Warmth. The scent of herbs. The distant murmur of voices.
Kael drifted between consciousness and sleep, his body heavier than stone. Yet, unlike before, there was no fire, no blood, no desperate fight for survival, a dull ache, and the strange sensation of being tethered to something vast, unseen.
His eyes fluttered open.
A thatched ceiling loomed above him, its wooden beams dark with age. He shifted, and a coarse blanket rustled against his skin. His wounds had been bandaged, but the sting of salves lingering on his flesh, he was alive.
The door creaked open.
"Kael?"
His breath caught. The voice was soft yet familiar, heavy with emotion.
A girl stood at the doorway, eyes wide with disbelief. His sister.
"Aeris…?" His voice was hoarse.
In an instant, she rushed to his bedside, her hands trembling as she gripped his. "You're awake! I—I thought…" Her words broke into a quiet sob, and Kael felt the depth of her relief in that single moment.
Aeris had always been the more reserved of the two of them, strong-willed yet careful with her emotions. To see her so openly shaken meant she had feared the worst.
Kael squeezed her hand weakly. "I'm here."
She wiped at her eyes quickly, as if embarrassed, before turning toward the door. "Grandfather needs to see you. There's… there's so much you need to know. He wants to tell you. I am so happy to see you and Reis safe. I was scared when Grandfather told me what was going to happen."
Aeris cried into Kael's chest, making sure not to hurt him more.
—
The elder's house was a modest stone dwelling at the village's center, its walls lined with dried herbs and old scrolls. Grandfather Alden Drayven sat beside the hearth, his piercing gaze studying Kael the moment he entered.
Alden was an imposing figure despite his age. His silver hair, tied back neatly, did little to hide the wisdom and strength in his sharp features. The weight of leadership and history rested on his shoulders, yet there was something else in his eyes as he regarded Kael.
Something like hope.
"Sit, boy." Alden gestured to a chair across from him. "You have questions, and I have answers."
Kael took a breath before sitting. "The Orchard Keeper System—it's inside me, isn't it?"
Alden nodded. "Not just inside you, Kael. It is your birthright. Power passed through our bloodline for generations, tied to the Golden Seed that our ancestors cultivated at the Grand Orchard. But it is more than a gift." His expression darkened. "It is a burden—one that has made us enemies."
"Before I tell you about these enemies, our family has. Let me ask you something: do you think that the Divine Fruit you cultivate is the power we have?"
Kael sat there thinking. Although he initially considered Divine Fruit to be the source of power, he ultimately chose to pursue the Forbidden Seed instead.
"It's the Forbidden seed that gives us the power?" He asked.
"Yes. If our enemies didn't attack, that fruit would have gone to your brother, and if you were truly worthy, the Forbidden Seed would reveal itself to you, and in the end, you were worthy. Who do you think these enemies that attacked us?"
Kael clenched his fingers. "The assassins… that Lyria's hired. It was a betrayal that blinded me. But this is not about wealth; is it power?"
"The Levi family orchestrated the attack and hired the assassins; Lyria just went with it. I truly thought she would be the one for you, but we were all blind to her true motives."
"There are those who fear what our family can cultivate. And worse still, some desire it that power and so much more."
A chill crept up Kael's spine. "Who?"
Alden leaned forward, his voice dropping. "The Nobles you need to be wary of; there are some you can trust, the others don't. Now, there are two enemies you must know of. The first is a dark cult that cultivates Cursed Skillfruits, they are known as the Hollow Root-zealots who believe the Golden Seed would make their Cursed Fruit more powerful. They want it to reshape the world. They will destroy the seed or own it.
Kael swallowed. "And the second?"
Alden's face was grim. "This is an ancient enemy we have been fighting for centuries, ever since they destroyed the Grand Orchard. They are older than kingdoms; this man is patient as the deep roots of the earth." His voice grew heavy. "He is called the Verdant Sovereign."
The name sent a shudder through Kael's bones as if something forgotten had stirred at its mention.
"They will come for you, Kael," Alden warned. "The Hollow Root will see your power as a threat. The Verdant Sovereign… will see you as something else entirely. Someone he can control."
A low chime resonated in Kael's mind.
Ding!
[System Challenge Issued: Prove Your Worth – Rank Up as Orchard Keeper.]
Golden text shimmered before his eyes.
[Task: Grow the First Seed – Nurture a forgotten power and take root as the true Keeper.]
Kael exhaled slowly. The past had finally caught up to him.
The enemies his family had fought were still watching.
But he was done running.
He would take root. And he would grow.