A few weeks ago...
"Soulbound.. Academy?" Kara repeated, her fork suspended mid-air, as the chestnut-haired woman across the table nodded.
Glory clapped her hand together, her smile beaming oh so wonderfully. "Yes! Isn't it great? You are a bit late for this semester, but we've spoken to the school, so you're all set!"
"This..." The brunette's roasted carrots falls back to the plate with a plop. "You spring this now? Over meatloaf?"
"Well.. Me and your father had talked, and..." the woman glance at her husband, signaling him under the table.
Davel pause, he put down his fork and clear his throat. "Since you've been homeschool from a young age, we felt this will be the time.. a good opportunity for you to have a real experience outside town.."
"And darling, graduating from the Academy is essential for your future. It's the only way to progress if you want something to achieve." Glory added.
'So it's basically "if you want to have a proper job, you'll have to attend school or be a bum for the rest of your life." parental thing..' She knew they phrase it gently for her, but couldn't tell which one was better.
She'd half-expected this eventually, but had mostly dismissed it whenever the idea come up into her head. And now that it was real, she don't know what to do.
'There really is no other choice now, it is a matter of time, after all. I already have my fair share of special treatment when they agreed to homeschool me.'
The thought of going through preschool again, surrounded by hyperactive and impulsive children. It's worse than the current news she got today.
'School, huh..'. The word curdled in her stomach. Kara watched her reflection warp in the polished salad spoon, elongated face, eyes stretched into voids.
She set the utensil down with exaggerated care, fingertips lingering on the cold steel.
"Kara?" Davel prompted gently.
"Well... if it's that important," she heard herself say. "I guess I'll go."
Glory's smile widened, though a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes. "That easily?" she mouth to him.
Davel whispered. "I thought she would resist a little. I'd even prepared a special speech to convince her.."
'I'm still here, y'know..' she thought awkwardly, and place her attention more on the food.
The sause leave a spash outside her plate.
Kara remained silent. A strange weight settling in her chest, like an unseen walls already pressed against her ribs with pressure.
She breathed in, out, watching the fog from her fresh cooked soup.
In the glass pitcher reflection, her mouth twisted into something that wasn't quite a smile. Her shadow stretched long, her fingertips tremble slightly.
.
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Two hours after training from the forest, under Lamia's watchful eye left her muscles singing a chorus of aches. She rolled her shoulders, wincing as a twinge of pain shoot down her spine.
"Kh! Aww..." The groan escaped her before she could stifle it. "You could've gone easier today, Ancestor. I'm literally injured here."
She jabbed a thumb at the bandage peeking beneath her roll up sleeve, frayed from her moving.
Sitting on the brunette's shoulder, with legs folded. Lamia's tiny holo figure made her looked like a doll.
Her crimson hair swayed as she cross her arms, acting imperious.
"Softness breeds stagnation," she said, though her voice lacked its usual edge. "And that drill was merely child's play, don't be lazy."
Kara shot her a sidelong glare. "Says someone who's slept for five years."
Her eyes glance toward the faint light on her hoodie's pocket, her hand brushing Yuri's tail. "The same goes for this cotton ball, the little guy has been asleep halfway home."
Lamia turned to watch the round canine nestled inside Kara's hood. There, curled into a cloud of white fluff, Lamia's stern facade cracked as she flicked Yuri's ear.
"Eh. He seems to mirror his guardian's fortitude more, or lack thereof."
The brunette chuckled sarcastically, taking out her Slate. A quick glance at the screen revealed a message from her parents. "We've been out so late, Mama and Papa are already home."
"Seems like you have to quickened your pace then, descendant."
Kara shrugged. "Nah, dinner time wouldn't start for another hour."
The message, though, sparked a memory.
She scroll the screen down, reading the massage left on read.
[From Mom: If you have something on your mind, you can always talked to us. Spring 37, 7:08mn]
Kara sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of invisible walls. "I must be the worst child in history," she muttered to herself, the familiar pang of guilt gnawing at her insides.
