[Garcias Tavern]
Nestled by the flower garden, brimmed with warmth that evening. The murmur of conversation blended with the clatter of wooden cups, while the glow of lanterns painted the walls with a golden hue.
Laura moved gracefully among the patrons, her bright smile and lilting voice lending a cheer that made the room feel lighter. Behind the kitchen's heavy door, Hans labored over the fire. His hands moved with practiced speed, sweat gleaming upon his brow, while the rich scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air.
Neither of them knew their son had returned. Not yet.
The door creaked open. Hans wiped his hands on a cloth and stepped from the kitchen, his gaze falling upon the figure in the doorway. Key stood framed by the fading light of the setting sun, his presence still and weighty. He neither called out nor advanced, yet the air itself seemed to shift around him.
Laura gasped. The tray slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a clang she didn't even hear. She rushed forward, throwing her arms around her son with a trembling little cry.
"My boy… my lovely boy…" she whispered, pressing her cheek against his chest as if to convince herself he was real.
Hans followed more slowly, his steps steady yet laden with emotion. A proud smile bent his lips as he placed his strong arms around them both, drawing the family into a single, fierce embrace.
Though they had visited him once each year, this homecoming was different. This was the moment they had longed for.
At last, Laura drew back, though her hand still rested upon Key's shoulder.
"All right," she said, sniffling but smiling.
"Tell me, sweetheart. What do you want to eat? Tell me, your favorite?"
Key laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Mm… Garcias' Meatball Stew."
Laura's face lit up instantly.
"I knew it! I knew you'd been dreaming about your mother's cooking every single night."
Hans folded his arms with a deep, rumbling chuckle.
"Of course he was. That Master of yours never let us send food to the temple. Bet you were half starved."
Key grinned.
"Master made sure we learned how to survive. Hunting, foraging… all that survival stuff. Wasn't easy, but…" His gaze softened with a hint of nostalgia.
"I kinda liked it, honestly."
Laura clicked her tongue, though her eyes were warm.
"Well, now you're home. I'll make sure you eat properly again."
Without another word, she hurried into the kitchen, eager to pour her love into the dish her son had yearned for.
As Key lingered in the tavern's hearth lit glow, familiar faces turned toward him. Neighbors who had watched him grow stepped forward, their expressions filled with joy and awe.
"Would you look at that," an old man said, shaking his head with a laugh.
"You left here a skinny little kid, and now you're a whole damn grown man."
Hans leaned back with a mischievous smirk.
"Oi, oi! don't act surprised. Doesn't he look just like me when I was his age?"
Groans and laughter burst through the room.
"Oh please!" someone shouted from a nearby table.
"Hans, you were never that handsome!"
"Yeah, not even close!"
The tavern filled with laughter and mirth, the sound rolling like a tide through the room.
Before long, Laura returned, carrying a steaming bowl of Garcias' stew. The fragrance of simmering broth and spiced herbs swept through the air. She set it gently before Key, her face alight with a quiet, radiant joy, the joy of a mother who had her son home again.
The family gathered around the table, basking in the rare peace of the moment. They ate, they spoke of days past, and they savored the simplicity of being together once more. Each spoonful, each burst of laughter, was a treasure etched into their hearts.
As night settled and the last patrons drifted home, they worked side by side to tidy the tavern. While wiping down a table, Hans cast a glance at Key, his voice low and easy.
"So," he said casually, as if asking about the weather,
"you ready for the Knight's Trial?"
Key straightened, his eyes gleaming with resolve.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm ready. Been waiting for it long enough."
Hans nodded.
"Good. It's next week. Don't think too hard. Just trust your gut and swing with your whole heart. Your mother and I, we've never doubted you. Not once. You'll make us proud."
Key's heart swelled at his father's words. Overcome with emotion, he embraced Hans and Laura both.
"Thank you," he whispered. "I won't let you down."
