The mountain winds had finally settled, leaving behind only the shattered ice, cracked stone, and the lingering echo of Reider's overwhelming aura. He stood at the cliff's edge beside Kael, silent and patient, as if nothing about the earlier clash had been unusual. Kael stretched his arms behind his head, breathing out a long sigh.
"Man," Kael muttered, "didn't think I'd get hit with a life-or-death power surge before lunch."
Reider didn't respond. He simply waited, eyes fixed on the path below.
And soon enough, they appeared—three figures struggling up the steep slope with a mixture of panic, determination, and barely-contained exhaustion.
Vael spotted him first. "Reider!"
She broke into a half-run, half-stumble, her boots slipping on ice. Mei followed close, clutching her bag, worry written plainly across her face. Eryndra trailed behind with her usual casual swagger… though her eyes were sharper than normal.
Reider turned slightly toward them.
"You're late."
Vael stomped up to him, anger and relief swirling together on her face. "You disappeared! And what the hell was that power?!"
Reider blinked, unbothered. "He attacked first."
Kael raised a hand at the approaching group with a cocky grin. "Yeah, my bad! Didn't know you had a whole fan club chasing after you."
Eryndra snorted. Vael narrowed her eyes. Mei looked mortified.
"Fan club?" Eryndra smirked. "More like wives, according to him."
Reider, with no hesitation whatsoever, nodded.
"Yes."
Vael and Mei immediately exploded into red.
"Stop saying that!!" Vael shouted.
"I'm your mother!" Mei squeaked, looking anywhere but at him.
Kael's eyebrows shot up. "Mother? You guys got a… complicated dynamic here."
Reider looked at Kael plainly.
"She raised me. She's also younger than me now."
Mei covered her face, practically steaming. "You don't have to say it like that…"
Vael crossed her arms tightly. "You're still a kid, even if you look older."
Eryndra slung an arm over Vael's shoulder. "So, wives and moms, huh? Guess I'm next on the list, Reider?"
Reider looked at her, calm as always.
"If you want."
Eryndra actually froze—then jumped back with a nervous laugh. "O-Okay, didn't expect him to answer like that."
Kael burst out laughing. "I like this guy!"
The laughter faded quickly, though, when Vael stepped in front of Reider, her expression shifting to something far more serious.
"You can't just explode with power like that," she said quietly. "Everyone in the world felt that surge."
Reider met her gaze, unflinching.
"I know. I wanted them to."
Vael's eyes softened, worry overshadowing her frustration. "That puts a target on your back."
"I'm already a target," Reider replied.
Mei stepped closer, voice small. "We just don't want to lose you too."
Reider looked at her for a long moment before nodding once.
"I won't die."
Eryndra watched silently from the side, arms crossed, smirking faintly but unable to hide the hint of genuine fondness in her eyes.
Kael scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to break the tension. "Alright, enough melodrama. Since we're all apparently best friends now, how about we get off this icy deathtrap before we freeze?"
Reider nodded. "We need to move. The church will come."
Vael straightened. "Then let's go."
Eryndra leaned toward Vael with a sly smirk. "Still blushing, huh? So… first wife or second?"
"I hate you," Vael muttered, bright red again.
Behind them, Mei giggled softly, more relaxed now.
"You cause a lot of trouble," she teased Reider.
Reider looked at her and allowed the faintest curve of his mouth.
"You raised me."
Mei nearly melted on the spot.
Kael walked beside Reider with a wide grin. "Your group's wild. I'm gonna enjoy this."
Together, they descended the mountain—united for the first time, though barely aware of how their small start would shake the world.
By the time they reached the city streets again, the sun hung low, scattering long shadows between the buildings. People bustled past, unaware of the mountain-cracking battle that had taken place above them.
Reider turned to Kael.
"Tell me more about them. I want to know who we're working with."
Kael grinned like he'd been waiting for that. "Curious, huh? Alright. Let's start with the loudest one—Juno, the berserker."
A flash of memory crossed Kael's eyes.
A white-haired giant, roaring with thunder tangled in his axe.
A monster of a man who needed no words.
"Big guy," Kael explained. "Never talks. Just fights. I've seen him tear apart entire armies."
Reider nodded. "Efficient."
Eryndra cackled. "Efficient? He's a walking natural disaster."
Kael shrugged. "He gets things done. Then there's the twins—Frey and Faye."
In another memory, two chaotic figures—fire and ice dancing around them—laughing like maniacs as explosions painted the field.
"They're trouble," Kael said. "Fire and ice mages. They do everything together. Cause chaos everywhere they go."
Mei flinched. "A-are they dangerous to us?"
"They can be," Vael admitted, "but they're loyal once they choose someone."
Eryndra smirked at Reider. "They'll either love you or try to set your hair on fire."
"My hair doesn't burn," Reider said flatly.
Kael cracked up. "Man, he really doesn't react to anything!"
Vael shook her head, but a tiny smile tugged her lips. "He reacts when it matters."
Mei smiled too, soft and warm. "Yeah… he does."
Reider looked at Kael.
"Who's the fourth?"
Kael's entire expression shifted—more serious, more grounded.
"The last one is Zera."
A woman clad in shadows appeared in Kael's memory.
Sitting alone on a cliff.
Moonlight bending around her.
Dark magic whispering like something alive.
"She uses shadow magic," Kael said. "People say she made a deal with something not of this world."
Reider's gaze sharpened. "Can she be trusted?"
Kael shrugged. "Depends. She hates the Church as much as we do. But she's unpredictable. You'll have to judge her yourself."
Mei hugged her bag tighter. "These are the people we're relying on?"
Vael placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They're rough. But they're strong. That's all we need right now."
Eryndra smirked, leaning closer to Reider. "Hope you're ready to play leader, 'husband'. You're kind of the glue holding this circus together."
"I'm not your husband," Reider said.
Eryndra laughed loud enough to turn heads. "Just wait till the twins hear that! They'll start calling you Boss or Dad just to annoy you."
"If they listen," Reider replied, "they can call me whatever they want."
Kael slapped Vael lightly on the arm. "Told you. Guy doesn't react to anything."
Vael rolled her eyes but smiled. "He reacts when it counts."
The city edge came into view—sun dipping golden behind the horizon.
Kael pointed ahead. "Come on. We'll meet them soon enough."
Mei walked closer to Reider, voice small but steady. "We'll be okay, right?"
Reider looked down at her.
"I'll protect both of you."
Vael stepped to his other side, smirking slightly. "All three of us."
Eryndra strutted ahead, smirking back with mischief blazing in her eyes.
"Don't forget me too, Boss."
And with that, the unlikely group stepped toward whatever awaited them next—stronger together and finally moving as one team.