Serelienne leaned back against the ancient oak pillar of the guildhall, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Her gaze had not left Raelus since the duel ended.
He stood at the training field's edge, barefoot and humming, feeding a stunned pigeon half of a muffin he'd conjured from somewhere.
A walking contradiction.
She had fought warlords, monsters, even a corrupted archmage once.
None had confused her like this boy.
And yet… she couldn't look away.
She approached, finally breaking the silence.
"You're not registered to any noble house," she repeated, eyeing him.
"Nope!" Raelus beamed. "Never met a noble till today, I think."
Serelienne narrowed her eyes. "Where were you raised?"
Raelus tilted his head innocently. "Sanctuary."
She frowned. "That could mean anything. Sanctuary of what?"
"Oh, uh…" He scratched the back of his head. "It didn't really have a name. It was this floating island hidden in a mist barrier above a giant waterfall. Lots of birds. Really good fruit."
She stared.
"I was raised by the Divine Beasts," he added casually.
The world paused.
"…Excuse me?" she said, voice sharp, still thinking he was joking.
Raelus nodded cheerfully. "All sixteen of them. They took turns. Nyx'Zari used to read me bedtime stories made of shadows. Vaerokh taught me how to fly. Zephyrael made sure I never skipped breakfast."
Serelienne went utterly still.
Her fingers twitched toward her weapon. Not in threat. In instinct. Like someone had just said they were raised by the stars themselves.
"You… what did you just say?"
Raelus blinked. "I was raised by the Divine Beasts. You know, the Veilmother, Stormfang, Bloommother… all of them."
She took a step back.
"No one has seen a Divine Beast in over a decade. Not even the kings and queens of the major races. And you're saying they raised you? All sixteen?"
Raelus nodded.
"And… your parents?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
Raelus looked to the sky, smile softening.
"They died saving the world. A long time ago. From something… really bad."
Her heartbeat skipped.
"And who… were they?"
Raelus exhaled gently.
"My mother was the last dragon queen. My father… was the demon king."
The guildhall fell into absolute stillness.
No wind. No sound.
Even the clouds above paused their drift, as if the world itself needed a moment.
Serelienne stumbled back a step, nearly tripping on the uneven stone. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Dragons and demonkin had vanished sixteen years ago. Believed dead, extinct, wiped out during the cataclysmic final war against the Void Cult. Some claimed divine punishment. Others whispered forbidden magic.
But this boy—this child—claimed both bloodlines.
That meant…
"You're…" she breathed. "You're him, aren't you?"
Raelus tilted his head. "Him?"
"The child they swore never existed. The one the cult feared. The one the gods fought to protect. The Godborn."
Raelus gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah. That's me, I think. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier. I didn't know it was a big deal."
Serelienne was on her knees before she realized it, eyes wide, heart thundering.
She had dueled him.
Mocked him.
Tried to teach him.
And he'd held back.
She laughed softly, almost deliriously.
"You absolute… beautiful… terrifying fool."
Raelus blinked. "Huh?"
"You don't know anything about this world, do you?"
"Nope!"
She buried her face in her hands.
"Gods help us all."
⸻
The air in the Guild Hall's back office had settled—quiet but heavy. It wasn't awkward silence, exactly. More like the calm before a storm no one had predicted.
Raelus sat cross-legged on a plush chair, spinning his brand-new adventurer badge between his fingers. The sunlight caught the flameglass just right, casting golden sparkles across the walls like miniature stars. He giggled at the way they danced.
Serelienne, on the other hand, stood with her arms folded, leaning against the doorframe. Her golden eyes hadn't left him once.
Not since he casually dropped the biggest world-shaking revelation she'd heard in her entire career.
Raised by Divine Beasts.
Plural.
A part of her still thought it had to be a joke. Maybe some miscommunication or exaggerated fairy tale memory from a naive, overpowered prodigy.
But nothing about Raelus felt like a liar.
