“Goodbye, Shaden. Melany, say goodbye to your brother.”

“Good…bye.”

Melany’s arms were tightly wrapped around her mother’s leg while she stared at Shaden with her large, clear eyes. Her cheeks were tinged with a pink, healthy color, and a warm hat protected her head from the morning, winter air.

“She looks cold, Mom,” said Shaden. “I’ll be going now. You should go inside.”

His tutor was speaking with her brother at the side, and from their blank expressions, Shaden couldn’t tell what they were talking about. Just like his tutor, his father could be very unreadable. He had only found this out when his father and tutor had met each other. Looking at them from afar, they looked very alike.

Shaden gave his mother a large hug as she bent down and also gave his little sister a hug. She looked slightly awkward about it, which made Shaden a little sad. But then again, he hadn’t spent much time with her.

“Stay safe, okay?” reminded his mother. “Whatever you do, listen to your aunt and be safe. She’s a wonderful person. She promised to take care of you as best as she could.”

“Ah…yeah.” Apparently, his aunt hadn’t told his mother about their hellish training sessions or nights of survival or wake-ups of staring-death-in-the-face. “Yeah…she’ll keep me safe,” he said, half-sarcastically. “She always has.”

Oblivious of his thoughts, his mother gave him a giant smile and one last hug. “I know you’ll do well. You’ve grown so big so quickly. So very quickly.” Her eyes glistened. “Make sure to eat as much as you can, and don’t follow strangers, and sleep early, and—”

“I know, I know. You don’t have to worry.”

His mother closed her lips, and she bent down and lifted Melany into her arms. “Goodbye, honey.”

“Goodbye, Mom.”

His aunt was already waiting at the back with her arms crossed. Shaden began to tread his footsteps to his tutor’s direction and soon reached his aunt and father.

“You’re going now. Shaden…”

“Stay safe, eat well, sleep well, yeah, I know.”

“…Of course.”

His father placed a firm hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. Shaden could see his small figure reflected off of the surface of his father’s dark eyes.

“My son, remember; your life is yours to mold. There’s nothing holding you back from doing so. But there are bad ways and good ways, right decisions and wrong decisions you can make in your life.”

He kneeled down on one leg. “There will be a time in the distant future where you will have to make an important decision. I failed to do so. But you…”

His eyes seemed to falter but quickly regained their strength. “There is still a long way you can travel before you have to decide. I wish I could take the burden from you, but it’s too late for me. I have been rejected.”

“What do you mean?”

His father leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “You will find out. You are a smart child. But now, it’s too early for you to know. Go see the world with your aunt. Experience life.”

His eyes grew serious. “You might forget what I’ve said today. But many years from now, I pray that you will remember it.”

Shaden nodded. “I will.” Important decision? His father was speaking in riddles.

He was pulled forward as his father wrapped his arms around his body. His short beard rubbed against Shaden’s cheeks, which was a little itchy, but Shaden hugged his father back.

“Go now. Your aunt is waiting.”

“Dad, we’re going to see each other in less than a year. This goodbye seems like too much.”

“I’m…not too sure about that. You will hear more about it from your aunt.”

What?

Garthan stood up and gave Shaden a solid smack on his back. “Good luck on your journey. And goodbye, my son. You make me proud.”

Shaden grinned. “Take care of Mom and Melany. And Shidey too.”

It had been…a little tragic when Shaden had returned to see Shidey. The black cat had grown overweight, and now, she lazily pawed its way around the house, refusing to go out. Her tails had increased to four, which had been unexpected since he hadn’t been present, but the cat had gained much more than just a tail. Nowadays, it was basically a freeloader—eating and lazing around was all she did.

It was majorly Melany’s fault. At first, she had lured the cat into playing with her with delicious treats. Then the cat, realizing her potential, always clung onto the naïve girl and meowed sweetly in her ears. Melany, happy that the cat was like her own property now, fed it all the food she wanted—resulting in the current, overweight situation.

Honestly, it had been a little sad. The beast was gone, completely domesticated with treats.

