Kael’s Encounter

  The Valley Road stretched through rolling green fields and gentle hills beneath a clear sky. A soft wind rustled through the trees lining the path, carrying with it the scent of grass and warm earth.

  Kael walked alone.

  The sealed scroll bearing the royal crest was secured beneath his cloak, pressed against his chest. His task was simple: deliver the agreement to King Zephyros of Vaeltheris and return.

  Simple.

  Yet his mind refused to settle.

  As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to the conversation with his father earlier that morning. Thalric’s voice had carried pride—yes—but also something distant. Something Kael had grown used to over the years.

  Then his thoughts turned to Lyra.

  Always admired.

  Always the perfect son.

  And inevitably, they drifted to Zeryon.

  The youngest prince.

  The child who carried a primordial demon sealed within his Animic Core without even understanding it.

  Kael exhaled slowly.

  Why does it feel easier to protect strangers…

  …than to belong to my own family?

  A sound broke his thoughts.

  Screams.

  Not the noise of ordinary village life.

  Panic.

  Kael looked up immediately.

  Ahead, a small village appeared between scattered trees and wooden fences. Smoke curled upward from somewhere among the houses.

  Another scream echoed.

  Kael broke into a run.

  ?

  When he entered the village, the scene before him hardened his expression instantly.

  Three hooded men were looting the houses.

  One of them shoved an elderly man against the wall of a small hut. Another kicked open a door while tearing through the interior. The third held a knife to a woman clutching a young boy.

  The child cried helplessly.

  The air around Kael crackled.

  Electricity danced along his arms.

  Before any of the bandits even realized he was there—

  CRACK.

  A bolt of lightning tore across the street.

  The first man’s sword was ripped from his hands as if struck by an invisible hammer. He was hurled backward, crashing into a pile of hay.

  The second bandit turned in shock—

  But Kael was already in front of him.

  His hand struck the man’s chest.

  A violent surge of electricity ran through the bandit’s body.

  The man collapsed instantly, his muscles locked by the shock.

  The third bandit dropped his knife and raised both hands.

  “W-Wait! I surrender!”

  Silence followed.

  Villagers slowly began emerging from their homes.

  The woman holding the child fell to her knees.

  Tears streamed down her face.

  “Thank you… thank you, young lord… you saved my son…”

  Kael helped her to her feet, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.

  “It’s alright now. Take care of the injured.”

  An elderly man approached him, leaning on a wooden cane.

  “May the Current bless you, young man. Stay with us for a while—rest, have a meal.”

  Kael glanced toward the road again.

  His mission.

  He shook his head with a small smile.

  “I appreciate it… but I can’t stay. I have an important task ahead.”

  He turned to leave.

  As he reached the edge of the village, he heard voices behind him.

  Gratitude.

  Soft applause.

  A small child waved timidly.

  Kael glanced back.

  A faint smile appeared on his face.

  It had been a long time…

  Since anyone looked at him like that.

  Why is it so easy to help strangers…

  Stolen novel; please report.

  …but so hard to be accepted by my own family?

  With that thought lingering in his mind, Kael continued down the road.

  ?

  Training in the Garden

  The afternoon sun bathed the royal gardens in warm golden light.

  Zeryon sat on a stone bench, staring at a patch of flowers swaying gently in the breeze. His golden eyes seemed distant, lost in thought.

  Lord Valerion approached quietly, Lady Selene beside him.

  They exchanged a knowing glance before speaking.

  “My grandson,” Valerion said warmly, “today we’ll try something new.”

  Zeryon looked up.

  “Something new?”

  Valerion smiled.

  “We’re going to try using your power.”

  The boy’s eyes immediately lit up.

  “My power?”

  “Exactly.”

  Valerion guided him to an open area in the garden.

  He raised a hand.

  The temperature dropped instantly.

  Crystals of frost formed in the air.

  With a slow gesture, two towering figures rose from the ground—massive soldiers of ice nearly three meters tall.

  “I control ice,” Valerion explained calmly. “They’ll be your training partners.”

  Zeryon stared in awe.

  Selene watched from a nearby bench, smiling gently.

  “With practice, my dear, you’ll be able to do things far more incredible.”

  Zeryon took a deep breath.

  He extended his hands.

  Concentrated.

  Nothing happened.

  He tried again.

  Still nothing.

  Frustration quickly crept onto his face.

  “I can’t do it!”

  He stomped his foot.

  “Why is it so hard?!”

  Valerion knelt beside him.

  “Easy now, little one. Power doesn’t appear all at once. It grows with you.”

  From the nearby shadows, Vane and Kira watched.

  “He’s determined,” Kira murmured.

  “That will take him far,” Vane replied.

  Kira stepped away.

  “I’ll bring something to eat later. He’ll be exhausted.”

  “Good idea,” Vane said.

  Zeryon remained silent for a moment.

  Then he spoke quietly.

  “Grandpa…”

  “Yes?”

  “Why are people afraid of me?”

