The greatest figures in both leadership and power within Taratios were gathered in a single mansion, preparing for the evening. The experience and history of those who lived in that place could be felt in every detail. Lasan and Jacki had prepared a banquet that was not extravagant, but was delicious and abundant enough to satisfy everyone present. The aromas of hot food mixed with the murmur of conversations, filling the dining hall with a strange sense of calm and anticipation.

  At the main table sat the adults, while at a small round table, created especially for him, Kael sat together with the other three children. Lysandra looked a little shy. It was the first time she had seen all of them together, so she stayed close to Kael, almost pressed against his side. Althea ate calmly, watching the other two with curiosity, while Ronan, as silent as ever, ate without hurry, focused only on his plate.

  Kael, on the other hand, looked thoughtful and serious, staring at the food in front of him without paying real attention. He knew that he would not only have to train… but also endure three more children around him.

  Kael’s thoughts:

  Alright, alright… according to what teacher Freya taught me, magic is a manifestation of the soul. It is the soul that applies this magical force to matter and alters it. Creating wind… I’m not exactly sure how. Fire, I suppose by agitating particles, and the opposite would be ice. That’s how it works with the traditional elements. With neutral magic, I can’t modify matter… but I can touch it…

  // -- indeed, if it is an inert material, you can manipulate it in certain ways if you possess the knowledge; most people here would not understand it because they lack advanced studies in physics or chemistry… -- //

  Kael’s thoughts:

  So, with enough training… I could take a rock and separate its materials, like iron, nickel, and others, if I understand what it is made of…

  // -- exactly, we could manufacture several basic elements to survive… -- //

  Kael’s thoughts:

  Like pipes to build a sewage system and have a bathroom… ah, that would be so nice…

  Kael brought a finger to his mouth, absorbed in his thoughts, without noticing the curious looks around him.

  —“Kel… does your stomach hurt?” Lysandra asked softly, leaning slightly toward him.

  —“Huh…?” Kael blinked, coming back to himself. “No… no, no. I was thinking about something… I think… I think I can do something fun.”

  The three children looked at him with curiosity, immediately attentive.

  —“Keep eating, I’ll be right back…” Kael said, climbing down from his chair.

  He stood up from the table and passed behind everyone, walking carefully between the adults as he headed toward the kitchen. There, Jacki and Lasan were working, cooking and washing dishes with agile and coordinated movements.

  —“Aunt Jacki…” Kael called politely.

  —“Oh, my young lord,” she replied with a smile. “What is it?”

  —“What is that white substance in that container?” Kael asked, pointing with his finger.

  Jacki followed his gaze and immediately understood what he meant.

  —“That is sap from the Nadu tree,” she explained. “We use it to seal jars and repair wooden spoons. It hardens when you heat it a little.”

  Kael observed the contents carefully. The thick, whitish substance vibrated softly under the influence of his magic, as if it were responding to his presence.

  —“May I take a little? I want to try something,” he asked seriously, though his eyes shone with excitement.

  Jacki looked at him without fully understanding, but she still nodded.

  When he opened the container, Kael used his magic and slowly began to extract the sap, shaping it until he created a small floating sphere. While keeping it suspended in the air, he applied precise control, removing every impurity with extreme concentration.

  Not wanting to disturb the servants any further, Kael returned to the dining hall.

  Most of them had already finished eating and were now talking calmly. Kael advanced carefully between the tables, keeping the sphere of sap floating in front of him. His steps were slow and measured, as if any sudden movement could ruin what he was trying to do.

  When he entered the dining hall, Laret and Caria were deeply intrigued to see him using magic while moving with such caution. Little by little, the others also noticed what was happening, and the murmurs faded until they almost completely disappeared.

  Kael gently approached Enta.

  —“Uncle Enta… you have wind magic, right?” Kael asked clearly.

  —“That’s right, my young lord,” Enta replied. “Do you need me for something?”

  —“Yeees… could you slowly apply air pressure through this small opening I left in the sphere?”

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  —“Of course, no problem at all, my lord.”

  With extreme care, Enta began to introduce air into the sphere. It slowly grew larger, while its outer layer gradually became thinner. Kael watched every change with absolute focus, adjusting his magical control at all times. When the sphere reached the exact point he wanted, he spoke quickly.

  —“That’s it! That’s enough, Uncle Enta. Thank you!”

  —“You’re welcome, my young master.”

  Now, with the sphere larger and more fragile, Kael walked over to Freya. Everyone watched the scene with deep curiosity, wondering what he was about to do.

  —“Teacher Freya, could you apply a bit of heat to this sphere?” Kael asked respectfully.

  —“Of course, little one,” she replied. “You tell me how much heat I should generate. And while we’re at it… could you tell me what you’re trying to do?”

  —“Yesterday, in the book you read to me, you said that elements like water and other materials can change their form when they are hot or cold,” Kael explained. “You also said that many liquid things, when heated, become hard.”

  —“That’s correct, little one. So… you want to harden this sphere?”

  —“Yes, yes! It will be fun!”

  Freya applied the heat with precision. The sphere, which contained compressed air inside, slowly began to solidify. Its surface dried and hardened until it became completely firm.

  —“It’s ready!” Kael exclaimed excitedly.

