Chapter 8
The Woman Beneath the Waterfall
The roaring waterfall crashed endlessly against the dark rocks below while cold mist drifted through the hidden valley like wandering spirits.
Golden evening sunlight reflected across the flowing streams of water, painting the secret training grounds in shades of silver and orange.
Nyesra suddenly collapsed onto the soft grass with exhaustion.
"I swear… whenever Mother trains me, all my spiritual energy disappears, and my entire body feels like it's falling apart afterward."
Her tired voice echoed throughout the valley while she stared dramatically toward the sky.
For the first time in a while, the corner of Eryx's lips moved slightly.
Almost forming a smile.
His mother sat quietly beside him while the cold mountain winds drifted gently through the hidden valley.
The reflection of the waterfall shimmered faintly within her calm blue eyes while her long silver-blue hair swayed softly with the wind.
Eryx remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Mother…"
She slowly turned toward him.
"Yes?"
Eryx's crimson-black eyes shifted toward the waterfall ahead.
"Your sword techniques…"
He paused briefly.
"They feel different."
Silence followed.
Only the endless roar of rushing water filled the hidden valley once again.
Nyesra quietly sat up from the grass before immediately looking toward her mother with curiosity.
Then—
She slowly stood up.
Without saying anything, she walked toward the edge of the waterfall.
Cold mountain winds drifted through the valley, causing her silver-blue hair to sway gently behind her while the loose fabric of her saree fluttered softly in the air.
The golden light of the setting sun reflected across her figure, making her appear distant and almost untouchable.
Then—
She quietly closed her eyes.
Only the endless roar of the waterfall remained.
Eryx watched her silently.
For the first time…
He felt something unfamiliar hidden beneath his mother's calm presence.
A quiet sadness.
A loneliness buried deep beneath her gentle aura.
As though a part of her still remained somewhere far beyond these mountains.
And somehow…
Eryx understood immediately.
For the first time, he realized how little he truly knew about his mother.
After a few moments, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her calm gaze rested upon the endless waterfall ahead.
Then she spoke softly.
"Long before I became part of the Ashvaris Clan…"
"My name once carried a different meaning."
The atmosphere around Eryx quietly changed.
Even Nyesra's playful expression slowly disappeared.
She gently raised her hand toward the flowing waterfall.
The moment her fingers moved—
The surrounding water suddenly trembled violently.
Eryx's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
BOOOOOOM—
The massive waterfall split apart instantly.
The endless streams of water separated as though an invisible blade had sliced directly through the center of the waterfall itself.
Nyesra's eyes widened immediately.
Eryx remained silent.
But deep within his heart, something shook slightly.
The pressure hidden within that single movement…
…was far beyond anything Eryx had expected.
The divided waterfall continued trembling violently while countless drops of water floated through the air like scattered stars beneath the golden sunset.
She quietly stared toward the split waterfall.
Then, for the first time—
She revealed her name.
"Before I became part of the Ashvaris Clan…"
"I was once known as Sylthara Sylvaris."
Silence filled the hidden valley.
"The daughter of the Sylvaris Clan…"
"The clan known throughout the world as the Sea of Swords."
The divided waterfall trembled endlessly behind her while silver-blue hair danced within the cold mountain wind.
Eryx stared at her silently.
For a brief moment…
The woman standing before him no longer felt like only the gentle mother he had always known.
Beneath the golden sunset and the divided waterfall—
she looked like a blade forged by the ocean itself.
Distant.
Untouchable.
Like someone who had once stood at the peak of a world he could not yet comprehend.
And somehow…
Eryx felt that the secrets hidden within his mother's past were far deeper than he had ever imagined.
Silence lingered within the hidden valley.
Only the endless roar of the waterfall echoed through the mountains.
After a long moment, Sylthara finally spoke again.
"I first heard those words from my mother."
For the first time since beginning her story…
warmth appeared within her calm blue eyes.
"She possessed very little spiritual energy."
Nyesra blinked slightly in surprise.
"But despite that… she was one of the most beautiful women within the Sylvaris Clan."
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"And she loved me more than anyone else in this world."
