BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

  The door rattled like an earthquake had struck. Sk?ll growled again, louder this time, tail stiff as he stood guard by my side.

  I reached for the door handle, heart thudding. Sk?ll beat me to it, planting himself between me and the entrance.

  I opened the door—

  Outside stood four strangers. Two were tall-ish. The other two? Barely came up to their shoulders. All of them were shouting at the tallest one.

  “Bardock! Hit the door any harder and you’ll break it down!”

  The big guy blinked. “Sorry! I didn’t think I hit it that hard.”

  I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “It’s alright. For a second, I thought we were being attacked by a monster.”

  Sk?ll, no longer sensing a threat, snorted and padded back to his spot by the fire.

  I raised an eyebrow, still trying to make sense of what I was seeing. “Who are you… and why are you all the way up here?”

  No one ever came this deep into the mountains — not unless they had a reason.

  One of the tallest strangers, a woman with brown hair tied back in a loose braid and sharp green eyes, stepped forward. She was nearly as tall as the blonde giant beside her.

  “My name is Lily,” she said confidently. “I’m the vice captain of the Red Wings — also our mage.”

  She gestured toward the towering blond man beside her. “This is Bardock. He’s our tank.”

  Bardock gave me a wide, sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry again about the door! I really didn’t mean to hit it that hard.”

  I sighed but gave him a small nod. “It’s fine. Just startled me, is all.”

  Lily motioned to a much smaller woman standing slightly behind them. She had white hair, crimson eyes, and a quiet, anxious look — like she’d rather be anywhere else.

  “This little lady is Sasha, our one and only beast tamer.”

  Sasha looked up at me, wide-eyed. “H-hello,” she squeaked, then quickly turned away as if I were the scariest thing she’d ever seen.

  She was tiny — barely reaching my chest. I frowned and looked at Lily. “Why would you bring a kid into these mountains?”

  Lily burst out laughing. “She’s not a kid — she’s twenty-eight.”

  I blinked and stared at Sasha. Her expression changed completely. She didn’t look afraid anymore — just deeply offended. She froze, mouth slightly open as if she’d just taken psychic damage.

  Then the last of the group — a black-haired, brown-eyed man — couldn’t hold it in any longer. He burst out laughing.

  Big mistake.

  Sasha turned and kicked him right between the legs.

  His laughter turned into a wheeze of pain as he doubled over, groaning.

  Lily smiled casually. “That idiot is our captain, Stewart. He’s also our swashbuckler.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Alright… so why exactly are you here?”

  Her expression turned serious.

  “We’re looking for someone,” she said. “A man named Orpheus Fenrir. And we think he might be living somewhere up here in the mountains.”

  That name — my father’s name.

  The words hit me like a punch to the chest. My stomach twisted as the name echoed in my head. Orpheus Fenrir. Was this just some crazy coincidence? Or… was it exactly what it sounded like?

  I forced myself to speak, trying to hide the unease tightening in my chest. “And why are you looking for him?”

  Lily’s eyes didn’t waver. “Because he’s the son of Duke Durak,” she said plainly. “And the rightful heir to the throne. He’s been missing for over eighteen years.”

  Before I could process that, Stewart — still wincing from Sasha’s earlier assault — stood up straighter. “If Orpheus is alive, he’d be about thirty-six now,” he added.

  My mind raced. I couldn’t deny it anymore. They were talking about my father — about the man who raised me, taught me, and vanished, leaving only questions.

  I exhaled slowly, steadying myself. “Well… we might know who you’re looking for,” I said carefully. “But this isn’t something we should talk about out here.”

  I stepped aside, pushing the door open wider. “Come inside.”

  As they entered, Sk?ll lifted his head from his spot by the fire. His blue eyes followed each stranger carefully.

  Sasha suddenly gasped. “Is that… a dire wolf?!”

  I glanced at Sk?ll. “I think so,” I said honestly. “Judging by his size, it makes sense — but I’m not entirely sure.”

  Sasha’s crimson eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s easy to figure out. Just feed him a mana crystal.”

  I blinked. “Feed him what now?”

  Without hesitation, she dug through her pack and pulled out a small, glowing object. It was smooth, perfectly spherical, and shimmered faintly with bluish light.

  “This,” she explained proudly, “is a mana crystal. Dire wolves love these. If he’s really a dire wolf, you’ll know right away after he eats one.”

  Before I could stop her, she casually tossed the crystal toward Sk?ll.

  In a flash, he lunged and snapped it out of the air, crunching down on it without hesitation.

  The effect was instant. Sk?ll’s body shimmered briefly, then grew — only a few inches taller, but enough to be noticeable. He stretched, tail wagging slightly, clearly pleased.

