Weeks trickled by in the Arcadia Children's Home, settling into a rhythm dictated by ringing bells, communal meals, and assigned chores. The initial awkwardness between Kaelen and me had solidified into an uneasy truce, a functional coexistence born more of mutual pragmatism than any budding friendship. We shared the cramped room with minimal conversation, operating within our clearly defined territories. He was meticulously neat, his few possessions arranged with an almost obsessive order in his wooden chest. I was… less so, my small pack serving as my primary storage. Chores were completed with surprising efficiency when we were paired – his precise control over earth complementing my Ki-enhanced speed and strength in tasks like mending fences or reinforcing the training grounds' worn structures. In the courtyard during the precious evening hours, we maintained our separate training regimens at opposite ends of the packed earth, aware of the other's presence, the subtle thrum of mana or Ki a constant undercurrent, but never interfering, never commenting. A silent respect, perhaps, for dedication, if not for the path itself. The dark metal tablet, wrapped carefully in cloth, remained hidden at the bottom of Kaelen’s chest, an unsolved puzzle, a source of quiet, persistent tension beneath the surface of our daily routine.

  My own routine involved not just physical conditioning and Ki core refinement, but observation. Specifically, observation of Runa Nebel. After our brief, tense exchange by the wall, she avoided me with pointed determination. If our paths crossed in the hallways or the dining hall, her crimson eyes would flick away instantly, her posture stiffening, radiating a 'stay away' field stronger than any magical barrier. Yet, I couldn't dismiss her. Her reaction to the symbol, the sheer, raw terror I’d glimpsed beneath her iron control, combined with the impossible ocean of mana churning within her small frame – a tempest of what felt like fire and shadows – she was inextricably linked to the mystery of the tablet.

  During the evening training sessions, while Kaelen focused on his earth manipulation – shaping stones, levitating compacted dirt with intense concentration – I would often watch Runa from the corner of my eye. She favored a secluded spot near the overgrown rose bushes. She didn't use a sword as I'd initially thought some Silberstrom natives might; instead, her focus was entirely on her mana. Sometimes she'd sit in quiet meditation, the air around her subtly warping with heat or deepening with shadows. Other times, she’d practice with a simple, unadorned wooden staff, its top crowned with a dull red gem that seemed to pulse faintly in her grip. Small, controlled bursts of flame would erupt from the gem, or tendrils of shadow would dance around the staff's tip, her movements precise but laced with a hesitant caution, as if she were handling volatile explosives. She trained with a desperate intensity, her face a mask of concentration that barely contained the storm of magical energy raging within. Kaelen, I noticed, paid her little attention unless her magical practice created a noticeable disturbance, then he would simply shift, maintaining his distance, ignoring her as completely as she ignored everyone else.

  Are we going to do something about that evil symbol, Niko, or just spend our evenings staring meaningfully at the traumatized girl while she coaxes sparks from her little stick? Alina’s voice, sharp with impatience, echoed in my mind one twilight evening as I went through my own katas. The suspense is frankly underwhelming. At this rate, the conspiracy will die of old age before you uncover it. Maybe you should just ‘accidentally’ drop the tablet near her again? See if she faints this time? Much more efficient.

  Patience, Alina, I sent back, focusing on my breathing, circulating Ki through the core, feeling for those rough edges. She's built walls thicker than Kaelen could conjure. Pushing too hard will only make her retreat further. We need an opening.

  An opening? Or an excuse? she retorted snidely, though she offered no further suggestions, retreating into whatever feline corner of my mind she occupied when bored.

  The opening came three nights later, long after the curfew bell had rung and the last sounds of the orphanage had faded into the encompassing quiet of the Arcadian night. The city outside murmured, a distant hum beneath the chorus of crickets chirping in the courtyard. Kaelen slept soundly on his cot across the room, his breathing deep and even, his usual rigid posture relaxed in slumber. I, however, was restless. Sleep came less easily these days, my mind occupied with the mysteries of this world, the Ki core humming beneath my ribs, and the unsettling presence of the hidden tablet.

  I sat on the edge of my cot, circulating Ki, practicing the fine control needed for smoothing the core, when a flicker disturbed my passive Ki sense. Not inside the room, but outside. Near the western boundary wall – the same section Kaelen and I had repaired.

  Instincts snapped me to high alert. I held my breath, extending my Ki sense further, filtering out the background noise, focusing. There it was again. A stealthy presence, moving low along the outside of the wall, their own Ki signature deliberately suppressed, masked – but not perfectly. Someone skilled, trying not to be detected. But Ki sense didn’t rely on sound or sight; it felt the life force itself.

  Trouble knocking? Or just a late-night delivery? Alina’s voice was instantly alert in my mind, devoid of its usual sarcasm.

  I slipped silently off the cot, the floorboards cool beneath my bare feet. Kaelen didn’t stir. Moving to the grimy window, I peered cautiously into the moonlit darkness below. The courtyard was empty, bathed in silver light and deep shadows. The presence was just beyond the wall, near the section where we’d found the tablet.

