The morning sun hung high in the sky, its warm light pouring through the shattered walls of the ruined house. The last ashes of last night's fire still sizzled softly, thin trails of smoke curling upward. Kairo stretched with a long yawn.
"That… was a good sleep."
He turned and saw Flint sitting against a fallen pillar, having switched night watch duty with Theo.
"Morning, Flint."
Flint grinned. "Morning to you too, boss!"
A low grumble came from the corner. Theo sat up, rubbing his eyes as light reflected off his golden irises. His small back horns shimmered faintly.
"Looks like you're up too," Kairo said.
"Yeah, yeah… morning, whatever," Theo replied, scratching his head.
Kairo blinked. "Why the attitude?"
Theo pointed accusingly at Flint. "When I was on guard, this idiot scared me from behind."
Flint burst out laughing. "He screamed like a kid!"
"I thought a monster snuck up on me, you jerk!" Theo barked back, cheeks red.
Kairo chuckled. "Calm down, you two. Flint was just messing around."
"I'm gonna get back at you," Theo pouted.
"Sure you will, bud," Flint teased.
Kairo smiled and walked toward Lilian, who was still curled up asleep. He gently nudged her.
"Lilian, time to wake up."
Here's the corrected 20-word line for Lilian:
"Mmm… no… I don't wanna eat bugs again… just let me sleep…" she mumbled softly.
Kairo chuckled softly and whispered, "Looks like last night's bugs really left a taste in her mouth."
Theo bursted out laughing while Kairo froze in awkward silence.
Lilian rubbed her eyes as she walked, letting out a long yawn. "Last night was horrible…" she muttered, still half-asleep as she followed beside Kairo, Theo, and Flint.
Theo crossed his arms. "You only say that because you had to eat bugs."
"Of course that's the reason!" Lilian snapped back, her cheeks puffing with annoyance.
Kairo smiled awkwardly at their bickering, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. (Last night really was surprising… so much happened.) His gaze slid toward Flint. (Flint using fire magic… I knew there was something different about him.)
But even more important was the vision—the void, the silent darkness, and that shifting blue cube. (What was that? Is it connected to the Command Nexus?)
Kairo quietly opened the Command Nexus interface. A cold message appeared:
[Tier requirement not met. Higher tier needed for access.]
The screen dissolved. Kairo looked down at his hand as the light faded. He let out a soft sigh. (Guess we just need to wait and find out…)
Flint suddenly stretched his arms wide. "Last night was AWESOME! Who knew I could do magic? I feel so powerful!"
He turned to Lilian excitedly. "Hey, what do you think I can do? Can I throw balls of fire? Ooh—can I make a FIRE STORM? That would be amazing, right? Huh, Lilian?"
Lilian forced a smile. "Y-Yeah… it's going to be awesome."
But inside, her chest twisted. (How did he manage to use magic on the first try?
And fire attribute out of all things?)
(This is totally not fair…)
Lilian's steps slowed as old memories began to drift back—soft, warm, and painful.
She remembered being a little girl, no more than five, running through a garden filled with violet flowers that matched the color of her eyes. The petals brushed her small hands as she giggled, spinning in circles under the sunlight.
"Lilian!"
A familiar deep voice called out.
She turned to see her father, dressed in noble-looking clothes, one arm draped with a crimson cape that fluttered in the wind. His face softened the moment he saw her. He crouched down beside her and gently rubbed her head.
"Daddy, will you play with me?" she asked with bright, hopeful eyes.
Her father sighed, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Sorry, honey. Daddy can't right now—"
"You never play with me!" Lilian puffed up angrily, stomping her foot. "Daddy's bad!"
"W–Wait, don't say that!" he protested. "Daddy does play with you! It's just that Daddy has a very important job—"
"I don't care! Play with me!"
Her father paused, then smiled as an idea struck him. With a soft chuckle, he extended his hand forward.
"How about this? Want to see our family's special magic?"
Lilian blinked. Then her entire face lit up. "Yes! Yes!"
He laughed gently. "Alright then. Give me your hand."
Tiny fingers slipped into his palm. Her father closed his eyes briefly.
"Now don't be surprised, okay?"
In the next moment, flames bloomed around their joined hands—soft, warm, and shimmering like living feathers.
"Ahh! Fire!" Lilian squeaked, trying to pull back.
Her father held her gently. "It's okay. Don't worry. This is our family's magic."
Lilian stared, mesmerized as he continued:
"The Phoenix Flames. They can burn through anything… yet also regenerate and heal. This is our legacy."
"Daddy's amazing!" Lilian beamed. "Will I be able to use magic like this someday?"
He smiled proudly. "Yes. One day, you'll use magic just like me."
"Then I'll become the legendary witch!" she declared.
He laughed warmly. "Yes, my little bunnymuffin. Yes, you will."
Their laughter echoed—and the memory faded.
Lilian blinked as the memory dissolved, returning to the present. A soft smile lingered on her face. (If Father were here… he wouldn't want me feeling jealous. He'd want me to be happy for others.)
She exhaled gently. "Flint, you just need practice. Soon you'll be throwing fire like it's nothing."
Flint grinned. "Thanks, Lilian!"
Theo jogged beside Kairo, confusion turning into curiosity. "So… where exactly are we going?" he asked, sweeping branches aside.
Kairo only grinned, eyes sparkling with a barely contained excitement. "Just wait a little. You'll see. This is gonna be fun."
Theo and Flint exchanged eager, almost childlike grins, barely containing their excitement. Lilian only raised an eyebrow, puzzled by whatever had Kairo so hyped in the first place. They stepped out into a small clearing. Before them stood the same ruined stone structure and water-irrigation basin Kairo had discovered during his early days in this world. The narrow chute still carried clean water into the moss-covered basin, just as it had back then. Theo blinked. "What… is this place?"
Kairo puffed his chest slightly. "My farm."
"Farm?" Flint repeated, tilting his head.
"Yep," Kairo said proudly. "I found potatoes growing here a while back. I harvested what I could and replanted them. Today… we harvest again. And tonight—" he held up a finger dramatically, "—we feast."
Theo's eyes lit up instantly. "A harvest party? That's gonna be awesome!"
"I've never eaten potatoes before," Flint admitted, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "But I'm excited."
Behind them, Lilian let out a soft scoff, crossing her arms. "Potatoes? Is that what's got them all worked up?" She shook her head with a sigh. "Men are so simple."
But the three were already running ahead—Kairo leading the charge, Theo shouting in excitement, and Flint trying to keep up with a wide grin.
Kairo skidded to a stop at the edge of the garden patch, ready to show off his work, ready to taste the first harvest he had grown with his own hands.
But the moment he looked down, his face froze.
The patch had been torn apart—dirt shoveled out violently, deep claw marks raked through the soil. Every potato plant was gone.
All three stood speechless.
Then Kairo dropped to his knees, eyes wide with disbelief. "Noooo! My potatoes!"
Heavy footprints trailed away from the ruined patch, leading into the forest.
To he continued.....