Eyrx frowned and crossed his arms.
"Why are all of you silent? Tell me something. I can't carry this pressure on my shoulders forever."
Nick shook his head.
"Calm down. Stop concentrating on the power."
Before Eyrx could respond, Vaeryn smacked the back of his head.
"Idiot."
Nick rubbed his head immediately.
"What was that for?!"
"He already lost concentration," Vaeryn said while glaring at Nick. "That's why the power is still active."
Nick blinked.
"...You're right."
Eyrx looked between them.
"Stop whispering and tell me what's happening."
Darven finally spoke.
"Try letting go."
Everyone looked at him.
"Close your eyes. Stop thinking about your power. Stop trying to control it."
Eyrx listened carefully.
"Think of yourself as normal."
"Like every day before you awakened it."
"Forget the energy exists."
For once, Eyrx didn't argue.
He slowly closed his eyes.
The green aura continued flowing around him for several moments.
Then gradually...
It weakened.
The glow faded
The pressure disappeared.
And finally—
Nothing.
Eyrx opened his eyes.
The energy was gone.
A smile spread across his face.
"Finally."
Nick nodded.
"You're free now."
Eyrx stood up and stretched.
Then immediately pointed at Nick and Vaeryn.
"You two have powers but no brains.
Nick raised an eyebrow.
"My grandpa is wiser than both of you combined."
Darven looked around.
"Who's your grandpa?"
Eyrx pointed directly at him.
"You.
A shoe flew through the air.
WHACK.
"Ouch!"
Darven folded his arms.
"Who said I'm your grandpa?"
Eyrx quickly stepped back.
"Sorry."
"I forgot."
A grin appeared on his face
"You're more like a mother."
"EYRX!"
Even Vaeryn started laughing.
The peaceful atmosphere returned.
For a moment
Then Darven's smile faded.
A shadow stood several meters away.
Watching him.
Smiling.
Its dark figure twisted unnaturally.
Darven's body stiffened.
His hands slowly clenched.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
Nick noticed immediately.
"Darven."
No response.
The shadow moved closer.
Still smiling.
"Darven."
Nick's voice became louder.
Nothing.
"DARVEN!"
Everyone turned.
Eyrx and Vaeryn immediately stopped arguing.
Darven blinked.
The shadow vanished.
As if it had never existed.
Nick stared at him.
"What happened?"
Darven lowered his head.
For several seconds he remained silent.
Then he finally spoke.
"...You've heard of seeing shadows?"
Vaeryn frowned.
"Seeing shadows?"
Darven nodded slowly.
"When I was ten years old, I started seeing things nobody else could see."
"The shadows talked."
"They watched me."
"They followed me."
His voice remained calm, but his hands trembled slightly.
"My family thought I was imagining things."
"I thought so too.
"But the years passed."
"And they never disappeared."
The training ground fell silent.
"When I was fifteen, my family sent me to a mental hospital."
Eyrx's eyes widened.
Darven smiled bitterly.
"I stayed there for eighteen years."
Nobody spoke.
The number alone felt heavy.
"Whenever I saw the shadows, I fought them."
"They weren't real."
"But they felt real."
"My strange movements eventually became fighting techniques."
He glanced toward the wooden sword lying nearby.
"That's why I became stronger."
Then a genuine smile appeared.
"One day, Grace arrived."
She name immediately caught everyone's attention.
"She wasn't afraid of me."
"She didn't laugh."
"She didn't call me crazy."
"She sat beside me and asked questions."
"Simple questions."
"What did the shadows look like?"
"What did they say?"
"When did they appear?"
"How did they make me feel?"
Darven looked toward the distant castle.
"She was the first person who tried to understand."
"The first."
The wind moved gently through the grass.
"Eventually she helped me recover."
"I built my company."
"She became an investigator."
"And for six years..."
He paused.
"The shadows disappeared."
His smile faded.
"But now they're back."
Silence followed.
Nobody knew what to say.
Finally Nick stood.
"My little sister had the same illness."
Darven looked up.
Nick's gaze drifted toward the castle.
"When she saw the shadows, she screamed."
"She fought them."
"She cried."
"Just like you."
Understanding appeared in Darven's eyes.
"So that's how you knew."
Nick nodded.
"When you see them..."
He started walking toward the castle.
"Ignore them."
"Talk to us."
"Anything'"
"Doesn't matter what."
"Just don't stay alone with them."
Darven watched him leave.
Then Eyrx stepped forward.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Don't worry."
"We'll help you beat them again."
For a moment, Darven couldn't respond.
Then he simply nodded.
Vaeryn suddenly stretched.
"So."
"What are we eating tonight?"
Eyrx immediately turned toward her.
"What did you make?"
"Nothing."
"Huh?"
"I spent all day training you."
Eyrx gasped dramatically.
"You didn't cook?"
Darven laughed softly.
"Don't worry"
"I already prepared dinner."
Vaeryn's eyes brightened.
"Thank you."
Together they headed back toward the castle.
The sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains.
And for the first time in a long while—
The castle felt like home.
---
The following weeks passed peacefully.
Every morning began with training.
Eyrx learned how to move while using his power.
How to balance it.
How to fight without exhausting himself.
How to control the overwhelming energy flowing through his body.
Afternoons were filled with practice.
Evenings were filled with laughter.
When training ended, the four of them gathered together.
Sometimes they played cards.
Sometimes chess.
Sometimes Vaeryn told stories from distant realms.
Stories about floating cities hidden among clouds.
Stories about oceans glowing beneath moonlight.
Stories about ruined worlds abandoned centuries ago.
Eyrx listened to every one of them.
Even when he pretended not to.
On weekends, Eyrx and Vaeryn often visited the nearby town.
They explored markets.
Played games.
Got themselves into trouble.
And every single time, Nick and Darven had to fix whatever disaster they created.
Sometimes they wandered through forests.
Sometimes they spent hours near waterfalls.
Vaeryn often collected herbs during those trips.
Unlike healers from her realm, she had become fascinated by Earth's medicine.
She spent hours studying books and experimenting with remedies.
Meanwhile, Eyrx remained Eyrx.
Sleeping whenever possible.
Annoying everyone whenever awake.
Two weeks passed.
Then three.
Then four.
Without realizing it, something had changed.
The stranger from the Second Realm was no longer a guest.
She had become family.