  Valerion’s smile faded slowly.

  Selene knelt beside them.

  “Because you carry something they don’t understand,” she said gently.

  “But that isn’t who you are.”

  Zeryon lowered his gaze.

  “Is it because of the demon?”

  Selene held his face with care.

  “Yes.”

  “But the demon is not you.”

  “You are stronger than it.”

  The three of them embraced.

  Zeryon sniffed quietly.

  After a moment, he wiped his eyes and looked back at the ice soldiers.

  “Grandpa… can I try again?”

  Valerion smiled.

  “Of course.”

  Zeryon raised his hands.

  Closed his eyes.

  Focused.

  The air around him distorted slightly.

  As if space itself bent for a brief instant.

  Then—

  POP

  The head of one of the ice soldiers simply vanished.

  Not shattered.

  Not broken.

  It was gone.

  Erased from that point in space.

  Zeryon opened his eyes.

  “I… did it?”

  Valerion laughed softly.

  “You did.”

  “That is the power of space.”

  Zeryon looked at his own hands in amazement.

  For the first time…

  He believed he might one day control the power inside him.

  ?

  The Shadow Over Vale Verde

  High atop a hill overlooking the district of Vale Verde, four figures stood silently.

  From that distance, the village looked peaceful.

  Green fields.

  Wooden homes.

  Children playing near the central square.

  Nyxia stood at the front of the group.

  Her sharp eyes studied every street, every building, every movement within the village.

  A cold smile spread across her lips.

  “There it is.”

  Behind her, three soldiers waited.

  One of them asked carefully,

  “Commander… what if we encounter resistance?”

  Nyxia tilted her head slightly.

  “Then we fight.”

  Her gaze returned to the village below.

  “Collect as many Animic Cores as you can.”

  Her eyes hardened.

  “The commander of the district…”

  A small smile appeared again.

  “Leave him to me.”

  She began walking down the hill.

  “Let’s move.”

  “Let Xerathis take its vengeance.”

  A Quiet Day

  Vale Verde was a peaceful district.

  Green fields stretched beyond the village homes, and the smell of soil and fresh crops drifted through the warm afternoon air. Children laughed near the central square while farmers spoke casually beside their carts.

  For a moment, everything felt calm.

  Lhian walked down the main road beside his friend Téo.

  Téo carried a basket filled with supplies while speaking cheerfully.

  “So, Commander… have you decided the baby’s name yet?”

  Lhian chuckled softly.

  “Not yet. Liana wants a name that means strength.”

  He glanced across the village—the homes, the streets, the familiar faces of people he had known since childhood.

  “I was hoping for something that reminds us of the peace here.”

  Téo nudged him with his elbow.

  “With you as the father… that kid will have both.”

  Lhian was about to respond.

  Then something crawled down his spine.

  A chill.

  The air had changed.

  Before he could even react—

  The space in front of him exploded with motion.

  A blur cut across the road.

  A fist shot forward at terrifying speed.

  BOOM

  The impact struck Lhian square in the chest.

  His body was launched backward like a cannonball.

  He crashed through a wooden market stall.

  Then through a wall.

  Then straight through the side of a barn.

  Only when the collapsing structure buried him in debris did he finally stop.

  Silence fell across the street.

  Standing where Lhian had been only a moment ago—

  Nyxia lowered her fist.

  Her long hair shifted slightly in the breeze.

  She studied her hand.

  The skin was red.

  Burned.

  “…Hm.”

  Her brow furrowed slightly.

  “Interesting.”

  The rubble shifted.

  Wood cracked.

  Stone slid aside.

  Then Lhian emerged from the wreckage.

  Blood ran down from a cut across his forehead.

  But he was standing.

  His entire body was coated in a thin, shimmering layer of corrosive liquid.

  Acid.

  Faint steam rose as it reacted with the air.

  Nyxia lifted an eyebrow.

  “Oh.”

  “So you didn’t die.”

  Lhian spat blood onto the ground.

  “Reactive armor.”

  His eyes hardened.

  “You’re not the only one with tricks.”

  ?

  Protecting Téo

  A few meters behind them, Téo stood frozen.

  He was only a Basic Animic Core user.

  For him, the speed of that attack had been impossible to follow.

  Nyxia slowly turned her head.

  Her gaze landed on him.

  She raised her hand.

  The air around her fingers vibrated slightly.

  Lhian saw it.

  And reacted instantly.

  A cloud of corrosive mist exploded outward between them.

  SSSSHHHHH

  Nyxia stepped back slightly as the acid vapor filled the space.

  Lhian shouted:

  “TéO!”

  “EVACUATE THE AREA!”

  Téo blinked, still stunned.

  “Go to the garrison!”

  “Warn Captain Rhenan!”

  “Protecting the civilians is the priority!”

  For a moment Téo hesitated.

  But when he saw Lhian’s expression—

  He understood.

  He turned and ran.

  Nyxia watched him disappear down the road.

  But she didn’t chase him.

  Her attention returned to Lhian.

