The air near the gates smelled of ozone and expensive incense, a scent that felt like a slap to the lungs of the humans who had lived in the damp rot of the forest for years.
Kael turned to Aether, his knees hitting the golden-paved ground with a dull thud.
His hands gripped the boy's shoulders—not with strength, but with a desperate, trembling need to anchor him one last time.
"Listen to me, Aether," Kael whispered, his eyes searching his son's hazel gaze. "In there, you don't look back. You keep your head down, you learn everything they say, and you remember that you are a man. Do you understand? No matter what the Spectrums say, you are a man."
"Papa? Why are you talking like that?" Aether's voice was small, the first seeds of panic beginning to take root in his chest.
Before Kael could answer, the shadow of the Sentinels fell over them.
The two Elven guards were tall, lithe, and armored in silver plates that seemed to flow like liquid.
They looked down at the bedraggled family with a sneer of pure, unfiltered disgust, their hands resting on the hilts of slender, glowing rapiers.
"State your business, vermin," one of the guards spat, his voice like ice cracking. "You are breathing the air of the High City. State it quickly before we decide your lungs don't deserve it."
Elara stepped forward, her face pale but her voice steady despite the terror thrumming in her veins. "The Special Education Program. For the six-year-olds. We are here to enroll our son."
The guards shared a mocking glance. One of them barked a short, sharp laugh. "Fine. The decree says all must be registered." He gestured lazily toward the massive, shimmering threshold.
"The whelp may enter. He is to report to the Receptionist Office immediately. As for you two..." He pointed a gloved finger back toward the dense jungle. "Turn around and vanish. If you're still on the golden path in five minutes, you'll be executed for trespassing."
Aether's eyes went wide. "Wait—Mama? Papa? Aren't you coming?"
As the realization hit him, Aether's lip began to tremble.
One of the guards reached down, his fingers—cold as marble—grabbing the back of Aether's rough tunic.
"Mama! Papa!" Aether shrieked, his small hands reaching out as he was hoisted off his feet.
He began to kick and struggle, his hazel eyes flooding with tears. "Don't leave me! I don't want to go! Mama!"
"Aether!" Elara screamed, taking a frantic step forward, but the second guard drew his blade just an inch.
The hum of the Magical Spectrum coming from the sword sent a shockwave of pressure that pinned Elara and Kael to the spot.
"Move, and the boy enters the city as an orphan," the guard warned.
Kael grabbed Elara's waist, holding her back as they both watched with breaking hearts.
Aether was dragged across the threshold, his small fingers scratching at the air, calling for them until the massive, golden gates groaned and swung shut with a final, resonant thud.
The silence that followed was deafening. Behind those gates, Aether was alone in a city of gods and monsters.
Outside, his parents stood in the dust, the only thing left of their hearts locked away behind a wall they were forbidden to cross.