The sound of rain grew louder, filling every corner of the house.
Each drop struck the ground, the roof, and the leaves outside—creating a natural symphony that played inside Kael's restless mind.
Amid his turmoil, a thunderclap cracked through the air, shattering the storm inside his thoughts.
A flash of lightning spilled through the window—at the same instant, Lyra fell to her knees, her head bowed, hands trembling as she reached for Kael's.
"Forget about this. Follow me," Kael said calmly, releasing her grip.
He turned around and walked out of the library, his footsteps unhurried.
Lyra hesitated but soon followed, still uncertain why she was obeying.
"Come in. You can sleep here," Kael said, opening a small, simple room.
Inside was a single desk with a small lamp at its corner and a medium-sized bed facing away from the window.
It was Kael's room—plain, quiet, almost bare. One pillow, one bolster, a wall clock above the desk, and a thin curtain veiling the window.
"Why? You don't want to sleep here?" Kael asked when Lyra didn't move from the doorway.
She stood there awkwardly, eyes down, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
"Ah… ah, all right. But… are you sure it's okay if I sleep in your room? It feels strange being in someone else's private space."
"There's nothing I can do about that. We don't have a guest room, and there are only two bedrooms in this house," Kael replied curtly, his tone heavy with fatigue.
"Then… where will you sleep?" Lyra asked softly, still feeling uneasy.
"On the sofa," Kael answered briefly, pointing toward the living room.
"But what about the other room? You said there are two bedrooms."
"I don't want to disturb the scent or the air my mother left behind," Kael said, turning away.
"I'm sorry… truly, I didn't mean to…" Lyra bowed deeply, unable to meet his eyes as he walked off.
Click.
The door closed quietly behind him, leaving Lyra frozen in awkward silence.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window. The rain still poured down in endless sheets, streaking across the glass.
Her gaze shifted slowly around the room. There was nothing special here—no decorations, no color, only the quiet simplicity that carried its own beauty.
[Oh gods… what have I done? Why did I have to bring up the room? That must've reminded him of his mother… now he probably hates me.]
[I wanted to feel happy staying here tonight, but not like this… ugh!]
Lyra buried her hands in her hair and groaned softly.
She lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, clutching the lone bolster at her side.
---
Click—creak.
The sound of a key turned, followed by the soft creak of a door opening.
A silhouette appeared, framed by faint light from the hall.
Click. The switch flipped, and light flooded the room.
"Kael, dear?"
It was Lina—the woman who had been cooking for him ever since Selaphine's departure .
Her short blue hair glimmered under the light as she stepped inside.
"Kael? Wake up, dear," Lina said, gently patting his shoulder.
"Eehhm…?" Kael groaned half-consciously.
"Why are you sleeping here?" she asked softly.
"Who… here…?" Kael murmured, rubbing his eyes, still half-asleep and disoriented.
"Are you awake now?" Lina asked again, settling beside him on the sofa.
"Ah… Mrs. Lina? Why are you here?" Kael blinked, startled by her presence.
"Fully awake now?" she teased kindly.
"Hey, get up already. Let's go for a morning walk," came another voice—bright, teasing.
"Morning… walk?" Kael turned toward the sound, his eyes still adjusting.
"Ruby? What are you doing here? It's still dark," Kael muttered, confused to see him at his house.
"Wash your face first," Lina said with a gentle smile, brushing his shoulder.
Without protest, Kael went to the bathroom. When he returned, he looked fully awake.
"You don't usually sleep out here," Lina remarked, glancing at the sofa.
"Ah, yes… and, um, thank you, Mrs. Lina. You've taken care of me all this time, and I never properly thanked you." Kael bowed slightly beside the TV cabinet.
"Kael, that's not an answer to my question," she chuckled, shaking her head.
"Ah—sorry. It just came out," Kael said awkwardly.
"So?"
"My room was used by Lyra last night."
Lina raised both eyebrows and glanced toward Ruby, who peeked from behind her.
Ruby lifted his shoulders with both palms up—don't look at me; I didn't know anything.
"You didn't know?" Kael asked him.
"Hey! I wasn't even here last night. How could I know?" Ruby shot back.
"You—!"
"All right, enough," Lina interrupted, holding back a laugh. Kael froze mid-motion as if about to hit Ruby, while Ruby crouched behind the sofa to hide.
"Is Lyra still in there?" Lina asked.
Kael nodded. "Do you know her, Mrs. Lina?"
"Yes. Her house is just two blocks from ours," Lina replied while walking toward Kael's door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lyra, dear? Are you still inside?"
Creeeak. The door opened almost immediately.
"Ah—what's wrong with your face?" Lina blurted out, noticing Lyra's weary expression.
"Kael… what did you do to her?" she asked, turning sharply.
"Ah—ah! I didn't do anything!" Kael stammered.
"Aunt Lina… I couldn't sleep," Lyra whimpered softly.
"Hey, what did you do?" Ruby whispered, nudging Kael's arm with his elbow.
