POV Maria
It has been a month since Elian left for the Fortress of the Dark Throne, in the southernmost city of the Kingdom — Cainã.
During this time, I've tried to occupy my mind with daily chores. Mage Anna, who took responsibility for the Brumaria branch, began visiting us often. Her presence became a quiet comfort, though she rarely said much.
Emanuelle, in turn, started her first lessons with Elise. After everything that happened last year, Elise asked if she could stay here to teach her. Elian's room has been empty since he left, but Elise refused to sleep there — she said it was a space that belonged only to him, and that in six months he would return. Instead, she chose to stay at the Dark Throne's branch, only a few minutes away. Anna agreed, though reluctantly.
Anthony, now eleven, surprised me by deciding to return to the fields. He said he needed to honor Arthur's work and make sure the taxes were paid to that damned Baron Hoffmann.
I told him that Elder Marduk had left between one hundred and fifty and two hundred Solars for us — more than enough for a good life for years. But Anthony wouldn't hear it. Stubborn as ever, he said he wouldn't abandon his father's path.
And that wasn't all. He asked Anna to teach him how to read and write. I never thought I'd hear that from him — the boy who always preferred the hoe and the soil over letters and books. I asked what made him change his mind.
His answer filled me with pride and pain all at once. He said that during a talk with Elian, his brother mentioned the possibility of becoming a noble one day, and Anthony wanted to be useful — to be prepared to help him, not depend on him.
Hearing that broke something inside me and mended it at the same time. My little boy, still so young, already carried a sense of responsibility far beyond his years. I begged Anna to support him, to find someone who could help. She promised to look for someone at the branch who could handle both administration and his lessons.
If only things were that simple.
Unfortunately, Anna couldn't find anyone willing to teach Anthony for free. The only person available asked for six Coronas a month. It wasn't much, especially compared to what Elder Marduk had left for us — but in my heart, that money had always been reserved for Elian's future.
Still, I knew he wouldn't mind. In fact, he'd be happier to see it used for his siblings — to see them grow, learn, and move forward.
He's always seen the world differently — almost too mature for his age. I noticed how he treated strangers: sometimes curt, even cold. But with us, his family, he was someone else. Gentle. Protective. Humble. A boy who carried the weight of the world yet smiled just to lighten ours.
I told Anthony that, hoping it would ease his heart. But that's when he decided to work even harder. He wanted to help pay for his own lessons. I tried to make him understand he didn't have to — that I would handle it — but his stubbornness was the same as his father's. In the end, all I could do was accept it… and feel proud of him for it.
Then, amid that fragile routine of work and hope, a cold, stormy day changed everything. The rain that fell that morning reminded me of the day Elian was born — the sky torn apart by thunder, each roar shaking the house like an omen.
I ran to the door when I heard the pounding. I opened it at once and found Mage Myler standing there. He was soaked, his robe clinging to his body, dark hair dripping down his face. His eyes — a brown so deep it bordered on violet — carried urgency.
"What happened, Mage Myler?" I asked, my voice trembling.
He was breathing hard, almost gasping. "We received word from Cainã," he said, pausing briefly as if to choose his words carefully. "Elian… he performed the altar consecration and was pulled into another trial of the Qliphoth."
My heart stopped. A chill ran through me colder than the storm outside. Was that why I'd felt that terrible anxiety two days ago?
"How is he?" I managed to ask, my throat dry, my hands shaking.
"He's asleep… it's been two days now," he replied, taking the towel I offered. He wiped his face slowly, but his eyes couldn't hide the worry.
Two days. My chest tightened. So it hadn't been imagination or exhaustion. That unease, that suffocating dread, had been real.
"I want to see him," I said, already turning to run to my room and pack.
"Wait, Lady Maria!" His voice stopped me halfway down the hall. "You'll need authorization."
My whole body trembled — anger and fear mixing like poison. "Then ask for that authorization now!" I shouted, louder than I intended.
A moment later, guilt hit me. I took a deep breath and lowered my head. "Forgive me, Mage Myler… I just… I lost control."
He sighed, the kind of sigh that comes from someone who understands loss. "Don't worry. I have a daughter too. I know exactly how you feel."
"Thank you," I whispered, fighting back tears.
He pulled out the order's amulet and began communicating with Anna. Every minute felt like an eternity. I paced the living room, my hands twisting the fabric of my skirt, until time itself stopped meaning anything.
Two hours later, the reply finally came. Elder Marduk had granted us permission to go.
I rushed to my room, packing clothes for myself, Emanuelle, and Anthony. Elise tried to convince Emanuelle to stay in Brumaria — and I insisted too — but the girl refused. She said she would come with us no matter what.
In the silence of our packing, every folded cloth and tied bundle felt heavier than stone. I knew that by dawn, we would depart. And the fear — that same fear that had taken so much from me — returned once again.
My son was trapped in a Qliphoth trial. And all I could do was pray that he would come back to me.
★★★
Four days after receiving the news, we finally arrived in Cainã.
The journey to Askov was uneventful, but my true burden was inside my chest — the fear that Elian would never wake, gnawing at me with every mile.
I hardly paid attention to the city as we arrived. At this time of year, Cainã is still cloaked in bitter cold, even as the frost begins to fade. I remembered how Elian once described this place in our letters — he said the wind here smelled like iron and the night sky seemed closer to the earth. He spoke with such innocent excitement, with that bright hope of one day bringing us all here.
But fate decided I would come first — and alone, without him by my side.
Emanuelle was restless the whole way. The bond between her and Elian goes beyond blood — it's as if one heart beats inside the other.
Anthony, on the other hand, remained quiet most of the time. He pretended to be strong, perhaps not to worry me, but it was easy to see the weight he carried. Every time Elian's name was mentioned, he averted his gaze, as if ashamed of his helplessness.
The day after we reached Askov, we crossed the teleportation portal to Cainã Fortress.
It was a horrible experience. The body stretches and contracts at once, and before I knew it, the ground was back under my feet — though my stomach wasn't. Emanuelle and I vomited the moment we emerged, and the dizziness nearly knocked us down.
Anthony, though pale, held firm. He only breathed deeply, trying to steady himself.
"Welcome, Lady Maria, Emanuelle, and Anthony," said a woman as soon as we stepped through the portal.