Tyberius stepped through the palace gates with Melinda beside him, the world opening wider with every step.
A long stone path stretched down from the palace hill, paved so cleanly it gleamed beneath the morning sun. At its end rose the sight that stole his breath, the capital of Valeria, Galica.
From afar, it looked like a living creature, bustling and restless. Towers and roofs stacked close together, chimneys smoked, and an endless hum carried across the air. The closer they came, the louder it grew, until the noise became a tide that pulled him in.
For Ty, it felt like walking through a dream.
Until now, his world had been the cottage, just him and Melinda, a small orbit of existence sealed away from everything else. But here, beyond the gates, was life in all its raw clamor: merchants barking prices, horses snorting as their carriages rattled along, children darting between legs, guards shouting for order.
It was overwhelming. It was exhilarating.
'I really am in another world', he thought, his chest tightening.
Unlike his ruined Earth, there was no sign of extinction here. Humanity flourished, spilling into every corner, filling the streets with laughter, arguments, and song. For a moment, Kane Brawn's memories bled into Tyberius' heart. Twenty-five years of loss welled up, and he nearly wept from the nostalgia of what had been stolen from him. His small hand clutched his mother's finger tightly, grounding himself in the present.
"Stay close to me, Ty," Melinda said, squeezing his hand gently. "It's easy to get lost here."
"Okay, Mom," he murmured, swallowing the lump in his throat.
He forced the weight of his past life back down. Nostalgia was a poison if indulged too long. This world was not Earth. He had work to do, strength to build, vengeance to prepare. His time was too precious to waste drowning in sorrow.
"Mom," he asked, his voice steady now, "why are we here?"
She wouldn't bring him into a city of strangers on a whim. Melinda was not the sort to call this fun. To her, an outing usually meant chopping wood or repairing some leaky corner of the cottage.
"Mommy has something important to do," she said, smiling. "Just trust me, alright?"
Her cheerful tone didn't fool him. He remembered the paper that had brought her to tears. Whatever business she had, it was tied to that.
---
Galica Guild
---
They wove their way through Galica's veins, swallowed by its never-ending current of humanity. Every corner revealed a new sight, blacksmiths hammering sparks into the air, hawkers waving their wares, guards in polished armor standing watch, horse-drawn wagons loaded with barrels and crates, and tavern doors swinging as men staggered in or out.
It was the picture of a medieval kingdom at its prime.
For Ty, each sight was a reminder of how different this world was from his ruined Earth. Here, people carried weapons openly, swords at hips, axes slung over shoulders as if danger was a constant companion. He studied their movements, their postures, absorbing the way strength was displayed so casually.
Then Melinda stopped.
They stood before a large building with a sign carved above its doorway: Galica Guild.
Ty tilted his head, feigning childish ignorance though his heart already raced with recognition. "What's that, Mommy?"
"You'll see," she said, leading him inside.
---
Melinda's Secret
---
The guild hall was broad and warm with the smell of ale and wood. Long tables and chairs sprawled across the floor, much like a tavern. The place was quiet at this hour, only a handful of people lounging in their seats. At the far end stood a reception counter, a young woman stationed behind it.
Without hesitation, Melinda strode to the counter. From her gown, she drew out a card no bigger than her palm and slid it across the barricade.
"Marianne," she said firmly. "C-Rank Healer. Here to request a job."
Ty froze.
Healer?
The receptionist, beautiful and professional, examined the card with a small device pulled from beneath the counter. It glowed faintly, then dimmed. She nodded.
"It's authentic," she said. "Unfortunately, there are no requests for a healer at the moment. If you wait, I can find you a party that requires your services. Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Thank you," Melinda replied with a graceful dip of her head. She turned and guided Ty to a nearby table.
Tyberius sat stiffly, his mind reeling. For five years, he had lived with her. Five years, and not once had she revealed this part of herself. A healer. A mage. She had hidden it completely, and he, with all his awareness, had never noticed.
It stung. It felt like betrayal.
"Mom," he asked quietly, "what's a healer?"
Her eyes softened, guilt flickering just beneath her composure. But she answered readily. "A healer is a mage who follows the Pathway of restoration, someone with the ability to mend wounds, to knit flesh and bone, to preserve life."
Pathway. The word struck a chord. He had seen it on his character profile, but here it was spoken aloud.
"I suppose you'll ask me what a mage is too," she teased gently, trying to lighten the moment.
He nodded, wide-eyed, playing the role of a curious child.
"Mages," she said, "are individuals gifted with the ability to use magic. And magic… magic is the power to command and overturn nature itself."
Her explanation was clumsy, too broad, but he understood. He remembered how, on Earth, classes had been the framework for survival. Swordmasters, scouts, engineers, healers, they had been professions forged out of necessity. Here, it seemed the concept of classes existed too, but in the form of Pathways.
The distinction intrigued him. Swordsmanship here was not a separate discipline but a branch of the mage's potential. It suggested that magic was the foundation, and every Pathway a specialization. Ty hungered for more, but his mother's words trailed off.
Still, his mind raced. What exactly was a Pathway? How far could one stretch its limits? And where did his own place lie within it?
Before he could probe further, a voice cut through the hall.
"Are you the healer waiting for a request?"
The words came from nearby, sharp with intent, pulling Tyberius and Melina both toward their speaker.
And with that, the day took its turn.