He was too… genuine. Too painfully honest.
"You're quiet," he said, tilting his head. "Do you need a muffin? I heard those help with thinking."
"I—no. I don't need a muffin, Raelus." Her voice cracked slightly as she exhaled and pushed off the wall. "I need answers. But more than that, you need context."
"Yay, story time!"
She didn't smile.
"Raelus."
"Mhm?"
"You cannot go around telling people you're the child of a dragon and a demon."
"…Why not?"
"Because that would be like telling a hungry wyvern you're made of steak and magic."
Raelus blinked.
"Oh. That sounds… painful."
"Exactly."
She stepped forward, her tone shifting into that sharp, serious cadence she rarely used.
"You're strong. That much is clear. But this world—our world—is not as kind as the forest you grew up in. The dragon and demon races vanished sixteen years ago. Gone. Erased. Most think they were wiped out."
Raelus's brows knit together.
"But they weren't. At least not all of them. My parents—"
"Your existence means that isn't true," she cut in, voice low. "But no one else knows that. And if certain people find out? You'll have bounty hunters, religious zealots, and power-hungry nobles crawling out of every hole from here to the Obsidian Sands."
He frowned, playing with his tail awkwardly.
"So… maybe just tell people I'm a beastman hybrid?"
"That's exactly what people will assume, and for now, that's a good thing. Let them."
"…Alright."
Serelienne sat across from him, her posture softening a little.
"You can trust some people in time. But for now—keep it quiet, alright?"
Raelus nodded solemnly. "Okay. I promise."
She let out a slow breath, then pulled a scroll from a nearby case and unfurled it across the table. A massive map bloomed outward—richly inked with intricate borders, sigils, and elemental patterns carved into paper.
"Now. Let's get you caught up on where the hell you actually are."
Raelus's eyes sparkled. "Ohhhh, it's pretty."
"This is the known world," she began, tapping the center of the parchment. "Sixteen major kingdoms. Each ruled by one of the ancient races. Some cooperate. Others feud. But all hold territory, culture, and power."
"Sixteen…?" He leaned in, eyes bouncing across the names and sigils.
"Elves, dwarves, humans, oni, fairies, beastfolk, firefolk, frostfolk, merfolk, shadowkin, dragonkin, demonkin…" She continued listing, pointing to each region as she went. "Each race has a kingdom. And each kingdom has a Divine Beast tied to its bloodline. Some are worshipped. Others serve as protectors. Most haven't been seen in decades."
Raelus tapped the eastern border. "This one's where we are, right? Virellia?"
"Correct. Human kingdom. Militarized. Known for valor, honor, and a deep mistrust of outsiders."
"Uh oh."
"Relax. You passed your test. Most of them think you're just a beastman prodigy."
Raelus chuckled nervously. "Close enough."
Serelienne pointed to the heart of the map—where all the kingdom lines converged into a central spiral.
"This… is Academis."
Raelus tilted his head. "That's not a kingdom?"
"No. It's neutral territory. Built centuries ago by the gods themselves—or so the legends say. It houses the Grand Academy—the most elite school for magic, swordsmanship, enchantment, and higher arts."
He gasped.
"Is it big?"
"Big enough that it has three floating campuses, a portal gate system, and admission standards so strict, even nobles have to fight for entry."
His hands flailed dramatically.
"I need to go there!"
She raised a brow. "Why?"
"I wanna learn everything! Languages! Sword dances! Muffin baking! Firestorms! All of it!"
She couldn't help the quiet laugh that slipped out. "Gods, you're a menace."
Raelus grinned. "The best kind."
Serelienne leaned back and let the silence settle again. But this time, it wasn't heavy.
It was the quiet of a new beginning.
A dangerous one.
But full of promise.
And in her gut, she knew…
The world wouldn't stay the same for long.
Not now that he was in it.
⸻
End of chapter 16 "The Weight of Truth"