At least her fur was softer.

“Take care of your aunt to. She can be…immature sometimes.”

“Uh-huh.”

“…You probably understand already. Now, go.”

Shaden nodded. He took a deep breath, turned away, and quickly ran to his aunt, who was already walking away from the area. Then he took one final look at his family. They stood at the entrance to their apartment, standing together and waving at him. He waved back.

“Goodbye! Goodbye, everyone! Stay safe!”

With a final breath, he pried his eyes away from home.

〄 〄 〄

“…I’m worried about him. Lytha will take care of him safely, right?”

Shaden had disappeared with his aunt, and the streets in front of them were now empty, except for the piles of snow littered on the ground,

“……of course.”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

“I am sure. I am one hundred percent sure.”

Garthan reached out and took Melany from Melsei’s arms. The little girl quickly buried herself in her father’s warm coat.

“It’s cold. Let’s head back inside. I’m also late for work.”

“Didn’t you tell them beforehand?”

“Yes…and they didn’t seem very happy about it. I should head over soon.”

Melany opened the door of the apartment and went inside. Garthan followed after her.

“I wonder why they need guards during a holiday. Can’t they just let you rest?”

“It’s what we do.”

They began to walk up the stairs.

“I really hoped Rother would visit. He still hasn’t replied, has he?”

“He must be busy with his training.”

“Even during holidays? Even during the winter?”

“He learns at the Sword of Ice and Cold. They love their winters.”

“But it’s winter up there every year!”

“……they love their coldest winters.”

Melsei had a look of dissatisfaction on her face. “The letter shouldn’t have taken that long to deliver. Two weeks at most. And he still hasn’t replied.”

“He must love the place.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

She opened the door to their home and took off her shoes, then got inside and took off her thick jacket.

“I’m worried. Maybe something happened.”

“You’re always worried.”

“I have every right to be worried.”

Garthan placed Melany down, who waddled away to go to her books. Like her older brother, she had taken a liking to words and paper.

“I can ask a friend to see if Rother’s doing well.”

“Please, do.”

Garthan hoisted his sword and sheath off of the wall and strapped it around his body. “Today, after work.”

Melsei nodded. “Thank you. I love you, honey.”

“I love you too.”

Garthan said farewell to his wife and closed the door behind him.

His wife was right. Rother was taking a little too long to reply to their letter. Maybe, there had been some complications? He’d ask someone in the area to check up on his son.

Then again, it had only been half a year since he had left. Perhaps he wasn’t that homesick yet. Perhaps he didn’t feel the need to reply. He was still a teen, after all. This was the most exciting part of his life, and with a very good reason. New techniques, new friends, new ways of looking at mana; based on his own experience, everything could be overwhelming.

Well, off to work, he thought to himself.

〄 〄 〄

“Wait, Aunt Lytha.”

Smack. “I’m too young to be an aunt.”

Shaden rolled his eyes. He had managed to block his tutor’s blow with his hand instinctively, which was great, but it still made him annoyed.

“You didn’t say anything when I called you that in front of my parents.”

“And you never called me aunt until we met them!”

“…oh yeah. I think I got used to it.”

Shaden cleared his throat. “Teacher. I need to go visit someone before we go to…wherever we’re going to go.”

“You mean that wolf you were visiting every day?”

“Yeah…wait, how did you—actually, never mind.”

Dang it. He hadn’t been able to detect her.

“Don’t stress it. I saw you once out of coincidence, then I asked your father. I was pretty busy too.”

“Oh. I see, I see.”

“Wipe the smirk off your face. We have a long journey ahead of us, and it’s better if we get started soon.”

Shaden scratched his head. “I’ll be quick.”

“Then I’ll see you at the portal. You have half an hour.”

“Got it.”

His aunt vanished in front of him, and he sensed the faint traces of her mana smoke away to the side like dust in a strong wind. Soon, it was gone.

There wasn’t any time to waste. He quickly ran to the building, determined to confirm why he had been spat on.

