Lakespire.
Also known across Carvelle as the city of lakes.
From above, it looked like a constellation of water mirrors laid carefully
into the land. Dozens of vast lakes spread across the city, connected by controlled
water ways and energy channels, each reflecting light Qi in soft, shifting patterns.
These lakes were not natural.
Not Entirely.
Long ago, Carvelle's ancestors had reshaped the terrain, guiding underground water views
and reinforcing the Lakebeds with Qi-stabilized anchors made from combing
Qi-enriched material with carbon dust and imprinted by the will of an A rank ascender can last 1000s of years.
They are built to be sturdy.
Over centuries, the lakes had become part of the city's identity–both beautiful and functional.
They regulate the climate.
They stored excess light qi.
They fed the city's energy grids.
At night, the lakes glowed faintly, responding to the flow
of Qi below them.
Life moved smoothly around them.
Walkways curved along the shores. Transport platforms hovered silently
Over water paths. Thin streams of light ran through the streets–qi conduits
disguised as architecture.
Lakespire was not loud.
It was beautiful and serene.
At the heart of the city rose the Hale Estate.
Not a palace.
Not a fortress.
A balanced structure of layered stone, glass-like crystal
panels, and metallic frameworks reinforced with qi-binding
Lattices.
Prima followed everywhere within it.
It was invisible, unnoticed by most, yet ever-present
slowly enriching stone, metal and crystal alike.
Over time, materials exposed to prima grew denser, more receptive
to energy.
Everything is sturdy with prima.
It had always been this way.
Prima was part of life.
When it lingered long enough within matter and natural energies,
it changed– becoming Qi, shaped by the world itself and ready to
respond to the Will of Ascenders.
Walls strengthened without cracks.
Energy conduits carried power without loss.
Even glass shimmered faintly, alive with quiet
resilience.
****
Evan Hale had always emphasized discipline.
Order.
Structure.
Not only within the Hale family– but within himself.
He and his wife, Sara Hale, currently led the family
from seren, overseeing lakespire and its surrounding
regions. Yet many of the older members of the Hale lineage
were no longer planet-bound.
They resided in space stations.
In orbital colonies.
On industrial platforms far from seren.
Partly for duty.
Partly because weren't prima density was thin.
For people of their level, remaining on seren for too long
was… suffocating.
Their power had grown beyond what the planet could comfortably support.
Evan knew this well.
He thought calmly.
Sooner or later, I will be there too.
But not today.
Today was for celebration.
His youngest son had been born healthy.
Strong. Stable. That alone was enough.
Adam Hale
The name had already settled firmly in Evan's mind.
The child's Qi readings were smooth. His prima absorption was natural, without turbulence.
Just like his brother, Evan thought.
The thought carried warmth… and regret.
It was a shame his eldest son was not present.
Still, Evan allowed himself a brief moment of softness.
Kiran Hale–his daughter–was here.
She stood with the child earlier, her laughter light, her presence bright.
Seeing children carefree always eased something within him.
Even stepped forward.
As he reached the inner chamber, the estate responded instantly.
Security layers recognised him.Qi fields shifted.
The doors slid open soundlessly before him.
Inside, the atmosphere was far from quiet.
Sara Hale stood near the bed, her expression sharp, while Kiran argued
enthusiastically beside her.
"No mother, that name is too old-fashioned,"
Kiran said.
"It carries history," Sara replied firmly.
"And expectations," Kiran shot back.
Evan paused.
Then he chuckled.
Softly,
They were a little late.
He had already made his decision.
Walking further into the room, he spoke calmly–his voice
Cutting through the discussion without force.
"Adam."
Both of them turned.
"Adam Hale," Evan continued evenly. "That is his name."
Silence followed.
Then Sara sighed.
Kiran blinked… and smiled.
The newest member of the Hale family had been named.
Sara Hale exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing.
"Alright," she said at last. "I'll let you name him."
She glanced at Evan from the corner of her eye and added quickly.
"Not because your choice is better than mine."
Evan raised his eyebrow.
"But because last time," Sara continued, "I named Kiran."
Her lips curved faintly, daring him to argue.
Evan laughed. It was not loud. Not exaggerated. Just warm.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her gently, careful of her still-recovering strength.
For a brief moment, the world outside the room faded away.
Just then, small footsteps hurried across the room.
"Me too, Me too!"
Their daughter ran up and wrapped her tiny arms around Evan's legs, squeezing as tightly as she could. Evan froze for half a heartbeat–then burst out laughing.
"Well, how can I ignore that?" He said warmly.
He bent down, scooped her up in one smooth motion, and pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss on her cheek. Her laughter rang out, bright and carefree.
Sara turned to face them, her eyes soft as she watched father and daughter clinging to each other.
"Careful," she said, smiling. "If you keep bugging her like that, you'll spoil her."
Evan grinned, holding their daughter closer. "Too late," he replied.
After a moment, their daughter wriggled in Evan's arms, signalling she wanted down. Evan smiled and gently set her back on her feet.
"How is Adam?" Evan asked, his voice calm but attentive.
