novelraw Chapter 35 : Fire beyond the wall
Chapter 35 : Fire beyond the wall
The night was quiet, the only sound the rustle of wind against cracked shutters.
Lyra was making her rounds, lantern in hand, when she felt it—a surge of mana, bright and hot, like the air itself had caught fire. Her head snapped toward the yard.
There he was. Rooga.
The little boy stood with both arms outstretched, his tiny face pale with exhaustion but blazing with determination. Mana swirled wildly around him, far too much for a body his size.
“Fireball—!”
But this was no ordinary Fireball.
The sphere in his hands swelled larger, denser, its glow searing. It hissed and roared, growing into a ball of flame bigger than his own body. With a final gasp, he let it go.
BOOOOM!
The explosion rattled the ground, shaking the stones of the manor. Lyra’s eyes went wide as the fireball smashed into the border wall, blowing a gaping hole straight through it. Smoke and rubble filled the air.
For a heartbeat, she froze in disbelief.
This child… at three years old…
Then instinct took over. She sprinted across the yard, scooping Rooga into her arms before his tiny legs gave out. “Young master!”
He sagged against her chest, panting, his little hands trembling. The HUD in his eyes blinked faintly, though Lyra could not see it:
[Skill Evolution Achieved: Greater Fireball]
“SELENE!” Lyra’s scream tore through the night. “THE BORDER WALL IS BREACHED!”
Within seconds, Selene stormed out of the manor, her silver hair streaming like a banner, mana swirling like a storm. She raised her hand, eyes blazing. “Where is it? Where are the beasts?!”
Lyra skidded to a halt, clutching Rooga tightly. “N-no beasts, my lady! It was—” She looked down at the boy in her arms, whose faint grin still lingered despite his exhaustion. “…It was him.”
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Selene blinked. “...Him?”
Lyra swallowed hard, bowing her head. “Rooga… destroyed the wall. With magic. Greater Fireball.”
For a long moment, there was only silence. Selene stared at the smoking ruin of their defenses, then at her son in Lyra’s arms.
Finally, Selene exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Of course it was.”
Her lips trembled between pride and exasperation as she reached out, brushing Rooga’s sweat-soaked hair. “You reckless, impossible child…”
Rooga only mumbled drowsily, “Greater Fireball… done…” before slipping into unconscious sleep against Lyra’s shoulder.
Selene sighed, turning to her. “Lyra. Keep holding him. I’ll see to the wall.”
Lyra clutched him tighter, her heart pounding. She had meant only to protect him—but as she looked at the boy who had just casually destroyed a wall meant to keep out monsters, her thoughts darkened.
Monster, indeed. One day, even the Empire won’t have walls strong enough to hold him.
Lyra POV
The boy’s weight in my arms was so small, so fragile.
And yet, the smoking hole in the border wall behind me said otherwise.
I carried Rooga back toward the manor, his head resting limply against my shoulder, his breath shallow with exhaustion. His tiny hand twitched even in sleep, as if still reaching for fire.
For a long time, I said nothing. I just listened to the faint thump of his heartbeat against mine.
This child… he’ll change everything.
When I laid him gently onto his bed, I found myself staring at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful now, so innocent. No one would believe the destruction he had caused minutes ago.
But I believed it. Because I’d seen it.
A smile tugged at my lips, but it didn’t last. My thoughts drifted further, beyond him. To her.
Elara.
The girl who had gone to the academy carrying the weight of a fallen house. The one who glared back at mockery with steel in her eyes. I had seen her train until her hands bled, swinging a blade with a ferocity that would put grown knights to shame.
She was the sword that refused to break, no matter how much the world wanted her to.
And here was Rooga. The flame that refused to be contained, bursting through limits before anyone could even set them.
Two children, born of the same bloodline. One carving her path openly in the academy halls, the other hiding his brilliance in exile’s shadows.
I pressed my hand gently against my chest, feeling the faint tremor of my own heart.
If the Empire knew… if the nobles could see what I’ve seen… they would not whisper about the Valemonts as fallen. They would tremble.
My fingers brushed against Rooga’s small hand. He stirred faintly, murmuring nonsense in his sleep, then settled again.
I exhaled softly. “Children of sword and flame… I can only wonder what storms you will bring.”
The HUD blinked faintly above his bed, unseen by me:
[Bond Strengthened: Lyra – Awareness of Growth]