The demon's eyes observing her with an intensity that made the brunette feel both seen and vulnerable. The air soothed passed them with unspoken words, the brunette could sense the shift in Lamia's demeanor as she broke the quiet.
"Speaking of... that time of our meeting. After awoken, you spoke to your father, didn't you?"
The brunette glanced at her, slightly confused. "You're bringing that up now after all this time? It's been ten years."
"It's just ten years, though?" Lamia confirmed, her crimson eyes oblivious to her word.
Without a beat, she continue. "I asked once before, but you never answered. Did you, child?"
The brunette pocketed her Slate, fingers brushing at Yuri's tail hanging her shoulder like a scarf. "I told him enough to stop feeling like I'm choking."
"But why choose to tell half-truths? Why didn't you fully reveal your identity to them?" Lamia's voice was low, a hint of curiosity in her tone. "I don't understand why you wanted to keep the truth of being reborn. You know they will accept you either way, wouldn't it be much easier for you to tell them?"
Kara stayed quiet for a moment, allowing the question to hung between them. The rhythmic thudding of her steps echoing in the stillness.
Finally, she replied. "When I was reincarnated into this world.. I already decided that I would take this secret to my grave." Her gaze falls to her hands, Kara's expression turned serious. "Honestly, if I were in their shoes, I'd be freaked out too. Wouldn't anyone be disturbed to discover that their own child was merely a ghost wearing their daughter's body? It's pretty messed up."
"I feel guilty that I'll be hiding this from them forever," Kara thought, picturing their reactions. A lump formed in her throat, her chest heavy as a boulder. She subtly covered her mouth, feeling as though she couldn't breathe. "But... telling even a part of it felt... relieving somehow."
"A spirit, you say.." Ancestor tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "And yet, Is that enough? A part of you remains hesitant. You clings to the easy path, even as you acknowledge the burden of your secret."
Kara froze mid-step, the nausea from moments ago vanishing like a splash of water. Lamia's words was undeniable, striking a chord within her.
Silence stretched between them, the atmosphere that followed was a palpable thing.
"For example, you are a caterpilose... It doesn't choose to be a cocoon. Instead, they're more of a crossroad, it's very cells rebels against what it was."
"I'm not.. some hairy caterpillar bug thingy..."
"Aren't you?" Lamia drifted lower, her voice merging into ice cold. "That thing you called reincarnation. You stood frozen between lives, fearing both roads."
Lamia level Kara's eyes, her small holographic hand brushed the brunette's cheek. "Tell me, does that caterpilose mourn when its jaws dissolve? Or does it finally understand why it ate so ravenously?"
"In the end, you'll understand why this hunger mattered." Her voice sharpened as Yuki sneezed awake.
Kara felt the weight of Lamia's words settle in her chest. She knew her ancestor wasn't just talking about that happened years ago, she was also hinting at something about now.
Or maybe.. in the future to come. Either way, the only thing Kara could do was to follow what's been laid for her.
"Leaving them in the dark is something i selfishly wanted, i don't want them to change what they see me..."
But her decision remained firm.
"I'm their daughter. Nothing more, nothing less."
Lamia's gaze was unwavering, she rest her head and signed. "Such stubbornness... it is both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness, descendant. Remember that as you decide on this path."
Kara stayed silent, her mind wondering. The message from her mother echoed in her mind, a stepped in the right direction.
Observing her once more, a flicker of something akin to pity crossed Lamia's features, and the brunette felt a swell of emotions rise within her.
"Will I have the courage to do it?" Kara wondered aloud, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"I have no doubt." Lamia pointed towards their destination, her commanding tone resurfacing. "Now, go. Your family awaits. And we have much to prepare for dinner."
"Right. Dinner first." The brunette obligated without complain, her lips twitching into a tiny smile.
.
.
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Kara stepped inside the front door, her shoulders dropping from exhaustion.
She paused.
The tense atmosphere was like a wave of ocean, it was unusual from the comfort silence that greeted her after training.
