Chapter 5: A Quiet Warning

The sun had barely risen, casting long, golden shadows across their little cottage as Caelum stood outside, his hands on his hips, looking over the garden. He could hear Elaria humming softly inside, probably starting the morning tea, while Liora was already playing in the dirt with her wooden spoon—an admirable mimic of the farm chores she often helped with.

Caelum inhaled the fresh, earthy air, taking a deep breath and allowing the warmth to seep into his bones. Life here was simple. Peaceful. With every passing day, the weight of his previous life—the one full of systems, missions, and the plot—felt further away.

"Morning!" Elaria's cheerful voice called from the doorway, carrying a tray of hot bread and a pitcher of honey. "I thought I'd surprise you with breakfast."

He grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "You're always surprising me. Best part of my day."

She smiled, setting the tray on the table outside. "Well, I can't let you get too comfortable in your laziness." She teased, "After all, someone has to feed our little adventurer over there."

Caelum chuckled as he glanced over at Liora, who was happily smearing mud on the chickens, apparently assuming they were in need of a makeover. The little girl didn't notice his gaze, too busy with her chaotic plans.

"I'm sure she'll make an excellent diplomat one day," Caelum joked, taking a seat at the table.

Elaria joined him, and they ate in comfortable silence, the morning sun warming the back of his neck. The hum of the village was faint in the distance, peaceful and steady.

As he ate, a familiar sensation washed over him. A sudden chill at the back of his mind, like a gust of cold wind passing through a warm room.

The system.

It had been a while since Caelum had heard from it. Too long, maybe. He hadn't thought about the system in weeks—hell, months. Life had settled into its rhythm, and he had grown accustomed to his peaceful, simple existence.

But today, there it was.

Warning: The Hero Will Fail. Future Consequences Imminent.

Caelum froze, the mug of cider halfway to his mouth. He blinked, trying to shake off the unexpected sensation of dread.

"Is it the weather?" Elaria asked, raising an eyebrow as she caught the sudden stiffness in his shoulders.

"No, it's..." He blinked again, attempting to push the strange feeling aside. "It's nothing."

He set the mug down on the table and picked up his bread, but the words in his mind wouldn't go away.

Warning: The Demon King's Return Is Imminent. The world Will Burn.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Elaria pressed, her voice soft with concern.

Caelum didn't immediately respond. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for his bread, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what to say. His mind was still fixated on the system's warning.

The Hero Will Fail.

The words echoed in his mind, like a drumbeat. The system had spoken in the future tense. Not that it had failed already, but that it would fail.

He could feel a strange mix of frustration and... indifference.

So what? he thought. The hero will fail. Not my problem.

He glanced over at Elaria, her warm smile and gentle presence anchoring him in reality.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her gaze sharp, as though she could sense his mind wandering.

"Just… old memories," Caelum replied, forcing a smile. He tried to shake off the warning. "It's nothing, really."

The system's voice echoed once again in his mind as he cleared the dishes from breakfast.

Warning: The Hero Will Fail. You must act. The world's fate depends on it.

Caelum sighed heavily, walking outside to where Liora had managed to get herself covered in mud, sitting happily in the middle of a patch of soil she had apparently dug up.

"Liora, what did I tell you about the dirt?" he asked, shaking his head.

But even as he chided his daughter, he couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at him. The system was persistent, and this warning... it was different from anything he had received before.

The hero would fail. It was an undeniable truth, one the system was trying to force him to address.

And yet...

He didn't care.

He looked at Liora, at Elaria in the distance, humming as she worked on her embroidery. His peaceful life here—the life he had fought to create—was worth more to him than any system, any plot, any future.

He let out a small laugh, as if to dismiss the weight of the system's warning entirely.

"What's the worst that could happen if the hero fails?" he muttered under his breath. "Demons take over? Yeah, sure. It'll be bad for the humans for some time about 6 or 7 years If I remember, but at least the Demon King—he's not that bad."

The system stayed silent.

Caelum frowned thoughtfully. "I remember one of the game endings where the Demon King didn't kill the hero. Instead, he joined him, and they ruled together. It was an ending where, sure, a lot of people died during the battle, but… the Demon King was actually a good ruler. Not a tyrant. He helped bring true peace to the world."

He rubbed his chin, recalling the ending with a bitter-sweet smile. "Hell, the developers even said that was one of the best endings. With the Demon King's long lifespan, he was able to fix the world. Bring real peace. Something no human king could ever do because of their greed or because of a short time."