The cold mountain wind drifted softly through the valley.
"She often told me…"
Her voice softened slightly.
"A sword meant only to harm others will eventually destroy its owner as well."
Silence lingered briefly.
"She believed strength only had meaning when it was used to protect others."
Her calm gaze slowly lowered toward the flowing water beneath the waterfall.
"My father, however, was different."
"He devoted his entire life to the Sylvaris Clan."
"The Sea of Swords was everything to him."
Eryx listened silently.
"I inherited my mother's appearance…"
Her silver-blue hair moved softly within the wind.
"But my abilities resembled my father's far more."
A faint ripple spread through the divided waterfall behind her.
"Before reaching the age of thirteen…"
"I was already called one of the greatest geniuses the Sylvaris Clan had seen in generations."
But strangely—
there was no pride within her voice.
Only distance.
Then her expression slowly changed.
"She became ill."
The atmosphere quietly shifted.
Nyesra's playful expression disappeared completely.
"Grandmother became ill…?"
Nyesra's quiet voice broke the silence.
Sylthara slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"For years… her condition worsened little by little."
Eryx remained silent.
"We searched everywhere for a cure."
"My father used countless resources."
"I traveled across different regions searching for healers and medicines."
"But nothing worked."
A quiet sadness slowly surfaced within her eyes.
"And so…"
"My father hired a personal physician to remain beside her every single day."
A faint smile appeared across her lips.
"She always smiled whenever I returned home."
For the first time—
Eryx understood where the loneliness hidden within her eyes truly came from.
"Three years later…"
"A marriage proposal arrived for me."
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.
"At that time, the Sylvaris Clan had already begun weakening."
"The elders believed an alliance marriage would restore the clan's influence."
Nyesra clenched her fists slightly.
"But by then…"
A faint warmth slowly appeared within Sylthara's eyes once more.
"I had already fallen in love with your father."
For the first time, Eryx's expression shifted slightly.
"At that time, your father was secluded within a mountain cave attempting to achieve a breakthrough."
"I had no way to contact him."
"My father wanted me to accept the marriage for the sake of the clan."
"But I refused."
Again.
And again.
And again.
The mountain winds flowed softly around her.
"Eventually…"
"I told my mother everything."
A deep silence filled the valley.
"She listened quietly."
No anger.
No disappointment.
Only silence.
Then—
A trembling smile slowly appeared across Sylthara's face.
"She simply looked at me and said…"
Her voice softened almost into a whisper.
"Then go live your life, my daughter."
Silence.
The sound of the waterfall echoed endlessly through the hidden valley.
Eryx lowered his gaze slightly.
For some reason…
those words felt unbearably heavy.
"I left the Sylvaris Clan that very night."
A quiet sadness slowly returned to her eyes.
"And after that…"
"I never saw my mother again."
The atmosphere became completely silent.
Even the cold mountain wind itself seemed to slow.
After a long silence, Sylthara slowly lifted her gaze toward the endless mountains beyond the waterfall.
"After leaving the Sylvaris Clan…"
"I began traveling alone."
The cold mountain wind drifted softly through the valley.
"At that time, your father's breakthrough had not yet finished."
"So… I waited for him."
A faint smile slowly appeared across her face.
"During those years, I traveled across countless regions."
"I met many different people."
"Cultivators…"
"Merchants…"
"Wanderers…"
"Even ordinary people with no spiritual power at all."
Her calm eyes reflected distant memories.
"And during that journey…"
"I slowly began understanding the world beyond the Sea of Swords."
The divided waterfall behind her slowly returned to normal as endless streams of water crashed downward once again.
"Almost one and a half years later…"
A faint warmth slowly appeared within her eyes.
"Your father finally found me."
Nyesra immediately leaned forward with sparkling curiosity.
"Really?!"
Sylthara softly nodded.
"At that time, I was staying near a small snowy mountain village."
"The moment I stepped outside…"
"I suddenly felt an overwhelming flame aura descending from the sky."
For the first time since beginning her story—
a genuine smile appeared across her face.
"Your father had finally completed his breakthrough."
