Chapter 12: A New Path Unfolds

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the faces around me. Though I sat among them, wrapped in a cloak borrowed from one of the merchants, I felt like an outsider. Their conversations flowed easily, filled with laughter and the occasional curse about the rough roads ahead. I kept quiet, listening, learning.

The scarred man, their leader, was the first to speak to me directly. "Kael, huh? Haven't seen you around these parts before. Where are you coming from?"

I had expected this. A lone traveler with no past would always raise suspicion.

"I used to live in Eldoria," I said carefully. "But there's nothing left for me there."

That part wasn't a lie.

The man nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Eldoria's full of stuck-up nobles and their ridiculous rules. Not a place for someone looking to survive on their own."

I gave a small nod, though inside, I remained cautious. He accepted my words too easily. Either he truly didn't care, or he had already drawn his own conclusions about me.

The others continued their conversation, mostly about the journey to Solmaria. They were traders, transporting rare herbs and ores, but their movements were too disciplined, their weapons too well-maintained. Mercenaries.

It wasn't uncommon. The roads were dangerous, and only fools traveled without protection.

One of them, a woman with sharp green eyes, leaned forward. "If you're heading to Solmaria, do you have coin?"

I met her gaze without hesitation. "No."

A chuckle passed through the group, but it wasn't mocking. It was understanding.

"Then you better have something else to offer," she said. "Skills? Strength?"

I thought about it. Did I?

I had trained my entire life under the Raye family's expectations—swordplay, tactics, etiquette. But none of it had been real. I had fought only in practice duels, never in true life-or-death battles.

And when Alric stood before me, his overwhelming power had made it clear. I was nothing.

"I can fight," I said, the words feeling bitter on my tongue.

The scarred man smirked. "Good. You'll need it where we're going."

---

As we continued our journey, the road stretched endlessly through dense forests and rolling hills. Each day that passed, I became more aware of how small my world had been inside that estate.

The Sun-Moon Continent wasn't just divided by kingdoms. It was shaped by power.

At the heart of it all was Mana.

It wasn't just something drawn from the land—it existed within all living beings, woven into their very existence. Some were born with the ability to control it, while others spent years training to awaken it.

In Eldoria, where I had lived, magic was restricted to the noble class. They hoarded knowledge, ensuring commoners remained powerless. But in Solmaria, things were different. Power was earned, not inherited.

That was why I had chosen it.

I needed strength. Real strength.

Not the illusion of nobility.

---

Three nights into our journey, as I sat near the fire, my mind drifted back to the moment I wanted to forget.

The moment Alric broke me.

The weight of his presence alone had been unbearable. And then, with just a flick of his finger, he had crushed me beneath an unseen force.

The walls cracked. The floor beneath me shattered. My entire body screamed in pain.

I had collapsed, unable to breathe. My vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges.

I had never felt so weak.

So helpless.

I gritted my teeth, shaking the memory away.

I wouldn't forget it.

But I wouldn't let it define me either.

I needed to understand that power. I needed to know what made him so much stronger than me.

And then, one day, I needed to surpass him.

---

The next morning, I made my final change.

My old clothes—the fine yet tattered remnants of nobility—I discarded them. In their place, I took simple traveler's attire, blending in with the group.

But even that wasn't enough.

I had changed my name. Now, I needed to erase the last traces of Tanver Raye.

The boy who had lived his life trying to earn a place that was never his.

The boy who had been rejected.

Now, I was Kael.

Not a noble. Not a discarded pawn.

Just a traveler on the road to Solmaria.

And I would carve my own path.