Shoko woke to the sound of gentle chimes drifting through the open balcony window. Lunareth's morning light filtered through crystal-blue curtains, giving the room a soft, watery glow. Elven mornings were quieter than any place he had ever stayed, almost too peaceful for someone used to being shaken awake by alarms or danger.
Tilli was already sitting on his chest, staring down at him with narrowed eyes as if judging him for sleeping too long. When he groaned and tried to push her off, she simply shifted to press more weight on him.
Shoko sat up, rubbing his eyes. His white hair fell in front of his face, and he brushed it back, still adjusting to the feeling of it being longer now. At seventeen, he looked older. Taller. Sharper. His purple eyes seemed deeper too, always analyzing, always thinking.
Tilli finally hopped off him and began wandering the room like she owned it. He sighed.
A soft knock sounded on the door. When he opened it, Ariandel was standing there with her hair tied loosely behind her, her staff strapped to her back, and a warm smile on her face.
"Good morning, Shoko. Breakfast first. Then meeting the scholars. Try not to glare at anyone even if they deserve it."
He blinked. "I never glare."
Ariandel laughed. "You absolutely glare. You learned it from me."
She patted his shoulder and guided him out into the hallway. Lunareth's architecture shone with pale stone and silverwood, vines glowing faintly as if touched by starlight. Elves walked with effortless grace, and many paused to stare curiously at the white-haired human walking beside Ariandel.
Whispers followed.
"That's the human mage prodigy."
"Look at his eyes. Are all humans like that?"
"I heard he was raised by Ariandel. That explains everything."
Shoko kept his posture straight, exactly how Ariandel taught him. Chin level. Back straight. No shrinking.
The dining hall was a long, sunlit space with tables carved from living wood. Shoko took one bite of the elven pastry and nearly choked from how sweet it was.
Ariandel muffled a laugh behind her hand. "Don't be rude."
"I wasn't prepared," he said quickly.
A voice spoke behind him.
"I told the cooks to make the sweeter dishes. I wanted you to try them."
Shoko turned. Elaria stood there with her hands clasped behind her, smiling gently. Her silver hair framed her face like moonlight, her eyes bright and impossibly warm for someone of her status. Even when dressed in the royal blues of Lunareth, she still looked soft, approachable, kind.
Shoko stood instinctively. "Good morning, Princess."
Elaria blushed lightly. "Good morning, Shoko. Please just call me Elaria."
Ariandel nudged him. "See? Manners work."
He sat again, quietly finishing the pastry while Elaria picked up Tilli and held her upside down until the creature stopped squirming.
The scholars waited for them in a wide stone courtyard filled with floating crystals and drifting leaves. Several elves in long robes watched Shoko approach with clear curiosity. One stepped forward.
"So this is the human apprentice Ariandel spoke so highly of."
Ariandel crossed her arms. "Be polite."
The elf ignored her and looked straight at Shoko. "Show us your magic. We wish to see whether Ariandel exaggerates."
Shoko nodded calmly. "What would you like to see?"
"Thread magic. If you can."
Murmurs rose. Thread magic was rare among elves. Even rarer among humans.
Shoko raised his hand. Thin, glowing strings burst forth, weaving into a tight sphere before unraveling into a flow of shimmering lines.
Gasps.
He changed the weave, forming loops and spirals with perfect precision. No trembling. No mistakes.
One elf narrowed his eyes. "Beginner tricks."
He flicked a burst of wind magic toward Shoko.
Ariandel's eyes widened. "Shoko."
But Shoko had already reacted. A thread snapped upward, crystallizing into a barrier that absorbed the wind without a tremor.
Ariandel stepped between them with a glare so sharp the temperature dropped. "Try that again and I will turn your eyebrows to dust."
The scholar bowed quickly. "My apologies."
Shoko stood quietly, hands lowered. Elaria stepped beside him, her voice firm.
"Shoko's skills surpass what most elves his age can do. Show some respect."
Her defense drew quiet surprise. Shoko felt heat rise in his chest, unsure if it was embarrassment or gratitude.
