said, grinning. “Hansen dear, I think you’re not so bad yourself. I could use an honest man by my side.”

  “Does that mean…?” he asked, blushing.

  “Yes, fool. I’d like to be together too. But you’ll have to learn to live with me. Good luck!” she laughed loudly.

  Hansen stood and rushed around the table, hugging her fiercely.

  Then they kissed, passionately. Both of them blushed.

  Suddenly, the door burst open.

  “Mother! We have company and a crazy story!” Kran rushed in, then froze as he saw them kissing.

  He paled. “Ooh, sorry! I saw nothing!” he blurted, dashing out.

  “Damn brat. Can’t let his old mother enjoy herself for even a moment,” Harrietta grumbled. “Sigh… fine, let’s go see what this is all about.”

  She turned to Hansen. “But tonight, you’re mine. Gods bless your soul.” She laughed and left the room.

  Hansen chuckled, then his face darkened slightly. I remember how sore I was last time… I need to eat some spirit fruits, he thought, hurrying after her.

  ***

  Kai led everyone into the dining hall.

  Liliya and Xarion took in the grandeur of the Arcanum’s interior.

  “See, Liliya? This is how an Arcanum is supposed to look,” Xarion said with a smile.

  ? “It’s impressive, I’ll admit,” she replied, “but I still prefer mine.”

  Scry floated beside them. “So, you have an Arcanum, too? I’d love to see it sometime.”

  “No problem, if you show me some advanced spirit magic,” Liliya smirked.

  “Hmm, we’ll see,” Scry replied with a grin.

  Kai turned to the group. “Everyone, sit and relax. I’ll head into the kitchen.”

  Nerva followed him, carrying Lisa in his arms.

  Liliya sat next to Eira, curious. “So, girl, what are you exactly?”

  “Hello. I’m Eira, a Viper Chimaera,” she said calmly.

  “What? A Chimaera? But you seem... normal. Don’t they usually go insane?”

  Eira nodded. “Most do. But I managed to recover my old self and memories. I’ve taken control of my implemented powers.”

  “Amazing. Would you show me some of your skills later?” Liliya asked eagerly.

  “I think I can,” Eira replied with a shrug.

  Umbra and Scry sat nearby, listening in.

  “Leave the girl alone, mage. You’re too nosy,” Umbra growled.

  “Hey there, kitty. Don’t be mad just because you lost to me,” Liliya teased.

  “Hmph. I’m not upset,” Umbra huffed, her tail swiping erratically.

  Scry chuckled. “She holds grudges really well, you know.”

  “I’ll find a way to apologize,” Liliya said, unfazed.

  Umbra ignored her.

  Just then, Hansen and Harrietta entered, unaware of the earlier events.

  “Who are these new faces?” Hansen asked.

  Bjorn stepped forward and explained everything.

  “What?! They fought a life-and-death battle, and now they’re cooking dinner? What kind of madness is this?” Harrietta exclaimed.

  Xarion stood and approached them. “Hello, I’m Xarion. We’re from Fallhaven. We came to catch the mage who attacked you, among other things.”

  Harrietta’s eyes widened. “I’ll be damned, a Dracorious! You smell like fire. Want to test fire magic together?”

  Xarion laughed. “I don’t mind, but let’s save that for tomorrow. Today’s been long enough.”

  “Yeah, I heard. You’re all crazy,” she chuckled.

  She and Hansen joined Xarion, Zara, and Lucius at the table. Harrietta fired off question after question; she needed to know everything.

  ***

  In the kitchen, Nerva sat with Lisa in his lap while Kai prepared dinner.

  Some of the ingredients, mostly meat from beasts they had slain along the way, had been provided by Nerva.

  “Good meat,” Kai said, seasoning a slab of it. “This way, we can have a proper dinner.”

  “You really know your way around a kitchen for someone so young,” Nerva remarked, watching Kai work over the fire and oven. “Where’d you learn all this?”

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  “Brother Kai, story time! Tell us, tell us!” Lisa clapped excitedly.

  Kai sighed. “Fine. I see what you’re doing, Nerva, but I’ll do it for Lisa.”

  “You know, only the King and my closest friends call me Nerva. Usually it’s ‘Lord’ or ‘Master,’” Nerva chuckled. “But I don’t mind.”

  “You haven’t earned those titles from me,” Kai replied sharply.

  As he stirred the soup, stewed vegetables, and baked generous portions of meat, Kai began his story.

  He spoke of living among beasts, surviving brutal trials, and fighting for his life.

  He told of meeting Umbra and Scry, and how he learned everything he knew. He ended with the wolf fight, skipping over deeper topics like Tenebria, the Trials, or Earth.

  “I’ll be damned,” Nerva said, genuinely impressed. “You’ve lived a wild life. No wonder you’re strong. But you really need someone to teach you proper combat, and a swordmaster. Just imagine what you could do with real training.”

  He admired Kai deeply and couldn’t help but feel the urge to mentor him.

  “Wow, Brother Kai, you’ve been through so much,” Lisa said, hopping off Nerva’s lap and patting Kai on the head as he sat beside them, keeping an eye on the food.

  “I know you want me to stay in your kingdom and fight for you,” Kai said, “but that’s not my goal. I need to reach Seraph quickly. There’s a lot I still need to do.”

  “I understand,” Nerva nodded. “But once this is all over, you could stay a while and train. I promise, no strings attached. The King will want to meet you and reward you anyway.”

  Kai sighed. “I'll think about it. I did want to visit, someday.”

  “Yay! Brother Kai will come to my house!” Lisa cheered, but a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “Don’t think about it,” Kai said gently. “You’ve got me, okay? And we might still find your father.”