Caelum shook his head with a wry smile. "So, what? If the hero fails, the Demon King will just step in and fix everything. We don't need to bother with it. I'm sure that'll be fine."

He turned back to his work, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. "Besides, the hero doesn't need me. If he fails, I'll just keep living my life. Let him deal with the demons."

Later that night, as they sat together by the hearth, Caelum couldn't help but feel the weight of the system's silence pressing on him. He had made his decision. He was done with the plot.

But even as he drifted off to sleep, that warning lingered in his mind.

The hero will fail. Future consequences are coming. Act before it's too late.

Caelum pushed it away once more. Tomorrow would come, and tomorrow, he would continue to live his life.

For now, that was enough.

The next morning, as Caelum worked in the fields again, Liora bounded up to him, holding a bouquet of flowers in her tiny hands.

"For Mama!" she announced proudly.

Caelum smiled and knelt down to take the flowers. "Another bouquet for Mama, huh? You spoil her."

Liora giggled. "She loves them!"

Caelum stood up, ruffling her hair. "Yes, she does. And you're the best little helper."

The morning sun crept through the kitchen window, casting warm, golden streaks across the wooden floor. The scent of warm bread drifted through the air as Elaria placed a loaf on the table. Caelum entered with dirt-stained hands and a tired but content smile.

"Smells like magic," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Magic doesn't knead dough, you know," Elaria replied with a grin. "But maybe you should start washing your hands before touching the door."

Caelum raised both palms as if surrendering, laughing as he stepped back outside toward the well. Liora was already there, splashing water at her own reflection with innocent delight.

"Daddy, look!" she called. "There's a frog!"

He crouched beside her, spotting the small green creature sitting quietly near the edge of the well. "Guess we have a guest."

"Should I name him?" she asked seriously.

"That's a big responsibility. You sure you're ready for that?"

She nodded with utmost conviction. "His name is Sir Bouncy."

"Perfect," Caelum said, and scooped up water into the wooden bucket. "Now let's wash up before Mama sends the royal guards after us."

After breakfast, Caelum sat on the porch sharpening a hoe. The routine tasks, though repetitive, provided comfort. Each scrape of metal against stone reminded him how far he'd come from his first awkward day in the village—how out of place he had felt, how uncertain.

Now, it was home.

He watched Elaria hang laundry as Liora chased butterflies in the field. The quiet hum of village life surrounded them—distant chatter from the neighbors, clucks from the chicken coop, and the rhythmic creaking of a windmill nearby.

As he worked, a rustle at the gate caught his attention. It was old man Havel, the village carpenter, carrying a bundle of firewood under one arm and a mischievous smile on his face.

"Caelum, heard you're building a shed. Need proper wood for that, not whatever scraps you've been hoarding."

"I was going for a rustic vibe," Caelum replied, standing up to greet him.

"Rustic is what you call something when it's falling apart."

They laughed, and Caelum accepted the bundle gratefully. Moments like these reminded him of how integrated he'd become with this quiet community. It wasn't just his family that made this village home—it was the people, the rhythm of daily life, the shared simplicity.

That evening, Caelum sat with Elaria under the large willow at the back of their property. The air smelled faintly of lavender, and the soft rustle of leaves overhead blended with the gentle chirps of crickets.

"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Sometimes," he replied. "Mostly when the goats aren't behaving and I consider turning the coop into a wine cellar."

She laughed quietly. "No, I mean the real future. Like... years from now."

Caelum looked up at the night sky. "I try not to. Every time I planned for the future before, it ended up biting me."

"But you're different now."

"I am. I think I'm the happiest I've ever been."

She smiled. "Me too."

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the distant lull of the village winding down for the night. A shooting star streaked across the sky, and Caelum made a wish without meaning to.

Let this last just a little longer.

Days turned to weeks, and summer slowly gave way to early autumn. Liora had started learning letters from the village's retired librarian, a kind woman with a sharp memory and an endless supply of stories. Elaria was preparing a small herb garden, while Caelum worked on building a proper storage barn.

Life continued without fanfare, just as he liked it.

The system hadn't spoken again since its last warning.

Still, sometimes Caelum found himself wondering. What was happening out there in the wider world? Was the Hero gaining strength? Losing battles? Was the Demon King stirring from his slumber?

He told himself it didn't matter. None of that concerned him anymore.