"The End."
Elizabeth carefully closed the old leather book, gently placing it on her lap.
Her fair skin seemed to glow brighter than most, with her silky dark brown hair tied in a side braid. Her soft features were lit gently by the moonlight, and her strikingly pale blue eyes seemed to pierce through the night's darkness.
She glanced at her two small boys, peacefully sleeping beneath their covers — their chests slowly rising and falling with each breath. A faint smile graced her lips.
In her arms, a baby girl stirred, stretching softly.
The room was dim, lit only by a single candle and the full moon shining through the window.
Staring between her children and the beautiful, clear night sky, she rocked gently in her chair, letting the quiet creaks match the rhythm of her children's breathing. She basked in the stillness.
After a brief pause, she sighed, got up, and leaned over to kiss the boys on their foreheads.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered.
She lingered for a moment, soaking in the quiet comfort of the room.
Then, slowly and quietly, she carried the infant to the nursery down the hall.
He should be home soon, she thought as she laid the baby in the crib.
As she stepped back into the hallway, the front door creaked open.
In the doorway stood an exhausted man of average height, his body toned and lean, his semi-short dirty-blond hair tousled by the wind.
"I'm home, Elizabeth," he mumbled.
"Welcome home, Ken," Elizabeth said softly, helping him toward the bedroom. "This is the last long night, right?"
"Yeah… James will… handle tomorrow. Just… morning training…" Ken said as he sat on the edge of the bed, clumsily attempting to undress.
"I hope James isn't overworking. Ah—maybe I should make him something? He doesn't have anyone to take care of him at home. I doubt he's eating very healthy."
"I'm… sure… he would… greatly appreciate… that," Ken murmured before passing out — his torso sprawled sideways on the bed, legs dangling off the edge, his clothes half-removed.
Elizabeth giggled quietly.
"It's like I have a fourth kid. He's lucky I like him," she whispered to herself.
She finished undressing Ken and tucked him into bed, helping him as he slipped in and out of sleep.
Once he was settled, she changed, brushing her hair aside as she moved quietly.
Lying beside him, she gazed at her adorably exhausted husband, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I do wish he didn't have to work so much. Maybe it's selfish of me, but I just want more time with him… even if it means he has to miss work. Life can't always be sunshine and rainbows, huh…"
Her heart fluttered at the thought of tomorrow.
A full day — all five of them, together at last.
Smiling, she let her eyes close, slowly drifting off to sleep, cradled by the quiet warmth of her home.
~~~
The moon was hidden behind thick clouds. A single campfire flickered along a rocky mountain path overlooking a black ocean void. Five cloaked figures were present—three around the fire, two standing guard at a large cave entrance.
The smallest by the fire fidgeted with her hands, casting nervous glances between the flames and the dark cave.
"Will you stop it, Luna!?" snapped the tallest of the trio, arms crossed. "You're getting on my nerves!"
Luna shrank under the weight of the voice. "S-Sorry…"
"Oh come on, Ember, let her worry a little," chirped the third figure, sprawled on a nearby rock. "We're camping! This is supposed to be fun!"
Amber's eye twitched. "First, we are guarding. Second—my name is Amber. Not Ember."
"That's what I said! Ember!" Aki beamed, rolling over, swishing a tail that wasn't there moments before.
"No. It's. Amber, with an A."
"Riiight. Ember."
Amber's jaw clenched. "You're doing this on purpose."
Aki gasped dramatically. "Aki would never be petty! Aki is a genius! Smart like a cat!"
"Smart as a cat," Amber muttered. "So, not very."
Aki leaned toward Luna. "Sooo… why are you all twitchy?"
Luna's voice barely rose above the crackling fire. "What if… something bad happens to him?"
Aki blinked. "To boss man? Ha! No way!"
Amber nodded. "He's strong enough that us being here feels like overkill."
"Exactly!" Aki grinned. "Ronin's the cream of the litter!"
Amber pinched the bridge of her nose. "You mean cream of the crop."
"Yep. That's what I said."
"You said—never mind."
Luna pressed her hands together. "Still… he told me to always expect the worst. So I'm just—trying to be ready."
"Healers always worry the most," Amber said quietly, eyes fixed on the black ocean beyond the cliff's edge.
"Oh oh! Speaking of!" Aki thrust her hand up like she was in class. "I got a terrible hangnail; can you fix it?"
"I… guess?" Luna blinked.
Before she could start healing, a distant explosion echoed from the cave.
