Episode 52: The Subtle Rivalry Between Serina and Camilla
Serina had been summoned home by her mother after a long stretch of days buried in research. She had looked forward to some quiet time together, but her mother broached a different subject.
"Serina, you must attend this evening's social gathering. It's time you built connections and made yourself known."
Serina frowned. "Mother, you know I dislike those events. My experiments aren't even finished."
Her mother's reply was firm. "You're a grown woman now. No parent wishes their daughter to be seen as nothing but a recluse. Go. Dress yourself properly and attend."
Serina fell silent, unable to argue. Against her will, she found her thoughts drifting to Leon—the soldier who had stayed by her side without caring for rank or pedigree. With a sigh, she yielded to her mother's insistence. Dressed in a formal gown, she caught herself wondering what Leon might say if he saw her like this.
The gathering was awash with chandeliers, glittering jewels, and polite laughter. Serina moved awkwardly through the crowd until a familiar voice greeted her.
"Serina. It's been too long," said Camilla, the daughter of a long-established merchant family. Her smile was warm, but her tone was edged. "You look radiant tonight—quite befitting of a newly risen house."
The words carried the sting of a veiled barb.
Serina returned her smile smoothly. "Thank you, Camilla. It's true, we've been busy lately—so many eager to do business with us." Her confidence as the daughter of a rising family was plain.
Camilla's expression faltered, though she quickly regained her composure. "Well, my family has deep roots here. Perhaps I could help you learn how these gatherings truly work."
The rivalry between them simmered beneath their courteous words.
Then Adrian appeared. "What a coincidence—meeting both of you here," he said with a polished smile.
Camilla lit up immediately. "Adrian, it's been too long. I hear you were instrumental in crushing the rebellion?" She leaned subtly toward him, keen to draw his attention.
Even as Adrian engaged her politely, Mariel drifted in, exuding her usual effortless charm. She slipped easily into conversation with Adrian, her presence luminous enough to steal glances from all around.
Watching the others, Camilla tilted her head back toward Serina and, with feigned nonchalance, said, "That soldier you're often seen with—Leon, wasn't it? Strong fellow. Worthy of your… assistance, I suppose."
Serina caught the slight instantly. Calmly, she answered, "Leon is not simply a soldier. He's someone special to me. I don't measure people by their birth." Her tone was firm, her affection for Leon clear.
Camilla's smile wavered. She excused herself with grace, though her sidelong glance betrayed envy and resentment.
Meanwhile, Mariel observed everything with quiet amusement, noting the tangled webs of rivalry, pride, and affection.
That night, returning home, Serina reflected on it all. The posturing of families, the subtle attacks—none of it mattered compared to the simple warmth she shared with Leon. She resolved not to let the world's games sway her from the values she held dear.
**
Episode 53: A Gradual Closeness
The evening streets of the capital glowed under lantern light, alive with chatter and laughter. Leon, off duty at last, wandered with no particular destination. Ahead, two familiar figures caught his eye: Adrian and Mariel, walking side by side.
They seemed engrossed in each other's company. Mariel laughed often, her gaze fixed warmly on Adrian, who in turn answered with ease. The normally solemn mage looked uncharacteristically relaxed, his stride matching hers in quiet rhythm.
Leon paused. A flicker of wistfulness stirred in him, quickly followed by relief. Mariel had once turned her charm his way, but as his bond with Serina deepened, she had stepped back. Now, seeing her with Adrian, Leon felt the shift settle into place.
Mariel tilted her head, her voice soft. "Adrian, how do you remain so calm amidst the chaos of battle?"
He smiled faintly. "Discipline helps. But truthfully, it's the presence of someone beside you that steadies the heart." His glance lingered on her.
Her eyes shone. "Then perhaps I've been of some use tonight?"
Adrian's smile deepened. "More than you realize."
From a distance, Leon watched, emotions tangled. There was envy, perhaps—but also a strange lightness. Mariel no longer looks my way. The thought carried both sadness and relief. It freed him, in a sense. His path was clearer: Serina, and the simple truth of what they shared.
Turning away, he left them to their laughter. As he walked on, Leon found himself quietly hoping for their happiness, even as his own resolve grew firmer.
**
Episode 54: Faint Fragments of Memory
Serina finally found a rare moment of leisure and decided to stroll near the marketplace on the outskirts of town. The bustling alleys, crowded with people, felt both familiar and strangely distant. This was once a place she had visited often with her family as a child, but ever since her family had risen as new merchants, she had rarely returned. As she walked beneath the sky bathed in the glow of sunset, she came across a small, deserted clearing.
The clearing was nothing more than crumbling brick walls and wild weeds, yet it seemed to preserve the traces of memories long past. As Serina drew closer, an unnamed feeling welled up inside her, and fragments of childhood surfaced. She remembered her father, tirelessly selling his goods, while she ran off to play in this very clearing with other children her age. Those simple and peaceful days flickered through her memory. Yet, the faces of the friends she played with—their names, their voices—remained hazy, just out of reach.
