It was a crisp, clear morning. The leaves in the trees surrounding his cabin rustled in the breeze, weaving a soft, rhythmic melody through the air. Birds flitted between the branches, their songs ringing out in playful harmony as they danced and vied for attention. As the rising sun warmed the surface of the lake before him, a thin veil of mist began to lift, settling over the water like a delicate, ghostly shroud.

The last few days had passed quickly, and at last, the day of his departure had arrived. Though a long and arduous journey lay ahead, Kael felt no urgency in rushing his final preparations. There were still a few things to set in order before he could leave.

Knowing this mission would keep him away for several months, he took his time ensuring his cabin would remain undisturbed in his absence. He went through his supplies, discarding any food or perishables that wouldn’t last until his return. It was a simple but necessary task.

Once he had finished tending to his cabin, Kael turned his attention to preparing breakfast. He intended to have a proper meal before setting off, knowing it might be a while before he could enjoy another one like it.

Before long, the food was ready. He ate in silence, focused yet unhurried, savoring each bite without distraction. It was a small moment of normalcy before the journey ahead.

He washed the dishes, setting them on the drying rack before turning his attention to the final preparations. The loadout he had assembled was minimal—something only a Luminaire could afford to travel with. Yet, for him, it was more than enough.

Kael began equipping himself with practiced efficiency. Sturdy leather boots, worn but reliable. A small pouch of gold coins, light yet sufficient. His newly acquired trench coat draped over his shoulders, its weight settling comfortably around him. A silver lantern was fastened securely to the right side of his belt, while on the left, his new knife rested in its leather sheath. In his pocket, a simple box of matches—small, but always useful.

With everything in place, he took up his cane, holding it loosely in his right hand as he stepped toward the door. Without hesitation, he pushed it open, stepping outside and leaving the quiet stillness of the cabin behind.

Even though his equipment seemed simple, he was fully prepared for the grueling journey east. The mission he had taken from the billboard lacked crucial details, but it provided just enough for him to form a rough plan. The noble family who had issued the request had undoubtedly withheld key information—whether out of caution or some hidden agenda, Kael couldn't be sure.

Still, he knew enough to move forward. His first destination was clear: Velthoria, the neighboring city of Sole—the capital of the western continent. He was uncertain of the mission’s true objective, but one thing was clear—he needed to establish contact with a member of the Eireindaile family upon reaching Velthoria.

Kael had memorized the map of the eastern continent well and knew that no official road connected Farkath to Velthoria. Instead, there were well-trodden paths used by merchants and travelers—routes carved out by necessity rather than design. This was the path he had chosen to take. But just because it was a known route didn’t mean it was safe. The untamed wilds were filled with beasts and all manner of monsters, each one a relentless hunter in its own right, constantly searching for its next meal.

Kael gathered his thoughts and set off. He cast one final glance at the cabin, expression unreadable, before tightening his grip around his cane. Without hesitation, he strode forward towards east, his path leading him directly into the depths of the forest, where the towering trees and shifting shadows quickly swallowed him from sight.

—

The forest swallowed Kael in silence, the air thick with the damp musk of rotting bark and distant rain. Towering trees stretched skyward, their thick branches knitting together into a dense canopy that filtered the morning light into scattered golden beams. The undergrowth was thick but familiar, the soft crunch of fallen leaves beneath his boots the only sound accompanying his steady pace.

He had taken this route before, though not often. The merchant paths were unpredictable—some overgrown from disuse, others carved deeper into the land by the constant tread of travelers and traders. He followed one of the less traveled trails, knowing it would offer both solitude and efficiency.

His thoughts drifted as he walked. The mission, its missing details, the noble family that had sent out the request. It was a standard job on the surface—reach Velthoria, establish contact, and go from there. But the lack of specifics was deliberate. Even if the family had no intention of deceiving him outright, they were undoubtedly withholding something. That wasn’t unusual. Kael wasn’t the type to pry into a client’s secrets—so long as they didn’t interfere with his work.

The further he moved from the cabin, the quieter the world around him became. The songs of birds faded, and the gentle rustling of the leaves gave way to an eerie stillness. It wasn’t unnatural—this deep into the wilds, there were stretches of land where few animals dared linger. But it was worth noting.

Kael adjusted his grip on his cane.

A few hours passed in silence. The trees gradually began to thin, revealing the remnants of something old—a structure, long since forgotten. Moss-covered stone jutted out from the earth, the remains of a wall or foundation, its purpose lost to time.

Kael paused, studying the ruins with a passing glance. This land was littered with remnants of the past, fragments of civilizations long buried beneath nature’s slow reclamation. He had no reason to stop here. And yet—

His eyes fell on something unusual. A series of deep grooves, claw marks raked across the stone, almost too precise for a beast, old but unmistakable. He stepped closer, running his fingers along the weathered surface. The edges had been softened by time, but whatever had made them had done so with immense force.

A beast had passed through here once. Not recently, but not long enough for Kael’s liking.

He straightened, his gaze flickering to the trees ahead. The path continued eastward, winding into a thicker stretch of forest where the shadows ran deeper. There was no sign of immediate danger, but experience had taught him to be cautious.

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‘Typical… I guess I'll make camp here for the night.’

Kael frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on the deep claw marks gouged into the stone. He couldn’t be sure what kind of creature had left them, but they were fresh enough to put him on edge. Too fresh for comfort.

Even so, he decided to set up camp here. He hadn't traveled as far as he would have liked, but the abandoned stone structure offered solid protection against the elements—an opportunity too good to pass up. Besides, he needed to hunt.

Bringing food would have only weighed him down, and in the humid forest, most provisions wouldn’t last long anyway. The journey ahead would be long, and if he wanted to move efficiently, he would have to rely on whatever the land could provide.

