novelraw Chapter 7 : Elara's Farewell (For Now)
Chapter 7 : Elara's Farewell (For Now)
The morning air was heavy. Not because of weather—because of tension.
Elara stood in front of the mirror, fidgeting with the formal dress Mother had helped her into.
Her wooden practice sword leaned in the corner, abandoned for the first time in weeks.
Her lips were set in a thin line, but her eyes kept darting toward me in the cradle.
Darius entered, his presence filling the room like a storm.
He was dressed in his own formal garb, sword at his hip polished to a mirror shine. “It’s time,” he said, voice low but commanding.
Elara straightened, fists clenched at her sides. She was still young—far too young for things like this, in my opinion—but in this world, nobles grew up fast.
I didn’t understand every detail, but with my new Language Comprehension, I’d picked up enough.
Today, she was meeting her betrothed. Her fiancé. A tie between noble houses.
Before she followed Father out, Elara rushed to my cradle. She leaned down, her usual grin tugging at her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Rooga,” she whispered, brushing my hair back. “I have to go today. Father says it’s important. I’m going to meet… him.”
Her smile faltered. She leaned closer, whispering just for me. “Don’t worry. I’ll get him to protect you, too. I’ll make him swear it. So even if I’m not here, you won’t be alone.”
My tiny fingers twitched, reaching out. She caught them in her hand, squeezing gently.
I wanted to say you don’t need to do that. I’ll protect myself. I’ll protect you.
But all I could manage was a soft coo.
Her eyes softened, shimmering just faintly. She pressed her forehead to mine for a heartbeat, then stood tall again, squaring her shoulders.
“Be good, okay? I’ll come back soon.”
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Then she turned, following Darius out the door.
The room felt emptier the moment she left.
I lay back, staring at the ceiling, HUD flickering faintly at the corner of my vision. My heart was steady, but my thoughts… heavier.
Relying on someone else to protect me? That’s not happening again.
The afternoon was quiet. Selene sat by my cradle, humming softly as she fed me. The sun spilled golden light through the windows, warm and gentle.
Then the knock came.
A noble—though not one I recognized—slid into the room uninvited, a smirk plastered across his face. His eyes swept over us lazily, lingering too long where they didn’t belong.
“Selene,” he drawled. “Once hailed as the greatest magician in the world. And now? Reduced to feeding babies?”
Mother’s expression didn’t change. Her eyes stayed calm, her hands steady.
The noble sneered. “And to choose a family bound to the way of the sword? How dumb are you?”
Still, no reaction.
His smirk widened. He paced the room, gaze falling first on Elara’s training sword leaned against the wall, then on me in the cradle.
“Well, I see you have a daughter. Too bad. The prince already claimed her first. But she looks cute enough—she’ll make a fine little plaything.”
He laughed, ugly and loud.
“And that boy—ha! He looks weak. He’ll be nothing more than a squire. Die on the frontlines like the dog your Valemont family is.”
I turned my head toward Selene. Her hands had stilled. Her breathing was slow, but her eyes—her eyes were bloodshot, trembling with barely contained rage.
The air changed.
A chill swept through the room, sharp enough that even my baby skin prickled with gooseflesh. My chest tightened. Instinct screamed at me: fear.
Selene rose slowly, turning toward the noble. Her voice was low, steady, deadly.
“I don’t care if you insult me. I don’t care if you insult Valemont.”
Her gaze locked onto him, and he flinched for the first time.
“But the moment you insult my children—”
The noble’s body slammed into the floor with a deafening CRACK. He wheezed, bones groaning under invisible pressure, face contorted in pain.
“You cross the line.”
He gasped, choking. “Selene—stop—! If you kill me, you’ll make war with my nation!”
Selene’s eyes glowed, wide and merciless. Her hand pressed down as though gripping the air itself.
“You first. Then your nation next.”
The floor splintered beneath him as the pressure mounted. His screams cut off in a wet crunch. Flesh burst, bones shattered, and in a single heartbeat, the noble exploded into nothing but blood and ruin.
The room fell silent. The only sound was Selene’s ragged breathing.
I lay in the cradle, stunned. The HUD flickered.
[Skill Detected: Gravity.]
[Unavailable to learn.]
[Requirements: Too many unmet.]
I swallowed—or tried to. My tiny throat worked uselessly. This wasn’t a lesson. It wasn’t training. This was power. Raw, terrifying, unstoppable.
Selene turned back toward me. Her eyes softened, tears brimming as she leaned over, brushing my cheek with trembling fingers.
“Don’t be afraid, Rooga,” she whispered. “Mama will always protect you.”
But I was afraid. Afraid—and in awe.
Because now I understood why the world once called her the greatest magician alive.