After stepping through the teleportation gate, I went my own way, parting from Seraphyra. I didn't know what happened after I left her but I could still feel her presence lingering in the air.
Later, I found a letter addressed to me.
> "Hello, my little Vir," it began in Seraphyra's familiar, graceful handwriting.
"If you're reading this, it means I've already revealed what I truly am," her voice seemed to echo in my mind, tinged with quiet warmth. "You're not ready yet to learn the full truth of what happened. Knowing you, you'd probably charge into danger without a second thought."
"That's why I left you something my essence. Not just a normal beast essence, but one bound to my very existence. It will guide you, protect you… if you learn to listen."
"Remember, Vir true strength isn't found in rage or grief. It lies in patience, purpose, and heart."
"Some secrets aren't meant to be unraveled too soon. For now, this is enough. When you return home, set out on a journey see the world, and grow stronger."
As I finished reading, the letter glowed faintly before burning away, scattering into golden embers that faded into the wind.
I clenched my fists and whispered to the empty air, "Don't worry, Seraphyra… I'll get stronger. I'll go on that adventure just like you wanted."
The mist rolled endlessly, swallowing the faint outlines of trees and turning the world into a pale blur. Every breath Virel took tasted of moisture and iron. The air here was heavy so thick it seemed to hum with quiet intent. He walked with careful steps, his small hand clutching the strange stone Seraphyra had wrapped in silver thread before their parting.
"Keep it close," she'd said. "It'll answer when you're ready."
Now, it was cold in his knapsack, silent.
Virel tried to focus, channeling faint mana through his limbs, but even that felt sluggish. The mist distorted his senses, bending the flow of mana like ripples in water. He could barely detect the presence of life around him. No birds, no beasts just stillness.
He stopped when a distant sound broke through the quiet. Hooves. Slow, rhythmic. Approaching.
He stepped behind a tree as a dim light appeared through the fog. Then came the shape of a carriage, its lanterns flickering weakly in the thick air. Two mana-bred horses strained at their reins, their flanks glistening with sweat.
A voice called out from the front.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Virel hesitated before stepping out. A man in light armor clearly a guard stared at him in surprise. "A boy? Out here?"
From inside the carriage, the curtain shifted. A girl with silver-white hair and bright silver eyes peeked out. She looked about his age, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern.
"It's just a child like me, Kerran," she said softly.
The guard sighed, sheathing his blade. "You shouldn't be alone in this forest, kid. Where are your parents?"
Virel Ludin lowered his gaze, feigning confusion. "I… don't know. I woke up here. I think I got separated from them."
The girl looked at him for a long moment, then gestured for the door to open. "He can ride with us. It's not safe to leave him here."
The guard hesitated but finally nodded. "Alright, but stay close. We'll drop you at the next post."
Virel climbed in, settling across from the girl. The interior smelled faintly of flowers and herbs. The girl smiled politely. "I'm Lysera Vaelith, of House Vaelith. And you?"
"Virel," he said simply.
"Just Virel?"
He nodded, pretending shyness.
The carriage jolted forward, and the mist outside pressed against the windows like an unending curtain. They talked quietly as they rode Lysera asking questions, Virel answering vaguely, fabricating a story about being lost during a merchant caravan attack.
Despite her noble bearing, Lysera's curiosity was genuine, her laughter light. She was kind in the way people were before the world taught them to stop being.
But the peace didn't last long.
The horses began to whine, their hooves clattering against the path. Kerran cursed under his breath. "Something's wrong."
The mist thickened suddenly unnaturally. Even the mana in the air twisted. Virel's instincts screamed.
"Lysera," he said quietly, "stay back."
Before she could respond, a sharp whistle sliced through the air. A moment later, the guard grunted as a mana bolt struck his shoulder, throwing him from the seat. The horses reared, the carriage jerking violently.
Dark figures emerged from the fog slave traders, their faces covered, mana-suppressing talismans hanging from their belts.
Virel's pulse spiked. Kerran tried to rise, blade in hand, but a second bolt pierced his chest. He collapsed without a sound.
"Get down!" Virel shouted, instinctively wrapping mana around himself and Lysera. The blast that followed shattered the carriage wall, flames licking the mist.
Lysera screamed. The horses broke free, bolting into the forest.
Virel grabbed her hand. "Run!"
They stumbled into the trees, his small frame barely keeping pace. Bolts hissed past, hitting bark and dirt. Virel focused his mana, reinforcing his legs, guiding Lysera through the fog. His breathing burned, but he didn't stop not when her hand trembled in his.
Finally, when the shouts faded behind them, he pulled her into the hollow of a massive fallen tree. The world outside glowed faintly from the burning wreck.
Lysera's breath hitched. "Kerran… he's… he's not coming back, is he?"
Virel stayed silent. He didn't have to answer. The silence said enough.
Tears streaked her face, her small shoulders trembling. For a moment, Virel just stared at her grief, at the way it mirrored something deep inside him. He remembered Seraphyra's final smile, the way her hand fell limp.
He clenched his jaw. "No one's taking you," he said quietly. "Not while I'm here."
The words came out like a promise one he didn't plan to break.
Lysera leaned against him, exhaustion finally overtaking her. Before long, she drifted into sleep, her breath shallow but steady.
Virel watched the faint glow of the mist outside, the distant smoke curling into the night.
He touched the cold stone in his pocket still silent and whispered,
"Another promise… another light to protect."
The forest held its breath.
And for the first time since his awakening, Virel Ludin felt the faint pulse of destiny stirring again beneath the quiet.