The beach shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, its lustrous sand glowing like powdered gold. Waves rolled in peacefully, even as five people, a gargantuan basilisk, and a small wyvern occupied the shore. In the middle of them stood Vale, sore, disoriented, and still recovering from the aftermath of the fight.
Tharion's words lingered in the air like grains of sand refusing to fall.
"Welcome to the family."
Vale blinked, trying to process them.
"…What do you mean 'welcome to the family'?" he asked, brows knitting together as his expression shifted from confusion to outright bewilderment.
The rest of the group exchanged looks, half amused, half exasperated, then turned their gazes toward Rose in eerie unison.
"You didn't tell him?" they asked almost simultaneously.
Rose winced, cheeks reddening.
"I… might have forgotten," she said awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. Ember, perched comfortably on her hair, let out a tiny yawn, though Vale could feel the little wyvern was entertained by the situation.
Evelyn released a long, tired sigh before turning back to him.
"Listen, Vale," she began, voice calm but firm. "You're an anomaly. That means you're hunted by forces far beyond our control. And from what we just saw, you also have good potential."
She paused, letting the gravity settle.
"That being said… calling us a 'family' is a little misleading. We're more of an advanced combat unit made up of some of the strongest and rarest people on the planet. Joining us guarantees protection, respect, and resources."
Vale stared at her, the explanation only deepening his confusion.
Still, he understood what she was saying.
The choice was simple:
Face the world alone as a hunted anomaly…
or join the strongest group he'd ever seen and survive long enough to find answers.
After a moment of silence, he exhaled slowly.
"…Fine. I'll join your family," he said. "But I have some questions."
Tharion nodded, a lazy yawn slipping out.
"That's natural. Ask away."
"How many members are in your… family?"
"With you included?" Tharion replied without hesitation. "Twenty-one. We don't take in many. The requirements are… demanding."
Vale stumbled back a step, shocked.
Only twenty-one?
Out of the entire world?
"Th-then how did _I_ get in? I lost," he said quietly, a hint of shame tightening his voice.
Caesar suddenly stepped forward.
"Is that what you think?" he said, rising to his full height before standing directly in front of Vale. "Take a look."
Vale's curiosity sharpened as Caesar lifted his right arm.
The limb broke apart into countless metallic plates, shifting, rotating and rearranging themselves with mechanical precision, before reforming seamlessly.
Vale's eyes widened.
"…Are you a robot?" he whispered.
"Close," Caesar said with a grin. "I'm a cyborg."
He crossed his arms.
"Vale, I fought you while enhancing my own strength, and even then, you forced me into combat procedures. I only enter that mode when I'm facing an overwhelming enemy."
Vale's breath caught in his throat.
Caesar leaned forward slightly.
"You triggered a mode designed to kill fifth-rank spawn, Vale. You won."
Shock rippled through him, but confusion followed quickly behind.
'Fifth rank spawn?' he echoed in his mind.
Before he could ask, Caesar clapped his hands together excitedly.
"But seriously, Vale, what kind of combat techniques were those?! The only way I could counter them was brute force, and even then you turned my own strength against me!"
He spoke louder, more animated, until Tharion grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back with a tug.
"That's enough," he said flatly.
Caesar choked out a muffled complaint but quieted.
Tharion looked back to Vale.
"It's getting late. The boy needs rest, Eve is busy tomorrow, so he'll need all the sleep he can get."
The others nodded. Even Caesar reluctantly agreed, standing up and giving Vale a lazy wave.
"See ya."
A second later, blue light swallowed him whole, and he vanished.
Almost immediately, the ground trembled. Vale turned just in time to see Hachi, the towering mechanical colossus, begin to move.
'Caesar's inside… operating him?'
But before he could process it, the mech blinked out of existence, disappearing as if it had never been there.
"What…?" Vale muttered.
Rose patted his shoulder sympathetically, placing Ember back onto it as the wyvern curled up like a smug cat.
"Don't worry about Caesar. His inventions are known for being as fast as tachyons while traveling, despite their size."
Vale stared at her, unsure whether she was joking.
But then again, Tharion could warp reality with reflections, so maybe it wasn't as ridiculous as it sounded.
"Anyway," Rose said brightly, "it's getting late. How about I escort you to your room?"
Vale nodded, still dazed. Evelyn and Tharion walked off in the opposite direction while Levianthe watched them silently, her massive serpentine form casting long shadows across the beach.
