Cadfael stood there like a monolith. The shadows under his feet ominously swayed in all directions. His unshining eyes never broke contact with Elrhain's, his pupils never quivering, like the shadows in a starless night.

Dispassionate, yet regal.

Before, he looked like a gloomy loner, sulking on why his life was so miserable. Now, he had a devilish bearing Elrhain couldn't put his finger on.

His body oozed a kind of dominance and disregard for everything he did not acknowledge. Unlike Elder Sonora's, Cadfael's pride came not from impertinence but from confidence.

Elrhain stood in silence, his head tilted to the side in confusion.

The wind whistled between them, blowing the summer leaves up in a small tornado, which soon lost its strength and scattered apart, leaving no proof of its fleeting life.

One second, two seconds, and soon twenty seconds passed.

Vesiphis jerked his head from Elrhain to Cadfael and then to Elrhain again and again like a sheep with seizure, his signature smile cracking under some gravity only he could feel.

Cadfael waited for Elrhain's response without further words, yet his eyes narrowed even further.

'What the bloody fark?'

Elrhain eyed Cadfael up and down as if the boy were a loon in an asylum exhibition, before walking back towards Agwyn again. The girl had just crushed Cadough, who now whined to the side with drooping paws and tail. That looked far more interesting than the drama the goth guy was souping up.

…only to stop again when Cadfael's indescribably hollow voice rang right beside his ear.

"Hmph."

He jolted his head away in fright, almost tripping because of the shock. But Cadfael hadn't moved. Only Vesiphis stood behind, following him with a perplexed expression.

"I asked you a question, heir consort."

Cadfael's voice had a strange twang to it. Immature like children should be. But cold as if he had nothing more to see in this world.

Elrhain scratched his head, wondering what the guy's problem was.

'First Siani, now this bloke. Why do kids have to be so aggravating? Can't they just play cute and be good?'

He then remembered his own actions the past three cycles and the few times he had made Cyra actually cry.

Elrhain couldn't help but laugh at the memories, 'I'll have my revenge for today soon, slug woman!'

Cadfael found offence in that laugh.

"So you won't even give an excuse for wasting so much clan resources? Those were enough to rise five loyal warriors to Earthen, while you?" If the contempt was hidden before, this time, Elrhain could taste it in that monotone voice.

'Let it go, Ellie. He's just a brat. You, are an adult.'

So he nonchalantly replied, shooing his hand at Cadfael, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." before walking away for the third, and hopefully final time. All this turning around was making him hungry, so he was in no mood to humour a self-entitled whippersnapper.

Elrhain could see Agwyn stomp towards him with puffed up cheeks. She looked like she was in an even worse mood.

'Maybe she's hungry too?'

Elrhain felt the prick in his mind. 'Ah, she's been listening in. Some occupational habits are hard to forget, I suppose.'

"Go on. Walk away, coward. Three cycles, not even a hundred specks lighted. I'll see how long the heiress and granduncle tolerate your incompetence." Cadfael shook his head. It was evident that he lost interest.

Something Elrhain was happy to see if not for his final few comments.

"Should’ve stayed a servant like your mother.”

“Cousin Cadfael! There is no need to speak like that to family.”

“I speak only the truth to our heir, no, heir consort, cousin.” Cadfael sounded positively repulsed as he uttered the last two words, even though his face remained apathetic.

“Do the clan and yourself a favour, consort. Don’t aim above your abilities. A caretaker or herb tenderer like your mother would suit you quite well, and you can still contribute to Earthloch without wasting our resources that way .”

Cadfael’s shadows suddenly squirmed violently, lashing out on the ground plane like hooks aiming for prey that wasn’t there. A pressure spread out in all directions threatening to squeeze all other shadows to death.

Vesiphis, whose wings outstretched to their entire span in response, swiftly stood in front of Elrhain to block the shadowy pressure in its tracks.

Elrhain, on the other hand, slapped his forehead in exasperation. He kicked a pebble by his feet away as he was forced to turn around for the third, or was it fourth time within five minutes.

Even a Buddha would get mad if a rascal kept pestering him, not to mention a cranky old-man-at-heart like him.

In the meanwhile, the showdown between the two cousins—one clad in white and the other in black, went on for a few more tense seconds before Cadfael exhaled deeply, speaking in a much gentler tone,

“We can’t afford to entertain inepts like you in the collapse. Take my advice, consort. You won’t last a single day in the wild with such weak resolve. Cultivation just isn’t for individuals like you.”