Ariandel smirked. "Good girl."
Elaria flushed. "I am simply telling the truth."
Later, Elaria led Shoko toward the Moonpetal Gardens. The flowers glowed with soft blue light, and the air smelled like rain after sunlight.
Elaria sat on a low stone bench and patted the spot beside her. Shoko sat carefully.
"You handled them very well," she said. "Many elves would have snapped back."
"Ariandel trained me to stay composed."
Her expression softened. "Do you always listen to her?"
"Yes. She saved my life. Everything I am is because of her."
Elaria looked down at her hands. Shoko could feel something unsaid behind her eyes.
"You know," she said quietly, "I believe you will become someone very important. Much more than anyone here realizes."
He frowned. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you are strong in ways people cannot measure. And because this world…" Her voice caught. "Forget it. It was nothing."
She stood quickly and walked ahead before he could question her further.
Shoko stared after her. Something about her felt familiar in a strange way, as if she knew him better than she should.
The council hall was massive, its ceiling shaped like the branches of a great silver tree. The king and queen sat at the far end, calm and regal.
Ariandel stood with Shoko beside her as the discussions began.
"We have reports of dark mage movement near the border."
Ariandel's voice lowered. "They are searching for something."
"Or someone," an advisor said, glancing at Shoko.
Shoko stayed still.
The queen raised a hand. "We will not jump to conclusions. Continue."
Another advisor asked, perhaps too bluntly, "Does the boy pose a threat?"
Shoko tensed, but before he could speak, Elaria stepped forward.
"He is no threat. He is an ally. And he is under Lunareth's protection as long as he stays here."
Silence followed.
The king nodded. "Very well. Shoko, if you do not mind, we would like to see your abilities."
Shoko breathed in slowly. "Of course."
They moved to a circular platform overlooking the gardens. Elves gathered in the balconies above, waiting.
Shoko stepped forward. Ariandel stood behind him with a proud but tense expression.
"Begin," the king said.
Shoko lifted his hand.
Threads burst outward in a fan of light, weaving into intricate shapes with perfect control. He formed a floating structure like a spiderweb, then tightened it until it shimmered with power.
Murmurs spread.
"Precision. Stability."
"No tremor at all."
"He's controlling multiple layers at once."
Shoko changed forms seamlessly. A shield. A blade. A spiral barrier.
Then he performed a technique he had only recently discovered.
Soul Thread sensing.
He extended a single shining thread outward. It brushed against the ground, the air, the invisible energies around them.
Gasps.
Elves clutched their chests. They could feel it. A gentle touching of the spirit, not harmful, simply aware.
Ariandel looked stunned. "You learned that already."
Shoko nodded slightly. "I wanted to show you."
The king stepped forward. "Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
Elaria looked proud but also deeply worried.
She knew too much. She knew where power like his would lead.
After the demonstration, Shoko walked with Elaria back to the guest wing. The sun was setting behind the trees, turning the leaves golden.
Elaria spoke quietly. "You did amazing. But… be careful, Shoko. Not everyone who praises you has good intentions."
"I know."
"You are not alone anymore."
He stopped walking. The words struck him harder than magic ever had.
Elaria smiled softly, brushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear. She looked away, cheeks pink.
"Good night, Shoko."
"Good night, Elaria."
She walked off quickly, too embarrassed to stay.
Shoko stepped into his room and closed the door. The moment he sat on the bed, something inside his chest tightened.
A sensation.
A pull.
Like a thread tugging at the edge of his mind.
He froze.
It felt ancient. Familiar. Calling.
He reached out instinctively with his magic. As soon as his threads extended, they resonated with something far in the distance. Something moving.
Something waking.
Shoko's breath caught.
This wasn't the hunter.
This was older.
Deeper.
And whatever it was, it was calling his name.
The room dimmed, and Shoko whispered into the silence.
"What are you?"
The thread pulled harder.
Then the sensation vanished.
Leaving him alone with racing thoughts and a feeling he couldn't shake.
Something had noticed him.
Something that wasn't supposed to exist.