As Vale and Rose approached the elevator, the basilisk finally turned, the ocean parting for her once again as if bowing to her will.
The walk back was quiet. Vale's mind churned with questions, and Rose seemed content to let him untangle them at his own pace.
When they arrived, he froze.
This wasn't the sterile hospital room he expected.
Instead, white walls, a desk, a bed, a wardrobe… it looked like a clean student dorm.
Rose practically bounced on her heels.
"Ta-da! This will be your new room. Get plenty of rest, okay? Eve will come by tomorrow afternoon to take you shopping, so be ready!"
She handed him the key with a bright smile.
"Alright, gotta go now, bye!"
"Wait," Vale reached out, but she was already halfway down the hall, waving cheerfully as she disappeared around the corner.
He lowered his hand, a flicker of disappointment settling in his chest.
Then he turned to the door, slipped the key into the lock, and slowly closed it.
He looked around the room, letting his eyes adjust to the soft golden light. It was far more spacious than he had expected, elegant even. He stepped forward slowly, taking in every detail with a mixture of awe and disbelief. Several expensive-looking lamps hung from the ceiling, their warm glow casting gentle shadows across the polished floor. The place looked luxurious… too luxurious even.
Based on how abruptly he had been brought here, he assumed this was simply how they treated their average student.
"Must be nice," Vale muttered under his breath as he approached a side door.
He pushed it open and was met with the sight of a kitchen, if it could even be called that. The counters were carved entirely from dark onyx, a stone so black it almost seemed to swallow the lamplight whole. Sleek metal fittings ran along its edges, all polished to a mirror sheen.
Vale turned his head, and on the opposite side of the kitchen an enormous window stretched from wall to wall, offering a perfectly unobstructed view of the ocean. A couch sat directly before the glass, positioned like a throne overlooking the world.
He was lucky. The sun was lowering, its final moments dripping across the sky in a stunning orange glow. For the first time since he arrived, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
He walked over and eased himself onto the couch. And for a few precious moments, his mind emptied. No battles, no questions, no fear, only the soft crash of waves and the burning horizon slowly melting into the sea.
Eventually, thoughts trickled back in.
Enigmas… planes… spawn… whatever all of that meant. He assumed someone would explain it to him soon enough.
He also remembered he was supposed to go shopping with Evelyn tomorrow. But what did shopping mean for people like them? They weren't normal, far from it. Would their version of shopping include weapons, armor, magic relics, or something far stranger?
The sun's light washed warmly over his face as he considered the possibilities.
"Ugh, nevermind," he eventually sighed, pushing himself upright. "I'll find out tomorrow."
He cast one last glance at the mesmerizing kitchen before continuing his exploration.
The next door revealed a bedroom, a large, luxurious one. A wide bed stood in the center, piled with soft blankets and pillows that practically beckoned him over. Vale stepped forward and lay down, sinking into the mattress. Even through the plates of his armor, he could feel its softness.
But something had been bothering him from the moment he entered the room. A presence, A faint shift of air. The tiniest scrape.
Vale opened his eyes and turned his head slightly.
"I know you're there," he said plainly. "Behind the right curtain. Show yourself."
His tone was serious, not threatening, but firm, hoping to discourage whoever was hiding from doing anything foolish.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then,
A sudden skittering movement.
The curtain rustled violently, and a small arachnid-like robot darted out from underneath. It bolted toward the open door with frantic, jerky movements.
But Vale was faster.
He sprang off the bed, reached the door in two steps, and shut it just before the little machine could escape. Ember, perched on Vale's shoulder, watched the scene unfold with an amused flick of his ember-like tail, clearly entertained.
Vale looked down at the robot. It was roughly the size of Ember, the two nearly identical in height, but somehow the tiny machine seemed much smaller, almost frightened.
It scrambled back until its metallic legs tapped helplessly against the closed door. Vale crouched, reaching down with a quick, practiced motion, and scooped it up.
"What exactly are you?" he asked, inspecting the machine carefully.
The robot twitched in his grasp, emitting a strange, distorted whirring noise. At first it was only static, harsh and mechanical, but it gradually sharpened, cracking and bending until it formed something recognizable.
A voice.
Metallic, tinny, and undeniably agitated.
"Put me down!" it barked.
Vale's eyes widened, and then slowly, a grin spread across his face.