Year of Idite, 1169
Sunlight filtered through the tall arched windows of the chamber, casting a golden sheen across polished marble floors and the embroidered banners of House Silford. Beyond the glass, the training grounds bustled with the sound of clashing practice swords and the crackle of summoned flame. Lilith stood at the center, her crimson hair gleaming as she directed a precise gust of wind at a target dummy, while Elias dodged under Arin's strikes with a sharp grin and a gleam of sweat on his brow.
Inside the chamber, tension simmered thick in the air.
"She's just thirteen, Caelum," Flora Silford said, her voice trembling, though her posture remained poised. "Thirteen. She still sleeps with her brother when the thunder is too loud. She shouldn't be sent off to face gods-knows-what alone."
Claude stood beside her, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on his daughter outside. "She's brilliant. But she's not ready." His voice was gravel. "Not for that place. Not for the pressure that will come with who… what she is."
Caelum stood facing them, his hands folded behind his back, his expression unreadable. His black and crimson attire cast long shadows in the waning light, and the sigil ring of the Goddess on his finger gleamed like an ever-watchful eye.
"She will not be alone," Caelum said, voice smooth but cold. "I will be with her. So will She."
"That's not what I mean," Flora snapped, her voice breaking. "I'm her mother. And I know she wears a calm face to please us, but she is scared. She has nightmares. She flinches in her sleep."
Claude turned toward Caelum, his voice low but heavy with thunder. "The deal was made to save her, not throw her to wolves."
"And in doing so, you bound her fate to the Goddess's will," Caelum said, taking a slow step forward. "You both knew the terms. You begged Her to restore the child's breath, to pull her back from death. She granted it. And now she asks only that Lilith walks the path She set."
Flora's eyes burned, but she turned away, pressing her fingers to her lips. "Is that what this is? A path? Or a chain?"
"She will not be caged," Caelum replied, almost gently now. "She will rise. With guidance. With strength. But more importantly—with purpose. You think to shield her from pain. I tell you, pain will find her no matter how many walls you build."
Outside, Lilith turned slightly as though sensing something. Her eyes flicked to the window. Claude's gaze met hers for the briefest moment, and the girl offered a small, calm nod before turning back to her magic.
"She doesn't belong in that academy," Claude muttered.
"She belongs where She wills," Caelum replied, and this time, no warmth colored his tone. "Would you defy the very one who saved her life, who bound her soul to Chaos and spared her from the Fade? Would you undo the only reason she still breathes?"
Flora's shoulders quivered. She didn't answer.
Caelum walked to the window and looked down at the two children. "She will face trials, yes. But she will also find allies. She will learn to control what She has given her. Or do you prefer the alternative—when she loses control without guidance?"
Claude exhaled slowly, like a man drained of fight but not of sorrow.
"She is our daughter," he whispered.
Caelum nodded. "And She chose her."
Silence reigned. Then, finally, Flora sat in the nearest chair, placing a hand over her eyes.
"She'll need a proper send-off," she murmured, voice brittle.
"She'll make you proud. Both of you. Even if the world never sees it."
A knock broke the silence.
Claude turned his head toward the door. "Come in."
The door eased open, Elias stepped in, cheeks still flushed from training, the wooden practice sword gripped lightly in his hand. "I saw Caelum in the window," he said. "And both of you looked… serious." He paused, eyes flicking between his parents. "Is it true? You're sending Lilith to the Academy?"
Flora straightened in her chair, surprise flashing in her eyes. "Elias—how would you—"
"I guessed," he said simply. "She's been training harder than ever. And Caelum doesn't spend this much time here unless something important's happening." He hesitated, then stepped further in. "I want to go with her."
"No." Claude's answer was immediate, firm as steel. "That's out of the question."
"But why not?" Elias stepped forward, voice rising. "I'm strong enough. I've been training harder than anyone! I can protect her!"
"This isn't about strength," Flora said softly, her eyes full of worry. "You're only eleven. The Academy isn't a game, Elias."
"I know that!" he snapped, then caught himself. His grip on the wooden sword tightened. "I know it's not a game. I've seen the way Lilith looks when she thinks no one's watching—how serious she is. I'm not asking because I want fun or adventure. I want to be by her side."
Caelum remained silent, his hands folded behind his back, eyes distant as he watched the boy plead his case.
Claude sighed, the lines on his face deepening. "Elias… your sister has a heavy burden on top of her shoulders. One that we barely understand. You have no part in that."
"I don't need to be a part of it," Elias said, stepping between them. "I just don't want her to carry it alone."
That silenced the room.
"I'm not as smart as her," he admitted, voice quieter now. "And I'm not as calm, or focused. But I can swing a sword better than anyone in the training yard, and I'll get better. If something happens, I'll be there. If she falls, I'll pick her up."
Flora pressed her hand to her mouth, tears brimming. Claude glanced at her, uncertain.
"You've already made a decision to send Lilith," Elias said. "But maybe it wasn't just her fate that changed when the Goddess chose her. Maybe mine did too."
Caelum finally spoke, voice like ice breaking. "He's right."
Both parents turned to him.
"You believe in destiny when it's handed down from a god," he said. "But don't forget—destiny does not favor the idle. If Elias's resolve is this strong at his age, then perhaps it's not fate we're choosing to bend… but simply recognizing it earlier than expected. Also, he did received Her blessing."
Claude stared at him, unmoving. Then finally, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'll have a heart attack before they graduate."
Flora let out a quiet, tearful laugh while Elias's eyes widened with hope.
"Fine," Claude muttered. "But you'll train twice as hard. You'll study twice as long. And if I hear of a single broken rule—"
"I won't break anything," Elias said, grinning now despite the emotion in his eyes. "I promise."
"Then it's settled," Caelum said, giving him a rare, approving nod. "I'll arrange for both of their admissions. She won't walk alone."
Elias turned to leave, but not before casting one last glance at the field outside, where his sister's figure still moved like a flame across the grass.