  Nerva watched the two with a warm smile. After their rocky first meeting, he was beginning to truly like the boy.

  ***

  In the dining hall, Hansen stood up and cleared his throat.

  “Everyone, I have an announcement,” he said with a wide smile. “Harrietta and I are getting married.”

  “Married? I thought we were just moving in together!” Harrietta blinked in surprise.

  “Well… yeah,” Hansen paled. Am I making a fool of myself? He wondered.

  “Even better! You’ll be all mine then, haha!” Harrietta laughed, and color returned to Hansen’s face.

  Kran stood and shook Hansen’s hand. “I’m happy for you both, but I hope you survive this,” he chuckled.

  Feeling bold, Kran turned to Eira.

  “Miss Mage, may I steal Eira for a moment?” he interrupted Liliya’s enthusiastic talk about ice magic.

  Eira saw the determined look in his eyes and sighed. “Fine. Let’s talk.” She stood and followed him.

  Liliya and Scry chuckled, while Umbra let out a sigh.

  “He’s too weak for her. Strong females need strong males,” Umbra grumbled.

  “Don’t use your birdbrain logic for everything,” Scry retorted.

  Liliya laughed. These two are amazing, and yet they follow that Kai boy so loyally.

  She couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you two follow Kai so closely?”

  “You seem to think he’s some power-hungry monster filled with hatred,” Scry said, “but you couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “The tiger is right, for once,” Umbra added coldly. “Kai saved both our lives. He gave us purpose. He gave us family. He’d give his life for us.”

  “…You should know that best,” she added with a smirk. “You saw it today.”

  Liliya recalled the fury and power Kai had unleashed. Her face paled slightly.

  “He truly cares about you, huh? I’ve rarely seen someone care for beasts and spirits the way he does,” she admitted.

  In Sacra, beasts were often used and discarded; only those who reached Beast King level earned respect.

  “What about Divine Beasts?” Umbra asked, curious about her future. “How do they live among other races?”

  “Well, it depends on their strength,” Liliya explained. “They’re still used as mounts, but only by powerful individuals, Grand Masters, Arch Magi.

  The stronger ones, those who rival early ranks, are respected. Some even join academies to learn weapon arts or magic. It varies.”

  “Hmm. Much more complicated than the jungle,” Umbra nodded.

  “I can’t believe you lived in the Dragon’s Jungle. What kind of beasts live there?” Liliya asked, intrigued.

  “All are Spirit Beasts,” Scry replied. “Divine Beasts are prohibited from living there. But it’s a sacred place for beasts, a place to grow, fight, and evolve.”

  “I can give you my notes on the beasts I’ve seen over the years, and the ones Kai and Umbra fought,” he offered, one canine peeking in his grin.

  “Wow, really? I want them!” Liliya cheered.

  “But you’ll have to give me something in return,” Scry smiled.

  “What? We can make a deal,” Liliya agreed.

  “Teach Kai some magic,” Scry said casually.

  “I’m only good with fire, and he’s too weak for my spells,” Scry added,

  “I’m not comfortable spending time alone with him,” she admitted, still shaken by his earlier display.

  “He already has two magic circles,” Scry teased. “Once you see them, you won’t want to leave his side.”

  “What? Magic circles and that kind of physical strength? He might surpass Xarion!” she gasped.

  “Help him, and I’ll show you my skills,” Umbra added. She wanted to repay Kai, and this was the perfect opportunity.

  “Sigh… fine. It’s a deal,” Liliya agreed. It was too good to pass up.

  She and Scry continued chatting, while Umbra chimed in occasionally, against her will.

  ***

  Kran and Eira stood beneath the moonlight.

  Kran was silent, awkwardly unsure of what to say.

  Eira broke the silence. “Look, Kran. I know what you're trying to say. But you need to understand, I’m not a normal person. I don’t even know what my life could look like… if we manage to defeat my Master and set me free. If I even survive that.” She sighed deeply.

  “You need someone normal. Someone your age. I’ve lived for two centuries. I’m a monstrosity.” Her eyes drifted upward to the three moons above, the largest glowing brightly overhead.

  Kran finally found his voice. “To me, you’re not a monster. You’re amazing. Beautiful. I don’t want someone normal, I want you. Ever since I first saw you, my heart’s been racing. For the first time, it feels like my life has a purpose, and that purpose is to love you.”

  Somehow, he managed to say it all without fainting.

  Eira’s expression hardened. “Love is a heavy word, Kran. You don’t even know me. You don’t know what I’ve done. The things I’ve done would make your stomach turn. You’d hate me from the depths of your soul. Could you still love someone like that?” Her voice trembled with anger and pain.

  “I don’t care what you did,” Kran said firmly. “You didn’t do it of your own free will. And I know these feelings aren’t fake or fleeting. I truly believe I could love you for the rest of my life, if you’d let me.”

  Eira looked away. “I… don’t know if I deserve love, Kran. I probably don’t. But having someone like you care for me… it makes me happy. Truly. Still, I can’t, not while I’m still under his control. Not when my life isn’t mine yet. Give me time. If I survive this… I’ll think about it. Okay?”

  Kran’s eyes shimmered in the moonlight. “As long as it’s not a no, I can wait. I’ll wait, and I’ll do everything I can to help break the chains that bind you.”

  Her cold heart fluttered at his words. She stepped forward, wrapped him in a deep hug, then turned and walked into the Arcanum.

  Kai had arranged for the Arcanum to open its doors to those he trusted.

  The doors closed behind her, leaving Kran outside, smiling, thinking about the future.?

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