The girl they brought back from the cave was kept in the building where a few castle workers stayed. They all were in different rooms far from Amyra and were asked not to disturb her unless she needed something.

Kai knew the maids were curious about her due to her rare features and the reason he had kept her safe, but they followed his direct orders.

The room— it wasn’t anything luxurious, but was spacious and had enough walls to protect her privacy. A small bed, a lamp, a few books and clothes were brought to her on the first day.

Kai sat next to her in the small space over the bed where she had her arms extended towards him. Her back was hunched in an uncomfortable position, but she obeyed how Kai wanted her to stay.

She stayed motionless, her brows furrowed in pain. Kai was using a [Heal] spell on her skin, making the marks disappear. It wasn’t just the surface, Kai was healing the fractured bones the woman had on her.

“Can you turn around?” Kai questioned.

Amyra simply withdrew her hand and turned around.

Kai could see the marks that spread from her neck that seemed to go below.

He placed his hand, hovering over her neck and started casting [Heal] spell again and again.

The mana started flowing out of him, powering up the spell structure instantly. He opened his eyes and continued to look at the injury that immediately started to disappear.

Since the injuries weren’t from corruption, it was just an easy display of magic. Claire had taken a look at them before and told Kai to get a Cleric to use herbal medicines, but he had plans to know more about her.

The problem with it is that she wouldn’t speak— not about herself, or where she’s from.

Kai glanced at her skin. His eyes went down from her neck before stopping as the glimpse of a blackened wrist caught his attention.

“Okay, it’s done. Can I see your wrist?” He asked.

The woman jumped back as Kai spoke, startled and hid her wrist.

She soon gathered herself and turned around, giving her hand to him.

Kai’s fingers wrapped around her wrist to see if there was any serious injury there. These were welts— angry red gashes that spoke of a harsh beating.

When he tried to turn her wrist over, she flinched slightly.

“I’m sorry… I will be more careful,” he said.

She looked at Kai with fear reflecting in her golden eyes. Kai looked at the wrist and started to push mana to heal her hand.

As his hands hovered over hers, he kept his eyes on her behaviour. He felt at ease seeing how she wasn’t struggling, unlike the first time when he tried to heal her.

Her eyes were just filled with a deep-seated fear of the magic he pulsated.

"Don't worry," he murmured, his voice a low rumble meant to soothe. It felt strange as he wasn't used to it, but he was getting better. "This will help with the pain."

His eyes went back to the wrists. A small glow emanated from his hands as he pushed in his mana.

Amyra sucked in a sharp breath.

Kai looked up to see her gaze flickering away from their hands and towards the wall where their shadows were plastered.

As the magic continued to work, Kai couldn’t help but try to make a small conversation with her. “Where are you from, Amyra?” he asked gently. “Is there someone who can help take you back home?”

Her golden eyes darted towards him, then back to the shadows. Her lips remained sealed and he knew that she had no intention of answering him.

Kai tried again. This time, he tried with a softer approach. “Do you have a home? Family?” he asked, looking at her with worried eyes.

Nothing. Just the faintest tremor in her shoulders.

She seemed uncomfortable with the questions.

Kai sighed as he worked on the last tendril of the healing spell. He finished it and withdrew his hand once he was satisfied.

“That’d be it for today. Your wrists should feel better now,” Kai said and stood up.

He saw how she tried to twist and turn her wrists. He turned around and started walking towards the door.

As he took a few steps, a faint murmur broke the silence.

“Thank you,” Amyra voiced out in a whisper.

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Kai looked back for a brief moment and nodded at her, knowing that was all he’d get out of her for the time being.

***

The noon arrived sooner as Kai spent the morning healing Amyra. His usual routine was messed up as the priorities for the day changed.

He had already finished making the Heat stones batch for the week and was free from that work. Other work was handled by Francis and the man wanted Kai to rest since he had just come back from the expedition.

That's why, he headed to the library as soon as he walked out of Amyra's room.

Sitting there, his eyes were plastered on the book in his hand. His frown deepened as the musky scent of old pages filled his nostrils.

How come…

Kai’s hold tightened around the book.

It was a book of records related to the kingdom in the last few decades. It contained every major detail and events that had happened, and who had been significant during the time period.

For the past hour, he has been reading and trying to grasp the situation in his hand.