Elrhain, at last, felt a vein throb on his temples that he could not ignore. He’d just wanted to live and let live. But noooo, this kid not only insulted his mother but even had the audacity to tell him what to do.

The first he could forgive. He was not above the classic yo momma jokes when he was at this brat’s equivalent age.

But the second?

‘Okay, you gloomy fart face. You want insults? I was moulded in playground pettiness.’

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Elrhain tapped the taller Vesiphis’s wings while apologizing to all adult sensibilities he’d still retained, before switching his psyche to the worst, small-minded, vindictive part of himself. His brain went overdrive thinking what would piss off a swaggering snub-nose with more pride than was healthy.

Then, he remembered all the ancient period drama re-enactments he’d binge-watched while he was lazing away, and a downright vulgar grin covered his face. Of course, he changed back just as quick.

Fark logic, and to hell with reasoning. Politeness was long thrown out of the window, and only hot sauce remained flowing in his bloodstreams.

When Vesiphis looked back at him, he pointed at Cadfael with his sixth finger.

“Is he always this rude?”

Vesiphis sighed, shaking his head. But this time, he didn’t try to defend Cadfael, which made Elrhain approve of the winged boy’s morals even further.

Shooting Vesiphis a curt, “Cool,” he, at last, directly replied to Cadfael,

“Do I know you?”

Cadfael managed to show an on-point bewildered derision, even with that impassive face of his. Elrhain almost applauded how the kid could mix and mash so many haughty expressions with minimum body language.

“So you are weak in both manna and memory? Cousin Vesiphis wastes his breath on you.”

Cadfael shook his head dismissively. This time it was he who wanted to leave, but-

‘Oh no you don’t, arschloch.’

…his steps were interrupted by a long, drawn-out sigh from Elrhain.

It had twenty excruciating seconds of eye rolls, throaty groans, an ‘Ew’ face and a multitude more scientifically proven ticks guaranteed to piss others off.

“So you were eavesdropping on our conversation?” The disgust on his voice leaked out so much that even Vesiphis started backing off. It was a murky, gross kind of disgust. Not like Sonora’s or Cadfael's, but like when one stepped on dog crap or accidentally saw a snot-nosed kid's gross snot-nosed picture while scrolling down social media.

It hurt people’s souls, not minds.

Vesiphis whispered with no small amount of shivers in his voice, ‘That’s what you get mad at? Not the insults?’

Cadfael didn’t actually change his expression much. Only the hint of incredulity swept past his eyes. Yet the twitching of his fingers told another story.

It told Elrhain that the iron was hot. So,

“Creep.”

He spat, spittle flying in every direction. The gusts of wind around them seemingly stilled in their own shock.

The children's laughter muted into the backdrop, as that word hung in the air, echoing time and time again until finally, it hit the two others like sledgehammers.

Vesiphis’s eyes widened like balloons. He gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. Cadfael’s face, on the other hand, finally showed a concrete reaction.

Its stone exterior broke down bit by bit, and the ever-swaying shadows under him crackled like thunder.

He looked absolutely scandalized.

The boy’s faced blushed violet, his upturned chin finally lowered, with a visible electric shiver going through his body.

Just when Elrhain thought he would burst like a ripe tomato, Cadfael’s enraged visage eerily morphed back into a deadpan poker face.

It reminded Elrhain of one of those videos where a Buddha’s face would change into an Asura’s, but in reverse.

Honestly, he was a bit spooked right now. Maybe he had misjudged Cadfael’s humiliation tolerance?

*thud*

The enraged boy in question took a step forward, and the dust rose from the stone floor, staying in the air as if gravity was just a suggestion. His eyes went from black to red, then pink, and finally lilac.

The shadows rose up from the ground spewing swordlike tendrils, while his hand reached for the actual sword behind, about to unsheathe it-

When a sudden pfft barged into the heated confrontation, followed by a continuous bell-like giggle.

Agwyn, the voice behind the cute fit, was literally laughing down on the ground twenty paces behind him, punching the stone floor repeatedly with one hand and trying to cover her mouth with the other.

Elrhain heard Cadfael snort, with the swishing sound of shadows also retreating. He sighed in relief, but his sceptical mind picked something strange in that snort.

It sounded… ‘Shy?’

He shook his head to get rid of the ridiculous thought.

By now, the other children had also noticed Agwyn’s bizarre behaviour and gathered around to see what was so fun.

The sounds returned, and the wind began to flow again.

***

Elrhain dusted Agwyn’s fancy frock as she stood up, her face still cramping from time to time.

「I didn’t think it was that funny though? 」 Elrhain asked.

