The Truth family began walking down the castle stairs towards the city. Flames lit with blue hues swayed left and right from torches within the town below, the warmth of the light spreading across the family.
They all walked down, their faces each gleaming with glee for what was to come. Hurrying their pace, anticipating the celebration, they hurried until they finally arrived at the bottom to be greeted by the citizens.
The people who waited by the foot of the stairs all roared when seeing Leiya, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS LEIYA!" Crackles of fire mana then protruded from some of the townspeople's hands, flaring upwards and exploding in a brilliant explosion of various colours.
Quickly settling in, music erupted from the town. A collection of drums and trumpets boomed through the air as Aemon began clapping his hands in rhythm with the music.
Walking through the city was difficult; the streets were packed with countless amounts of people, all drinking and partying.
Everywhere Xerxes looked, there was something unique, whether it be the families who were giving Leiya gifts every twenty seconds, or it be a food stand. Xerxes wasn't left with anything to expect, which made the celebration even more impressive.
Finally arriving in the centre of the town, Aemon cleared his throat. Immediately, conversations hushed, musical instruments lost their rhythm, and Aemon spoke. "Greetings to all citizens of the Truth Kingdom. Today marks two special events I have been meaning to speak on."
"The first, as you all know, is the annual Celebration of the creation of the Truth Kingdom, which happens to fall on the day of Leiya's birth. It's magnificent how the world, time, and destiny work hand in hand."
Aemon seemed to look somewhere in the distance whilst speaking, not somewhere that could be seen with eyes, but through his memories.
"And I believe, once I pass from here, the world we have come to create, the time we live in, and the destiny we hold will be changed. Why, you may ask? I believe it comes down to one thing."
Taking the hand of Leiya and the hand of Xerxes, Aemon held them both. "I think it comes down to unity. All of our lives, we have grown accustomed to the fallen kingdom. Some of you may even be afraid of what the outsiders may think of us. But tell me, when you look into the eyes of Xerxes Draedon, a simple adventurer from the Kingdom of Layne, do you sense malice?"
The crowd began shaking their heads, whispering comments to each other.
"No, what you sense is heroism and happiness. That is how he has treated us, and how we have treated him. The thing is, we don't need to remain the same for all of our lives, because life is about change. I don't want to shackle you all to the haven we have made here when there is so much of the world to explore!"
"I believe the generation to lead that will be her, my sweet granddaughter. She is only growing stronger, wiser, and more mature. She will be next in line to take the name as 'Seer of the Truth Kingdom' once I go, as my son, Conrad, has sworn himself to the outpost."
"So, in celebration of a near future that holds change, opportunity, success, and happiness, raise your glasses for Leiya Truth's fourteenth, and Xerxes Draedon's fifth-tier awakening!"
Ale and wine filled the air as everyone toasted to Aemon's words. The music rang in loudly again as everyone began dancing with their families.
Conrad took Aliya for a dance, holding her tightly, and Xerxes knew he was training for a moment like this.
Nerves were overwhelming him as Airi intruded upon his thoughts, "Getting cold feet? Don't forget the secret classes Aliya and Conrad gave you for dancing—it was all for this moment!"
Looking at Leiya, Xerxes felt frozen, as if time had stopped. Boys of different ages began approaching Leiya. "Princess Leiya, care for a dance?" "Would you dance with me, Leiya?"
Airi sighed mentally. "I think staying here is only going to make you miss your chance. Ironic—you can go in and fight a horde of monsters but not ask Leiya for a dance, don't you think?" she said smugly.
"Fine, fine. You always have something to antagonise me over, don't you, Airi?" Xerxes replied.
She shrugged in response. Xerxes couldn't expect anything better, so he started approaching Leiya.
Moving through the crowd, people began muttering about him. Isn't that the outsider? I heard that the Truth family have accepted him as one of their own.
Xerxes didn't pay any mind to it, and he made his presence clear, bowing slightly and putting forth a hand. As practised, Xerxes asked, "Leiya, would you take my hand for a dance?"
As if waiting for the question, she immediately placed a hand on his, smiling. "Of course." To say the least, the faces of the people who saw her accept his hand made Xerxes grin slightly, though he had to hide it.
The music became mellow, and the rhythm slowed. Xerxes moved right, so did Leiya, as they began an elegant and comprehensive dance. The footwork was of royalty, the emotions were heightened, and Leiya asked,
"Have you danced before?"
Xerxes smiled. "Guilty. Not with anyone else professionally, but a few lessons from Aliya and Conrad gave me all I needed to give you such a dance."
"It does seem quite familiar. I'm glad, though—aren't you, Xerxes?" she asked, whilst Xerxes gave her a twirl and brought her in.
"More than ever. The music, the feeling in my veins—everything seems so… so blissful. I begin to wonder questions like, Do I have to leave? What if I stayed here, with you and the rest of the Truth family? But I also know leaving the people I love behind without any closure of what happened would be wrong."