She glanced around the living room, her eyelids narrowing from the sight infront of her.
The so called parents were standing in eachother's way, with expressions that were a mix of seriousness and barely contained amusement.
'Did they argue or something?' Kara grow nervous at the thought of her timing.
Until she saw Skye neatly arranging a vase beside them with little to no worry.
Their ever-organize helper, dressed in a new frilly outfit that looked like it had been borrowed from a theatrical production.
Skye must have changed outfit a while ago.
The brunette raised an eyebrow, her confusion deepening. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with awkward nerve.
"Ah, Kara! You're just in time!" Davel expression changed, his tone a little too cheerful for the situation. "We were just discussing your big day!"
Kara's stopped, brows furrowing. "My big day? Eh? It's not.. my birthday though?"
Glory stepped forward, her expression softening. "We wanted to celebrate the enrollment at your first school, sweetheart. Your father had a little idea..."
"Little?" Skye interjected, rolling her eyes dramatically. "More like a colossal disaster waiting to happen."
Davel puffed out his chest, feigning offense. "I was trying to make a cake! A surprise cake! But, well... let's just say the kitchen is now a war zone."
Kara's eyes widened. "Who let this man cook?" she blurted out, glancing between the two people available.
"Et tu, daughter of mine?" Davel countered, his chuckle fading into a wince. He raised his floured hands in a shaky defense. "But I followed the recipe and everything!"
"Except for the part where you forgot to preheat the oven," Skye chimed in with a polite smile that barely concealed her dismay. "And the part where you mistook baking soda for baking powder."
Kara bit back a laugh. "You're kidding me."
"I wish I were," Skye said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You can imagine the aftermath."
Davel gestured dramatically. "The cake exploded!"
Glory shook her head, a grin creeping onto her face. "I walked in to find your father covered in flour, looking like a ghost, and Skye trying to salvage the remains."
Kara pictured the scene. "And you're both standing here in serious mode because...?"
"Because I was apologizing for the mess. You know how your mother is," Davel replied sheepishly.
The brunette nodded, trying to keep the crack of grin from appearing.
Unbeknownst to her, both parents glance at each other silently. As if communicating without words.
"And Kara," Davel began, stepping closer and placing his hands on her shoulders. He smiled gently. "I just wanted to show you that we're trying to be the best parents for our only girl, even if my baking skills are... well, questionable." he shrugged.
Kara was taken aback. "R-Right," she's a little lost, but still muttered anyway.
But for some reason, the words lodging in her chest like a stone.
As if her father's sincerity was a punch to the gut. Her fingers twitched at her side.
For a moment, the brunette doubt his words.
'When had anyone ever..?' She paused, her eyes widen in confusion. 'Oh..'
The memories of her past life suddenly creeping back.
'Why did I think that just now?' A pang of guilt struck her. 'It was in my past, what's wrong with me?'
"Little sprout?" Davel stared at her, watching his daughter's expression change.
Kara respond a little late, eyes widen when her mind snap back to reality.
"Oh.. i guess... Y-Yo.. You know, you didn't have to bake a cake to celebrate me."
"Why not? You and Master Davel both love to eat, right?" Skye chimed in with a grin, instantly bringing back the flow of conversation. "Plus, thanks to the mess, I got to change into this fabulous outfit!"
"Next time, maybe we should just order a delivery service," Glory suggested, laughter bubbling in her voice. "Or I could bake it myself."
"Now that's a plan!" Davel agreed, his eyes twinkling like a child. "But only if little lamb promises to help me clean up the messes again."
"Guess i don't have a choice." Skye replied, throwing her hands up in mock surrender.
The brunette observed them in silence, her father's flour-dusted faces breaking into a wide, genuine smile. The exasperated yet fond expression on Skye, and the hopeful glint in her parents' eyes.
Kara knew in that moment, she couldn't shake the warmth in her chest.
A sense of understanding washed over her.
No matter how distant she sometimes
felt, moments like this reminded her that they were always there, trying to connect, even if it sometimes ended in the most particular way.
