Chapter 66

The house was silent in a way that could only be found late at night. Nick sat on the porch with his mother, cradling a steaming mug of herbal tea in his hands. Today had been a gauntlet of events, but now, breathing in the cool evening air under a star-studded sky, he felt the weight of it ease, if only slightly.Elena sat beside him. Tonight, her usual warm smile was replaced with a contemplative expression as she gazed out into the darkness, sipping her tea. She always waited for Eugene before going to bed, and today, despite the late hour, was no different.

The gentle breeze carried the earthy aroma of the garden mingled with the herbs in their cups. Nick exhaled, allowing the peaceful moment to envelop him.

“Akari was Grandma’s apprentice?” he asked softly, breaking the silence. It was just the two of them, since Devon was already sleeping and Akari had gone to talk with her colleagues in town. If there was a time to learn more about his temporary teacher, it was now.

Elena chuckled lightly, her gaze still fixed on the stars. “For a time, yes. She was wild back then, so full of fire and ambition. My mother saw potential in her, though. Taught her the Stalking Gait, among other things.”

Nick tilted his head, curiosity pulling at him. "That explains a lot. I thought it was strange that just anyone could know our family’s skill.” Apprentices were considered part of the master’s family. Sometimes, that relationship could be distant, especially in large operations with dozens of apprentices, but for martial artists, they became like sons and daughters. This was the primary way people not related by blood could learn inherited skills. Rhea was in a similar situation, he realized. In her case, the position was also a shield to protect her from her family’s troubles.

“She was a quick learner and exceeded every expectation. At first, we didn’t even like each other,” Elena recalled with a chuckle. “I was meant to inherit the Stalking Gait. She was an orphaned girl taken in out of pity, and then she just kept getting better.” There was no bitterness in her words, only fondness. Elena was a strong woman who wore her heart on her sleeve. Nick had been on the receiving end of her temper more than once, but he knew it was because she loved deeply. If she had a problem with Akari, she wouldn’t have brought her into their home.

“But she wasn’t merely my mother’s student. We adventured together for years after we started getting along and explored the kingdom from the frozen north to the pirate-infested east. Akari had a talent for getting into trouble, and I had a talent for getting her out of it.”

Nick grinned at the thought. “Sounds like a good team.”

“It was,” Elena said, her smile fading slightly. “But the life of an adventurer isn’t all excitement and glory. You cannot do it forever, at least not if you want to build a family. I left the team, and our paths split.”

Nick nodded. Akari was obviously a remarkably talented woman, at least on par with his father, if not surpassing him. He could only imagine how many fights she had gotten into, given her lifestyle. That was sure to keep increasing her level.

They fell into a comfortable silence once more. Nick took a sip of his tea, savoring its warmth and the subtle bitterness of the herbs. His young palate was surprisingly agreeable to such flavors, even though he had despised them on Earth.

The quiet stretched on, the stillness broken only by the occasional chirp of a cricket or the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Nick was surprised to discover that he was genuinely relaxed. It wasn’t that his worries had vanished—they were still present, looming like storm clouds on the horizon—but here, with his mother beside him and the stars above, they felt less urgent.

He almost drifted off, lulled by the serenity, when he felt a subtle shift at the edge of his senses. A presence was moving toward the house with great speed.

At the same moment, Elena stood up gracefully. Nick straightened as well, momentarily forgetting his fatigue. His mother’s reaction told him she’d noticed it too—either through natural insight or a skill honed during her adventuring days.

Nick recognized his father's presence before he saw him. Thanks to the wand, his figure was distinct enough that he could identify it even in a crowd—in the dead of the night, it was crystal clear. Moments later, Eugene emerged from the darkness, framed by the moonlight.

“Long day?” Elena asked softly.

Eugene nodded as he approached, smiling wearily. “Eventful,” he said simply. His gaze shifted to Nick, and although his expression revealed nothing, Nick could sense the unasked question.

“You waited up.”

Nick shrugged, setting his mug down on the porch railing. “I wanted to talk to you.”

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“Let’s do that inside. I’m in sore need of a meal after the day I’ve had.”

The front door creaked open, and Eugene stepped inside. His shoulders slumped, and a long, weary sigh escaped him as he leaned momentarily against the doorframe. The lines on his face appeared deeper than usual, and the glint in his eyes was muted by exhaustion.

Elena was already moving toward him before the door had fully closed, reaching for the straps of his armor and starting to remove them. “Come on,” she murmured, her voice warm but firm. “Let’s get this off you.”

Eugene didn’t resist. He stood still as she unbuckled the straps and the metal plates from his body, carefully placing them on a nearby bench. Nick watched in silence, feeling as if he was intruding on something private.

Once the armor was off, Eugene stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders and wincing. “Thanks,” he said quietly, expressing his gratitude more through the brief touch of his hand to Elena’s than through the word itself.

She smiled gently and motioned toward the table. "Take a seat. There’s stew waiting for you.”

Eugene nodded, moving slower than usual, and groaningly lowered himself into a chair. The table was already set with bowls and a covered pot, and the rich aroma of stewed thunderhoof meat filled the air. Elena ladled a generous portion into a bowl and placed it in front of him before briefly disappearing to store the armor.

