Kael sat beneath the crimson blossom tree at the heart of Flamecrest Estate, a small spell manual resting open in his hands. Morning sunlight filtered through the layered canopy overhead, breaking into shifting streams of gold that danced across the stone paths and trimmed hedges of the academy gardens. Firelilies bloomed along the edges of the courtyard, their scarlet petals glistening with beads of dew. A cool breeze drifted through the grounds, carrying their faint, warm fragrance with it.
Across from him, Lyra cradled a porcelain cup of herbal tea between both hands. Wisps of steam curled upward and vanished into the morning air. Her gaze wasn't fixed on anything in particular. It moved slowly across the distant trees, over passing students, toward the walls beyond.
Kael turned a page but didn't actually read it.
"You're awfully quiet today."
Lyra blinked, then glanced at him. A lock of auburn hair had fallen across her face. She brushed it back behind her ear absentmindedly.
"Just thinking."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Something feels... off lately."
Kael looked up this time.
There was something in the way she said it—not dramatic, not anxious. Just... a small irregularity she couldn't place.
Before he could ask anything, hurried footsteps slapped against stone.
Both of them turned.
Oliver came barreling down the path, breathing heavily, his clothes carrying traces of dirt and dried leaves. His grin stretched across his face despite the light sheen of sweat clinging to his forehead.
"Good morning, Kael! Lyra!"
Kael stared for a moment.
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning," they answered together.
Oliver bent forward, hands on his knees, taking several exaggerated breaths.
Lyra tilted her head.
"Where have you been?"
Oliver straightened and flashed a grin.
"Hunting."
Kael frowned immediately.
"Hunting?"
"Yeah." Oliver scratched his cheek with a chuckle. "Did a lot of it too. Though..." He sighed dramatically. "Had to send most of what we gathered back to the clan."
Lyra brought the cup to her lips.
"How generous of them."
Her dry tone made Oliver wince.
Kael studied him carefully.
"Where exactly did you go?" he asked. "And why didn't you invite us?"
Oliver's grin widened.
"Spiritreach Wilds."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"And I wasn't exactly invited either." Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda forced my way in."
"Hehe."
Before either of them could react, Oliver suddenly stepped forward, grabbed both their wrists, and started dragging them.
"Come on, come on."
"Oliver—"
"What are you—"
He ignored them completely and pulled them beneath the shade of the crimson blossom tree toward a circular stone table tucked beneath its branches.
Petals drifted lazily around them as he shoved Kael and Lyra into seats before dropping into the chair opposite them with a dramatic sigh.
Kael stared at him.
Slowly.
Suspiciously.
It had been years.
Years since Oliver had acted like this around them.
Distance had a way of changing people. Small conversations disappeared. Shared meals became occasional greetings. Old resentments settled into quiet spaces no one bothered crossing.
Yet now...
Oliver sat there as if none of it had ever happened.
Like they were children again.
Lyra crossed one leg over the other.
"So..." she said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "What's so special about this hunt?"
Oliver leaned forward immediately, eyes gleaming.
"Orin, Darius, and Ronan were the ones going."
Lyra blinked.
"You joined them?"
Her eyebrows climbed.
"That's bold."
"They're all still Low Tier."
"That's what I thought too!" Oliver laughed. "At first."
Kael's expression shifted.
The moment Ronan's name entered the conversation, something tightened behind his eyes.
A small movement.
Barely noticeable.
But Lyra caught it.
"So?" she pressed.
Oliver's smile faded slightly.
"We went."
Silence.
Kael stared at him.
Then abruptly stood.
"Are you okay?"
Oliver blinked.
"What?"
"Were you injured?" Kael grabbed his arm immediately, examining him. "Move your sleeve. Let me see."
Oliver stared.
Lyra stared.
Kael frowned deeper.
"Did you get burned? Bitten? Poisoned? Spiritreach isn't somewhere you casually—"
"I'm fine!"
Oliver laughed and pulled his arm back.
"I'm fine, Kael."
He shook his head.
"Just tired."
His voice softened.
"A few days of rest and I'll be good as new."
Kael slowly sat down again, though his expression remained dark.
"You shouldn't have gone."
"Oh, come on." Oliver waved him off. "Can't you even guess why we were hunting?"
Lyra shrugged.
"Materials for the competition."
"Correct."
Oliver grinned.
"But not entirely."
Kael and Lyra exchanged confused looks.
Oliver leaned back.
"The hunt was for Lady Ishulane."
Lyra nearly snorted.
"What exactly were they planning to hunt that would interest her?"
"I don't know if it'd interest her." Oliver shrugged. "But Ronan said they're not from noble factions, so maybe she'd actually accept something from them."
He rolled his eyes.
"Unlike certain families trying to buy favour."
Then his expression grew serious.
"Actually... that's not all."
His hand moved toward his storage ring.
A faint shimmer spread through the air.
Light gathered above the table.
Then a crystal orb slowly emerged.
Golden radiance bloomed beneath the crimson branches.
Inside the transparent sphere, a golden core pulsed softly.
Once.
Twice.
Like twin suns breathing.
The light reflected across their faces.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"...Primordial Flame Core?"
Kael nearly stood again.
"Where did you get that?"
Oliver scratched his cheek.
"Uh..."
Lyra stared at him.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
"Don't tell me..." she said.
Her voice had suddenly gone thin.
"You went to Cinderspire Nest?"