The ground shook. Flames and wind roared from the entrance as the firelight flickered violently.
Luna and Aki stumbled, falling into the dirt. Amber was already on her feet, eyes locked on the cave.
"Well… that didn't sound like diplomacy," she muttered.
Turning to Aki, "By the way — aren't cats supposed to land on their feet? Maybe you're more of a dog."
"Aki is not a dog! Aki was just—um—helping Luna not feel left out!"
Minutes passed. Silence thickened. No one dared move or breathe.
Luna whispered, splitting the quiet. "Did he win…?"
Amber didn't respond.
Then Aki pointed. "Ooh! Someone's coming!"
A cloaked figure stumbled from the cave. His face smeared with blood, he clutched the ragged end of his left arm — a grotesque mix of scorched flesh, blood-soaked stone, and green vine.
Luna rushed to his side. "Master Ronin!"
She knelt, hands glowing, voice trembling. "If you have the rest of your arm, I can reattach it. I just need the tissue—"
"There's nothing left," Ronin said softly.
"He… obliterated it. With at least six elements at once."
Amber's eyes narrowed. "That's not supposed to be possible."
Aki's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait—he hit you with, like, everything? That's cheating!"
Luna's voice was quiet but steady as she examined him.
"Scorched nerves… cracked ribs… ruptured organs. There's something inside your shoulder. Plant matter, I think."
Ronin winced, pain flickering across his face. He swallowed hard, lowering his gaze.
"I… lost."
The words hung heavy in the air — almost impossible to believe.
Amber's breath caught, voice barely above a whisper.
"But… you have eleven gems."
Ronin looked up slowly, meeting her eyes with a tired, haunted expression.
"That last one…" he murmured, voice rough.
"Is the difference between a human… and an Immortal."
A long silence pressed down on them.
Amber crossed her arms, her usual stern composure faltering.
"So… what now?"
Ronin didn't answer at first. His gaze lingered on the flames, hollow and distant. Then slowly, he exhaled.
"We change course."
His voice cut through the night — steady, composed, absolute.
He turned to Amber first, tone firm.
"No more reckless plays. No more elite units. From now on, every soldier receives a gem. We build an army — uniform, equipped, disciplined."
Amber straightened, nodding.
"Understood."
"Training intensifies. Coordination, endurance, control. No weak links. When we move again, we move without resistance."
His gaze shifted to Aki.
"Double your dungeon scouting. Prioritize accessibility and minimal collateral."
Aki gave a mock salute.
"Operation: Shiny Rock Blitz is a go!"
Ronin let out a dry laugh — then winced as the motion tugged at his ruined shoulder.
Turning to Luna, voice softened.
"I'll need a prosthetic. One that can handle multiple elemental surges."
She nodded quickly, flustered but focused.
"Y-Yes! I'll make the best one I can."
"Shadows, to me!"
Two cloaked guards appeared silently, kneeling at his side.
Ronin quickly glanced at the first — a lithe woman.
"Shadow Two, update the infiltrator. New objective: long-term observation and skill development. No engagement unless absolutely necessary."
"Yes, sir." She vanished.
Addressing the second — a tall man — Ronin's voice was sharp.
"Shadow Five. Report."
A deep voice answered, cautious but steady,
"One-third of Nalas' nobles are aligned. If needed, we could move within weeks."
Ronin shook his head, tone cold and firm.
"No, we wait. If it takes years, then it takes years. I won't make another arrogant mistake."
A heavy silence followed.
"Sir… It may take decades."
Shadow Five's voice dropped slightly, almost a whisper.
"Then we take decades."
He bowed deeply before vanishing into darkness.
Ronin let the firelight flicker in his weary eyes as shadows danced across his face.
"Get some rest. We move at sunrise."
One by one, the others drifted into sleep — Aki curled beside the fire, Amber still as stone at the camp's edge, and Luna resting quietly at Ronin's side.
Ronin remained awake.
The silence deepened, thick and heavy, broken only by the low crackle of the dying fire.
High above the sea, the wind shifted, carrying the sharp, briny scent of salt from the ocean cliffs below.
It mingled with the lingering scent of scorched stone and ash.
Slowly, the clouds began to part. A stretch of stars peeked through the clearing sky, cold and ancient.
Ronin looked up.
His fingers curled around what remained of his arm. His breath was shallow, barely stirring the night air.
As the mountain wind moved through the rocks, it carried something more than salt and smoke.
Something far older.
Something eternal.