The trio walked behind the white-haired woman. Nervous. Naoko leaned slightly toward Zein.
—Are you sure it's okay to follow her? We don't know what her intentions are…
Zein didn't take his eyes off the figure moving ahead.
—If she had wanted to attack us again, she would have done it when I lowered my sword.
He said it with a calm that didn't seem forced. Naoko watched his profile for a second longer before straightening up.
They continued advancing in silence.
After a long walk, the woman stopped in front of what appeared to be her house.
The building stood among the curved roofs and paper walls like a misplaced piece on a foreign board. While the neighboring constructions followed a traditional harmony, this one seemed to ignore every rule. Its walls were not entirely straight, and the second floor jutted out slightly, as if someone had added it without worrying about balance.
It was impossible not to look at it.
Totems carved with unknown faces guarded the entrance. Polished stones with engraved symbols lay stacked by the door. Masks, rusted bells, and fragments of sculptures hung from or were embedded in the facade like souvenirs torn from other places.
Lyra was the first to step a bit closer, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Upon crossing the threshold, the chaos continued.
Books, both open and closed, were piled into unstable towers on tables and the floor. Statuettes, jars with liquids of dubious colors, rolled-up parchments, and strangely shaped tools occupied every corner. The air smelled of ancient dust and aged wood.
Zein moved forward cautiously, nudging a parchment aside with his foot.
—Quite an… exotic place —he murmured.
The woman turned toward him with a lopsided smile.
—Isn't it? It's quite a point of pride.
Zein raised his hands slightly.
—Ah, sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way.
She let out a small laugh.
—Don't worry. —She looked around—. I suppose it is a bit messy.
A jar rolled slightly in the background, as if wanting to prove her wrong.
—Do you want something to drink? Some tea or something?
—No, thanks —the three of them responded at the same time.
The trio remained attentive. The woman showed no hostility, but none of them fully lowered their guard.
—My name is Kiera Mabbott. And you? —she asked calmly, leaning against a table covered in books.
—My name is Zein. This is my sister, Lyra —he said, pointing to her gently.
Lyra barely raised her hand.
—And I am Naoko —she added, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Kiera tilted her head slightly, observing them closely.
—Are you both blessed children? You didn't dye your hair or anything?
—No. We were born this way —Zein responded without wavering.
Kiera's expression changed.
A slow smile formed on her face. Her shoulders dropped just a bit, as if an invisible tension had just been released. Then she leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees.
—Finally… —she whispered to herself.
Moments later she looked up, as if nothing had happened.
—How old are you?
—I'm 18. Lyra is 13.
—18 and 13, huh? —she repeated, bringing a hand to her chin—. You're still very young.
Naoko hesitated for a second before speaking.
—And you… how old are you?
—Me? —she responded with total naturalness—. Seventy.
Silence fell abruptly.
—Seventy?—Zein said—. But you look like you're between 25 and 30.
Kiera let out a clear laugh.
—I'm glad to know I still look young. —She shrugged—. We blessed children usually live up to two hundred years. It's not until the last decade that the body begins to show it.
Lyra opened her eyes in awe.
—Two hundred…?
—Our life expectancy is quite similar to that of a modern elf —Kiera added calmly.
Naoko frowned slightly.
—Aren't elves supposed to live for nearly a millennium?
—That's what the ancient books say. —Kiera ran her fingers over the spine of a nearby one—. But over time… their longevity has been decreasing.
Her words trailed off slowly. Kiera turned her gaze back toward Zein. She observed him in silence.
—So… which tribe do you come from? —Kiera asked with curiosity.
—Tribe?
—You don't know which tribe you come from?
The silence grew heavy.
—The truth is… no.
And then he explained. He spoke of the fall. Of the awakening. Of Ilmenor. Of remembering nothing before that moment. While he did, Naoko listened in silence. Kiera did not interrupt a single time.
When Zein finished, he bowed his head.
—And that's what happened. That's why… —his fingers clenched slightly—. Please. I'd like you to explain everything you know about the blessed children. And to know something… anything… about what happened to Lyra and me.
Kiera looked at him for a few more seconds.
—Sure.
She stood up and walked toward a wall covered in rolled-up maps. She untied one and spread it across the table, pushing books aside without much care. She marked a spot with her finger.
—To the west of the Colossus of the Great Eberhart Desert… there is an extensive region that for centuries was controlled by a tribe of blessed children. That is where we originate from.
Her finger moved down the map.
—The Empire invaded the island a long time ago. The wealth of resources in the Colossus and its strategic position were too tempting.
Then she stepped away and took a book from a nearby shelf.
"The Legacy of Norvin Towerfall."
She opened it to an illustrated page.
—But even before the Empire existed… we were already there.
