Chilly winds swept over the rolling hills, the grass bent in unison, as if paying tribute to the deities. The haze began to subside, promising a warm, welcoming day. However, a sinister mood permeated the air near the river Aanjin, where a green glow shone ominously through the receding mist.
The glow was magical and captivating, yet the sinister silence at the riverbank betrayed its beauty. The silence, however, was short-lived. Two horses tethered beneath a giant tree screeched uneasily, their hooves clattering against the ground as they stomped heavily, straining to flee from an unseen terror.
Torgana, the mother and son pair's protector not far away, gasped audibly. This was a woman who wouldn't so much as flinch in the face of bears or tigers. Yet, at the sight of the familiar green glow, she stumbled back, nearly falling in disgrace.
Suddenly, terror flashed across her face. She saw her eyes decaying, bleeding, then dangling grotesquely from their sockets. The vision felt real—too real. Jolting, Torgana instinctively reached up to touch her eyes. To her horror, her fingers came away sticky. Blood was seeping from her eyes.
For the third time in her life, Torgana felt the looming shadow of death. A life-and-death crisis far more intense than anything she had ever faced overwhelmed her. She staggered backward, her breath ragged. Desperately, she reached within herself, summoning her Bloodline Tattoo. A faint mark in the shape of a boar appeared atop her right breast. Using it as a conduit, she tapped into her latent strength, willing her bloodline to resist the invasive green poison.
Nearby, Noyan's condition was even worse. Blood trickled from every orifice. Pain wracked his body, and he barely had time to process what was happening. Gritting his teeth, he drew on sheer willpower, forcing his body to resist. He turned to the technique his mother had taught him—a technique that demanded absolute focus. Closing off his senses, Noyan whispered the mantra of the Mind's Eye:
"Analyze the threat. Examine the invasive substance. Determine its structure. Channel your will. Command your bloodline and soul. Resist the invasion…"
His lips moved soundlessly as he repeated the steps, diving inward to assess the threat.
After a moment, Noyan opened his eyes in despair. The poison was unlike anything he had ever encountered. It wasn't merely attacking his body—it was unraveling it at a fundamental level. A chill gripped his heart. For the first time, he truly feared he might die.
Lady Naran observed their plight calmly, though her expression betrayed a flicker of surprise. Muttering under her breath, she raised her hand, her silhouette shimmering faintly. The glimmer converged on the plain, unattractive ring she wore, and moments later, the green glow dimmed. Only a pale shimmer of green remained visible within the glass vial.
As the oppressive force subsided, both Torgana and Noyan collapsed to their knees, vomiting black blood that reeked of decay. Breathing heavily, they turned their pale faces toward Lady Naran.
Torgana looked at her master with undisguised fear, while Noyan's gaze burned with anger.
"Mother?! Are you trying to kill us?" he roared, momentarily losing control.
Lady Naran smiled faintly, amused by her son's audacity. "Relax," she said dismissively. "You wouldn't have actually died."
"Mother, you are cruel," Noyan muttered bitterly, wiping blood from his face. He glanced at Torgana, who looked equally haggard. "Sigh… I'm her son, so I have no choice. But this poor woman suffered an undeserved calamity," he thought, pitying her.
Torgana glared at Lady Naran, her voice trembling slightly. "Madam, please… warn me before you do something like this again. That… thing… it's not something to face without protection."
Lady Naran nodded apologetically. "You're right. That was my fault."
Torgana, still shaken, stole a glance at the glass vial. The faint green glow within made her stomach churn. "That's Greenglow, isn't it? I… I can't be mistaken. I'll never forget that feeling…"
Lady Naran's gaze silenced her. "Forget it. It's none of my business," Torgana muttered, quickly correcting herself. "But Madam, while I owe you my life, I am not your slave."
Lady Naran's expression softened. "You have my word, Torgana. It won't happen again."
Torgana's fear lingered, but she nodded hesitantly.
Lady Naran turned to her son, her tone cold. "You did well. But this was not the test."
