Kael Lanpar's POV
The creaking of the wooden floor upstairs wouldn't stop echoing, stretching the cold, bitter night longer than it should have been.
Lying there, trapped between Soka's irritating snores and the footsteps pacing back and forth above us, I couldn't stop thinking about what that goblin had said. His words spun endlessly in my head, like a stubborn echo that refused to fade.
Frustrated, I turned onto my side, pressing my face into the softness of the pillow. I sank my cheek deeper and deeper, as if that alone could help me escape my own thoughts.
My eyes drifted to the small magical creature sleeping on Zeitra's stomach. Its breathing was barely noticeable, and he cradled it instinctively, even in his sleep.
That look… and such a pure soul. Without a doubt, you didn't grow up with war, boy.
I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory of those words, trying with everything I had to keep the images from returning.
That day—when his voice reached my ears—my world had shifted violently, as if something invisible had struck me straight in the gut.
Despite the fact that his breath smelled of burnt wood, and despite it being the first time I had ever seen a creature like him, only one name had crossed my mind in that moment.
Matias Castleboard.
That fraud. That idiot who had thrown me into this world and now seemed determined to rip it away from me. For some twisted reason, the thought of him stirred a bitter sadness deep inside my chest.
The terror his actions inspired was so visceral that my body began to sweat—heat born of anger, and perhaps fear. The sensation forced me to get out of bed, desperate for fresh air.
With effort, I sat on the edge of the mattress. My breathing quickened before my bare feet touched the icy floor.
I swallowed hard and moved on tiptoe toward the bedroom balcony, careful not to wake the others. The wooden boards—ancient as some kingdoms—groaned under even the slightest pressure.
"Zeitra, I already told you not to play with your snakes in my room."
Soka's voice sent my heart racing, pounding hard—until I realized he was still fast asleep.
I let out a quiet breath and reached for the handle of the glass door leading outside. I turned it carefully, opening just enough of a gap to slip through.
The freezing wind hit me instantly, cutting straight to the bone. A sharp jolt ran through my body, raising goosebumps along my skin—I had forgotten I was barefoot.
I clenched my jaw, holding back my reaction as the trembling shook me uncontrollably.
Even so, when I lifted my gaze, I felt something close to peace.
The night was beautiful. The moon shone with solemn calm, accompanied by the faint glow of distant stars, painting a silent spectacle across the sky.
I took a few steps forward and rested my elbows on the oak railing, taking in the view with a tranquility I rarely allowed myself.
Silence had always judged me. But there, between the cold air and the vastness, I could finally stop forcing my mind to think.
"For a king's son, you're quite strange," a soft voice said, drawing my attention. "What exactly are you doing out here?"
I turned my head and found Emira beside me. Bathed in moonlight, she looked almost unreal, as if the sky itself had shaped her to belong to the night. Genuine concern lingered in her expression.
Her white dress fluttered in the wind, as did her chestnut hair—wild and untamed.
Before I could say a single word, she let out a quiet laugh that, for some reason, felt dangerously captivating.
"You know, Kael… this place is even more beautiful at night," she said as she stepped closer.
In just a few strides, she reached my side and leaned her elbows on the railing as well, her gaze drifting into the empty space beneath the massive floating landmass.
"I never thought I'd end up in a place like this," I murmured, barely realizing I had spoken.
"She replied with a gentle nudge,
'You've spent so much time locked away in your castle—and in your own world—that you never gave yourself the chance to explore how beautiful this one truly is.'
'The first time I came here, I told myself those exact same words,' she added, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face.
I lowered my gaze toward the elven forest below. Even from that height, the howls and songs of the magical creatures echoed upward—an ancient sound that never seemed to sleep.
As I watched the nocturnal birds take flight, slicing through the dark sky that stretched over the coliseum, I noticed something slowly descending from above.
A feather.
The wind rocked it gently, spinning it through the air before letting it drift down toward us.
Carefully, I extended one hand to catch it, while the other gripped the edge of the railing to keep my balance.
When my fingers brushed against it, I felt its softness against my skin. Its black color blended into the night, rendering it nearly invisible—were it not for the golden edges outlining it with an unnatural resilience.
'This is… really strange,' Emira murmured, placing her hand over mine.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. I couldn't tear my eyes away from what I was holding.
'An emissary's feather,' I stammered, feeling my body begin to tremble.
Suddenly, my strength gave out. Anger surged forward, taking control, and in a burst of pure hatred I clenched the feather tightly, hearing its muted crack within my closed fist.
'Kael, calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you,' Emira said, gripping my shoulders with both hands.
'It's just a children's tale. It isn't real.'
Just as the old world I once lived in had legends that blurred the line between imagination and truth, this new home was inhabited by things known as omens.
In the place where my consciousness first awakened, legends were nothing more than words heavy with hidden meanings.
Here, even the smallest sign carried more weight than any speech.
I had been carrying an unbearable burden long before he ever created me. Inheriting his memories was a nightmare impossible to erase… and yet, I accepted it.
What I couldn't understand was why everything was turning against me again. I still didn't know what I had done to deserve it.
'Kael… are you okay?'
Emira's voice reached me distorted, distant.
'Kael, look at me. Don't let this consume you.'
I wanted to tell her yes—that I was looking at her—but my vision was beginning to blur, as if my eyes were slowly dimming.
The sensation was familiar. I knew what it was… but I couldn't understand why it hurt so much, even after having felt it before.