  Then, I felt it – a subtle manipulation of energy near the wall itself. Not Kaelen's solid Earth mana, not my Ki. Something else. A faint, almost greasy feeling signature trying to probe the stones, specifically near the spot where the cornerstone had been disturbed. They're looking for the tablet.

  Simultaneously, Kaelen sat bolt upright on his cot, his flint eyes wide, instantly awake and alert. His head cocked, listening not with his ears, but with his connection to the earth. "Someone's there," he breathed, his voice a low whisper. "Tampering with the foundation." His Earth sense had picked up the vibrations, the subtle disturbance in the stone and soil.

  Before I could respond, a surge of potent, agitated mana flared into my awareness from a nearby room – Runa. It wasn’t a Ki signature, but the sheer intensity of the mana was enough to cause a ripple in the ambient Ki that my senses picked up. She sensed it too, through her own magical means.

  Showtime, Niko, Alina urged, a thrill of anticipation in her mental voice.

  We moved as one, Kaelen and I, driven by different senses but the same protective instinct. We burst out of the room, down the darkened hallway, and took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the startled sleepy protests from other rooms. We reached the courtyard door just as a section of the repaired wall near the alleyway imploded inwards, not from force, but as if the mortar holding it simply ceased to exist, dissolving into dust.

  Through the newly formed gap, a figure scrambled, cloaked and masked in black, moving with surprising speed. In the dim moonlight, I saw it – etched onto the back of their glove, the same jagged, unsettling symbol from the tablet.

  Kaelen reacted instantly. He slammed his palm onto the courtyard earth. "Earthen Bind!" Thick tendrils of compacted soil erupted from the ground, snaking towards the intruder, aiming to entrap their legs.

  Simultaneously, I pushed Ki into my legs, blurring forward, aiming to intercept before the intruder could react further or cause more damage.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  But we weren't the only ones reacting. From a second-story window directly above the breach, another figure moved. Runa. She didn't hesitate. With a choked cry that was equal parts fury and terror, she launched herself from the window ledge, her wooden staff already in hand, its red gem flaring with an angry, pulsating light. Her descent wasn't a clumsy fall; shadowy tendrils of dark magic erupted from beneath her, grasping at the air and the wall, guiding her descent like grasping limbs before coiling to cushion her landing lightly between us and the intruder. Her crimson eyes blazed with an intensity that dwarfed the dim moonlight.

  "It's them!" she screamed, her voice raw, cracking with emotion I'd never heard from her before, staff already aimed. "The Rune Breakers!"

  Before the intruder could fully react to Kaelen’s earth tendrils and my melee attack, Runa thrust her staff forward. The red gem at its tip blazed, and a crackling fireball, small but intensely hot, shot towards the cloaked figure.

  The intruder, startled, reacted with surprising speed, leaping out of the way of Kaelen and I’s attacks. They thrust a hand out, and a shimmering vortex of wind, a miniature cyclone of air magic, spun into existence, deflecting the fireball. The flames splashed harmlessly against the swirling air, which dissipated a moment later, though the faint scent of ozone and burnt air now mingled with the dust.

  Having now faced Kaelen's earth magic, my own Ki-powered approach, and Runa's offensive fire magic, while also revealing their own capability with air magic, the intruder seemed to make a swift decision. Instead of continuing the fight against three opponents, they tossed a small, dark object towards the main orphanage building, then spun and scrambled back through the hole in the wall, disappearing into the darkness of the alleyway with practiced speed.

  "The orb!" Runa shrieked, pointing with her staff, the red gem still glowing, though dimmer now.

  Kaelen, without needing further explanation, stomped his foot. "Wall!" A thick barrier of solid earth erupted instantly, intercepting the small, dark orb just before it hit the main building. The orb struck the barrier with a dull thud, then pulsed with a sickly green light, emitting a low, dissonant hum that made my teeth ache and my Ki core recoil instinctively. A wave of nausea washed over the courtyard. Minor curse? Localized energy drain? Whatever it was, it felt malevolent.

  The immediate danger passed. The green pulse faded, leaving only the humming silence and the hole in the wall. Kaelen let the earth barrier recede slowly back into the ground. Several lights had flicked on in the orphanage windows, and worried voices, including Mistress Vivian's sharp commands, were approaching.

  In the pocket of chaotic aftermath, before the adults arrived, I turned to Runa. She was trembling, her staff still held, its red gem pulsing faintly, her crimson eyes wide with residual terror, fixed on the spot where the intruder had vanished. Her carefully constructed walls had shattered.

  "Runa!" I kept my voice low but urgent, stepping closer. Kaelen moved up beside me, his solid presence adding weight to my words. "You shouted their name! 'Rune Breakers'! You know that symbol. You know who they are." I met her wide, terrified eyes. "This isn't just history, is it? They're here. In Arcadia. Targeting this place, or maybe… you." I didn't accuse, just stated the facts, letting the immediate danger sink in. "You have to tell us what you know. Now."