Noyan, now calmer, suppressed his earlier anger. He watched as his mother removed the ring from her finger. Tying a thread around the vial, she fashioned it into a crude pendant.
A sense of foreboding washed over Noyan. His eyes widened. "Don't tell me… you want me to wear that thing around my neck?" he muttered, horrified by the thought.
Lady Naran extended both the ring and the vial toward him. "Smart boy. Now take it."
Noyan hesitated, staring at her outstretched hands.
Lady Naran sighed. "No harm will come to your life—I promise. Do this, and there will be a reward. I'll also answer one question of your choice. How does that sound?"
Unwilling but cornered, Noyan gritted his teeth. His mother's offer tempted him, but fear rooted him in place.
Lady Naran's gaze hardened. "Enough hesitation! Do you want to live under your siblings forever? To let them trample over you? Will you let yourself be weak when your enemies come to kill you?" Her voice grew darker as she continued. "Do you remember the raid? When your sister was almost taken away?"
Noyan's breath caught.
"She was eleven! Do you know what would've happened to her if I hadn't stepped in?" Lady Naran leaned closer, her shadow falling over his face. "Have you seen the girls that are taken away as slaves in our tribe? Your sister would have been treated much worse if she was taken away by those savages! Do you want to let something like that happen again?"
"No! Never!" Noyan roared, eyes blazing. "I'll kill anyone who dares harm her! I'll hunt them to the ends of the earth!"
Seizing his resolve, Noyan grabbed the ring and slid it onto his finger. It somehow fit perfectly. He then took the vial, shivering as he looped it around his neck. Dizzy, he summoned the Mind's Eye, his breathing steadying as he resisted the weaker poison.
Torgana simply watched this madness play out with complicated feelings in her heart. She felt that the young prince was truly exceptional for his age. He was definitely better than all of his half brothers combined. At the same time, she didn't know what to think of her madam. If she only admired this mysterious woman before, from this day, she also feared her greatly. She couldn't understand what kind of experiences Lady Naran had gone through to reach this point.
Be it Torgana or Noyan, both didn't have any time to contemplate or adjust to their new situations at all. As a sorrowful howl tore through the morning wind and reached their ears. The sound came from beyond the river, and the beast beyond, most likely a direwolf, would reach them in no time.
Lady Naran's gaze was resolute as she looked at her son. Tapping his broad shoulders, she spoke, "Go now, the Greenglow's poison will make it significantly difficult to hunt this beast. But you must do it! That is, if you want that opportunity in the future… Most likely, the letter has already arrived. If you want to survive, you have to constantly resist the poison and keep your head calm."
Lady Naran seemed confident in her son, she continued, "I know you can do it, because… you are different. You are… special. Believe me, and yourself. Remember, don't let fear dominate you!"
Noyan nodded with a heavy heart. He was very nervous. If he was sure if one thing, that was that even if he came back half dead, his mother would definitely be able to save him! This was not blind confidence, this was simply his experience. With this assurance, Noyan sighed and hardened his resolve. He then turned to walk towards his horse and prepared to leave… to hunt the beast!
As the sound of hooves faded, Torgana turned to Lady Naran. "Madam, I'll follow him. I… I have a bad feeling."
Lady Naran considered this with utmost seriousness, she trusted the intuition of a Sumerai, after some pondering she then nodded. "Stay hidden unless he's in mortal danger. And take this," she added, handing Torgana a potion. "Use it if necessary."
Torgana accepted the bottle, reassured. "Will you be fine here alone?"
Lady Naran smirked. "What do you think?"
Torgana laughed, thinking that her question was perhaps very stupid in the first place and rode after Noyan.
Lady Naran's expression darkened as she watched them disappear. Her thoughts were unreadable as she stared at the horizon. After quite some time had passed, her expression darkened even further, her eyes narrowed dangerously as a formidable air permeated from her figure, "How much longer do you intend to hide?" she called out sharply.