〄 〄 〄

He hurried through the halls, evading students and staff, and finally reached the old training room. The door was slightly open, and he peeked inside. The familiar shape of a brown-haired girl entered his eyes, sitting on the floor, meditating. That’s how they began their mornings.

Careful not to make a sound, he pushed the door gently. But instantly, he saw Mistilia’s ears twitch and gave up on surprising her. People were too perceptive when meditating. Since they were focusing on their body, anything that stimulated it was never unnoticed.

While he was confident he could still surprise her, he undid the layer of mana around his body and stepped inside.

“I came to say goodbye.”

Her ears twitched again, and he felt the flow of mana around her body subside. Then she turned around and looked into his eyes for a few seconds. They looked…sharper than usual. Shaden became a little nervous for some reason.

This is a kid, Shaden.

Then again, unknown culture was a peculiar thing. He had been caught completely off guard yesterday.

“You’re…here,” Mistilia said. She got up and put her arms behind her back, her tail, slowly wagging in the air. For some reason, her eyes darted around his face, refusing to make direct contact with his eyes.

He noticed the gloves on her hands just before they were covered by her body.

“Do you like them?” he asked. “The gloves, I mean.”

“These?”

She put her hands out in front of her body and stared at her hands. Tenderly, she touched the leather with her bare fingers and fumbled her hands a little. But she didn’t say anything.

Shaden hoped that was a yes.

“I probably won’t be back for a year from what I’ve heard. Maybe even longer.” He stroked the back of his head. “This will be a long goodbye.”

“……………”

“I’ve been thinking, the spit from yesterday—”

“Oh, that! That was, um…”

Mistilia crossed her arms, and her tail was literally spinning behind her.

“Something we do to family. Or close friends! It’s a sign of kinship.”

“Oh! So that’s what it was.”

Then without a warning, Mistilia marched towards him and stopped right in front of his face. She was slightly taller than him, so he was looking at the area between her nose and lips. He froze as he felt a warm breath be exhaled out of her body. It had a gentle smell. She had probably eaten soup in the morning.

Mistilia bent down and sniffed him. Shaden didn’t move. Then with a grunt of satisfaction, she straightened her back.

“I’m going to miss you, Shaden.”

“Me too, I guess.”

“Can…we hug?”

The nervousness had returned to her face again, this time, much more subtlety. But he noticed it.

“We’re kin, right?”

“……Yeah!”

Shaden held his breath as he was embraced with a strong, bear hug. Or was it a wolf hug? Her arms wrapped around his back, and she held him close to her chest. Shaden’s arms were still in the air, uncertain of the right course of action to take.

“……I’m going to miss you.”

Her body was trembling. That was what stood out to Shaden the most. He hadn’t expected it. Not her smell, her soft skin, her hair, her fur—but the trembling of her body. She was holding him tightly, and while he couldn’t see her face, her emotions traveled into him.

Realization dawned on him.

How could he be so stupid? He had been thinking of the wrong things all day. How could he be so insensitive? How could he be so self-centered?

He put his arms around Mistilia and pat her back.

This was a lonely girl. A lonely wolf. Away from her family, away from her pack. Without anyone to call a proper family. He thought about her current circumstance. He had been one of the few to meet her when she had just arrived, but now, the Headmistress and Instructor Reedock were gone. With his departure, she’d lose the last of the first friends she had made.

Maybe he was thinking too much. But that’s what he felt.

They stood in an embrace for what he felt was a long time. He continued to pat her back.

“I’ll try to visit when I can.”

“Mhmm.”

“You won’t be lonely, right?”

“I have friends.”

“I see. That’s great.”

They finally separated, and she had a refreshed smile on her face. Shaden caught a glimmer of light on her eyes. She sniffed once and placed her hands on his shoulder.

“You stay safe too! Next time we meet, I’m definitely going to beat you.”

“Not a chance. I’ll be even stronger next time.”

They shared a smile, and she let go of him.

“A smell of kinship. That was my present. Though…I don’t know what humans think of it.”

