Chapter 9: Sunbreak departure

By now, another cycle of time had passed. Lea and Leo were nearing eight years of age, and soon they would travel with their parents to the cathedral city of Marchten in the north of Ronayah to attend the Festival of Renewal in appreciation of the goddess Athnea.

This afternoon, everyone was outside the manor training, except the maid, Lilibeth, who was preparing that day’s lunch. Linae was now nineteen and would soon set out on her own journey to the Republic of Liruna, which lay on the north-western border of Ronayah. She had grown into a fair young woman who carried herself with elegance, her hair shining beneath the midday sun.

Linae stood on the grass in her stance, arms out in front. Lucina watched from afar, her golden hair tied in a high ponytail, standing with her back to the house walls, her sharp gaze fixed on her daughter’s form.

“Heaven’s Rays!” At her call, gleaming pointed shards of light-infused crystal rained down from above, striking the ground in sharp succession.

“Good, Linae,” Lucina encouraged. “Now try another incantation."

“Okay, let’s do this.” Linae took a step back, raised her right fist, and bent her knees. “I invoke Thorrak, Lord of the Lands and Bringer of Might—lend me your strength! Earth Strike!”

She leapt forward, twisting her body. Her left palm slammed against the earth while her right fist struck downward. In an instant, the ground burst apart, a wave of stone and dirt erupted as if explosives lay beneath.

“HIYAAAH!” Linae yelled, her voice carrying through the garden. Shards of soil and pebble flew upward, a dust cloud scattering across the training field.

Not far away, Solan oversaw the twins’ own practice. They faced one another with wooden staves. With determination in his eye, Leo lunged first, his blow intercepted by Lea’s staff with a sharp clack. She retaliated by pulling back and swinging low, which forced him to stumble back. His stance broke for a moment before he steadied himself again. Then he rushed Lea, the wood smacking together as Lea countered to block the strikes before she got cornered.

“Hmm… alright, that's enough for now,” Solan muttered, his deep voice calm but approving. “Leo, you seem to have a natural talent for swordplay, my boy. We’ll, keep training this.”

Both twins gave short nods. “Yes, Father,” said Leo with a pant. Sweat beaded on their foreheads.

From the edge of the yard, Lucina glanced toward them, pride softening her eyes. “They seem to be learning quickly.”

“Yes,” Solan replied, watching the twins intently. “Maybe too quickly,” he chucked

“Right, now you, young lady.” Solan proclaimed, gesturing toward a bow and a set of arrows that lay on the lawn. “Time for a final judgment of your archery skills, Linae.” She turned and grabbed her equipment from the grass and raised her bow and readied it, facing towards some targets set up at the end of the courtyard.

“Aim for those and use regular arrows first, then you can try with magic ones, okay, Linae?” Solan said. She nodded toward him and focused her attention on the target while pulling back the bowstring.

The first shot flew past the target and broke upon clashing with the stone garden wall. She let out a breath of air, then readied the next arrow. This time, it hit the target right in the center of the wooden makeshift bullseye, splintering it upon impact.

“Did you enhance that one?” her father asked. “Uhm, yeah, I used a strengthening incantation on that arrow,”

“Alright then, now try some magic shots. You need to be prepared for anything if you really want to go to Liruna on your own.”

Linae took a deep breath, then from her fingertips holding the bowstring came forth a glowing yellow arrow. “Heavenly light, bend to my will, HEAVENS SHOT!”

Right then, the arrow flew from the bow and destroyed the next target with an explosion of mana. A yellow mist of mana hung in the air for a moment, then Linae went again, only this time conjuring five arrows. They hit the next three targets beside the last one, blowing them up, too.

“Whoo! How was that for a shot? She boasted.

Everyone stood there, impressed with her performance. The kids clapped, and Lucina had a proud look on her face. Solan cleared his throat and stepped over to Linae. “That was quite well done, my daughter,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, yet she now stood at his height of around 180cm

She lowered her bow and bowed towards him, “Thank you, father. Will you now give me your blessing to leave?”

He thought for a moment and then replied, “Yes, you can go, but I’ll have Alten escort you to the capital, and then you can make the rest of the way there on your own.”

She raised her head and embraced him around the neck with one arm. “I’ll be careful, Dad,” she said

Linae pulled back from Solan’s embrace, her smile bright but her eyes shimmering faintly. Lucina approached then, placing both hands gently on her daughter’s cheeks. “Your journey begins tomorrow. Remember what I’ve taught you. Your magic, your heart, your dignity as a Kazantria. But above all, remember that you will always have a home here to return to.”

“Yes, Mother,” Linae whispered, eyes teary.

A silence lingered before Lucina clapped her hands lightly. “Come, enough training for one day. Lilibeth must have finished preparing lunch. Let’s eat outside, the weather is too fine to waste.”

