Morning came quietly.
The first light was thin, silver, and cold, like a shy visitor stepping into the ruins of a night that had not yet fully died. Dew clung to the grass, trembling softly in the morning breeze. The forest air held that strange stillness that always followed a night filled with nightmares and whispered truths.
Kaelira was already awake.
She sat against a fallen log, eyes sharp and unblinking, posture calm yet watchful. Her black hair fell loosely over her shoulder, catching glints of pale morning light. For a moment, she observed the forest as though listening to a language only she understood.
Meera was awake too… but not well.
Her breaths came slow, shallow-the kind that carried exhaustion mixed with something older, heavier. Yet she smiled faintly when she noticed Kaelira watching her.
Kaelira leaned in slightly. "Are you alright?"
Meera nodded, forcing her voice into something steady. "Mm… don't worry. I'll manage."
Kaelira didn't believe her. She noticed the slight tremor in Meera's fingertips, the way her eyelids seemed heavier than before. But she didn't press. Not yet.
Instead, she moved toward the two sleeping figures.
Edward and Alan slept near the dying fire, curled within their cloaks. Alan's brow was furrowed even in sleep, shadows clinging to the edges of his expression. Edward, on the other hand, slept lightly-half-alert even in dreams, as though protecting something he didn't want to lose again.
Kaelira crouched and touched Edward's shoulder lightly.
"Wake up."
Edward stirred instantly, rubbing his eyes. "Mm… what?..it's already morning…?"
She tapped Alan's shoulder as well. "Get ready. We don't have time to stay."
Alan woke slowly, blinking through the fog of exhaustion. His chest felt hollow, like a glass vessel that had been emptied too quickly.
Edward sat up with a stretch, yawning loudly before flashing a tired grin. "Morning already? That was quick…"
After a while.
Kaelira stood, dusted her clothes,"Let's go " she began walking.
The two followed.
Behind them, Meera gently pressed her hand on the tree trunk for support. She inhaled deeply, steadied herself, and began walking without a sound.
But Alan noticed.
Her steps were slower. Her breathing is shallower. Something wasn't right.
Yet Meera smiled at him when his eyes met hers-as if hiding her truth behind gentleness.
For a while, they walked in silence.
Leaves rustled around them, carrying faint scents of earth and morning rain. Edward glanced at Kaelira, finally asking.
"So… where are we going now?"
"Altheris Kingdom," Kaelira answered without looking back.
Edward blinked. "Altheris Kingdom? That's new to me."
Alan's voice cut through the silence-soft, fragile, but clear.
"Why? Why are we going there?"
Kaelira gave a small smile. "Mmm"
Then she glanced at Alan over her shoulder.
"Because… there is a person I know who can help you. In Altheris, you'll have a place to live-as long as you work."
Edward tilted his head. "What about you?"
Kaelira's expression shifted, soft but distant. "Mm… I want to see someone in Altheris. After that… I have something to do."
Edward felt something cold slide through his chest. "So… you'll leave… after that?"
"Most likely," Kaelira replied. "But don't worry, Edward. You will be safe in the Altheris Kingdom."
Edward forced a smile, but the sadness in his eyes didn't hide well.
Kaelira noticed.
She didn't comment.
Instead, her gaze turned to Alan-longer, heavier, as if a puzzle she couldn't quite solve sat in front of her.
Her voice lowered.
"Alan… that is your name, right?"
"Yes."Alan replied.
"You said you're also from that village?"
Edward quickly jumped in with nervous laughter. "Haha-yeah, he is-"
Kaelira's cold stare froze him instantly.
"I wasn't asking you."
Edward coughed and stepped back.
Kaelira's gaze returned to Alan. "So… where are you really from?"
Alan hesitated. His throat tightened.
"…I… I don't know."
Kaelira blinked.
"I don't… remember anything. All I remember is my name."
A long silence passed.
Kaelira looked forward again. "Memory loss, hm? Understandable. Don't push yourself." But her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She wasn't convinced.
They walked for hours until Kaelira finally raised her hand. "Rest here."
Edward flopped onto the ground with a dramatic groan. "My legs have filed a complaint against me."
Meera giggled softly-a thin, breathy laugh that faded too quickly. Alan sat quietly, his thoughts knotted, distant.
After a moment, he lifted his gaze to Kaelira.
"I… have questions."
Kaelira nodded.
Alan swallowed, his breath catching for a moment before the words finally slipped out.
"Before I met Edward… I encountered a monster," he said slowly, as if speaking the memory made it real again. "And later, Edward and I… we fought another one. Something twisted. Something wrong."
His fingers unconsciously curled, remembering the weight of fear on his skin.
"They didn't look like ordinary creatures," Alan continued, voice low.
"They looked more terrifying… like something born from nightmares, with movements that felt completely uncontrollable. Their rage-" he shook his head.
He looked at Kaelira then, searching for answers in her unreadable gaze.
"What are they?"
Kaelira's eyes dimmed.
"…Those are low-level monsters. We call them Horragons."
Edward almost choked on his own spit. "LOW LEVEL?! That's was terrifying, a near death experience."
Kaelira's gaze flicked between Alan and Edward.
