The five of them converged on Subaru, who stood in the shattered clearing, brushing dust from his body as though he had simply tripped. The silence still crackled with the remnants of power, the air heavy with tension.
Thorn's voice cut through, low and urgent. "What did you say to the Sin, Subaru? What words could drive him into such a frenzy?"
Subaru let out a booming laugh that echoed unnaturally in the broken clearing, too light for the weight of the moment. "Hahahaha! It's nothing, Thorn. Nothing worth troubling yourselves about."
Thorn blinked, jaw slack. "Not worth troubling ourselves?" He stepped forward, incredulous. "You almost started an all-out battle. And you call that nothing?"
Auren's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with concern. "Granduncle… are you certain of this?"
Subaru met Auren's gaze with a soft smile, the humor in his voice calming. "Of course I'm certain. Would I lie to you, Auren?"
"Hmmm…maybe it wasn't really a bother", Thorn thought, his lips parting to press further, but Elarenya's gentle voice intervened.
"Enough. There is no need to hound Subaru with more questions," she said, her tone a balm over their fraying nerves.
Subaru inclined his head gratefully. "Thank you, Elarenya."
But Vaelorian did not yield. His voice was anxious and impatient. "Even if my sister is right, Subaru, you cannot expect me to ignore this. What you did to Aurelia nearly cost me my kingdom."
Subaru's smile slipped away, replaced by something unreadable. His eyes locked onto Vaelorian's, steady and calm, yet carrying a weight none of them could measure. "Cost you? No. Aurelia would never bring destruction without reason. Not unless…" He trailed off, as though some hidden truth pressed against his thoughts.
A heavy silence settled over the clearing. Confusion rippled through the group. Thorn tilted his head, his expression caught between disbelief and amusement. Auren frowned deeply, while Raphael turned slightly, his face unreadable beneath his blindfold, as if silently questioning the man before him.
Subaru blinked at them, his voice breaking the silence. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Thorn gave a sharp, humorless laugh. "Oh, my friend, you most certainly did. And you don't even realize it."
Subaru chuckled lightly, shaking his head, but the moment carried no joy.
Elarenya, always the diplomat, swept in with serene authority. "Enough. This is not the place. The summit awaits us, and the other leaders will not linger forever. Let us go."
Thorn threw up his hands, exasperated. "Let them wait, I say. They will only prattle on about matters that help no one."
Vaelorian turned on him, his voice sharp. "And yet even prattle can reveal truths. You would do well to remember that, Thorn."
"Oh, listen to the wise king!" Thorn shot back with a mocking bow. "How noble, how disciplined. Do you lecture like this to your council every morning, or just when I'm around?"
Vaelorian's jaw tightened. "At least I take my duty seriously, unlike you."
Thorn grinned, enjoying the provocation. "Duty is dull. Laughter keeps kingdoms alive, not endless speeches."
"Your laughter will not stop armies at the gates."
"Neither will your speeches," Thorn countered with a wink.
Elarenya sighed, though a faint smile touched her lips. "Thorn, will you do the honors?"
Thorn scowled. "I am not some carriage to be summoned at convenience."
Her soft smile did not waver. "Oh, don't be like that. You do it better than anyone."
Subaru joined her with a chuckle. "Come now, Thorn. Think of it as your grand entrance."
The old rogue let out an exaggerated groan before snapping his fingers. A swirling vortex of deep blue tore open before them, rippling like water kissed by moonlight.
"Alright, everybody," Thorn said with mock grandeur, sweeping his arm toward the portal. "Let us go and make some trouble."
Vaelorian sighed again, grim lines etched across his face. He stepped toward the portal, clearly intending to enter first. But Thorn's hand shot out, fingers curling firmly around his arm.
"Hey, Vaelorian," Thorn said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Where do you think you're going?"
Vaelorian turned, eyes narrowing. "Where do you think? Or are you blind now as well?"
"You really have no manners," Thorn replied smoothly, though his grip held firm. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, he looked at Elarenya, his voice softening into honey. "Ladies first."
Elarenya's smile deepened into something genuine, her steps graceful as she approached. "How very kind, Thorn. Such a gentleman. Your wife must be delighted to have you."
Thorn's chest puffed out proudly. "Of course she is."
"More like tolerating you," Vaelorian muttered under his breath, just loud enough for them to hear.
Elarenya laughed lightly, the sound bright against the tension. "Oh, don't be such an old man. You might learn a thing or two from him if you stopped sulking." She stepped forward and, without hesitation, vanished into the shimmering light of the portal.
Vaelorian's face flushed with indignation. He jerked his arm free, glaring at Thorn with unmasked fury. "I do not need lessons from this barbaric animal! And don't you ever lay your hand on me again."
Thorn smirked, unbothered. "Sure, old man. Whatever you say."
Vaelorian scowled but bit back further words. With a final glare, he stepped into the portal and was gone.
Subaru, watching it all unfold, let out a warm laugh and shook his head. "Some things never change."
Auren entered next, quiet but steady, leaving only Subaru, Thorn, and Raphael behind.
"You don't have to laugh, you know," Thorn grumbled as he followed.
"Sure, sure," Subaru replied, his grin widening as Thorn disappeared into the portal.
Subaru lingered a moment longer. He turned his gaze toward Raphael, who stood still, his head tilted faintly toward the towering World Tree in the distance.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Subaru's voice softened, reverent.
