The Highworld shimmered with golden light, an ethereal stillness wrapped the air like a promise of eternal order. Aena stood at the center of the throne hall, a vast square of pure gold, with twenty-four thrones arranged in two concentric circles on different levels. Windowed walls opened onto a timeless sky, golden and motionless, like the very essence of the gods. At the center of the square, an opaque sphere hovered, as if holding every mystery of the world below.
The goddess of love, draped in her ancient-styled white garments, her face hidden behind a white and gold mask, awaited Emion's arrival. Her amber gaze crossed the space, calm yet watchful, like the spring breeze in a forest. After a few minutes of waiting, the king of the gods, Emion, stepped through the hall's entrance; his slender figure was clad in light armor beneath white robes, his eyes blue as the storm, scrutinizing the center of the hall from behind his iron mask.
"News about Cragar's children," he began without preamble, his deep and authoritative voice filled the space like a fierce wind. Aena sensed the urgency in her husband's tone, a concern bordering on obsession.
The goddess replied with sweetness and patience, without ever taking her eyes off the sphere. "Lyceum and I have asked for Marina's help."
"Who is she?"
Aena felt slightly irritated by the god's interruption but drew a breath and continued. "The heir of House Lupi, daughter of Ien. She has been tasked with monitoring their movements. She did an excellent job with Dahlia, so I am certain she will not disappoint me. She is capable and well-suited for the task."
Emion turned toward her, his face concealed by his metallic mask, hiding his displeased expression.
"A daughter of the Lupi?" he repeated with a trace of disapproval. "You entrusted such a crucial task to a mortal?"
Aena tilted her head slightly. "Marina is not a simple mortal. She is loyal, wants what's best for the park, and you know well that the Lupi are a family we can trust."
The goddess of love sought to calm her consort's latent fury, knowing his concern stemmed not only from a need for control but from a deeper fear: the new threat Cragar's children might represent.
Using the Lupi family, the house he himself had once founded, she hoped it would convince him entirely.
Emion, however, did not appear satisfied. He turned back toward the opaque sphere, his bright eyes gleaming with frustration.
"I do not like this approach," he said curtly. "We should act directly, not through watchers. However, as long as I receive news, I will not halt your initiative. But be careful, Aena—if Cragar's children move too freely, there may be grave consequences."
The goddess did not reply immediately. She let the tension dissipate on its own, allowing the silence of the sacred hall to speak in her place. Emion had always had little patience, but she knew the limits of her words, and deep down, she knew he respected her judgment.
"Those are words you should address to Cragar, not to me."
With a gesture of her hands, Aena made the opaque surface begin to glow, revealing a vague and indistinct image that gradually focused on the Thirteenth House. A modest black wooden dwelling appeared, and on its threshold stood an unfamiliar figure.
"He is not Cragar's son," murmured Emion.
The young Blendbreed with black hair and silver eyes stepped out of the door, his gaze mischievous, almost mocking. A breeze seemed to accompany his steps, as if even the wind feared getting too close to him. He wore a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket, the contrast between his simple clothing and his threatening presence was striking.
Aena watched intently, her lips slightly parted beneath the mask. "No, it's not him," she whispered.
Emion did not continue speaking, merely fixing his glacial gaze on the scene.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
Lorenzo Scala walked slowly through the streets of Lilies Park, his hands tucked into the pockets of his grey hoodie. His thoughts were still fixed on the meeting he'd just had with Lyceum, to whom he had spoken of a Blendbreed, son of Tefine, who posed a serious threat. Lorenzo sighed, worried. It seemed odd to him that Aena hadn't been present, but he knew she must have had her own reasons for not being there.
With his blue eyes, he observed the houses around him, all rather different, yet sharing small details that made them similar. The Blendbreed stopped in front of the thirteenth one, a structure that, more than the others, seemed cloaked in a shroud of darkness.
As he walked to move past it, the door of the house opened, and an unfamiliar boy stepped out.
Lorenzo's heart skipped a beat.
Salix's dark hair swayed lightly as he descended the steps, his silver eyes with pinkish glints landing on Lorenzo with a smile that oozed malice.
It had to be him. The very Blendbreed they had talked about.
He was Tefine's son.
Salix watched him for a moment, and his smile thinned, almost amused. Then, without saying a word, he turned and walked down the street, leaving Lorenzo frozen in place for a few seconds.
Lyceum's words echoed in his mind: "This Blendbreed, son of Tefine… he seems dangerous. Don't do anything reckless."
