The air was fresh, untouched by smoke or war.
Nestled between gentle hills and whispering trees, a remote village sat quietly beyond the Empire's maps. The people here wore simple clothes, lived in wooden homes, and farmed with smiles instead of swords.
When Aizen, Lyra, Theodore, and Mikaela arrived, their presence stirred some curiosity—but not fear. The villagers were humble, kind, and used to strangers from the borderlands.
Lyra took one long look at the peaceful surroundings… and smiled.
> "We'll stay here for a while," she said, placing a heavy pouch of gold on the elder's table. "Enough to rent a small house for a few years."
The elder's eyes widened. "You nobles are rare around here."
> "I'm not a noble today. Just a traveler."
---
🏠 A New Home
They settled into a small cottage just outside the village edge. Its roof was moss-covered, its wooden walls creaked a little, but it was cozy. And it was theirs—for now.
> Aizen trained behind the house, his body wrapped in stormlight, fists crackling with lightning as he pushed his limits.
> Lyra trained near the stream, manipulating flowing water into sharp frozen blades, her dragon blood awakening more and more each day.
> Theodore and Mikaela? They watched. And laughed.
The two siblings had never seen adults—or teens—train like this. It was like watching heroes from old stories. In between, they'd run into the village to play with the children, make friends, and laugh without fear.
That's when they saw her.
---
🐾 The Girl with Golden Fur
Near the edge of the wheat fields, away from the playful laughter of the other children, sat a small girl—no older than six. Her clothes were tattered, her feet dirty, and her body frail. But what caught Theodore's attention… was her tail.
It was bright yellow, almost golden.
Her hair shimmered the same, messy but beautiful. Her ears twitched every time someone laughed. But she didn't join them.
> "She's not playing…" Theodore murmured.
> "Want me to ask her?" Mikaela said, already walking forward before he answered.
---
Mikaela returned a few minutes later, gently holding the catgirl's hand.
> "She didn't say anything," she said softly. "But she followed me."
Aizen stepped outside from the back of the house, shirt half-off and skin glistening with sweat from training. He froze when he saw the little girl.
> "What…?"
His golden eyes narrowed.
The girl looked up at him with wide, tired green eyes.
> "Her fur color… it's not natural," Aizen muttered. "Beastmen cats usually have orange, white, black, or grey. Never yellow."
He knelt beside her.
> "Hey… where are your parents?"
The girl looked down. No words. Just silence.
Aizen gently placed a hand on her head… then stood.
> "Lyra," he called out, "You should see this."
---
👑 Royal Blood Forgotten
Lyra came to the porch, wiping her hands. When her eyes landed on the catgirl, her expression changed immediately.
> "No way…" she whispered.
She walked forward, eyes scanning the girl like she was a puzzle.
> "Why is a royal cat… living in a village like this?"
Aizen blinked. "Royal?"
Lyra nodded. "Yellow fur. Green eyes. That's the mark of the Sunblood Cats, one of the ancient royal lines of beastmen."
> "I thought they were all wiped out by the Dragon Empire?"
> "Exactly." Her voice dropped, cold. "They were."
She knelt beside the child and gently lifted the hem of the girl's shirt. A small golden sun-shaped mark sat just above her waist.
Lyra's breath caught.
> "She's one of them…"
> "Overthrown?" Aizen asked.
Lyra nodded. "The dragons didn't just go to war with lions… they destroyed every beast royal who refused to kneel. If she's still alive, that means someone hid her."
> "She doesn't remember her family," Mikaela added. "She didn't say a word."
Theodore squeezed the girl's hand tighter, protective already.
Aizen sighed, running a hand through his hair.
> "We can't leave her like this."
> "We won't," Lyra replied. "But we need to be careful. If someone finds out there's a Sunblood survivor here… the Empire might burn this village down."
Silence.
The wind blew gently across the fields. The catgirl looked up at them, finally whispering a name.
> "...Lina."
Aizen and Lyra looked at each other.
A child with a forgotten name… and a legacy that could shake the world.
---
End of Chapter 10