Darkness covered his dimensional corridor as usual and reminded himself about his magical affinity with the void. Despite the coldness in such an abyssal expanse, with it, he could traverse long distances in a short time and easily open a portal towards his destination.

  As he walked out, a familiar pce greeted him—an alleyway devoid of people with only crates and some piles of garbage sitting on the side.

  He pyed with the dimensions for so long that it often led him to pces he least expected. And to end up here of all pces…

  “Might as well seek out Haryan.” He walked forward, his footsteps echoing around. “Or maybe Damien?”

  More than ten years ago, he walked these familiar alleyways with Kani and rescued the werebeasts. Lost in his reminiscence, only then he noticed the rundown infirmary in front of him. It reminded him that he’s an immortal and ten years meant little to nothing for him.

  The chimes announced his entrance and a woman greeted him from behind the counter. A rge hat covered most of her head and subtly hid her elven ears. Her gentle demeanor, on the other hand, reminded him of Damien.

  “Is Damien still here?”

  She visibly froze on her position and looked away. “Master died two years ago and left the infirmary to me.”

  “Died?” he echoed in disbelief.

  “Yes. Someone ransacked our building and he was killed in the process. I was away at that time and—”

  “Right, I didn’t even visit all these years. What right do I have to ask about him?” He abruptly turned around.

  “Wait a minute! How did you know about—”

  “An acquaintance,” he replied and then stopped by the door. He looked over his shoulder and remarked, “High Elves are sought to be brought in svery around these parts. Better yet be careful.”

  “Wait—”

  Karel left in a hurry, seemingly in a bad mood over what he learned.

  Karel scoured Izma for days, trying to look for Haryan instead. His Navigation Magic greatly helped him during scouting missions and yet he found not even a shadow of the said werebeast. As he drank in a tavern one night, he feared Haryan also lost his life. How could he even forget that these parts of Izma proved to be dangerous when one let their guards down.

  I should at least find the twins, he thought and downed the mug.

  Obviously, he would be stuck here for a few more days, or perhaps weeks. He had yet to find the twins since he didn’t know how they look now. They were only a year old when he met them after all.

  Karel held onto his forehead, stressed about whatever the heck he’s trying to do.

  In the end, he resorted to inquiring about the twins. After a week since his arrival, he finally found some clues of their whereabouts.

  Because of the Great Temple of Ena and Stavros’s enmity against each other, Duke Streya purged all remaining illegal activities in Stavros and most of them took refuge in Izma. The isthmus might be the center of commerce even for the years to come, but it didn’t mean it hid the illegal practices behind it.

  Karel wracked his brains again, thinking of another approach when he recalled certain trinkets. Those neckces contained barrier magic enough to repel physical attacks ranging from being beaten up to abusive and repetitive assaults. It could also sense a little bit of ill intentions from individuals. As long as the trinkets were intact, there’s a possibility of the twins’ being alive.

  He settled in a dark alleyway and stomped his foot onto the cobblestone. The navigation magic rippled from his position and let the map hover before him.

  They popped out on the map and his heartbeat paced at the indication of currently being surrounded.

  Karel memorized the way towards their current position and every step resounded heavily with anger. Once he saw the backs of the men cornering the two, his anger fred up more.

  “You should stop that,” he calmly said instead while stepping forward.

  “Mind your own business, man!”

  “But I do have a business with those children.”

  The twins looked at him wide-eyed.

  “Are your instincts…” he heard one of the twins and the other nodded mutely.

  As Karel purposefully argued with the men, the twins ran in opposite directions while nimbly dodging the hands trying to catch them. They ended up behind Karel and clutched onto his cloak.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to engage with that man, boss,” said the other man who’s been observing the situation since Karel arrived.

  The man grumbled, agreeing. He turned to Karel. “Consider yourself lucky, young man.”

  The group left after those words and Karel knelt down to the twins’ level. “Where is your father Haryan?”

  They bowed their heads and responded with silence.

  As he observed them for a little longer, he could make out the faint bruises on their skin and anger rolled in waves underneath his skin. Veins pulsed more, making the twins shriek in response.

  “I’m sorry, I…” He huffed and calmed himself. “Has this been occurring a lot tely?”

  “Yes.”

  Karel won’t be able to save everyone but he could at least save these two children. He drew in another deep breath and asked them quietly, “Where do you live now?”

  “Streets.”

  “Streets,” he echoed bnkly.

  Karel was born with a silver spoon and never knew what it’s like to be living somewhere but nowhere at the same time. He reigned in his aura again and asked them, “Do you want to come with me?”

  “Are you an immortal?” One of them asked in return.

  “I am.”

  “I told ya!” He turned to his sibling with a visible excitement in his actions.

  “Are you coming with me?”

  Two-toned eyes widened. “Can we?”

  “I offered. So, if you want to come, then let’s go now.”

  He carried them towards the infirmary next and the High Elf gasped when he recognized the children.

