16th Day of the Month of the Iron Wolf
Village of Hellard, Varkas Kingdom
Snow fell lightly across the northern roads of Varkas.
The refugee caravan moved slowly through the frozen terrain, its pace restrained by wounded civilians and exhausted survivors who had barely escaped Oakhaven alive. Wooden carts creaked beneath supplies and injured villagers while Tempest Knights maintained formation around the procession, their eyes constantly scanning the surrounding wilderness for movement.
No one felt safe.
Not after witnessing what had happened.
Kein walked quietly beside Marcus and Elara near the middle of the caravan. His body still ached from exhaustion, though compared to the weight pressing against his thoughts, the pain barely registered.
The future was changing too quickly.
Every step forward only seemed to create more uncertainty.
Then movement appeared ahead.
The Tempest Knights immediately tightened formation.
Several hands moved toward weapons as armored riders emerged from the snowy horizon.
Silver-white cloaks.
Heavy armor marked with frost insignias.
Even before they fully approached, their identity was unmistakable.
The Blizzard Squadron.
The elite knights of the Varkas Royal Army advanced through the snow with disciplined precision, their presence alone carrying an oppressive pressure completely different from ordinary soldiers. There were not many of them—barely twenty at most—but the atmosphere surrounding the group felt heavier than entire battalions.
Kein quietly observed them as they passed.
In his previous life, the Blizzard Squadron had already become legends by the time humanity began collapsing. Entire battlefronts had stabilized simply because they arrived.
And now—
they were here far earlier than they should have been.
Aelion stepped forward to meet the leading knight briefly while both groups halted.
The conversation between the Tempest Knights and Blizzard Squadron remained short and professional. Information regarding Oakhaven, the Demon Baron, and the surrounding region was exchanged quickly before the royal knights resumed their march toward the ruined village without delay.
They passed one another like opposing currents.
One force heading toward danger.
The other escorting survivors away from it.
Kein watched the Blizzard Squadron disappear into the snowfall until they vanished entirely.
Something about their arrival unsettled him.
Not because they were weak.
Because events were moving too fast.
By midday, the refugees finally reached the village of Hellard.
Compared to Oakhaven, the settlement was considerably smaller, though its stone walls and elevated position made it easier to defend against monsters wandering from the surrounding wilderness.
The village chief personally welcomed the survivors near the entrance.
Preparations had already been made after receiving word from Frostwall about the destruction of Oakhaven. Temporary shelters were quickly organized while villagers carried food, blankets, and medical supplies toward the exhausted refugees.
Despite the kindness shown by Hellard's residents, the atmosphere remained heavy.
Too many people had lost family members during the attack.
Too many still stared blankly toward the road behind them, as though expecting Oakhaven to somehow still exist.
Marcus and Elara settled near one of the temporary encampments constructed outside the village walls.
And for the first time since the battle—
they became strict.
Especially Elara.
"You are not leaving our sight again."
Her voice trembled slightly despite the firmness she tried to maintain.
Kein lowered his gaze quietly.
During the chaos of the battle, he had disappeared without warning. Even though he eventually returned safely, the memory of losing sight of him while demons slaughtered soldiers around them had deeply shaken both of his parents.
Elara had barely slept since then.
Every time Kein stepped too far away, her eyes instinctively searched for him again.
Marcus remained calmer outwardly, but Kein noticed the way his father constantly checked the surroundings now, especially whenever night approached.
They had almost lost him.
And neither of them could bear the thought of it happening again.
Kein understood that.
Which only made the guilt heavier.
That afternoon, Aelion approached their encampment.
Marcus stood immediately when he noticed the Tempest Knight approaching, while Elara instinctively moved closer to Kein.
Aelion stopped several steps away, maintaining a respectful distance.
"I apologize for the interruption," he said calmly. "There is something I wished to discuss regarding your son."
Marcus frowned slightly.
"…Kein?"
Aelion nodded.
"What occurred during the battle was not ordinary."
The atmosphere around the small camp shifted immediately.
Elara's expression tightened.
Aelion noticed it but continued carefully.
"Your son may possess exceptional potential. Perhaps even something exceedingly rare within the continent."
He deliberately avoided specifics.
Authority was not something casually discussed, especially not with civilians unfamiliar with divine matters.
Still, Marcus immediately understood the implication beneath those words.
"You want to take him?"
"No," Aelion answered honestly. "Not by force."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Kein before returning to the parents.
"But abilities of that nature eventually draw attention whether we acknowledge them or not. If guided properly, he may one day possess the strength necessary to protect himself."
Elara's hands tightened slightly.
"To protect himself?" she repeated softly. "He's still a child."
