Bilric Ramel

Today feels different. There’s a strange buzz in the capital—too many people moving with purpose, even inside the house. Someone important must be visiting.

I've been training alone for the past couple of months, ever since Master Grey left. He only stayed for two weeks, but with his guidance, I learned so much. How to feel my element, how to gather it, how to use it. He was a tremendous help… and all he asked for in return was food.

I was so absorbed in my training—so excited—I didn’t stop to ask the real question: What was a man like that doing just outside the Ramel mansion? Should I tell Father? That might put my progress at risk. I still have so many questions. If he returns, I’ll ask them. I know it’s selfish, but he never seemed like a threat to my family. Master Grey felt… good.

Lost in thought, a sharp pinch hit my back.

"GAH!" I yelped, practically jumping out of my skin.

Laughter erupted behind me.

“You keep trying,” Simon said between laughs, “but I still manage to sneak up on you. A little pinch and you jump like a frog!”

“Yeah. Hilarious,” I muttered, rubbing my back, a little annoyed.

“Don’t give me that look, Bilric,” he grinned. “I’ve got exciting news for you.”

“Exciting news?” I replied, trying to sound uninterested. But something about the way he said it hooked me.

“From my own source,” he bragged, “I heard that Charta is officially hosting the exchange event next month. And we… might be selected as candidates.”

His tone was casual, but my heart skipped. The exchange event?

He went on, “Me? I’m not too thrilled about joining. But you? I think this is your kind of thing.”

This time I couldn't hide my grin. After months of training, this might finally be the chance to show what I’ve learned. This was it—my moment.

As we kept talking about the exchange event for hours, my excitement only grew—but for different reasons than Simon. I was more curious about the other candidates. How strong could they be? What kind of training did they receive? I wanted to measure myself against them, to test my limits.

Simon, on the other hand, seemed more fixated on the event's purpose—what the nations hoped to gain from it, the political games behind the scenes. I understood why he wasn't exactly thrilled about joining. Our older brother, Gurd, had been chosen during the last exchange program. He joined Opeur's elite academy... but we all know how that ended.

That’s the thing. I don’t plan on leaving Charta either. I just want to enter the event, show what I’ve learned, and prove myself. That’s all. I’m not going anywhere—I’ll make that clear to Father, too.

We were still deep in discussion when a sudden voice interrupted.

“You two! Come here—your father is waiting for both of you!” our mother called out, waving us over from across the garden.

“Yes, Mother! We're coming!” we replied in unison, quickly straightening up and heading her way.

We stepped into the room expecting to find Father, but instead, we were met by the piercing gaze of a man we didn’t recognize. Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes—though even as we looked, the color of his eyes began to shift. Blue to steel grey… then brighter… glowing.

His stare locked onto Simon first.

The moment felt like a wave hitting me in the chest. I could see Simon tense, his body stiffening, knees trembling slightly like the ground beneath him was suddenly unsteady. The air grew thick with pressure—heavy, suffocating. My skin prickled as if something unseen was pressing down on it.

Then the man's eyes moved to me.

In that instant, I felt as if an enormous eye had opened behind me—watching, dissecting, piercing through the back of my skull while the man scanned me from the front. My breath caught. Was this fear? No, it was deeper. Older. My body trembled without my permission.

"That's enough, Alfrid," a voice boomed.

Father.

The man’s eyes instantly cooled, turning back to their natural blue. The weight lifted. I could finally breathe again.

"Apologies, boys. Didn't mean to frighten you," the man said casually, as if he hadn’t just crushed the room under his gaze.

I gasped inwardly. What the hell was that? I thought. I turned to Simon—he looked just like I felt: shaken, pale, rattled.

Mother entered and quickly wrapped both of us in a tight embrace. Her expression was filled with quiet apology, and without a word, she gently led us out of the room.