“Lord Arzan, this is what you asked,” Claire walked towards him with four books in her hand.

Yet again, they were all records he had requested, containing history from all over the world. They were all just to confirm his thoughts and what he had found so far.

“Thanks,” he took them from her and started shuffling through the pages, trying to find something— something!

His finger traced through the lines, reading everything that was written on the aged papers.

“What are you looking for, Lord Arzan? Anything else that I can help with?” Claire’s voice came in a whisper.

“No, this much should be enough,” he said, waving his hand.

Kai ran a hand over the worn spine of a leather-bound tome, its title obscured by swirling gold lettering.

Across the table, Claire meticulously traced a diagram with the tip of her finger, her brow furrowed in concentration.

As Kai didn’t need her assistance, she seemed to be doing her own thing in the library as usual.

Silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the rhythmic creak of floorboards and the howling wind outside the window.

Kai’s eyes traced after his fingers which went over names written on a list.

All these… They’re Mages.

Finally, Kai slammed the book shut with a sigh. He combed his hair in frustration as he looked at Claire.

She immediately stood straight.

"What is it, Lord Arzan?" Claire asked again, her gaze flickering up and looking towards the book he had been reading.

Kai tossed the book onto the table with a clatter. "This," he said, gesturing vaguely. The name of the book was “Men Who Changed History.”

“Everything is wrong with it.”

Kai clenched his fingers, a frown creasing his brow. He picked up a slimmer book, its cover adorned with a faded symbol that vaguely resembled a stylized eye. "I was looking into the most influential people of the past fifty years," he explained, flipping through the pages. “I noticed something strange in them."

"Strange how?" Claire leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.

“Most of them," Kai said, his voice low, “Most of them who shaped the world in the last half-century... they were all Mages."

Claire blinked. “Lord Arzan, isn't that common?” She asked as if she didn’t know anything better.

Kai shook his head, his frustration mounting. "Not necessarily. Mages are rare and powerful and they often dictate the world, but they are not the only ones. There's much more than just Mages in the world who could wield power."

In the book, there were nobles, kings, and researchers, but if they were Mages, they were referred to as one. Also, the list disregarded a lot of other people who could wield power.

It was human-centric and Kai had expected it, but it seemed like either Mages were too influential or the books he was reading were the wrong ones.

Kai thought for a moment. “Do you know any knights or warriors who could stand up to Mages?"

Claire's brow furrowed in thought. Her fingers, which had been tracing the diagram, stilled completely.

A long moment of silence stretched between them, only broken by the sound of a rat running through the floorboards in the back of the library.

Finally, she let out a frustrated puff of air.

"No," she said, shaking her head decisively. "Not that I'm aware of. From what I've always known, Mages are on a whole other level. Even the weakest ones could wipe out entire villages. Knights are well respected and they are known as protectors, but I have never heard of a knight defeating a Mage. It's like comparing a flickering candle to the midday sun. Mages are considered gifts from the gods, after all. Common humans just aren't built to withstand that kind of raw power."

Kai listened intently, his expression a mask of barely contained frustration. When she finished, he didn't speak for a beat, then let out a slow, deliberate exhale.

"Right," he finally conceded, nodding curtly. But then, something unexpected came out of his mouth. "And wrong," he added, the single word laced with a quiet determination.

Claire's eyes widened in surprise. "Right and wrong?" she echoed, a note of disbelief colouring her voice. "How can that be?"

A slow smile crept across Kai's face. He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him.

"Let's just say," he began, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Every dominant force eventually faces competition. It might not be something anyone's aware of yet, but…" He trailed off, his gaze flickering towards the towering stacks of books lining the library walls.

Claire leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "But what?" she pressed, unable to contain her eagerness.

Kai tapped his temple as a thoughtful expression masked it. He didn't answer her question directly.

He didn’t want to let Claire know everything because she wouldn’t be able to understand what he meant. He knew something she didn’t, but he would need more evidence before he could work on it.

Without another word, he rose abruptly from his chair. With newfound purpose, he began gathering a handful of books from the overflowing pile on the table.

"I'll figure it out first," he declared, his voice firm with conviction. “After that, I will show you what I mean.”

With that, Kai turned and strode out of the library, leaving Claire staring after him in confusion.

He was about to go to his room and start searching for what he wanted all over again.

As he closed the door after him, he tightened his grip on the books.

I hope I find what I want.