Sunlight poured through the small cottage window, warm and golden, casting soft rectangles of light across the wooden floor. Dust motes drifted lazily in the beams, glowing like tiny floating embers. The air smelled of dried herbs — rosemary, thyme, lavender — all bundled neatly and hanging from the rafters, their colors muted by age but still fragrant.
The room felt lived‑in and gentle. A kettle sat cooling on the stove. A woven rug lay beneath the table, its faded pattern softened by years of footsteps. The wooden walls creaked quietly as the afternoon breeze brushed against the cottage exterior.
Aurelienne sat across from Eiden, the sunlight catching in her golden hair and turning it almost white at the edges. Her posture was relaxed now, the illusion gone, her true form settled comfortably into the small space. The transformation had left the room feeling strangely brighter — as if her presence itself reflected the afternoon light.
She exhaled, fingers lightly tapping the rim of a clay cup.
"So… yeah." Her voice carried a tired honesty, softened by the warm glow around them. "That's what happened. I then started settling in different kingdoms and villages from that day on. And during that, I had soon learned it was Uzak'me who had 'killed' my clan…"
Her eyes drifted toward the window, watching the sunlight shift across the grass outside.
"And I've remained here for… a while now."
The cottage held the silence that followed — warm, bright, and heavy with everything she had just revealed.
Eiden finally breathed out, leaning back slightly as he processed her words.
"Well, that's… interesting. I'm glad you and your people are safe now, but where is Verio now?" Eiden asked.
Aurelienne then replied, "Well, about probably three decades ago, I recently found he rebuilt the clan in the same region the Bluecrest Clan lies. We spoke, and he told me how Zeth had helped him a lot, which is surprising for an enemy of yours," she said, chuckling softly with a covered hand over her mouth.
Eiden smiled a little, shaking his head. "Yes, yes, laugh it up… Zeth is an interesting man. He's the first vampire I've ever faced, and probably the last I'd ever want to fight."
"Oh, why's that?" Aurelienne asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Well…" Eiden rested an elbow on the table. "Did I tell you that I have five great enemies? Those are Uzak'me, Reia, Yajin, Ou'weii, and Civilar…"
"Oh yeah, I know them, heard you recently killed Reia and her daughters too, but that still doesn't answer my question," Aurelienne said.
"Of all of them, Bloody Zeth — or Lord Zeth, if you prefer — is the strongest out of all my enemies, but also friendly. Unlike all my other enemies, he's not as easy to cut and fool. He is the god of vampires. He's very powerful… Even with my current power, that man could probably still overpower me somehow. After all, he is a god." Eiden said.
Aurelienne blinked, taken aback. "Oh, there is no way he is that strong…"
"That man possesses some kind of red arcane magic," Eiden said, resting his hands on the table. "Arcane magic is extremely powerful and contains a lot of mana to use, yet he uses it as if it were tossing away nothing. He possesses that, along with blood magic — and his blood magic is beyond anything I've seen. I may have mastered a majority of magics, but even he could still surpass me."
Aurelienne leaned in slightly. "How so?"
"He can control the blood inside the body of someone," Eiden said.
Aurelienne froze. Her breath caught for a moment.
"Gods… Why would a man like him even need to possess such magic to that extent?" she asked.
"Humans have always tried to get rid of vampires many centuries ago," Eiden explained. "So he created his own spells through hard work to officially get them to stop, but one of those spells made humans fear him completely — and it wasn't the spell to control the blood within a person's body."
"Oh? And what ability was that?" Aurelienne asked—
—but the cottage door creaked open.
"Eiden?" Iris said, peeking inside.
Her eyes widened instantly. "Oh my gods…" She stepped in slowly, disbelief washing over her face. "Aurelienne?!"
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly.
"Oh my god, this is amazing! How are you alive right now? Oh my! I have so many questions!" Iris said, nearly vibrating with excitement.
Aurelienne chuckled softly, patting her back. "Eiden can tell you everything on your journey. Right now, I think it's best you should all get going, okay?"
"Oh—of course, yeah. Happy to see you again," Iris said with a bright smile.
Aurelienne smiled warmly. "It's nice to see you too, Iris. Now, Eiden, you and the Sages should be on the road now. I have a wagon if you don't want to walk. The men by the bags of potatoes should have a few you all can use."
"Thank you, Aurelienne," Eiden said, rising to his feet as Iris stepped out of the cottage.
Aurelienne's voice stopped him at the doorway.
"Oh, and Eiden — when you face Yajin, remember to always look at the sky once in a while," she warned.
Eiden paused, absorbing the weight of that advice. "I'll… make sure to."
She then grabbed his arm again, her fingers tightening just slightly. "And Eiden… I'm glad you changed. I'm glad you aren't the man you once were."
Eiden froze for a moment.
His eyes lowered, not in shame, but in a quiet acknowledgment of the truth she was touching. A breath slipped from him — steady, controlled, but softer than usual. He didn't pull his arm away. He didn't tense. He simply let the words settle.
"…I'm trying," he said quietly. "Even if I don't always know what that new version of me is supposed to look like."
Aurelienne's expression softened, her grip easing but not leaving his arm.
"And that," she said, "is already more than the man you used to be."
Eiden looked at her then — really looked — and for a brief moment, the unreadable calm he always wore cracked just enough to show something gentler beneath.
"Thank you," he said.
Aurelienne slowly released his arm, her fingers slipping away with a reluctant softness, as if part of her wished she could hold on a moment longer.
Eiden gave her one last nod, then turned and stepped outside.
The afternoon sun washed over the village, bright and warm, casting long shadows across the dirt road. The scent of pine and fresh earth drifted through the air as Eiden walked toward the others.
A wagon now waited near the edge of the settlement — sturdy, wooden, and freshly hitched to two strong brown horses. The wheels were worn but well‑maintained, the kind used for long travel across uneven terrain.
Morvath lounged in the back, arms behind his head as he stretched out across a pile of blankets.
Dravien sat beside him, his feline tail flicking lazily while his small paws tucked neatly under his chest, eyes half‑closed in the sunlight.
Vaelus leaned against the side rail, arms crossed, gaze distant as if already calculating the hours of travel ahead.
At the front, Iris, Selyndra, and Seraphaine were already seated on the driver's bench. Iris held the reins confidently, her red cloak fluttering in the breeze. Selyndra gently swept her golden hair behind her ear, the sunlight catching on each strand as she settled herself on the seat. Seraphaine sat tall and poised, her posture regal even in a simple wagon seat.
Eiden approached, boots crunching softly against the dirt. He stepped up onto the side rail and climbed into the wagon, taking a seat near the back beside Morvath and Dravien, his hand resting briefly on the wooden frame as he settled in.
"All set?" Iris asked, glancing back with a grin.
Eiden nodded once. "Let's move."
Iris flicked the reins.
The horses snorted, hooves kicking up dust as the wagon lurched forward. The wooden wheels creaked, then settled into a steady rhythm as they rolled down the road. Sunlight shimmered across the fields ahead, painting the path in warm gold.
The wind picked up, brushing through their hair as the village slowly shrank behind them — the cottages, the gardens, the people waving farewell.
Aurelienne stood at her doorway, watching them go, her golden hair glowing in the afternoon light.
The wagon rolled onward, leaving the quiet settlement behind as the Sages began their journey once more — toward danger, toward destiny, and toward the remaining three enemies Eiden had.
The road stretched long and bright before them.