The boy threw his gaze downward in shock but quickly pieced together what had happened.
Damn Cecilus... definitely in character for one of your greetings.
His sister, however, was screaming wildly, tears welling in her eyes as the rock golem loomed above, holding the siblings in each of its massive stone hands.
Then came a familiar voice from behind them.
"Hello! Zyllee! Ayas! I'm back!"
Ayas looked back at Cecilus with the flat, weary expression of someone who already knew this would happen.
Gonna be a long few months.
***
Cecilus had been planning the "surprise" all day.
Ha, can't wait to see their faces. I wonder how terrifying I can make the golem look.
He couldn't keep it around long, though. The golem still had work to do helping the villagers rebuild after the fire.
As he jogged along the path toward the orphanage, lost in thought, he spotted two familiar figures just ahead. His eyes went wide.
Wait—Ayas? He's almost as tall as me! He's two years younger, and we're practically the same height! I'm the one with elf blood! Did he steal Mother's tall genes? No, Father's tall too...
Cecilus grinned, crouched slightly, and quietly summoned his golem. A moment later, the earth split open beneath the siblings, and two enormous stone hands erupted from the dirt, grabbing them both.
***
When Cecilus saw the results, he burst into laughter. Zyllee's screams echoed across the clearing as the golem raised them high.
He tilted his head, confused. Really? I thought they'd start laughing once they saw it was me... Oh well, that expression is priceless!
Zyllee finally realized what was happening and spun toward him, her voice shaking with rage.
"BROTHER! You know I get scared easily! Put me down this instant!"
This only resulted in Cecilus bursting out in laughter while Ayas kept an unimpressed expression.
Her fury only made Cecilus laugh harder. "HAH! You should've seen your face! Crying over a few pebbles!"
With a lazy wave, he ordered the golem to set them down and return to the village.
Ayas dusted himself off, unimpressed. "We'll be late for Mother's lesson at the school. Stop delaying us. You know how she gets about punctuality—though I suppose you wouldn't."
Cecilus smirked and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll let you two go play scholar."
They hurried off, and he waved after them. Guess my timing's terrible as always.
He sighed and looked toward the distant rooftops. My friends from the orphanage must be in class too... what now? Go back to the village? It's barely midday. Never have I ever been this bored...
Then it hit him. Wait—why can't I go to school? Do they think I'm uneducated? What could they possibly be learning that's so special? Surely Mother wouldn't mind if I dropped in... right?
With that, Cecilus jogged toward the school.
***
The orphanage and school were connected—both founded and run by his mother. They stood near sprawling farmland that stretched for miles, all rented under the Crow estate. The manor itself wasn't far, just a few minutes' jog uphill.
When Cecilus stepped inside the wooden schoolhouse, a bell beside the entrance jingled, announcing his arrival. So much for another surprise entry. Oh well, I already had my fun.
As he slipped off his shoes, he heard a chorus of young voices echoing down the hallway—children discussing magic and history. Curious, he crept closer.
"Did you know," one of the students said, "that the origin of magic predates humanity? Creatures from long ago are said to be the first wielders of magic types, and when humanoid species appeared, they gained their magic by hunting or being hunted by those creatures."
Cecilus frowned. What in the world is this? These were the first things Father ever taught me! Are they learning at the pace of a snail, or are they all this dense?
Before he could retreat, the classroom door opened. His mother stepped out—a tall elf with golden hair and an ageless calm in her eyes.
"What are you here for, Cecilus?" she asked with a gentle smile.
"I... uh... wanted to indulge in the prosperous learning my dear siblings are engaged in?" he said, forcing a grin.
Truthfully, he regretted coming the moment he heard the lecture. Curse my boredom! I should've gone to torment some villager kid instead. Now I'm trapped in this embarrassment vortex...
His mother tilted her head slightly. "No. Go away. We're mid-lesson, and you're distracting us."
He froze. Did she just read my mind? She must have! Or maybe... no, no, impossible that I'm actually a nuisance.
He waved weakly and turned to leave. Wait—I didn't even greet her properly. Three years gone, and that's all I get?
Then again, she was two hundred and thirty-four years old. She's probably seen too much for a three-year gap to mean anything.
Still, the anticlimax stung a little. I wonder if Father will react any differently if he was in my mothers place? Probably not. "A meaningless period of time for a half-elf," he'd say. Typical.
He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Guess it's back to training. Maybe the villagers rebuilt enough for me to get my golems back. Then I can scare some kids properly... Come on, people! Don't you like having roofs over your heads? Speed it up!
***
Three weeks passed.
Cecilus spent most of his days training alone, with Trey dropping by occasionally for short sessions. When he wasn't training, he entertained himself by trying to scare children in the village—efforts that failed spectacularly. The kids had grown used to seeing his golems helping with the reconstruction. Instead of screaming, they just waved or ignored him.
He still had nightmares about their blank faces.
The rebuilding finished shortly after two weeks. The village elder even visited the Crow estate to thank Cecilus personally, claiming the golems had nearly tripled construction speed.
Now Cecilus lay on the dirt in the training field, staring at the sky. His two golems stood over him, heads tilted in eerie synchronization.
He sighed. Never thought war would sound more fun than staying home. My siblings are always busy, and even the village brats aren't scared of me anymore. Maybe I need to find a scarier monster to contract—something that actually looks terrifying.
The golems exchanged a glance and kicked him from both sides.
"Hey—ow! I was joking! You feel my pain too, idiots!" he yelled.
He pushed himself up and brushed off the dust. Screw it. There's gotta be something to do around here. I've explored every cave this side of the border. Guess I'll find some uneducated villagers to mess with. No one else is free at this hour. Off to the village again!
***
Down by a quiet creek, Marina was filling two buckets with water. She had only recently started venturing outside again after the tomato incident, but the ridicule hadn't stopped.
Please let me get home without running into anyone, she thought, adjusting her grip on the buckets. That short elf boy said it'd all blow over soon, but yesterday some brats threw rocks at me!
As she trudged up the path, something whizzed through the air and struck her head.
"Ah—!" The buckets tumbled from her hands, splashing water across the dirt.
She winced, clutching the back of her head as tears blurred her vision. Five boys stepped out from the bushes, each armed with rocks or sticks, their ragged clothes hanging in tatters from the fire's aftermath.
No... why now? I can't outrun them.
Her pulse quickened. Well, running's still better than standing here.
Marina turned and bolted back toward the creek as the boys shouted after her.