“It—is a great present!” reassured Shaden. “It shows your sincerity.”

“I’m glad you get it.”

Her confident smile had returned to her face.

“I’ll also miss you too,” stated Shaden. “It was fun being with you.”

“…Yeah!”

She took off her glove and put her hand out to Shaden.

“Goodbye, Shaden.”

He took her hand and firmly grasped it. “Goodbye, Mistilia. I hope we see each other again.”

She took a deep breath. “May the moons watch over our kinship, no matter the long paths and muddled smells,” she breathed.

“What’s that?”

“Something my parents told me.”

“May the moon watch over our kinship, no matter the paths and muddled smells…right?”

“It’s moons. And long paths.”

“May the moons watch over our kinship, no matter the long paths and muddled smells.”

“You got it.”

Shaden smiled. “I’ll remember it.”

“You don’t have to. It’s a good luck chant for separations.”

Shaden had already memorized it by repeating it in his head. “I wish you the same.”

They let go, and Mistilia slid the glove on her hand again.

“……Let me take you to the entrance.”

“……Yeah.”

〄 〄 〄

“You’re early,” stated Lytha. “I thought you would take longer.”

Shaden shrugged. Mistilia had seen him off a little reluctantly, and he had come to the black tree as fast as his legs could carry him. It was a pretty long distance from the Academy, after all.

He thought back to the wolf-girl. He sincerely wished her good luck in her future. He would never know what it felt like to not have a family, and the least he could do was show her some friendship and familial love the next time he met her.

She was a lonely girl. He had only just realized it. He hated himself for not seeing it sooner. She was ten, for goodness’s sake.

A part of him had wanted to invite her to his journey. But he knew her circumstances. She wanted to know of her family’s situation as quickly as possible, and in order to do so, she had to become stronger. The Academy was also where she would be the safest, surrounded by capable instructors and students.

“Don’t be so sad. Just wait a few more days; we’re going to see places that will wipe that look of your face, so just you wait,” soothed his tutor.

“You mean, things that are colorful and want to devour me.”

“You’re not half wrong.” She smirked. “You’re going to love it.”

“I hope so.”

Sticking out her hand enveloped in a haze of jet-black mana, she stabbed it into the tree and pulled it back out. Compared to his grandfather’s movement, it looked less eloquent, but it still worked, nevertheless. Shaden himself still needed the dagger to open the portal, but he’d understand the magic someday.

The tree groaned, and the markings on its bark lit up in dull, white light. The dark creases on the tree slid together to form a line in the center of the tree, and the branches twisted as the line spread out upwards and downwards. The leaves on the tree refused to fall as the wood violently rumbled. Then soundlessly, almost too quietly, the line spread apart, revealing dark puddle of swirling black within the bark. It gaped at Shaden, the darkness beckoning him to enter. Having traveled in the portals so many times now, it felt cozy and comforting looking into the lightless puddle. He quite liked the feeling of his body being sucked into the amorphous matter.

His tutor entered, and Shaden quickly followed after her. Then in an instant, they were back at the forest of black trees with white leaves. Weirdly enough, the trees all had their leaves, and while the ground was covered with snow, there weren't any signs of it on the black trees themselves.

Behind him, the tree groaned once more as the gash within it sealed back. The bark reconnected, and soon, it had returned into a normal, black tree with white leaves.

“Should we say hello to Grandpa?” asked Shaden. It had been a while since they had visited the castle. “Or are we heading straight to the next area?”

“We have to visit,” said his tutor. She beckoned Shaden to follow her, which he did, right beside her. “Our trips from now on will be a little more special. Longer—we will need supplies and money.”

She put her hand in front of Shaden just as he was about to ask. “It’s no fun if I spoil it. Just see it for yourself, okay?”

Shaden nodded.

〄 〄 〄

“What the—!” Shaden exclaimed at the horrifying sight.

He had sensed something that brought back despicable memories, and while his aunt was visiting some rooms, he had followed the traces of the terror-inducing mana. It had led him to a pretty normal-looking set of doors at the end of a hallway, and since it wasn’t locked, he had looked inside.

