Chapter 63: Gifts Before the Gate

Zephyra’s eyes were still fixed on Sana when Daemon gave her a small, clear shake of the head.

Do not tell her.

Zephyra understood at once. Her expression tightened for half a second, then smoothed back into calm. Whatever she had sensed, she chose to remain silent.

In truth, Daemon had not fully awakened Sana’s bloodline for her. He had only stabilized the chaotic flow of mana inside her body.

Her pathways had been unstable for too long, which was why her bloodline refused to respond. What came next still had to be done by Sana herself, the same way every other awakener faced their own bloodline.

Sana, unaware of any of that, simply looked lighter than before.

The weight on her shoulders had eased. Talking with Daemon and Zephyra had helped more than she expected.

For the first time in a while, she no longer felt like she was standing still while everyone else moved forward.

Even the air around her seemed less heavy, and the restless tension that usually sat behind her eyes had softened.

In Roxanna’s room, packing was already underway.

The bed and table were covered with items she had collected during her months in Elorian.

There were pale green healing salves sealed in crystal jars, soft leaf-woven bandages that repaired minor wounds faster than normal cloth, dried luminous herbs used for recovery tea, and several small bottles of pure spring essence taken from the palace gardens.

There were also finely made elven hair ornaments, light outer robes, and a few practical tools designed for field healers.

Roxanna carefully separated them into groups, checking each item twice before setting it aside.

She handled every object with quiet care, as if each one carried a memory from the months she had spent training under Queen Morwenna.

"These are for you," she told Victoria, handing over a set of recovery items and a delicate silver hairpin. "And these are for Sana."

Victoria raised an eyebrow as she looked at the growing pile.

"How exactly are we supposed to carry all of this?"

Roxanna smiled and lifted her hand. A simple ring on her finger glowed faintly.

In the next instant, the scattered items vanished into the ring one after another, disappearing as if swallowed by invisible space.

Victoria’s eyes widened.

"...What was that?"

"A storage ring," Roxanna said. "It holds items inside a separate space. My master gifted it to me."

Victoria stared at the ring like she had just witnessed a crime against convenience.

"I want one."

Roxanna laughed softly.

"I thought you might say that."

Sana leaned in from the side, equally interested.

"So you’ve been hiding a portable warehouse on your finger this whole time?"

"It is not that large," Roxanna replied, still smiling. "But it is enough."

Victoria folded her arms.

"I am officially jealous."

Sana nodded in complete agreement.

"Same. If I had that earlier, I would have stolen half the palace kitchen."

Roxanna gave her a helpless look.

"Please do not say that so loudly inside Silverheart Palace."

Not long after, everyone gathered in the main hall of Silverheart Palace.

Queen Morwenna sat upon her throne.

The seat itself was shaped from living silver wood, its back rising into elegant branching patterns that resembled the great tree outside.

Her long gown flowed in layers of white and pale gold, and a slender crown of interwoven crystal and silver rested on her head.

Soft light clung to her presence, giving her the quiet dignity of someone who had ruled for centuries without needing to raise her voice.

Princess Zephyra stood beside the throne, composed as always, her hands neatly folded in front of her.

Daemon, Victoria, Sana, and Roxanna stood before them.

Morwenna’s gaze moved across the four of them with measured calm.

"You have completed your training here," she said. "But understand this clearly. What you gained in Elorian is only the first step.

Strength is not something finished in a few months. It is something you continue to build through choice, battle, and survival."

Her eyes lingered on Roxanna and Sana.

"You both adapted well. Roxanna’s Lifeweaver path has begun properly. Sana’s foundation is no longer as unstable as before.

That progress matters more than either of you may realize right now."

Then she looked at Daemon and Victoria.

"And your road is still far from simple."

She raised one hand.

Several attendants stepped forward with prepared items, their steps silent against the polished floor.

"These are artifacts that will help you in your world."

First, she called Roxanna.

A long shaft was presented to her. The shaft was smooth and pale, carved from living wood that still carried a faint pulse of life energy.