The illustration showed white-haired warriors, each surrounded by different symbols.
—Back then, the blessed children were divided into four tribes. Each one mastered an element to perfection. Fire. Water. Earth. Air.
She turned the page.
—The only thing they shared was this: they were warrior tribes.
The images showed confrontations. Harsh glares. Marked territories.
—They hated each other. For centuries.
Another page. Now a small group of young people appeared gathered around a campfire.
—Until a group of friends… each belonging to a different tribe… decided they were tired of that history.
Kiera's voice changed slightly.
—It took them years. Decades. They convinced, they fought, they argued… and finally, they achieved the unthinkable.
She turned the page. The illustration showed a great settlement. The four insignias joined into one.
—For the first time in centuries… there was a unified tribe of blessed children. They left behind the isolation and conservatism that had divided them.
The next page revealed another group of figures.
—With the next generation, something new emerged —Kiera continued, turning the page carefully—. A group that wanted to open the tribe to the world. They wanted to know it, travel it, understand it.
In the illustration, several young people were arguing in front of elders with stern countenances.
—At first, the elders did not agree. They weren't as closed-minded as before… but leaving the Colossus didn't seem prudent to them.
On the other half of the sheet, a group appeared with capes, luggage, and travel masks.
—There were too many who wished to leave. So, even without the full backing of the leaders, they formed a caravan.
Her finger traced the drawing.
—In the beginning, they explored the entire Colossus. They met tribes, races, cultures… and then they kept moving forward.
Kiera closed the book for a moment, held it against her chest, and then reopened it to another section. She showed them the image of a white-haired king, sword held high.
—The hero who defeated the King of Monsters and proclaimed himself as the first king of the unified world… was a blessed child.
Zein looked up sharply.
—The first king…?
—And his brother —Kiera continued, turning the page— was the one who later became the founder of the Empire.
The illustration showed the same man, but with a different expression. Colder.
—The traitor.
—Traitor? And king of the unified world? —Zein asked, frowning.
Kiera traced a half-smile.
—That is a story for another time.
She returned to the narration naturally.
—The caravan crossed practically the entire known world. They were the first to map it with precision. They witnessed the birth of the Empire… and according to some accounts, they even had encounters with the King of Monsters. Some say even with the Fallen God.
Lyra held her breath.
Kiera turned another page. The illustrations were becoming darker.
—But after the betrayal of the king's brother… things changed. The name of the blessed children began to be stained. Distorted stories, rumors… fear.
Her finger descended slowly across the image.
—And over time… the caravan began to shrink.
She closed the book with a sharp thud that made the table vibrate slightly.
—That's when the first internal disputes in decades began. Some wanted to stop wandering. To settle down. To live in peace.
She walked toward the bookshelf as she spoke.
—Others wanted to keep exploring the little that remained unmapped.
She put the book back in its place.
—Many wished to stay in Draeg'Morak. Despite it being the land of origin for the monsters… it was starting to become a habitable place.
She turned toward them.
—In the end, the tribe split in two. Some settled in Draeg'Morak. The others continued traveling.
Her gaze softened.
—I come from that second tribe.
Silence filled the room once more.
—And what happened to the rest? —Naoko asked, looking around as if she expected to see more white hair among the shadows—. Where are the others?
Kiera did not respond immediately.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the table. Then she lowered her gaze.
—They are gone now…
Dust floated in the beam of light streaming through the window.
—They all left me alone.
The silence wasn't awkward. It was heavy.
—I'm sorry… I didn't know —Naoko murmured, looking down.
Kiera took a soft breath and, when she raised her face, the smile had returned.
—It doesn't matter. After a while… I was able to meet two other blessed children.
She looked at Zein and Lyra with a sincere glint in her eyes.
Outside, the light began to turn orange. The sun was slowly descending, tinting the piled-up objects in warm hues. Shadows lengthened across the floor, creeping up the books and the relic-covered walls.
Zein glanced at the window.
—It's getting late. It's time for us to go.
—That's a pity —Kiera responded softly—. I am glad to have met two other blessed children… besides myself. You are welcome whenever you like.
Lyra took a small step forward.
—Can we come another day?
Kiera leaned down and affectionately ruffled her hair.
—Of course.
Naoko hesitated for a second, fidgeting with her fingers.
—C-can I come too? —she asked, avoiding direct eye contact—. I'd like to hear more stories like today's.
Kiera let out a light laugh.
—By all means. Stories have no meaning if there is no one who wants to hear them.
They stepped out just as the sky was beginning to darken.
The house was left behind, illuminated by the last sliver of sunlight. From the outside, it looked even stranger amidst the traditional buildings… as if it belonged to another world.
The group walked in silence.