"Don't make it too interesting," Catherine said quietly as she helped Aster to his feet. "I don't want you becoming just a story one day."
Aster huffed a weak laugh, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice.
"Oh, and about the sword, Cat… for some reason, I can wield mana with it."
She stopped mid-step. Slowly turned to him.
"…Now that's a whole other mess," she said. "You were born a deviant. People like you aren't supposed to have mana. Quote unquote."
"Yeah," Aster murmured. "But for some reason, that sword lets me."
Catherine stared at him for a long moment, then let out a low whistle.
"Huh. Guess you just picked up yourself a legendary problem." She smirked. "Makes me wonder if I should go dragon hunting too. Who knows, maybe I'll get a cool dagger like yours." she air between her fingers. "I was this close to stealing it off you, you know."
Aster snorted.
Her smile faded.
"But seriously," Catherine said, voice softer now. "Don't do that again. I really thought I'd lost my best friend." She hesitated, then added, "And you scared Eloise half to death."
Aster looked away, guilt tugging at his chest.
"…Sorry," he said.
Catherine bumped his shoulder. "Yeah. You better be."
"You know," Aster said quietly, glancing at his siblings, "I really needed that money."
Catherine smiled and patted his shoulder. "Yeah. But they need you more."
He exhaled, shoulders easing just a little.
"Now," she added, grin spreading, "about my settlement for sealing my mouth."
Aster shot her a look. "You really know how to make a deal. Don't tell me you gamble now too."
"Hey," Catherine said, mock offended. "Only at cup games. And technically, I facilitate
"Well then they're definitely going to lose," Aster replied. "I bet you keep the dice in your sleeves."
Catherine leaned in, eyes gleaming. "You betting how much, sir?"
Aster snorted. "It's a miracle Mr. Milford hasn't kicked you out yet."
"Oh, please," she waved him off. "He's addicted. Invited his friends and everything." She paused, then added with a grin, "But I play fair. Mostly."
Aster raised a brow. "You still have an advantage. Fast hands."
Catherine tapped her fingers together. "Talent is not cheating. It's just… destiny."
They returned to their humble home under a quiet, watchful sky.
By the time Eloise and Rowan were asleep, breaths slow and even, Aster slipped out the door and into the forest. The night air was cool, damp with moss and old leaves. Crickets hummed. Somewhere far off, an owl called.
He drew the dagger.
Moonlight slid across the blade, revealing its sharp, deliberate edge. The purple metal looked fractured yet flawless, as if it had survived being broken and refused to forget it. The black serpent coiled along the hilt, scales smooth beneath his fingers, red eyes glinting faintly.
Aster exhaled.
"Okay," he muttered. "Show me what you've got."
He swung.
Nothing.
"…Huh."
He tried again, a wider arc. Still nothing. No pulse. No heat. Just steel and air.
"Heyaa," he said, swinging to the left.
Silence.
Up. Down. Right. Left.
The only response was a sudden flurry of bats erupting from the trees, screeching in outrage as they fled the noise.
"Oh come on," Aster hissed. "Why won't you work, you stupid Everanth!"
The serpent tightened.
Mana exploded.
Aster yelped as the dagger coiled hard around his hand, purple light bursting outward in rippling waves. He stumbled backward and fell, hitting the ground as fluctuating mana spiraled around him like a living storm.
Trees groaned.
A blast tore through the forest, bark splitting as a nearby trunk shattered and crashed to the ground.
Aster lay there, staring at the sky, heart hammering.
"…Woah."
He slowly pushed himself up, eyes wide, staring at the dagger now humming softly in his grip.
"So," he said, breathless, "you only activate when I say your name, huh?"
The serpent loosened slightly, almost smug.
Aster snorted. "You're really choosy."
He glanced around at the scorched earth and fallen trees, then back at the blade.
"…Yeah," he added quietly. "We're going to have words about this."
"Okay… release, Everanth."
The grip loosened.
The coils slackened.
The dagger slipped from his hand and dropped softly into the grass.
Aster blinked.
"Woah. Nice," he said, impressed. "So you answer when I call you. Clever sword."
He stretched out his hand expectantly.
"Everanth, come here."
Nothing happened.
The dagger remained where it was, very still, very unimpressed.
"…Yeah," Aster muttered. "That really sounded like I was calling a pet."