「It wasn’t. But his face was sooo weird. It reminded me of those times when Miramarja opened the fridge all excited, only to find her pudding gone!」

「…I was hungry, okay?」 Elrhain averted his gaze.

Agwyn puffed up her cheeks, trying hard not to laugh, 「Forget it. Why’d you rile him up so much? You know the only thing you can beat in a fight in this hall is the food that’s being roasted, right?」

Elrhain snickered, 「You think I’m dumb? I would have screamed murder if he went any further. And Vesiphis was about to step in too. Besides, the adults are only two minute’s walk away. I don’t believe those cultivators wouldn’t hear all the magical sound effects from this close, or let us young’ns handle the matter ourselves when it comes to violence.」 He then rubbed his throat and mimed crying for help.

「Eh, I guess so.」 Agwyn twirled a lock of her hair, 「Infighting in the clan has always been limited to words unless it’s Mommy, Auntie Lilian or Grandpa who’s involved.」

Elrhain involuntarily smiled at that, remembering Elder Sonora’s black and blue face when he was fleeing the courtyard the other day.

Agwyn abruptly brought her eyes closer to his face, almost giving him a heart attack. She asked with a malicious squint, 「Do you think Auntie Lilian will beat that jerk up too if I go cry to her about how he “bullied my Ewwie”?」

「Don’t bother. It’s our loss if they think you’re a bratty princess—though your father might actually like that. But it might piss off the other adults and give the kids a wrong impression, even if Cadfael gets the living daylight beaten out of him. Speaking of whom,」

The brooding boy seemed to have regained his edgy bearing at the sight of Agwyn. He approached the two with a kind of purpose as they whispered sweet nothings to each other.

Most of the other kids watched on curiously, while Vesiphis’s eyes clouded over with another nervous twitch. The eldest really was having a tough day today, one shenanigan after the other. Not to mention Cati and Ysbail hanging from his wings right now, screaming some cryptic song about mud fights.

Olwina and Ariana, who were the next eldest after Cadfael, nodded to each other before blocking the goth’s path. They also noticed something was wrong with the boy, not to mention his earlier outburst, which definitely didn’t go unseen.

But Agwyn pushed them both aside and confronted the shadowy menace herself, her chubby arms crossed before her puffed up chest.

She had just taken a deep breath, about to unleash a machine gun of lisping, slurring expletives, when Cadfael kneeled down on one knee like a medieval knight to absolutely everyone’s surprise.

He placed the now unsheathed sword horizontally on the ground, gripping it with his right hand, exclaiming,

“Cadfael Morys Earthloch greets the divine inheritor of our great clan.”

「Uh-oh, 」 Elrhain whispered to Agwyn through the link, realization painting his voice, 「I know why this guy is so pissed at me.」

Agwyn gulped, shaking her head in denial.

「P-Perhaps he is just dramatic because he didn’t introduce himself with the other’s earlier? 」

Cadfael crushed her hope with his following words.

“The saviour of mine faith and purpose, you have given hope of salvation to me and all mine clan’s subjects by the great tide of fortune you have summoned forth from the ungenerous heavens.”

He then raised the sword up high, holding the pommel at his forehead while the tip pointed at the Sohwl above, the sharp bone edge glinted in the midday suns like solid light.

“Accept mine pledge of gratitude, for ever if I cannot repay you today. I vow to cut down all foes, remove all parasites, and forge a path beyond the circles to protect yours honour with the spirits acknowledged, if mine wish is to be granted in the unsettled future, and the collapse hath been conquered!”

With that, he snapped down the pommel to his heart as a blood-red streak was left behind on his forehead.

The boy’s eyes now looked straight at Agwyn’s. His gaze serene and his blood-dripped face calm, as if what he had just said was but another utterance.

But his hands, oh his hands, gripping the sword trembled like a rickety wooden tower during an earthquake.

A few seconds of painful silence followed, which the other kids then shattered hysterically in their shocked howls —except Cati and Ysbail, who just looked confused.

Vesiphis’s mouth, on the other hand, was so wide that he didn’t even notice the insect that flew in.

The other’s didn’t notice either. Neither did they notice the tips of Cadfael’s ears blushing an intense red or the heated possessiveness in his sizzling gaze.

They didn’t notice Agwyn’s face turn a million degrees colder with every word of Cadfael’s or her tiny fingers twitching like they wanted to strangle something to death.

But Elrhain did. And in the advent of what could only be a love rival trying the steal the cooked rice from his mouth, he laughed with absolute levity.

‘Aw hell, I wish this world had popcorn.’