Janna stepped in, interrupting the moment.
"Ere. Ella. The memorial is starting at the center of the village. You should go."
Neither of them argued. They followed her.
The village had already gathered by the time they arrived.
No one spoke. People stood close, but not together—each holding their own silence.
At the center, the Chief waited.
When the last of them arrived, he began.
"The village has faced one of the fiercest attacks in years. We believed the other village had fallen to something unnatural, and we prepared for it."
He paused briefly.
"It was not enough."
His gaze moved across the crowd.
"It cost us our defenders. Yesterday… we lost many who stood to protect what we have built."
The bodies were brought forward.
Carried slowly, with care.
No one rushed. No one looked away.
Furry was among them.
Ere's eyes rested on him for a moment. There was no confusion in his expression, only a quiet recognition of what it meant to stand—and fall—for something.
The Chief continued.
"From darkness, light is born."
He turned slightly.
"Ella."
The crowd parted as she stepped forward.
"This child has awakened the Fire Crest of magic. In a time where we have lost much, she carries what remains of our hope."
A faint murmur spread through the crowd.
"Her future will not be small."
Applause followed. Not loud, but certain.
Then the Chief's gaze shifted again.
"Ere."
The name moved through the crowd, and with it, every eye turned.
Ere didn't step forward.
He didn't need to.
"In a night where hope was all we had, he did not wait for it," the Chief said, his voice steady. "He acted."
The silence returned, heavier than before.
"Many of you woke today to the voices of those you thought you had lost. That is because he stood his ground… and faced something no one else could."
A brief pause.
"An enemy many times his size."
This time, the applause rose differently.
Not out of surprise—but recognition.
Janna. Mika. Ella. The hunters. One by one, then together.
Ere stood in silence as the applause settled.
Still. Unmoved.
The sound of their applause didn't change him.
But—
It lingered.
Not the sound.
The reason behind it.
The crowd started getting back to their days as with some houses destroyed they needed to start repairing that, and other villages were chipping in.
As for Ere, there was something else that held his attention.
When they returned to the house, he looked at Ella.
"Tell me about your dream."
It was the simplest way to learn.
Ella didn't ignore him this time.
She stopped for a second, then said,
"I will… if you do me a favor."
There was no hesitation in her tone.
"I want to show you a trick first"
They moved to the backyard, where she began to show him what control she had managed to gain.
After a quiet incantation—"Oh fire, come to me at once"—a small flame formed above her palm.
For something achieved overnight, it was… impressive.
Ere gave a small nod.
She then continued, her thoughts unfolding as she watched the flame.
"I wanted magic so I could join the academy."
Ere's gaze shifted slightly. "The academy?"
She nodded. "It's beyond our village, hosted in the kingdom of humans. They gather people from everywhere—humans, elves, dwarves… even demons."
The flame flickered as she continued, but her voice steadied.
"They train us there. Not just to use magic, but to prepare for what's coming… the Chaos King."
Ere watched the flame, then back at her. "And they take anyone who awakens magic?"
"Not exactly," she replied. "Every year, they open applications for people to join. Some are stronger than others, and that's where it matters. If your crest is strong, you're placed among fighters, mages, or healers."
She kept her gaze forward.
"If it's weaker, you can still be accepted… but as a researcher."
A small pause.
"It's still considered an honor."
She exhaled lightly.
"Each kingdom sends their brightest. It goes beyond that, but… that's all I know for now."
She lowered her hand slightly, keeping the flame alive.
"The academy is called Utoxia: Academy of the Elites"
Ere repeated the name silently.
"So your goal is to go there," he said, "and fight the Chaos King."
She shook her head. "That's part of it. But I want more than that."
The flame dimmed as her focus shifted.
"I want to build a name there. If I'm recognized, I can help the village… maybe even get the kingdom to accept them as citizens."
Ere watched her in silence.
At an age where he sought strength for its own sake, she was already thinking beyond herself—carrying the weight of those the world had left behind.
He didn't question it.
No wonder she had awakened magic.
She was… different.
And for the first time, Ere acknowledged it.
That night, Ere sat atop the house, the village quiet beneath him.
Ella—and the others—would leave by morning.
As for him… he would wait.
For now.
Utoxia.
A place where strength was gathered and shaped—controlled.
The structure behind it was already clear.
Those who awakened power were taken early, guided, trained… and kept within reach of the kingdoms.
Not just to grow stronger.
But to remain within their grasp.
He didn't question her dream. There was no reason to.
But he saw the path ahead differently.
Ere said nothing.
He saw no reason to go far to protect what was already close.
The dangers beyond the kingdoms belonged to them.
His path was simpler.
To grow stronger.
For himself— and for the village he chose to protect.
The decision had already been made.
He is not interested.
Not now.