CHAPTER 81: NEW MISSION

Jaira turned her gaze toward the window, her voice softening with a tinge of worry.

"I just... I really miss my mom."

Auren tilted his head. "Is she away on a mission?"

"Yeah. She’s been stationed along the southwestern edge of Runewood for the past few weeks. It’s become one of the most dangerous zones lately."

Auren blinked at that, something clicking in the back of his mind.

’Southwest...? That’s facing Runeterra, isn’t it? The kingdom we originally came from?’

His eyes narrowed as realization began to take shape.

"Dangerous? What’s going on over there?" he asked, a note of concern creeping into his voice.

Jaira let out a sigh, crossing her arms as her expression darkened.

"Austerra’s fallen into chaos. Word is, the kingdom’s locked in civil war. King Auborn, the current ruler, has been hunting down Princess Austar. She disappeared over a year ago after leading some failed rebellion. Most of the nobles and commoners actually supported her claim to the throne. But since she vanished... things have spiraled. It’s turned into a bloodbath. Just another human power struggle over crowns and control."

She glanced sideways at Auren, one brow arched.

"No offense, but I never understood your kind. Why are humans so obsessed with ruling? Why not just settle things with a proper duel or a test of skill like any sane people would?"

Auren’s frown deepened. A single name echoed in his head like a thunderclap.

"Wait... King Auborn? Then what happened to King Aurelus?"

Jaira’s expression turned grim. She let out a long breath, then straightened up slightly as if preparing to unload a heavy truth.

"Right. I forgot to fill you in on that part. Listen carefully since this is a long one."

She cleared her throat, her voice softening but growing heavier as she sat beside him.

"After the massacre of the children over ten years ago, the Empire declared King Aurelus unfit to rule and sentenced him to lifetime slavery on the frontline of Tabogo Towers. But he didn’t go quietly. He fought back- and after chaotic fight against the envoy from the empire, he then vanished. Disappeared off the map completely."

She stood up before continuing,

"With him gone, it turns out the throne was passed unto his eldest son, Auborn. But from what we’ve been hearing lately... he’s no better than that ruthless Aurelus. Maybe even worse. They say he tortures dissenters in secret and runs shadow prisons, that kind of thing."

Auren’s jaw tensed. His eyes narrowed, a familiar heat stirring in his chest.

’That bastard vanished... and my older brother turned out the same cruel pig? It seems this is getting more troublesome then..’

He clenched his jaw, a flicker of anger rising as he recalled that strange, vivid dream- the one where a red phoenix fled through a stormy sky, chased by shadows. And beneath it all, the desperate cries of children still echoed in his ears, calling out for justice.

"You may hide, but you can’t outrun me," Auren muttered under his breath.

He forced his feeble hands to uncork one of the glowing mana vials and drank it. Jaira watched him, letting him do it for his own sake.

The warmth spread through his chest like liquid sunlight, bringing some life back into his drained limbs. As expected, his reserves were nearly empty again- drained by the relentless hunger of the golden egg still nestled deep within his subconscious.

"Any word about my father?" he asked after a pause, voice quieter this time. "You know... the good one."

Jaira’s expression shifted. Her shoulders lowered slightly, and a shadow passed across her eyes.

"That’s... the other problem," she admitted, her tone laced with concern.

"The last time your father was seen, he was spotted investigating tracks near the Austerra border. My mother said he caught a faint trace- something that might have belonged to Marissa. He followed it deeper into human territory... but after that, nothing. No one’s heard from him since. Even after three years"

"I see..." Auren’s voice was filled with worry.

Auren’s gaze dropped to the floor as memories stirred- memories that refused to fade no matter how much time had passed.

To him, the days in Austerra still felt fresh, as if they’d happened only a few weeks ago.

He remembered the man named Jorthon. The brave soul who threw away his life to save him. That moment was seared into Auren’s memory like a scar that wouldn’t heal.

He remembered his father’s cold eyes- King Aurelus, the man who had hunted him like an animal through his soldiers. The one who tried to erase his existence for daring to live without a Divine Frame.

’It’s probably insane... but my next mission is to find Father at the heart of Austerra’

His fingers curled around the empty vial.

’But until then...’

He glanced down at his hands- thin, trembling, and still bound in layers of cloth and dried potion stains. They barely looked like the hands of a fighter anymore.

"I need to recover and get stronger. Fast," he muttered, frustration bubbling beneath his breath.

With a slow inhale, he closed his eyes and turned inward, reaching into the quiet corner of his soul where the golden egg rested. It hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, but he could still feel it- feeding gently on what little mana remained in his body like it had all the time in the world.

In his mind, he approached it.

The shell still glowed faintly, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat. The air around it was warm, familiar.

"Hey, Bigbird," he whispered. "I know you are there... and I hope you’re listening."

He knelt beside it, placing a hand near the egg, his voice trembling- not with fear, but with purpose.

"We’ve got a new mission. So stop napping and wake up soon."

His hand closed into a fist, trembling slightly.

Auren’s eyes opened, glowing with quiet resolve, the weight of his memories pressing behind them like a storm waiting to break.

"Because I’ve got a feeling... we’ll be facing Aurelus again."