The cold stone of the cell faded from his mind. The sound of alarms, steel doors, and Dr. Smith's voice melted into silence.
Vael sat in the snow, back resting against a tree just outside the village, a distant look in his eyes.
His flashbacks had finally settled — fragments of torture, resistance, growth, and rage lining up in painful clarity.
"That's everything…" he murmured. "The lab. The awakening. The escape…"
He exhaled, mist escaping his lips. For a moment, everything felt still — too still.
"I'm back."
He clenched his fists. The mana inside him was dormant again. His body, weaker. His core: unawakened. But his mind? Sharper than it had ever been.
That's when realization crashed down on him like a stone dropped into a frozen lake.
"Shit… the attack. It happens in three days."
His heartbeat quickened.
"I can't stop it — not without power. Not yet. All I can do is… help them escape."
His eyes softened. Them. His family. His little brother and sister. His mother.
Alive.
Without wasting another moment, Vael stood up and grabbed the sled behind him — the one carrying the massive boar he'd hunted earlier that morning. It was still fresh, the blood now partially frozen in the cold.
"Let's see you guys one more time."
The sun was just beginning to dip by the time he reached the village's edge. Snow crunched under his boots, and warm yellow light spilled from the windows of each wooden home. Smoke from chimneys curled lazily into the cold air.
As he approached his own house — small, sturdy, humble — a familiar voice called out.
"Vael! Whoa! Is that a boar?!"
His younger brother, Antalon, burst out the door barefoot, slipping slightly on the snow but sprinting toward him with wide eyes.
He looked just like Vael remembered: short, messy brown hair, one sock on, and enough chaotic energy to power a small army.
"Damn right it's a boar," Vael smiled, dragging the sled with one hand. "Caught it myself."
"You hunted this alone?" Antalon circled the boar like a predator sizing up a feast. "You're a beast, Vael! Wait till Mira sees this— MIRA!"
"You're gonna blow out your lungs, idiot," Vael chuckled.
Moments later, the door opened again, and a girl stepped out. Petite, wrapped in a thick cloak, a book still in her hands.
Mira.
"Antalon, stop screaming," she said, not looking up from the pages. "And put shoes on before you get frostbite. Again."
She raised her eyes slowly — and when she saw Vael standing there, alive and well, her face broke into a rare smile.
"You're back."
"Yeah," he said softly. "I'm back."
Then, from the doorway, came a voice that made his chest ache.
"Is that my boy I hear?"
Marelina. His mother.
She stepped out, wiping her hands on an apron. Her hair was pulled into a loose braid, streaked with silver too early, her face gentle but tired. She rushed forward and pulled him into a hug without hesitation.
"Thank the stars," she whispered into his shoulder. "You didn't come back last night. I thought—"
"I'm okay," he said, voice slightly choked. "I just went further than usual."
"You caught that beast alone?" she asked, pulling back and holding his face. "You're growing too fast…"
"You have no idea," Vael said with a faint smile.
That evening, they feasted. Marelina cooked the boar, slow-roasted over the fire. Antalon couldn't sit still, darting between bites and stories. Mira asked about anatomy — why the boar had such thick muscles in the chest. Marelina listened with soft eyes, watching her children with love and exhaustion.
Vael sat quietly for most of it, just watching. Every laugh, every glance, every word was something he had once lost. And now, maybe… maybe he had a chance to protect it.
"You're quiet, Vael," Marelina said after a while. "You alright?"
He looked at each of them.
Mira, fiddling with the edge of her book.
Antalon, chewing with his mouth open.
Marelina, eyes lined with worry and love.
He couldn't lie to them — not anymore. There wasn't time.
He set down his cup. The fire crackled.
"There's something I need to tell you."
The table went quiet.
He looked down at his hands.
"In three days… this village will be attacked."
Mira blinked. Antalon froze. Marelina's expression changed instantly — like a storm cloud had passed over her soul.
"What…?" Marelina whispered. "What are you talking about?"
"I can't explain how I know," Vael said slowly. "But I'm telling the truth. Soldiers. Fire. Screams. Everything—gone."
"You're scaring me," Mira said.
"Good," Vael replied. "Because you need to be scared. We don't have time. We'll need to pack lightly. We'll run during the night, two days from now."
"Vael…" Marelina's voice was shaking. "Are you sure?"
He looked her dead in the eyes.
"Yes."