Deep within the cave, where shadows danced on the rocky walls under the flicker of a dim torchlight, the sound of metal slicing through the air echoed through the place.
Dark, in his torn shirt that barely covered his slim body, was swinging his finely crafted wooden dagger, blocking Rose's attacks, who was striking him with agility and grace that didn't match her young age.
Rose was wielding a long wooden staff, spinning it as if it were part of her body, delivering quick and precise blows toward Dark, who was dodging them with increasing skill.
Their breaths were heavy, beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads, but smiles never left their faces.
This was their daily routine—not just combat training, but a dance, a silent dialogue between two siblings who trusted each other blindly.
Every move, every block, every dodge carried with it shared challenges, laughter, and tears.
As Rose launched a rapid sequence of attacks, Dark's eyes gleamed with sharp focus, yet his mind drifted far away, toward a dark corner of the cave—where an old book lay.
A large, leather-bound tome with yellowed pages etched in strange symbols and intricate drawings.
It was no ordinary book—it was a legacy, a priceless treasure, and a window into a past that was both painful and beautiful.
"Mother...", whispered a voice deep within Dark.
How strong you were... and how wise...
He remembered her clearly, despite the years since her death.
She was a woman with a powerful presence—her eyes held the wisdom of the universe, and her hands could weave magic from thin air.
She was a sorceress—not just any sorceress—but considered the strongest in the city they once came from, before it was swallowed by the catastrophe that scattered humanity and reduced their numbers to this isolated small village.
His mother died years ago, leaving behind a void that could never be filled.
But she also left behind that book.
That book became their silent teacher, their guide in a harsh and unforgiving world.
From it, Dark learned the secrets of magic, how to control the wind, and how to merge it with his combat movements.
From it, Rose learned the principles of mechanical engineering, how to build machines that defy the laws of nature.
The book was like a mobile university, a complete library, and an endless source of knowledge that helped them survive in a world full of danger.
The village, despite relying on magic for its protection—its magical barrier and gate—paid little attention to Dark or his powers.
For some unknown reason—perhaps because they didn't understand the nature of his magic, or maybe they were simply too busy surviving to notice the hidden power in the boy who stole their bread.
To them, Dark was just a thief—a nuisance, not a potential hero or powerful mage.
This made Dark feel alone in his abilities, but it also gave him the freedom to train and grow away from prying eyes, using his mother's book as his only guide.
"I promised you, Mother..
.
" Dark
thought, as he blocked a strong blow from Rose.
I will protect Rose and vatum no matter the cost. And I'll use everything you taught me to keep them safe.
After their training ended, as Dark wiped the sweat from his brow, Fatum approached him with hesitant steps, her wide eyes sparkling with childlike curiosity.
She was holding a small wildflower she had picked from within the boundary lines that Dark had drawn around the cave's entrance.
That line—barely visible to the naked eye—was, to Dark, a barrier that must not be crossed.
An invisible prison for vatum, but he saw it as protection from a harsh world she knew nothing about.
"Brother Dark...", vatum whispered in her soft voice.
"Can I go outside today? Just to see what's out there... I want to discover the world."
Her words were simple, but they carried a deep longing for freedom—a primal desire to explore the unknown—a desire vatum didn't understand could be dangerous in their world.
Dark's face stiffened instantly.
"No!",
His response was sharp and decisive, like the edge of a blade.
That single word, despite its simplicity, carried the heavy weight of fear and anxiety that haunted him.
He had spent years protecting vatum from all harm, building an imaginary bubble of safety around her, and any threat to that bubble ignited his fury.
"But..."
Vatum began, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I want to see the sun up close... touch the tall trees... and hear other creatures, not just some birds..."
Her words poured out with childlike spontaneity, reflecting an innocence untouched by the grim reality of their world.
She spoke of freedom, of discovery, of everything Dark had denied her—out of love and fear.
Dark's anger grew with every word.
He felt like her innocent words were stabbing at his heart—reminding him of his failure to give her a normal life.
"How many times have I explained this to you?!"
Dark shouted, his voice echoing through the cave like thunder.
"No going out! No matter what the reason is! You'll go out when you're older!"
His words were harsh, but they were born from deep fear—fear of losing vatum like he lost their mother.
Vatum looked at him with wide eyes, not understanding this sudden outburst of rage.
She didn't know fear.
She didn't know pain—because Dark had shielded her senses from it all.
She was just a child, seeing the world with innocent eyes, not realizing that her brother's harsh words were armor shielding her from a cruel reality.
In a burst of rage, Dark pulled his dagger from his belt and waved it in the air before hurling it toward the cave wall.
The dagger struck the rock with force, embedding itself a hair's breadth away from vatum's head.
She didn't flinch—her eyes still fixed on the dagger, not understanding the meaning of this violent act.
The strike had been so close that the wind stirred by the blade had brushed her delicate hair.