Lorenzo forced himself to take a deep breath and tore his gaze away from Salix's now distant figure. His first thought went to Shirei, who was likely inside the Thirteenth House. If the boy had left without a confrontation, did that mean Shirei could be in danger? Yet, a strong feeling held him back from acting impulsively. Cragar's son couldn't have been defeated in silence—or at least, that's how it seemed to him.
Tefine's son bore no wounds, after all.
"What if Shirei is on his side?"
The thought flashed through his mind, stopping him cold. He considered the possibility for a moment, recalling how bluntly Cragar's son had intended to deal with the problem. Unless he had purposefully played a role and lied, Shirei wanted to stop him as much as they did.
"Maybe I should've stopped him instead of standing still… and what if he set a trap inside the house? Cragar's children could be in danger."
He bit at his fingernails, unable to make a decision. On one hand, common sense urged him to safeguard the well-being of the two Blendbreeds who owned the house; on the other, he was unconsciously influenced by the widespread aversion toward the offspring of the dark god, telling himself to stay out of it and mind his own business.
In the end, he put a full stop to his indecision.
"I didn't stop him because I was alone and he would have defeated me. Any trap would take me out just the same. There's no point in trying to intervene."
He turned his gaze away from the house's door and reminded himself of what he needed to do. There was a girl waiting for him, someone to whom he could even mention the encounter he had just had. She had almost been a victim of Tefine's son, and Lorenzo wanted her to sleep peacefully.
He lifted his eyes toward the Ninth House, where he saw a distant figure waving at him.
He took a step toward her, determined to temporarily leave behind the looming threat. He quickened his pace, trying to push aside his concern for Shirei and for not having entered the Thirteenth House to check. Despite being lost in his thoughts, a smile surfaced on his face when he saw the Blendbreed waiting for him in front of the house of Corgi's children.
"You're finally here!" she said, greeting him with a warm smile. "I thought you'd gotten lost."
Lorenzo returned her smile, trying to mask the worry still clinging to him. "No, sorry for being late. I… had a little setback."
"What was it? Something important?"
Ien's son hesitated, searching for the right words. "Nothing to worry about," he lied, "just a brief encounter with… a Blendbreed. Nothing worth mentioning."
He preferred to omit the truth for a little while longer. It was the best thing to do, especially considering past events.
She watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable, then shrugged. "Well then! Let's go, the lab is waiting for us."
She motioned for him to follow, and Lorenzo, with a light sigh of relief, hurried to her side.
They walked together along the paths of Lilies Park, surrounded by lush greenery and the neatly aligned houses on both sides. The laboratory was one of the things that made Lorenzo happiest; there, he could dedicate himself to creating new equipment and inventions—a way to put his creativity and technical skills at the service of the community.
As they walked, the thought of Salix kept buzzing in Lorenzo's mind. He couldn't ignore it; that Blendbreed was a serious problem. He knew he would eventually have to deal with the matter, but for now, there was something more important. He needed to keep his focus on the work they had to do.
Once they arrived at the laboratory door, the Blendbreed girl stopped and turned to him.
"I don't want to talk about Tefine's son, but I just wanted to ask you to be careful. I believe he's still here."
Lorenzo gave a small grimace, then nodded. "I will."
"Good. You never told me exactly what you've been working on lately. Any new invention in the works?"
Lorenzo smiled, grateful for the change of subject. "I'm working on something that could really strengthen our defenses. A device that could serve as a firearm for Blendbreeds. It might help us avoid unpleasant encounters."
The girl looked at him with a mix of admiration and concern. "It sounds like something big, but also… dangerous. Aren't you afraid it might attract unwanted attention?"
Lorenzo shrugged, downplaying it. "It's for everyone's safety. Besides, we can't stay passive; we need to be prepared for anything."
The laboratory drew closer.
Lorenzo immediately felt at home; the smell of metal and gears was something that reassured him, a sharp contrast to the chaos of the outside world.
As they continued walking, he couldn't help but return in his mind to what had happened outside the Thirteenth House. Despite wanting to focus on his inventions, the thought of Salix kept creeping into his reflections. He couldn't afford to ignore the danger that Blendbreed posed—not for himself, not for the girl beside him.
"There's something…" he finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "There's something you should know. Before coming here, I met someone. A boy I believe is Tefine's son."
She stiffened, her hands pausing mid-air.
"He was outside the Thirteenth House. He didn't do anything, just smiled… but I feel like something's not right."
The two remained silent, the boy's shadow stretching over them like an impending threat.
"Have you spoken to the rector about it?"
"Not yet, but I've just returned from the Grand Manor. I believe inspections will begin soon."
"Then let's not think about it now," concluded the girl beside him. "I'm sure Lyceum and the divine Aena will take care of everything."