Rael sat on the grass for a moment, rubbing the spot where Lif's stick had connected. He winced, but a lopsided, half-painful laugh escaped him. "Alright, alright—guess all that training with your dad is actually paying off. My head feels like it was hit by a stone."
Lif offered a hand, pulling his friend up. He gave a sheepish grin. "I didn't mean to swing that hard. You were just moving faster than usual."
"You really got better, man," Rael said, tossing his practice stick into the equipment pile. "Honestly? I thought I had you after that second flame-burst. But the way you ducked that last one... it was crazy. You didn't even look. You just moved like a blade."
Lif shrugged, though a bit of pride warmed his chest. "It's not like I've got a lot of options, Rael. If I don't move, I get burned. Literally."
Rael snorted, dusting off his tunics. "Still. Keep it up and you'll be out-pacing the men in no time. You're starting to look like your dad when he's in a sparring ring."
Lif blinked, the warmth in his chest growing. "Yeah."
The crowd of kids started to break up as the dinner bells began to ring in the distance, but the whispers didn't stop. They never really did.
"Rael's gotten sharper with his flames," one girl murmured as she walked away.
"Yeah, but losing to a Hollowborn? That's rough," her friend whispered back. "I mean, Lif's quick, sure, but no magic? It's just embarrassing to watch a Flame-user hit the dirt like that."
The words trailed after them like bitter smoke. Rael didn't say anything, and neither did Lif. They'd heard it all before. They just turned toward the village paths, the ground beneath their boots turning a deep, burnt orange as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
The village was peaceful this time of day. Chickens clucked lazily behind wicker fences, and the scent of woodsmoke hung heavy in the air. People were finishing their day's work, hauling water or locking up stalls.
"Afternoon, Lif!" called old Mira, her back bent under the weight of two heavy herb baskets. "You're growing taller every time I see you! Soon you'll be hitting your head on my doorframe."
"Hi, Mira!" Lif called back. He didn't wait for her to ask; he jogged over and slid one of the baskets onto his own shoulder. It was heavy, smelling of dried lavender and bitter-root.
"Bless you, child," she chuckled, her face a map of wrinkles. "Strong like your father."
Rael grabbed the other basket with a grin, his warmed hands keeping the herbs toasty. "And charming like his mom, right Mira?"
The old woman laughed and shooed them off toward her porch. The boys dropped the baskets and kept walking, weaving between the thatched-roof homes.
"Lif, small question," Rael said after a moment of silence.
"Go on."
Rael kicked a pebble, watching it skitter across the dirt. "Does it bother you? The 'Hollowborn' talk? I saw your face when Kael was running his mouth at the well."
Lif hesitated. He watched the pebble Rael had kicked. "Yeah... it does. It's like being the only person in the room who can't hear the music everyone else is dancing to. But it's not like I can go to a medic and buy a Constellation."
Rael stopped walking for a second, without turning. "You're a great fighter, Lif. And a better friend. Honestly? Who needs the stars when you can move like that? I've got the fire, and I still can't touch you."
Lif smirked faintly. "You're just saying that because I bonked you on the head."
"Maybe. But the bump is real, and so is the win."
They both laughed, the tension of the afternoon finally breaking. By the time they reached the blacksmith's corner, they'd helped an elder fix a squeaky garden gate and chased a stray chicken back into its coop. It was then they ran into Ren and Sela.
Ren, with his perpetually messy hair and a grin that looked like it was bolted onto his face, waved frantically. "You got smoked, Rael! I saw the whole thing from the hayloft!"
Rael groaned. "It was a tactical stumble. Don't even start, Ren."
Sela was standing next to him, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She was one of the few who didn't care about the "Hollowborn" status—she cared about results. Her eyes flicked to the dark red welt on Rael's forehead.
"Not even close," she said flatly.
Rael raised an eyebrow. "How would you two know? You werent even there!."
Sela pointed a slender finger at his head. "Because of that red spot on your forehead."
