Chapter 28 — The Orb’s Gift

Kai’s eyes flickered open. He found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, the faint glow of enchanted candles lighting the room.

Slowly, he sat up, expecting pain to stab through his body—yet nothing came. No wounds, no scars, not even the gaping hole Vorath had left in his shoulder. His body felt… whole. Strong.

He pushed the sheets aside and stood, only to realize something else. His clothes were gone.

“How annoying,” Kai muttered, glancing down at himself. “At least I still have pants.”

His weapons were nowhere in sight either. The only thing he found was his bag, and inside it, his book. He sighed in relief.

The door creaked open. Selene stepped inside, crimson eyes widening when she saw him standing.

“Kai…!” She dropped everything and rushed forward, throwing her arms around him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I thought I lost you. You were unconscious for four days… don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“You’re holding me too tight,” Kai said flatly. “Let go. And… where am I?”

Selene sniffled, pulling back but still clinging to his sleeve. “You’re in Noctis. My castle. After you collapsed, I… became queen. Vorath’s blood gave me his throne.”

Kai tilted his head slightly. “Good for you. Now… where are my clothes?”

“They were ruined, covered in blood,” Selene replied. She summoned a maid, who bowed and explained the new garments were still being tailored. For now, they handed him a plain shirt.

Kai slipped it on without complaint. “This’ll do. I’m going to look around.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Selene asked, trailing after him.

“The treasury.”

Selene blinked. “Of course you are…” She guided him through the halls, servants bowing as they passed.

When they reached the royal treasury, Kai’s sharp eyes scanned every chest, jewel, and relic. Then something caught his attention: a red orb inscribed with runes. He picked it up.

“Selene, do you know what this is?”

She shook her head. “An artifact, maybe. I’ve never seen it before.”

Before they could speculate further, the orb began to glow. Bright light flooded the room, forcing Kai to shield his eyes. When it dimmed, Selene gasped.

“Kai… look at yourself.” She grabbed a mirror from a nearby stand and held it up.

Kai leaned closer. His reflection stared back—older, taller, his frame more defined. His muscles were sharper, his jaw stronger. He looked less like a boy, more like someone several years older.

The orb in his hand turned black, its glow gone. Kai slipped it into his bag without a word.

“You’re not even shocked?!” Selene sputtered, still staring at him.

“I want a bath,” Kai replied casually, already walking away.

Selene followed, muttering under her breath.

In the castle baths, Kai stripped down and sank into the warm water. A rare sigh escaped his lips. “My body really has changed…” he thought, flexing his hands. His strength felt different, deeper, like his mana was reshaped.

Footsteps echoed behind him. He turned his head—Selene stood there wrapped in a towel. Without hesitation, she slipped into the bath beside him.

“What are you doing?” Kai asked, expression flat.

“I wanted to join you,” she said sweetly.

“No. Get out.”

Selene pouted. “I just wanted to wash your back.”

“…Fine. Do it. But don’t try anything weird.”

She grinned in triumph. Gently, she ran a cloth across his back. “Your body really has changed. Your shoulders are broader, your muscles tighter. You’re taller too.”

“Don’t turn around,” she added with a playful whisper.

“I wasn’t going to,” Kai said bluntly.

When they finished, they headed back to the royal chambers. Along the way, guards and maids bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty,” they said to Selene. Some whispered to each other as Kai passed.

“It’s him. The boy who defeated King Vorath.”

“But… doesn’t he look older? Different?”

Inside the room, Kai found new clothes laid out, though they no longer fit his altered frame. His weapons, however, remained untouched.

“I’ll forge a new ninjatō,” Kai muttered. “A bigger one.”

Selene hugged him from behind. The embrace felt different now—he was taller, stronger.

“You used to be so small. Just a thirteen-year-old boy. Now look at you.” She rested her cheek on his back. “Whatever that orb did to you… we need to find out.”

Kai glanced down at the blackened artifact in his bag. His eyes narrowed.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “We do.”