  Her composure, already cracked, shattered completely. Her staff’s light died down, though she clutched it tightly. Tears welled in her crimson eyes, but she fought them back fiercely, her small body shaking with a mixture of fear and long-suppressed rage. "They…" she choked out, her voice fractured. "They… break things." Her gaze darted towards the hole in the wall, then back to me, filled with a desperate warning. "Old seals… old laws… people… they break everything."

  She took a ragged breath, struggling for control. "They use… forbidden magic. Mixed with… something else." Her eyes flickered towards my hands, perhaps sensing the alien nature of my Ki, a different kind of power than the corrupted magic she seemed to associate with the Rune Breakers, now further contrasted by the air magic the intruder had used. "My parents…" Her voice broke, raw agony colouring the word. "They opposed them. In Silberstrom. Spoke out against… against their methods." She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "Speaking against the Rune Breakers… even knowing their symbol… it gets you killed. Or worse." Her eyes held a haunted look that spoke of horrors I couldn't imagine. "They believe power lies in shattering limits… no matter the cost."

  She clamped her mouth shut then, her confession seemingly ripped from her against her will. The fragmented pieces painted a chilling picture: a dangerous, ruthless group, originating from or active in Silberstrom, users of forbidden and varied elemental magic, responsible for the death of her parents. The Rune Breakers.

  Understanding dawned, cold and heavy. I felt a surge of empathy for the terrified girl standing before me, her carefully constructed world breached by the ghosts of her past. But dread coiled alongside it – this wasn't just some ancient mystery; it was an active, dangerous threat. Kaelen processed the information with his usual stoicism, but his eyes narrowed, categorizing the new enemy: Terrorist group. Silberstrom origin. Uses magic, including air. Targets seals/limits. Dangerous. He glanced at Runa, his assessment shifting – no longer just a quiet orphan, but a survivor, a potential source of information, and possibly, a liability.

  Rune Breakers… Ah yes, them, Alina's voice was grim in my mind, lacking its usual flippancy. Ambitious little anarchists playing with forces far beyond their grasp, and apparently dabbling in more than one element. Nasty piece of work. Though Konig’s crackdown in Silberstrom finished them years ago. Seems not. Or maybe this is a new branch. A pause. This just got significantly more explosive, Niko. Significantly more fun!

  "I've said enough," Runa whispered, her voice trembling but regaining a sliver of its usual defensive hostility. She clutched her staff, refusing to meet my eyes. "Be careful." She turned and fled, disappearing into the shadows of the main building, leaving Kaelen and me standing in the moonlit courtyard amidst the aftermath of the intrusion.

  Just then, Mistress Vivian arrived, flanked by two sleepy-looking older boys carrying lanterns. Her sharp eyes took in the hole in the wall, the lingering scent of ozone and burnt air from the cursed orb and deflected fireball, Kaelen's defensive stance, and my own tense posture. "What happened here?" she demanded, her voice sharp with authority.

  Kaelen gave a concise, factual report. "Intruder. Breached the west wall. Threw an object – minor curse effect, contained. Intruder was magically capable, repelled by combined effort, and fled towards the alley." He omitted any mention of the symbol, Runa's specific reaction beyond defending the orphanage, or the name she'd revealed. A silent agreement passed between us – this knowledge was too dangerous for the orphanage authorities.

  Mistress Vivian's lips thinned. She ordered the older boys to secure the breach and alert the city guard – a formality, we both knew. The guards would arrive late, take cursory notes, and file a report that would likely gather dust. We were on our own.

  Later, back in the oppressive silence of our shared room, the weight of Runa's revelation settled heavily. Rune Breakers. A tangible name for the darkness lurking beneath the surface. A ruthless group from Silberstrom, tied to forbidden power, with magic-using operatives, active here in Arcadia, and somehow connected to the quiet, terrified girl who slept just down the hall.

  "Silberstrom terrorist group," Kaelen stated, summarizing his pragmatic assessment as he checked the hinges on his chest, ensuring his few belongings were secure. "Targeting seals or ancient power. Employs magic users. Runa Nebel is compromised by association or knowledge. A risk."

  "She's also the only one who knows anything," I countered, pacing the small space. "She's terrified, Kaelen. They killed her parents." Empathy warred with the cold calculation needed to survive. "We need to understand why they're here. What are they after?"

  Kaelen just shrugged, his focus practical. "Information requires resources we lack. Archives are restricted. Temples offer warnings, not answers. The girl is too afraid to speak further."

  He was right. We were orphans, armed with dangerous knowledge but few means to act upon it. We needed help. Real help. Someone with access, with influence, with the knowledge to navigate the dark undercurrents of this kingdom's history and the dangers bleeding over from Silberstrom. Someone who understood power, both magical and political. The need was no longer theoretical; it was urgent, pressing.

  So, the easy way failed. Shocking! Alina’s voice was dry. Looks like you'll have to get creative, Niko. Or maybe… just wait for trouble to find you again. It seems to have your forwarding address delivered directly to this charming orphanage.

  I ignored her, my mind racing. Rune Breakers. What were they breaking? What seals? And how was Runa connected? The mystery had deepened, the stakes raised exponentially. Our quiet investigation had just become infinitely more dangerous.