She considered the courage it took to simply try, make an effort, to risk failure for the sake of connection.
And yet, they still try anyway. However clumsy their attempts might be.
'Well i have the courage to do it too?'
Kara stepped forward, her voice shaky and unclear. Lamia's words resurfacing on her mind.
'Theres no doubt in my mind..'
She took a deep breath, once more.
"Papa,"
"Mm? Is something you need, Kara?"
"Can we talk?"
Her words took everyone in the room by surprise.
_________________
The hardwood door clicked shut behind them, the cold humming in the quiet air.
Davel's worn out boots crunched gravel path as he followed his daughter past sculptured bushes that glow in the dark. Kara walked like someone balancing stones on their shoulders, spine too straight, hands jammed in hoodie pockets, Yuri's tail swishing against her neck like a metronome.
She nearly tripped over a hard rock.
'Just like when she first held a sword,' he thought absurdly. 'That same stubborn yet stiff posture..'
Kara paused beneath the old tree, its maple colored leaves trembling though no wind blew.
As her bandaged wrist caught the moonlight.
Seeing that. The memory resurface in his mind.
...
Yesterday in the afternoon..
The back door had slammed with unnatural force. Davel looked up from his slate to see Kara limping past the kitchen archway, clothes torn at the arm. Dirt caked her left cheekbone where a bruise was purpling.
"Kiddo?" His chair screeched as he stood. "What in the Elven name—"
"Training accident," she muttered, not meeting his eyes. "I'm fine."
He reached for the first aid kit from the kitchen, but his daughter was already halfway up the stairs. "Skye! Bring the disinfectant to her room!"
The keeper move fast, lavender braids swinging. "She'll need epsom salts too. Those aren't surface wounds."
A crimson spark flared in the air. Davel froze as Lamia's hologram coalesced above the kitchen table where Kara left the staff.
Her tiny arms crossed, "She's not made of glass, bird boy."
"You let her get hurt." The words came out sharper than intended.
"Let her? Tss.." Lamia's laugh held edges. "There was a Stray attack. I told her to be cautious, but that girl is as reckless as you. If anything, they're lessons written in blood. Far kinder than what the world will teach if she's unprepared."
Davel's knuckles tighten around the chairback. "She's sixteen."
Lamia looked at him as if he said some foreign language, "At that age, you're already fighting your way to the top."
"No, I meant those creatures! Strays don't hesitate to slaughter. You should have told her to retreat and get help from the KnightGuards." He paced back and forth, unconsciously biting his nail. "I really should have looked into this... maybe there's another group wandering—"
"Are you sure that attention should be on you're job instead of your own daughter?"
"Huh?"
"You know what i meant, Davel." The demon floated closer, her holographic palm hovering over his clenched fist. "You fear the distance between you grows, yet say nothing."
The words hung between them until the grand clock chimed. Somewhere upstairs, Kara hissed as Skye tended her wounds.
"T-That's because..." He started, hesitation vibrating his tone.
He pause, taking a deep breath. "What if I say the wrong thing again? What if she..."
"Spirits below, you mortals and your fragile hearts." Lamia's form sighed in exasperation. "That girl will only grow more distant if you remain in the sidelines of her life. All she needs is someone to understand, that means you, as a parent..."
She continued, "Why don't you hear her out first and worry about what to say later?"
...
'That was far harder than it sounds..' The man chest tightened, Davel's eyes remain on his quiet daughter as she sat on the nearby bench. 'If you seen the look on her face that time.. you wouldn't be able to blame me..'
The sorrowful expression on that child...
.
The trembling fear in her small, fragile body.
..
Eyes empty of light, And the trace of that..
...
Terrifying disappointment as she looked up at him.
.
.
.
The tree leaves fell like a cherry blossom, catching in Kara's hair, fragile things as if it can dissolved at the slightest touch. She studied the rubble her boots had carved in the dirt, a wound in the earth deeper than she intended.
Across the bench, Davel waited.
