After finishing his exam, Kaelen decided to return home, only to find his mother, Liora, engrossed in some intense construction work alongside several tribe members.
He hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, his voice wavering. “M-Mother, what exactly are you building?” His gaze flicked between her and the workers, who were hammering away with serious focus.
Liora didn’t even glance at him, her hands moving swiftly over the wood. “You’re too young to understand,” she said dismissively, her tone firm.
Kaelen relaxed a little, relieved he wasn’t being roped into the work. With a bright smile, he shifted the conversation,
“You know, Mother… something incredible happened at the summit! Father saved me. Jack was trying to kill me—I have no idea why. I can’t even remember what I did to provoke him, but…” He wiped his forehead, his voice filled with pride. “I was so close to dying, but Father’s artifact protected me. It was… amazing! You should have seen that… If was fuc-ahem amazing!”
Liora’s hands stilled for a moment before her sharp gaze locked onto him. Her tone was cutting. “So, you lost the fight?”
Kaelen’s confidence wavered, and he flinched. “N-No, Mother! I had him on the ropes. I almost won! It’s just…” He trailed off, his voice faltering.
“Just what?” she pressed, her eyes narrowing.
Kaelen gulped, his throat dry as memories he wished to suppress clawed their way back to the surface. His hands trembled slightly.
It had happened during the summit…. He wasn’t just hunting Jack Sparrow. He encountered something… far more dangerous.
A Jealous woman!!!
In his wolf form, Kaelen had pinned Jack beneath his paw, prepared to end it when…
“SOMEONE HELP ME!!!”
Lia came tearing through the narrow path, her face pale with terror. She ran as though her life depended on it, glancing back with wide, fearful eyes.
Both Kaelen and Jack frowned, caught off guard when,
“HEHEHE….”
“HEHEHEHEH…..”
The wicked, unnatural sound echoed through the narrow, freezing them in place.
Fear gripped their hearts…. And then they appeared—Aria and Selene.
Their faces were twisted with eerie, dark expressions that sent shivers down Kaelen’s spine. Both ran after Lia, their presence exuding dark energy!
Kaelen froze, unable to move when… Aria’s gaze shifted to him, and his heart nearly stopped.
“HIIKKK!!” His legs wobbled, and he almost collapsed. Her arrow emitted a dark, ominous smoke.
“I need your help,” she said, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.
“H-Help—”
Before he could finish, Aria grabbed his fur roughly, dragging him closer with terrifying strength. Her eyes burned with fury. “What? Your mother already stole my lover, and now this? Another bitch? Are you just going to stand there?”
“W-Well…”
“WHAT?!” Her voice boomed, and her eyes became dark voids that sucked the courage from his soul.
“MOOMMMYYYYYY!!!” Kaelen screamed, his pride shattered, the pain unbearable.
Back to the present…
Kaelen shivered at the memory, goosebumps rising across his skin. He forced a shaky smile. “J-Just an accident,” he muttered.
Liora frowned, sensing there was more to it, but she chose to let it slide. She sighed and changed the topic, “Elona wants you at the castle. Since Alaric is out of the picture, you and Aria are responsible for stabilizing the Empire. Once everything is settled, the two of you will most likely fight for the throne.”
Kaelen nodded seriously, though inwardly, he screamed, ‘Fight her? That insane woman? Absolutely not!’
Liora studied him closely, her eyes narrowing…. After a pause, she spoke again. “I want you to back down.”
Kaelen blinked in shock. “What? Mother, why? Didn’t you always dream of ruling over the High Elf Tribe?” He was utterly confused. He had braced himself for another round of harsh training or a lecture about pride and honour. Instead, this?
This was unprecedented.
Liora sighed, her eyes distant. “I don’t know… I just don’t want to disappoint him.”
Kaelen frowned, trying to process her words. Then it clicked…. ‘Of course’
Aria was Aether’s lover. There was no way Kaelen stood a chance. Even if Liora was also Aether’s lover, Kaelen wasn’t his son. Forcing him into power would only create more tension between Liora and Aether.
She was doing this for Aether—to keep peace and avoid unnecessary conflict.
Kaelen exhaled, relieved. “Understood, Mother,” he said softly before walking away.
Liora watched him leave, her gaze trembling for a moment. Then she shook her head, focusing once again on the structure she was building—for her love.
Meanwhile,
Kaelen sighed in relief, finally free from the heavy burden that had weighed on his shoulders ever since he was chosen.
He stretched his arms wide, feeling a newfound lightness in his chest. “I’m finally free!” he shouted joyfully, raising a mug of beer to the sky before downing it in one go. For the first time in what felt like ages, he let himself enjoy life—drinking, sparring with tribe members, and doing menial tasks just for fun.
Days passed in a carefree blur until one evening…
“SOMEONE HELP ME!!”
The desperate scream shattered the peaceful forest. Kaelen’s ears perked up, and he bolted toward the source of the cry.
His sharp gaze locked onto a girl, bloodied and bruised, cornered by a pack of massive red-furred bears. Their paws dripped with blood, their growls rumbling like thunder.
Kaelen’s eyes widened in shock. Without a second thought, he dashed forward,
“ROAARRRRRR!”
He transformed mid-run, his body shifting into his powerful wolf form. With a fierce leap, he landed between the girl and the bears, baring his fangs in a deep, guttural growl. The bears hesitated, their confidence shaken,
but one of them dared to charge…
“GRRRRR!!”
The bear lunged. Kaelen didn’t flinch. He snorted, meeting the beast head-on. His sharp teeth sank into its thick neck, clamping down with terrifying force.
Stchh!
With a single, swift motion, he snapped the bear’s neck. The lifeless body collapsed to the ground, its eyes dull and lifeless. Kaelen spat it out, blood dripping from his maw, then turned his menacing gaze to the remaining bears. Trembling, they backed away before scattering in all directions.
Kaelen shifted back into his human form, wiping blood from his mouth. He quickly approached the trembling girl still crouched on the ground. “Are you alright, Lady?” His voice was calm but concerned as he knelt beside her.
But when he looked closer,
“Vesperine?” he whispered in disbelief. It was her—Kai’s girlfriend. She looked so vulnerable, bruised and battered, out here alone.
Vesperine flinched at the sound of her name. Her tear-filled eyes darted up, and the moment she recognized Kaelen, she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him as though he were her lifeline.
“W-Whoaaaaa… I’m s-so scared!” she sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking against his. She buried her face in his chest, her hands gripping him tightly.
Kaelen stood there stiffly, completely out of his depth. He had never dealt with something like this before—a crying woman in his arms.
His heart raced, and his mind scrambled for what to do.
‘What should I do?’ he thought, utterly clueless. Then, a memory surfaced—his father, Aether, always comforting his mother with a gentle head pat. Hesitantly, Kaelen raised his hand and patted Vesperine’s head.
Vesperine blinked through her tears before bawling even louder.
“W-What now?” Kaelen muttered, bewildered by the sudden increase in her sobbing. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her more securely and carried her to a safer spot.
As they walked, Vesperine buried her face deeper into his shoulder….. But hidden from view, a sly grin crept across her face, her teary eyes now gleaming with mischief. She had caught her next prey, and… she wasn’t letting go!