After a hearty chat, We gathered once again,
Instructor called us and asked us to strip the meat of the The layer 4 beast,
This was because, most of our weapons were on the brink of breaking, This fight was the only fight we fought beside the Ashfang snake that had been beyond our capability. The problem mainly rose for me, Phoebe and Vivi.
Lex's gauntlet had been long gone, Nolan uses shield to coat his great sword for more durability, Lily on the other hand had very minimal one on one clashes as she was mainly a scout and her arrows can be made from dead beasts bones.
As for Instructor Veyra her sword was of Tier 3 or C grade, So it hadn't had much effect.
After making some bone daggers and a short sword we left.
From the four Daggers, Phoebe and me each took two while Vivi had a whole short-sword to herself.
Lying on my back I Once again looked at the golden ring resting on my finger, Thinking about the fortune I made. Grinning slightly.
Suddenly I got reminded of something,
Putting my hand on my chest, I grabbed something and pulled it out of underneath the clothes. A pendant, given to me by my family. While holding it, a smile found it's way on my face.
After a while night descended and only noise of crackling fire remained.
***
Earlier In the same Day
The kitchen was warm with the smell of bread. Celeste moved quietly between the stove and the table, sleeves rolled up, her hair tied back. She hummed under her breath, an old tune from the orphanage days, as she kneaded dough with steady hands.
Noah and Luna slipped inside, placing the basket of herbs on the counter.
"Mint and thyme," Luna said softly.
"Perfect," Celeste replied with a smile, brushing flour from her cheek. She looked at them for a moment, her expression lingering just long enough to notice the damp in their hair and the tiredness in their eyes. "You two have been busy this morning."
Noah shrugged. "Better than sitting around."
Celeste reached out and brushed his hair back — a gesture he immediately ducked away from, though without much conviction. She only chuckled. "You're more like your father every day. He was the same."
Luna sat at the table, resting her chin in her hands. "And I'm not?"
Her mother glanced over her shoulder with a softer smile. "You're the heart of this house. You take after me."
Luna's ears went faintly red, and she busied herself with straightening the herb basket.
For a while, the only sound was the gentle kneading. Then Celeste said, her tone casual, almost careful:
"Your brother was always the noisy one in the mornings."
Both twins went still, the air hanging heavy for just a heartbeat.
"Yeah…" Noah muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't say more.
Luna gave a small nod, her gaze drifting to the window. "It's quieter now."
Celeste didn't press further. She just wiped her hands and began cutting the dough into neat shapes. "Then let's make enough noise of our own. Breakfast first, then your chores."
Noah groaned. Luna smiled faintly. The morning carried on.
After a while they both entered The practice yard.
The practice yard still smelled of dust and sweat when heavy boots crunched across the ground. Noah froze mid-swing, nearly dropping his wooden sword when his father's voice cut in.
"Your stance is sloppy."
Leonard Wright stood by, arms crossed, eyes sharp beneath his furrowed brow. His expression, as always, looked carved from stone.
Noah straightened instantly, face tightening. "I was just—"
"Making excuses," Leonard interrupted. His gaze flicked to Luna, who still held her weapon properly, chin raised. "And you let him rush you. A mistake in judgment."
Luna bowed her head slightly. "Yes, Father."
Leonard stepped forward, the weight of his presence enough to silence both twins. He positioned Noah's feet with a swift tap of his boot. "Spread wider. Stop leaning on your back leg. Balance is the foundation of everything. Without it, you fall."
"Yes, sir," Noah muttered, but his jaw tightened with effort.
Then Leonard turned to Luna, adjusting the angle of her wrists with a surprisingly careful touch. "And you—your precision is good, but don't wait too long for the opening. In battle, hesitation gets punished."
"Yes, Father," Luna replied softly.
For a while, the three of them moved together — Leonard correcting, the twins following. Wooden swords clashed again, sharper now, more focused. Sweat dripped down Noah's brow, Luna's breathing grew heavy, but neither dared complain.
Finally, Leonard raised his hand. "Enough."
The twins lowered their weapons at once, panting.
"Better," he said simply.
Noah shot a quick glance at Luna, as if asking, Did he just compliment us? She only smiled faintly, catching it.
Leonard's hard face didn't shift, but for the briefest moment his gaze softened — just a flicker — before he turned and walked back toward the house.
As his footsteps faded, Noah leaned on his sword and whispered, "That's the closest thing to a smile we'll ever get."
Then came the evening
The lights flickered low in the Wright household, filling the dining room with a warm glow. The twins sat shoulder to shoulder, still sore from training earlier that day. Noah groaned, stretching his arms.
"I swear, my arms don't even feel like mine anymore," he muttered.
"That's because you were swinging without rhythm," Luna teased, sipping her soup. "Father warned you about wasting energy."
"Yeah, well," Noah grumbled, "Father also looks like he could cut down a tree with one swing. Not fair."
At that, Celeste's soft laugh carried across the table. "You two sound just like when your brother used to come home with bruises."
Luna tilted her head. "He struggled too?"
"Of course," Celeste said, setting down her spoon. "Leonard trains hard, but it's because he wants you alive. Your brother always understood that—eventually." She smiled, though there was a trace of wistfulness in her eyes.
Leonard, seated at the end of the table, didn't respond at first. He simply ate in silence, his jaw set.
But then he added, almost under his breath, "Struggle makes you stronger. He'll come back stronger for it, too."
The twins glanced at one another, surprised at the rare admission. Celeste reached across the table and patted Leonard's hand gently.
Noah smirked. "Look at that. Father can say something nice."
Leonard's brow furrowed, but there was no sharp rebuke — only a quiet grunt as he returned to his food.
Luna giggled softly, hiding it behind her hand. The tension broke, and the house felt lighter for a while.
After Dinner Everyone went upstairs.
The moonlight spilled faintly through the window, painting pale silver across the wooden floorboards. Luna sat at her desk, finishing the last lines of her study notes by the flicker of a candle. Noah lay sprawled on his bed, tossing a small wooden practice dagger from hand to hand.
"You're going to stab yourself one of these nights," Luna murmured without looking up.
"Tch. You worry too much," Noah replied, flipping the dagger again and catching it — almost fumbling this time. He smirked. "See? Perfect reflexes."
Luna shook her head, but her lips curved in a faint smile. She closed her notebook and Switched off the lights, leaving the room dim, touched only by moonlight.
For a moment, neither spoke. The muffled sounds of the city settling down for the night drifted faintly through the window.
Then Noah broke the silence. "Do you think he's really okay? Out there in the mountains? Its been weeks since anything came from the academy, Mom almost broke down when she heard the news and dad basically threatened them"
Luna paused, then turned toward him. His eyes, usually sharp with mischief, seemed softer in the pale light.
"…I think he is," she said quietly. "If anyone can come back, it's him. He's always been the type who finds a way."
"...Mom's been cooking more lately," he said. "Like she's trying to keep busy."
Luna turned around and said. "She worries. But she doesn't say it out loud."
"Yeah." The dagger landed in Noah's palm with a soft thud. He paused, staring at it. "Dad's been acting the same. All stone-faced, but..."
She lowered her eye's and glanced at him. "They both care. They just... don't show it the same way."
Noah leaned back against the wall, resting his hands behind his head. "Yeah. He'd probably laugh at us for worrying. Say something like 'Don't slack off while I'm gone.'"
That drew a genuine laugh from Luna. "That does sound like him."
The two of them sat in the quiet, their breaths syncing to the stillness of the night.
Finally, Noah muttered, almost to himself, "Guess we just have to keep up, huh?"
"Mm," Luna replied softly, pulling her blanket over her shoulders.