Chapter 123: Tale

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Tale

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." — George Bernard Shaw

The fire in the central hearth had burned down to glowing embers, casting long, warm shadows across the administrative hall.

Outside, the mountain wind whispered against the glass panes, occasionally rattling the old wooden frames. The academy had grown quiet as the evening progressed, and most of the lanterns along the upper courtyard had already been extinguished.

Inside, however, the three occupants remained gathered around the map table.

Their tea had long since cooled.

After recounting the events of the past months, there was little left to say. They had spoken about the journey across the empire, the dangers they had encountered, and the circumstances that had eventually brought them to Mistveil Isle.

Elora had explained how she survived after becoming separated from Riven. Riven had described his journey through the Abyss, their encounter with the Titan, and the difficult path that had eventually led him back to her.

Kaelen had listened to everything.

He had occasionally interrupted to ask for clarification, particularly when they described the spatial anomalies and the creatures they encountered. At other times, he had simply sat back and allowed them to speak.

Now, with their stories finally told, the old master leaned against his heavy chair and held his lukewarm tea between his calloused hands.

For several moments, he remained silent.

The crackling of the hearth filled the room.

Riven sat beside Elora, his attention resting on the old swordsman. Something about Kaelen’s expression had changed. The amusement that had accompanied their earlier conversation had gradually disappeared, replaced by a rare seriousness.

Kaelen looked down at his hands.

"I’m sorry, Elora."

His voice was quiet.

Riven had heard Kaelen speak with authority, amusement, and even the occasional irritation. But this was different.

There was a weight behind those words that he hadn’t heard from the old master before.

Elora blinked.

"Master?"

Kaelen slowly raised his eyes.

"I’m sorry I never came looking for you."

Elora stared at him.

"I..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I never knew you were out there searching for me. I assumed you had finally set out on your own path after leaving my tutelage."

His fingers tightened slightly around the ceramic cup.

"I thought you had decided to seek your own adventures across the empire. Perhaps you had joined a guild or found a group of companions. I imagined you were somewhere out there, making your own name."

A faint, humorless smile crossed his face.

"I told myself that was probably what you wanted."

Elora remained silent.

Kaelen looked toward the dying fire.

"I never imagined you were carrying the burden of searching for me."

He took a slow breath.

"And I was never trapped in the Abyss."

The words settled heavily over the table.

Elora’s expression changed.

"What?"

Kaelen nodded.

"When the spatial anomaly ruptured during my investigation of the rift, it didn’t drag me down into the depths. It threw me clear across the globe."

He leaned back, his gaze drifting toward the dark windows.

"I was teleported to an ancient dungeon on the far southern continent. A forgotten place, buried beneath the ruins of an old civilization. I spent some time trying to understand where I had ended up, but the local records were practically useless."

He gave a quiet sigh.

"By the time I realized just how far I had been thrown, returning home had become its own adventure."

Elora stared at him, struggling to process what she had heard.

"The southern continent?"

"Yes."

"How far?"

"Far."

Riven glanced at him.

Kaelen gave a faint shrug.

"The dungeon itself wasn’t particularly welcoming either. Ancient traps, unstable mana formations, and a few creatures that apparently hadn’t seen sunlight in several centuries."

He took another sip of his tea before remembering it had gone cold.

"Most of these past years weren’t spent fighting inside the Abyss at all. They were spent fighting my way across sea routes and foreign landmasses just to get back here."

Elora slowly lowered her hands to her lap.

For several seconds, she didn’t speak.

The revelation was almost too absurd to comprehend.

For years, she had carried the belief that her master was somewhere beneath the surface of the world, trapped in the darkness of the Abyss. She had imagined him fighting endlessly against monsters, surviving in an environment where even experienced adventurers could perish within hours.

She had searched for traces of him, followed rumors, questioned travelers, and pursued every lead that might bring her closer to finding him.

And all that time, he had been on the opposite side of the world.

Alive.

Trying to return home.

Elora let out a small breath.

"You were alive..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Kaelen looked at her.

"Yes, girl."

"All this time..."

A faint, disbelieving laugh escaped her lips. Her eyes glistened in the hearthlight, and she quickly lowered her gaze as though trying to collect herself.

"You were just trying to get home."

"I was."

Kaelen’s expression softened.

He reached across the table and gently patted her hand.

"It wasn’t easy. I had to cross unfamiliar territories, deal with merchants who were convinced I was some kind of wandering madman, and spend more money than I care to remember on passage between ports."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"At one point, I even considered staying in the south. The weather was pleasant, the food was decent, and the local nobles seemed rather fond of having a former Sword Saint around."

Elora gave him a watery smile.

"Then why didn’t you?"

"Because I had unfinished business here."

He looked around the administrative hall.

