The Bear Realm

Amal opened her eyes, confused. She was lying in a soft bed, covered in warm blankets. A strange wooden ceiling was above her, and the smell of herbs filled the air.

"Am I dead...?" she whispered.

"No," came a familiar voice.

She turned and saw Exile seated beside her. His body was still wounded—wrapped in bloodstained cloth—but he refused medical attention.

"My apologies," he said, voice calm yet fierce. "But no, you're not in heaven. You're in the Bear Realm."

Before Amal could respond, a door slammed open.

"You left... and brought this human dirt back here?" a powerful voice roared.

A tall woman entered the room. She wore a long fur cloak made of silver and black, and her eyes burned with regal fury. Her voice carried the weight of a ruler: The Queen of the Bear Realm.

"She's not dirt!" Exile snapped. "And you don't have to say 'mother' like that."

Amal blinked. That's his mother? The queen?

Unsure what to do, she stood up slowly, bowed, and said, "I'm sorry for my presence, Your Queenness."

The queen raised an eyebrow. "At least you show manners." She then turned to her son. "Go to the healing tents, Exile. You're still bleeding."

Exile clenched his jaw. "I can't leave her."

"Why not?"

Before he could answer, Amal spoke up. "Go before you die, idiot."

The queen gasped. "Did you just call my son—the future king of this land—an idiot?"

Guards stepped forward.

"Wait!" Exile said quickly. "Don't forget—she saved my life."

The queen paused, then waved her hand. "Fine. But you—go get treated."

Exile gave Amal a final look and left. The heavy doors shut behind him.

The queen turned her gaze back to Amal. Her voice was like ice. "Think carefully, little girl. My son already has a chosen partner. Do not get any ideas."

Amal raised her chin. "First of all, I have no idea what you're talking about. And second... you might be the queen of this land, but I'm not from this land."

---

The tension broke when the door opened again. An old man entered the room. His robe flowed behind him, and his white beard almost touched the floor.

"Oh, great," the queen muttered. "Now what do you want?"

"I've come to kill the human," the old man said coldly. "Before it kills us."

"She protected my son. You may not touch her," the queen said sharply.

The old man ignored her and walked to Amal. He narrowed his eyes as if he saw something around her.

"Hmph. Darkness follows you," he murmured.

"Who are you?" Amal asked.

"I am Sarper, Master of the Five Colors of Ash," he said with a small bow. "And you... thank you for helping my student."

Then, without warning, Sarper vanished into thin air.

The queen rolled her eyes. "I hate that man."

---

Later, Amal rested and drifted into a deep nap. But her dreams were not peaceful.

A dark figure appeared in her sleep, speaking in a voice that rumbled like thunder.

> "Time to wake up."

She gasped awake.

Exile was at her side again, now fully healed.

"Si's army will be here in four weeks," he said seriously.

Amal sat up. "Then where do we train?"

Sarper reappeared from the shadows. "With me."

He led them outside to a wide clearing in the forest. But this wasn't just a clearing—it was stunning.

Waterfalls poured into glowing lakes, rare animals roamed freely, and the air smelled of fresh herbs and burning ash.

"This… this is beautiful," Amal whispered.

Sarper nodded. "Now, we begin."

---

Meanwhile…

On a distant cliff, Xei opened his eyes, finishing his meditation. His body radiated power. Shi stood nearby, arms folded, watching silently.

"How do you feel?" Shi asked.

Xei cracked his neck. "Much better."

He picked up a small stone from the ground. Calmly, he threw it toward a mountain in the distance.

BOOM.

The mountain cracked and shattered.

Shi gave a rare smirk. "Impressive."

---

Elsewhere…

Sai and Tai were far out in the sea, submerged in cold water. On their backs were enormous boulders—like mountains—crushing their spines as they held their breath.

"You'll be the first to fall," Tai muttered, sweat and seawater dripping down his face.

Sai grinned. "You mean you, right?"

The two brothers glared at each other beneath the waves, refusing to break first.

Their training was far from over