My time of departure had come. I stood at the door as I bid my parents farewell.

My mother hugged me tightly, “Be safe, Fal, go straight to the capital, no detours.”

“Yes mom I understand,” I said, returning her embrace.

She began to pet Rye for the last time, “You be safe too, little buddy.”

Ryer flopped on his belly once more and I let him indulge in a belly rub for a while because I sure as hell wasn't doing that on occasion.

My father ruffled my hair. "Your mother and I will probably be back in the capital soon. Zeph has offered us his manor, but we're still considering it."

"Well, if you guys do decide to, don't forget to let me know."

"We will," my mother answered for him.

I gave one last goodbye wave and headed out the door, with Rye following right behind me.

"I hope they come to the capital," Rye said.

"I do too, but we still won't get to see them as much because you and I will be at the academy."

"Do you think the academy will be fun?" Rye asked.

"I have no idea. It might be a pain in the ass, so I wouldn't get your hopes up."

He sighed. "Well, at least we get to see Lina."

I laughed as I thought back to the memories of her and Rye goofing around in the castle. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you as well."

flourish divider line swirl border decoration calligraphy [https://svgsilh.com/svg/31609-9e9e9e.svg]

SELINA STELLAR’S P.O.V

The summit announcement had been the talk of the school. I couldn't go anywhere without hearing bits of gossip here and there. It was a bizarre way to end off my first year, to say the least, but I was glad it was over.

Studying all day and cramming for exams was the worst. Most of the year, I was buried in my dorm like a bear in hibernation, just so I could pass the next test.

I took a warm and crisp croissant from the academy's local bakery. If it wasn't for their delicious treats, I no doubt would've dropped out long ago.

The warm sun hit my face as I sat on the courtyard bench and looked out onto the field of students talking and playing around. Everyone's spirits were up since the year was over, and we were all ready for a break.

"Mind if I join you, Princess Selina?" A soft voice asked from my side.

Looking up, I was surprised to see who it was. "No, of course not." I quickly scooted over. "Please, sit."

Her beautiful dark hair flowed in the wind as she sat down. She looked at me with her green eyes, eyes that I always found so stunning, like a calm forest. Eyes that also reminded me of him.

"This year really went by quickly, didn't it? I remember showing you around the school like it was yesterday," she said as she gazed at the field of cheerful students along with me.

"To me, it felt like a lifetime," I said, sounding almost exhausted.

She chuckled. "Well, maybe I'm just getting older. Anyhow, have you thought over my offer?"

At her question, I felt butterflies enter my stomach. "I have."

"So? What do you say?"

I turned to face her. "I agree, but under one condition."

"Whatever you ask," she said.

"I don't want to be put in any of his classes, and while I am part of the council, he can't be allowed to join."

She chuckled once more. "You know you can't avoid him forever. You'll be going to the same academy; it's only natural you'll see each other again."

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I grabbed her arm and hugged it. "I know, I am just nervous. It's been so long. I wonder if he'll even recognize me." I could feel my face turn hot at the thought of seeing him.

"I'm sure he will. And on your requests, they will be met, but are you sure?"

"Okay, maybe one class, but make it a good one," I said.

flourish divider line swirl border decoration calligraphy [https://svgsilh.com/svg/31609-9e9e9e.svg]

FALYN ELWAY’S P.O.V

As I approached the manor, the memories flooded back to me. It had felt like ages since my last visit. I knocked on the giant double doors, and Bertley, the butler, greeted me.

“Young master, I wasn't expecting you. Please come in,” he said with a bow.

“Is Zephyrus here?” I asked eagerly.

“Yes, he’s been gazing in the courtyard all day. Just go visit him; I am sure he will be delighted to see you.”

I made my way through the halls and out into the manor’s courtyard, where I saw Zephyrus staring into the water fountain, lost in thought. He noticed my reflection in the water and turned to greet me.

“You made it back alive, brat. Congratulations,” he said, smirking.

“Were you not expecting me to live?” I asked.

“Well, you can't ever expect life or death out of someone; all you can do is guess. But if you’re wondering, I guessed you would live,” he replied, turning to face me. “How was it?”

