His father placed a firm hand on his son's head.
"You should probably go find your mother," he advised.
"She's been looking for you.
And if you make her wait much longer, no one will be able to help you when she gets angry."
Draven chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, I'd better go find her then."
He turned and walked away, Alex following close behind.
As they disappeared into the crowd, Kaelen finally broke the silence, addressing the man beside him.
"I sent you an invitation, but I didn't think you'd actually come."
Ivan shrugged.
"How could I miss the first birthday party of my only nephew?"
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
"I never thought of you as someone who cares about things like this."
Ivan gave a cryptic smile.
"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think."
Kaelen studied him for a moment, then nodded toward the forest edge.
"Are you really okay with giving him a gift like that?"
Ivan's gaze drifted lazily back to the spot where Draven had disappeared.
"It's just a spirit egg," he said lightly.
"Nothing too important.
I don't think much of it."
He turned to leave.
"Why don't you stay a little longer?" Kaelen offered.
Ivan shook his head.
"I came to deliver a gift.
Now that I've done that, there's no reason to linger."
Without another word, he turned and began to walk away, quickly blending into the shifting crowd.
Kaelen watched his brother vanish into the distance, a thoughtful expression settling across his face.
"He's always so… inscrutable," he murmured.
"I never know what he's really thinking."
---
Somewhere deep in the forest, Ivan moved between the trees with practiced ease.
A small, amused smile played on his lips.
"That kid," he muttered to himself, "he's not as simple as everyone believes.
They say he can't use Mana... but I felt something inside him.
Something old."
He paused beneath the shade of a tall, ancient tree.
"Kaelen must have sensed it too."
Ivan looked back in the direction of the village and smiled faintly.
"Keep my spirit egg safe, kid," he whispered, before melting into the shadows between the trees.
---
Meanwhile, Draven had finally found his mother.
"Mom," he called out, slightly breathless, "I heard you were looking for me."
She turned to him with a mock glare and placed a hand on his shoulder, the same mischievous glint flashing in her eyes.
"Where have you been?" she asked, voice sharp but playful. "Where the hell have you been?"