Two, bloody orbs of red had stared back at him, along with a mass of writhing locks of hair that moved about like tentacles.

“Hairy!?”

Shaden pushed the door fully open and entered the room. Thankfully, the monster was confined in a glass-like container, and unlike before, it wasn’t trying to kill him.

“I thought you were dead!”

The monster didn’t reply. Instead, it continued to look at him with its menacing eyes of red, hair slithering about within the container like an octopus. To Shaden, it almost seemed to hover about like a cloud.

“You can’t speak anymore?”

No reply. The eyes were following him, yet that was the extent of the monster’s movements.

He walked closer to the container and placed his palm of the glass-like wall. The monster just continued to stare mindlessly, not showing any signs of hostility. Shaden furrowed his eyebrows.

“Ah, yes. The monster. Are you surprised, my boy?”

Shaden half-jumped and turned around after hearing the familiar voice.

“Grandpa!”

The old man smiled and approached Shaden, his dark robes flowing behind him. “It has been a while, Shaden. Come, show me your face.”

Shaden walked over to his grandfather, who touched his face and inspected it. “You look well. Has your tutor been taking care of you properly?”

“I guess,” replied Shaden. It had been hard, but never unbearable. “Grandpa, why is the…hair monster back? Wasn’t it destroyed?”

His grandfather smiled and pat his head. Shaden realized that he hadn’t felt anything when he had approached. He felt a breeze of goosebumps as he realized just how skilled his grandfather was.

Still a long way to go, he thought.

His grandfather looked towards the mass of hair. “That, my boy, is something between a monster and a golem. And like all golems, it can be created—again and again.”

“Artificially?”

His grandfather nodded. “Right now, it has yet to be commanded. But once the magic rests in place, it will be able to speak and chase people once more.”

An imaginary lightbulb popped up above Shaden’s head. “You mean there’s another person taking the test?”

“Why yes. In fact, later today in the afternoon. But you must stay quiet. It ruins the test if you tell the subject about Hairy. Can you keep this promise?”

“Of course.”

“Excellent. Now, come join me for lunch.”

Shaden realized how hungry he was. The monster’s creation had incited his curiosity, but right now, he had a stomach to feed. He happily followed his grandfather out of the room. Shaden felt a surge of mana blow around him, and the doors to the room closed shut with a creak.

His aunt hadn’t mentioned anything about them having lunch together. But oh well, free food was always welcome.

“You are going on a journey soon, yes?” asked his grandfather as they turned a corner. “Someway far away, I suppose. Somewhere where the trees won’t reach.”

“That’s what I heard,” replied Shaden. By trees, his grandfather probably meant the portals. Some place outside the reach of their convenient traveling system.

“You must want to leave as soon as possible. But do stay the night.” They walked into a familiar hall that led to the dining room. “There is someone I want you to meet.”

“A new teacher?”

“I suppose not. A companion of sorts. A young, talented individual.”

There was a hint of humor in his grandfather’s voice, like someone who was about to introduce two animals he really liked to each other. “She will join us now.”

Something clicked in Shaden’s mind. “Is that person…the same person who will take the test?”

“Why, yes.”

The doors automatically swung open, revealing a room with a long, dark table with fancy chairs to compliment it. A crystal chandelier hung on the ceiling, illuminating the dining room. Masked servants were positioned at the sides, and as they approached the chairs, two of them walked forward to help Shaden and his grandfather get seated. The food hadn’t been set yet, and the only people on the seats were just the two of them.

“Bring Lytha here,” commanded his grandfather, and immediately, one of the servants bowed and vanished from the room like a shadow. “And the girl,” he added. Another servant bowed and disappeared.

“Who is this girl?” asked Shaden. The faint smell of roses filled his nose.

“A member of a very prominent family,” answered the old man. “She is close to your age, and she comes from far away.”

Shaden put his hands together. “Why so suddenly?”