“It was very…educational to say the least. Aside from the parts where I almost died from mana over-usage and fighting beasts much stronger than me, it was an overall interesting experience,” I said, chuckling.

Zephyrus smiled. “Sounds fun. What were they like? Any interesting ones?”

I pulled out the stone from my spatial ring and tossed it to him. “Yes, one, in particular, stood out, and I felt like you could give me some answers. It was a gol-”

“A guardian golem,” he cut me off, staring at the stone. “I had assumed one would find you. What happened?”

“Hold on. What do you mean you ‘assumed one would find me’?” I asked, confused.

He beckoned me to the stone gazebo and gestured for me to sit down with him. "I will tell you what you want to know, Falyn. But you must tell me what happened when you ran into it."

I sighed. Zeph wasn't the type to ask for no reason. From what I’ve seen over the years, there was always a genuine reason behind his actions. So I told him.

I explained about the fight before encountering the golem, the feeling I had when it was near, and finally, how it collapsed with a single touch of my finger.

He didn’t seem shocked at my story in the slightest. Instead, he looked like he had expected everything he heard. "Huh. So you can use them."

"Use what?" I asked. "Tell me what you know."

He sat back, his eyes narrowed, and he became more serious. He tossed the stone back to me, and I instantly put it back in my spatial ring. "Have you ever heard or learned about the War of Dawn yet?"

Besides what I had heard Hannah mention about it, the name didn’t ring a bell. But actually thinking back, I had heard of the name before. The name came up in a book I read in my childhood. Something about an evil tyrant hell-bent on ruling the world. "I’ve heard the name in a book back when I was a child, but that's all I can remember about it."

"Well, it’s not just some story. It was real. Long ago, there was a war that involved the entire continent. Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, Demies, and Turbanians."

"Turbnians?" I asked, never having heard of this race.

"Yes, I doubt you have heard of them as they no longer exist. You see, the archipelago where we now hold the summit of kings wasn't always an archipelago. It used to be a kingdom, the Kingdom of Turbainia, home of the Turbanian people."

"Well, what happened?"

"You see, the Turbainian people were different from all the other races. The way they used magic was unique. They didn't have to cast spells or surge mana through their bodies because unlike us, Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, and Demies, where our mana core resides in our solar plexus, theirs resided in the mind. This gave them freakish magic abilities, almost like telekinesis. It made their spells much more potent and they only got stronger as they grew. Noticing that his people were stronger than the rest of the races, the king of Turbainia wanted to rule all of the continent under his rule, but the leaders of the other races at the time didn’t like this. And so, as you can probably guess…"

"War started," I finished.

"Precisely. Our records today say the war lasted a few years. Can you imagine? The power of five races against the power of one, and it still lasted so long."

"Yes, it's truly amazing, but Zeph, what does this story have to do with the golem?" I asked, not sure where he was going with this story.

"The golem you encountered guards the warp gates, which were the pathways the Turbanian people used for transportation and attacks. Only Turbainians can use and destroy these golems," Zeph explained. "Each race has unique characteristics, such as pointy ears for Elves, short stature for Dwarves and Gnomes, and humanoid beasts for Demies. Humans fall somewhere in between, but Turbainians are known for their dark black hair and emerald green eyes."

I was surprised by this revelation. Looking at Zeph it was needless to say that those were his, my mother's, and Myla's exact features. Dark black hair and emerald green eyes. "Are you saying that we have Turbainian blood in our veins?"

Zeph nodded. "Yes, we do. Your mother, sister, and you have Turbainian heritage. However, due to our thin lineage, we look like normal humans and blend in easily. Only a few noble families know, and most people believe that the Turbainians have long been exterminated. So, there's nothing to worry about. Just keep this knowledge to yourself and don't tell your mother that I told you."

I nodded in understanding. "I won't say anything."

"She would have preferred for you and your sister to remain unaware, but I felt obligated to disclose this information to you. Your knowledge and intelligence exceed what is expected of your age, and I believed you would have eventually discovered it on your own. Additionally, you were fortunate to inherit your father's hair color."

He stood up and continued, "Shall we head to the castle now? It would be beneficial to train further during this break, especially if you plan to attend the academy. We need you to be in top form for the entrance exams."

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "What kind of training do you have in mind?"