Morning sunlight filtered through the towering trees.

The battlefield had fallen silent.

Only scattered black feathers drifted lazily on the breeze.

Ashen remained where he had frozen moments before, staring at the place where the monstrous bird had fallen.

Not a single piece of it remained intact.

The forest itself bore the scars of the battle.

Trees had been sliced cleanly in half.

The earth was carved with deep trenches.

Massive boulders had been reduced to rubble.

Slowly, Ashen turned toward Lyric.

She calmly wiped the blood from her sword with a small cloth.

As though everything that had just happened…

…was ordinary.

“…You’re amazing.”

The words escaped before he even realized he’d spoken them.

Lyric glanced at him.

A faint smile touched her lips.

“I’ve simply survived longer than most.”

Ashen looked back at the devastated clearing.

“…Will I ever become that strong?”

Lyric slid her sword back into its sheath.

Click.

“If you keep walking…”

“…perhaps.”

It wasn’t praise.

It wasn’t empty encouragement.

It was simply the truth.

Ashen found himself smiling.

Just a little.

⸻

The journey back to Briar Hollow was quieter than before.

For the first time…

Ashen didn’t spend the walk thinking about how weak he was.

Instead…

He replayed every movement Lyric had made.

Every step.

Every strike.

Every decision.

He realized something.

She never wasted a single motion.

Even in the middle of battle…

She remained calm.

⸻

By the time they reached the village gates, the sun was beginning to set.

One of the guards spotted them first.

“They’re back!”

His voice echoed through the village.

Within moments, people gathered near the entrance.

Children peeked out from behind their parents.

Hunters hurried over from the storage sheds.

Even the elderly woman Ashen had met the day before smiled as she saw them return.

Chief Voldon pushed through the crowd.

His eyes immediately searched behind them.

“…The beast?”

Lyric nodded.

“It’s dead.”

For a moment…

No one spoke.

Then relief swept through the crowd like a wave.

Someone laughed.

Someone else began to cry.

The fear that had gripped the village for weeks finally broke.

People embraced one another.

Several villagers bowed repeatedly before Lyric.

“Thank you…”

“You saved us.”

“We can hunt again.”

“Our children can leave the village.”

Ashen watched quietly.

This…

He realized…

…was what adventurers truly did.

They didn’t fight for glory.

They gave people hope.

⸻

Later that evening, Voldon invited them to his home for supper.

It wasn’t a grand feast.

The village simply couldn’t afford one.

But every family contributed what little they could.

Fresh bread.

Vegetable stew.

Roasted rabbit.

Wild berries.

To the people of Briar Hollow…

It was more than enough.

It was a celebration.

Ashen looked around the room.

For the first time since losing his home…

He heard laughter again.

It still hurt.

But…

Not as much as before.

⸻

As the evening wore on, most of the villagers returned to their homes.

Only Lyric, Ashen, and Voldon remained around the table.

The room grew quiet.

Lyric folded her hands.

“There is something I’d like to ask.”

Voldon nodded.

“Of course.”

“The mana beast.”

She paused.

“It wasn’t natural.”

“I’ve fought creatures like it before.”

“But something had changed it.”

Voldon’s expression darkened.

“We believed the same.”

Lyric leaned forward slightly.

“Has anything unusual happened in these forests recently?”

The chief frowned.

For several long moments…

He simply stared into the fire.

Then he spoke.

“There have been…”

He hesitated.

“…Rumors.”

Ashen immediately looked up.

“What kind of rumors?”

Voldon rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

“Travelers.”

“Hunters.”

“A few merchants.”

“They’ve all spoken about the same thing.”

Lyric remained silent.

Waiting.

“…People wearing long robes.”

“I was told they aren’t from around here.”

“If the stories are true…”

“…they came from the Capital.”

Ashen’s heartbeat stopped.

“They’re only rumors,” Voldon added quickly.

“No one has ever gotten close enough to identify them.”

“They always disappear into the forest.”

“They never enter the villages.”

“They simply…”

“…watch.”

Ashen’s hands began trembling beneath the table.

Long robes.

His breathing became shallow.

Fire.

Screams.

The village.

Virelia…

He shot to his feet so suddenly that his chair crashed backward.

CRASH!

“Where?!”

Voldon blinked.

“W-What?”

“Where did people see them?”

“When?”

“How many were there?”

His voice shook with desperation.

Hope filled his eyes for the first time in weeks.

Voldon looked stunned.

“I-I don’t know…”

“I only heard the stories…”

Ashen stepped forward.

“There has to be more!”

“There has to—”

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

Lyric.

He looked back.

She slowly shook her head.

“…That’s enough.”

“But—”

“If he knew more…”

“…he would’ve already told us.”

Ashen looked back toward Voldon.

The chief’s expression was filled with regret.

“I’m sorry.”

“I truly don’t know anything else.”

Silence settled over the room.

Ashen lowered his head.

His fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms.

So close.

For the first time…

He had found something.

Anything.

Connected to Virelia.

And once again…

It slipped through his fingers.

⸻

The stars had already filled the sky by the time they left the village.

They walked quietly beyond the gates.

Neither spoke for a long while.

Finally…

Ashen stopped.

“…Train me.”

Lyric turned toward him.

His crimson eyes no longer held only grief.

Now…

They burned with determination.

“I don’t want to be helpless anymore.”

His hand tightened around the dagger at his waist.

“I couldn’t save my village.”

“I couldn’t save Granny Ana.”

“I couldn’t save Virelia.”

His voice trembled.

“But next time…”

“…I will.”

He lowered his head.

“Please…”

“…Teach me.”

The night breeze stirred the tall grass around them.

Lyric studied the child standing before her.

Only weeks ago…

He had been broken.

Lost.

Unable to see beyond his own grief.

Now…

For the first time…

He had chosen a direction.

A purpose.

A path.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

She stepped forward.

Placed a gentle hand atop his head.

“…Very well.”

She ruffled his hair lightly.

“Starting tomorrow…”

“…your real journey begins.”

Ashen nodded.

Above them, the stars stretched endlessly across the night sky.

Far away…

Beyond kingdoms, forests, and mountains…

A little girl with white hair was still waiting.

Ashen closed his hand around the pendant hanging from his neck.

Wait for me…

Virelia.

I’ll find you.

No matter how long it takes.

                  - End of Volume 1 -

For Everyone That Has Read This Far I Want To Thank You So Much!!! Honestly I Had My Doubts About Posting This Novel Since It’s My First Ever One And I Had It On A Back Burner For Months But After Talking With Some Friends Who Encouraged Me To Do So I Published My First Novel ( TWINS OF THE FALLEN ) I Know The First Volume Was Pretty Short Compared To Others However This Just The Beginning The Real Action Begins Next Volume ( The Trial Of Aegis )!!! I Will Be Taking A Short Break But Not Long Enough That You Have To Wait Centuries I Promise I’ll Be Back Sooner Then You Can Blink !!!! Again THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!!!