Not the way a commander wait, but like a man balancing a glass world on his knees. Even Yuri's whined, pawing at his guardian's cheek.
'Just say it. He's your father. He's been the strongest out of everyone else..'
But the truth stuck in her throat, sticky and useless.
Davel cleared his, the sound rougher than river stones. "Your mother thinks… maybe you're nervous about the Academy's combat trials?"
Combat trials. As if her fear had a shape that could be stabbed.
"It's not… that." The bandage on her arm itched. She scratched them until the skin burned.
"Ah." He leaned forward, elbows on knees, a posture he used when she was still small. "Is it the written exams? Some Professors there are hard grader, but—"
"...It's the people." The confession ripped free, jagged as broken glass.
Davel blinked. Yuri's ear twitched toward the silence. "…Why people?"
Kara flinch, 'Ah.. i should have keep my mouth shut.. stupid stupid... He'll thinks you're out of your mind!'
She inhaled deeply.. then slowly exhaled. The beating of her heart rang in her ears. 'Guess there's not turning back..'
Splinters bit her palms as she gripped the bench."Between classes. Everyone… talking. Laughing. And I'm just… there. Those loud noise are... suffocating."
Davel brow furrowed. She couldn't bring herself to look his way.
"My heart gets tight. Everyone looked at me as if they have something to say, i assume it's gonna be bad and.." Kara swallowed, "Ugh.. who am i kidding..."
He doesn't understand. He can't.
She stood abruptly, surprising the pup behind her. "Forget it."
"Kara." He caught her wrist—gentle, but froze as his calloused thumb brushed her pulse. "…You're shaking."
She hadn't noticed. Hadn't noticed the cold leaching into her bones either, or the way her ribs cramped with each breath.
Davel stared at her trembling hand. His laugh rasped like a blade dragged over stone. "When I was your age," he said slowly, head tilting slightly. "I'd get… jitters before a match. Felt like my bones were full of wasps."
Kara's jaw tightened. "This isn't jitters."
"I.. see." He released her, feeling like he's been rejected.
Without a beat, he tried again. "I knew a soldier once—a good man. I saw him drop his sword, he just froze there, not from fear. His mind just snapped, he said. From too many battles, he look so exhausted." Davel scratched Yuri's chin, his gaze fixed on the black sky. "Healing took years. And when he returned, he had to learn to hold a blade again."
"...Are you implying i'm broken?"
"Don't say you were." He plucked a leaf from her hair, its veins glowing amber in the fading light. "What I'm trying to saying is.. if your enemy's invisible, how do you fight it?"
She studied the leaf's fragile veins. "You don't. You just survive it."
Yuri nuzzled her palm, his warmth seeping into her cold fingers. Davel exhaled, a sound worn thin at the edges. "I don't understand this war you're in, sprout. But I know retreating won't end it." He stood, she noticed the worn leather he'd had since her childhood. "So… what do you need? Barricades? A shield?"
The plea hung between them, fragile as a spider's thread.
'Say it.. He's trying.. He's just right there..'
"Time," she whispered. "And… maybe someone at my back. Even if I… can't explain why."
"Alright." He nodded, face tightening like he'd taken a wound. "Let's make a deal then.."
Fireflies sparked to life around them—not the lazy summer drifts she remembered, but a constellation swirling in deliberate orbits. Kara watched one land on Davel's cheek, its glow painting his skin gold.
'His Arcana.. just like back then.. ' The realization struck. He hasn't summon them since she was small, when he'd lit her room with ember-bright whispers to chase the fever dreams.
Yuri sneezed, shaking stardust from his fur. Davel chuckled, a rough, warm sound.
And Kara...
She felt the ghost of a smile tug her lips.
"One week," Davel said, snapping his fingers. A single firefly spiraled down, landing on Kara's wrist. "You'll be attending Soulbound Academy for the full week. If you still can't handle it by then…"
He paused, his gaze softening. "I'll come get you. No questions asked."
Kara stared at him, her stomach wavering. "You really think seven days will change anything?"
