[Garcias Tavern]
Nestled by the flower garden, brimmed with warmth that evening. The murmur of conversation blended with the clatter of wooden cups, while the glow of lanterns painted the walls with a golden hue.
Laura moved gracefully among the patrons, her bright smile and lilting voice lending a cheer that made the room feel lighter. Behind the kitchen's heavy door, Hans labored over the fire. His hands moved with practiced speed, sweat gleaming upon his brow, while the rich scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air.
Neither of them knew their son had returned. Not yet.
The door creaked open. Hans wiped his hands on a cloth and stepped from the kitchen, his gaze falling upon the figure in the doorway. Key stood framed by the fading light of the setting sun, his presence still and weighty. He neither called out nor advanced, yet the air itself seemed to shift around him.
Laura gasped, the tray slipping from her fingers with a heavy clang upon the floor. She rushed forward and clasped her son in a trembling embrace, her tears shimmering like jewels.
Laura (crying softly, clutching Key):
"My boy… my beloved boy!"
Hans followed more slowly, his steps steady yet laden with emotion. A proud smile bent his lips as he placed his strong arms around them both, drawing the family into a single, fierce embrace.
Though they had visited him once each year, this homecoming was different. This was the moment they had longed for.
At last, Laura drew back, though her hand still rested upon Key's shoulder.
Laura (smiling through tears):
"What would you like to eat? Tell me, your favorite dish?"
Key (warmly, with nostalgia in his eyes):
"Garcias' Meatball Stew."
Laura (laughing with delight):
"I knew it! You must have dreamed of your mother's cooking every night."
Hans (chuckling, folding his arms):
"Of course he did. Guru never let us send food to the temple. He must have been starving for it."
Key (grinning):
"Master made sure we learned how to survive. Hunting and foraging in the forest was part of the training. It was hard, but… honestly, I enjoyed it."
Laura (shaking her head, though her gaze was tender):
"Well, now you're home, and I'll make sure you eat properly again."
Without another word, she hurried into the kitchen, eager to pour her love into the dish her son had yearned for.
As Key lingered in the tavern's hearth-lit glow, familiar faces turned toward him. Neighbors who had watched him grow stepped forward, their expressions filled with joy and awe.
Old Man (Shaking his head, smiling):
"Look at you now. You left a boy, and return a man."
Hans leaned back with a mischievous smirk.
Hans (boasting playfully):
"Doesn't he look just like me when I was his age?"
The room erupted in laughter. Some nodded in jesting agreement, while others jeered good-naturedly.
Patron (calling out):
"Ha! If only you had ever been that handsome, Hans!"
The tavern filled with laughter and mirth, the sound rolling like a tide through the room.
Before long, Laura returned, carrying a steaming bowl of Garcias' stew. The fragrance of simmering broth and spiced herbs swept through the air. She set it gently before Key, her face alight with a quiet, radiant joy—the joy of a mother who had her son home again.
The family gathered around the table, basking in the rare peace of the moment. They ate, they spoke of days past, and they savored the simplicity of being together once more. Each spoonful, each burst of laughter, was a treasure etched into their hearts.
As night settled and the last patrons drifted home, they worked side by side to tidy the tavern. While wiping down a table, Hans cast a glance at Key, his voice low and easy.
Hans: "So… are you ready for the Knight's Trial?"
Key straightened, his eyes gleaming with resolve.
Key: "I'm ready. I've waited for this moment a long time."
Hans (nodding, speaking with the calm weight of a father):
"Good. The trial's next week. Just remember, don't overthink it. Trust your gut and give it everything you've got. Your mother and I, we've never doubted you. You're going to make us proud."
Key's heart swelled at his father's words. Overcome with emotion, he embraced Hans and Laura both.
Key (whispering):
"Thank you. I promise, I won't let you down."
Within the quiet tavern, hope and pride lingered in the air. That night was filled with love, laughter, and a promise of a bright future yet to come.
As the first light of dawn spread across the sky, Starhaven stirred with the sounds of work and life. The crisp morning air carried the fragrance of freshly baked bread, filling the streets with the promise of a busy day.
Key, his heart still light after reuniting with his family, stepped out into the morning. His hair had been trimmed short by his mother's careful hands the night before, and now he walked with renewed energy, bound for the town square to fetch the ingredients Laura had asked him to buy for the tavern.
The square was already alive. Merchants called out with spirited voices, boasting of their wares. Children darted between the stalls, their laughter scattering like bells in the air. The scent of spices clung to the breeze, mingling with the sharp gleam of polished steel at the weaponsmith's stand. This was the heartbeat of Starhaven, ever steady, ever bright.
Key moved through the square with purpose, his eyes drinking in the familiar bustle. At last he reached a stall stacked with loaves of warm bread, their aroma drawing him nearer. Then a voice rang above the clamor, warm and unmistakable, pulling him instantly around.
A Guy (calling out with a wide grin):
"Kiki! Over here!"
Key's gaze swept through the crowd until he found him, tall and broad-shouldered, with unruly brown hair and the same irrepressible smile Key had known all his life.
Key (calling back, breaking into a laugh):
"Alric!"
He pushed through the throng, and when the two met, they clasped forearms before pulling each other into a strong embrace.
Alric (stepping back, looking Key over from head to toe):
"I can hardly believe it. Last time I saw you, you were a scrawny boy. Now look at you, like a true fighter!"
Key chuckled, shaking his head.
Key: "And you've changed as well! Almost didn't recognize you. But only one person that calls me Kiki."
Alric smirked knowingly.
Alric: "As soon as I heard you'd gone off for training, I couldn't let you have all the glory. A friend's duty, after all, is to keep up, and to compete."
Key felt a familiar warmth fill his chest. After all these years, nothing between them had changed.