The family gathered in the garden beneath the shade of tall trees. A blanket had been spread across the grass, and baskets of food were laid out: fresh bread, cheeses, ripe berries, and a roast chicken that Lilibeth had carved into neat slices. The smell filled the air, carried on the breeze.

They sat together cross-legged, no formality, just family. The twins dug in eagerly. Leo held a drumstick with both hands, while Lea tried to steal one of Linae’s berries, making her sister laugh.

“You two are just as much trouble as when you were toddlers,” Linae teased.

“And you’ll miss us when you’re gone,” Lea shot back with a grin, though her tone faltered at the end.

Solan tore off a piece of bread, his deep voice softer than usual. “Your sister’s right, Linae. You’ll miss even their mischief.”

Lucina chuckled, though her gaze lingered on all three of her children. For a while, the family simply ate, enjoying the moment, the sound of laughter and birdsong mingling together. It was the kind of afternoon they would all remember long after it had passed.

That evening, the manor quieted. The twins no longer shared the same room—now each had their own, as their parents said it was fitting at their age.

Leo lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling beams. The lantern on his bedside table had burned low, casting long shadows across the room. He rolled onto his side, listening. Through the wall, he could almost sense his sister lying awake too.

His chest felt heavy. Tomorrow, Linae will be gone.

He shut his eyes, but memories came rushing in, ones such as Linae guiding his small hands on a staff when he was younger, Linae scolding him gently when he had tripped and bruised his knee, Linae staying up late to tell them little stories about past heroes and when their parents were busy—all the little things that her presence brought.

In her own room, Lea lay curled on her side, gazing at the faint silver of moonlight spilling through the window. She remembered Linae brushing her hair neatly, her laughter echoing in the halls, and recalled how she always slipped them treats from the kitchen when Lilibeth wasn’t looking.

Her throat tightened. The thought of mornings without Linae felt like something was being carved out of her life, and being replaced with a gaping hole in her heart.

Both twins blinked against tears that welled up, neither sobbing aloud, but both knowing what the other felt.

In the quiet of their separate rooms, they whispered the same words into the dark:

“I’ll miss you, sister Linae.”

The next morning came too quickly. The manor was still cloaked in a morning fog, dew clutched the garden grass, and the air was cool. When the household gathered in the courtyard, a carriage stood waiting at the gates. Alten mounted nearby upon his horse, his crimson hair now with white strands damp from the early fog.

Linae stood before the family, her travel cloak draped over her shoulders, her bow slung across her back, and a small pack fastened at her side. She wore long brown boots and a cream-colored skirt with leather straps holding the pouch at her side and a metal breastplate on top of her shirt. Though she tried to keep her expression calm, her hands lingered at her waist, fidgeting as though to hold back her own nerves.

Lucina stepped forward first. She cupped her daughter’s cheeks gently, her hazel eyes soft yet shining with pride. “Oh, Linae… my little girl. It feels as though you were still just a child clinging to my gowns yesterday, and now you stand before me as a woman.”

“Mother…” Linae’s voice wavered. She leaned forward, burying her face briefly against Lucina’s shoulder. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

Solan placed a firm hand on his daughter’s shoulder. His face was stern, but his eyes betrayed a quiet sorrow. “Walk your path with honor. Keep your blade and arrows sharp, and your wits sharper. Remember what I taught you—and remember, too, that we will always love you and be waiting here.”

“Yes, Father.” She bowed her head, her lips pressed thin to keep steady.

Then came the twins.

Lea rushed forward first, her arms wrapping tight around Linae’s waist. "I'll miss you,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly

Linae bent down, hugging her tightly. “You’ll be fine, Lea. You’re stronger than you think. You have Mother, and you have Leo. And one day, we'll see each other again, I promise."

Leo stepped closer, fists clenched. His throat was tight, words hard to form, but he forced them out. “I’ll train every day… so that when you come back, I’ll be stronger. Strong enough to duel with you for real.”

Linae’s lips curved into a trembling smile. She placed a hand gently on his head, ruffling his short blond hair. “Then I’ll be waiting for that. Don’t let me down, little brother.”

Behind them, Alten cleared his throat quietly. The time had come.

Linae drew back, her cloak shifting as she lifted her pack. “I’ll write when I reach Liruna,” she said, her voice steadier now, though her eyes glistened. “Farewell.”

As she turned toward the carriage, the twins’ hands lingered on hers until the last possible moment, slipping away only when distance forced it.

Alten offered a respectful nod to the family before steering the horse forward, the carriage creaking into motion behind him.

The Kazantria family stood in silence, watching as Linae’s figure grew smaller down the misty road, until at last the carriage vanished from sight.

Lea’s small hand found Leo’s, their fingers intertwining. The courtyard felt emptier than it ever had before.

The Festival of Renewal would come soon, but for the twins, the meaning of Athnea’s arc was already clear. Endings and beginnings walked hand in hand, and so began a new chapter of their lives.