Now that all the others had been sent to their assigned mentors—it was finally Orin's turn.
She waited quietly, expecting to be taken to some unfamiliar place, like the others.
But instead, Merilyn led her back through the same paths they took and toward her house.
Orin frowned slightly, confused, and raised an eyebrow as she looked at her.
"Back here?" she asked softly.
Merilyn didn't answer right away.
She simply opened the door to her home, her hand resting on it as it whirred softly and creaked open—the same door they had walked through not long ago.
The familiar scent of wood drifted into the air, wrapping around them.
"This isn't a mistake, child," Merilyn said as she stepped inside. "After thinking it over carefully, and after speaking with one of your friends—I came to a decision."
Merilyn remembered how Kain had described Orin. He had called her an overprotective sister, always there for her family and friends. She had been one of the constant figures beside Jinn during his squabbles at the orphanage, never backing down from a fight, even if it meant putting herself at risk.
Kain had also said that Orin was outgoing and kind, someone who would go out of her way to protect the people she cared about—no matter the cost, even if it meant she would get hurt in the process.
Yet, after the loss of her sister, Kain had noticed a change in Orin's attitude. She had become quieter, more reserved, as if she were constantly lost in her own thoughts, thinking things over in silence.
Merlyn then turned to face Orin, her voice was calm but firm. "I've decided that I am the most suitable person to teach you."
For a moment, her face changed. Her eyes seemed to look far away, as if remembering something painful.
"I too, have struggled with the loss of loved ones," she added quietly, her voice low and laced with a bit of sadness. "I know what that weight feels like."
Merilyn's words made Orin's eyes widen in surprise, but deep inside, something else burned dangerously—an uncontrollable flame of anger that refused to fade.
She still carried the fury toward the Zeraf who had taken her dear sister's life.
And above all, there was the rage aimed at Venedix, the one who led the brutal attack on the city of Leran.
The prime cause as to why Nevi had died.
As the two of them stepped inside the house, Orin's face twisted with emotion.
Her eyes burned with resentment, and she scoffed at Merilyn's words, unwilling to let them touch her burning heart.
None of it mattered.
Not Merilyn's story, not her past, nor her understanding.
Orin had already made a vow, one that rooted itself deep into her soul—she would take revenge on Venedix and the empire that followed her.
No one would change her mind.
Not Merilyn.
Not even Jinn.
Even if her path led to death, she would not turn away.
The fire inside her was steady and fierce, an eternal flame that would not die out—not until it consumed every last one of her enemies.
Not until it relished on the revenge it is yearning for.
Whatever sadness Merilyn carried, whatever pain she will speak of—will mean nothing to Orin.
Orin's heart was set. She would have her revenge, no matter the cost.
But despite that, Merilyn already knew.
She had expected Orin to carry this kind of anger—this deep thirst for revenge. It was something Merilyn herself had once felt, back when she had lost her own family.
Back when she had lost her dear children and husband at the maws of the dreaded offsprings of Ikrax.
She also knew she had no right to ask Orin to let go of that path—that path of vengeance.
Not yet—or ever.
Not until Orin came to understand its weight on her own.
Merilyn walked quietly into the house, leading the way into the living room.
*crack... *snap...
The soft crackle of the fireplace filled the silence, and its warmth spread gently through the space.
But Orin—felt none of it—well, figuratively.
She stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her jaw were clenched and stiff.
"I won't stop you," Merilyn said at last, turning around to face Orin.
"Revenge... it burns bright at first. It gives us purpose—But it's a fire that takes more than it gives."
Orin said nothing.
Her eyes elsewhere—narrowed, watching the flames dance in the hearth. Their light flickered in her gaze, matching the fire that burned deep inside her.
"I'm not here to lecture you, Orin," Merilyn continued, her voice calm yet firm.
"I'm here to give you the strength to survive long enough to do what you believe must be done."
That made Orin look up.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something—but no words came out.
They stayed caught in her throat, trapped behind all the pain and anger she hadn't yet fully learned to speak aloud.
Merilyn stepped closer,
*clack! *clack!
her face calm but heavy with old memories.
"But when the time comes—when you're finally standing in front of the one who took everything from you—your choice will be your own," she said.
"Whether to destroy or to live for the sake of the lost... that decision will belong to you—and you alone."
Orin turned her head away, biting the inside of her cheek.
I don't care... All I need is to get stronger—nothing more and nothing less...
Just enough to kill that wretched person
Just enough...
Her heart pounded hard in her chest, still filled with anger—but beneath it, something else shifted.
Was it doubt?
No,
She was unsure.
Yet one thing is certain for now—she must get stronger for the sake of surviving—and Merilyn is the key to that.
She lowered herself onto the nearest seat, slow and tense, her fists tight on her lap.
"Then teach me," she said, her voice cold but steady.
"Teach me everything."
Merilyn looked at her for a long moment, then gave a single, firm nod.
"Very well. But know this—I won't teach you how to destroy. I will teach you how to endure."
Inside the quiet house built among the winds, the two individuals sat across from each other.
One was driven by revenge, her fire fierce and unrelenting.
The other moved with the weight of duty and the scars of past loss.
Only time would reveal whether Orin's flames would burn themselves out—or grow into something...
that could burn worlds.