Cire grabbed the two rodent bodies he had killed before facing the Locked Sigil. He wanted to take the body of the horrendous beast as well, but its sheer size and weight were far too much for a twelve-year-old, even one who was a Key Master. After a moment's thought, he took the serpent's head instead. It was still heavy and cumbersome but manageable. Cire felt proud of his achievement. The severed head was proof of his improvement—tangible evidence that he had defeated a beast ranked far above him.
As he trudged back toward the cave, he reflected on what this meant for him.' Praesul doesn't talk much about Key Masters,' Cire thought, 'but I'm sure the first key unlocks the materialization of Virtus. That's when a Key Master can use abilities like the Sigils.' The thought excited him. If he could wield powers like Sigils, his potential would grow exponentially.
Inside the cave, Cire gently pushed open the stone door to Praesul's room, placing the rodents on the floor just outside. "Tinca," he muttered, closing the door behind him. He assumed Praesul would cook the meat later; the masked man's cooking was shockingly good. To Cire, it felt like eating meat pie every day.
As he crossed the cave to his own room, Cire's gaze lingered on the waterfall outside. The sound of the rushing water was soothing, yet it tugged at the corners of his memory. He shook his head, trying to suppress the thoughts that crept in. 'Mom, Dad, Sergei, Todd… I'm starting to forget your faces.' A wave of guilt crashed over him. Even their voices were beginning to fade, their memories slipping further from his grasp with each passing day. He clenched his fists, ashamed of himself. 'How could I let this happen?'
Once inside his room, Cire let Byru fly freely around the space. The translucent bird flitted gracefully through the air, her glow casting soft patterns on the stone walls. Meanwhile, Cire carefully placed the Locked Sigil's head on his desk. The severed head, with its grotesque features, was half his size. He leaned closer, staring into its lifeless eyes.
"What kind of creature were you before?" he murmured aloud. The Locked Sigil's three spider-like legs, beetle carapace, and serpent head made it impossible to guess its original form. "Were you a snake, a beetle, or a spider? Or did you absorb Virtus from all three?" He sat back in his chair, frustrated. I won't figure this out just by guessing. I need to see a Sigil evolve to understand the nature of their transformations. His eyes drifted toward Byru, who was now circling lazily above him. 'Maybe… maybe I'll get to observe it firsthand if she ever evolves.'
"Byru," he called gently, holding out his hand. She perched on his palm without hesitation. "What's your true form?" he asked, studying her glowing, bird-like shape. In response, Byru shifted. First, she became a baby wolf. Then, a rodent. Finally, she transformed into a smaller version of the Locked Sigil they had just fought.
Cire watched, fascinated. Then Byru shifted back into the form of the baby wolf, tilting her head as if to smile. "Are you having fun?" he asked with a laugh. The warmth he felt in response from Byru confirmed his suspicion. "So, you can take on the forms of creatures you've encountered," he mused. "But… you've never seen a wolf. Don't tell me…" His heart started to race. "Do you have access to my memories?"
Byru nodded, and Cire felt a rush of warmth from her. His chest tightened, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. "So, can you transform into my mother? My father? My brothers?"
Byru's gaze softened. Instead of transforming, she shifted back into her bird form and pressed her tiny head against his forehead. Instantly, Cire's mind filled with memories—visions of his childhood, of his family. He saw his mother's warm smile, heard Sergei's strong and warm voice, Todd mischeavous smile and felt the comforting weight of his father's hand on his shoulder. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he clung to these images, desperate not to let them go.
But then the memories shifted. The happy moments gave way to chaos—the dreaded night. "No, Mom, stop, please. Stop. Sergei, stay! Todd, run away with us! Dad, please come with me. I can save you now!" His voice cracked as he cried out, his hands trembling.
Suddenly, the torrent of memories stopped. Cire gasped, disoriented, as the room around him came back into focus. Byru was no longer on his forehead. Instead, she was cradled in Praesul's hand, held firmly but gently away from Cire.
"Boy," Praesul said evenly, "this creature is bonded to wishes and desire. More importantly, she is bonded to you. Do not use her locked Virtus unwisely. Your family will not come back. Staying in the past won't bring them back—and it will surely not let you walk forward."
Praesul's words hit him like a blow. Cire looked down, his chest heaving as he fought back a fresh wave of tears. But the pain in his heart wasn't just his own—it was Byru's. She was feeling his sorrow, his despair. And in that moment, Cire realized the bond went both ways. She's not just bonded to me. I'm bonded to her, too.
"I'm sorry, Byru," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "And I'm sorry, sir. You're right."
Byru transformed back into the baby wolf and curled up in Cire's lap. He stroked her fur gently, marveling at her strange, translucent body. Her star-filled eyes blinked up at him, and for the first time, he noticed how ethereal she looked. She's not just a wolf pup. She's… something else. A star wolf.
Praesul grunted. "Good. You need to understand Byru's capacities. She seems able to transform. What else?"
Cire straightened, still running his hand through Byru's soft, glowing fur. "She can transfer Virtus to me—raw, intense Virtus. She can track down Sigils. And… she can manipulate my state of mind, make me extremely focused and sharp."
Praesul nodded, his glowing eyes flickering toward the desk. "That explains the head on your desk. It's impressive that you killed a Locked Sigil, even if it only had one lock."
Cire nodded silently. He knew it would have been a daunting task without Byru's help.
"Tomorrow, we'll continue with the sparring sessions," Praesul said abruptly. "Remember when I said you would have three months? You'll have two months to hit me."
Cire raised an eyebrow. "What about the third month?"
Praesul turned to leave, his voice echoing as he disappeared into the hall. "If you want answers, wish for them, boy."