The fire burned low, its light painting shifting shadows across the trees. Crickets sang their endless hymn to the night.
Reider sat close to the flames, his face lit in orange and gold, but as expressionless as ever. He hadn't spoken for some time, simply staring into the heart of the fire as though trying to decode it.
Finally, his gaze turned to Vael. His voice was flat, but there was something else beneath it—curiosity, the faintest pull of something human.
"Why are you protecting me?"
The question cut through the silence like a knife.
Vael paused, blinking. She hadn't expected it—not tonight, not so soon. She leaned back slightly, letting out a short exhale. "Because I chose to."
Reider didn't look away. His tone didn't rise or fall, but his words landed heavy. "That's not a reason."
The fire popped, sending sparks spiraling upward.
Vael tilted her head back, gazing up at the stars hidden behind drifting clouds. For once, her smirk didn't come. She remembered another night, another conversation—the moment she'd set her path.
---
It had been in a tavern, the storm outside rattling the windows, rain streaking down the glass. Dain sat across from her, the firelight deepening the hard lines of his face. His hand rested on a mug he hadn't touched.
"Why do you want to take him?" Dain's voice was steady, but she heard the strain beneath.
Vael crossed her arms, eyes sharp. "Because the world won't let him live otherwise."
Thunder rumbled outside.
Dain leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "So you want to use him?"
The accusation lingered, heavy as lead.
She shook her head, gaze flicking away. "No. But neither do you."
His fingers tightened around the cup. "Explain."
Her tone softened, though her words were iron. "He's not ordinary. You know that."
The silence stretched, broken only by the patter of rain.
She met his gaze, unwavering. "The moment the world sees what he is, they'll fear him. You've protected him, but you won't always be able to."
Dain's expression darkened. She saw it—the truth he couldn't deny.
"I'm not here to take him from you," she said, her voice quiet but resolute. "I'm here to make sure he survives."
For a moment, the only sound was the storm outside.
Mei had entered then, her presence soft but heavy. Her eyes carried sorrow as she stood in the doorway. "And if the Knights come for him?"
Vael looked at her, her tone calm, unwavering. "Then I'll be the one to stand between them and him."
The weight of her words settled over the tavern.
Dain's gaze fell to his hands, knuckles scarred and rough. His thoughts were his own, but she knew the truth of them: he'd fought, he'd bled, he'd lost. Could he bear to lose again?
"And if one day," he asked, his voice low, "he asks why?"
Vael had paused, then allowed herself a rare moment of honesty. "Then I'll tell him the truth."
---
The memory slipped away. Vael blinked, pulled back into the present, the fire crackling between her and the boy.
Reider watched her silently. "…You didn't answer."
Her lips quirked faintly, though there was no mockery in it this time. "Didn't I?"
"You said you chose to protect me. But you didn't say why."
The silence stretched again. Vael studied him, the firelight dancing in his blank eyes. Then she smirked softly, but her words carried no edge.
"Because I know what it's like to be feared."
That made him blink. Just once. A crack in his otherwise unshakable mask. "…Oh."
The boy turned back to the flames, his expression unreadable again, but his mind lingered on her words. Feared?
Vael turned her gaze toward the stars. "Get some rest. We have more training tomorrow."
Reider lay down after a long pause, curling on the ground beside the fire. He didn't ask again. Not tonight.
Vael watched him for a moment, her smirk fading into something serious. One day, you'll understand.
The fire burned on, casting long shadows that stretched toward the sky.
---
Far away, in the heart of the capital, golden light filled the throne room. Tapestries hung heavy from the walls, depicting the long history of the Vaelthorne dynasty. The air was thick with tension.
King Aldric Vaelthorne sat on his throne, chin resting on his knuckles, his eyes sharp and weary. Before him, several knights knelt in solemn formation.
"Your Majesty," said Sir Garrick Halvard, his voice low but firm, "we cannot ignore this."
The king's gaze remained unreadable, though his fingers tightened against the armrest.
Another knight stepped forward—Sir Edric Vaelmont. His tone was urgent, restrained only by respect. "Reider… whatever he is… poses an unknown threat. If we wait too long, we may not be able to stop it."
The throne creaked faintly under Aldric's grip. "And you expect me to send my knights after Dain?"
Uneasy glances were exchanged.
"Dain was once a hero," Garrick said carefully. "No one denies that. But he harbors something dangerous. If we do not act, the church will."
The name hung in the air unspoken until Aldric gave it voice. "The church… Lucian, I presume?"
Edric's grim nod confirmed it. "Yes. Lucian Veldt has already begun gathering support. If we do not act, he will."
The king's irritation flashed, sharp and clear. "Lucian is a zealot, not a ruler. He would burn a city to kill a rat."
The knights held their silence, but the weight of their unease pressed in.
"Then, Your Majesty," Garrick asked, "what shall we do?"
Aldric leaned forward, golden eyes gleaming under the candlelight. "Dain is not an enemy. Not yet."
But the voices of doubt lingered. A young noble stepped forward, lean and cunning—Lord Rhenford Carlisle, his reputation as a strategist whispered across the realm.
"If you delay too long," Rhenford said smoothly, "the nobles will start whispering. Some already do. They believe you favor Dain too much."
The king's jaw tightened. "Dain bled for this kingdom more times than any of them ever will."
Edric's voice broke through the tension. "Then… will you give no order?"
The room held its breath.
The king leaned back, eyes closed briefly, weighing the kingdom against his heart. His fingers tapped the throne in a slow rhythm.
When he spoke, his words carried like steel. "…Bring me Vael."
The room stirred. Gasps broke the silence.
"Vael, Your Majesty?" Garrick asked, rising.
"She is with Reider, is she not?"
The knights glanced at each other. "And if she refuses?"
The king's gaze sharpened. "She won't."
"Why?"
His voice carried finality. "Because she's waiting for this."
The knights bowed, their duty outweighing their doubt. "As you command."
As their footsteps echoed out of the hall, Aldric was left alone with his thoughts. The storm outside rumbled faintly, and he rubbed his temple.
Dain, Vael… don't make me choose.
---
Somewhere else, in the depths of shadow, Lucian Veldt smiled.
"The king hesitates," he murmured. "Good."
A hooded figure knelt before him. "Shall we move?"
Lucian's smirk deepened, his scar pulling with the motion. "Not yet. But soon."
Candlelight flickered in the dark chamber as the storm gathered beyond the city walls.
---
Back at the camp, Vael sat awake, staring into the fire. Reider slept, though his fingers twitched faintly, energy humming under his skin.
The storm was coming.
And when it broke, none of them would be able to hide.
To be continued…