The warm wooden interior of Anikin's tree-home glowed with the soft amber light of hovering orbs. The air smelled faintly of moss and aged bark, and the gentle sound of water trickling through carved channels in the walls gave the space a peaceful rhythm.
Anikin, still tall and regal despite his age, motioned for the group to sit on cushions stitched from broad, woven leaves. As he settled opposite them, his voice dropped low with sincerity.
"I must apologize for Farakin's behavior," he said with a sigh. "He is protective… sometimes too much so."
Luther gave a respectful nod. "We understand. We've been through worse welcomes."
A faint smile tugged at Anikin's lips before he turned to the hallway and called out, "Ariwin."
From the curved arch came a woman wrapped in flowing robes of white and green. Her skin held the same smooth gray tone as the others, and delicate silver patterns glowed faintly along her arms. But what made Selena inhale sharply was her face—Ariwin's features mirrored her own so closely that it was as though she were looking into a shadowed reflection of herself.
"This is my daughter, Ariwin," Anikin said proudly. "She is with child, as I believe you are." He gave Selena a knowing glance.
Selena blinked, recovering quickly and placing a gentle hand over her stomach. "I am."
Ariwin smiled warmly and bowed her head. "Then may the Ice bless your journey."
Selena nodded with a soft smile. "And yours."
Luther glanced between the two women, visibly surprised by their resemblance. "That's… uncanny."
Anikin only chuckled. "The world is full of mirrored souls. Perhaps the Ice finds comfort in familiar forms."
He moved to a low table and poured them each a cup of steaming, violet liquid. "Now," he began, "let me share something more."
Anikin's eyes turned toward the distant northern wall, his voice taking on a faraway tone. "There is a land far beyond the Endless Sea, rich with ancient magics and shifting skies. The old ones spoke of it often… how the air there tastes of power and the stars sing songs into your dreams."
Luther leaned forward. "You think… we come from there?"
Anikin nodded slowly. "It is the only explanation I can find. You—humans—should not wield magic. Not in this land. It is the gift of the Ice alone, passed only through our kind. But your young companion," he gestured toward Kael, "and the fire he summoned… It is not stolen power. It answers him. As if he were born to it."
Kael scratched Stormclaw behind the ear, avoiding eye contact. "I didn't steal anything."
"I believe you," Anikin said. "But our people may not. They remember a time when outsiders brought ruin."
Stormclaw growled low, sensing the shift in mood. Kael rested a hand on the beast's shoulder, calming him.
"Our magic is tied to the Ice," Anikin continued. "When a child reaches ten years, they are brought before the Ice. If it accepts them, they are marked." He pulled up his sleeve, revealing an intricate, glowing blue pattern that spiraled up his forearm. "The patterns are unique. The magic, too. Most receive elemental abilities—fire, air, stone, frost—but every twenty-five years, we may return to the Ice for a second gift. It is rare to receive a different element. Even rarer to be chosen three times. The colors of our markings change with each blessing."
Arya, ever the curious one, asked, "What if someone refuses to go back?"
"They can live ordinary lives," Anikin replied. "But most return. Power is a part of who we are. Without it, we are only half awake."
Selena exchanged a look with Luther, then turned back to the elder. "In our land—Aeloria—magic is something anyone can learn. But it requires dedication, study, and a gift that some are born with. Elemental power is a skill to be trained, not a birthright. And there are… rarer magics. Bloodlines pass them down. Some are born with them. Some uncover them through ancient teachings."
Anikin's brow furrowed. "So it is not chosen by something greater?"
"No," Selena said. "Not exactly. We choose it—or it chooses us—but not through a sacred ritual. Through effort… or fate."
The old Shadowkin sat in thought for a moment, sipping from his cup. "It is difficult to imagine such a world."
"And yours," Luther added, "is difficult to believe… yet here we are."
Ariwin, who had remained quiet, turned to Selena and placed a hand gently on her wrist. "Your child… do you know what it will be?"
Selena shook her head. "Only that the world will change when he is born."
Anikin's gaze flickered at that, but he said nothing.
Stormclaw gave a quiet huff, curling beside Kael, who muttered something in a strange tongue to his companion. The elder beast responded with a low, rumbling purr.
Luther leaned back, arms folded, eyes fixed on the ceiling branches. "It's been a long journey to find peace. I wonder if we ever will."
Selena looked at him, her voice soft but clear. "Sometimes peace isn't a place… it's the people beside you."
The old tree creaked as the wind whispered through the leaves outside. Anikin stood and motioned toward a chamber deeper within the trunk.
"Rest here tonight. In the morning, I will show you the Ice."