  “Hariff! Haliff!” She called and immediately went to their position. Karel settled them down and they greeted her cheerfully.

  The elven woman turned to him. “I’ve been looking after them for quite some time now and they usually return here if anything happens. Thank you.”

  “I’d rather they come with me after you patch them up.”

  “But…” She frowned next, eyebrows furrowed. “So, I wasn’t mistaken the moment you set foot here a few days ago. You’re a Ramayan.”

  He raised an eyebrow, smug. “And what if I am?”

  “He said he saved us before too!” Hariff chimed in.

  Surprise painted the woman’s face. “You also know Haryan?”

  “Just as he said, I saved them before and ended up here and also met Damien.”

  “I see. I’ve been here for quite some time now and I haven’t even met you. I’m Mersya, by the way. You are?”

  “Karel.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  After the pleasantries, Mersya motioned the kids to sit on one of the beds to tend to them. Karel also noticed how she grimaced once she saw those bruises littering their bodies.

  After applying some salves and letting them drink water, she turned to Karel. “Maybe it’s really better to let them be with you. I can tell that you can take care of them.”

  “I pn to.” He nodded. “Still, this pce had been bad before but it’s definitely worse now.”

  “The fallout, yes? Not that we can bme Stavros. They’re much more corrupt and worse than the governing body here in Izma before Duke Streya purged them all.”

  “Are you still going to stay here?”

  Mersya sighed. “I had to. The others needed me here.”

  “Can you protect yourself?”

  She snorted. “Yes. But someone against you, I might as well be dead.”

  He only let a small smile slip before turning to the twins.

  Mersya then announced, “Hariff! Haliff! Go with Karel, okay?”

  “Okay, Aunty!”

  Her arms akimbo. “Oh, c’mon! I’m not that old!”

  The twins snickered before tching onto Karel’s cloak. They waved Mersya a goodbye as Karel carried them both in his arms.

  “It’s nice meeting you, Mersya.”

  “The pleasure is mine. Please visit whenever you can!”

  The anger building up in Karel thankfully simmered down as they returned to Mapiya Isnd.

  When they arrived, the twins marveled at the expanse of white sandy beach and the nearly clear blue sea before them.

  Two pairs of two toned eyes turned to Karel excitedly.

  “Where are we?”

  “Somewhere safer than your previous home.”

  “Is this…”

  “It’s an isnd called Mapiya.”

  “Mapiya?”

  “Yes. In elven nguage, it means heaven.”

  Hariff scanned their surroundings and even angled his head upwards to sniff the air. “So, this is heaven?”

  Karel chuckled, amused. “Unfortunately, no.”

  They walked further in towards the town and timely enough, Kani was still making his rounds. Molten amber eyes widened in recognition when he saw the twins. He approached their position and scanned their faces. “You found them? How about Haryan?”

  “You also know our father?”

  “Father died a year ago,” Hariff mournfully answered.

  Kani squatted down and embraced the children. “I’m sorry for your loss, Hariff and Haliff.”

  The two werebeasts wriggled out of his embrace and sternly looked at him.

  “How did you know us?”

  “Why do you know our names?”

  Kani chuckled at their curiosity. “You see, when you were a year old, we met your father. Karel even gave you neckces to protect you from harm.”

  The twins instantaneously pulled out their neckces from beneath their clothes and examined it. They turned to Karel who looked at them fondly. “You nearly died with your father if it weren’t for me.”

  “How can you phrase it like that,” Kani replied instead and stood up. He patted the twins’ heads and smiled at them. “Stay with us, alright?”

  “Would there be a lot of food?”

  “Yes.”

  “Toys?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Fancy clothes?”

  “Definitely!”

  “Soft bed and bnkets?”

  Karel frowned deeper but Kani still answered cheerfully, “Of course.”

  “No bad guys?” Haliff finally sobbed. With the younger sobbing after his question, the older twin also sobbed his heart out.

  Kani knelt down again and embraced them, soothing their backs. “No bad guys. Karel will shoo them away for you. Now, do you want to eat?”

  “Yes, please.”

  The brunet cooed at them while wiping their tears away. He teased them because of how cute their beastly appearance was.

  Kani also knew about the werebeasts’ conditions. Once in emotional distress, their beast-like features like furry ears and tails could appear instinctively.

  “Is it ugly?” Haliff asked while trying to hide his ears in his small hands.

  Chuckling, he patted their heads. “Of course not. If it makes you comfortable to let them out, do it, alright?”

  “Okay.”

  “Come. We will go home now.” Karel carried the twins in both his arms again as they walked.

  Kani fondly looked at the scene before him. Golden amber eyes then looked elsewhere, tampering down the impossible thoughts forming in his head. After what he’s been through, Kani dared not covet something he knew couldn’t be his own. Forming a family of his own was even out of the question.

  He looked at Karel’s broad back.

  And definitely not with him.