The winter solstice festival marked the end of the year, a turning point that always came when winter was almost over, even though the cold still clung stubbornly to the air and crept into our bones. Tomorrow would be the first day of the new year, and in this place, everyone grew a year older after the winter solstice passed. That meant I did too. I was eight years old now.
I lay awake that morning, staring at the dim ceiling of the hideout.
The noise from last night was gone.
No laughter.
No voices.
Just silence.
It felt… wrong.
My body was still tired, but my mind wouldn't rest. It kept moving, dragging memories with it, whether I wanted them or not.
A year.
It felt longer than that.
Too long.
Too full.
Blood.
Screams.
Running.
Surviving.
I closed my eyes for a moment…
…and saw it again.
Flashes.
Frans is standing in front of me.
His back.
His voice.
"Run."
I opened my eyes immediately.
Breathing slightly heavier.
The ceiling came back into focus.
Cold.
Still.
Real.
I swallowed.
A year ago, I was still part of the Avenir bloodline.
A name that meant something.
A place.
A future.
Now…
I was the only one left.
Just a name.
And a purpose.
Revenge.
It sounded simple when I said it in my head.
But it wasn't.
It was heavy.
Too heavy.
Still…
I didn't have anything else.
So I held onto it.
Tightly.
Like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
There was no training that morning.
The entire hideout felt slower.
People moved less.
Spoke less.
Recovering.
Even the air felt heavier, like it was still carrying the weight of last night.
Spiro gathered us without much explanation.
"We're meeting Master."
That was enough.
No one asked questions.
We followed.
Through the same corridors.
The same turns.
The same wooden paths worn down by years of footsteps.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
***
When we entered the master hall, he was already there.
Seated on his throne.
The pressure was immediate.
Heavy.
But…
Different.
Less suffocating than before.
Not because he changed.
But because we did.
We understood more now.
In front of him stood around ten children.
Lined up neatly.
Silent.
Unfamiliar.
I observed them.
Their posture.
Their breathing.
The faint presence of mana within them.
Weak.
Unrefined.
Roughly where we had been when we first arrived.
For a moment…
I saw myself in them.
Confused.
Uncertain.
Trying to understand where they were.
What they had become part of.
My chest tightened slightly.
Master looked at us. Beside him, there were ten children standing.
Then shook his head faintly.
"Stand here," the master gestures for us to stand in front of him.
We obeyed immediately.
"Good," he said. "I have a new plan for you."
My focus sharpened.
This was it.
Something was changing.
Again.
He turned slightly toward the new children.
"Spiro. You will lead these ten."
Spiro nodded without hesitation.
"Four are bloodlined. Six have strong potential."
Spiro's eyes moved across them.
Calculating.
Assessing.
Already working.
So this was what Havan meant.
A gift.
Not for us.
For Spiro.
I glanced at the children again.
Juniors.
That word felt strange.
Uncomfortable.
How should I treat them?
Strict?
Distant?
Like Spiro?
Like Seyren?
Before I could answer…
Master spoke again.
"Robert Balcier. You are ready. You will now join the Scout Ring and assist Havan."
The words landed…
And everything inside me froze.
Robert?
Leaving?
I turned to him instinctively.
His eyes widened slightly.
Just for a moment.
Then he lowered his head.
"…yes, Master."
Calm.
As always.
But I saw it.
The hesitation.
The shift.
My chest tightened.
Sharp.
Sudden.
No.
This…
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Not like this.
We were supposed to…
Stay.
Train.
Together.
My breathing became uneven.
Quiet.
But unstable.
"Margaretha Duvent. You will assist your brother in the Job Ring."
Another hit.
Harder.
Margaretha didn't move at first.
Then…
She stepped forward.
"…understood."
Her voice was steady.
But her fingers tightened slightly.
I noticed.
Because I was looking for something…
Anything…
To hold onto.
Two of them.
Gone.
Just like that.
My heart started beating faster.
Too fast.
My thoughts began to scatter.
Fragments.
Images.
Voices overlapping.
People leaving.
Not coming back.
Frans appears beside the master.
"Run."
I clenched my teeth.
No.
Not the same.
This wasn't…
They weren't…
"Theodosis Assombrir, Rick Avenir, Agni Lafeu, and Pritha Lafeu."
I snapped back immediately.
My body straightened.
Instinct.
Focus.
Hold it together.
Don't lose control.
"You four," Master said calmly, "will go to Rucksal."
Silence.
Then…
Relief comes immediately.
We were still together.
Not alone.
Not separated.
Not yet.
I exhaled slowly, barely noticeable.
But it didn't erase the other feeling.
Because Robert and Margaretha…still leaving.
***
The meeting ended quickly after that.
No explanations.
No comfort.
Just orders.
We left the hall in silence.
The corridor felt longer than usual.
Heavier.
Theo was the first to break it.
"…so you're just leaving?"
He looked at Robert.
Robert nodded.
"Yes."
"…that's it?"
"…yes."
Theo clicked his tongue. "…that's stupid."
"It's necessary."
"That doesn't make it less stupid."
Agni stepped in quietly. "…what will you do there?"
"I don't know." Robert's answer was short and precise.
Margaretha spoke next.
"I'll be in the Job Ring. Helping my brothers."
Theo looked between them.
"…so you're both just… gone."
"…we're not dead," Margaretha replied flatly.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
Silence.
Pritha stepped closer to Margaretha.
"…will you come back?"
Margaretha paused.
"…sometimes."
Not a promise.
Not a lie.
Just reality.
Pritha nodded slowly.
Agni didn't say anything.
I stayed quiet.
Because I didn't trust my voice.
"…Rucksal," Theo muttered after a while, trying to shift the topic. "We've been there before."
"A few months ago," Agni said.
"Dwayna Duchy," I added quietly.
A city near trade routes to 14 Kingdom Alliances.
It is busy and crowded.
Less controlled than the capital.
"…so what are we doing there?" Theo asked.
"Probably the same as before," Agni replied. "Missions."
"Or worse."
"Definitely worse."
Pritha looked between us.
"…will it be dangerous?"
"Yes," Theo said immediately.
"…but we'll be fine," Agni added.
She nodded.
Trusting.
I glanced at Robert.
Then Margaretha.
Memorizing.
Without meaning to.
"…don't die," Theo said suddenly.
Robert looked at him.
"…you too."
Margaretha turned away slightly.
"…just don't fall behind."
Theo smirked faintly. "You wish."
Something inside me still felt unstable.
Shaken.
Not broken.
But…
Close.
Because this…
This was how it started.
I knew that pattern too well.
But this time…
I wasn't alone.
I looked at Theo.
Agni.
Pritha.
Still here.
Still together.
Rucksal city.
A new place.
A new mission.
Another step forward.
My grip tightened slightly.
I couldn't stop things from changing.
I couldn't stop people from leaving.
But I could…
Get stronger.
So next time…
I wouldn't feel this way again.