A girl with fiery red hair and sharp green eyes stepped toward them. She leaned casually on her hip, a sly smile on her lips.
A Girl (teasing, with a sly grin):
"Don't believe a word he says. He loves talking about his sword skills to anyone willing to listen."
Her gaze shifted to Key.
"I'm Lira Maelin. A pleasure to meet you. I train with Alric now and then. You must be the friend he's always speaking about."
Key inclined his head respectfully.
"Good to meet you, Lira. I'm Key Garcia."
Alric (cutting in quickly, with a proud smirk):
"Lira moved here from Sunhal a few years back. Been sparring with me ever since, though she'll swear she's the better one."
Lira (tilting her head, raising a brow at him):
"Only because it's true."
Alric (snorting, nudging her with his elbow):
"Keep telling yourself that."
She laughed, then looked back at Key.
"Anyway, Key… if you're free this afternoon, you should come train with us"
Alric's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
Alric: "A perfect idea! It's been forever since we've had a proper bout together "
Key's smile broadened, a spark of excitement rising in him.
Key: "Alright then. Let me finish my errands first, and I'll meet you later."
As the three of them spoke, a sudden wave of excitement rippled across the square. The crowd's noise shifted, whispers and cheers filling the air.
Key turned, his gaze drawn toward the source of the commotion. Knights strode across the heart of the town, their white armor gleaming in the sunlight.
But it was the figure at the front, clad in jet-black steel, that seized his attention.
Key (Frowning, curious):
"Who's that?"
Alric (Leaning closer, voice low with awe):
"That's Prince Nexa Starfall. Son of King Edlen Starfall, the heir to the throne. He's also one of the strongest knights in all of Nebura. This year, he was named a Stellar Knight."
Key (Eyes narrowing, puzzled):
"Stellar Knight? What's that supposed to mean?"
Alric (Smirking, shrugging like it's obvious):
"It's the highest rank a knight can earn in Nebura. Right now, only four people in the entire kingdom carry it… and Prince Nexa's one of them."
Key's eyes widened, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"Do you think… I could ever become someone like that?"
Alric (Clapping his hand on Key's shoulder, grinning with unshakable confidence):
"If that's what you're aiming for, I don't doubt for a second you'll get there."
But Lira only crossed her arms, letting out a sharp huff. Her crooked smile carried the weight of someone who knew the taste of harsh truth.
Lira (Dryly, almost mocking):
"Becoming a Stellar Knight? That's nearly impossible."
Her tone cut like the edge of a blade.
"Especially for people like us… the ones without Lun."
Key's expression tightened, but he stayed quiet as she pressed on, her voice heavy with frustration.
Lira: "Without Lun, you don't stand a chance at that level. Alric and I don't have it, so dreaming about being Stellar Knights is just wasting breath."
Her eyes locked onto Key, sharp and unyielding.
Lira: "So? Do you have Lun?"
Key shook his head slowly.
"No. I don't."
Lira let out a quiet sigh, the sound colored with a tired kind of despair, as though she'd long accepted that bitter reality.
Lira: "Then you're like us. Without Lun, it's nearly impossible to stand out, let alone reach something as untouchable as becoming a Stellar Knight."
Alric's smile dimmed, and he gave a reluctant nod.
But Key's eyes only grew sharper. His voice came steady, resolute, carrying a weight far beyond his years.
Key: "That's not true."
He looked at them both, his tone unwavering.
Key: "Even without Lun… you can still become great knights."
For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air. Lira and Alric stared at him, caught by the calm fire in his gaze. Something unspoken shifted between them, as if the world itself paused to hear the weight of his belief.
Key's voice remained steady, though a flame of unshakable resolve burned behind every word.
Key: "My master… he's one of the strongest knights in Nebura, and he doesn't have Lun. I don't even know all his titles, but I know he's a legend. He always told me that with determination and hard work, we can overcome anything. Not having Lun doesn't mean we're without a chance. As long as we keep fighting, the path will open."
Lira and Alric fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air, pressing upon them like the stillness before a storm.
Then, Alric's eyes lit with sudden realization.
Alric (Startled, almost breathless):
"Wait… your master. His name, was it Guru?"
Key gave a small nod.
"Yes. I trained at his temple."
Alric's mouth fell open, disbelief flashing across his face.
Alric: "Guru is one of the greatest knights in the history of Nebura! The man who became a Stellar Knight without Lun! And you trained under him? Gods above, Key… I'm honestly jealous."
Key blinked in shock.
Key: "Master… is one of the Stellar Knights?"
He let out a short laugh and shook his head.
Key: "At first, I didn't even know he was a legendary knight. I only learned about it later, from Renzo and Newth at the temple."
Lira's expression shifted, the sharpness in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by something softer, almost fragile.
For the first time, a faint spark of hope glimmered within her gaze.
Lira (Quietly, as if to herself):
"Maybe… maybe it isn't impossible after all."
Key smiled, the warmth of his conviction shining through.
Key: "Don't let doubt hold you back. If you want to become great knights, then fight for it. Not having Lun is no excuse to surrender your dreams."
His eyes swept across Lira and Alric, his voice firm, each word echoing with quiet strength.
Key: "Lira. Alric. Don't lose hope. Greatness isn't granted by Lun, it's forged by those who refuse to give up."
With that, Key turned, giving them a single nod before stepping away, vanishing into the restless flow of the crowd.
Lira watched him go, his figure fading into the sea of faces. After a long pause, she let out a soft breath and glanced toward Alric, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Lira (Gentle, almost amused):
"I think… now I understand."
Her voice dropped, warm with quiet truth.
"Why you never stop talking about him."
Alric's smile bloomed with pride as he watched his friend disappear into the clamor of the town.