Aubrelle pressed her fingers gently over her blindfold, breath trembling.

"I never asked for this scar…" she whispered. "…but at least once—someone wasn't afraid of it."

Pipin chirped—soft, comforting. Aubrelle exhaled… and let the memory pull her under.

Her mind drifted back—years and years back—

to the night everything changed.

————————————————————————————

The Rosenthal estate glowed with soft evening light. Summoning lanterns hovered in gentle arcs, pale blues and violets drifting like sleepy fireflies. Spirit wisps floated freely between the gardens, humming quiet little tunes only the magically attuned could hear.

Eight-year-old Aubrelle sat atop a cushioned stool in her mother's room, feet dangling, while Lady Evelyne au Rosenthal coaxed a comb through her long blonde hair. Evelyne's reflection—green eyes tender, smile serene—shone in the mirror before them.

"Hold still, blossom," Evelyne said gently. "Your hair tangles faster than I can brush it."

Aubrelle giggled. "Maybe it doesn't like brushes."

"Then I shall persuade it," her mother replied, voice soft as silk.

Aubrelle grinned at her own reflection. Her golden hair shone a little brighter whenever her mother touched it—Evelyne's mana always responded to those she loved.

The door creaked.

"Are you two conspiring against the rest of us again?"

Eldric au Rosenthal, thirteen and already taller than most kids his age, leaned against the doorframe with folded arms and a cocky smirk. His brown hair was messy, as always, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Aubrelle brightened. "Eldric! Mama says my hair listens to her."

"That's because everything listens to her," Eldric said, stepping inside. "Even the spirits."

Almost on cue, a cluster of tiny light-motes drifted in through the open balcony—hovering lazily around Aubrelle's head before circling Eldric like curious bees.

He snorted. "See? They like you more."

Evelyne laughed softly. "They like both of you. They simply show affection differently."

Aubrelle reached out, letting a motes settle briefly on her palm before fluttering away. She smiled—bright, innocent, unburdened.

"Mama," she asked suddenly, "do you think I'll summon a familiar soon?"

Evelyne's hand paused for a heartbeat—then continued its gentle motion.

"I think," she said warmly, "that when the time comes… your familiar will choose you."

Aubrelle beamed.

Eldric ruffled her hair, earning a sharp glare from Evelyne.

"Eldric," Evelyne scolded lightly, "I just brushed that."

"Worth it," he grinned.

Eldric's mischievous grin was still on his face when it happened.

CRACK.

A sharp, crystalline snap rippled through the estate walls.

Evelyne's hand froze.

Aubrelle's smile disappeared.

Another CRACK followed—louder this time. The resonance crystals embedded in the ceiling flickered, their glow dimming and flaring in uneven pulses.

Eldric straightened instantly. "Mama, what's that?"

Before Evelyne could respond, footsteps erupted in the corridor outside—guards shouting orders, hurried boots slamming against the marble floors. The entire estate shifted into movement.

Aubrelle pressed closer to her mother, instinct tightening her small shoulders. "Mama… what's happening?"

Evelyne's fingers touched Aubrelle's back lightly—a gesture meant to soothe, even as her own posture stiffened.

The door burst open.

A Rosenthal servant stumbled inside, breathless and pale.

"My Lady—! A Rift has opened at the northern boundary!"

Eldric's eyes widened. "A Rift? Here?"

Evelyne's face shifted into calm authority—calm like a blade sheathed, not safe but controlled.

"How large?" she asked.

The servant swallowed. "Bigger than the average Rift. The perimeter guards reported creatures emerging already. They've signaled full alert."

Aubrelle felt a cold pulse run through her. Evelyne immediately pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her. "It's alright, Aubrelle. I've got you."

Outside, the hallway shook as another distant roar echoed—deep, guttural, inhuman.

Eldric stepped back toward the door, determination setting into his features. "Mother—should I—"

"Find your father," Evelyne commanded firmly. "Tell him the Rift is active and that more could appear."

Eldric nodded and sprinted out of the room.

Evelyne lifted Aubrelle into her arms with practiced ease. "We're evacuating the children. Now."

The servant bowed and ran off to alert the others.

Aubrelle clung to her mother tightly, voice trembling. "Mama… that sound… what was it?"

Evelyne held her a little closer as she moved swiftly down the corridor.

"…A creature from the Void," she whispered, her steps never faltering.

The emergency hall roared with noise—boots slamming, children crying, elders shouting instructions. The Rosenthal estate, normally a place of serene summons and drifting familiars, now trembled under chaos.

Evelyne set Aubrelle down but kept her close, her hand never leaving the girl's shoulder. "Stay with me. Do not wander."

Aubrelle nodded, though her hands shook.

Across the hall, a dozen resonance-crystals projected the sight from airborne familiars patrolling the borders. Aubrelle's gaze was instinctively drawn upward—toward one crystal showing a hawk's frantic view.

Her breath hitched.

Through the hawk's eyes, she saw them.

