In the Tower of Torment, just as Asher and Naida entered, they were enveloped in an impenetrable darkness.
Naida's voice carried a note of concern as she warned, "You have to be care-"
But suddenly, her voice faded away, leaving Asher alone in the dark void, "Lady Naida?" he called out, his voice tinged with worry.
However, there was no response, as if Naida had vanished into thin air.
Asher attempted to use his flames to illuminate the surroundings, but before he could act, the darkness seeped into his mind, overwhelming his senses.
"Raziel, my child... It's time to wake up," a gentle voice called out, cutting through the darkness.
Raziel, groggily opened his eyes, the darkness receding as light filtered into his vision. He found himself in a modest stone house, lying on a quilt.
Turning his head, he saw a woman in her early fifties, with frail features, red eyes, and light brown hair streaked with white. Her eyes appeared vacant, as if she couldn't see the world around her.
"Mother, what... did I oversleep? I should be the one waking you up," Raziel, bewildered, murmured.
Aurelia smiled warmly in his direction, her blind eyes attempting to meet his gaze, "You must have had a good dream to sleep this long," she said softly.
Raziel ran his hand through his neck-length black hair, still feeling disoriented, "Hmm, maybe. I just felt like I had the longest dream of my life, but I can't remember anything. Strange..."
His mother chuckled softly and said in a pleased tone, "I'm glad you did, because a gifted 19-year-old young man like you needs good rest. You work too hard every day, barely sleeping and always out training."
Raziel shook his head and rose with a bright smile, his youthful energy filling the room as he gently assisted Aurelia to her feet, "I can't slack off on my training, mother. I need to get stronger and help protect our tribe. I don't want us to keep moving every few weeks because of the dangers outside. I don't want you and all of us to live in fear like this. I want a better life for you. I want to make up for the sufferings you endured in the past... including losing your eyes because of me," he said earnestly, his eyes reflecting a deep sense of responsibility.
Aurelia's face lit up with a wistful smile, her blind eyes seemingly looking towards Raziel as she gently cupped his cheeks, "You have to stop thinking it's your fault," she insisted with a firm shake of her head, "Bloodline complications during birth can happen to anyone and aren't something we could have foreseen. Even if your father isn't here anymore, he would be just as happy and proud as I am to see you grow into such a fine young man. So focus on making yourself happy, not me."
Raziel's smile broadened as he replied, "I will still be happy becoming strong for our people. Grandpa Caius said that if I win the next upcoming spar, he'll let me join the group of gatherers to go outside for hunting resources. That's why I have to keep trying hard, and it will be a pleasure to strike down those abominable humans while doing so."
Aurelia let out a sigh, her smile tinged with a mother's worry, "It's good to hear that Chief Caius has confidence in you, but a mother always wants her son to be safe. Just thinking about what happened to those poor things yesterday makes me sad. But since doing what you want makes you happy, I pray that you always be careful and never try to take anything you can't..."
"...hold with your two hands. I know, I know," Raziel interrupted playfully, finishing her sentence with a chuckle. He gently took her hand, leading her towards the door, "But I'm really getting late, and Matron Selene will get mad if I arrive after everyone else."
"Oh, right... But won't you at least drink some blood before you go? You haven't had anything yet," Aurelia expressed her concern while trying to hurry to another room to prepare some blood for him.
"Don't bother. I'll just drink some on the way. See you later, mother, and call for me if you need anything," Raziel assured her as he rushed out, his steps light and determined.
"Sigh, this child of mine…" Aurelia let out a soft, helpless sigh as she turned her head in the direction he left.
Just as Raziel got out, he first looked up at the crimson skies and saw the faint silhouette of a giant dragon tail spanning across the skies in the far distance.
He couldn't see how far its body extended, and even to this day, it continued to awe him.
He deeply bowed in reverence, "O Supreme One, thank you for looking after us," Raziel knew it was their tradition to worship the Supreme and all-powerful Dragon named Drakaris, who was said to be as old as the realm itself!
