Danir had quietly turned eight. There was no celebration, no cake, no candles and not even a simple greeting.
They still had three days left in the academy before returning home for the autumn and winter break, and life simply moved on as usual.
His brothers didn't celebrate birthdays either—not since they moved into the House of Granger. In that household, birthdays were seen as something mothers organized. A soft tradition. A gentle thing. Knowing that the Granger household had no mother present. Only men. Men who believed that growing older was nothing special—just another year of training, surviving, and becoming stronger. Danir told himself it didn't matter.
Still, that morning, when he washed his face and caught his reflection in the mirror, he paused for a second longer than usual.
"Eight years old huh? I guess I'm getting stronger, noe. I can't wait to grow this body up." he thought.
The last day of summer arrived, bringing with it the academy's event they called as the Moving-Up Ceremony. The academy courtyard was decorated with long banners bearing the academy's crest. Rows of chairs were arranged neatly beneath the open sky, and families of graduating seniors filled the audience with proud expressions.
The event was grand—it combined the Seniors' Graduation and the advancement of every lower year. Freshmen who passed would become Sophomores. Sophomores would rise to Juniors. Juniors would step into the rank of Seniors. And the Seniors—will be moving up of becoming an official adventurer.
But first, they would stand before the Sphere of Power. One by one, graduating students placed their hands upon the glowing relic. Each time it emitted light, murmurs spread through the crowd.
Rank confirmed.
Future decided!
Zeke and Zebion stood tall among the graduates. When their turn came, the Sphere emitted the distinct glow of green color indicated them as an Intermediate rank.
They had topped their batch, as they were the only who jumped up into the Immediate rank where the others started as novices.
Applause followed! Loud and proud. Danir clapped harder than anyone. His chest swelled seeing his brothers recognized among the strongest of their batch. For once, the Granger name wasn't whispered with caution or mockery—but with acknowledgment.
From the side of the stage, Mr. Cerulean watched quietly. "Huh… Grangers." he muttered under his breath.
There was irritation in his tone. But also, an admiration at the same time.
"The older ones are promising." he thought.
Then his gaze drifted toward Danir standing below. "As for the youngest… I'll just pray he lives long enough to reach fifty." It was unclear whether that was a curse or concern. Perhaps both. Maybe because of Danir being a BladeMagus.
When the ceremony ended, laughter and chatter filled the courtyard. Danir and his party members gathered near the gates one last time before departure. They had passed. They would return next semester as Sophomores.
"Bye, rejects. See you next spring." Danir said with a grin.
Merki smirked. "Bye."
"See you next time, rejects." Poyach and Tonio said together.
Marion gave a lazy wave. "Goodbye, rejects."
The word that once carried embarrassment now felt like a badge of shared survival.
Zeke watched from a distance, smiling faintly. His little brother had found friends. The real ones.
Outside the academy gates, Yuri was already waiting for them with five horses. Only five.
Which meant—Danir had no ride, leaving no choice as he ended up climbing onto Zebion's back.
"Gosh… this feels weird." Danir muttered.
"Yeah, I feel weird too." Zebion replied casually. "So don't poke my back with your little sword or else, I'm gonna cut that off!" He jokingly said.
Danir immediately pulled his hands back.
They rode out together, leaving the towering academy walls behind as the golden light of late summer stretched across the road toward Pearl-Shire.
When they arrived home, they learned that their father and Gadreel had left for business in another continent a month ago—and still hadn't returned. No one knew exactly when they would.
In their absence, Yuri had been assigned as their overseer. Or more accurately— Alec's monitor.
The mansion quickly returned to its usual chaos. Corridors echoed with shouting. Doors slammed. Footsteps raced up and down the staircases. The Granger brothers were incapable of living quietly. Every day felt like a small battlefield of pranks, arguments, and competitions.
And then weeks had passed just like that.
One morning, Danir made a quiet decision.
He wanted to visit Eastgate. He wanted to see his mother.
He approached Yuri and asked for permission.
After a brief pause, Yuri nodded.
Zeke volunteered to accompany him to escort Danir. And so, under the soft breeze of early autumn, Danir left Pearl-Shire once again—but this time, not as a boy with a man's heart with a brutal ability in the battlefield, but a young boy who missed the love of his mother that felt lost like a long time.
After a full day of travel, the scenery slowly changed. The stone roads of Pearl-Shire faded into dirt paths lined with tall grass and golden fields. Windmills turned lazily in the distance. The air smelled of soil and harvested crops.
Eastgate.
A quiet farmland town, simple and humble.
By the time they reached the wooden gates of the town, the sun was already dipping low, painting the sky in shades of orange and soft pink.
Zeke and Yuri slowed their horses.
"This is as far as we go." Yuri said calmly.
Danir nodded.
He climbed down from the horse, boots touching the familiar earth he once walked every day. For a brief moment, he just stood there, staring at the town.
It felt smaller than he remembered, or perhaps… he had just simply grown his world a little wider this time.
Zeke ruffled his hair lightly. "Don't cause trouble."
Danir swatted his hand away. "I won't."
They exchanged short farewells. No long speeches. No dramatic gestures. Just a quiet understanding.
Then Yuri and Zeke turned their horses around and rode back toward Pearl-Shire, their figures gradually shrinking against the sunset road.
Danir watched until they disappeared from sight.
Then he turned and walked deeper into Eastgate.
The cabin came into view after a short walk past the fields. Same wooden walls. Same small chimney. Same old fences. But something felt… off. The yard was quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
He stepped onto the porch and knocked.
"Mother?"
Knock! Knock!
No answer.
He knocked again, harder this time. "Mother! It's me!"
Still, silence...
The only sound he was hearing was the wind brushing against the crops nearby. A faint unease crept into his chest. Maybe she was in the barn.
Trying to shake off the growing worry, Danir hurried toward the barn beside the cabin.
As he pushed the wooden doors open, the familiar scent of hay and livestock greeted him.
Inside, he saw his uncle Tamer standing near one of the stalls. For a second, relief washed over him.
"Uncle Tamer?!" Danir called out.
But the moment Tamer turned around—Danir's relief faded.
The expression on his uncle's face wasn't welcoming.
It wasn't surprised, wasn't even neutral and it was heavy.
And in that instant— Danir felt his stomach drop. Whatever he was about to hear—he knew it wouldn't going to be good...