Eryx quietly listened in silence.
"He searched for me across countless regions until he finally found me."
Nyesra blinked excitedly.
"Then what happened?!"
For the first time—
Sylthara actually laughed softly.
A beautiful and warm laugh.
"Your father…"
"He proposed to me immediately after finding me."
Both Eryx and Nyesra froze slightly.
"…Father proposed?"
Even Eryx looked slightly surprised.
Sylthara nodded while smiling faintly.
"Not only that…"
"He even created a sword-flame technique specifically for me."
Nyesra's eyes widened instantly.
"A lovey-dovey technique?!"
The hidden valley suddenly became quiet.
Then—
Sylthara laughed softly once again.
Even Eryx's expression shifted slightly.
For the first time in a while…
the heavy atmosphere surrounding the story began fading.
"He called it…"
A faint blush appeared across Sylthara's face for the very first time.
"Crimson Tide Dance."
Nyesra immediately covered her mouth dramatically.
"THAT'S SO ROMANTIC!"
Even Eryx quietly looked away for a moment.
A rare awkward silence appeared around him.
Seeing their reactions—
Sylthara's smile slowly became gentler.
Warmth filled her calm blue eyes while she quietly looked toward her children.
Then she softly continued.
"After our marriage…"
"Our beautiful Nyesra was born."
Nyesra instantly smiled proudly.
"Obviously."
Sylthara chuckled softly before her gaze slowly shifted toward Eryx.
"And three years later…"
"Our little Eryx entered this world."
For the first time—
a faint warmth quietly appeared within Eryx's usually calm eyes.
The cold mountain winds continued drifting peacefully through the hidden valley while the sound of the waterfall echoed endlessly behind them.
And for a brief moment…
The loneliness hidden within Sylthara's eyes finally seemed to disappear.
The hidden valley slowly fell into silence once again.
Only the endless sound of the waterfall echoed through the mountains while the evening sunlight painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson.
Sylthara quietly looked toward her children with gentle eyes.
For a brief moment…
The sadness hidden within her expression seemed lighter than before.
Then—
Eryx slowly stood up.
The cold mountain wind brushed softly against his dark hair while his crimson-black eyes remained fixed upon his mother.
For the first time since hearing her story—
a faint light quietly appeared within his eyes.
"I'll become stronger."
His calm voice echoed softly through the valley.
Sylthara looked at him silently.
Eryx's gaze did not waver.
"One day…"
"I'll take you back to the Sylvaris Clan."
A quiet determination slowly appeared within his crimson-black eyes.
"And we'll meet Grandmother together."
Silence.
For a brief moment—
Sylthara froze slightly.
Nyesra immediately jumped to her feet.
"Yes! Me too!"
She pointed proudly toward herself.
"I'll become super strong too!"
"We'll all go together!"
The cold mountain wind drifted gently through the hidden valley.
Then—
A soft smile slowly appeared across Sylthara's face.
A smile filled not with sadness—
but warmth.
"…Yes."
Her calm voice carried a faint trembling softness.
"I'll wait until then."
Golden sunset light reflected softly within her blue eyes while she quietly looked toward her children.
And for the first time in a very long while…
The loneliness hidden deep within her heart finally seemed to fade, if only slightly.
Gentle smiles slowly appeared across all three of their faces.
Far above the hidden valley—
A lone figure stood silently atop the mountain cliffs.
Black-crimson robes fluttered heavily within the cold wind while long black hair swayed behind him.
His reddish-black eyes quietly observed the peaceful scene below.
Azrath Ashvaris.
The mountain winds grew stronger around him, causing his robes to ripple endlessly beneath the crimson evening sky.
Yet despite the overwhelming aura surrounding his presence…
his gaze remained calm.
Warm.
Quietly watching his wife and children laughing together beneath the waterfall.
And for a brief moment—
A faint smile slowly appeared across the face of the man once feared as one of the strongest warriors of the Ashvaris Clan.
Beneath the crimson evening sky, the hidden valley quietly echoed with something far more precious than power or glory.
A family.
End of Chapter 8
To be continued...