Aelion remained silent for a moment.
Then he answered quietly:
"The world may not allow him to remain one."
Those words lingered heavily after he left.
That night, Marcus and Elara spoke privately while Kein rested nearby.
Or at least pretended to.
The small lantern between them cast faint light across the interior of the tent while snow continued falling softly outside.
Elara lowered her head slightly.
"I don't want him taken away."
Marcus looked toward the tent entrance quietly before speaking.
"I know."
"He almost died."
Her voice shook more this time.
"I thought… during the battle… I thought we lost him."
Marcus remained silent for several moments.
Then he sighed softly.
"If he truly possesses talent like that… hiding him forever may not be possible."
Elara looked away.
"A mother should protect her child."
"And a father should make sure his child survives."
The words were not harsh.
Only heavy.
Marcus lowered his gaze slightly.
"The world is changing, Elara. Even frontier villages aren't safe anymore."
Silence filled the tent again.
Eventually, Elara closed her eyes.
"…I know."
Her voice weakened slightly.
"If danger like that appears again… then I at least want him to have the strength to fight back."
Though painful—
she no longer wished to hold him back completely.
Kein listened quietly from the corner of the tent.
His chest tightened painfully.
In his previous life, he had lost them both before he could protect anyone.
And now—
they were still here.
Alive.
His thoughts drifted backward.
To the earliest memory he possessed in this life.
Marcus once told him how they found him wandering near Oakhaven years ago. A silent child with empty eyes, walking aimlessly through the village before collapsing from exhaustion.
Kein remembered none of it.
Only fragments remained.
Marcus had been speaking with the village elder at the time when they noticed him. Elara arrived shortly afterward and immediately insisted they help the strange child despite not knowing anything about him.
She had taken him into her arms without hesitation.
The following morning was quieter.
Snow continued falling lightly across Hellard while refugees moved between shelters carrying supplies and repairing damaged carts. Compared to the chaos of Oakhaven, the village almost felt peaceful.
Almost.
Kein sat near the edge of the encampment sharpening a small knife Marcus had lent him for utility work. His movements were absentminded, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
Marcus approached carrying two wooden cups filled with warm broth.
He handed one over before sitting beside him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Marcus suddenly laughed under his breath.
"You know," he said, "your mother's been glaring at me since morning."
Kein blinked slightly. "Why?"
"She thinks I'm encouraging you too much."
A faint smile appeared on Kein's face before fading again.
Marcus noticed immediately.
His expression softened.
"She's just scared."
The words were simple.
But Kein understood the weight behind them.
Marcus leaned back slightly, staring toward the snowy road ahead.
"When you disappeared during the attack…" he said quietly, "I thought she was going to break apart right there."
Silence followed.
Then Marcus scratched the side of his head awkwardly.
"Well… I suppose things are harder on her lately too."
Kein frowned slightly.
"Lately?"
Marcus froze for a brief second.
Realization crossed his face.
"…Ah."
He laughed quietly to himself.
"So she really hasn't told you yet."
Kein looked at him in confusion.
Marcus glanced toward the tents behind them before lowering his voice slightly.
"You're going to have a younger sibling."
Kein stopped breathing for a moment.
The sounds around him suddenly felt distant.
Fragments of memory surfaced without warning.
Elara leaning weakly against the doorway.
Marcus smiling beside her.
A younger version of himself asking if she was sick.
"It's just that your younger sibling is bashful."
At the time, he hadn't understood those words.
But now—
Now he did.
And with that understanding came a crushing realization.
In his previous life…
that child had died before ever being born.
Two days later, news spread across Hellard.
A newspaper from Frostwall arrived carried by traveling merchants, drawing immediate attention from both villagers and refugees alike.
The headlines spread quickly throughout the settlement.
"Oakhaven Destroyed by Demon Attack."
"Blizzard Squadron Officially Deployed."
"Demon Cave Found Empty — High-Ranking Demon Remains at Large."
"Neighboring Kingdoms Express Concern Over Demon Appearance."
"Varkas Royal Family States: 'There Is Nothing To Fear.'"
Kein quietly read the paper near the edge of the encampment.
The cave was empty.
Which meant the demons had withdrawn successfully.
Another deviation.
Another unknown future.
He folded the paper slowly before returning toward the tent where Marcus and Elara waited.
Things had changed slightly during the past two days.
Elara still worried constantly whenever he disappeared from sight, but the suffocating fear from earlier had eased. Marcus had reassured her repeatedly, and little by little, she began allowing Kein more freedom again.
Kein looked toward the distant northern horizon.
The world was already beginning to move.
And this time—
he intended to move with it.