He tried again, more formal this time.
"Everanth, come upon me."
Still nothing.
"Oh come on," he groaned. "What do I have to say?"
He clasped his hands together dramatically.
"Please, oh mighty Everanth."
Silence.
"…Too fancy."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well then. Everanth, almighty, please come upon me."
Nothing.
Aster squinted at the dagger.
"Hmmm."
Then he straightened.
No jokes. No sarcasm. Just intent.
"I summon you," he said. "Oh ancient sword, Everanth."
The air shifted.
Purple light rippled outward as the dagger lifted from the grass. The black serpent tightened around the hilt, eyes glowing as it floated into Aster's waiting hand, obedient at last.
Aster stared at it, stunned.
"…Wow," he murmured. "You really are picky."
The blade pulsed softly in response, pleased.
.....
The queen hummed softly as she stood before the old family portrait.
It was from a time when her beloved husband was still alive.
Leonard's blond hair and clear blue eyes seemed almost luminous beneath the fading lamplight. He stood tall and warm, one arm resting protectively behind her. All of them were smiling. Even the twins, Nikolai and Elodie, caught in a rare moment of childhood ease.
She traced the frame with her fingers.
She remembered carrying them, the weight of two lives beneath her heart. She remembered the priest's hushed awe when he spoke.
One of them carries the incarnation of the divine god Edrial, he had said. Mana capable of shaking and reshaping the kingdom itself.
Leonard had laughed then, bright and fearless. They had promised each other that no matter what the children were destined to be, they would be loved first.
When the twins were born, her joy had been overwhelming. Nikolai, strong and restless even in her arms. Elodie, quiet and watchful, her gaze already too sharp for an infant.
The priest had returned later with his conclusions. Nikolai was the incarnation, a Death Chanter blessed and cursed by divine mana. Elodie's mana fluctuated strangely, unstable yet profound. She could become a Seer, he had said.
Leonard had only smiled, lifting both children gently.
"I still want them to forge their own paths," he had told her.
Their happiness did not last.
The original heir, Leonard's brother Lenard, recovered from illness and seized the throne. Queen Eliza had known, even then, that her husband's death was no accident.
Her last memory of Leonard was his smile as he kissed her goodbye, promising to return from a meeting in the Iron Spike Highlands, bound for the kingdom of Galesphire.
He never came back.
A kingdom could not stand without a king. Lenard took the throne.
He married her.
The only way Eliza could preserve her husband's honor was to fulfill his final wish. Nikolai was to become Emperor of Eidralis. But Leonard's will had been clear.
Before the coronation, Nikolai must take a fiancée.
"I want Nikolai to find the love of his life before he is crowned," Leonard had said. "Just as you loved me before I was king."
The words echoed endlessly in her mind.
Eliza looked back at the portrait, tears finally slipping free.
"I'm so sorry it has come to this, my love," she whispered. "I truly do not know what I am doing anymore."
The candles flickered.
And somewhere far beyond palace walls, fate continued its quiet rearranging.
Beyond the palace walls, Nikolai sat atop the high tower roof, legs dangling over the edge as he watched the houses and villages spread out below the kingdom like scattered embers. Lanterns flickered to life one by one. People laughed, argued, lived. It all felt impossibly distant.
"You seem restless," Elodie said as she landed beside him in a light, practiced leap.
"Leave me alone," Nikolai muttered.
He didn't look at her.
"You're just here to scold me, aren't you?"
Elodie smiled faintly. "I was about to. But I figured Mother already did enough of that for the both of us." She chuckled, folding her legs neatly as she sat.
Nikolai scoffed. "Why the hell do I need a fiancée before coronation? Father was completely nuts."
"Well," Elodie said lightly, "like father, like son."
He shot her a look, then turned his gaze back to the town below. People moved like ants from this height, unaware of crowns, wars, or divine destinies pressing down on them.
"Well," Elodie continued, smirking, "you're not going to win anyone over with that mood. You're like three girls on their period rolled into one. No one knows what you want. Or what you need."
Nikolai snorted despite himself.
After a moment, his voice softened.
"I just want someone who listens," he said quietly. "I don't care about anything else. Just that."
Elodie studied him then, really looked at him. The storm inside her brother was loud, but that truth was simple. Bare. Human.
She said nothing.
And for once, the tower felt a little less cold.