"Isn't that Kael?"
One of six children pointed toward the lone tree standing atop the grassy embankment that circled the lake.
"Yeah, that's him! Come on, let's see what he's doing!" another boy shouted, breaking into a sprint toward the tree.
"Hey—don't go near him," warned a taller boy who looked three years older than Kael. "Just leave him be. He never wants to play with anyone."
The eager boy ignored the warning. "Hey, Kael! Don't you wanna play with us?" he called, stopping right behind him.
"No," Kael replied curtly. "I've already played enough—with my father."
"Why not?"
Kael didn't answer. He closed the book resting on his lap, his expression unreadable, and reached for the slender fishing rod lying beside him.
"Oh, you're fishing? Caught anything yet?" the boy asked, tilting his head curiously.
"No."
"Then come play instead! They're all over there," the boy said, pointing toward the others laughing in the distance.
Kael gave no reply. He simply packed up his fishing gear in silence.
"Hey… come to think of it, why don't you go to school?" the boy asked suddenly, his curiosity untamed.
"Do I have to?" Kael answered without turning around.
Sensing an opening, the boy grinned. Finally—Kael was talking.
"Well, yeah! Kids our age are supposed to start years ago. How come you don't? Don't tell me you're lazy?"
Kael raised a brow but said nothing.
"Our teacher, Mr. Reynold, says if a kid's too lazy to study or play, life's gonna be really tough for them. I don't fully get it, but it sounds scary, right?"
The boy kept chattering, words spilling like pebbles bouncing down a hill. Kael stayed quiet, tidying his things, until he finally asked, "Can you tell me more about those lessons?"
The boy blinked, surprised by the sudden question. "Uh… about starting school at four?"
"No."
"Then… what they teach?"
"Yes."
The boy put a finger to his lips, thinking. "At first, it's simple stuff—basic counting, stories about Arka, learning what arkanum can do. You interested?"
Kael glanced sideways but didn't reply.
"But now it's way harder," the boy went on, waving his hands dramatically. "We have to analyze batik patterns using math! Can you imagine? Math alone is bad enough, but batik math? It's torture!" He ruffled his own hair in frustration, then puffed up proudly. "Still, not a problem for me though, hehe."
Kael just stared at him, his mind wandering. Maybe I should try school… Mother always says learning never ends.
"Kael? Kael! Kaaeel!"
Kael snapped out of it and turned to the boy, who grinned expectantly. "So, are you interested?"
"Not sure," Kael said simply, standing up. He picked up his book with one hand and his fishing rod with the other, and started walking away.
The boy froze for a second, then hurried after him. He kept rambling about school—lessons, teachers, and the latest mischief in class—while Kael said nothing, his steps steady toward home.
"Ruby! Where are you going?" one of the kids by the lake shouted after him.
"I'm persuading someone!" Ruby yelled back, flashing Kael a teasing smile as he followed.
Ruby—messy brown hair, bright eyes that gleamed with mischief and honesty both—looked like a boy who'd spent too much time under the sun and not enough in the shade.
When they reached Kael's house, a woman was standing in the yard, shaking out wet laundry under the bright midday light.
"Oh, isn't this Ruby, Mrs. Lina's son?" Selaphine greeted warmly.
"Yes, ma'am," Ruby replied with a polite grin.
"Were you just playing with our Kael?"
Ruby hesitated. Was that what this counted as—playing?
"No, ma'am," Kael interrupted before he could answer. "He just followed me."
Selaphine laughed softly at her son's bluntness. She approached Ruby and gently took his hand. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"
Ruby chuckled nervously. Selaphine didn't wait for a reply—she simply ushered him inside and pulled out a chair at the dining table.
"Eat before you go home. Don't be shy—your mother always gives me ingredients when we meet at the market," she said with a bright smile, placing a plate before him.
As they ate, Selaphine talked fondly about Lina, Ruby's mother—her kindness, her laughter, the little things neighbors share. Ruby listened with pride swelling in his chest, while Kael sat quietly, saying nothing but absorbing every word.
When lunch ended, Ruby stood to leave. Selaphine walked him to the yard and bent slightly to whisper, "Help me convince Kael to go to school, will you? And play with him more often."