Sara followed his gaze toward the inner room.
"He's fine," she replied. "Sleeping now. His vitals stabilized fully after the last life Qi circulation."
Even as she spoke, subtle readings hovered in the air–pluse, breathing rhythm, prima concentration. The displays adjusted automatically, responding to changes too small for ordinary senses to notice.
Everything was within safe parameters.
Then–
A sharp, clear cry pierced the room.
Not weak. Not strained. Strong
Sara was already moving.
She entered the adjoining chamber with practiced ease, her movements fluid despite exhaustion. The infant's cries softened as she lifted him, her presence alone enough to soothe.
Kiran followed close behind.
"Let me hold him." She said immediately.
Sara glanced at her.
"No."
Kiran frowned. " Why not?"
" Because you'll get distracted and forget to support his neck." Sara replied flatly.
"That happened once," Kiran protested.
"Once was enough."
Kiran crossed her arms, muttering under her breath.
Evan stepped forward.
"May I?" He asked.
Sara studied him for a moment then nodded.
She placed Adam carefully into Evan's arms.
He felt lighter than Evan expected.
Yet… solid.
The child's body was warm, steady, alive with a quiet rhythm. Evan adjusted his grip instinctively, supporting Adam's head and back with ease.
The crying stopped. Adam's eyes opened.
Dark. Clear. Focused.
They locked onto Evan's face. For a brief moment father and son stared at each other.
Evan felt something shift inside him. Not power. Not ambition. Responsibility.
"This one's observant," Sara said softly.
Adam blinked once.
Then his tiny hand closed around Evan's finger. Firm. Evan's expression softened.
Firm. Evan's expression softened.
"He is." Evan replied.
Outside the chamber, the Hale Estate remained silent and secure.
Guards stood at fixed intervals along the outer perimeter, their presence forming an invisible wall between the estate and the rest of the lakespire. They did not speak. They did not move unless required.
Each of them wore a fully sealed Tier-3 body suit, the Armor fitting close to the body like a second skin. Its surface was smooth and matte, Even under the flow of the city's energy grids, the suits appeared muted, almost shadowless.
Evan had overseen enough inspections to know that appearances were receiving.
Beneath the outer layer, carbon-metal fibers forged in Rivon facilities ran through the suit in dense interwoven strands. These fibres were not ordinary carbon composites. They had been refined, stripped of excess prima, then reforged and saturated
Again in controlled conditions by D Rank Ascenders, giving them a balance of flexibility and resilience that normal materials could not match.
At rest the armour moved naturally with the body.
At the moment of impact, it hardened instantly.
Micro-lattices within the suit reacted faster than thought, redistributing forces across the entire frame. Blunt impacts became distant pressure. Sharp force was diffused,
redirected and broken apart.
Minor damage repairs itself quietly. Microscopic fractures sealed as reserves flowed into place, guided by pre-imprinted structural patterns. As long as the suit's internal Qi reserves held, the Armor endured.
This was not battlefield armour. It was defensive perfection, designed for prolonged duty station security, and high-value protection.
And it was standard issue for the Hale parameters.
Each guard carried a rifle held low but ready, hands resting in practiced positions. The weapons rested in practiced positions. The weapons were sleek, modern, built for function rather than intimidation.
They were Gleamfire UI Rifles.
Even remembered when they had first been approved.
The rifles used a Grade 2 uni-qi combination of light Qi and heat Qi. Refined to emphasize penetration and stability. When fired, there was no dramatic flare, no wasted energy. The projectile carried a Gleamfire covered Qi core. Designed to punch reinforced materials and destabilize protective fields on contact.
Against standard Grade 2 Armor, one shot was enough.
Against Qi-reinforced Targets, repeated fire overwhelmed defenses through precision rather than raw output.
Each guard carried multiple magazines, secured magnetically along the suit's frame. Ammunition was pre-infused during combat, ensuring performance and eliminating failure caused by rushed imprinting.
It was clean. Reliable. Efficient.
Very Hale.
Despite the firepower, the guard's weapons remained lowered. Inside the Hale State, they were unnecessary.
The true defense lay within.
The estate itself was layered with security fields invisible to the naked eye. Surveillance arrays scanned for abnormal Qi fluctuations, and unauthorised Will imprints. The systems operated silently, without emissions that could be tracked or interfered with.
Even the servants moving through the halls were part of the defense.
Evan knew this well.
The maids who adjusted lightning and carried trays were trained combatants. Their movements were soft, unassuming–but their awareness never lapsed. Each could circulate Qi efficiently, each E+ Rank ascender drilled in close-quarters response.
Evan knew all too well after it was his wife Sara who had arranged the defense's.
He shuddered.
She might be a beautiful smiling mother to her children but she is a cold ruthless predator for others.
If danger breached the inner halls. It would not be met by panic.
It would be erased.
Evan stood near the window for a brief moment looking past the guards and out toward the city.
Lakespire glowed calmly beyond the estate walls.
Orderly. Stable.
Like Himself.
He turned back toward the inner chambers where his family waited.
The world could remain outside a little longer.