The next morning, Nova woke up to the sound of quiet chatter and the faint crackle of firewood. As he sat up, rubbing his eyes, he saw Mira still asleep beside him. Most of the other children were also sleeping, their breathing soft and even, but many of the mothers were already awake — some tending to their kids, others helping Maela prepare breakfast.
Nova stretched with a long sigh. "Today…" he murmured. "Father and Mother…" He stood up. "Alright. Let's take a look outside."
He opened the door and stepped out. The air was calm — eerily calm. The village, though scarred and silent, had lost the chaos of the previous night. The smoke had thinned. The air smelled faintly of ash and damp earth.
"Feels… odd," Nova muttered.
Since Maela's home wasn't near the outskirts, he wasn't used to seeing people so early in the morning — a few villagers walking by, some tending to makeshift fires, some silently repairing what little could be fixed. He wandered slowly, hands in his pockets, thoughts tangled.
"I took the money from home… but I should've taken the books too." His eyes widened slightly as the realization hit. "I'm pretty sure Father kept some important ones. I'll need them. Good thing I remembered early."
After a few minutes of walking, Nova returned inside. More of the kids were awake now, though Mira was still sleeping.
"I suppose I should wake her up." he muttered, crouching beside her. He gently shook her shoulder.
"Mmm…" she stirred.
"Mira, wake up. It's morning."
"Mm? Big brother? Oh…" Her eyes fluttered open. "Yeah…" She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Is breakfast ready?"
There was a short silence before realization hit her. "Oh… I'm sorry. I forgot…"
"It's alright," Nova said softly. "Maela and the others are preparing it. Go wash up."
"Okay."
Soon, breakfast was ready — simple porridge, a few biscuits, and some fruit. Maela moved around, handing bowls to everyone with her usual warm but tired smile.
"Eat as much as you want," she said.
After Nova and Mira finished eating, Nova approached her. "We're going back home."
Maela turned, surprised. "Why? Stay here."
"No," he said quietly. "I've got things to do. And… I need to prepare for the funerals."
Maela's expression softened. "...Yeah. That's true. You're still gonna come here for dinner, okay?"
"Sigh... Alright."
With that, Nova and Mira left Maela's house. The village was still quiet, with faint whispers of life returning after devastation. When they reached home, Mira looked up at Nova. "So… what do we do now, big brother?"
"You should pack the clothes you want to take," Nova said. "Don't take everything — we can always buy new ones later. I'll take care of the rest."
"Alright. But… where will we go?"
"That's what I'll figure out next."
"I see…"
"Don't worry, Mira. I'll work everything out."
She nodded, then went to her room. Nova watched her for a moment before turning toward the cabinet in the corner of the house.
"Now… before anything, the books."
He opened the wooden cabinet — inside were several old, worn books. Their leather covers carried a faint smell of smoke.
"The Mistgrove Kingdom… Hunting Manual… The Nine Heavens…" he read quietly. "I'll take these."
He hurried to his parents' room and opened his father's shelf. From inside, he pulled out a folded piece of thick brown leather. He spread it on the bed and placed the books neatly on top.
When he walked back to his room, Mira was kneeling on the floor, looking over a small pile of folded clothes.
"You done?" Nova asked.
"Yeah," she said with a small nod.
"Alright. I'll pack mine now."
"Okay. I'll take a bath then."
After Mira left, Nova quickly selected his clothes, folded them, and placed both piles on the leather sheet. Then he went to the kitchen.
"Let's see…" He grabbed the jar of honey biscuits Haru had given him. "These are definitely coming with us." He took some dry rations, fruit, and food that wouldn't spoil easily.
"Alright."
He went back to his room and opened his shelf. From inside, he took out a slingshot — Tama's gift. Then, carefully, he lifted a small blue gemstone from a box. It shimmered faintly in the light.
"Riku…" Nova whispered, holding the gemstone tightly. The memories hit like waves — laughter by the creek, shouts at the oak tree, Riku's grin when he handed him this stone. Nova's grip tightened. "I won't let it go," he murmured, sliding the gem into his coin satchel.
"I'm out," Mira called from the bathroom.
"Alright," Nova said, walking past her. "My turn."
A while later, both of them were ready. Mira, drying her hair with a cloth, peeked into her parents' room. "Why are you taking those books, big brother? You're going to study by yourself?"
"Not exactly," Nova replied with a small grin. "They're not bedtime stories. These hold important things which will benefit us."
"I see."
Nova picked up the book titled 'The Mistgrove Kingdom'. Its cover bore a carved emblem — a great tree with sprawling branches. The same emblem the soldiers had worn during the attack.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let's take a look."
As he opened the book, the first page showed a list of contents.
"History… Economy…" He traced the lines with his finger. "Wait, what's this?"
The middle of the book felt uneven. When he flipped through, he found a folded map hidden between two pages.
"Whoa… Is this—"
"A map of the Mistgrove Kingdom?!" Mira exclaimed.
"Looks like it." Nova spread it on the bed. "It's huge… Alright, where's Oak Village?" He scanned the parchment. "Father said our village was at the southeast corner…" His finger stopped on a small, uneven shape marked Oak Village.
"Here it is!" he said. "And this long blue line — it must be the Mistveil Creek!"
"Woah! Really?"
"Yeah… Wow, it's so long."
Nova's eyes wandered again until they landed on a large city marked Lunvale City. Inside it, a small symbol and words caught his eye.
"The Verdant Mist Sect…" he read aloud.
He flipped back to the contents and found the corresponding page.
"The Verdant Mist Sect," he began reading. "Established in the year 8513. Wait... Current year is 8912. That's almost 400 years ago!"
"Four hundred years?!" Mira gasped.
"Yeah… 'Known across the realm for its unmatched mastery over healing, medicine, and spiritual botany… producing the finest medical cultivators… renowned as healers, alchemists, and herbal masters. While the Verdant Mist Sect excels in medicine, their disciples are also trained in martial arts...' " Nova's voice softened with awe. "They sound amazing."
He looked up at Mira, who was staring wide-eyed at the map.
"Mira," he said quietly, with a faint smile. "Looks like we know our destination now."
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