The guild hall still buzzed with whispers. Kaleo's steps were steady, but every eye followed him. Even the lowest-ranked adventurers dared not break the silence.
He approached the registration desk. The attendant, still pale from seeing him moments ago, swallowed hard.
"S… S-Rank registration?" the attendant stammered.
Kaleo slid the slip forward, the S-Rank ID glinting in his hand.
"Kael Varen," he said, calm.
The attendant's hand trembled as he took the slip. Every scan, every imprint confirmed it. This was not a fraud. Not an error. The boy who had disappeared four years ago was back.
Whispers became murmurs. Murmurs became gasps.
Lyra stayed close, watching. Her eyes flicked between him and the attendant, wary and anxious. She stepped forward.
"Kael," she said softly. "Are… are you really back?"
Kaleo didn't answer immediately. He simply nodded once.
"I am," he said.
A faint pulse ran beneath his chest. The Aether Core hummed quietly, restrained but aware. He could feel it, a heartbeat in sync with his own. Not active yet. Not fully awake. But always ready.
The Guild Master stepped forward again, voice low but commanding:
"Kael Varen. With this registration, you are cleared to operate across all human and Machine realms. Use this power wisely. The balance has shifted since your absence."
Kaleo inclined his head.
"I understand," he said, voice calm.
Lyra's hand brushed against his sleeve again. This time, he didn't flinch. Not completely. A small acknowledgment, almost imperceptible, but enough.
"You've been gone… I don't know how to explain it," she murmured. "Everything changed while you were gone."
"I know," he said softly. "I had my reasons."
She frowned. Her worry didn't fade, but she accepted it. She always accepted it, even if she didn't fully understand.
Post-Registration
By midday, Kaleo had his ID fully integrated. A holographic interface projected before him, scanning every piece of data, every signature of past adventurers. He moved through the system with precision — faster than most could keep up.
Lyra followed quietly.
"You're… different," she said finally. "Not just stronger. You've changed."
He didn't answer immediately. He let the words linger. She had no idea what he had endured, no idea the pocket realm had shaped him, twisted him, made him into someone both human and something else entirely.
"I survived," he said finally. "That's enough explanation for now."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. She wanted more. She wanted the truth. But she would wait. As always.
Political Undercurrents
Kaleo moved to the guild's operations board. Reports had stacked while he was gone — Dark Elf movements near border systems, Machine Realm trade anomalies, whispers of Celestial interference.
He paused, scanning each. His mind processed them like a battlefield strategy, each variable accounted for.
Vandor's sectors were still unstable. Beast incursions were on the rise.
Halburn loyalists scattered across nearby planets had formed minor enclaves.
The Dark Elves had grown bold, sensing weakness.
And somewhere in the shadows, the Celestials watched.
"Everything is moving," Kaleo murmured to himself. "And I'm back just in time."
Lyra's Concern
"Kael… you can't handle everything alone," Lyra said, her voice soft but firm.
He glanced at her. Golden eyes met hers.
"I don't plan to," he said, almost smiling. "But some things… only I can do."
She looked away, frustration and worry mixing in her expression. She wanted to help. She wanted to be by his side. But he would not allow it. She had to survive. She had to wait.
"Just… be careful," she whispered.
He nodded, and the faint pulse beneath his chest mirrored the rhythm of his thoughts: caution, resolve, endurance.
First Mission Post-Pocket Realm
By evening, Kaleo had accepted his first assignment. A corrupted beast had been sighted on the outskirts of Vandor's northern territories — an A-Rank threat causing havoc among civilians and adventurers alike.
He donned his armor. The Aether Core hummed faintly, golden veins tracing across his arms and chest. His sword, Veyra's Edge, rested at his side — fully restored by the Core's awakening during the final confrontation in the pocket realm.
Lyra walked with him toward the guild gates. She stayed close but silent. She didn't need words. He understood her presence was support enough.
"You ready?" she asked.
"Always," he said.
The sun dipped low, painting the plains gold. Vandor stretched out ahead, wild, dangerous, alive.
"Then let's go," she said.
Step by step, Kaleo Varen, Child of Aether, moved forward into a world that had changed without him — a world waiting for someone like him.
And for the first time in four years, he smiled. Not for victory. Not for revenge. But because he survived, because he was back, and because he was ready to shape the future with his own hands.