  A smile spread slowly across her face.

  “So you’re the commander.”

  She took a few slow steps forward.

  “An Advanced Animic Core…”

  “…interesting.”

  Lhian remained in a defensive stance.

  “What do you want here?”

  Nyxia tilted her head.

  “Straight to the point.”

  “I like that.”

  She spread her arms slightly.

  “We came to collect your Animic Cores.”

  Lhian frowned.

  “Collect cores?”

  “I’ve heard rumors… the attacks five years ago.”

  “Why now?”

  Nyxia shrugged.

  “Because now we’re stronger.”

  Her eyes gleamed with confidence.

  “Much stronger.”

  Lhian exhaled slowly.

  “You talk too much.”

  He tilted his head slightly.

  “But I’m not interested.”

  A brief pause.

  “Besides…”

  “I’m already engaged.”

  Nyxia laughed softly.

  “What a shame.”

  Her tongue briefly brushed across her lips.

  “I love taken men.”

  Then her gaze turned cold.

  “After you die… maybe I’ll pay your fiancée a visit.”

  The air around Lhian began to hiss.

  The acid surrounding his body intensified.

  His voice dropped into something darker.

  “You won’t go anywhere near her.”

  ?

  The Duel Begins

  Nyxia vanished.

  Not like someone running.

  It was as if space itself had split.

  She appeared directly in front of Lhian.

  Her fist fired forward like a bullet.

  But the moment it struck his armor—

  SSSSHHHHHH

  Her skin began to burn.

  Nyxia twisted midair and flipped backward, landing several meters away.

  She looked at her hand again.

  “That armor…”

  “…is annoying.”

  Lhian raised both hands.

  Three corrosive projectiles shot toward her.

  Nyxia dodged easily.

  Her body moved in zigzags so fast it blurred.

  “Too slow, Commander.”

  “Speed is everything.”

  She rushed forward again.

  Her body began vibrating slightly.

  Kinetic energy surged through her muscles.

  “MOLECULAR CHARGE.”

  She shot forward like a living projectile.

  But Lhian was ready.

  His reactive armor erupted outward.

  A violent cloud of acid expanded in every direction.

  Nyxia blasted straight through it—

  But when she emerged on the other side, parts of her clothing had been partially dissolved.

  Her skin showed irritated burns.

  Her breathing grew slightly heavier.

  “You…”

  She smiled again.

  “…are more fun than you looked.”

  ?

  Pushing Her Away

  Lhian raised his hands again.

  A cloud of corrosive mist formed.

  Then another.

  Then another.

  He wasn’t trying to hit her.

  He was forcing her backward.

  Away from the center of the village.

  Nyxia noticed.

  “You’re trying to push me away from the town?”

  “So you can fight seriously?”

  She laughed.

  But then she stopped.

  Her eyes sharpened.

  “…Funny.”

  She bent her knees slightly.

  The ground beneath her cracked.

  Then she launched upward.

  Combining two abilities.

  EXPLOSIVE LEAP

  KINETIC CHARGE

  Her body shot into the sky like a missile.

  Lhian looked up.

  “What—?”

  At the peak of the jump—

  Nyxia twisted her body.

  Then she came down.

  Like a falling meteor.

  Lhian rolled aside at the last second.

  Then—

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

  The impact was catastrophic.

  The ground exploded.

  A shockwave blasted across Vale Verde.

  Buildings collapsed.

  Streets split open.

  Half of the central square caved inward as a massive crater formed.

  Dust filled the air.

  ?

  Lhian’s Rage

  Lhian slowly pushed himself back to his feet.

  His head was spinning.

  But when he looked around—

  His blood froze.

  Vale Verde was in ruins.

  Bodies lay among the debris.

  Children cried beneath broken beams.

  People were trapped beneath collapsed walls.

  His chest tightened.

  The acid surrounding his body thickened.

  Darker.

  More violent.

  Nyxia stood beside the crater.

  Wiping blood from her arm.

  “…Damn.”

  “You dodged.”

  Lhian climbed onto a collapsed building.

  And then he saw them.

  The three Xerathis soldiers.

  They were working calmly among the corpses.

  Using the blade.

  Extracting Animic Cores from the bodies.

  Lhian’s fist clenched so hard his knuckles split.

  “You…”

  His voice trembled with fury.

  “…are going to pay for this.”

  Nyxia looked at him.

  Her smile was gone.

  She inhaled slowly.

  Then said quietly,

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  Her eyes began to glow.

  A purple light erupted from her body.

  The air grew heavy.

  The ground trembled.

  “FORBIDDEN AMPLIFICATION.”

  Energy exploded outward.

  “LEVEL 3X.”

  Veins bulged along her arms.

  A violent purple aura spiraled around her body.

  Her power tripled instantly.

  Lhian felt it.

  Like a mountain pressing down on him.

  His heart began racing.

  Cold sweat ran down his face.

  What… kind of power is this…?

  The real battle…

  …had just begun.