"Yes, Grandpa," Raphael answered. A simple reply, yet it carried the depth of unspoken understanding.
Subaru chuckled quietly. "Come on then. Before he gets too pissed off."
But Raphael's head turned toward him, his voice thoughtful. "Grandpa… how did you know Aurelia?"
For a brief moment, Subaru stilled. Then he gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug. "Another day. Another time."
Raphael let out a thoughtful hum, but said no more.
Together, they stepped into the portal. The portal shimmered one last time, then sealed itself behind them.
At the Wienstone Academy
Not far from the academy, in a secluded part of the woods, the portal shimmered back into existence. One by one, the familiar circle of figures emerged into the quiet clearing.
Already, Vaelorian and Thorn's voices were colliding in sharp tones.
"And why would I listen to you," Vaelorian was saying, "when you cannot even handle yourself?"
"I can handle myself just fine," Thorn shot back with a snarl. "But someone as ancient as you wouldn't understand."
"Ancient?" Vaelorian's voice spiked with outrage, his eyes widening. "I am…"
"Oh, come on, you two," Subaru interrupted as he emerged from the portal, Raphael at his side. His voice carried both amusement and exasperation. "Not even forty seconds have passed, and already you're at each other's throats?"
The two froze, exchanging hard looks. And then, unexpectedly, both broke into laughter.
Raphael tilted his head slightly, puzzled at the sudden shift.
Thorn clapped a hand onto Vaelorian's shoulder, grinning. "My very, very good friend… we both know that once we walk into that summit, it's going to be one hell of a show."
"For once, I agree with Thorn," Vaelorian said, his laughter softening into a more serious tone. His eyes flicked toward Subaru. "But mark my words, Subaru…take no offense…you do not always keep your temper in check."
Subaru opened his mouth, a protest rising on his tongue, but before he could speak, Elarenya's calm voice cut across them like a blade through water.
"Enough, men. We are wasting time."
"Yes, yes," Thorn said, flicking his wrist dismissively. "Let's move it already." He strode ahead, his long steps loud with purpose.
"I do keep my anger in check," Subaru muttered under his breath, lips curling in faint irritation. "At least most of the time."
Vaelorian chuckled quietly, the sound carrying a sharp edge. "Keep telling yourself that, old friend."
Elarenya moved gracefully to Subaru's side, her voice gentle yet sincere. "I believe you, Subaru. But…" She glanced toward Thorn with a knowing smile. "I do expect him to have a quarrel with Morganya before long."
"And why in the world would I?" Thorn called back over his shoulder without slowing his pace. "It's not like I intend to share a single word with her."
Elarenya only laughed softly, her calm presence contrasting Thorn's brash tone.
Raphael leaned closer to Auren, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Where exactly is the summit being held?"
Auren's expression softened. His smile carried quiet reassurance. "Do not worry. Once we arrive, you will feel it for yourself."
The group pressed forward, their boots crunching against the worn forest path. The woods loomed thick around them, shadows curling where the light dared not reach. A lonely wind hissed through the branches, a sound both mournful and cold. When at last the trees parted, a withered cottage appeared ahead, its roof sagging inward, its walls splintering with age.
No one spoke. The silence was heavy, broken only by the steady rhythm of their footsteps.
Raphael drew a breath, about to voice a thought, but Elarenya's calm whisper slid across the air before he could. "Raphael… do well not to speak unless you are spoken to."
Her tone was not harsh, yet the weight behind it silenced him instantly. He bowed his head slightly and swallowed his words.
Thorn reached the rotting door first. With a single push, the hinges groaned, and the cottage opened to reveal a circular chamber within.
The air shifted the moment they stepped inside. Power was waiting for them.
Seven figures stood already gathered, the rulers and their chosen aides, arranged in a wide circle that seemed to bend the room around their presence. At the head stood Morganya, the Supreme Witch, her very gaze cutting like a blade, as if storms themselves burned behind her eyes. Flanking her were her aides, Verya and Chinonso, still as stone, shadows carved into the room itself.
To her right loomed King Vareth of the Velmorra Kingdom, tall and severe, his young aide keeping close, silent as if the very air was listening. Opposite him stood King Raizen of the Imperial Kingdom, his posture rigid, a man whose bearing seemed forged of iron. At his side lingered his aide, a maid with a quiet gaze that carried its own unsettling strength.
The Saintess was there as well, radiant even without a word, her presence like a still flame refusing to bow to the wind. Beside her stood her aide, Drakos and Valdis, both immovable, their very silence brimming with unshaken loyalty.
And standing apart, leaning casually just outside the circle, was the High Elf Magister of Wienstone, Elorandir. A faint, knowing smile curved his lips, sharp as the glint of steel hidden in velvet. He clapped his hands once, the sound cutting through the charged air, his voice smooth and resonant with an unnatural calm.
"Oh, welcome," he said, his gaze drifting deliberately across them. "Thorn. Vaelorian. Elarenya." Then his eyes lingered on Subaru, and his smile deepened, almost conspiratorial. "Ah… and Subaru. I see you are good and healthy."
For a fleeting moment, the chamber itself seemed to listen.
"Good to see you too, Elorandir," Subaru replied, his tone carrying an unexpected warmth that did not quite hide the weight beneath it.
The silence that followed was heavy, thick with meaning unspoken, as though the very walls were holding their breath.