'You feel alone, don't you?'
I heard her voice again, but this time it didn't come from outside—it rose from deep within my mind.
'Let that fear fade. You're not alone.'
Just as Vastiar could communicate with me telepathically through our blood pact, Emira was achieving something I had believed belonged to him alone.
All at once, my body stopped being rigid. My emotions settled, and as my breathing slowed, my legs gave way.
I nearly collapsed onto the rocky ground, but a pair of arms caught me mid-fall.
'How did you get into my mind?' I asked in terror. 'What were you doing in there?'
She didn't answer. She simply rested a hand on my hair and pulled my head against her chest, trying to calm me.
'I didn't want to,' she whispered. 'I was worried about you.'
At her words, I felt the feather I was still holding slip between my fingers and fall softly to the ground. At the same time, silent tears—far removed from physical pain—escaped my eyes.
The meaning of things changes depending on the moment in your life. That's what my father taught me.
An emissary's feather can carry many messages… but the one I had been chosen to bear was not something I was ready to endure."
Birds as beautiful as life itself could herald omens as devastating as death… someone else's, or even my own. I wanted not to believe it, yet a dark premonition clung tightly to my chest.
That beautiful night ended up stained with melancholy.
After wiping away my last tears, I went back to sleep. I had too many worries, but exhaustion eventually overcame me.
I closed my eyes with the pain still throbbing in my chest, held by the embrace of someone I had barely known for just a few days.
Time became strange as I slept. I didn't feel the hours pass before waking.
A blinding glare pierced through my eyelids, forcing me to open my eyes as I tried to shield myself from the sunlight.
"I didn't know you had those tastes, little sister," Soka's voice burst in suddenly, dragging me back to reality… and to everything that had happened the night before.
Still groggy, I sat up on the bed with my legs crossed, feeling a pair of arms release me as I moved.
When my vision finally focused, I saw who had been holding me. I thought I had been dreaming, but there she was, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she yawned.
"Don't bother him, Soka," she said, sitting up as well. "The poor guy couldn't sleep because of your snoring."
For reasons I couldn't understand, fear struck me all at once. I wanted to get away from her as fast as possible, completely forgetting that I was still on the bed.
Before I could react, I ended up falling to the floor. Pain shot through my back as I hit the wooden boards, but strangely enough, that wasn't what worried me most.
"How did you get into my mind yesterday?" I asked, pointing at her with a trembling finger.
I saw her let out a tired sigh, about to answer, but Zeitra spoke first.
"Emira, what did I tell you about using the spiritual connection with another person?" His voice was clearly irritated.
At his words, Emira lowered her head in shame, as if the weight of her guilt were pushing her toward the floor.
"I'm sorry, brother… I just wanted to help him," she murmured weakly.
For a few seconds, Zeitra's pupils shifted once again to that strange green I had seen the first day we met. This time, however, I recognized its origin.
They were the eyes of a cornered beast, of an animal that knows it has prey right in front of it.
The savagery of a predator.
The second consequence of a corrupted awakening. Something that hadn't happened to me yet… and that I hoped I would never experience.
"So you had a corrupted awakening too," I said without thinking. "You're like me."
At my words, Zeitra's eyes widened unnaturally. His gaze returned to its normal color, but his hands began to tremble.
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. None of us dared to speak. We simply watched one another, surrounded by dust particles dancing in the air, illuminated by the morning sunlight.
"This is… a bit awkward," a deep voice broke the silence from beneath the sheets.
I immediately recognized the speaker when I saw a small lump moving on the bed. As it revealed itself, my suspicions were confirmed: it was the goblin, Socafas.
Despite his tiny size, his voice was as powerful as an adult's—impossible to ignore.
"I had my suspicions since the day I met you, kid," he said, hopping off the bed and landing gracefully. "That attitude… and the aura you give off…"
He suddenly fell silent. I simply watched as his tiny legs moved at an absurd speed toward me.
He used my pants to climb up to my shoulder and, once there, grabbed my ear with astonishing strength before shouting,
"You get more interesting every day, kid!"
The shout echoed straight into my eardrum. Without thinking, I tried to swat him away.
Before I could touch him, he leapt from my shoulder and landed on the floor in a strange way.
It was as if his body weighed nothing at all, carried by the morning breeze, floating like a simple leaf.
I shook my head in frustration and turned my gaze to Zeitra, who now looked far too serious.
"Just because we had a similar awakening doesn't mean we're the same," he said, his voice heavy with menace. "You don't know me… and don't even think you ever will."
Without adding another word, he left. His aura had changed—distorted, violent.
The last thing he did was grab the door tightly and slam it shut as he walked out, making the entire room tremble slightly.
I didn't dare ask what was happening. I let out a resigned sigh and approached Emira, sitting beside her once more.
"I didn't want to enter your mind," she said, beginning to sob. "I just wanted to help you."
Without saying a word, I wrapped my clumsy, small arms around her, returning the embrace she had once given me.
I had already fought against my own existence. Now it seemed I had to face something different—something that living beings truly fear. I had never been afraid of death.
For a long time, I believed it was the only way to free myself from all the suffering I carried.
But when the bitter end isn't meant for you, but for someone else… it hurts more than any wound.
I had a bad feeling. Even the world itself seemed to warn me that none of this would end well.
I'm just a child.
I don't want to lose someone again.