The night air shimmered like silk.
From the back of Ifrit, the young master leaned forward, his small hands gripping the fiery plumage as the wind tore past his hair. His eyes were wide—not with fear, but with wonder.
Below him, the world stretched endlessly: rivers like silver threads, forests like oceans of green. He'd only seen them in books—the River Solis, the Valley of Arel, the Whispering Trees—and now they were all real.
"Mother, look—those trees!" he said, pointing down."The ones with the red tips! They look exactly like the Flameleaf Grove drawings!"
Elara smiled softly beneath her hood, her blue flames flickering around her like ornaments of light.
"Yes, they are. I'm impressed you remembered."
"I read that they burn all year long, right?"
"Only when touched by wind," she replied.
The boy blinked, his curiosity bouncing from tree to cloud. For someone who had never left the manor walls, every breath in the open sky was a discovery.
The Descent
A knight riding ahead on a wind-steed turned and shouted, voice carried by magic.
"Lord Aurelion! We'll need to descend soon. The Lotus Forest lies ahead!"
Levan's expression shifted slightly.
"Already?"
"Yes, my lord. The borders of the Origin Nobles' domain are just beyond this ridge."
At the mention of the Origin Nobles, Elara's eyes narrowed.Those were the oldest bloodlines of the continent—families that predated the 12 Empires. For over three thousand years, they had remained neutral yet powerful, their lands sacred and heavily warded.
"We can't fly over their land," Levan said quietly."Their treaties forbid beasts crossing their skies."
"Understood," said Elara.
Ifrit's wings folded slightly as it began to descend, flames dimming to a soft azure glow. The wind shifted cooler, and the forest came into view—dense, luminous, and impossibly quiet.
The Lotus Forest.Every leaf shimmered faintly as if breathing. Wisps of Ether floated between the trees like spirits half-awake.
Camp at the Edge
By the time they landed, the knights who'd gone ahead had already prepared camp. Tents circled the clearing, guarded by flickering wards.
The young master stepped off Ifrit, his boots sinking slightly into the mossy ground.The scent of Ether flowers filled the air—sweet, sharp, and strangely cold.
That night, the knights gathered by the campfires, laughter mixing with the hum of bugs and distant rustling trees.
The young master sat quietly outside his tent, eyes wandering over the stars. They looked closer out here.
Inside another tent, Levan and Elara spoke in low tones.
"He'll be fine?" Levan asked, unfastening his armor."You know what nobles at the Capital are like."
Elara's gaze softened.
"He'll manage. He has my patience—and your stubbornness. That's enough."
"Stubbornness, huh?" he said with a faint smile."You make it sound like a curse."
"Sometimes it is," she replied, and for a moment, the tension in the air vanished.
Restless Night
Later that night, unable to sleep, the young master slipped out of his tent. The camp was quiet except for the rhythmic crackle of firewood and the faint hum of protective wards.
A lone knight sat near the flame, polishing his blade.
"Couldn't sleep, young master?" he asked, noticing the boy.
"It's… different from home," the boy replied, voice low."There's too much noise."
The knight chuckled softly.
"Noise? Out here it's silent."
The boy frowned, eyes glinting faintly under the moonlight.
"Not that kind of noise."
He turned toward the treeline. Beyond the flame's reach, something stirred.
"There," he said, pointing.
The knight followed his gaze, standing up instantly, hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
"What did you see?"
"It's not one thing," the boy whispered. "It's… moving Ether. Many."
The knight muttered an incantation, his blade shimmering faintly green as he invoked his wind element. The sudden gust lifted the campfire sparks into the air.
"Men! On guard!" he barked.
Several other knights stumbled from their tents, grabbing weapons and rushing to his side.
And then they saw them—shapes emerging from the dark.Low, massive, and silent.
Wolves.Their fur shimmered faintly as if woven from shadow and moonlight. Their eyes glowed blue, not from malice but from Ether.
"Forest Wolves…" one of the knights breathed."That's impossible. They don't come near humans."
The young master tilted his head slightly.
"They're not hunting."
"What?"
"They're chasing something else."
At that, the knight's blood ran cold.
"Chasing what?"
The boy didn't answer immediately. His Ether stretched like a thread into the forest, and the moment it brushed the unseen presence beyond the wolves—he froze.
A pulse.A heartbeat that wasn't his.
And then—Something vast stirred within the forest.
The wolves stopped, hackles rising, their growls directed not at the camp—but deeper into the trees.
The knight drew back beside the boy.
"Everyone, stay sharp!"
The ground trembled lightly, a ripple of Ether shaking the air like thunder under water.
The boy's eyes widened, his voice barely audible:
"It's… not a beast."
"Then what is it?"
"It's… watching us."
And somewhere in the darkness, far beyond the reach of the campfire's light, two golden eyes blinked open—calm, intelligent, and ancient.
Thus began the night of the Lotus Forest encounter—an omen that the road to the Imperial Capital would not be as peaceful as they had hoped.
[End of Chapter 19 — The Wolves Beneath the Moon]