Dark had only meant to scare her—to send an unmistakable message—but he had forgotten that Fatum hadn't yet learned what fear was.
"If you go out, I will k—"
Dark began, but his words were suddenly cut off by a sharp voice behind him.
"Daaaark?!"
It was Rose's voice—sharp and full of reproach.
She had come from behind him, her eyes shining with anger and sorrow.
"What are you doing?! We promised each other! About this!"
Her words were like a slap across Dark's face—reminding him of the vow they had made together.
A vow they had tried so hard to uphold.
Dark froze instantly.
His hand trembled, his eyes widened, realizing the gravity of what he had done.
He had let his fear take control, nearly destroying everything he had built for vatum.
It was a moment of weakness—a moment that exposed the immense pressure Dark was under, and the depth of his love and fear for his younger sister.
He slowly stepped away from Fatum, his hand still shaking.
Rose looked at him with eyes full of sorrow, but said nothing more.
Silence filled the cave—a heavy silence, laden with unspoken emotions.
After a moment, Dark sighed deeply, then turned to Rose, his eyes filled with silent apology.
"I'm sorry, Rose..."
He whispered, his voice barely audible.
"I lost control... I didn't mean to..."
Rose nodded—she understood.
She knew the pressure Dark lived under.
She knew it was his love for Fatum that drove him to these extremes.
It was a moment of silent understanding between the siblings—a moment that confirmed the depth of their bond, and their ability to understand one another without words
.
After that incident, Rose became more attentive to Fatum. She began noticing her longing glances toward the outside world and understood her deep desire to explore it.
One day, while Rose was waiting for vatum, she noticed something strange.
Vatum was doing push-up exercises. Rose approached curiously.
"Vatum? What's this?"
Rose asked, her eyes gleaming with surprise.
Vatum instantly felt embarrassed. She stopped the exercise, her face flushing red.
"Nothing...
she mumbled, trying to hide what she was doing.
But Rose wasn't going to give up so easily.
No, I saw you training. For what?"
she insisted, trying to uncover the training secret.
"Nothing!"
Vatum repeated, then ran off, leaving Rose behind with her growing curiosity.
Rose shouted after her:
"Vatum! I want an answer!"
But vatum kept running.
This scene repeated every day. Every time vatum saw Rose, even from a distance, she would scream and run, as if trying to avoid any question about her secret training. It was confusing to Rose—but also kind of funny.
Then one day, after weeks of this silent chase, vatum asked Rose for something strange.
"Rose... can you bring me a big rock?"
Vatum asked, her eyes shining with
unusual seriousness.
Rose was surprised by the request but decided to use it as a chance to uncover the truth.
"I won't do it unless you tell me why!"
she said, placing her hands on her hips.
Vatum started screaming—nonstop—day and night. She didn't stop until she fell asleep from exhaustion.
Rose tried to understand:
"Why don't you ask Dark?"
she asked. But vatum replied stubbornly:
"I don't want to!"
The screaming continued every day until Rose finally gave in.
She brought a big rock—
When vatum saw the rock, her eyes sparkled with joy.
She hugged the rock and kissed it like it was a precious treasure. Rose was confused—she didn't understand this strange attachment to the rock.
Vatum tried to lift it but lost her balance immediately and nearly fell.
Rose caught her at the last second and took the rock away.
"Why did you take the rock?!"
Vatum asked, eyes full of confusion.
Rose gave a small smile, trying to explain in a way that didn't reveal the rock could hurt her.
"Because the rock hates you!"
she said.
"Look how it moves away when you try to lift it!"
Rose's answer was simple—but it was enough to convince Fatum.
All night, Fatum tried to make the rock happy. She sang to it and tried to make it like her.
She even fell asleep hugging it, dreaming that it had become her friend
.
In the middle of the night, while Rose was still awake, vatum left the cave.
She didn't know that Rose was secretly watching her.
Rose followed her silently and saw her jumping on top of the cave's roof, reaching her hands upward in every jump, as if trying to touch the stars.
Rose sneaked behind her, gently grabbed her from behind, and covered her mouth softly.
"Vatum..." Rose whispered.
"You don't need to resistance. Tell me what's going on. I'm your sister..."
Rose's words were gentle—trying to convince vatum to speak, to open her heart.
Vatum began crying, then finally told Rose everything.
Through her sobs, vatum said:
"I... I..."
Rose:
"You what?!"
Vatum:
"I'm training to become stronger. So I can jump high... high enough to touch the stars. I want... I want... I want to..."
"DISCOVeeeeeeeeeeeR the world."
"I only jumped within the boundary. I didn't cross it!"
Vatum said.
"And Dark never drew a line across the sky! So it's allowed up there!"
She finished in a long wailing sob.
Vatum's words were simple, yet they carried a huge dream—a dream of freedom and exploration. A dream Rose never expected to hear from her little sister.