Soft green lines ran along its surface like veins of light, responding gently when Roxanna’s fingers closed around it.

"For a healer," Morwenna said. "It will stabilize your output and strengthen restoration work under pressure."

Roxanna accepted it with both hands and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Master."

Next was Sana.

An elegant Elorian bow was placed in her hands. Its frame was light yet firm, marked with silver patterns that shimmered when touched by mana.

Even at rest, it gave off a sharp, refined presence, as if it had been made for clean and decisive shots.

Sana’s eyes lit up immediately.

"Oh, I like this."

Morwenna gave a slight nod.

"It suits your style. Do not waste it."

Then her gaze turned to Daemon.

An attendant stepped forward carrying a wooden box wrapped tightly in red cloth. Morwenna took it herself and placed it in Daemon’s hands with unusual care.

"Do not open this," she said, "until you find the answers you are searching for."

Daemon looked down at the box, feeling the faint weight of it, then back at her.

"...Understood."

Victoria watched the entire exchange with growing dissatisfaction.

When the last gift seemed finished, she finally spoke up.

"Your Majesty."

Morwenna looked at her.

Victoria pointed between Roxanna, Sana, and Daemon with pure grievance.

"She got a shaft. She got a bow. He got a mysterious sealed box. And I received the valuable experience of watching everyone else receive gifts."

Sana immediately turned her face away, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Roxanna covered her mouth, failing to hide her smile.

Even Zephyra’s lips curved slightly.

Morwenna blinked once, then laughed openly.

The sound was light, unexpected, and far warmer than her usual royal composure. For a brief moment, the hall felt less like a throne room and more like a place where people could actually breathe.

"You are very direct," she said.

Victoria crossed her arms.

"I am also empty-handed."

Morwenna’s eyes softened with amusement.

"Next time," she said, "I will take you to a secret place known only to my close friends. There is something there that will suit you better than a rushed gift in a hall."

Her gaze lingered on Victoria a moment longer.

"And when that time comes, bring the girl named Kassia with you as well."

Victoria’s eyes sharpened slightly at the name, but she still nodded.

"...Alright."

Then her expression changed completely.

The complaint vanished, replaced by clear delight.

"...Truly? You will take me there?"

"Yes."

Victoria lowered her head with sudden formality, though her eyes were bright.

"Then I will look forward to it."

Sana leaned toward Roxanna and whispered,

"She recovered faster than a healed patient."

Roxanna whispered back,

"Please do not let her hear you."

Morwenna raised her hand once more.

"There is one final gift for all of you."

Three storage rings appeared on a tray of pale crystal. Each ring was simple in design, marked with a faint elven seal that pulsed once under the hall’s soft light.

"These will allow you to carry what you need without burden," Morwenna said. "Use them well."

Victoria accepted hers with visible satisfaction, immediately sliding it onto her finger and inspecting it like a newly claimed treasure. She turned her hand left and right, clearly already imagining how many things she could store inside.

Sana turned hers under the light.

"This is dangerous. I am going to put everything inside."

Daemon put his away quietly, though his gaze lingered one last time on the red-wrapped box in his other hand.

Whatever rested inside it, Morwenna had not given it lightly. The cloth binding almost seemed to hold more than an object it held a condition, and a warning.

When the farewells were finished, Daemon stepped back and raised his arm.

Blue-and-white light burst open before them as the Solitary Gate formed in the center of the hall. Wind stirred through the palace chamber, lifting loose fabric and silver leaves from the nearby vines.

The pressure of the portal spread outward in steady waves, and the air itself seemed to tighten around the opening.

Victoria, Sana, and Roxanna moved closer.

Daemon looked once more toward the throne.

Morwenna watched them in silence, her expression unreadable again. Whatever thoughts she held, she kept them sealed behind royal calm.

Then Daemon turned back to the gate.

The System window appeared in front of his eyes without warning.

Ding!

[Alert]

[One Virendal native is attempting to cross with the Host.]

[Accept transfer?]

Daemon’s eyes narrowed at once.

Someone from Virendal was trying to come through with them.