The two brothers made their way through the forest, which only took about an hour to cross—Ruvy, the capital of Mivor, was far closer to where they docked their ship.
What greeted them beyond the trees was a towering wall, forged from a fusion of sand, stone, and steel. It shimmered faintly with runes, humming with aura all around it. At the center stood a massive gate, its surface a smooth sheet of reinforced steel with no visible openings to see within the city. A paved road stretched from the gate and disappeared into the forest behind them, its smooth stones arranged with precision and care.
As they approached, a figure stepped forward from beside the gate. Dressed in gray armor devoid of any insignias, the guard's appearance was deliberately anonymous.
"If you're here to enter the capital," the guard said coolly, "prove yourselves."
Zay nodded and calmly released his aura. It surged around him in a brief, powerful wave before dissolving into the air like mist. The guard gave a slow nod of approval.
Renzo followed suit, letting his crimson aura snake around his body before drawing it back in.
Satisfied, the guard turned and stepped toward the gate. "Remember this," he said, his voice steady. "Once you enter the capital, the first thing you must do is show respect to the Princess of Runes. And before you ask—yes, that is the title she chose for herself."
He pressed his hand against the steel gate, and in an instant, a torrent of aura burst from his palm. The force was overwhelming—both Zay and Renzo dropped to one knee as the pressure crashed down on them like a tidal wave.
"D-Damn!" Renzo thought, teeth clenched as his crimson aura flickered wildly in response.
Zay gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing as violet aura flared around him. The gate began to rumble, slowly parting open with a deep, metallic groan.
The moment the pressure lifted, both brothers rose to their feet, breathing heavily but steady. They stepped forward as the gate closed behind them with a heavy thud.
What lay before them left even Zay momentarily speechless as he hadn't remembered what this place looked like.
The capital of Ruvy was a marvel—a shining example of what aura-based civilization could become. Aura flowed through every corner of the city, forming glowing lines along buildings and streets like living veins of energy. It powered everything: doors opened with the brush of a hand, laundry floated mid-air being washed by controlled aura currents, and lights danced above in lanterns that needed no fire.
Rare, radiant birds soared overhead in flocks, their feathers shimmering with hues of sapphire, emerald, and gold. Children—born to Arbiters—ran laughing through flower-filled gardens, weaving between petals as tall as their knees.
Citizens moved peacefully through the streets, dressed in vibrant cloaks and garments etched with glowing symbols. Merchants called out with charm from colorful stalls, their smiles genuine as they showcased wares infused with low-level aura enchantments.
Ruvy was not just a city. It was a paradise carved from power and discipline—a haven for Arbiters.
Renzo's jaw dropped slightly as he took it all in. "What is this place…?" he muttered, eyes wide with awe.
Zay stared ahead, eyes narrowing slightly—not in suspicion, but focus. "A kingdom built on aura," he said quietly. "And probably the most dangerous place we've ever stepped into."
Renzo glanced at Zay, brow furrowed. "Dangerous? How?"
Zay didn't answer right away. He kept walking, eyes scanning the city—the way the aura pulsed through the walls, hummed through the air, the way the people smiled just a little too calmly, and the almost imperceptible feeling of being watched.
Finally, he spoke, voice low and sharp. "Because only powerful people can live in peace like this. And when power becomes normal… so does greed."
Renzo slowed a bit, looking around again. The beauty of the city—its gardens, its music, its calm—suddenly felt off. He saw the poise in every movement, the subtle strength in casual conversations, the discipline in how people carried themselves. Still, the city's sights remained stunning, graceful in everything they did.
Zay kept going. "Even the kids here… don't underestimate them. Some of the children running around in those flower fields? Not even twelve, and they could probably beat both of us in a fair fight."
Renzo turned his head sharply. "Seriously?"
"They're born under Arbiters," Zay said. "That changes a lot. Their bodies process aura from the moment they take their first breath. And with the right training… they can enter the Seal Realm before they can even read, or even say their first words."
Renzo fell quiet, glancing at a group of children playing in a garden nearby. One of them leapt impossibly high into the air, giggling as a faint glimmer of aura trailed behind her. Another created a glowing ball of light that pulsed in her hands before fading.
