The throne hall of Lunareth was brighter than usual. Silver lanterns lined the walls, and moonlight filtered through crystal windows, painting the marble floor with shifting patterns. Elven guards whispered among themselves, glancing at the young human standing in the center of the room.
Shoko kept his back straight. His hands were clasped behind him, but he could feel a faint tremor in his fingertips. Not fear. Just nerves.
Ariandel stood at his left, protective as always. Elyndra stood at his right, her expression calm but her eyes sharp with worry.
At the far end of the hall sat the King and Queen of Lunareth on elevated thrones of carved silverwood. King Velion's long white hair flowed over his shoulders like strands of moonlight, and the Queen's emerald eyes glowed with a gentle but piercing intelligence.
Shoko could feel their power from across the room. It was nothing like Ariandel's warm magic. This felt ancient. Heavy. Like centuries of experience focused directly on him.
King Velion spoke first.
"Shoko of the human lands," he said, voice smooth but firm. "We have been informed of the creature that entered Lunareth last night."
Shoko nodded once. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"You fought it," Velion continued. "Alone."
Shoko hesitated. "It happened quickly. I reacted before thinking."
The Queen leaned forward slightly. "You reacted with techniques and precision that even many advanced elven mages do not possess."
A ripple of whispers went through the hall.
Ariandel stepped in. "Your Majesties, I can explain. Shoko has been training under me for several years. His growth is impressive, but not unnatural."
Velion raised an eyebrow. "Not unnatural? Ariandel, even for you, that sounds like a generous claim."
Ariandel's jaw tightened. "I would not lie about my student."
The Queen shifted her gaze to Shoko. It was warm, but searching. "Child, tell us exactly what happened. We wish to understand, not accuse."
Shoko took a slow breath. "I saw a corrupted elf collapse in the courtyard. Then the creature appeared. It was infused with dark mana. I knew if I didn't act, someone would die."
"And you chose to stand your ground," Velion said.
"Yes," Shoko answered. "I wasn't trying to be reckless. I just… couldn't run."
Elyndra stepped forward slightly. "He was brave. He protected someone in need."
Velion's eyes softened at his daughter's words, but he did not look away from Shoko.
"Courage is admirable," he said. "But the magic you displayed was something more."
Shoko forced himself not to look at his hands when the king said that.
The Queen spoke again, voice quieter. "Your threads glowed with gold, did they not?"
Shoko stiffened.
Ariandel's head snapped toward him. "Gold…? Shoko, is that true?"
Shoko lowered his gaze. "It was faint, but… yes."
Ariandel's face paled.
The King sighed and slowly rose to his feet. "Then there is only one possibility."
The hall fell silent.
Elyndra's heart tightened. She already knew what he would say. She had seen it coming the moment she recognized the golden tint in Shoko's threads. She wanted to speak, to defend him, but she couldn't break her promise to keep her reincarnated knowledge secret.
Velion descended the steps of his throne, each footstep echoing through the hall.
"Shoko," he said calmly. "Your magic carries a signature not of this era."
Shoko looked up sharply. "What does that mean?"
"It means your power resembles the magic of an ancient lineage," Velion replied. "A lineage believed to be extinct. A lineage tied to creation threads."
Ariandel's breath caught. "That is impossible. Those mages disappeared thousands of years ago."
Velion looked directly at Shoko. "And yet… here he stands."
Shoko felt suddenly exposed.
Velion's tone shifted, not hostile, but piercing. "Tell me, child. Has anything… unusual occurred around you recently? Voices? Visions? Presences?"
Ariandel turned to Shoko instantly. "Shoko. Has something been happening?"
Shoko clenched his fists. The memory of the masked, winged figure's voice echoed in his mind.
You are awakening.
He swallowed. "I… I don't know how to explain it."
Elyndra stepped forward quickly, her voice soft but firm. "Father, please. You are overwhelming him. He just fought a corrupted beast. Give him time."
The Queen nodded in agreement. "Velion, let the boy breathe."
Velion looked between his daughter and the Queen, then exhaled slowly. "Very well."
He turned back to Shoko. "What I am about to ask is not an order, but a plea for transparency. Will you allow our scholars and mages to observe your next training session?"
Ariandel stepped in immediately. "If anyone observes him, it will be me. He is my student."
Velion nodded respectfully. "Yes. You will be present. But this is important, Ariandel. If Shoko carries the lineage I suspect, he is not just your student. He is someone who may change this world."
Shoko's heart pounded.
Change the world.
The words felt too heavy, too big for him.
He lowered his eyes. "I don't know if I am what you think I am."
"You may not know," Velion said gently, "but your magic does."
Ariandel placed a hand on Shoko's shoulder, protective again. "He is still just a boy. Do not throw the weight of destiny onto him so soon."
Shoko stepped forward before the king could reply.
"I want to know the truth," he said.
Ariandel's eyes widened.
Elyndra looked stunned.
Even the King paused.
Shoko continued, voice steady. "If there is something inside me I don't understand, then I need to face it. I'm not going to run from it."
Velion studied him silently for a long moment.
Then he nodded. "Then we will help you uncover that truth."
Elyndra let out a breath and smiled faintly. Shoko returned the smile, but it was brief.
Because something tugged at the back of his mind.
A whisper.
A presence.
The masked figure's voice.
"Your path begins to open."
Shoko stiffened, but no one else seemed to hear anything. Ariandel noticed him tense and moved a little closer.
Velion returned to his throne. "We will continue this discussion tomorrow. For now, rest. All of you."
Ariandel bowed slightly. "Thank you, Your Majesties."
As Ariandel, Shoko, and Elyndra walked out of the hall together, Elyndra brushed her shoulder against Shoko's.
"You spoke bravely," she said. "Most people would break under that much pressure."
Shoko smiled faintly. "I guess I'm getting used to being scared."
Ariandel placed a hand on his head. "You do not need to face everything alone. Remember that."
Shoko nodded.
But deep inside, he knew one thing was true:
Someone was watching him.
Someone was guiding him.
And the elves were beginning to realize what he truly might become.
The threads of fate were tightening around him.
And Shoko was ready to follow them.