A dark-skinned man walked along the cobblestoned path with his wife, chatting and laughing happily.

On the other side of the road was another couple, moving together and looking around constantly, a little boy standing by their side, trying his best not to fall asleep.

They seemed to be waiting for something… or someone, depending on how one saw it.

Suddenly, a figure streaked past and jumped at them, startling the trio. A scream rang out, but it soon turned into a joyful sonorous laugh.

"Vesta, you scared us!" The man in the small group laughed out loud, patting the figure on the back and hugging her tightly.

"VESTA!!" The small boy standing to the side screamed, seemingly recognizing his sister only after a few seconds had passed.

He jumped in her arms and hugged her tightly, tears of joy pouring down his cheeks.

The mother of the duo embraced them both, comforting Ryker and holding onto Vesta.

"Promise you won't go back there again," Ryker sobbed in his sister's arms, his eyes becoming puffy and his face swollen.

No one could fathom just how much he missed his sister.

"I promise little Ry, I won't be returning to the army again, I'm done with my service,"

"Really!" Ryker screamed, giggling happily, but he soon pouted and folded his arms, looking away with twisted lips. "That's the same thing you said the last time before you disappeared, how can I believe you again?"

Vesta looked defeated, and she turned to her parents for help. However, her Dad shrugged and her Mom only smiled, secretly saying she had nothing to do with it.

Vesta clicked her tongue at this and looked back at Ryker. "Ryker, look at me…" she asked.

Ryker, still feeling hurt, resisted the urge to look her way, but his curiosity won over and he shot her a deep stare, hoping to make his anger known. However, his gaze was met with a cake wrapped in paper.

His eyes widened, and he snatched the cake from Vesta's hand, unwrapping it as fast as his little hands could and stuffing his face full of it.

"Do you forgive me now?" Vesta asked, watching Ryker munch on the cake vigorously.

To her shock though, Ryker looked away from her, shoving the cake in his mouth and shaking his head. "Ai..zonn't," those were the words that came from his mouth.

Vesta gasped, and her hand shot out swiftly. "You rascal! Where did you learn such trickery?" She hollered as she reached for the cake, hoping to snatch it away, but Ryker skillfully dodged, weaving out of the way and curling over to protect the cake he so much loved.

Vesta laughed at his childish antics and placed her hands down. Ryker seemingly believing it was over straightened his back triumphantly, only for the cake to be ripped from his hand by an invisible force and raised above his head, just out of his reach.

"Wha… MY CAKE!!" He screamed, his hands reaching for it but not quite getting there.

He screamed so loud he garnered the attention of passersby, and his eyes welled up with fresh tears.

Before he could begin to throw a tantrum though, his father's hand shot out and snatched the cake into his hands.

"That's enough Vesta," he said in a deep voice. "There's no need to bully your little brother, it was your fault after all."

Vesta pouted, and Ryker squealed in joy as he received the cake from his father's hands. He wiggled out of his sister's arms and ran to his mother, sticking out his tongue briefly at Vesta as revenge.

Vesta made a face at him, before laughing. She missed her brother too, and her family as a whole. She had just finished her education at the temple, and according to the laws, she had to serve in the army for a year before she was free to leave her life as she pleased.

She intended to join the Hunter's Association after her service, and she was happy to come back home after a long year to spend time with her family again.

There were holidays in between her service, but she rarely visited home because of one thing or the other. Now though, she would be able to work, and at the same time, stay home.

There was nothing she wanted more than to pull her family out of their poor state and bring them to wealth, but… she didn't know what was coming. No one did.

The family walked down the cobblestoned path towards their humble home. They talked about the things they had missed together, with Vesta talking the most, giving thrilling stories about her adventure to other continents and the updates about the war.

She spoke of things they naturally wouldn't know of, giving them new and shocking pieces of information.

They enjoyed their time, and they soon reached their building.

However, as soon as they arrived, they found a squadron of soldiers waiting before the building, armed to the teeth.

"The First Elder, Elder Kain, requests your presence," the leading soldier thundered, and without waiting for a reply, ordered the soldiers behind him to snatch Vesta and take her away.

Ryker screamed with his little voice and tried to run after them, but his mother held him back. Fenix, their father, summoned courage and followed after the soldiers to the temple.

The commotion caused a small crowd to form, but the small crowd soon transformed into a sea of heads who were all soon trooping towards the temple, the news of Vesta's arrest spreading like wildfire.

Emily and Fenix followed the guards from some meters behind. Ryker was held close to his mother as he sobbed loudly, unable to control his emotions.

His sister was roughly pushed forward, and even though she had the strength to instantly kill every single soldier in mere seconds, she decided not to.

The fact that they were sent by the first Elder made them have the courage to do this, and they didn't hesitate to abuse that authority.