The manor was quiet that night. For the first time in weeks, the air wasn't buzzing with missions or sparring laughter from the Amethyst Guild. The members had already departed on their long-awaited vacation, their voices fading into the dusk like echoes of a well-fought storm.
Ashura stood alone on the balcony, eyes fixed on the horizon. Beyond the mountains, past the frozen peaks and dying stars, lay the northern continent — untamed, ancient, and brimming with whispers of forgotten gods. That was his next destination.
Inside, Arlena Bellet was humming softly as she folded freshly washed sheets. Her movements were slower than they once were, but grace still clung to her every gesture. The elixir had restored her youth, the glow in her skin and strength in her steps a reminder that her son's sacrifices had never been in vain.
When Ashura entered, she smiled the same way she had when he was a boy — gentle, but knowing. "You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?"
Ashura paused. "Yeah. North this time."
"Always north with you," she teased faintly, setting the linens down. "Promise me you'll come back in one piece."
He chuckled, that lazy grin of his stretching across his face. "Can't promise that, but I'll try."
His younger sister, Gina Bellet, came barging in from the next room, arms crossed. "You better do more than try, big brother. Mom finally looks human again; if you make her worry herself sick, I'll kick your butt myself."
Ashura smirked and ruffled her hair, earning an indignant yelp. "Noted, Commander Gina."
Later that night, long after dinner and laughter had faded into the quiet hum of the house, Ashura stepped into the courtyard. The moonlight caught on the faint purple strands of lightning curling around his arm — a habit his power had taken when he wasn't paying attention.
He raised a hand and the air shimmered, bending around a dark figure. From the shadows emerged Erevos, his armor faintly gleaming, his presence colder than night.
"Master," Erevos spoke, voice low and echoing.
Ashura's eyes softened, though his tone stayed firm. "You know what to do."
Erevos bowed his head. "Protect Lady Arlena and Young Miss Gina. No harm shall reach them, even if the heavens burn."
"Good," Ashura murmured, glancing at the window where his family slept peacefully. "If anything happens… you don't need my permission. Just act."
"As you command."
A small spark of lightning rippled through Ashura's hand before fading. "Erevos… thanks."
The wraith said nothing, but the faintest glimmer — respect, or perhaps loyalty — flickered across his dark visage before he vanished into the shadows.
Ashura turned his gaze north again. The night wind brushed against his coat, carrying the scent of rain and distance. For once, he allowed himself to breathe.
Tomorrow, he'd leave the comfort of home again — not as the leader of the Amethyst Guild, not as the heir of the Nameless God, but as Ashura Bellet, a man chasing strength, truth, and vengeance.
He looked up at the stars, hands in his pockets, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Time to see what the north's got waiting for me."
And as lightning flickered across the horizon, he walked back inside, ready to face the dawn.