Sitting across from his father, Nick snapped his fingers to create a small orb of fresh water. He carefully guided it into the empty pitcher on the table and slid it toward Eugene, who nodded in thanks and then drained the entire pitcher in one long pull, setting it down with a satisfied sigh.

Elena returned shortly after, settling into a chair next to Eugene. Her gaze shifted between the two males before she spoke. “If you’d prefer to wait until morning to talk, we can. There’s no rush.”

Eugene shook his head, scooping up a spoonful of stew. “No,” he said after swallowing. “Going through the day with you always clears my head.”

Elena’s smile softened as she reached over to touch his hand briefly once more.

Nick coughed lightly, breaking the moment. His father glanced at him with a faint smirk. “Something on your mind?”

“Just hoping my room’s far enough from yours,” Nick quipped, earning a chuckle from his mother and a raised eyebrow from his father.

“Cheeky bugger,” Eugene muttered, though the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement.

The meal passed in relative silence, and the stew worked its magic as the tension visibly bled from Eugene’s frame. Once he had finished and set his spoon down, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s talk.”

Elena raised a hand. “Before you start, dear, Nick might know something about what happened. He was on his way to talk with Elia this morning.”

Eugene’s brow lifted in mild surprise, and his gaze shifted to Nick. “Is that so?”

Nick nodded. He didn’t want to lie—especially not to his parents, who both had a knack for reading people—but he also planned to carefully omit just how close he had been to the events. It wasn’t exactly prohibited, but he didn’t want to go into detail about his actions and raise his parents’ concerns. Once was more than enough.

He set down his cup and began. “It was during the inspection of the beastkin. The Prelate apparently used purifying flames to test them for corruption. Apparently, someone didn’t show up, which was suspicious. They sent priests to bring him back, and when they did… Well, that’s when everything went wrong. It turns out he wasn’t just hiding out of fear. He was possessed.”

Nick paused, gauging his father’s reaction. Eugene’s expression remained impassive, showing that he already knew as much.

“The Prelate confronted him,” Nick continued, “and the thing within revealed itself. There was a struggle—very intense, from what I've heard—and eventually, the Prelate succeeded in exorcising it. It was quite spooky, by all accounts.”

When he finished, Eugene nodded slowly, his expression contemplative. “That aligns with what I’ve heard,” he said. “The priests and beastkin I spoke with provided a similar account. However, the Prelate was evasive about the reason for the inspection in the first place. He claimed he had no knowledge of the spirit’s presence and was only concerned about the influence of the Green Ocean on Floria’s more vulnerable citizens.”

Nick frowned. “You think he’s lying?”

“I don’t know,” Eugene admitted. “But it’s unusual. The timing and specificity of the inspection don’t sit right with me.”

Elena leaned forward slightly, her expression serious. “Do you not think it’s connected to the Purification of the Ashes?”

Eugene’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Possibly. The ritual is a powerful tool to cleanse the Green Ocean’s taint from the fields. If something—or someone—wants to disrupt it, stirring up fear and chaos would be a good place to start, and if the temple had an inkling such a thing might happen, they would send someone strong to deal with it. Someone like Marthas.” He finished with a tone that indicated he didn’t think it was a coincidence.

“I’ll speak with Arthur tomorrow,” Eugene said firmly. “We’ll need to keep a close eye on the situation. There’s too much at stake to let this go unchecked, and it doesn’t sit right with me to let a stranger handle everything.”

Nick nodded and stifled a yawn as his body reminded him just how exhausted he was.

“I think it’s about time you went to bed, Nick.” His mother gently told him, but her hand pushing him up and toward the stairs said it wasn’t a suggestion.

Rather than putting up a fight and trying to convince them he was mature enough for the conversation—the worst mistake any kid could make—Nick sighed and agreed. “Alright. Good night,” he said, receiving a kiss on the top of his head from Elena and a warm smile from Eugene.

Then, as he entered his room, Nick slipped his wand into his hand and focused on bringing the sound of their conversation to his ears.

“What did you actually learn?” He heard his mother ask.

There was a beat of silence before Eugene sighed, “Akari immediately recognized the presence that appeared in the temple as a skittering demon, and I was able to confirm this with the Prelate.”

Elena hissed through her teeth. “Nasty fuckers. Those never come alone. Then are we expecting a demonic incursion?”

With his finely tuned senses, Nick could physically feel the air moving as his father shook his head. “Marthas doesn’t believe so. He said it was a probing strike. Apparently, the Demonic Forces like to launch those to see how prepared humanity is to react.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I don’t doubt his expertise,” Eugene sighed, “but that man isn’t telling the whole truth. He’s powerful enough that I can’t push him, but I’ll need to prepare contingencies in case he drags us into something truly dangerous.”

Before Nick could hear more, a soft sound grabbed his attention, and he turned. There, at the windowsill, framed by the moonlight, was Akari.

“Naughty, naughty. Children should be in bed at this hour.” With a predatory smile, she blurred into motion, and Nick’s vision went dark.