Warm Welcome

The morning sun bathed the spires of Numeria in gold, but the warmth never reached the chambers deep within the royal keep. There, beneath the marble floors and stained-glass windows, tension gathered like a storm cloud.

The torches lining the winding stairwell to the castle dungeon flickered with cold, tired flames. Princess Zephyr descended in silence, her footsteps slow, her heart heavier than she cared to admit.

"Why did I cry?"

She already knew the answer.

When her magic touched the mind of the person they had summoned, she saw neither fire, nor rage, but silence.

A quiet, aching loneliness that mirrored the one she had once buried deep inside herself.

There was a time, years ago, when she had locked herself in her chambers too.

Books were her only companions. Her mother was her only warmth. Her father ruled a kingdom.

And she… simply existed in the corners of it.

That's why she cried. 

Because what she felt inside Kazuki was familiar.

When she reached the lowest level, two guards stood tense before an iron door.

"Has he eaten?'' she asked them.

They exchange nervous glances.

"No, your highness. We… we were afraid to go near him. The chains make it hard for him to move his hands…. "

She didn't wait for them to finish.

"I'll feed him."

She took the tray herself — a bowl of simple soup and half a loaf of bread — and stepped inside.

The cell was cold, darker than the rest.

Magical chains made by Alvis, glowed faintly around Kazuki's wrists and ankles, binding him to the stone wall.

When he looked up and saw her, he flinched and nodded slightly.

"Hello," Zephyr said gently.

"Hi," he replied his voice low, rough from silence.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "For everything… for yesterday."

She paused.

"You were afraid."

"Doesn't justify my action. I scared people. Hurt some, I think. I didn't mean to. I just… I wanted to go back home." His voice cracked.

"I've read books where people get taken to other worlds. I thought it'd be fun. A dream. But it's not. The thought of losing everything and everyone you hold dear. It's terrifying."

Zephyr stepped forward.

"Everyone is okay. Some just… needed rest. Your aura drained their magic, but they'll recover."

"That's good to hear," he whispered.

She knelt slowly beside him.

"Are you hungry?"

He nodded, a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, very."

She smiled gently and sat beside him, close but respectful.

"Then let me feed you."

She dipped the spoon into the soup and brought it to his lips.

He blinked at first — but then accepted it.

Between every spoonful, they spoke.

She explained what had happened. The demon threat. The ancient ritual. Their desperation.

"We never meant to steal your life," she said. "But we had no other choice."

"I understand," he replied quietly. "I need time to accept what has happened but I understand."

"My name is Zephyr," she said. "But you can call me Zephy, if you like."

"Kazuki Hasunuma," he replied. "You can call me Kazuki. Thank you, for the food, Zephy."

They sat in silence a moment longer.

Then, her eyes softened.

"Kazuki… the king and his council will meet today. They'll decide what happens to you."

He didn't ask what she meant.

He already knew.

Later, In the council chamber, King Alaric sat at the head of the long table, his crown placed beside him like a burden too heavy to wear this early in the day.

Princess Zephyr stood quietly at his right. On the king's left were Alvis, his trusted Archmage, and the armored silhouettes of the Council of Blades—the most elite warriors of the kingdom.

Thalion Ardent stood among them, silent and still.

Alaric's voice broke the silence.

"Where is the summoned one? How fares his condition?"

Alvis stepped forward, hands folded behind his back.

"He is secured, Your Majesty. Bound in the lowest level of the castle dungeons. The aura has subsided. He is calm… or exhausted. Perhaps both."

The king leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the wooden armrest.

"Then the question must be asked" he said coldly. "Will he fight for us? Or must we execute him before he becomes something worse?"

A low murmur passed through the room.

One of the council members, Sir Galen, crossed his arms.

Another, Lady Meris, narrowed her eyes.

"We risked a forbidden summoning, and now speak of mercy for a stranger with unstable powers? That is not strategy. That is sentiment."

Alvis turned to face them.

"Having the same type of magic does not mean inability to overcome one another and I remind you both that Kael – who stood among you not a day ago—possessed no magic at all. Yet none here would question his worth as a warrior."

That silenced the room for a moment.

Ardent, arms folded, gave a slight nod.

"I will abide by the majority," he said. "But he should not be judged by his first breath in a strange body."

Zephyr, who had remained silent, now stepped forward.

"I touched his mind," she said, her voice steady but soft. "I saw his memories… his sorrow. His heart."

She looked around the room, meeting the eyes of each blade.

"He is not a threat. He is a boy who's been dragged from his home. He is confused—not cruel. And he is kind, even if the world hasn't been kind to him."

Galen scoffed.

"Kindness won't stop the demon lord's blade."

Zephyr's gaze faltered—but only for a second.

Alvis cleared his throat.

"Let us also recall: we summoned him. Not the Gods. Not fate. We made the choice to perform the ritual. It is too late for regret."

There was a pause before Lady Meris spoke again.

"Even if he has the heart the princess believes in, does he have the will to fight? Or will he beg to return home the moment battle comes?"

Zephyr didn't answer. She couldn't.

Finally, King Alaric rose from his seat, his voice measured and cold.

"We will speak to him directly. We shall offer him a choice: serve this kingdom and receive a reward of his choosing. Or refuse… and be executed."

There were no objections.

"You are dismissed. Reunite when the summoned one is brought forth."

The council bowed, each in turn, and exited with heavy boots and unreadable expressions.

As the chamber emptied, Ardent lingered behind. When only Alvis remained near the king's chair, Ardent stepped closer and spoke low.

"The relic on his chest… it changed after the ritual. There are new symbols."

Alvis nodded without surprise.

"I've seen them. Ancient, unstable glyphs… language I do not yet understand. I'll need more time to study them."

Ardent placed a hand briefly on the old mage's shoulder.

"See that you do."

He turned and left without another word.

After the meeting, the princess entered her father's private chamber uninvited.

The door closed behind her with a quiet click. King Alaric stood by the window, his back to her, gazing out over the waking city.

"So that is your decision?" she said quietly. "Offer him a reward… or his life?"

The king didn't turn.

"It's the only option left."

"You said the same thing before you approved Kael's sacrifice."

"Now another innocent is chained below our feet. How many more will you demand in the name of the kingdom?"

Alaric turned now, slowly, his face unreadable.

"Would you have me do nothing? Let the demons march across our borders while we debate the morality of our actions?"

"I would have you remember they are people, not pieces on a board!"

Zephyr's eyes were wet. She stepped forward.

"Kael gave up everything. And now Kazuki may be executed for something he never agreed to. And if it had been me in that circle—would you have let them sacrifice me too?"

King Alaric was silent.

"Would you?" she asked again.

Still, no answer.

"You say you carry the weight of the crown. Then carry the truth with it: you're not just king of these lands—you're the father I have left. And I am tired of seeing you bury the people I care about."

She turned to leave.

"Mother wouldn't have allowed this."

The king flinched, ever so slightly.

But he said nothing.