Thump.
"I didn't do anything! And besides, wasn't this your idea?" Kael snapped after Ruby's head-bump retaliation.
"Would you talk first before moving your hands!?" Ruby protested.
"This was my choice, Mrs. Lina. I just couldn't sleep—maybe because I'm not used to a different bed yet," Lyra quickly explained between their bickering.
She went on to describe why she'd stayed, explaining everything that happened that night—except for the envelope. She couldn't bring herself to mention that part.
"Ahh… so the sudden downpour last night kept you from going home," Lina concluded.
"Yes, Aunt Lina…"
"Then sit down. I'll make you some warm milk so you can relax," Lina said kindly, guiding Lyra toward the sofa.
"You two, go for your walk. I'll call you when breakfast is ready," she added, giving Kael and Ruby a look that left no room for argument.
"Would you like to walk home with us later?" Lina asked Lyra before turning away.
"Yes, ma'am," Lyra replied with a shy smile.
The morning light slowly chased away the darkness outside. Kael and Ruby stepped barefoot into the damp street, their feet sinking slightly into the soft soil where rainwater still lingered.
As the sky brightened, the fields around them shimmered green. Dew clung to leaves like tiny gems—whether from rain or dawn mist, it didn't matter. The freshness in the air washed everything clean.
"Strange seeing you at my place this early," Kael finally said after a long silence.
"What? Am I not allowed? Huh?" Ruby barked playfully, leaning close to his face.
Thunk.
"Ow—dammit! How many times do I have to say it? Talk first, hit later!" Ruby grumbled, rubbing his head.
"Cih." Kael just scoffed, walking ahead.
"Hey, anomaly boy! Wait for me!" Ruby shouted, chasing after him through the narrow path between the rice fields.
The sun finally rose in full, and they reached the natural embankment by the lake.
They walked along leisurely, occasionally stepping down to check if any fish had been stranded by the flood from last night's storm.
"Whoa… the water level's insane," Ruby said, crouching near the edge.
"Look, Kael—remember that tree where we first met?" he pointed toward the lone tree on the ridge.
"Back then, the water was way below it. Now it's almost touching the trunk."
He kept rambling on about the difference, until Kael suddenly stopped walking.
"Hey, why did you stop?" he asked, bumping into Kael's back.
"Look there, By," Kael said, pointing toward one of the roots nearly submerged in water.
"Huh? What about it?" Ruby squinted.
"Check it."
"There's nothing special."
Thunk.
"Look closer. The biggest one."
"Ugh, damn it, Kael—ow! Damn, damn, damn it!" Ruby cursed under his breath, glaring at him.
"Huh…?" His expression changed when he noticed the look on Kael's face—shock, not annoyance.
"What is it?" he asked, walking closer as Kael gestured him over.
"Do you remember this mark?" Kael pointed at a faint pattern etched along the root.
"Hmmm…" Ruby tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he searched his memory.
"Ah—this looks like the pattern you drew in class!"
"Yes. Though there's a slight difference."
They both knelt by the tree, immersed in thought, exchanging theories and interpretations of the batik-like symbol.
But as their discussion dragged on, the sun climbed higher. Kael's gaze deepened on the mark, while Ruby examined the water's surface around the tree.
"Eh… what's that?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes.
Splash!
Water exploded upward.
"Whoa—whoa! Hahaha!" Ruby laughed in surprise as a large fish burst from the shallows, thrashing wildly.
Kael turned toward his voice just in time to see Ruby jumping with excitement, gripping the fish triumphantly.
"Kael! Look what I caught! Hahaha!" he cheered.
"Hey—hey, Kael! Grab it!" His tone shifted to panic.
"Hahaha, serves you right," Kael laughed as the fish slipped free from his hands.
"Catch it! Don't let it get away—I worked hard for that one!" Ruby shouted.
The quiet morning erupted into chaos. The two chased the fish through the mud, splashing water everywhere.
"Gotcha this time," Kael said, grinning as he caught it.
"Hold it tight, I'll find something to tie it with!" Ruby yelled, scanning the area until he spotted a vine floating near the surface.
"Kael! Use this!" he shouted, tossing it toward him.
Slice.
"Ah—damn it!" Kael flinched as the fish's fin slashed his hand, drawing blood.
"Catch it again!" Ruby cried as it slipped free once more.
Grttt… crack, crack.
The tree beside them began to tremble.
Both of them froze, their laughter vanishing in an instant.
"Hey… did you see that?" Ruby whispered.
"Yes. It's shaking," Kael replied.
"Ah—what if it's about to fall!? Kael, run!" Ruby panicked, backing away.
But Kael didn't move. He could feel it—the faint shift of raw Arkanum energy rippling beneath the tree.
This wasn't random.
He kept staring, tracing the movement from the leaves to the branches, then down the trunk.
His senses stretched, trying to feel every pulse of energy in the air.
And then—
To be continued…