Lif couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. "Looks like the verdict is in, Rael. You got smoked."
Ren gave Rael a sympathetic slap on the back that was a little too hard. "Don't feel bad. You're a solid fighter. Just... not as solid as our Little hollowborn here."
Lif shrugged, trying to keep the mood light. "I just got lucky with the footing."
Sela looked at Lif, her cool gaze softening just a fraction. It was a look that always made Lif feel a bit more "visible" than usual. "Luck didn't trip him, Lif. You're faster than anyone in this village. Constellation or not."
"Thanks, Sela," Lif said, smiling warmly.
For a moment, standing there in the fading light with his friends, the world didn't feel like a place of "flickering stars" or "dark omens." It just felt like home.
"So," Ren bounced on his feet, full of restless energy. "What now? We gonna go help more old ladies with their groceries, or are we gonna do something actually fun?"
Lif looked toward the dark treeline of the forest that bordered the village. The woods were deep, filled with the shadows of ancient oaks. "How about the Great Oak on the east side? I want to see the sunset from the high branches."
Ren's face lit up. "Now we're talking! I bet I can beat all of you to the first fork."
"You mean you'll try to climb it, fall halfway, and make us carry you home?" Sela quipped.
"I'll carry *you* back!" Ren shot back, already jogging toward the woods.
Lif rolled his eyes but led the way. They trekked into the forest, the air instantly turning cooler and smelling of damp pine and rich earth. The path twisted through the undergrowth until the Great Oak loomed over them—a massive, gnarled giant that looked like it had been there since the world was born.
"See? Piece of cake," Ren said, staring up at the branches that were easily thirty feet up.
"You can't even reach the lowest knot," Sela said dryly.
"Watch me!" Ren scrambled at the trunk, his boots slipping on the moss.
Lif chuckled, stepped up to the trunk, and stretched his arms. "I'll go first. Try to keep up."
Without the help of mana-boosted muscles, Lif had to rely on pure technique. He grabbed a notch, hauled himself up, and flowed from one handhold to the next. His movements were fluid, his weight shifting perfectly to conserve energy. To the others, he looked like he was dancing up the bark. He landed on a thick branch high above, looking down at them.
"Alright, alright. Showoff," Ren grumbled from below.
The others followed. Ren struggled and groaned, eventually settling for a lower branch. Rael used a small burst of Ignara heat to help his grip, though he nearly slipped once. Sela was slow and methodical, her movements precise until she reached the branch across from Lif.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the horizon. The sky was a riot of bruised purples, deep oranges, and soft pinks. From up here, the world looked quiet. Peaceful.
"This is perfect," Ren whispered, leaning back against the rough bark. "Totally worth the scratches."
"Yeah," Lif agreed. "It's beautiful."
But as his eyes scanned the distant hills beyond the village, Lif's gaze snagged on something. Far off, where the road met the edge of the deeper woods, he saw movement. Dark shapes. People? They were moving with a strange, synchronized speed—too fast for normal travelers, and too quiet for a merchant caravan.
He squinted, trying to make out details, but the light was failing too fast.
*Probably just a border patrol,* he told himself. But a cold shiver that had nothing to do with the wind traced its way down his spine.
"Lif? You coming down?" Rael called out. The others were already clambering back toward the ground.
Lif took one last look at the distant shadows, then shook his head. "Yeah. Coming."
One by one, they reached the forest floor. The air was cold now, the first moon beginning to rise.
"Well," Lif said, looking at his friends. "This was... it was a good day."
Ren slapped him on the shoulder. "The best. You're just lucky you're fast, Lif. Next time, I'm winning that race."
Sela gave a small, amused smile. "Sure you are, Ren."
Rael clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get back before our parents think we've been eaten by orges"
They waved each other off, heading for their respective homes. As Lif walked back toward his cottage, the night air settled around him. He felt the weight of the day—the win against Rael, the news of the baby, the laughter with Sela.
He felt happy..
But he couldn't stop thinking about those shadows on the road.