His grandfather lifted his silver cup as a servant came forward and poured wine into it. “You must be bored, traveling alone with your aunt. You need some friends, and someone had volunteered for the occasion, so she was brought in.”

Something smelled fishy to Shaden, and he really wasn’t good at dealing with political matters. “How did you know we would come today?”

“The old man has many tricks up his sleeve.”

Shaden turned around as his aunt entered the room. His grandfather took a sip out of his cup.

“He is the current head of the family, so everything that happens here doesn’t go unnoticed. Including our use of the portals. He probably predicted that we would return after New Year’s Eve and planned ahead of time. Is that right, father?”

“Quite right.”

Lytha snorted as she pushed her long, black hair behind her. She sat down before a servant could assist her in front of Shaden, next to her father.

“I really didn’t need another kid to take care of. Where is she from, the Nieuts? The Jakhar Kishaks?”

“The second daughter of the Veurbois.”

“Veurbois?!”

Lytha sunk into her chair and placed a hand on her forehead. “This will be bothersome.”

“She is a well-behaved girl,” stated her father. “And I believe that your student here—” he motioned to Shaden, “—can handle her.”

“………”

Lytha sat back up and squinted her eyes while looking at Shaden. Like a merchant examining goods, she inspected him intently.

“Maybe.”

Lytha’s expression changed, and she tilted her head slightly. In an instant, her lax attitude from before was erased completely from her body, and suddenly, she took the posture of an elegant lady ready for anything. Shaden raised an eyebrow, and she glared at him.

“She’s here. Can’t you sense her? Sit like a proper man,” she whispered.

Wow. Well, he had sensed something approaching, but the complete change in his aunt was surprising. Appearances were important, after all. He adjusted his clothes and braced himself for the arrival of the new individual.

The doors behind his aunt slowly swung open, and before Shaden’s eyes, a slender girl (taller than him, but shorter than Mistilia) walked into the room. Her pretty black dress flowed behind her, and below the large, black hat that covered her face and eyes, lush, smooth and straight hair hung down, covering both sides of her shoulders. There was a small smile on her lips.

Her hair was what caught Shaden’s eye the most. The silver material seemed to shimmer like finely woven silk or moonlight—and yet, it had a metallic luster to it.

She moved with the air of a noble, treading the floor carefully, not making a sound as she approached the table. Her smooth hands were neatly held in front of her, and she gave a small bow to Shaden’s grandfather.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting, Elder,” she said politely. Her voice entered Shaden’s ears like a trickle of gentle water. Then he caught his aunt’s cautious eye and realized something.

He wasn’t dealing with normal people here. He had to be on guard.

But this…

She took her hat off, and a wonderful sight filled Shaden’s eyes.

Was just a girl of, eight? Nine? Yet, her mannerisms and tone of voice reminded Shaden of someone much older. The girl looked like a delicate doll.

“Shaden, this is Eilae of House Veurbois. She is a young lady, but a very capable one.”

“I’m humbled by your praise.”

The girl bowed again.

“Sit down, young Veurbois,” urged Shaden’s grandfather. “You must be tired from the long journey.”

The girl raised her dress as a servant adjusted her seat for her. In an elegant manner, she placed herself on the chair, setting her hands on her lap smoothly. Then she noticed Shaden’s glance and smiled back at him sweetly.

Oh no. Hairy is going to freak her out.

He smiled back. Just then, the doors on the far side of the room opened, revealing a line of masked servants complete with various platters and dishes on their hands. They entered the room swiftly, and in no time at all, the table was filled with hot, piping dishes of aromatic food. Shaden’s stomach growled softly.

His grandfather lifted his cup and drank out of it. Soon after, both his aunt and the girl lifted their eating utensils and began to eat the pieces of food that the servants had placed on their plates.

Shaden had received some lectures on etiquette from his aunt, but she had dismissed the details by saying, ‘he would get used to it’ sooner or later. Now, he was mildly confused.

He lifted his fork and knife like he had been taught and began eating. Food was food. He’d grasp the details later.