Dawn crept across the forest, bleeding pale light over the camp. Smoke curled lazily from the embers of their fire, the last glow struggling against the cool breeze.
Vael sat on a rock near the training ground, her posture taut, eyes sharp, her cloak pulled tightly around her shoulders. She hadn't slept. All night her thoughts had circled the boy—his strikes without weight, his inability to cut, his strange calm. Something about him was wrong. Not wrong in the way the Church whispered of demons and curses—wrong in a way she couldn't yet name.
There's something unnatural about him… something I can't ignore.
Across from her, Reider stood like a sentinel. He tilted his head, studying her with that same blank expression.
"You haven't slept."
She let out a slow breath, rising to her feet. "I want to test something."
He blinked once, then nodded. "Okay."
Vael lifted her hand. A spark flared to life, blossoming into a small flame that danced in her palm.
With a flick of her wrist, she hurled it at him. The spell was weak, harmless really, just enough to gauge a reaction.
The fireball fizzled into smoke inches from his face.
Reider didn't flinch. "It vanished."
Vael frowned. She called on more mana, weaving it tighter, sharper. Energy thrummed in her veins, humming with power.
"Again."
She released a bolt of raw force, fast and true. It should have struck him squarely in the chest.
At the last instant, Reider's body tensed, his eyes flickering ever so slightly. And then—the spell unraveled midair, dissolving into sparks that guttered out harmlessly.
Vael narrowed her gaze. "Still nothing. But you reacted."
Reider looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers as though grasping something invisible. His voice was quiet. "I felt something."
Her curiosity sharpened. "What?"
"It didn't disappear completely."
Her boots crunched softly over the dirt as she stepped closer, watching his fingers twitch. "The mana?"
Reider exhaled slowly, his empty gaze narrowing into something focused. "Yes."
Without hesitation, Vael exploded with power. A shockwave burst outward from her, magic flooding the clearing, rattling leaves and stones.
Reider stood still. Yet the air around him shimmered strangely, humming with residual energy. His fingertips twitched again, and this time there was intent in the motion.
It's still here, he thought.
Vael's eyes narrowed as she saw his hand close into a fist. What is he doing?
Then he moved. His arm swept through the air, empty-handed—
—and her body lurched.
A sharp sting registered too late. She looked down in disbelief as her right arm slid free, severed cleanly at the shoulder.
The limb hit the ground with a dull thump.
Vael staggered, her eyes wide. She didn't feel pain, not really. Just shock. He… cut me?
Reider lowered his hand, staring at it with the same calm expression as always. "It worked."
Vael's breath came hard as her body knitted itself back together, flesh reforming, bones snapping back into place with a sickening crackle.
He watched her steadily. "You should be dead."
The words carried no malice, only fact.
Vael steadied herself, her voice sharp. "What… did you do?"
Reider held up his empty hand, palm bare. "I don't have a core."
The faintest pulse of energy shimmered in the air.
Her teeth clenched. Then how did he cut me?
"When you use magic," he continued, "it lingers. I took what was left."
Her chest tightened. "You… absorbed the residual mana?"
He nodded. "I circulated it through my body… and fused it with my attack."
Vael flexed her freshly healed fingers, her eyes never leaving him. He's using magic—but not like anyone else.
"Reider," she said slowly, "you're not afraid?"
His gaze flickered up to hers. "No."
She exhaled sharply. Inside her chest, awe and dread warred. If the wrong people find out about this… he's as good as dead.
---
Deep in the forest, another story was unfolding.
The spying knight crashed through underbrush, armor clinking despite his effort at stealth. He arrived at a hidden outpost, where banners of the Church snapped in the morning wind. Torches burned low, their light flickering across tents and armored men.
Inside the command tent, Inquisitor Lucian Varro sat at ease in a carved wooden chair, wine swirling lazily in his glass. His scarred cheek caught the firelight, his blue eyes sharp and hungry.
The knight fell to one knee, bowing. "Sir Lucian, I have returned from observing the woman and the child."
Lucian smirked faintly, swirling the crimson liquid. "And? What did you see?"
The knight hesitated, then straightened. "The boy… he's nothing special."
Lucian arched an eyebrow. "Nothing special?"
The knight nodded firmly. "Vael tested him. She attacked, but he didn't fight back. The magic never touched him. He just stood there."
Lucian's laugh was low and mocking. He set down his cup with a sharp clink. "That's it? That's the terrifying child I've been hearing whispers about?"
"Yes, sir. No magic. No resistance. If Vael is protecting him, she must be deluded."
Lucian rose, pacing slowly, boots tapping against the stone. "A child with no magic? He might as well be a cripple."
The knights chuckled uneasily, emboldened by his confidence. One spoke. "Perhaps we should rescue the poor child from Vael's delusions."
Lucian's hand lifted, and silence fell instantly. His voice was cold. "No. We wait."
He leaned back into his chair, fingers tapping on the armrest. His eyes glinted with cruel calculation.
"She's dangerous, that much is certain. But if she's protecting a weakling, then she's wasting her time. Let's see what her next move is. If she's truly wasting herself on him… it will be her downfall."
The knight bowed his head, convinced. This will be the easiest victory we'll ever have.
Outside, a raven launched into the sky, wings cutting through the growing storm clouds.
Lucian watched the firelight dance, a smile tugging his scar. If I remove Vael, the Church will reward me. And if the child is truly useless… then cutting him down will be nothing more than a formality.
---
Back at the training ground, Vael stood in silence, fists clenched at her sides.
They'll come eventually.
Reider sat nearby, his gaze fixed on the brightening sky. "They don't understand."
Vael's eyes flicked toward him. "No. They don't."
He looked down at his hands, flexing them slightly. "They'll find out soon."
Her arms crossed, her jaw set. "When they do, it'll be too late for them."
The forest rustled in uneasy wind.
---
Far away, Lucian stood at the edge of his camp, the horizon darkening under storm clouds.
A child protected by a foolish woman… what a waste of my time.
Thunder cracked across the sky. His smirk widened. "Let's prepare. This ends soon."
His knights answered in unison. "Yes, sir!"
Armor clanked as they moved, readying themselves.
Lucian turned back toward the fire, his shadow stretching long and twisted across the ground. In his mind, the outcome was already written.
But Vael clenched her fists in the clearing, her teeth bared. They'll come… and they'll regret it.
Reider blinked slowly. His fingers twitched, faint energy humming at his touch.
And over the horizon, the storm gathered strength.
To be continued…