"It changed me." He rubbed the old scar above his eyebrow, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "Came in thinking honor was something you carved into people. Left knowing it's what you carry."
Davel's voice roughened slightly. "Not saying you'll love it. Just… let the place surprise you. It has a way of doing that."
She closed her eyes. For a heartbeat, the night air smelled like her mother's cooking—a memory of safe things.
"Seven days," Kara said. This time, the words felt lighter. "Okay, I'll go."
"That's my girl." He smiled warmly, cupping the back of her head as he gave it a gentle pat.
.
.
.
.
.
Davel's watch ticked louder than his pacing. He glanced at his wrist again. The tapping of his foot seemed to mock his impatience.
"They're taking forever.." The black-haired man considered if he should check on them..
A floorboard creaked upstairs. Glory's laughter descended first, sunlight caught in its wake.
She appeared at the stairwell, her yellow dress swirling with stitches of summer sky. "Darling, prepare yourself," she warned, eyes gleaming like she'd smuggled dawn indoors.
Davel's retort died as Kara stepped into view.
Halfway down the stairs, his daughter hesitated, one hand gripping the banister tightly. The academy uniform seemed to swallow her, the white and navy fabric fit perfectly. Over it, she wore the new hoodie they'd picked out for her birthday.
But it was her hair that stole his attention.
The chestnut waves she'd inherited from Glory were shorn to her jawline. A single braid curled behind her ear, threaded with silver clasps shaped like a white lily.
Davel was taken aback. "..Your hair?"
Kara self-consciously touched the tip of her bangs, her cheeks flushing a faint pink. "It was getting in the way," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze. "Easier to manage like this."
"With this, she's more presentable. Skye did great." Glory stood behind Kara as she approach, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders, cheek pressed on the brunette's head.
Kara chuckled, a little awkwardly, the memory earlier is still fresh in her mind.
She'd found Skye tending the garden, a pair of pruning shears glinting in the morning light. "Skye, can you, uh, cut my hair?"
Skye had turned, eyes gleaming with delight. "Why, of course, young miss!" she'd chirped, brandishing the shears like a crazed stylist. "Just the thing for a fresh, new 'do!"
Kara stepped back. "Wait, wait, wait! With those?"
Skye paused, tilting her head. "Well, they're sharp, aren't they? And quite effective on night bushes. Why, I could shape you a lovely bob in no time!"
"No, no, no," Kara had sputtered, waving her hands frantically. "Normal scissors! Please tell me we have normal scissors!"
"I heard about last night, sweetie," Glory murmured, her voice pulling Kara back from her thoughts.
Hands tightened gently on her shoulders. "Your father and I talked. We know this isn't easy, but we're here, okay? Every step of the way." She gave Kara a squeeze, her cheek resting against her daughter's head. "Everything is going to be alright."
Kara smiled, a warmth spreading through her chest. It felt good to be supported, to know they were truly in her corner.
Glory stepped back slightly, her expression shifting, and there's a tighteness in her arms that instantly made her nervous...
"And next time, young lady, don't ignore my messages." A subtle, but definitely menacing, aura radiated from her, a clear warning.
"Yes, ma'am!" Kara replied instantly, her eyes widening slightly.
Davel stepped forward, his gaze soft. "Ready to go, sprout?"
Kara placed a hand over her heart. There was still a flutter of nervousness, but the crushing fear from before was absent. It was a strange, unfamiliar sensation, and she suspected Glory's reassurance had something to do with it.
A small smile touched her lips, not too bright or grand, but genuine. "Yeah," she said, her voice steady. "I'm ready."
In that instant as Davel watched his daughter smile, a flicker of recognition flashed before his eyes.
For a split second, he saw another girl reflecting besides Kara—a girl with the same brown hair, but with soft hazel eyes.
The day his first love smile for the first time..
A feeling that poured over him watching her face, the admiration and pride in his chest...
The resemblance was uncanny.
.
.
But he couldn't be more proud.