Dragons were the strongest beings in this world and had more wisdom than any other being.
And despite their power, they never bully anyone unless someone annoys them, making them the most respected and revered beings in this world.
And Drakaris was the strongest and oldest of them all. Nobody could even really tell for sure how old this supreme being was and people said that he was the guardian of this realm appointed by the devils themselves.
The silhouette of the dragon's tail in the distance served as a reminder of the awe-inspiring power that loomed over their world, and he wondered if he would be lucky enough to at least get a closer look one day.
But he then snapped back to reality as he remembered he was running late and was about to rush off.
"Whoa! Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Morv, a young man with short black hair and a side smile, halted Raziel's hurried steps.
"To the training ground, of course, Morv. Today I don't have time to entertain your bullshit, so you'll just have to wait until I return," Raziel replied, his tone laced with impatience.
"Ah, right. Matron Selene would become really sad if she doesn't see you for a day, wouldn't she?" Another voice, teasing in nature, joined in. Raziel turned to see Voren, a chubby young man, grinning at him.
Raziel rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed. "Fuck off, Voren. You two forgot that we have training at this time, as usual? It has nothing to do with Matron—"
Morv cut in with laughter, his hands resting on his hips. "Haha, seems like somebody started to finally get wet dreams. Since you woke up too late, you missed out on the news that the Matron won't be training us today."
Raziel's expression shifted to one of confusion, "Eh? Why?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.
Voren chimed in, his voice rich with humor, "Because she just finished treating the wounded ones that came back yesterday, and she also suffered some while rescuing them. So, you should be considerate of her and let her rest, no matter how badly you want to see her every day," he said with a shake of his head.
Raziel's expression turned slightly serious as he remembered that yesterday, one of the groups that went out to procure resources had returned with grave injuries, and at least one of them would have died if not for Matron Selene.
"I didn't know. She managed to patch everyone up?" Raziel asked with a worried look.
Morv nodded, his expression reflecting a mix of relief and respect, "Yes. You know how skilled she is. She's not only as strong as our chief, but I'm sure she's one of the best healers in the world."
"Yeah... she is very amazing. I hope she is really alright," Raziel softly agreed, his voice carrying a hint of admiration and other emotions.
Voren couldn't help but tease, a playful gleam in his eyes, "Look at that. He's falling for her for the millionth time. Tsk, tsk, what should we do with this lovestruck fool?" he asked Morv with a mockingly dramatic shrug.
Raziel's face flushed with embarrassment as he waved his hand dismissively, "What nonsense are you talking about? Is it so wrong for me to appreciate her? I know you two are just jealous that she praises me more because of my skills during our training."
Morv and Voren exchanged knowing glances before bursting into laughter.
Morv then draped an arm around Raziel's shoulder, his tone teasing yet friendly, "Of course, we're jealous that you're bold enough to have a crush on her."
"Yeah, or it's just that whenever he sees her, he forgets not only that she is an elder of our tribe who is 100 years older than him but also a widow. And you never put your eyes on a widow, even if she is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen," Voren added, poking fun at Raziel's apparent infatuation.
"A pitiful one, though, when you think that her husband abandoned her the moment they got in danger," Morv said with a wrinkled nose.
Raziel furrowed his brows upon hearing that and said in a bitter tone, "At least she got to know what a trash he was before it was too late. He must be already lying dead in some ditch, or I hope he got torn to shreds by some monsters or Hunters. She deserved better."
"Oooh, our Raziel is already determined to be a better one, eh?" Voren asked with a knowing smile.
"Hey! That's not what I meant," Raziel said with an aggrieved look as these two idiots kept teasing him, and this was something they did every day like a ritual.
Raziel's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as he let out a frustrated grunt and shrugged off Morv's arm. "Argh, you two keep blabbing, but I'm going to check on those who got injured."
Morv couldn't resist one last jab as Raziel walked away, "Make sure you don't lose your way and end up walking to her home, hehe," he whispered, eliciting a raised fist from Raziel in response as he continued to walk away.