Ruby puffed out his chest like a little soldier. "Yes, ma'am!" he said with a grin, running off down the path.
---
Later, the house grew quiet again. Kael hadn't seen his father all day.
"Mom, where's Dad? I haven't seen him since I woke up," Kael asked as Selaphine rested in the living room.
"Didn't he tell you last night?"
"No."
"He took a job in the capital of Lumora."
"Lumora?"
"Yes, down south of the Republic. Haven't you ever looked at the Republic's map, Kael?"
"No."
"Oh no… what happened to my book-loving little Kael?" she gasped theatrically, feigning dismay.
"Why didn't Dad tell me? Or take me with him?" Kael's voice softened, carrying a trace of hurt.
"That wouldn't be possible, dear. What would you even do there—help him with work?"
"Yes! I could help. I'm smart, I know things, I'm strong too!" Kael insisted, puffing his chest slightly.
Selaphine chuckled. "He did leave a message for you, though."
"What message?"
"You'll have to go to school first. The world isn't as simple as books or sword drills."
Kael frowned. "I've heard that line before…"
Selaphine smiled and sat him beside her, gently steering the conversation toward lighter things. But inside, her thoughts drifted back—to that strange evening a few weeks ago.
---
It had been late afternoon. Selaphine was sweeping the yard when she saw Arda standing at the porch, staring at a small package in his hands—his face a mix of shock and anger. She didn't dare ask then. But the next morning, while he sat on the veranda reading his paper, she finally pressed the question.
"What happened yesterday, love?" she asked softly, sitting opposite him.
"About what?" Arda replied without looking up.
"The package."
"Oh, that." He folded the newspaper and reached for his cup of tea. "Nothing important."
"Kael's at the lake. It's just us here," she said quietly. "Tell me what you really received."
"What does it have to do with Kael?" he asked with a nervous chuckle that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Are you going to keep hiding things from me?"
"Hiding what?"
"I can read between the lines, Arda. But if you can't trust me, then stop calling me your wife."
"Hey, hey… how did this turn into that?" Arda laughed awkwardly, the kind of laugh only a husband who knew he was cornered could make.
Selaphine's stare said more than words.
With a sigh, Arda set down his cup and stood. "Fine. Come with me."
She followed him into the kitchen. He began rearranging objects—placing utensils, jars, and cups in precise spots. When he set down a metallic-looking cup engraved with batik-like markings, Selaphine realized it wasn't ordinary metal at all.
Arda placed his clenched hand above it. The patterns on the cup began to glow. Then a matching pattern flared across the back of his hand—blue and intricate.
As he opened his palm, a deep crimson liquid poured out, filling the cup like blood drawn from the earth.
Selaphine didn't flinch. She simply waited.
A faint rumble followed. The rack above the stove shifted. So did the stove itself, and even the section of wall behind it. One by one, the pieces moved, revealing an opening—a hidden passage descending below the house.
They walked down into the dim chamber below, lined with books and strange artifacts unlike anything sanctioned by the Republic.
"This," Arda said, picking up a small, sleek device from a cluttered table, "is what I received."
Selaphine blinked. "A… phone?"
"Try turning it on."
"It doesn't work."
"Inject a bit of arkanum into the power symbol."
The screen flickered to life—then froze on a glowing sigil.
"This symbol…" Selaphine whispered, her eyes widening.
"Exactly. A phone that only activates with a precise arkanum flow. And even then, this is all it shows—no apps, no interface, nothing. Just that mark. After all my attempts… I still can't crack it."
"So what does it mean?" she asked, her voice trembling between fear and fascination.
"I don't know yet," Arda admitted quietly, placing the device back where it came from. "But whatever it is—it's not from anywhere in Karvanta."
He turned and walked up the stairs, his expression unreadable. Selaphine followed silently, her mind racing.
As they stepped out of the narrow passage, Arda flicked his hand. Instantly, everything in the kitchen returned to place—the walls sealed, the rack slid back, the stove settled, the faint glow fading until no trace of the hidden room remained.
By the time the light dimmed, it was as though nothing had ever moved at all.
To be continued...