Paths Beyond (Under Rewrite)

Unfortunately, Elder had found nothing. The First Elder had no need for techniques to borrow the force of Will, let alone any to manipulate it. When the lesson ended, Elder dismissed the four students.

As they stepped out into the crisp night air, Elder gave them one last message before heading off to his home.

"Come to the village center tomorrow. I will select the new Elder."

With that, he disappeared into the shadows, his silhouette melting into the glow of distant firelight.

Forge stretched, rolling his shoulders with a content sigh. "Well, I better get going. My wife's gonna be wondering what I've been up to all day."

"You kids gonna be alright by yourselves?" he added, his grin lopsided as he tucked his hands into his coat pockets.

"Yeah, don't worry about us. Take care, Forge," Serene said, waving him off.

"Bye!" Tear shouted, hopping up and down, her turquoise hair bouncing with the motion. She radiated energy, clearly thrilled to escape the monotony of books. "We'll look for you tomorrow!"

Forge gave a casual wave over his shoulder as he walked off. "You better! I'm counting on you to keep these two out of trouble, Tear!"

As Forge's broad frame disappeared into the night, Grey glanced at Tear. "Let's take Serene home first," he suggested.

Tear's face scrunched up in protest. "Why can't you stay? You did the other day."

"She's gotta see her parents, Tear," Grey replied, his tone calm but firm. He could see the disappointment in her eyes but didn't waver.

Tear huffed but didn't argue further. Grey understood why she felt this way—after all, she and Serene were incredibly close. With Tear and Grey being the only family they had, Serene had naturally filled a space in Tear's heart that was almost sisterly. Sometimes, Grey suspected Tear was even closer to Serene than she was to him, although that was mainly some jealousy clouding him mind.

The three began walking toward Serene's home, the snow crunching softly beneath their boots. The silence didn't last long.

"So, Tear," Serene began, her voice light and teasing, "what do you think about being one of only five people in the entire village who knows how to read and write?" She gave Tear's hand a gentle squeeze, smiling. "Not to mention, you're going to be a savior of the village. The youngest one, no less."

Tear's pout faded, replaced by a small, shy smile. She tightened her grip on Serene's hand, her pine eyes sparkling in the dim light. "It's unbelievable. I didn't think I could do something like this with you all... but I know it's all just luck."

"Luck?" Serene arched an eyebrow. "You're smarter than you think, Tear."

Tear tilted her head, her voice soft with curiosity. "But what if it's not? What if I just happened to be at the right place at the right time? What if I mess up?" She looked up at Serene, then at Grey, her small fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "Do you think I'll really be able to help everyone? I mean, like, really help?"

Grey, walking a step behind, glanced down at his little sister. "Maybe you will," he said thoughtfully. His silver eyes flicked upward, his mind briefly flashing back to the massive orb he'd seen—the one that dwarfed even Brawl's new one. "You could end up becoming a hero one day."

Before Tear could respond, Grey reached out to pat her head, his hand aiming for her soft turquoise hair. But she ducked with a squeak, darting to the other side of Serene and clutching her arm for protection.

Grey narrowed his eyes. "You only avoid me when Serene's around."

Serene smirked, nudging Grey's shoulder playfully. "That's because she knows who's better company."