Rose felt a mix of sorrow and pride.
Sad that Vatum felt so trapped.
Proud of her courage and her desire to discover the world.
Rose sighed deeply, then looked at Vatum with eyes full of love.
"Vatum..." Rose said.
"Instead of this... how about you become my assistant in building my flying device?"
Vatum's eyes lit up with overwhelming joy.
"Really?!"
she screamed.
"Yes! Yes!"
She accepted the offer happily and began dreaming of the day she'd fly in the sky.
From that day on, the cave turned into a small workshop.
Every day, Rose and Vatum worked together, trying to make the flying device function correctly without error.
The days were full of failed experiments, laughter, and frustration—but they never gave up.
Vatum learned quickly. She helped Rose solve technical issues and added her own creative touches to the design.
Rose was happy to see Vatum discovering her passion, growing, and learning.
These moments made all the challenges worthwhile.
One day, after weeks of hard work and countless trials—it finally happened.
The flying device, once just a mess of wires and pipes, became a sleek machine, ready for launch.
Dark was in deep sleep, exhausted from his daily food runs.
Meanwhile, Rose and Vatum silently snuck out of the cave, hearts pounding with excitement and anticipation.
The air was cold and crisp, the sky filled with stars—as if it welcomed their first adventure.
They lifted off slowly, the flight system humming softly, pushing them upward.
Rose held Vatum tightly, her eyes watching every movement, making sure everything was fine.
Vatum laughed with joy, her wide eyes soaking in the world around her.
For the first time in her life, she saw the village lights from above.
They looked like scattered stars on a dark green carpet—a magical view she never imagined.
She screamed with joy, pointing at the lights, her little heart brimming with wonder.
They kept rising, passing through layers of cold air, until they reached the clouds.
The clouds looked like a sea of glowing cotton under the moonlight—a sight beyond imagination.
Even Rose was stunned.
The moonlight reflected off the clouds, creating a painting of shadows and light—a breathtaking scene.
Vatum reached out, trying to touch the clouds, laughing with pure happiness.
Rose smiled, overjoyed to see her little sister living her dream.
"This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"
Vatum shouted, her voice echoing through the fresh air.
"I can see the stars!"
Rose smiled, her heart warm with joy.
That moment was worth every effort—all the long nights spent working on this invention.
That moment made everything possible.
Then Rose decided to play with Vatum.
"Are you ready for an adventure?"
Rose asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Before Vatum could answer, Rose let her go.
Vatum screamed at first—but quickly her screams turned into wild laughter.
She was falling freely, the air brushing her face, her hair trailing behind her.
Rose followed quickly, laughing too—enjoying the game.
Vatum laughed from the thrill, from the wind touching her face, giving her a sense of freedom she'd never felt before.
Rose laughed as well, happy to see her little sister enjoying the moment.
But suddenly, the laughter stopped.
A black arrow—sharp and gleaming—flew just a centimeter from Vatum's neck.
Rose saw it at the last second—her heart almost stopped.
She rushed forward at breakneck speed, using every bit of the flight system's power, and grabbed Vatum tightly.
There was no time to think—only instinct.
In the next moment, thousands of arrows rained down on them like black death.
Rose began kicking and slicing through the arrows with her dagger, doing everything she could to protect Vatum.
The arrows came from every direction—as if they were surrounded by an army of archers.
One of the arrows, carrying an unusual force, struck the flight device directly.
Rose heard a cracking sound—then felt the device losing power
They plummeted quickly—but luckily, Rose fell toward the trees.
She managed to stab a massive tree with her dagger, slowing the fall and saving herself from a fatal crash.
Vatum was crying:
"I crossed the boundary!"
she screamed, her voice trembling with fear and guilt.
"Don't cry!"
Rose said, trying to calm her.
"I let you! I mean... aaah... just don't tell Dark!"
Rose tried to appear strong, but fear had also gripped her.
She knew Dark would be furious if he found out.
Rose rushed Vatum back to the cave—her heart pounding.
She knew the soldiers had found their hideout.
There was no time to think—only time to act.
She stepped out of the cave and stood alone in the open, ready to face the soldiers.
She knew this was her destiny—and that she had to protect her sister at any cost.
She was ready to fight—to the death.
The soldiers approached, their faces filled with rage and determination.
When they arrived, they found Rose standing alone, her eyes gleaming with defiance.
They were ready to fight—but Rose offered them a deal.
"I'll give you my advanced weapons,"
Rose said, her voice steady and confident.
"They'll help you in your battles. In return, leave me, my brother, and my sister alone."
The soldiers were surprised by the offer—but they accepted.
Their only condition: the weapons had to be ready in five days.
Rose knew that was a huge challenge.
Her inventions usually took months to complete—and now she had less than a week to make them work.
This was the moment that would determine their fate.
And Rose…
was hiding the fact that she was giving these weapons without telling Dark.
To be continued...