She sounded like she was joking.
But her fingers had tightened around her cup.
Kael dragged a hand down his face.
"Oh, for the love of—"
He looked at Oliver.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that place is?"
Oliver immediately raised both hands.
"We didn't go deep!"
Kael wasn't listening.
"Cinderspire Nest?" His voice rose. "You willingly entered Cinderspire—"
"Kael."
Oliver's grin had disappeared.
"Ronan's clone Rai found the place."
Kael stopped.
Oliver continued.
"He brought this out."
He pointed toward the core.
"We only held off a Flame Hound."
Silence settled over the table.
Petals drifted between them.
Then Oliver looked directly at Kael.
"Ronan also told me to give this to you."
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"But..." Oliver continued quietly, "he said Flamecrest can't know it came from him."
Kael didn't answer.
His jaw slowly tightened.
Lyra looked at the glowing core.
Then at Oliver.
"Don't you want to keep it?"
Oliver stared at the orb for several seconds.
Then laughed softly.
Not his usual loud, carefree laugh.
A quieter one.
"You remember the rules."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Everything goes to the treasury first."
His smile twisted slightly.
"And then they decide if we're 'worthy' enough."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"I already know how that ends."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Lyra looked at him.
Really looked.
At the easy smile he wore.
The way his eyes didn't quite match it.
Oliver turned toward her.
"So..." he said. "Will you help me?"
Lyra blinked.
For a second, she just stared.
Oliver waved a hand in front of her face.
"Oi."
No reaction.
"Lyra?"
Still nothing.
"Did your soul leave your body?"
She snapped back instantly.
"Wha—"
Her face stiffened.
Then she snatched the core from him.
"Fine."
She looked away.
"I'll help."
Oliver's face brightened instantly.
"Really?"
"Yes, yes."
He grinned so widely his eyes nearly disappeared.
"I'll treat you next time."
Then his expression slowly shifted.
"Actually..."
He looked toward Lyra again.
"Have you ever felt something strange about Ronan?"
Lyra frowned.
"Strange?"
"His Ice Flame."
She grew quiet.
After several seconds, she nodded.
"...There's something underneath it."
Her fingers tightened slightly around her cup.
"Something I can't explain."
Oliver leaned forward.
"Exactly."
His voice dropped.
"During the hunt, Ronan advanced."
Kael and Lyra looked at him.
"Flame wisps appeared around him."
He shrugged.
"Normal."
Then he swallowed.
"But when that Crimson Flame... that Innate Flame appeared..."
Oliver rubbed his arms.
His smile had completely disappeared.
"My own flame hid."
Silence.
"I couldn't feel it anymore."
He stared at his hand.
"It was like it vanished."
"The only thing I could think of was exhaustion, but..."
He looked up.
"...I can't shake it."
Lyra frowned.
"You're a Master Tier."
She shook her head slowly.
"Ronan's still an Adept."
"That kind of suppression shouldn't happen."
"Maybe you pushed yourself too hard."
Oliver nodded.
But said nothing.
Some things sounded ridiculous when spoken aloud.
Some things needed time.
The tension eventually eased.
Oliver began recounting the hunt again, waving his arms dramatically as he described near-disasters and panicked moments. Kael interrupted occasionally to point out how stupid certain decisions had been. Lyra questioned details with increasing disbelief.
Soon laughter replaced silence.
Petals continued falling around them.
And beneath the crimson blossom tree, for the first time in years, the distance between the three of them no longer felt so wide.
Orin stood outside Alaric's office with his hand raised.
Then lowered it.
Raised it again.
He stared at the polished wooden door for a few seconds before finally knocking.
Three quick raps.
"Sir, may I come in?"
Inside, papers shifted.
A calm voice answered.
"Come in."
Orin stepped inside quietly and shut the door behind him.
The familiar scent of parchment, ink, and old wood greeted him immediately.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows behind Alaric's desk, illuminating stacks of reports and scattered documents.
Alaric sat behind them with a quill in hand, signing papers without pause.
For a few moments, he didn't even look up.
"Good morning, Uncle."
A smile slowly spread across Orin's face.
Alaric finally glanced up.
Then paused.
"Hm."
He set the quill down.
"So you finally decided to return."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...And you've advanced."
Amusement flickered across his expression.
"Interesting."
"I was preparing something to help with that."
Orin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Hehe..."
"Sorry."
"I didn't want to bother you."
Alaric folded his hands.
"Where were you?"
"We went hunting."
Orin instantly regretted how casually that sounded.
Alaric raised a brow.
"Hunting where?"
"Spiritreach Wilds."
Silence.
"With Ronan, Oliver, and Darius."
Now, Alaric was fully looking at him.
"What exactly were you hunting?"
Orin looked away.
"...Actually..."
"...Ronan and Darius needed a Rank Five Lunara Moth and an Auracrest Fawn."
Alaric stared at him.
Then gave a short laugh.
Not because it was funny.
The kind people made when deciding whether to be angry.
"I hope," he said very slowly, "that taught all of you a valuable lesson."
He leaned back.
"Two Adept Tiers and two fresh Masters."
"Against Rank Five beasts."
His eyes narrowed.
"Foolish."
He picked up his quill again, though concern had already settled into his expression.
"You do know Rank Five monsters rarely travel alone, right?"
Orin suddenly felt the room become much smaller.
Because somehow...
He had a feeling the difficult part of this conversation had not started yet.