Within the quiet tavern, hope and pride lingered in the air. That night was filled with love, laughter, and a promise of a bright future yet to come.
— — —
As the first light of dawn spread across the sky, Starhaven stirred with the sounds of work and life. The crisp morning air carried the fragrance of freshly baked bread, filling the streets with the promise of a busy day.
Key, his heart still light after reuniting with his family, stepped out into the morning. His hair had been trimmed short by his mother's careful hands the night before, and now he walked with renewed energy, bound for the city square to fetch the ingredients Laura had asked him to buy for the tavern.
The square was already alive. Merchants called out with spirited voices, boasting of their wares. Children darted between the stalls, their laughter scattering like bells in the air. The scent of spices clung to the breeze, mingling with the sharp gleam of polished steel at the weaponsmith's stand. This was the heartbeat of Starhaven, ever steady, ever bright.
Key slipped through the crowd with ease. He had only taken a few steps toward a bakery stall when a voice cut clean through the morning noise.
"Kiki! Over here!"
Key's gaze swept through the crowd until he found him, tall and broad shouldered, with unruly brown hair and the same irrepressible smile Key had known all his life.
"Alric!" Key called back, laughing as he pushed through the crowd.
He pushed through the throng, and when the two met, they clasped forearms before pulling each other into a strong embrace.
Alric stepped back to look him over, eyes widening.
"Damn. Last time I saw you, you were a scrawny boy. Now look at you, built like a true warrior."
Key snorted. "Tch. Says the one who used to complain about carrying water buckets. And I almost didn't recognize you either… but only one guy calls me Kiki."
Alric's grin sharpened.
"Soon as I heard you went off for training, I figured I couldn't let you get ahead of me. A man's gotta keep up with his best friend."
Key felt a familiar warmth fill his chest. After all these years, nothing between them had changed.
A girl with fiery red hair and sharp green eyes stepped toward them. She leaned casually on her hip, a sly smile on her lips.
"Don't listen to a word he says," she warned.
"He'll talk about his sword skills to anyone willing to listen."
Key blinked in surprise, and she offered him a sly, confident smile.
"I'm Lira Maelin. Nice to finally meet you. Alric talks about you plenty, figured you were some kind of legend."
Key inclined his head politely. "Good to meet you, I'm Key Garcia."
Alric jumped in before Lira could retort.
"She moved here from Sunhal a few years back. We train together sometimes, though she likes to pretend she's the better one."
Lira raised an eyebrow, lips curling. "Only because it's true."
Alric rolled his eyes and nudged her with his elbow.
"Keep dreaming."
Lira laughed lightly, then looked back at Key with a spark of interest.
"Anyway, Key… if you're free this afternoon, you should come train with us."
Alric's eyes lit up with immediate excitement.
"Perfect idea!" he said, almost bouncing on his heels.
"It's been forever since we had a proper bout together."
Key's smile broadened, a spark of excitement rising in him.
"Alright then. Let me finish my errands first, and I'll meet you later."
As the three of them spoke, a sudden wave of excitement rippled across the square. The crowd's noise shifted, whispers and cheers filling the air.
Key glanced over his shoulder.
A group of knights in immaculate white armor marched through the heart of Starhaven, the morning sun catching on their polished plates. The crowd parted instinctively for them, admiration and awe radiating from every direction.
But Key's attention snapped toward the one at their front.
A lone figure clad in jet black steel.
Not the dull black of iron, this armor gleamed with a mirror like sheen, etched with silver accents that caught the light like stars.
Key frowned, jaw tightening in curiosity."…Who's that?"
Alric leaned in, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper.
"That's Prince Nexa Starfall. Son of King Edlen Starfall. Heir to the throne." He whistled under his breath.
He's just nineteen, only a year older than me, and he already became a Stellar Knight this year. There's no doubt he's one of the strongest knights in Nebura."
Key blinked. "Stellar... Knight? What's that?"
