Behind them, the same portal shimmered faintly, its crimson glow shrinking more and more with each passing second. In front of them stood Selene—stunning, like a perfect reflection of her daughter Liseria, but with a power far more imposing. She was strength incarnate, and no one could deny it. A woman who had risen above countless men and ruled over them with unshakable command. Her very presence was proof of her might.
Surely, she had endured tremendous prejudice to reach such a height. What once was a dream had been seized by her bare hands and forged into reality. And yet, when Kael looked into her face… he saw not pride, nor warmth, but an unsettling stillness—perhaps even a total absence of emotion.
"Mother!" Liseria cried, rushing into her arms.
Selene greeted her with a serene smile and embraced her gently. But something felt off. Silvana, strangely, didn't bow to her superior. She simply stood, smiling, then stepped forward.
"Hello, sister."
Kael froze.
Selene smiled and nodded in silence.
Then, her eyes shifted to Kael with subtle curiosity. Kael instinctively bowed, still overwhelmed.
Silvana spoke up. "Sister, this is Kael. His story is long… He's an orphan born in the lower tier. He's lived there all his life, and this is his first time stepping into the middle tier. I found him near one of the breaches and chose to adopt him. He'll assist us during the Blood Season."
Kael remained kneeling, head lowered. Selene observed him quietly, then turned back to Silvana with a faint smile.
Silvana chuckled. Liseria blushed.
"What do you mean, Mother?" she asked, flustered.
'They're speaking through internal pulses…' Kael realized, suddenly feeling like an outsider.
They continued their silent exchange for a while before Silvana brought Kael forward. Selene reached out and placed a hand over his chest, then touched his hair with surprising gentleness. Kael looked up, confused.
"She says, 'Welcome to the family,'" Silvana translated softly.
"Thank you, my Lady. I'll do all I can to serve the family," Kael replied respectfully.
Silvana and Liseria both laughed lightly. Selene's expression remained calm and unchanged.
"Don't carry too much alone—that's the purpose of family," Silvana said, her voice tender. Then she paused and turned slightly red.
"Ahem… you can call me Mother now. Since I adopted you… that's what it means, doesn't it?"
Kael looked at her for a moment, then smiled gently.
"Alright, Mother."
Silvana looked away in embarrassment, but her heart bloomed with silent joy.
After that, Liseria went to her room while Kael followed Silvana on a brief tour of the estate. She explained the key locations to him and their purpose, beginning with the central hall, which served as the family's gathering place for major meetings.
The estate was vast, surrounded by towering walls. Inside, large houses stood—residences for the guards and high-ranking members of the Kaldras family. At the center of the courtyard loomed a colossal fortress. Though it wasn't the only one, it was certainly the grandest. It seemed to be designed for combat training. Each of its fifteen floors contained large private chambers, where one could train in peace without interruptions. The threads surrounding the rooms were reinforced with protective energy to minimize structural damage. But if a room were ever compromised, the fighter could simply ascend to the next floor, where even more powerful energy awaited.
What caught Kael's attention most, however, was the overwhelming number of women compared to men.
"Why are there so few men here?" he asked as they strolled through the courtyard.
Silvana hesitated, a flicker of discomfort on her face.
"Well… When my sister took control, many of the soldiers abandoned the estate. The number continues to decline. Only a few workers remain—those who hoped that, because she's a woman, her rule would be more lenient. My sister has executed many traitors, yet the disloyalty hasn't stopped. Strangely, even some of the women left—either with their husbands, brothers, or fathers. Others simply couldn't accept a woman as their ruler. Nearly sixty percent of the estate's population is gone."
She smiled faintly, but sorrow touched her voice.
"It's true—my sister was never cruel by nature. But life shaped her into who she is. She was gifted since childhood. She defeated every opponent, shattered every standard. Her bloodline was the purest. Yet no one celebrated her. Our parents died when we were still young—I was three, and she was seven. After their deaths, we were abandoned by everyone. All because of her talent.
"It's a cruel irony, isn't it? That being strong drives people away, when it should be the reason you're nurtured and cherished. But she was isolated. She did everything with her own hands—trained, fought, endured. They even barred her from attending the academy, yet that never stopped her."
Silvana paused, her voice heavy with unspoken grief.
"Despite all that, I never lacked food or clothing. She even brought me gifts. I was aware, even as a child, that something wasn't right—every other child ran from me. I never saw anyone smile at me, not once in my entire childhood. Maybe not even in my whole life.
"When she reached the fourth stage, she could no longer progress through traditional means. Our family refused to support her. The only way forward was through the gates. By then, I had already reached the second stage with her help—she taught me everything, even secrets about the next phases.
"She left, after much hesitation… and disappeared for ten years. When she returned, she shocked everyone by having reached the sixth stage. She overthrew the family head—our uncle. But instead of simply dethroning him, she did something far worse. With a single word, she condemned him to torment himself every day, against his own will."
Kael was stunned. He couldn't imagine such a thing—how could someone force themselves into endless suffering? When he'd met Selene, she hadn't spoken a single word. He'd assumed she was mute. But now… he stayed silent, overwhelmed by the weight of the story.
Silvana glanced at him softly.
"Come on. Didn't I tell you I'm your mother now? You don't have to hide your thoughts from me. Of course—only if you're comfortable with that."
"N-no, it's not that," Kael replied. "I just… wanted to ask why Lady Selene doesn't speak."
She smiled gently.
"It's not that she can't speak. She chooses not to."
Kael blinked in surprise, but Silvana continued.
"To advance beyond the fourth stage, one must enter the gates and face a trial. If they survive, they ascend—and in the process, the gate grants them a power. My sister's gift was something called The Word is Supreme. When she utters a command, the listener's bloodline obeys."
Kael's eyes widened.
"But… can't someone just block their ears and ignore her?"
She chuckled.
"It's not the ears that listen—it's the bloodline itself."
'That's terrifying,' Kael thought. For some reason, a strange question drifted through his mind. He didn't even know if it was truly his own thought.
Can a power like that be stolen?
They stopped in front of a modest-looking building.
"This will be your home from now on," Silvana said gently. "All the children of the family stay here. Rest for today—I'll return tomorrow to complete the rites. Here's the key to your room—number 276."
Kael bowed to her before stepping inside. The halls echoed with the lively noise of children. Rooms lined both sides, and as he walked past, many of the children stared at him curiously, whispering among themselves.
He climbed to the second floor and found his room, directly across from another. The interior was simple and slightly cramped—just a table against the wall, a wardrobe, and a bunk bed.
A boy was already sitting on the lower bunk, reading a book. As soon as Kael entered, the boy noticed him and stood up, smiling. He was wearing a tight-fitting, all-black training outfit that clung slightly to his frame, emphasizing his lean muscles—unlike Kael's slim and underfed body. The boy looked strong, yet still retained a gentle, handsome appearance, with black hair and striking silver eyes. He reached out his hand.
"Hey there. Are you my new roommate?"
******
Back in the grand hall of the Kaldras estate, the air remained heavy and silent. Selene and Silvana stood speaking, but their conversation was held through internal pulses. The atmosphere was cold, serious.
"We don't know anything about him," Selene said quietly. "That alone is reason enough to be cautious. He could be one of them."
Silvana hesitated, her expression conflicted.
"But isn't that a bit harsh? What if he's not… one of them?"
Selene placed a hand gently on her sister's arm, offering a small, knowing smile.
"If that's the case, he'll understand. We'll only use it in a critical situation—and we can remove it once we're certain of his loyalty. He doesn't even need to know it exists."
Silvana nodded slowly, though uncertainty still lingered in her eyes.