"You two defeated Horragons? Without awakening? That is… impressive."
Edward puffed his chest proudly. "Heh… yeah, you know, I'm strong."
Alan quietly smiled, shaking his head at Edward's Dramatic Art.
Then Alan's tone shifted.
"So… about the clans you mentioned last night…"
Edward added, "Yeah, I'm curious too."
Kaelira rose to her feet, brushing dust from her robe.
"Then listen carefully."
The forest air grew still.
Kaelira lifted her gaze, her voice steady and calm, yet carrying the weight of history.
"The five primary clans… the original bloodlines of Arathen.
Clan of Aetherion - The Forgers,
Clan of Shadowthrone -Heirs of the Darkness,
Clan of Moonlight - The First Lightbearers,
Clan of Chronomancer - Keepers of the Lost Timeflow,
Clan of Cataclysm - Bearers of the World's Fury."
Alan listened closely, but Kaelira wasn't finished.
"To keep the purity of their abilities, each clan follows an ancient law- Only members of the same clan may marry."
Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Wait-only the same clan? Seriously?"
Kaelira nodded. "Yes. Because when different clans merge, the consequences can be severe."
She lifted one hand, fingers brushing the hilt of her blade. "Infertility is the most common result. Sometimes the child is never born, or the pregnancy ends early. Other times, the child survives but with unstable powers. Power that flickers, collapses, or turns against the body itself. Some are born with… defects."
Alan felt a chill run through him.
Meera looked down, quietly absorbing the words.
"But…" Kaelira continued, "There are exceptions."
Alan lifted his head. "Exceptions?.."
"Yes." Her voice lowered. "Sometimes, two clans are compatible. Their union does not destroy… but reshapes. From such rare marriages, Hybrid Clans are born, the ten secondary Clans."
She traced a half-circle in the air with her hand, as if mapping the flow of bloodlines.
"These hybrid clans carry intertwined powers," Kaelira said. She added calmly, "And hybrid clans lose many of their parents' original abilities. The pure powers don't survive the merge."
Edward blinked. "So they get weaker?"
"Not weaker," Kaelira replied. "Just different. Their old abilities fade… but they gain new ones, sometimes related, sometimes different.
Alan nodded, Alan looked between them, quiet… but his thoughts were far away. "Fifteen clans. Fifteen paths of power."
Edward rubbed his temples. "Okay, yep, my head spinning again."
Meera laughed softly.
Edward grinned with pride at her reaction, then pointed at Alan. "See? Even she finds me funny."
Alan watched them-watched the effortless warmth between them. He felt like a distant shadow standing beside a fire he wasn't sure he deserved.
A bond he should have had… but didn't.
And yet. Somewhere deep inside a small smile flickered to life. Quiet, Fragile.
A warmth he didn't understand.
Edward then leaned forward. "So how do I know which clan I am from?"
Kaelira shrugged lightly. "You'll know when your ability awakens."
Silence fell after that.
Alan glanced at Kaelira, then turned his head away. So many questions churned in his mind- the vision, the truth behind it, but not here, not now. He needed to understand, yet he couldn't ask everything… not yet.
Edward broke the silence. "So are we staying here or what?"
Kaelira exhaled. "No. Let's move."
Meera tried to rise, but her legs betrayed her, trembling violently beneath her. Her body wavered, tilting dangerously, Edward was there in an instant, catching her before she could collapse.
"Mother! What's wrong?!" His voice cracked with fear, eyes wide with panic.
Meera forced a fragile smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I… I'm fine," she murmured, voice barely audible. "Just… a little dizzy."
"You're sick," Edward whispered, his hand tightening around her as though sheer grip could anchor her to safety. "And we've been pushing too hard…"
Without another word, he lifted her effortlessly onto his back, the urgency in his movements betraying his fear.
Meera rested her cheek against his shoulder, Her voice, soft and trembling, was almost a whisper against the wind. "…Thank you, Edward…"
Kaelira watched the scene with quiet calculation.
"We cannot continue like this. Meera needs treatment," she said firmly. "There is a village nearby. We'll rest there. After that, we move toward Altheris."
Edward nodded immediately.
Alan followed in silence.
Toward the Village
After a while.
The road grew narrower, winding through thinning trees, their branches arching overhead like skeletal fingers. Light dappled the path in shifting patterns, and the air carried the faint scent of damp earth and pine.
At the edge of the valley, the forest finally gave way. Small houses emerged-simple wooden huts with thatched roofs, smoke curling lazily from uneven chimneys. The village seemed fragile, as if it had grown slowly from necessity rather than design. Each hut stood apart, leaving wide spaces where wild grass and small gardens struggled against the wilderness.
A man chopping wood noticed them approaching.
Kaelira approached him directly. "Is there a healer here?"
The man looked at the group, paused, and finally said, "Yes. Go straight ahead. A blue house on the right corner."
Kaelira gave a short nod and resumed walking.
Edward stared at her, mouth open.
Then whispered to Alan,
"How rude… she didn't even say thank you…"
Alan nodded stiffly. "…Yeah."
And with that, they walked into the village, toward uncertain safety, toward Altheris, toward truths waiting in quiet shadows.