  I stared, wide-eyed. “Well… I guess that confirms it.”

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  Stewart gawked. “Where in the world did you find a dire wolf? Let alone tame one?”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “It happened this morning,” I explained. “He attacked me while I was hunting, but he was starving and collapsed after a short fight. I brought him home, fed him, and… well, I’m not sure how to explain it.”

  They watched closely.

  “I felt this strange urge to place my hand on his head. The moment I did, there was a flash of blue light… and chains appeared around us. Then they vanished.”

  Sasha tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “Wait… who taught you tamer magic?”

  I blinked. “Tamer magic? I’ve never even heard of that.”

  Her eyes widened. She opened her mouth, hesitated, then glanced at Lily.

  Lily, Stewart, and Bardock exchanged a quick, silent look.

  Lily turned serious again. “Have you at least heard about magic?”

  I nodded. “I have. My father talked about it sometimes. He said he used magic to help build this house. He told me he’d teach me one day… but he died before he could.”

  Lily and Sasha exchanged a shocked glance. They huddled briefly, whispering.

  When they broke apart, Lily asked, “Did your father know you were capable of magic?”

  I hesitated. “No idea. But I assume he did. Is it uncommon to use magic unknowingly?”

  Sasha shook her head firmly. “Not common at all. Nearly impossible.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  She raised three fingers. “Magic requires three things. First, visualize the spell. Second, have enough mana. Third, have the correct element type.”

  “Element type?” I repeated.

  Sasha relaxed slightly. “Everyone is either born with mana… or without. Those with mana are divided. Some have elemental affinity, meaning they can create and control a specific element using mana. They’re called Conjurers.”

  She pointed to herself and Lily. “Lily and I are Conjurers. I’m bonded to beasts, so I use beast magic — under the Null element. Null covers magic that doesn’t fit traditional elements, like healing and taming. Lily can use Fire, Wind, and Water.”

  She counted off. “The others are Lightning and Earth.”

  Sasha gestured to Stewart. “People without elemental affinity are called Benders. They manipulate what already exists.”

  Stewart grinned and waved. “That’s me. I can infuse my sword or the ground with mana. Not flashy, but useful.”

  Before anyone could continue, Lily tilted her head thoughtfully.

  “By the way… you never introduced yourself.”

  Sasha nodded. “Yeah. Who are you, anyway?”

  I blinked. “Oh. I’m Arthur,” I said simply. I hesitated, leaving my last name out. “And the girl in the other room — that’s my sister, Rias.”

  “Arthur,” Lily repeated softly.

  “Nice to meet you!” Sasha added.

  “Yeah,” Stewart said with a grin. “You seem alright. Though you could’ve warned us about the dire wolf.”

  Sk?ll snorted from the fire, clearly offended.

  Lily’s smile faded. She grew serious again. “You’re one in a million, Arthur. Being naturally gifted with mana is rare. But Null? Almost unheard of.”

  Sasha nodded seriously. “Null users are even rarer — one in ten million. Having multiple elements is rare, but Null? That’s on another level.”

  I swallowed. One in ten million. It didn’t feel real.

  “Why is Null so rare?” I asked.

  Lily answered calmly. “Because Null doesn’t follow rules. The other elements are limited to themselves or combinations. Null can create infinite spells — healing, beast taming, gravity, illusions. Anything.”

  I leaned back, overwhelmed.

  Sasha spoke again, more serious. “But it’s not limitless. Null still needs mana. Without affinities, you can’t create other elements.”

  Lily nodded. “Null shapes concepts, not elements. That’s why it’s rare… and dangerous in the wrong hands.”

  I sat quietly, feeling the weight of it all. Yet deep down, it felt right. Like something inside me had waited for this.

  As the tension eased slightly, I grew curious again.

  I turned to Sasha. “If Null is so versatile, why don’t you use healing magic?”

  Sasha smiled sheepishly. “Simple. I don’t have the mana for it. Healing takes a lot, and my mana pool is tiny.”

  I frowned. “But you use beast magic all the time.”

  “Beast magic is low-cost. Healing requires precise control,” Sasha explained. “Like surgery. You have to visualize cells, blood vessels, everything. The more detailed the visualization, the better the result.”

  “Who teaches healing magic, then?” I asked.

  “Elves,” Lily answered immediately. “They’re the best healers. They even have books with detailed illustrations for healing all kinds of wounds — even regrowing limbs. But it takes insane amounts of mana.”

  My eyes fell to the ground, thoughts turning to Rias.

  Could they fix her eyes?

