Newton stood in the middle of his chamber with the bag hanging from his shoulder.
For a moment he did not move. He drew a slow breath. The thought returned again, stubborn and heavy.
Soon he would kneel before the altar. Soon he would swear the oath. No wife. No children. No woman's touch.
The words formed quietly in his mind, each one settling like a stone. He exhaled sharply. Then he pushed the thought away and walked toward the door.
The corridor outside already stirred with movement. Servants stepped aside as he passed. Some lowered their heads. Others watched him with quiet curiosity.
By the time he reached the courtyard, the morning air had turned cold enough to sting the lungs.
The entire family waited there. Almost the entire family. Lady Bianca was not among them. She stood high above on the stone balcony of the castle, her dark dress swaying slightly in the wind.
Sonia was nowhere to be seen. She had chosen to remain inside her room. Newton knew that without asking.
The moment he stepped forward, Edmond approached him. The Warden of the North said nothing at first. He simply pulled his son into a firm embrace.
Newton returned it without hesitation. Edmond's voice lowered beside his ear. "Remember to return here every weekend." He pulled back slightly, his eyes steady. "It is an order."
A small pause followed. "Not a request.".Newton bowed his head.."I will, father."
They separated..John stepped forward next. Newton pulled him into a tight embrace. "Take your training seriously." He squeezed his younger brother's shoulder before stepping back.
"You are the hope of the Warden of the North." John tried to smile but his eyes remained heavy.
Newton's gaze shifted slowly..It landed on the sword hanging from Edmond's waist. The ancient blade rested quietly inside its dark sheath.
The Sword of Odin.
Newton looked back at John. "The next wielder of the Sword of Odin.".John's chest rose sharply. Just hearing the words made something inside him leap.
"If Odin wills it," John replied.
Newton nodded. Then he turned toward Titiana. She stood slightly behind the others, arms folded as though trying to look stronger than she felt.
Newton crouched slightly and pulled her into a brief embrace..When he released her, he kissed her gently on the forehead.."You are already turning into a woman."
Titiana shook her head immediately. Her eyes lit with stubborn determination. "Soon I will become a warrior."
She straightened her posture. "I will be the next Maria Woodland." Her chin lifted proudly. "The greatest shield maiden of Astarous."
Newton laughed softly. Titiana joined him. The tension eased for a moment.
Then Newton stepped toward his horse. The animal shifted slightly as he placed his hand on the saddle. He climbed onto it with practiced ease. For the first time that morning, his eyes lifted toward the balcony.
Lady Bianca stood there. Their eyes met. For years she had looked at him with nothing but coldness..Sometimes hatred. But this time something else rested on her face.
Something softer, and quieter: admiration.
Newton raised his hand and waved..A small smile formed on his face. That simple gesture shattered whatever wall Bianca had built inside herself.
Her eyes filled instantly. Tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them. She quickly turned her face away. "All your life," Her voice trembled as she whispered to herself. "I have given you nothing but hatred." Her fingers tightened against the railing. "Why do you still show me love?"
Of course Newton could not hear her. But he saw the softness on her face before she turned away. And he understood.
As he pulled the reins slightly and turned the horse around, he murmured under his breath. "I know you never truly hated me." His voice remained calm. "You only hated the pain my existence caused you."
The horse shifted beneath him. "I hope one day I will repay your kindness." The horse began to move forward.
Inside the castle, Sonia stood beside her window. Her fingers gripped the wooden frame. She had told herself she would not watch. Yet here she was. Tears blurred her vision as she stared down into the courtyard.
Newton rode slowly toward the gate. Just before he crossed it, he turned. One last time. His eyes lifted directly toward Sonia's window. He saw her. Even from that distance he saw the tears.
But he smiled as though nothing was wrong. As though everything was perfectly fine.
Sonia's lips trembled. Then she smiled back through her tears. Newton turned forward again. He struck the horse lightly. The animal surged into a sprint.
Beside him rode Lord Martin along with several soldiers assigned to escort him. Their horses thundered across the frozen road.
Back at the castle, the Woodland family stood silently in the courtyard. No one spoke. Sadness hung in the air like fog. Hours passed as the riders pushed deeper into the northern lands.
The sky slowly changed. The gray clouds began to thin. By the time they crossed the final boundary of the Northern territory, something unexpected happened.
Sunlight.
A faint golden light fell across them. Newton felt the warmth immediately. It touched his face. His hands felt strange. Almost unfamiliar.
As if fire had been placed close to him after years of cold. He smiled without realizing it. Then he leaned forward slightly and urged his horse faster. The riders continued southward.
Far beyond the North. Beyond frozen mountains and endless forests. .In the distant land of Cliffland, a city that lived closer to the sun, another moment unfolded.
Inside a stone temple, an old man lay upon a wooden bed. The High Priest of Ago. His body had survived for more than three hundred years.
But now it trembled violently. A groan escaped his lips. Pain twisted through his bones. Then suddenly he began to laugh.
The sound came rough and broken. His old hands clutched the sheets. "It has begun!" His voice shook as the laughter faded.
"The rain of fire,"
His breathing turned heavier. "Has begun." His eyes slowly opened wider. "And the days of dragons…" A faint smile appeared on his cracked lips. "…are drawing near."
And at the same time, far away from Cliffland, inside the quiet library of Green City. Dust floated gently through the air. Ancient shelves stretched toward the ceiling. At the center of the chamber sat a glass pedestal.
Inside it rested an object long forgotten by the world. A dragon egg. Once powerful. Once alive. Now nothing more than a silent relic.
A historical artifact. The egg remained still, and functionally useless.