Back then, Serina would slip away from her mother's hand and dart across the market, reveling in the taste of freedom. One such day, she arrived at this clearing where two children were already at play.
One was a boy waving a stick like a sword, shouting, "I'll be a knight someday!" That boy was Leon. The other was a spirited girl who declared, "I'm the greatest magician!" while pretending to cast spells with her small hands—Mariel.
Without hesitation, Serina joined them. Leon called himself a knight of the castle, swinging his stick valiantly. Mariel, with equal pride, claimed to be a mighty magician, chanting mock incantations over scattered stones. Laughing at their antics, Serina proclaimed, "Then I shall be the princess of this castle!" She darted behind a wooden post as if hiding within her fortress.
The three played without any concern for status or background, losing themselves in a world of make-believe. At times Leon and Mariel quarreled over who was stronger, only to burst into laughter moments later. None of them thought to ask each other's names; it was enough that they could run free together, weaving adventures in their imaginations.
Now, standing in front of the same clearing, Serina smiled softly. Warmth swelled in her chest, mingled with an odd sense of loss. She could recall the games, the laughter, the joy—but not the faces, not the names. Only the faint trace of belonging remained.
What Serina did not know was that both Leon and Mariel, too, carried fragments of that day. Leon sometimes remembered a "princess" he had once sworn to protect in play, alongside a bold little girl who called herself a magician. Mariel also recalled two companions from her childhood, though their features had blurred with time. None of them yet realized that the friends of those days were standing beside them now.
Serina left the market with the sunset at her back, her heart unexpectedly lightened. Though the memories were faint, she felt their warmth alive in her present life—with Leon and Mariel by her side. And in that moment, she renewed a quiet resolve: to treasure both the friends of the past and those walking with her now.
**
Episode 55: The Appearance of Ellahar
The suppression of the southern rebels had eased tensions in the kingdom of Elysium, but unrest had not vanished entirely. Rumors spread once more of corrupted elves prowling the borders, raiding villages and sowing fear. The royal intelligence bureau grew wary, and the soldiers whispered the stories among themselves.
Leon was dispatched on a patrol to the northern frontier. The night before, he had promised Serina he would return safely, and now he marched with his comrades through lands that seemed calm, yet carried whispers of danger.
In the shadowed forests of the north, an ominous presence stirred. A lone elf with crimson eyes and a cruel smile wandered beneath the trees—a corrupted elf, the same who had briefly appeared during the rebellion.
"A kingdom stuffed with humans," he muttered with disdain. "Noisy, filthy… utterly revolting."
At that moment, another figure emerged from the trees: Ellahar, an elf warrior with silver hair and piercing eyes. Hailing from the northern elf clans, he had been sent to eliminate the corrupted kin whose foul aura had reached his people's ears.
"You dare trespass at Elysium's border," Ellahar said firmly, standing before him. "What is your intent?"
The corrupted elf sneered. "Ellahar… so you've come yourself. Have the northern elves suddenly grown fond of playing watchdog for the humans?"
Ellahar's gaze did not waver. "I fight for what must be protected. If you threaten the peace of this land, then you are my enemy."
With a flash of malice, the corrupted elf lunged, his blade sweeping in a sudden strike. Ellahar parried, the clash ringing through the forest, but the ferocity of the assault forced him back. The corrupted elf's strikes were heavy, relentless, and vicious. Steel rang against steel as the two elves fought, neither yielding an inch.
Leon, passing nearby, froze at the sight. The speed of their blades was beyond him; he dared not intervene. Yet he felt it deep in his bones—this foe was a threat to the kingdom, and he could not simply stand by.
Summoning his courage, Leon seized a stone from the ground and hurled it at the corrupted elf.
"What are you staring at?" Leon called, his voice as steady as he could manage.
For the briefest instant, the corrupted elf's attention shifted. Ellahar seized the opening and struck with a powerful blow, driving his foe back.
Ellahar glanced at Leon and gave a small nod. "Reckless, human. But your courage spared me a dangerous moment."
Leon steadied his trembling hand and answered, "I only wish to protect this land's peace."
The corrupted elf smirked darkly as he retreated into the shadows. "Very well. I'll withdraw—for now. But Ellahar, I wonder how long your noble defense will look so noble… once your precious humans crumble." His voice faded with the darkness as he vanished.
Ellahar lowered his sword, exhaling slowly. "You've seen something even elves struggle to face. Do not take it lightly."
Leon bowed his head respectfully. "If peace is threatened, I cannot just stand by. Today I realized—I must grow stronger."
A faint smile touched Ellahar's lips. "Strength is not forged by the sword alone. If you carry a cause worth protecting, that is the truest source of your power."
That night, Leon walked back under the moonlight, his thoughts consumed by the battle he had witnessed. He felt the weight of his own weakness, but also a clearer resolve. Someday, he vowed, he would stand as Ellahar's equal—not as a bystander, but as one who could fight to protect what he held dear