The words still echo in my mind.

  "To the Son!"

  I don’t fully understand what Orin meant, but there’s no time to dwell on it.

  I stand rigid, my fists clenched as I face him. The room feels smaller, suffocating under the weight of everything unsaid.

  “Orin,” I begin. “What I want to know is, is it possible to save Stella? And how exactly can we accomplish that?”

  He watches me, his gaze steady. A heavy silence stretches between us, making me anxious.

  “You certainly have the resolve, Heliar. But…” he pauses.

  He closes his eyes and breaths heavily, as if focusing on something.

  “But what if I tell you that Stella doesn’t need saving?”

  The words don’t register at first. I blink, my body still locked in tension. “What do you mean?”

  Something in his tone—too calm, too certain—makes my frustration churn hotter. "Don’t mess around with me. She was taken. I saw it happen—"

  "You saw what you were meant to see," Orin cuts in. "But sometimes, fate moves in ways we don’t expect.”

  Before I can question further, I hear it. The soft creak of a door opening.

  The air shifts.

  This feeling. Really? No, it can’t be…

  The living room door opens. I turn sharply.

  And she’s there.

  Stella stands just beyond the threshold, breathless, her eyes darting between me and Orin. She’s bruised, but not injured. And behind her, stepping into the dim light, are Aric, Elara, Kate and the others.

  My chest tightens. “Stella…?”

  “Heliar!” she exclaims as she rushes forward and embraces me.

  Her arms wrap around me, tight, like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go. For a moment, everything else fades—the questions, the confusion, even Orin’s cryptic words. She is here. And she is real.

  I hesitate only for a second before I return the embrace, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine. It’s fast. Unsteady.

  “You… I thought—” My voice catches, and I shake my head. “How? Just how?”

  She glances at Orin, and he nods in return. She takes out a golden ring from her pocket. It glows in the dim light.

  Putting it on her left thumb, she exhales before speaking,” You know about my bloodline, yes? Due to the unique nature of our powers, we’ve been a constant target of evil forces since ancient times. As a countermeasure, my ancestors developed a unique artifact, one whose powers protect us from being mentally corrupted and also provide aid in escaping.

  “It was when the Voidscion presented Elara to you as a bait, when he left his realm along with her. The moment he left, a rift opened in that space. The ring reacted to it, and so I was able to escape.”

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  I stare at the ring, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat. The weight of her words settles over me.

  Her bloodline. A history of being hunted. A desperate, last-resort artifact.

  Stella exhales, slipping the ring off her thumb. The glow fades instantly, leaving it looking like an ordinary piece of jewelry. But I know better now—nothing about this is ordinary.

  "As expected of the Velthorne bloodline," Orin commends, his voice carrying an air of knowing.

  Stella scoffs lightly, shaking her head. “Expected or not, it wasn’t exactly a smooth escape. I barely made it out.”

  “Stella, I’m glad that you’re back. This really sets me at ease.” I say, looking at her.

  She smiles, “Yes, Heliar. And honestly, thank you. Thank you for being prepared to dive head first into all this for my sake. I’m grateful.”

  There’s a moment of silence as we look at each other.

  Dad coughs, breaking the quiet. “Well then. Now that the emotional reunion is out of the way, maybe we should focus on what’s next.”

  I glance at him, then at Orin. He’s watching, expectant.

  “I agree,” Orin says smoothly. “Stella’s return is fortunate, but it does not mean that the danger has passed. If anything, it confirms what I feared—the Voidscion is making his moves, and he won’t stop here.”

  He looks over at Aric, Elara, Kate, Jade, Maya and Rose.

  “Now that you all are already involved in this, I believe that you’re prepared for what’s about to come? Before we proceed, I want to ensure that everyone’s ready.”

  There’s a long pause. Aric looks at me, thinking. The others discuss it amongst themselves. After a moment, they nod their heads in unison.

  “Yes, we are ready,” Elara speaks.

  “Good, very good.” Orin smiles as he straightens his back.

  “The first step is for you all to know about which moon resonates with you. That’s something we will be getting to shortly after we leave. After that is when your training will truly begin. And Heliar…”

  He looks at me, a solemn expression on his face. “Naturally, it will be different for you. I will train you myself.”

  I straighten slightly, feeling the weight of his words. Orin, training me personally? I don’t know if that should make me feel relieved or uneasy.

  Still, there’s no hesitation in my voice when I say, “I understand.”

  He nods, satisfied. “Then it’s settled.

  “Oh, I almost forgot one important thing. A core part of your trainings will be to learn Jevic.”

  “Jevic?” Elara asks.

  “Yes, Jevic. It’s an ancient language, one which is tied to the history of the bloodlines and the Aetherian Blades. Even the Voidscion and his men know it. It’s necessary to know Jevic in order to truly be able to harness the power of the moons. After all, words have power.”

  Elara exhales sharply. “So, on top of everything else, we have to learn an entire ancient language? Great.”

  Orin chuckles. “Indeed. But don’t worry, you won’t be expected to master it overnight. Understanding its foundation, however, will be crucial.”

  Kate crosses her arms. “And… if we don’t?”

  “Then you won’t last long.” Orin’s tone is light, but the meaning behind it is clear.

  I glance at Stella, who remains calm—almost too calm. She must have already known about this.

  I exhale, running a hand through my hair. “Alright. Jevic, moon affinities, training… seems like we have a lot ahead of us.

  “Honestly, I’m still somewhat overwhelmed by all this, but there’s no turning back now. We’re in this, all of us.”

  Orin nods approvingly. “That is the right mindset to have. This is only the beginning, and the challenges ahead will demand everything from you.”

  Aric huffs, shoving his hands into his pockets. “No pressure, huh?”

  Maya grins slightly. “Guess we better start getting used to the impossible.”

  “Good.” Orin straightens. “Then I shall make the preparations.”

  He removes a bracelet from his hand, and takes out a stone from it. He smashes it on the ground. Suddenly, there’s a faint red light in the room. There’s a sound of wings flapping. A figure manifests out of the light, one that sends shivers down my spine.

  There it is again – that bird. That phoenix like bird which I saw a few days ago in front of my home. That bird from my dreams.

  It flies over and perches on top of the table.

  Silence settles over the room.

  I can’t take my eyes off it. The bird folds its glowing wings, its sharp gaze scanning each of us with an eerie sense of knowing. It settles on me, making me nervous.

  Orin steps forward, unbothered by the sudden shift in atmosphere. “This,” he says, “is my messenger.”

  I swallow hard. His messenger?

  The bird tilts its head at me, and for a brief moment, I swear I feel something pressing against my mind. A whisper, a pulse of thought not my own. It vanishes just as quickly, leaving behind a lingering weight in my chest.

  “It’s called a Ruvh’nael,” Orin finishes, his tone carrying a weight that makes the name feel heavier somehow.

  The name echoes in my mind. Ruvh’nael.

  The bird lets out a low, melodic trill, the glow of its feathers shifting subtly, like embers flickering in unseen wind. Its piercing gaze never leaves me.

  The Ruvh’nael speaks, “You have been watched, Sunhallow.”