Northern Region Palace
"Why must we attend that southern gathering?" Vaelen's voice echoed sharply through the marble throne room. "It's the same hollow celebration they hold every year. We've never gone before—why start now?"
He stood tall before the twin thrones, arms crossed, dark brows furrowed. His presence, always commanding, now pulsed with irritation.
The Northern King, Calix, barely glanced up from the scroll he was reading. "It's not a request, Vaelen. The decision is final. You'll attend, and that's the end of it."
"But—"
"No." The king's tone turned to steel. "I will not have our family mocked over your petty rivalry with Prince Zephyris. This is diplomacy, not a contest of egos."
Vaelen clenched his jaw, frustration simmering just beneath his skin. He hated when his father pulled rank like this. But it wasn't entirely about Zephyris, even if their silent competition had brewed since childhood. There was just something about the southern prince that rubbed him the wrong way—too calm, too poised. And yet, undeniably powerful.
Sensing the tension, Queen Verena stepped in with a soft, practiced smile. "Who knows," she said gently, "perhaps you'll finally find your mate there."
Vaelen's scowl faltered, replaced by a bitter half-smile. "That's what you said when I was eighteen. Then again at twenty. Now I'm twenty-four." He gave a small bow and turned to leave. "Enjoy your party."
As the heavy doors shut behind him, the queen sighed and touched her husband's hand. "Oh, Calix… what if he never finds her?"
"He will," the king said, though his voice lacked conviction. "In time."
Southern Region – Zephyris' Quarters
The palace was quiet when Zephyris returned. The cold air of night clung to him, and yet his thoughts ran hotter than ever.
The dream. The visions. The truth clawing at the edges of his memory.
His boots echoed softly on the stone as he made his way to his chambers. The moment his head hit the pillow, his mind pulled him under—not into rest, but into revelation.
Dreamscape
"Zephyr…"
The voice, like wind through ice, called to him. His room changed—colors faded into white and blue hues, glowing and soft, as if the world had been dipped in moonlight.
He turned, and in the distance, he saw a man with hair like his—silverish-white. The figure cradled two children. Twins.
Zephyr tried to approach, but the man vanished.
Then came another whisper: "我的爱, they're twins."
He spun to find the man again, now beside a woman who looked exhausted but radiant. He couldn't see their faces, but something within him knew—these were his parents. This was real.
More images unfolded like pages from a forgotten book. He watched himself and Luna, young and laughing, soaring on the back of a dragon, then lifted by invisible winds through gardens of glowing flowers. He heard her giggle on a magical swing, saw his mother planting iridescent blooms—unlike any in the present day.
They weren't dreams. They were memories.
Then the scene shifted again.
He was older in this vision, holding Luna tightly.
"Keep our little 月华 safe, okay?" the man—Kallias—said, shutting them into a wardrobe and freezing it over.
Voices echoed from outside. "King Kallias you are to return to your duties in Eldara as of this moment, your absence for fifty years would have gone unnoticed but things don't always go as planned.Leave the werewolves country now or pay the price"
Kallias didn't reply. His eyes—haunted, determined—held fast to the door. When the threat passed, he released his family from hiding.
Zephyr saw him whisper something to the children. Both began to cry, then slowly fell asleep.
Then, turning to Zuria, he said something that made her collapse into sobs.
Zephyr didn't realize when he began crying too. But the tears came fast, silent, and heavy.
And then—he woke.
Gasping, soaked in sweat and tears, the prince stared at his ceiling. His chest ached. His hands trembled.
He'd seen his family.
Elaine's Room
With only days left till the New Year, the pressure weighed heavy on Elaine. The eagle had told her to remain in the pack, but he hadn't explained what she was supposed to do. Staying put meant exposing themselves. Waiting meant vulnerability.
And Kallias?
Every time she sent her subconscious to search for him, she returned empty-handed. The bird hadn't been much help either. Lately, it barely appeared.
She sighed, sitting by the sleeping Luna, when a strange whisper escaped the girl's lips.
Words—fragmented, ancient—each in a different language. Then a soft glow bloomed at Luna's chest.
Elaine leaned closer, startled. A small orb—shifting from blue to red—hovered just above Luna's heart.
"What in the…" She reached out but was thrown backward by an invisible force. She hit the wall with a grunt.
Scrambling up, she placed a protective barrier around the room and slipped into REM trance. If the eagle wouldn't come, she'd go find him.
The familiar mist appeared almost instantly.
"Bird!" she yelled. "You never told me about a glowing orb in her chest! Where is Kallias?!"
A puff of gold mist formed into the familiar eagle-shaped haze. "One: I'll tolerate being called 'bird' because I can't give a witch my name. Two: you're her guardian—you should know how to care for a growing gumiho. And three: Kallias is… very tied up at the moment."
"I left Eldara as soon as I matured," Elaine said, panicked. "There are only five other known gumihos alive. Three are missing, and the other two can kill with a stare. No one studies them because no wants to risk their life."
The eagle sighed. "Relax. It's normal. She's fine. The orb is her guseul. If it glows one color, great. Two? Not dangerous—just chaotic. Means she's fire and ice. That hasn't happened in centuries, by the way."
Elaine blinked. "That's not comforting."
"Don't let her feel strong negative emotions till after her birthday. If she does, she risks becoming… unhinged. An evil spirit, potentially. So… don't let that happen. Use noise barriers. Don't sleep much. Anyways good luck. Kallias calls."
With that, the eagle vanished.
Elaine snapped awake. Luna was still asleep—but now floating gently in the air. The orb had dimmed but still pulsed softly.
Elaine stayed awake all night.
Sometimes the room filled with mist. Other times it burned like fire, or froze like tundra. Whispers from dead languages clung to the walls.
"How is this normal?" she muttered, watching the first light of dawn break through her frosted window.