Ten years later, Dale and Francis had both reached the age of twenty-six, no longer the children they once were.
Time had tempered them in different ways, shaping their paths according to their natures.
Francis formally took over the rule of Deep Coast City, inheriting both its authority and its burdens.
Under his governance, the city flourished—order was maintained, trade prospered, and no external force dared provoke its defenses.
His strength was no longer merely inherited; it was refined through discipline and experience, earning him genuine respect rather than fear alone.
Riley did not neglect his children in matters of power.
He personally guided them onto a path toward strength and longevity, granting them methods that far surpassed anything known in the mortal world.
While these methods were still inferior to those he had bestowed upon his wives and maidservants, they were nonetheless overwhelming by mortal standards.
