Thorne stood before the heavy wooden door. He raised a hand. He knocked with a sharp, rhythmic sequence that echoed through the quiet street. There was no answer. He waited. His eyes darted back toward the shadows of the settlement where the gatekeepers were still watching. Thorne knocked again, louder this time. The sound hit the wood like a drum in the silence.
"We don't have time for this," Thorne muttered.
Finally, a heavy bolt slid back. The door creaked open a few inches. A teen boy with dark, messy hair and tired eyes peered out. He looked at Thorne with recognition and suspicion.
"Who's there?" the boy asked.
"It's Thorne," he replied, stepping into the sliver of light. "I need to see the doctor. It's an emergency. I have others with me who need help immediately."
The boy opened the door wider. His gaze shifted past Thorne. His eyes moved over Leiya and Mira before stopping abruptly on Kota. The boy's expression changed instantly. Fatigue vanished. It was replaced by a sharp, focused intensity. He leaned forward, squinting.
"You," the boy whispered. His voice trembled. "You look familiar. I know that face."
Kota remained perfectly still. His hands were tucked into his cloak. He met the boy's gaze with a blank, unreadable expression. He didn't acknowledge the shock.
"I've seen you before," the boy continued. His eyes widened as the memory clicked. "I remember your face. It was on a bounty. A high value target. The silver haired boy from the northern territories."
The boy began to shake his head, backing away from the threshold. "No. You can't come in here. We won't be helping you. Thorne, please. You know the rules of this house. We do not invite the storm inside."
Thorne reached out to stop the door from closing. "Please. He's just a boy. We have hunters right on our heels."
"No!" the apprentice snapped. Panic rose in his voice. "I will not let you bring the kingdom of Aetheron to our doorstep. Leave now."
A small rock flew through the air. It struck the boy sharply on the shoulder. He yelped and spun around. A tall, sharp eyed woman stepped out from the shadows. She wore a thick leather cowl and a linen wrap around her face to shield her from the fumes of her tinctures.
"The bastard of Kalamity," the woman said. Her voice cut through the tension like a blade. "The boy who slaughtered his whole family in a single night. Now being hunted by bandits and Aetheron. What are you doing here?"
Leiya flinched. She stepped in front of Kota, hands balled into fists. "That's not fair!" she cried. "You can't just say something like that. You don't know him."
Kota looked at the woman. His eyes were cold. Hollow. "You're just like everyone else. I thought you were a doctor. Someone who helps people."
He started to walk away, heading back into the darkness. He didn't want to stay in a place where he was already judged by a name he never asked for.
The woman watched him. "Kota Leone Speedhardt. And the daughter of Seraphine Vale."
Kota froze. Leiya gasped, spinning back. "How do you know my name?" Kota asked. His voice was a low growl.
"How do you know my mother?" Leiya added.
The woman pulled the linen wrap down. Her features were regal, yet weathered. She had the same sharp curve to her jaw and the same piercing depth in her eyes that Kota saw in his own mirror.
"I am Elowen Speedhardt," she said. "I am Kota's aunt."
Leiya stood frozen. Thorne and Mira exchanged looks of pure disbelief.
"You're his aunt?" they said in unison.
Kota stared at her, unable to find his voice. The world tilted. This woman was the sister of Kalamity. The boy apprentice went silent, looking between his teacher and the silver haired stranger."
You and Kana being the youngest, I haven't seen grown up yet," Elowen continued. Her gaze softened a fraction. "I've only seen you two once. You were barely walking then."
She gestured toward the interior. "Come in. All of you."
Inside, the group waited in a dimly lit corridor. Thorne and Mira stood nearby, shadows stretching long against stone walls. Elowen took Kota into a private room. The air there was still. She gestured for him to sit. For several minutes, she worked in total silence. She moved her hands in slow, sweeping arcs around his torso. Her palms hovered an inch from his cloak.
Her expression shifted from analytical to visceral.
Whatever she felt radiating from inside Kota was terrifying. A cold, insurmountable amount of fear washed over her. Her hands trembled so violently she had to pull them back. She looked at the boy not as family, but as a vessel for a storm that should've already shattered him. The darkness was deep. Ancient. Jagged."
Oh Kala, what did you do to this boy?" she whispered. Her voice trembled.
She backed away toward the door. She couldn't maintain eye contact. "I will be right back," she said. Her voice cracked with sharp urgency.
Elowen stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut. She looked pale. Her breathing was shallow as she signaled for Leiya to follow. She led Leiya into her side office and closed the door. Her eyes were wide. Wild.
"Whatever is wrong with him, it isn't a sickness," she said. Her voice was a frantic, hushed tone. "He has extensive amounts of Yen. It's like someone is pouring Yen into him! It's as if he's a cup being overflown with heavy, suffocating amounts of it. I didn't feel a single ounce of Yan in that boy. Not one drop! It felt as if he wasn't even human."
Leiya took a step back. "What does that mean? I'm confused! What are you saying right now?"
"Because his body is using every bit of its strength just to contain the pressure!" Elowen snapped. She paced the small room, hands gesturing wildly. "He needs Yan training to level out the Yen, or it will eventually burn out his pathways."
She stopped abruptly. Her eyes snapped to Leiya.
"No. Yan won't be enough. He needs something else. He needs Zen."
Leiya looked confused. "Zen? But isn't that for the high-tier masters?"
Elowen leaned forward. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Tell me, girl. Have you ever been taught a lesson pertaining to hearts? Have you ever heard of Zen hearts?"
Leiya frowned. "I only know that some were lucky to be born with two. I heard three was a rarity."
Elowen's intensity sharpened. "There is a pair of twins in this world right now that was born with two hearts. It is a sign of immense power, but also a heavy burden. It means their capacity for energy is double that of a normal man."
Leiya felt a chill run down her spine. "Could you tell me more about those twins? We may have encountered them on the way here. I just want to make sure those aren't the people you speak of."
Elowen's smirk vanished. Her eyes narrowed. Her voice dropped into a sharp, angry tone.
"I'll only tell you about them if you tell me what happened that night regarding my baby brother's death. Do you know who killed my brother, Kala?"
Leiya recoiled, but Elowen pressed on. Her voice rose.
"If I find out you're lying to me, I'll kill you and him! Kala was very special to me, do you hear me? Answer me!"
Leiya swallowed hard. "He didn't do it. Kota would never. He loved his family. He's been framed. We're just trying to survive long enough to prove it."
Elowen watched her. The fire in her eyes cooled into a dark suspicion. She let out a long breath and leaned back against her desk.
"There is only one pair of twins in this entire world that I know of that's alive today. Hykee and Lokee Speedhardt."
Leiya's eyes went wide. She knew the names, but the weight of the revelation hit her like a physical blow. "Hykee and Lokee? You mean those two have more than one heart? I've never noticed! Master Leona and Master Kalamity kept so much from us."
"They kept it from everyone," Elowen whispered. "They carry the weight of two lives in one body. And if Kota is overflowing with Yen, he is the polar opposite of the balance they were born to hold."
Leiya looked toward the door. "Is it okay if Kota stays here for a while? We can't keep moving like this."
Elowen began to ramble. Her mind jumped between memories and the crisis.
"Stay? Of course he stays. This is a Speedhardt domain, even if the world forgot. Besides, Luxxy wouldn't dare send hunters these ways, nor would anyone else come here to cause trouble."
"Luxxy?" Leiya asked.
Elowen let out a small, jagged smirk. "Sorry. I mean the King. But the sentiment stands. No one should look for a Speedhardt in this domain. They would never think to search for the ghost of a legacy in a place like this. He'll be safe here as long as we keep him hidden."