The small cottage came into view just as the last rays of sunlight kissed the treetops.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale—nestled between fields of wildflowers and the edge of a small forest—but it wasn't a storybook picture. There were training dummies on the porch, a clothesline strung with baby clothes, and the smell of something delicious—galbi, I hoped—wafting from the chimney.
I couldn't help grinning. "Smells like Mom made galbi!" I shouted, sprinting ahead with every ounce of energy in my legs.
Dad's deep laugh followed me, calm and steady. "Bet she made the spicy kind too. You better drink water this time instead of crying into your rice like last week."
"I wasn't crying!" I yelled back, my voice echoing across the wildflowers.
Before we even reached the porch, the door creaked open. And there she was.
Mom.
Hana. The most beautiful person in the world—at least to me. Her long, black hair framed her face perfectly, her dark black eyes glowing with kindness and just enough sharpness to keep us all in line. Moonlight kissed by sunlight—that's how her skin looked—and her smile could stop storms… or start them, depending on her mood.
She wore a simple apron over her dress, flour dusting her cheek, a wooden spoon still in her hand.
"Welcome back, my warriors," she said, laughing softly as she knelt and opened her arms.
I didn't hesitate. I launched myself into her embrace, arms wrapping tight. She caught me effortlessly and lifted me off the ground with practiced strength.
"Did your dad give you a hard time?" she teased.
"Nope!" I puffed out my chest. "I beat him in a race—and then I awakened my mana core!"
Her eyes widened, the wooden spoon nearly slipping from her fingers. "You did?" Her voice trembled in the best way. "My little light… you really did it?"
I nodded furiously, hugging her even tighter. She kissed my cheek and whispered, "I'm so proud of you."
Dad's footsteps thudded behind us as he stepped onto the porch. Mom tilted her head with that knowing smirk she always used when she was about to tease him.
"Did you cry when he awakened?" she asked playfully.
"Cry? Me?" Dad scoffed, trying to act tough—but I caught a flicker in his eyes, a shimmer he couldn't hide.
Then, just as if on cue, a tiny, bubbling giggle floated through the air.
I turned toward the cradle tucked under the porch eaves. Ara. My baby sister.
Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with floppy bunny ears, she stared up at me with wide, curious eyes. A single curl of hair rebelliously stuck up on her head, and her little cheeks flushed like sunlight on roses. At barely six months old, she already knew how to command attention—and she was perfect at it.
"Ara!" I whispered, leaning over to peek at her. She giggled again, and my heart almost exploded.
Dad stiffened immediately, crossing his arms like some general on patrol. "I'm telling you now, Jae," he said in a low voice, eyes scanning the distant forest line like he expected trouble to leap out at any moment, "if any boys even look at your sister like she's cute—"
"She is cute," I said innocently.
"—I will personally launch them into orbit."
I couldn't help it. I giggled.
Dad ignored me, continuing. "And your mother…" He narrowed his eyes, voice rising. "Don't even get me started. I once made a whole tavern clear out because some guy looked at her for too long."
"Babe," Mom's voice floated from the window as she disappeared back inside, "he was the waiter."
"I saw his eyes," Dad bellowed.
I doubled over with laughter, almost falling over in the process.
It was loud. It was chaotic. It was warm.
This was home.
Held together by love. Guarded by a man who feared nothing except losing his girls.
And in that moment, with my mana core stirring inside me and my family around me, I felt something even stronger than magic.
I felt safe.
I felt whole.
But then I remembered the wind on the cliff, the faint hum lingering in the air, and a shiver ran down my spine.
Far beyond the wildflower fields, the edge of the forest shifted. Shadows moved where none should. Something watched us. Something patient.
My awakening hadn't gone unnoticed.
Something older than mana had sensed it.
And it had taken notice of me.