  “…Where would I find elves?”

  Silence followed.

  “Well,” Lily said carefully, “You might learn basic healing at the Royal Academy, but if you want real healing magic? Only the elves.”

  Stewart chimed in. “They live deep in the Ancient Forest of Silvanus. No human has ever found their kingdom.”

  My hope dimmed a little, but I didn’t show it.

  Then, breaking the silence, Stewart suddenly asked:

  “Wait… sister? I thought she was your wife.”

  I nearly fell out of my chair.

  “W-What? No! She’s my sister!”

  Stewart looked confused. “Huh… could’ve fooled me. You look like you’re in your thirties. Tall, scarred… old-man vibes, you know?”

  “Thirty?! No! We’re sixteen!” I shot back.

  Silence. Then Bardock said:

  “…Sixteen?”

  Sasha nearly dropped her bag.

  Stewart scratched his head. “But you’re bigger than Bardock.”

  “Pretty much,” I said casually. “I always figured everyone else was just short.”

  The group laughed.

  “Does it really matter though?” I added with a smirk.

  Before anyone could respond, Bardock spoke up.

  “Uh, hey… aren’t we forgetting something?”

  Everyone turned to him.

  “Like asking Arthur about Orpheus?”

  The room tensed.

  Before I could say anything, a soft voice came from behind.

  “Father…?”

  We all turned.

  Rias stood in the doorway, clutching her chest. Her scarred eyes couldn’t see, but they were wide. Trembling.

  “You said Father’s name, didn’t you?”

  Her fingers gripped her shirt tightly, her voice fragile.

  I stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Yeah,” I said softly. “They’re here looking for him.”

  She bowed her head slightly, lips parting without words. She stood frozen, the weight of the revelation sinking in.

  “…I see,” she whispered.

  Stewart broke the silence first.

  “So… Orpheus is your father?”

  I hesitated for only a second before nodding. “Yeah. At least, I think the man you’re looking for is our father. They share the same name.”

  Lily stepped forward, her voice curious but calm.

  “Do you have anything your father left you? Something that could prove he’s the man we’re looking for?”

  Without a word, I reached for my neck and pulled out the pendant my father gave me when I was young.

  Holding it tightly for a moment, I spoke quietly, my voice heavy with sorrow.

  “This,” I said, letting it hang between us. “He gave this to me a long time ago. Told me it was important… and to never sell it or lose it.”

  Lily walked closer and extended her hand.

  “Hand it over,” she said gently.

  I hesitated, then let it drop into her palm. She turned it over in her fingers, carefully opening the pendant.

  The moment she saw the crest inside, her eyes widened slightly. She turned to the others and spoke firmly.

  “Well. It’s the same as the one the Duke has.”

  A hush fell over the room until Stewart’s eyes lit up with a spark of greed.

  “Then I guess that means we should take these kids to the Duke,” he said with a grin.

  The others nodded in agreement, but Lily turned back to me with a softer expression.

  “Well, kid,” she asked, “would you come with us to see him?”

  I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I glanced at Rias, who had been quiet ever since hearing Father’s name.

  “Well… what do you think, Rias?”

  She hesitated for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded faintly.

  “…We might as well,” she said softly.

  I turned back to Lily, still unsure.

  “Do you think the Duke will… welcome us?”

  Lily gave a small, confident smile.

  “I believe he will. Besides, this pendant has a special function — it will confirm whether or not you’re truly his blood. If that happens, there’s no reason he’d reject you.”

  Her voice grew a little more casual. “Though… whether we get paid for this is another story. We were hired to find your father — not the two of you.”

  Stewart laughed and clapped his hands.

  “Well, let’s not waste time. We should get camp ready for the night. You two should also pack up your things. We’ll be leaving at sunrise.”

  Everyone agreed and began gathering their things as they headed out the door.

  I turned and stared out the window.

  The sun was already beginning to set, dyeing the sky in shades of orange and pink. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

  I turned back toward Rias, forcing a smile.

  “Don’t worry about anything,” I told her gently. “I’ll pack up our stuff.”

  She nodded silently, leaving me to my thoughts.

  By the time I finished packing, the house felt… emptier.

  We shared our final meal in the only home we had ever known. The warmth of the fire, the smell of stew, the quiet sound of spoons scraping bowls — it all felt strangely heavy now.

  When night came, we lay in our beds for what would be the last time.

  Sleep came slowly, but eventually I drifted off.

  And as I closed my eyes, only one thought echoed through my mind:

  What will we find out there?

  What does the world even look like beyond these mountains we call home…?

  Those questions stayed with me as sleep finally claimed me.