"So we're surrounded by people like us?" Renzo muttered, eyes still fixed on the scene.
Zay shook his head. "No. People worse than us. Stronger. More disciplined. More entitled. We're outsiders here—and if we don't earn our place, and show the proper respect, we'll most likely be killed."
Renzo swallowed hard and followed behind Zay.
The two brothers walked along a wide road paved with smooth, dark stone that shimmered faintly beneath the morning light. The capital's beauty stretched in every direction—gardens blooming beside storefronts, fountains of glowing aura swirling lazily in open plazas, and rare birds swooping through the skies above.
They reached a grand staircase carved from pure marble, each step polished to a mirror-like sheen. They ascended the staircase and at the top, they approached a colossal door made of aura-fused wood. The grain glowed faintly, layered with protective runes. Zay raised a hand and knocked. A low echo rippled out from the impact, like a soft bell toll that resonated through the structure.
The doors slowly creaked open, and a guard in ornate silver armor motioned them forward. He led them silently through a wide corridor until they stepped into a grand chamber past another large aura-infused door.
It was massive—vaulted ceilings etched with ancient runes and constellations, with banners of deep violet and gold hanging from the rafters. Thirty guards stood along each side of the room, their weapons sheathed, and their hands on their sides. One hand on their hilt as the other arm hanged loosely at their other side, all of them had a thin layer of aura surrounding their bodies inside of the armor.
At the end of the hall sat a throne made of obsidian and ivory, glowing with veins of softly pulsing aura.
Upon it, a woman sat with one leg crossed over the other. She wore regal violet and black robes that shimmered like liquid light, her hair cascading down in silver waves. Her gaze was calm, yet heavy.
Zay and Renzo walked forward in silence, their boots were soft against the violet carpet. When they stopped before her, they bowed low, showing the respect the gate guard had warned them to give.
Only then did the woman speak, her voice soft but unignorable.
"You show proper reverence. Good. But you are not of this land… so tell me—what brings outsiders to my land?"
After a long pause, his voice was calm but there was a hint of uneasy. He
"Your Highness," he began, "I humbly request access to the Archives of Aura."
The guards lining the marble walls tensed slightly, eyes shifting toward the princess, uncertain how she would respond to such a bold request from an outsider.
The princess stared at him for a full minute. But to Zay, that minute stretched endlessly, heavier than anything he'd ever felt, as she slowly uncrossed her legs and rose from her throne.
Every guard in the chamber watched her closely, poised for action, waiting for the command to execute them both.
Her golden irises glimmered beneath the morning light cascading through the high windows. She blinked once, then again—slow and deliberate.
"Tell me," she said, her voice clear and sharp, "why should I allow such a request. If you know of the Archives, then you must also know only three people are permitted to enter. So why should I grant that privilege to two people I've never heard of?"
Zay looked up from his bow and met her eyes.
"I understand the weight—and the impossibility—of what I'm requesting," he said calmly, his voice carrying a softness, yet lined with unwavering steadiness.
He glanced around the chamber as he slowly rose to his feet. The guards gripped the hilts of their weapons, eager for him to make a single wrong move so they could cut him down where he stood.
The princess said nothing but allowed him to stand, waiting to hear his reason.
"There's... information that my brother and I need. Knowledge of aura that doesn't exist among anyone from where we're from. We come from a small village on the continent of Quivarem—a place that still believes in peace, despite the lawlessness that defines it. We've traveled for months to request this knowledge... for the sake of protecting our home, and making it better."
He paused for a few seconds of silence. Even some of the guards began to soften their expressions, recognizing the sincerity in his tone—and the weight behind the name Quivarem, where no laws existed.
"The truth is, Your Highness... my brother and I are the only family we have left in this world. A man raided our village three months ago and slaughtered everyone while we were out fishing. When we returned... we found a name written in blood in the dirt. Kane Greyblood."
He swallowed, his gaze falling to the floor. "Ever since then, we've wanted to make that... bastard pay for what he did to our family. To our friends."
As he spoke the final words, tears rolled down his face. He bowed again—his head low, expression hidden—but no one saw the faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.