As the family began the process of cleaning up and preparing for bed—their last night in the old house—Thorne caught Vaelor's eye and jerked his head toward the back porch.
The promised conversation about his mother.
[AN: Time for some generic cliche plot, dont blame me, imagination is hard]
Vaelor followed his father outside into the cool night air. The stars shone clearly above Thornhaven City, undimmed by the modest light pollution from their neighborhood.
Thorne leaned against the porch railing, his expression serious but more open than Vaelor had seen in years. The vulnerability from earlier hadn't fully receded—his father was still in that rare state of emotional honesty that allowed difficult truths to emerge.
"Your mother," Thorne began, his voice quiet but steady. "Isn't dead."
Vaelor remained silent, letting his father speak at his own pace.
"Or at least," Thorne continued, "I don't believe she is. Though I can't prove it, and I've been searching for seventeen years without success."
He turned to face his son directly, golden eyes meeting golden eyes.
"She disappeared the night you were born. Not died—disappeared. Without explanation, without even a warning, leaving only a letter that raised more questions than it answered."
Thorne reached into his pocket and produced a folded piece of paper—worn from years of handling, the edges softened by countless readings.
"She wrote that she had to leave to protect us. That staying would bring danger to both you and me. That powerful forces were involved, and the only way to keep us safe was to vanish completely."
He handed the letter to Vaelor.
The paper was indeed old, the ink slightly faded but still legible. Vaelor's enhanced perception immediately noted several things: the handwriting was elegant but hurried, the paper quality was far superior to anything his father could have afforded seventeen years ago, and there were faint traces of residual energy—something beyond mortal capability—embedded in the fibers.
The letter read:
My dearest Thorne,
By the time you read this, I will be gone. Please understand that this decision breaks my heart, but it is the only way to protect our son and you.
Forces beyond your current understanding are involved. My presence endangers both of you in ways I cannot fully explain. If I stay, they will find me—and they will destroy everything I love to get what they want.
I've sealed Vaelor's potential. He will appear completely ordinary, without talent or exceptional gifts. This is mercy, not cruelty. Let him live a normal life, safe from the attention my bloodline would bring.
Please raise him with love. Teach him to be kind, strong, and wise. If fate allows, we will meet again when he's powerful enough to stand beside me without being destroyed.
I love you both more than life itself. Never doubt that.
—A?????/085u48 (I haven't thought of a name yet)
Vaelor read the letter twice, his Absolute Insight analyzing every detail.
She sealed my potential, he thought with sudden comprehension. That's why the original Vaelor was considered talentless. Not because he lacked ability, but because it was deliberately suppressed.
So when I awakened, it must have broken that seal. Which explains the sudden 'awakening' that seemed to come from nowhere. All that pent up potential awakened exploded forth in a second, making me awaken a Primordial Rank Talent and System.
"I've tried to find her," Thorne continued, his voice rough with old pain. "Spent every spare moment searching, investigating, following every possible lead. But it's like she vanished from existence entirely. No records, no traces, no witnesses. Nothing."
He gripped the railing tightly, knuckles white. "I told you she died because it was easier than explaining I had no idea where she was or whether she was even alive. Easier than admitting I'd failed to protect her, failed to find her."
"You didn't fail," Vaelor said quietly. "If she went into hiding deliberately, with access to power beyond normal understanding, then of course you couldn't find her. She didn't want to be found."
Thorne looked at his son with surprise, then grudging acceptance. "Perhaps. But it still feels like failure."
"Do you have any clues about these 'forces' she mentioned?" Vaelor asked, carefully refolding the letter and handing it back.
"A few theories, nothing concrete." Thorne tucked the letter back into his pocket—he clearly kept it close always. "Based on that residual energy you undoubtedly noticed, she wasn't just a normal civilian. She had cultivation abilities, possibly quite advanced."
"I met her at a border outpost twenty years ago," he continued. "She appeared out of nowhere during a particularly bad Rift incursion, helped us close the breach, then vanished again, she seemed badly injured. I tracked her down afterward, and we... connected."
His expression softened with memory. "She was brilliant, powerful, kind, mysterious. She never spoke much about her past, but I knew she was running from something. I just never imagined it would catch up with her the night our son was born."
Vaelor processed this information, cross-referencing it with his knowledge of this world's power structures and hidden factions.
A woman powerful enough to seal a Primordial-grade talent. Advanced enough in cultivation to evade detection for seventeen years. Connected to forces that even she feared might destroy those around her.
That suggests either very high-level cultivation sects, ancient bloodline clans, or possibly something from beyond this planet entirely.
"I'm telling you now," Thorne said, "because you're strong enough to hear it. And because you deserve the truth about your mother. She loved you—loves you. Whatever she did, she did to protect you."
"I understand," Vaelor said. "And I don't blame her. Or you. You both did what you thought was right."
He met his father's gaze steadily. "When I'm strong enough—and I will be—I'll find her. I'll learn what these 'forces' are. And I'll make sure she never has to hide again."
Thorne's eyes glistened with moisture that refused to fall. "You've already surpassed me. In just three days, you've reached heights I spent twenty years trying to achieve. If anyone can find her..."
"I will," Vaelor confirmed with absolute certainty. "That's a promise."
They stood together on the porch for a while longer, father and son connected by shared determination and the mystery of a woman who'd loved them enough to disappear.
Eventually, Thorne clapped his son on the shoulder. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be chaotic with the move."
"You too, Father."