Figures emerging from the Rift like nightmares given shape—

Tall, faceless humanoids, pale-skinned and stretched unnaturally thin.

Dogs without skin, muscles rippling grotesquely, jaws too wide.

Shadow-like crawlers dragging themselves over stone, leaving darkness wherever they touched.

Aubrelle's small fingers curled into her dress. "Mama… those things…"

"I see them," Evelyne said quietly, voice tight but steady. "Do not look away. Understanding the threat makes us stronger."

Another distant BOOM shook the hall.

The protective dome surrounding the Rosenthal territory—normally a shimmering blue veil—flashed violently through the windows.

Crack.

Crack.

CRRRR-KSH.

The shield shattered.

A shockwave rippled through the ground, knocking several children off balance.

Gasps and screams filled the air.

Then—

SKITTER-SKSH.

A small creature—no taller than Aubrelle—scrambled through the broken archway leading into the hall.

A Void Snapper: bulbous head, needle-like teeth, limbs twisted at strange angles, its pale body twitching with unnatural spasms.

Children screamed.

Aubrelle froze.

The Snapper lunged—

Evelyne moved first.

Her hand carved a smooth, practiced arc through the air—a silent summoner's gesture. A circle of white light bloomed behind her.

From it leapt a luminous stag, antlers made of pure radiance, hooves glowing like sunlit gold.

The creature crashed into the Snapper mid-air.

THWUMP—CRACK!

The Snapper shattered into particles of black ash.

The white stag landed gracefully beside Evelyne, lowering its head in silent readiness, light pulsing through its body like a heartbeat.

"Mama…" Aubrelle whispered, awe mixing with terror.

Evelyne didn't turn.

Her eyes were locked on the entrance, on the encroaching darkness beyond.

"Stay behind me," she instructed, calm but unyielding. "No matter what."

Around them, children sobbed and clung to caretakers.

Aubrelle trembled too—yet she stood, small fists clenched, trying to mimic even a fraction of her mother's steadiness.

The Void had reached their home and hall shook again—harder this time.

Not from a single Rift…

but from several.

Outside, the air cracked like breaking glass.

KRSH—KRSH—KRSH!

Tiny tears in reality opened across the estate grounds, spitting out more Void Creatures. Dozens. Then hundreds. The crystal feeds flickered wildly, struggling to keep up with the sudden explosion of movement.

Children screamed louder. Caretakers tightened their hold.

Evelyne pulled Aubrelle closer, one arm around her shoulder, the luminous stag planted protectively in front of them.

Marie pressed the two infants—barely one and two years old—against her chest, trembling but shielding them with her body. Renia stood behind her, whispering protective incantations.

Eldric took a stance beside them, fists clenched, jaw locked.

He was only thirteen—but a budding summoner, and determined not to break.

A roar cut through the chaos.

Aubrelle recognized that voice.

Her heart leapt.

"Father!"

Thaleon stormed into the hall from the outer corridor, his cloak whipping behind him, his face carved with battle-readiness. His mana flared the moment he stepped inside.

And behind him—

Two titanic summons forced their way through the entrance.

A blazing obsidian bull, molten cracks running along its horns, every step sending embers scattering across the marble floor.

And beside it, a six-winged serpent, scales shifting between sapphire and silver, its wings leaving trails of shimmering frost.

Together, they radiated such overwhelming presence that even the Void Creatures outside hesitated.

Thaleon's voice boomed. "Defensive line—FORM UP! All elders to the front! Protect the young and the healers!

The hall erupted into motion.

Rosenthal summoners rushed past, using skills and calling their own familiars—wolves made of mist, stone-armored lions, falcons woven from pure mana.

Void creatures began tearing through the outer courtyard.

The obsidian bull lowered its massive head and charged, fire exploding across the entrance.

The winged serpent launched skyward, releasing arcs of freezing air that crystallized shadows mid-leap.

Evelyne never released Aubrelle's hand.

"Stay close," she murmured. "Do not run, no matter what."

Aubrelle nodded, breath shaky.

A resonance crystal beside them flickered—showing the vision from Thaleon's main aerial familiar:

Flareback, the crimson gryphon.

Through its eyes, Aubrelle saw the battlefield:

Explosions of color.

Void creatures shredding the earth.

Rosenthal summons clashing with Void Creatures.

Light and shadow colliding like two storms trying to devour each other.

Aubrelle watched in horrified awe.

She had never witnessed war—not truly.

Flareback dove, talons tearing through a faceless humanoid twice its size.

The shockwave hit the hall.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

Another crash—closer. The defenses were breaking. Even with the bull, the serpent, and dozens of summons… the Void kept pouring in.

Elders shouted orders. Eldric wiped his tears and stood taller. Marie rocked the babies, trying to calm them. Renia summoned a barrier of blue vines. Evelyne held Aubrelle steady, eyes burning.

Aubrelle felt the estate fighting for its life.

And losing ground.

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