FIRST BREAKFAST WITH MYTHICS

The air in the Mythic Base courtyard was crisp with morning dew. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the enchantment-laced treetops that surrounded the central breakfast area. Birds sang faintly in the distance, mingling with the warm scent of freshly baked bread, herbs, and a hint of wild citrus laid out across the long communal table.

The Mythic-ranked knights, all sixteen, had taken their seats, their chatter subdued but steady, their spirits guarded yet calm. This morning was different. An undertone of uncertainty weaved through the group like a silent thread, unspoken but understood.

Then, without ceremony, Arslan stepped into the courtyard.

His presence was sudden but not dramatic. Clad in a dark hoodie, his hair still damp from the bath, he walked with silent steps, eyes heavy with fatigue, but posture straight and unreadable. Though he hadn't been seen in five full days, he offered no explanation.

He sat down quietly among the others, selecting a chair between Tarric Vohl and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Nirela Quen, who had kept her eyes on the courtyard entrance since dawn.

Nirela greeted him instantly, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her moonlight-silver hair cascaded over her shoulders as she shifted closer to him.

"You finally showed up," she said in her naturally calming voice. "We were about to send a rescue squad to your room. Five days is a little dramatic, even for a brooding shadow-wielder."

Before Arslan could reply, a voice whispered in his mind—taunting and amused.

Kar'Thael: "Five days? That's practically an engagement. Sit closer to her, would you? I'm getting secondhand butterflies."

Arslan clenched his jaw slightly but didn't reply aloud.

Across the table, Kyren Daxe asked the question lingering in everyone's mind. "Where've you been, Arslan? We didn't see you for five days. Not even at night."

"I was sick. In my room. I also want to join you but I feel much pain in my Body"

He reached for the jug of herbal tea, pouring it into the crystal cup before him.

Nirela tilted her head, eyes gentle. "Are you alright now? Do you... need anything? Help with healing or—"

Before she could finish, Arslan's thought cut through, silent and sharp.

"Never from you."

Then Arslan said as he don't want to talk,"No, I am Alright"

Kar'Thael pounced.

Kar'Thael: "Ohoho... rejected without speaking. That was colder than frostbite. Poor girl might cry under the moonlight tonight. Shall I write the poem for her? Roses are red, shadows are black, Arslan's heart just gave her a smack."

"Shut up."

Kar'Thael: "She's cute though. I mean, if you don't want her, I might take over for a night and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Or maybe... you two can bond over how much you like moonlight and tragic silence. Perfect match, really."

The food began to pass around. Plates shifted. Spoons clinked against ceramic bowls.

Arslan stayed silent, watching, listening.

Malrik Envor, always the one who paid attention to things beneath the surface, spoke next.

"You really did miss a lot, Arslan. Two days ago... Kar'Thael bound with his prototype. It wasn't just rumor. The devils confirmed it."

Yuna Solthrae nodded. "The Messenger Gate activated again. Same three devils came and said the binding had happened."

Orien Dravell, ever curious, leaned forward. "And get this: the stones were found. Three of them. In the Bound Threshold. A team brought them back. The demons demanded them, but the King said we never found any. They left... but they're not gone."

Arslan lifted an eyebrow. He put a small bite of fruit in his mouth, chewed slowly, then replied in a quiet tone, his eyes scanning the edge of the table.

"I missed a lot these days. What else happened while I was out?"

Nirela, sitting close, responded softly. "The King seems... restless. There's talk he might send more of us out to guard the stones, or maybe even hide them again. No one trusts the devils, and no one really understands Kar'Thael either."

Kar'Thael: "And yet here I am, chewing berries with you. Not bad for a universal threat, huh? Should I start waving from inside your eyes? Maybe she'd like that."

"Do you ever shut up?"

Kar'Thael: "Only when you're asleep. And even then, I might whisper love poems to Nirela in your dreams. Picture this: 'Oh silver-haired maiden, your beauty stings / For you sit beside a man who hosts darker things.'"

Arslan nearly dropped his spoon. Instead, he pressed his thumb subtly into the edge of the table to channel the flare of heat building behind his ribs.

Vaelith Ren looked toward him calmly. "You look... better. Just don't vanish again. We might need all Mythics soon. The Council's quiet. Too quiet."

Ismere Daeva added with a wry smile, "Also, you missed Elira nearly crashing a floating crystal platform during aerial drills."

Elira, sitting on the far end, gave a mock glare. "I was adjusting for light phase turbulence."

The laughter that followed was real, warm, and it pulled Arslan for a brief second into a moment of deceptive peace.

But only for a second.

Kar'Thael: "They don't know you're already one step ahead of them all. Stones. Binding. Secrets. All walking with them like a wolf in shepherd's clothes."

"You want me to say something?"

Kar'Thael: "No... this is more fun. Keep pretending. Pretend you're normal. Pretend you're not the most dangerous soul here."

As the plates emptied and conversations turned to patrol schedules and speculation about Council decisions, Arslan slowly stood.

"I'm heading back to my room," he said, his voice quiet but clear.

Nirela stood as if to follow but stopped herself.

"If you need anything... really, anything," she said softly.

Arslan paused just slightly in his step, then gave a subtle nod without turning around.

"I'll let you know."

---

Back in the Room

Arslan closed the door to his room and exhaled deeply. The dim lighting, the cool stone walls, and the soft pulse of energy from the enchantments calmed him. He stepped toward his bed and sat on its edge, elbows resting on his knees.

Kar'Thael materialized slowly beside him, sitting backward on the chair like a rogue prince.

"That was fun," he said. "You lie beautifully. Truly a dark artist."

"You're too loud in my head."

Kar'Thael smirked. "But you're still here, pretending you're one of them. Pretending you're weak. Pretending you don't know that those stones are fake."

"What happens when they find out?"

Kar'Thael leaned in, shadows gathering around his eyes.

"That's when the real fun begins."

Arslan didn't speak again. He simply leaned back on the bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling as the world around him spun with lies, secrets, and a darkness only he could feel pulsing under his skin.

And outside his room, the world continued turning, unaware that the one they feared was already among them.