A blur of orange and black exploded from the underbrush, landing in a tense crouch before them. Muscles rippled beneath thick fur, and piercing amber eyes locked onto them.
Jethru and Lara reacted instantly, unsheathing their swords in unison. Reya and Sandoz tensed, ready to fight.
Lara barely had time to exhale the name before the massive tiger lunged, a streak of fur and fangs. She was knocked onto her back, the weight of the beast pinning her down.
The tiger was licking her face, its rough tongue dragging across her skin with unmistakable affection.
Jethru exhaled sharply, his shoulders dropping as he sheathed his blade. He crouched beside the feline, running a hand over its thick fur. Thunder nuzzled him before rubbing against Sandoz, marking them as kin.
"How are you, buddy?" Lara chuckled, propping herself up and scratching Thunder’s ears. "I haven’t seen you in three months, and looked how big you had grown."
Thunder let out a low whimper, pressing his head into her palm.
After the brief encounter with the tiger, the four continued their journey, and when they reached town, it was already midday.
Lara led them straight to a dilapidated hut hidden behind the temple.
Jethru paused. The sight of the crumbling structure made his stomach twist. Could this indeed be the home of the master he once revered? The very man who had commanded respect in the capital now lived in squalor?
What happened to him? What happened to the school?
A wheezing cough echoed from within. Then, a soft, trembling voice—"Grandpa..."
Jethru’s hands clenched into fists. His breath hitched.
Lara knocked gently. "Alpha, Omega, open the door. It’s me—Kane."
The door, barely hanging on its rusted hinges, creaked open.
"Sir Kane, you’re back!" Two gaunt children beamed up at her, their joy dimming when they noticed the strangers at her back.
Lara gestured toward her companions. "This is my master, and these are my friends. That’s Uncle Roy and Sandoz."
Reya, newly dubbed ’Uncle Roy,’ opened her mouth—then thought better of it.
Alpha, regaining his composure, stepped aside to let them in. The air inside was thick with the scent of medicine and damp wood. Lara’s gaze swept to the bed nestled against the wall. Samuel looked better than before—but still frail.
Their tiny house was suddenly crowded.
Jethru stood frozen at the threshold, staring at the man he hadn’t seen in twenty-five years, his frame a shadow of the warrior he once was.
"Grandpa, how are you?" Lara approached the bedside, gently helping the old man sit up.
"Did you brew him the medicine?" Lara tilted her head and looked at Alpha standing beside her, unsure of what to do.
"Yes, Sir Kane. Grandpa took the medicine and the porridge. Didn’t he look better?"
"Hmm." Lara nodded and then looked back at Jethru, who was still frozen at the door.
As if sensing the weight in the room, Samuel finally turned toward the door. His weak gaze met Jethru’s, and for a long, agonizing moment, neither spoke.
Then, in a raspy voice thick with unspoken years, Samuel muttered, "Twenty-five years, you rascal. If I hadn’t come here, would you have ever sought me out?"
Lara’s breath caught. Twenty-five years?
Jethru crossed the threshold in a single stride and fell to his knees beside the old man. His head bowed low, his voice cracked with emotion.
"Master... forgive me." His shoulders trembled. "I am unfilial."
"Hmph." Samuel’s lips twitched in the ghost of a smirk. "At least you know." His eyes raked over Jethru’s weathered face. "Look at you. So old. Why is your hair all white? I still have a few black ones left."
Jethru huffed a broken laugh, but his hands trembled as he took the old man’s pulse.
Lara’s sharp eyes studied him. Was Samuel suffering from tuberculosis? She hoped it was not.
Reya and Sandoz were unsure whether to continue standing.
The house was bare. No table. No chairs. Alpha and Omega had sold everything for medicine.
Alpha finally led them to the other bed to sit.
Jethru hesitated. He wanted to speak, to ask the questions gnawing at his soul, but he glanced at the others. Not now.
"Alpha, Omega," Lara said lightly, sensing the tension. "Why don’t you take us to the market? We’ll buy ingredients for dinner."
Alpha shifted uncomfortably. "But, Sir Kane... the market is still closed."
Lara’s smile faltered. Two years in this world, and she still forgot things .
"It’s fine. You can go in the afternoon." Jethru cut in. "We’ll cook with what we brought."
Jethru wanted to brew medicine for his master, but only there was only one stove and pot.
Reya busied herself in the kitchen. They had brought boiled eggs and a few ingredients for congee.
After the rice had reached the right consistency, Reya added six shelled boiled eggs. She also added chicken strips fried the other day, salt, ginger, and spring onions.
The fried chicken strips was a delicacy taught to her by Lara.
But when the food was ready, a new problem arose. There were only two bowls and two spoons.
The twins were so desperate when they used up their money they sold even their cutlery to buy food and medicine for their grandpa.
"You eat first. I’ll go out with Reya and Sandoz to buy cutlery."
Jethru hummed in agreement. He took one of the bowls, scooped a generous serving, and handed it to Samuel. "Master, eat."
"You two can eat too. I am not hungry as we had eaten sweet potato an hour ago." Jetrhu urged the two children.
Alpha and Omega hesitated before picking up their bowl.
Omega took a bite, and her eyes widened. Tears streamed from them as she exclaimed, "Brother, this food is so delicious. I haven’t tasted food this good in a long time."
Samuel choked, and he had a bout of coughing. His heart ached. The children suffered a lot.
Jethru patted his back until he calmed down. Then, in a low, hoarse voice, he asked, "Master... what happened to you?"
A shadow passed over Samuel’s face. His gaze dropped. His knuckles turned white against the bowl in his hands.
Outside, a gust of wind howled through the cracks in the hut.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, Samuel spoke.
And what he said made Jethru’s blood run cold.