Leiya whispered, "You're a good person, Xerx. Never forget that. Whatever choice you decide to make, just know all of us here will support you, no matter what."
That was exactly what he hoped to hear. This is what made it feel like a place of belonging—support in the decisions he was willing to make and unconditional love for the person he was growing into. That was what he appreciated and loved about this place, segregated from the world he knew.
The dance soon finished, as Leiya and Xerxes began running through the city, getting a variety of different foods, experiencing many different games that the town had set up, and finally closing off with them celebrating with the family.
Aliya had one too many drinks and was almost slumped over Conrad's shoulder. Conrad was sitting down with the lieutenant, reminiscing about the days when their youth reigned supreme. It seemed as if the alcohol was slightly affecting Conrad, too; he argued with the lieutenant about the number of monsters they killed when there was a trial for 'Commander of the Outpost'.
Numbers ranging from the hundreds to the two hundreds were evident, and Xerxes feared what both of them could do in unison. That was definitely not what Xerxes wanted to test his abilities against—at least, not today.
Aemon was sitting down, his cheeks flushed with red. Surprisingly, Airi was with him, and the overall celebration was coming to a close. Men and women were practically slumped on the floor, the music was a light ambience in the background, and the moonlight shone through the barrier.
Aemon noticed Xerxes and Leiya as Xerxes waved and took a seat. "By the looks of it, you can handle your liquor, can't you, old man?"
Aemon chuckled and then coughed as some blood trailed across his hand. All of them noticed as Leiya, Xerxes, and Conrad rushed to Aemon's side. "Father, I told you—your appearance wasn't needed."
Leiya looked worried, too. "As Dad says, Grandpa, you can rest. I appreciate the night you've given all of us, but you, too, need your rest!" she stressed.
Aemon attempted to play it off as if it wasn't an issue. "I'm fine, you rascals—I could still take you all on!" He paused and looked at everyone's disappointed faces. "Okay, okay. I promise to take it easier. Let me just get your gifts ready, alright? Then I promise to take it easy."
Leiya reluctantly agreed as Aemon began standing up. And as he stood up, Xerxes' vision distorted, and the world began to materialise back into his soul core.
Once again, Xerxes was greeted by the place he wasn't yet comfortable with, as he took a step back and looked at the amethyst crystal, which seemed to punish but bless him.
Words began spewing, and with each word, a pulse emanated from the shard, and the words left Xerxes horrified. "I told you, didn't I? I said that you needed to leave with Leiya within three months... To survive, you need to take Leiya. Now."
The world dematerialised before Xerxes could get an answer. Airi immediately knew something was wrong, judging by the turmoil in Xerxes' heart. Her voice sounded like a distant memory as Xerxes' heartbeat began rapidly increasing. He looked left and right, everything swaying like a fever dream.
As Aemon rose to his feet, something shifted.
Xerxes blinked, frowning. The moonlight that was bright and unwavering just moments before was fading, swallowed by an unnatural shadow. The City of Truth, always bathed in gentle silver, was dimming. Not like a sunset… but like something was feeding on the light itself.
Then he heard it.
A distant crack.
Aemon's gaze shot upwards. Xerxes followed it, and his breath caught. Fractures laced the heavens above. But it wasn't the sky that was breaking. It was the barrier, the divine shield that protected the kingdom.
"No…" Xerxes whispered.
Beside him, Leiya turned sharply as he grabbed her wrist. "Xerx, what are you—?"
A thunderclap exploded through the city. Then another. And another—each louder than the last, each one shaking the very bones of the earth.
And then came the last.
The sound was deafening, like the roar of a dying god. The orb—no, the heart of the barriershattered, bursting into cascading fragments of mana, glinting like shards of broken glass as they rained down from the heavens.
From the fracture in the sky, a shadow fell.
Not just darkness, but something alive, twisting, writhing, ravenous. It slammed into the streets with such force that the ground caved beneath it. Screams tore through the city as buildings buckled and innocents were crushed under the weight of the unknown.
Xerxes couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
The only thing he could truly register was the sound of human terror.
"THE BARRIER—IT'S GONE!"
"MONSTERS! MONSTERS IN THE CITY—!"
Then… silence. As if the world held its breath.
Before him, stepping through the ruin and chaos, came a figure draped in shadows.
He was tall, wrapped in a tailored black suit, his hair slicked back except for streaks of silver that gleamed at the edges. His beard was rough, unkempt—but his eyes… those eyes were pure abyss. No light, no mercy. Just hunger.
The man raised a single hand, casual and slow. From the darkness, a blade unfurled—formed not of steel, but of shadows so thick they bent the air around them. His lips curved into a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"It's unfortunate," he said, voice smooth like poisoned silk, "that I wasn't invited to this family reunion, Aemon."