"My academy, my students, and a certain troublesome disciple who was probably going to cause me a headache if I left her without an explanation."

Elora lowered her head.

For a moment, she seemed unable to respond.

Kaelen’s hand remained over hers.

"I never stopped thinking about you," he said. "I simply had no way of knowing where you were, and I had no idea you were looking for me."

Elora finally looked up.

"I thought you were gone."

"I know."

"I thought I had lost you."

Kaelen’s expression softened further.

"And I’m sorry you had to carry that."

The old master gave her hand another gentle pat.

"But you’re here now. And so am I."

Elora nodded slowly.

Her lips pressed together as she tried to keep her composure. She had faced monsters that could tear through entire groups of adventurers, endured wounds that would have left others bedridden for months, and walked through the depths of the Abyss without knowing whether she would ever return.

Yet those simple words nearly brought her to tears.

Kaelen watched her quietly.

Then he gave her a familiar, slightly stern look.

"Though I must say, you could have made things easier by leaving a message somewhere."

Elora blinked.

"A message?"

"Something along the lines of, ’Dear Master, I am alive and searching for you. Please do not get yourself lost on another continent.’"

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"I didn’t exactly have a way to send letters across the world."

"Excuses."

"You were the one who disappeared."

"And apparently, I did it rather well."

Elora shook her head, laughing more freely now.

Riven remained quiet beside her.

He had watched the tension slowly leave her shoulders as Kaelen explained what had happened. The uncertainty that had followed her for years was finally beginning to fade.

There was no longer a mystery to chase or a possibility she needed to prepare herself for.

Her master had been alive.

He had been trying to return.

And now he was sitting across from her, complaining about her lack of correspondence as though they had merely been separated for a few weeks.

Riven found himself smiling.

Kaelen eventually turned toward him.

"You’ve been unusually quiet, boy."

Riven glanced up.

"I didn’t think I needed to interrupt."

"Hm. Sensible."

Kaelen leaned forward slightly.

"You understand what this means, don’t you?"

Riven looked at Elora before answering.

"That she can finally stop worrying about you?"

Kaelen chuckled.

"Among other things."

He turned back toward his former disciple.

"Elora, you’ve spent enough years chasing ghosts. You don’t need to keep carrying that weight."

She looked down at their hands.

"I know."

"Do you?"

Elora gave him a small, knowing smile.

"I’m trying."

Kaelen nodded.

"That will have to do for now."

He sat back and looked between them.

"And since we’re discussing unfinished business, I believe there is still quite a lot we need to talk about. Your journey through the Abyss, the techniques Riven has learned, and whatever happened to that sword style of yours."

Elora glanced at Riven.

"He’s improved quite a bit."

"I noticed," Kaelen replied. "Though I would like to see more of his training before deciding how much of your instruction has survived."

Riven raised an eyebrow.

"Is that another test?"

"Perhaps."

"Should I be worried?"

"Only if you intend to embarrass another group of cadets."

Elora laughed softly.

Kaelen’s expression settled into something more thoughtful.

"Still, we have time. There is no need to settle everything tonight."

He rose from his chair and collected the empty cups.

"You’ve both had a long journey. Get some rest. We can speak more in the morning."

Elora stood as well.

"Thank you, Master."

Kaelen waved her off.

"Enough of that. You’re making me feel older than I already am."

"You are old."

The words slipped out before Elora could stop herself.

Silence followed.

Riven looked at her.

Kaelen slowly turned his head.

Then the old man let out a booming laugh.

"Still as disrespectful as ever, I see!"

Elora smiled, looking considerably more comfortable than she had when they first entered the hall.

Riven watched the two of them exchange a few more words, feeling a quiet satisfaction settle within him.

He had seen Elora smile throughout the day, but this was different.

There was a familiarity between them that needed no explanation. Their old arguments, the teasing, and even Kaelen’s occasional stern remarks all seemed to fit naturally into place.

It was something Elora had been missing.

And now she had it back.

As they made their way toward the hall’s entrance, Kaelen called after them.

"Elora."

She stopped and turned.

The old master stood beside the hearth, his expression gentler than before.

"I’m glad you came home."

Elora’s smile softened.

"So am I."

Kaelen nodded.

"Good. Then don’t disappear for another few years."

"I’ll try."

"See that you do."

Elora turned back toward Riven, who offered her his hand.

She accepted it.

Together, they stepped out into the cool night air.

The mountain wind brushed against their faces as the doors closed behind them, leaving the warmth of the hearth inside.

For the first time in years, Elora no longer had to wonder where her master was or whether he had survived.

The search was over.

And as she walked beside Riven beneath the academy lanterns, she realized that she had finally found something she hadn’t allowed herself to hope for.

A place to return to.

And people waiting for her when she did.