The cold wind of the upper sky slowly faded as the white crow landed gently behind the Grand Duke's estate, wings folding with grace.

Axelius hopped down from its back without a word. The crow let out a quiet caw, then shrank into its smaller form, perching on the wall nearby.

Axelius stretched a bit, adjusting his shirt and brushing off the dust on his clothes.

He stepped through the large hole near the back corner of the estate. his personal secret entrance, cracked wide during a previous escape.

He walked casually down the silent halls, boots light on the polished floor. Most of the servants were either asleep or tending to the chaos in the town.

He didn't care to check. His pace quickened as he turned the familiar corners, eyes already set on one destination.

His room.

The door creaked open, and a calm breath escaped him the moment he saw everything just as he left it quiet and untouched.

In the far side of the room, near the wide window, sat a stone. Owen.

Still in the middle of his Pertacyst evolution, Owen hadn't moved since the day he turned into that rocky form with faint mana veins pulsing deep within the stone.

Axelius walked closer, removing his coat and tossing it onto a chair. He stopped in front of Owen and crossed his arms.

"You missed the good part, bud," he said with a small grin.

He raised a hand and gently patted Owen's stony form. "Better get out of there soon. It's starting to get noisy around here again."

Axelius stood up and walked to the corner of his room where his katana was leaning against the wall.

He picked it up and slowly pulled it out of its sheath. The blade made a sharp sound as it came out, shining.

He remembered what the Orc Lord, Vargosh, had said earlier.

"A scale of the Dark Dragon Tyraknos… and the edge, it's forged with Blacksteel Essence… the hardest metal mined from the volcanic rift of Verakra!"

Axelius looked at the katana with a small smile. "So I really found a jackpot in that treasure cave," he said.

He raised the sword and turned it slowly, watching the light shine on its blade. "No wonder it's so strong."

Then, he swung it once. The air made a clean slicing sound, smooth and sharp.

Axelius smiled and put the katana In his bed. He looked at Owen.

"You missed the fun. But more is coming."

______________________________

The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky, casting soft light over the Dravenhart estate garden. Birds chirped faintly, leaves rustled in the breeze, and in the middle of the peaceful garden…

"Tch."

A light kick landed on the foot of a boy lying on the grass. Axelius stirred, a book slipping off his face as he frowned in annoyance, eyes squinting at the tall figure standing over him.

"What?" he said flatly, brushing a few grass strands off his coat.

Standing with a smug grin was Cyruz, hands on his hips like he was presenting himself to a crowd. "Wake up, lazy," he said with his usual cocky tone. "You're not the only one who gets cool stuff around here."

Axelius sighed and sat up, clearly unimpressed. "You woke me up for this?"

Cyruz held up a glowing crystal with pride. "See this? Know what this is?" he asked, his grin growing wider.

Axelius blinked at it, then looked away like it wasn't worth more than a pebble. "A mana crystal. Wow. Incredible. Truly never seen one before," he said dryly.

Cyruz scoffed. "Not just a crystal, idiot. This is the core of my new mana-run carriage. Guess who got their own? That's right—me."

He clicked something with a flick of his hand, and from the distance, a sleek metallic shape rolled toward them, humming quietly with glowing blue lines running across its sides. The front lit up like eyes, and a faint magic circle turned inside the wheel-like mechanisms.

"It's called a Archavan V1. Father just bought it for me brand new release. Top-class mana stone tech, self-steering enchantments, even responds to mana signature keys. You wouldn't know about this stuff though, right?" he added with a mocking smirk.

Axelius looked at the carriage-like thing slowly making its way to them. He yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Nice toy," he said, standing up and patting grass off his back. "Wanna go show it off somewhere else now?"

Cyruz laughed. "Jealous?"

Axelius tilted his head. "Of what? A loud box you can't even park right?"

Cyruz's eye twitched.

Before he could reply, the Howling Cauld suddenly beeped twice and swerved slightly to the left, bumping into a bush. Cyruz's smug face cracked.

Axelius snorted and turned away. "Yeah… real smart carriage," he said over his shoulder, walking off with a lazy wave. "Wake me when you learn how to drive it."

"Wha—Hey! That bush came out of nowhere!" Cyruz shouted after him.

"Oi! That's not how you drive it!" Cyruz shouted, sprinting toward his new mana-run carriage as it continued to roll crookedly into the bushes. The once-proud Howling Cauld now had a leaf crown and a bird hopping casually across its sleek hood.

A butler nearby bowed nervously. "Young master, I did follow the instructions—"

"Well, you followed it wrong!" Cyruz snapped, slapping the glowing crystal key against the panel. "This is a state-of-the-art, mana-key-reactive carriage, not a hay wagon! Fix it!"

While Cyruz fumed and lectured the poor butler, on the other side of the garden, Axelius stood and lazily brushed off the grass clinging to his black coat and sleeves.

A few strands were stuck to his back from lying on the ground, and he sighed as he flicked them off with the back of his hand.

"Young master." Millie's voice was soft and respectful as she appeared from the pathway. She bowed slightly. "They've arrived."

Axelius passed her, eyes forward. As he moved past, he muttered under his breath, "I like your new hairstyle."

Millie blinked, caught off guard. She reached up to touch her short hair—recently trimmed to just above her shoulders, neat and tidy. Her cheeks flushed a faint pink.

"T-thank you, young master," she whispered, eyes wide as she hurried to catch up.

Minutes later, Axelius had changed into a clean black uniform with light silver trim, sharp and perfectly fitted. The moment he stepped into the open courtyard behind the estate, a familiar caw echoed from above.

Crow swooped down from the sky, his small form shifting mid-air into a massive black beast of sleek feathers and glowing eyes. He landed with a controlled gust of wind, the tips of his wings brushing the ground.

Millie climbed up first, settling herself behind the saddle, then Axelius followed, placing one hand on Crow's feathered shoulder for balance.

"Let's go," he said simply.

With a strong beat of Crow's wings, the three lifted into the air, soaring over the trees and city rooftops, heading toward a distant structure unlike anything in the area.

Soon, their destination appeared a towering building forged from silversteel and enchanted glass.

The structure pulsed faintly with mana veins embedded in its walls, and tall banner-like panels floated around the perimeter, displaying shifting light sigils.

The large name over the arching gates read:

HIRO ARCHAVAN

Its front resembled a blend between a mechanical forge and a noble research facility, humming with energy and packed with carriages of unique design.

Crow descended in a wide spiral and landed gently in front of the building. The wind kicked up some dust and leaves as bystanders looked up in curiosity.

Axelius dismounted and took one long look at the massive building.

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