Alric looked at him like the answer should be obvious.
"It's the highest title a knight can earn in Nebura. Right now, only four people in the entire kingdom have it, and Prince Nexa's one of them."
Key's breath hitched. His eyes followed the prince's steady stride, the sharp aura of command surrounding him like a mantle.
"…Do you think," Key murmured, almost afraid to say it aloud, "I could ever become someone like that?"
Alric grinned and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"If that's what you're aiming for? Then yeah. I don't doubt you for a second."
But Lira only crossed her arms, letting out a sharp huff. Her crooked smile carried the weight of someone who knew the taste of harsh truth.
"Becoming a Stellar Knight?" she said flatly. "Nearly impossible."
Her words cut through the moment like a blade.
"Especially for people like us… the ones without Lun."
Key's expression tightened, but he stayed quiet as she pressed on, her voice heavy with frustration.
"Without Lun, you don't stand a chance. Alric and I don't have it, so there's no point dreaming about titles we'll never reach."
Her eyes locked onto Key, sharp and unyielding.
"So?" she asked. "Do you have Lun?"
Key met her eyes for a long second, then slowly shook his head.
"…No. I don't."
Lira let out a quiet sigh, the sound colored with a tired kind of despair, as though she'd long accepted that bitter reality.
"Then you're like us," she murmured.
"Without Lun, it's nearly impossible to stand out… let alone reach something as untouchable as becoming a Stellar Knight."
Alric's smile dimmed, and he gave a reluctant nod.
But Key's eyes only sharpened. Sparked behind them.
"That's not true."
He looked at them both, his tone unwavering.
"Even without Lun," he said, "you can still become great knights."
For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air. Lira and Alric stared at him, caught by the calm fire in his gaze. Something unspoken shifted between them, as if the world itself paused to hear the weight of his belief.
Key's voice remained steady, though a flame of unshakable resolve burned behind every word.
"My master… he's one of the strongest knights in Nebura," he continued. "And he doesn't have Lun. I don't even know about his titles, but I know he's a legend. He always told me that with hard work and determination, we can overcome anything. Not having Lun doesn't close the path. As long as we keep fighting, the path will open."
His words settled over them like the heavy calm before a storm.
Lira looked down, her expression unreadable. Alric, though... something clicked in his eyes. A spark. A realization.
"Wait…" he breathed, the word tumbling out as if it startled him.
"Your master. His name... was it Guru?"
Key gave a small nod.
"Yes. I trained at his temple."
Alric's mouth fell open, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Guru is one of the greatest knights in the history of Nebura! The man who became a Stellar Knight without Lun! And you trained under him? Key… I'm honestly jealous."
Key blinked in shock.
"Master… is one of the Stellar Knights?"
He let out a short laugh and shook his head.
"At first, I didn't even know he was a legendary knight. I only found out later, Renzo and Newth mentioned it at the temple."
Lira's expression shifted, the sharpness in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by something softer. For the first time, a faint spark of hope glimmered within her gaze.
"Maybe…" she whispered, barely louder than a breath.
"Maybe it isn't impossible after all."
Key smiled, the warmth of his conviction shining through.
"Don't let doubt hold you back. If you want to become great knights, then fight for it. Not having Lun isn't an excuse to abandon your dreams."
His eyes swept across Lira and Alric, his voice firm, each word echoing with quiet strength.
"Lira. Alric. Don't lose hope. Greatness isn't granted by Lun. It's forged by those who refuse to give up."
With that, Key turned, giving them a single nod before stepping away, vanishing into the restless flow of the crowd.
Lira watched him go, letting her breath ease out slowly. When she finally looked toward Alric, a small, almost amused smile tugged at her lips.
"I think… now I understand," she murmured. Her voice carried a gentle warmth, touched with realization.
"Why you never stop talking about him."
Alric's smile bloomed with pride as he watched his friend disappear into the clamor of the city.