“alright, time to hunt then, while the sun is still up.”

Kael stepped off the path and into the dense forest, his movements steady and deliberate. As he walked, he mentally sifted through the various creatures that inhabited these woods. Ever since he had learned to read, he had devoured every book he could get his hands on. Knowledge was a weapon, and he understood well that a cunning mind was far more dangerous than any beast. Naturally, this included studying his surroundings in depth.

Before long, he came across a beck, its clear waters flowing smoothly over moss-covered stones. The soft murmur of the current added a calming undercurrent to the otherwise quiet forest. Small pink flowers lined the banks, their delicate petals swaying gently in the breeze—one of the preferred foods of the creature he was hunting.

A boar-like beast.

Territorial by nature, they would charge at the slightest provocation, making them both a risk and an opportunity. If he was lucky, one would already be nearby, drawn by the flowers.

Kael followed the beck upstream, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. The rich green moss clinging to the stones, the subtle shifts in the undergrowth—everything here felt untouched, purely wild.

For now.

After traveling upstream for about fifteen minutes, Kael caught the sound of low, guttural grunts. His gaze lifted toward the source.

"Found you."

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

Ahead, standing among the undergrowth, was a wild beast. It was roughly half Kael’s height, its muscular frame covered in coarse, bristled fur. Three horns jutted from its skull—two curving upward from its lower jaw, while the third speared forward from its forehead, built for piercing.

The creature was busy, tearing up the pink flowers with its hooves, digging for roots to consume. It hadn’t noticed him yet, too engrossed in its meal to sense the silent predator standing barely thirty meters away.

Kael observed the beast for a few minutes, ensuring it had no companions lurking nearby. Once satisfied, he began to move.

He had closed half the distance before the creature finally took notice. Its reaction was immediate—hostile. Clawed hooves scraped against the earth, kicking up dirt as it huffed out ragged, menacing breaths.

Kael remained still, already knowing how this would play out. And sure enough, the beast lowered its head, muscles tensing before it lunged forward, horns angled to impale.

With effortless calm, Kael raised his left hand, his stance unwavering.

The beast charged at a terrifying speed, yet Kael did not flinch. A smirk played at his lips.

When the boar was only an arm’s length away, Kael’s left palm began to glow with a faint yellow light. In an instant, a luminous rod began to emerge, growing outward from his hand with terrifying speed, meeting the beast just as it lunged. It didn’t stop upon contact—extending further as it drove through flesh, parting muscle and bone with ease. The rod met no resistance as it punctured the creature’s skull, sliding cleanly through before emerging from its abdomen. The boar’s momentum carried it forward for a fraction of a second before its body stiffened, its hooves skidding against the dirt. By the time the rod reached its full length, the beast hung limp, its charge brought to a brutal halt. Then, with a dull thud, it collapsed, lifeless.

Kael exhaled softly, his grip firm around the now fully-formed weapon.

It was Kael’s soul-bound mote that had claimed yet another life. He held the rod for a moment, studying its familiar glow before dismissing it. Just as swiftly as it had appeared, it dissolved into golden sparks, vanishing without a trace.

Kael knew he could summon the rod in its entirety, wielding it as a proper weapon if he wished—but he had never been fond of its combat style. He found the reach unwieldy, the weightless form unfamiliar in his grip. Through experimentation, however, he had discovered something far more suited to his fighting style.

Instead of materializing the entire rod at once, he could summon it in segments, extending it from his palm at incredible speed—like a blade emerging from beneath his skin. In a mere instant, it would lengthen from nothing to its full reach, piercing through flesh and bone with ease. It remained firmly in his grasp, appearing only as much as needed before dissolving into golden embers.

Kael knelt beside the boar, resting one arm on his knee.

"Now for the ugly part, I guess..." he muttered.

Reaching for his knife, he drove it into the beast and began the process of skinning and butchering it. Most hunters relied on selling every usable part—hide, tusks, bones—to make a living in the city, but Kael had no such concerns. He only needed the meat.

His hands moved with precision, each cut swift and efficient. He had done this countless times before, and it showed in the ease with which he worked. Once he had gathered enough, he rose, wiped his blade clean, and made his way back to the abandoned building to start a fire.

Kael gathered branches and scattered wood from around the building, stacking them into a neat pile. He reached inside the ruin, pulling out a handful of dry moss, and nestled it at the center before striking a match. The tiny flame flickered to life, catching the moss with ease.

As the fire grew, he sat back against one of the cold stone walls, watching the flames dance while he waited for them to die down, leaving behind the perfect bed of hot embers for cooking. Absentmindedly, he pulled out his knife, turning it over in his hand, the blade glinting in the firelight as he idly toyed with it.

"The knife is definitely made for piercing,"

he murmured, studying it closely.

While skinning the boar, he'd paid attention to how the blade handled. It pierced flesh effortlessly, sinking in with no resistance—but when it came to skinning, the process had felt slightly more cumbersome. Not impossible, just not ideal. Still, the results were good enough. He had no complaints.

Once the fire had burned down, leaving behind only glowing embers, Kael placed the meat—skewered on wooden sticks—over the heat. It took some effort to balance them, as the rock floor offered no give. He arranged a few stones to prop up the sticks, adjusting them until they held steady.

Finally satisfied, he reached into his inner pocket—only for his expression to darken.

"Shit." He gritted his teeth before exhaling a long sigh.

With nothing else to do, he slumped back against the stone wall, arms resting over his knees, and resigned himself to waiting for the meat to cook.

After a while, Kael picked up a piece of the cooked meat and took a bite, chewing slowly. His expression turned slightly ugly as he ate the unseasoned meat.