Alfred ducked under a sweeping arc of frost and shot forward, his boots kicking up embers. His fists burned—a deep crimson glow crawling up his arms, veins lit like molten steel. He threw a punch that cracked the air like thunder.
Aria t it with a wall of frost, a spiral of ice wrapping her like a cyclone. The punch shattered part of the shield, sent her skidding back, boots scraping across stone. She didn't fall. Just smirked.
"You're still too slow."
Alfred spat smoke. "And you're still cocky."
She spun, hurling a volley of ice daggers. He rolled forward, fire exploding from his shoulders as he launched into the air. The forge's upper fra groaned from the heat blast. He ca down like a teor, fist-first.
Aria t him mid-fall, her body carried upward by a burst of sub-zero wind. Ice and fla collided in a halo of steam and cracked mana.
Down below, in the shadows, Draken and Veyrion sat on an old workbench that looked one second away from collapsing under their armor weight.
Draken, face half-hidden under a chipped hood, cleaned his blade with slow, asured strokes. His eyes never left the sparring match above.
"Sa rhythm," he muttered. "Alfred still leads with heat before movent. Makes him predictable."
Veyrion shrugged, his white hair tied back tight, scars lining his jaw like forgotten war etchings. "Aria knows. She's not pushing him. Just testing distance."
"She's toying with him."
"She always does. Makes it more interesting."
Draken snorted. "She's gonna end up freezing his ribs again."
"Good. Might make him learn."
They shared a quiet laugh—old friends, not because they were soft with each other, but because they'd survived enough bloodshed together to skip the small talk.
Across the room, Jordan and Alexandria were at it. Again.
Jordan leaned against a pillar, chewing on what looked like half a cinnamon bun. "You ever shut up? Just once? For a full sentence?"
Alexandria sat cross-legged on a crate, scribbling into a notebook that glowed faintly with cursed script. She didn't look up.
"You ever stop eating like a starved goblin?"
"Listen, notebook girl, I burn calories fast."
"You barely burn brain cells."
"You wish you were as brainless as . Must be exhausting thinking twenty-three hours a day and still being wrong."
She flicked a hex from her fingers—small, blue, and buzzing. Jordan yelped and slapped at his neck.
"That's illegal!" he shouted, halfway laughing.
"Then report . See how fast they laugh you out of the tower."
"Next ti I'm replacing your ink with snake blood."
"Already did it to myself last month. Didn't even flinch."
"You're actually insane."
Kael'Thar groaned.
He exhaled, long and annoyed.
"By the hells," Kael'Thar muttered, voice like gravel sliding through thunder. "Can the two of you shut your mouths before I eat one of you just to find out if sarcasm has a flavor."
Jordan pointed. "Eat her first."
"Eat him," Alexandria said at the sa ti.
"Ugh," Kael'Thar grumbled, closing his eyes. "Children."
Above, Alfred landed hard, sliding to a stop on his heels. Steam rose from his skin. His jacket was half-burned off, and the air around him shimred from the heat. Aria touched down a few feet away, snowflakes trailing off her cloak, frost gathering on her cheeks.
"Round seven," she said, brushing a lock of white hair behind her ear. "Still no hits."
"Thought I nicked you."
She held up a patch of barely chipped ice on her arm. "Try harder."
"Sadist."
She just smiled. "Complint."
Veyrion stood and clapped once. "Alright. That's enough. You'll cook the walls if you keep it up."
Draken sheathed his blade, his voice flat. "We need them focused anyway. Can't waste all the edge down here."
Alfred wiped sweat from his brow and looked at the group. "So… we ready to talk plan, or is this still the warm-up?"
The room quieted a bit.
Alexandria hopped off her crate and dusted herself off. Jordan finished his snack. Kael'Thar cracked one eye open.
Before anyone could say anything, Aurora stepped through first, long coat fluttering behind her like it had a mind of its own. Calm. Always too calm. Behind her ca Eli, ever silent, his eyes darting over the group like he was checking for missing limbs. And then…
The boy.
Tall. Around sixteen or seventeen. Lean, but there was strength under the clean tunic and worn boots. His face—sharp cheekbones, tired eyes that looked like they'd seen more than they should, and silver hair that looked just a shade too familiar under the forge light.
Fresh clothes. Boots still a little too new. But what really stopped everyone cold was his face.
"Is it just ," Alfred said, squinting, "or does that kid look like Adam?"
Aria didn't blink. "He also looks like you, doofus."
Alfred turned slowly, frown setting in like a thundercloud. "What the hell is that supposed to an?"
She tilted her head, arms crossed. "Maybe you had a secret affair. So wild night we don't know about?"
Alfred gagged. "Aria. What— No. Absolutely not. Never. That's disgusting."
"Relax," she smirked. "Just ssing with you."
But the room was already sliding into that eerie stillness—the kind where everyone knew sothing weird was happening, but no one wanted to be the first to say it.
Then the boy stepped forward.
Looked right at Aria and Alfred.
And said, voice steady, casual like it was normal, "Uncle. Aunty."
Everyone blinked.
Alfred and Aria turned to each other.
Then back to the boy.
And in perfect, synchronized disbelief:
"You're Adam's kid?"
The boy smiled just a bit. "Yeah."
No dramatic pause. No hesitation.
Just yeah.
Alfred's mouth dropped. Aria took a full step back. Kael'Thar actually sat up. Jordan muttered "What the actual—" and Alexandria?
Alexandria was already moving.
She was in front of him in an instant, fingers pressed to the boy's chin, turning his face left and right like she was examining an ancient relic. Her eyes darted across every feature—the brow, the cheekbones, the jaw.
Her voice ca out low. "You've got his eyes. And his attitude."
"Thanks?" the boy said.
"What's your na?" she asked.
He stood straight. Confident. Like he'd practiced saying this a hundred tis.
"Kaiden Dhark."
Everyone froze.
Jordan dropped the half-eaten mana bun in his hand.
Alfred blinked. "You're kidding."
Kael'Thar muttered sothing ancient under his breath.
Alexandria's voice turned sharp. "Dhark? As in—no, that can't—Who's your mother?"
The boy looked at her.
Then turned slowly.
And pointed at Aurora.
Silence.
Like ti held its breath.
Alexandria whipped around. "You?"
Aurora, arms folded, didn't flinch. "Yes."
"You?!"
"Yes, Alexandria."
Kaiden scratched the back of his neck. "She's my mom. Yeah. Surprise."
Alfred staggered. "Hold up, hold up—wait a damn minute. You're telling Adam sohow managed to—with Aurora?"
Aria turned to Aurora, eyes wide. "You? With him?"
Kael'Thar made a strangled choking sound.
Jordan covered his mouth. "You people need holy water."
Eli muttered under his breath, "This is why I don't talk."
Aurora raised one eyebrow. "Is this truly so unbelievable?"
Everyone in unison: "YES."
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