  Everyone watched in anticipation. Kael took the sphere with both hands and gently threw it against the floor. The sphere bounced and returned to his hands.

  It was a ball.

  The surprise was immediate. No one had expected a result like that.

  Kael walked over to the other children and proudly showed them the new object.

  —“Look, it worked! I’ll call it… ball.”

  Kael began bouncing it again and again against the floor, watching it rebound with energy. The other children quickly became excited and approached with clear smiles.

  The adults who had participated in the process watched the scene in silent amazement.

  —“That white substance was sap from the Nadu tree… right?” Freya asked thoughtfully.

  —“Yes,” Caria replied. “Jacki always brings some when she goes to collect materials in the forest.”

  —“Freya… were you teaching Kael alchemy through a book?” Rowan asked, clearly surprised.

  —“Yes,” she answered. “As a foundation for him to understand how magic works… although I didn’t expect him to understand it this well.”

  The children, excited, kept bouncing the ball over and over, laughing and commenting among themselves.

  Kael picked up the ball, placed it on the floor, and proudly announced:

  —“Watch this, I am the master of the ball.”

  He kicked it with the strength of a child. The ball bounced off the wall and went straight into Ken’s face.

  —“Ah, sorry, Uncle Ken!” Kael shouted immediately.

  —“Pfff! Hahahahahaha!” Holley mocked. “It hit you right in the face!”

  —“It didn’t hurt… well, a little,” Ken replied. “Hey, but this ball is really fun. Can I kick it?”

  —“I don’t think so,” Kael said, “because you’ll break it with your strength…”

  —“Ah… I wanted to play too…”

  —“Don’t you think you’re already too old?” Laret teased.

  —“But we can play something, Uncle Ken,” Kael intervened. “Let’s see who can do the most juggles.”

  —“Oh… interesting. And how do you play?”

  Kael took the ball and, with great care and balance, tossed it into the air and began tapping it lightly with his foot, keeping it from touching the ground.

  —“The idea is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible without letting it touch the ground and without using your hands, only your feet,” he explained while doing the juggles.

  Then he passed the ball to Ronan. Still quiet and unsociable, but clearly excited to participate, he tried. He managed to hit it four times before it fell. Then it was Lysandra’s turn, who managed three hits. After that came Althea, who barely managed one. Finally, Ken managed twenty hits before losing his balance.

  In that way, Kael’s invention kept both children and adults entertained in the dining hall, amid laughter and comments, until the arrival of the great lord.

  When the great lord arrived, the atmosphere in the dining hall changed immediately. The laughter slowly faded, and the adults exchanged looks full of meaning. The children were carefully taken to an adjacent room to rest, still excited from the game, but too tired to protest.

  The true reason why everyone had gathered was beginning to take shape.

  At a round table sat five of the heroes of the Great War, accompanied by three guardians, two maids, and, of course, the lord. The dim lighting cast long shadows along the walls, and the silence that formed was heavy, as if even the air understood that what would be discussed was not trivial.

  —“Well,” Freya began, “there are several topics we need to address… and to some extent, some of them are connected to each other.”

  —“Wait,” Laret interrupted. “Lucian hasn’t arrived yet…”

  —“Open the window when no one notices,” Liora said casually. “He’ll be here.”

  Laret stood up and walked toward the window to open it. The moment he stepped aside, a presence appeared out of nowhere, as if it had always been there.

  A man with a sharp and silent presence materialized in the room. He wore black garments that seemed to absorb the light. His hair was long, dark brown, and slightly disheveled, falling naturally around a serious and watchful face. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, leaving only intense, cold, calculating eyes visible—eyes capable of reading intent even before it manifested.

  His right shoulder was protected by segmented armor, black with golden edges, studded with red spikes that turned any careless approach into a fatal mistake. Everything about him conveyed discipline, lethality, and training far beyond the ordinary.

  The black tunic, held by a crimson belt, concealed the firmness of a body prepared for fast and silent combat. At his waist rested a single katana, sheathed with almost ceremonial precision.

  The expression in his gaze—cold, determined, and always alert—made it clear that this man was no ordinary warrior. He was someone used to moving in the shadows, striking without warning, and disappearing without a trace.

  —“HEY, LUCIAN! COULD YOU AT LEAST WARN US WHEN YOU ARRIVE!?” Laret exclaimed, startled.

  —“That’s your fault for not staying alert,” Lucian replied calmly.

  —“Lucian, we are not at war,” Liora said. “There’s no need to be so serious…”

  —“And little Ronan?” Lucian asked, smoothly redirecting the conversation.

  —“He’s very excited and happy, playing with the other children,” Liora replied with a smile.

  —“I’m glad to hear that,” Lucian said, giving a slight nod.

  —“If you’re done flirting,” Freya intervened, “we could return to the main topic…”

  —“How jealous you are… just because Galen left,” Liora mocked.

  —“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say…” Freya replied, crossing her arms.

  —“So noisy…” Lucian muttered with clear annoyance. “Lord Garbard, we have a problem.”

  Laughter and side comments stopped instantly. The atmosphere in the dining hall changed completely, as if someone had closed an invisible door. Expressions hardened, and postures became rigid.

  Everyone, now wearing serious faces, began the meeting.