Pain. Heat. The suffocating taste of smoke.
Kael's consciousness wavered, barely clinging to reality. His body was failing—his side throbbed with the deep wound Lyria had left him, and his lungs burned from the thick, acrid air. The mansion around him groaned as fire consumed its wooden beams, reducing the once-grand estate to a smoldering ruin.
Somewhere beyond the inferno, voices called out—urgent, desperate. But Kael's strength was fading.
Then, heavy footsteps thundered through the smoke.
"Kael! Stay with me, boy!"
A firm grip seized his arm, hauling him upright with surprising strength. Through the shifting flames, Kael recognized the face of Edric, the Drayven family's butler. Though well past his prime, the older man had always carried himself with quiet dignity—until now. His face was smudged with soot, his pristine uniform torn and singed at the edges.
"We have to move," Edric said, his usual calm shaken. "The mansion won't hold much longer."
Kael tried to speak, but a violent cough racked his body instead. His legs buckled, but Edric held him firm.
"Damn it, he's barely standing," another voice growled.
Through the shifting haze, Joren, the captain of the guard, emerged—his thick armor darkened with soot, his great sword already drawn. The grizzled warrior had always been a pillar of strength, his loyalty to Kael's family unwavering. His stern eyes swept over the scene before locking onto Kael.
"Where's Reis?" Joren demanded.
As if on cue, Reis appeared from deeper within the burning wreckage, his crimson cloak billowing behind him as he shouldered through the smoke. His blade was drawn, streaked with fresh blood. "We're out of time," he snapped. "There are assassins in the halls."
Kael's breath hitched. Assassins. This wasn't just a fire.
Lyria hadn't only betrayed him—she had sold them out.
A distant crash shook the mansion as another section collapsed, flames roaring higher.
Joren scowled. "We need a way out, now."
"The side entrance," Edric said. "It's still intact, but—"
The words died on his lips as a group of masked figures emerged through the smoke, blades gleaming in the firelight. Their movements were fluid, precise—killers.
One of them stepped forward, his voice devoid of emotion. "The boy dies here."
Reis moved first.
With a snarl, he lunged, his curved blade meeting the assassin's sword in a clash of steel. Sparks flew as the two dueled in the flickering light. Joren was right behind him, his great sword carving through another attacker with brutal efficiency.
Edric pulled Kael back, shielding him with surprising agility. "Stay behind me, young master."
Kael clenched his fists, frustration boiling within him. He was weak—his body broken, his strength failing. But something deep inside him stirred.
The pulse returned—a slow, rhythmic beat, like a second heartbeat thrumming within his chest.
Ding!
A chime rang through his mind, clear despite the chaos. His vision blurred as golden text shimmered before him.
[Orchard Keeper System: Activation Pending…]
Kael's breath caught.
Something ancient was awakening.
But he had no time to process it.
Reis struck down another assassin, then turned sharply. "Joren, take Kael and go! We'll cover you!"
Joren didn't hesitate. Gripping Kael's arm, he hauled him toward the side exit, Edric close behind. Flames licked at their heels as they barreled through the crumbling corridor, smoke thickening with every step.
The moment they burst into the open air, Kael gasped—freezing night wind slamming into him, a stark contrast to the inferno behind them. But they weren't safe yet.
A final group of assassins emerged from the tree line, blocking their escape.
Kael barely had time to react before the golden text flickered again.
[Orchard Keeper System: Activated.]
For a single, surreal moment, the world slowed. Kael could feel the earth beneath his feet, the roots buried deep in the soil. They pulsed in response to his thoughts.
[Skill Acquired: Rootbond (Passive) – You are linked to the land. Crops, plants, and trees respond to your will.]
Instinct took over.
Kael's hands clenched in anger, and the forest answered his call.
Vines exploded from the ground, thick and writhing like living tendrils. The assassins barely had time to react before they were ensnared, their limbs yanked back as if the very earth had turned against them.
A nearby tree twisted unnaturally, its branches impaling another assassin with brutal force.
Silence.
Reis and Joren stared at Kael, their faces unreadable. Even Edric, ever composed, looked shaken.
Kael staggered, his breath ragged. His wound still throbbed, but the pain was distant. Something else was keeping him standing.
Something powerful.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
Lyria and Levi had stolen his future and his Divine Fruit.
But the Orchard Keeper System had given him something far greater.
And this was only the beginning.
He will have his revenge and so much more.