Two days after the giant lion killed its master, Arwan the Beast Tamer, Laura slowly regained consciousness. Dizzy from blood loss and aching all over, she struggled to her feet. The dim light of the cave disoriented her.
"Where am I? This… it's that cave… Where is my child?"
She glanced around. The cave was spotless, as if no battle had ever taken place. The wolf she had slain was gone—no blood, no body. She didn't know Arwan's remains had vanished too.
Then came a sound—soft giggles, unmistakably her child's. Instinct pulled her forward. Stepping cautiously toward the entrance, she froze.
Her baby sat atop the massive head of a sleeping golden lion, tugging its ears and laughing joyfully. Around them, the wolves that had once hunted her were now frolicking like playful pups.
Her heart pounded. "What… What is that lion? How did it get here? Are those the same wolves? Why are they acting like this?"
Ignoring her pain, she rushed forward, scooped her child into her arms, and turned to flee. With a whispered incantation, her feet glowed, and a speed spell hurled her into the dense forest. Her child laughed in her arms as she looked back.
The lion stood still at the cave's entrance, watching but not following. The wolves, however, chased after her—tails wagging, playful rather than aggressive.
"I don't understand what's happening," she whispered, breathless. "If this is you… if you're doing this… please, stop. I just want a normal life. Just you and me."
Her child stopped laughing. He looked at her with calm, knowing eyes. Then, for the first time, he closed them and fell asleep.
The moment his eyes shut, the wolves vanished—fading like mist. Silence returned to the forest.
Laura ran for two more days, but exhaustion overtook her. Her strength waned. The speed spell faltered. By a towering tree, she finally collapsed, barely managing to whisper a healing spell. It fizzled out, draining the last of her energy.
"I… can't go on…" Her voice faded as her vision blurred. She held her child tightly and lost consciousness.
—
Sometime later, a group of hunters passed through the woods.
"We've been at this for hours," muttered Draven, their leader. "No deer. No tracks. Not even birds. Something's off."
His sister, Sara, glanced around. "It's too quiet."
"We shouldn't go deeper," Draven said. "This forest is cursed."
Then they heard it—a faint cry.
Draven kicked his horse forward. In a nearby clearing, they found Laura unconscious, her dress soaked in blood.
"She's alive," he said, checking her pulse. "We need to get her to the village."
Sara knelt beside the child, who was crying softly. "She has a baby?" she whispered, gently lifting him into her arms.
Without wasting time, they hoisted Laura onto a horse.
"Something is very wrong in these woods," Draven muttered. "Let's move. Now."
Laura woke to the scent of dried herbs and the creak of old wood. Her eyes fluttered open. She was lying in a warm, modest bed, the kind carved by hand, not bought in a city market. A soft blanket covered her, and beside her sat an elderly woman with kind eyes and calloused hands.
"Don't be afraid," the woman said gently. "My name's Nora. My son found you in the forest—brought you here. You're safe now. How do you feel?"
Laura's heart kicked. "My child," she gasped, sitting up too fast. "Where is he?"
Nora didn't flinch. She simply turned and pointed to the corner of the room. "Right there. Sleeping like a little angel. I'll bring him over."
Tears welled in Laura's eyes as Nora placed the boy in her arms. She held him close, her lips brushing his forehead. "You're safe," she whispered. "Thank the stars…"
"He's beautiful," Nora said with a soft smile. "You're in Greenland. Small village, not much fuss. Rest while you can. If you need anything, just holler."
When the door shut behind her, silence filled the room—just Laura and her boy. He stirred slightly, tiny fingers reaching for her cheek.
The moment he touched her, a warm pulse surged through her body. Her aches melted away. Cuts vanished. Bruises faded. In the span of seconds, every wound was gone. Laura blinked, stunned, her hand drifting to where her ribs had been cracked.
Before she could wrap her mind around it, a voice came from the doorway.
"So... you're a healer."
Startled, Laura looked up. A tall man stood in the doorway—broad-shouldered, weather-worn, but calm. She recognized him. The one who'd found her.
"I had a feeling when I carried you back," he said. "Don't worry. We're not the kind of people who burn witches at the stake."
Laura swallowed. "Thank you. I don't… have anywhere else to go. If it's okay, I'd like to stay. Just for a while."
"You're welcome to," he said. "Name's Draven. But keep your powers quiet. Folks around here... they like things simple. No other power users in this village, and we want to keep it that way."
She nodded, saying nothing more. She wasn't sure what to trust yet. But for now—this would do.
Nine years passed.
Greenland didn't change much, but Kira sure did. He was taller now, wild-haired, and full of questions. Laura worked her garden while he ran through the fields with the other children, kicking up dust and laughter.
"Kira! Don't go past the old fence!" Laura shouted from the gate, wiping her hands on her apron.
He waved back, all smiles. "I won't, Mom!"
The usual crew was with him—Adam, Draven's son, and a few others. And then there was Steven. The mayor's son. Always a bit of a brat.
"Watch out, Kira," Steven said, smirking. "The field rats might think you're one of them!"
"Knock it off," Adam said. "Kira beat you in tag last week and you still haven't recovered."
Steven's grin didn't waver. Instead, something strange happened. His hair shimmered with a soft blue glow, and his feet lifted a few inches off the ground.
"See that?" he said proudly. "Power user. Activated on my tenth birthday."
The others gasped. Even Adam blinked in surprise. "No way. You serious?"
"Soldiers are coming soon," Steven said. "To test everyone. Scan for powers, the whole thing."
Then he turned to Kira, eyes sharp with something colder.
"Let's see what you've got," he said—and without warning, hurled a crackling blue orb straight at Kira's chest.
The world shifted.
Time slowed, sound warped. Kira's heart pounded like a war drum in his ears. The energy ball spun toward him, every spark stretched out like threads of light. He could see the birds in the sky, flapping in slow motion.
He raised a hand—no thought, just instinct.
The orb hit his palm... and bounced back.
It hit Steven square in the chest, knocking him to the dirt. A thin line of blood trickled from the boy's nose.
The field went quiet.
"Kira!" Laura's voice cut through the silence as she sprinted across the field. "Are you alright?!"
Before he could speak, a sharp trumpet sounded from the treeline.
Soldiers.
Draven appeared at her side, voice low and urgent. "Stay calm. Blend into the others."
But it was already too late. One soldier had spotted them—and he wasn't looking away