Audree found himself standing outside his house beside the old family horse.

  “Have you been doing okay, girl?” he asked softly.

  The mare lowered her head at him, the same tired but patient look she always had. Over the past few days, Audree had been working on something for her—a strength potion. One meant to ease her aching joints and help her move better, even if only for a little while.

  It had been harder than he expected. Most alchemical texts focused on humans, cats, and dogs. Anything for larger beasts veered straight into potions meant for magical creatures—far too potent and dangerous for a regular horse. So he had been forced to get creative.

  Helping his family’s horse, actually doing something useful for once, made him feel… capable. Like he could fix more than just bottles and failed experiments.

  He sighed, pulling out a purple-and-orange vial.

  “Alright, girl. Just like always.”

  The old horse drank it without a fuss. For a moment, nothing happened. She just blinked at him, head turning toward a basket of apples. No startled flinch, no spark of energy.

  Audree frowned. What—there should’ve been—

  The horse let out a loud, ringing neigh and whipped her tail. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, she began to gallop in circles around the small yard, hooves thudding against the earth.

  Audree’s eyes widened.

  “W—wait! It worked!” he shouted, breaking into a grin. “It actually worked!”

  This was far better than anytime before. He hadn’t seen her move like this in years. The potion was temporary—he knew that—but it worked. The possibilities flooded his mind all at once. Adjustments, alternate ratios, potential enhancements. The puzzle pieces were finally coming together—

  “Audree!”

  He snapped out of his excited haze.

  Ina stood at the far end of the stable, eyes darting between the horse happily running laps and the bruised, battered state of her son. She pressed a hand to her face.

  “What am I going to do with you, Audree…?” She exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Come inside. Now, please.”

  Please? From Ina?

  For a brief moment, Audree wondered if she and Norra had secretly swapped places.

  But with everything going on—the miners, the knights in town, the rumors tightening like a noose—he knew this wasn’t a request. Something was happening.

  He followed Ina inside, clutching his bag a little tighter.

  Inside, Norra sat at their old table with her head in her hands. The entrance of their little shop-home was cleaner than usual — too clean — as if she’d spent hours scrubbing just to keep herself from spiraling. She looked exhausted.

  When she heard Audree step in, Norra lifted her head and offered a soft, tired smile.

  “I heard what happened from Haldo,” she said, voice thin. “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes searched his — worried, hollow, and desperately trying not to look panicked.

  Ina gestured sharply.

  “Don’t just stand there at the door. Sit.”

  Audree sat stiffly, his palms sweaty against the table.

  “Um… yes. I’m— I’m fine now. I was with Haldo after those people attacked me. He… seemed to know what to do.”

  Ina let out a deep, fraying sigh.

  “Does he now.” Her tone was sharp enough to cut glass. She turned toward Norra. “See? I told you letting him do whatever the hell he wants out in the middle of nowhere would lead to problems.”

  Norra’s eyebrows creased, but her voice stayed gentle.

  “The boy needs his freedom, Ina. You can’t blame him for being attacked. He didn’t do anything to those men.”

  “It’s not just that, Norra, and you know it.” Ina snapped — then shut her eyes, breathing once to settle herself. “This isn’t the first time he’s gotten hurt out there. As another alchemist, you know how dangerous magical chemicals are. And this ‘let him do what he pleases’ approach is coming back to bite him — and us — in the ass.”

  The room went quiet. Norra folded her hands in her lap, staring down.

  Ina continued, voice softer but no less strained.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. But you understand what I’m saying. Our family has been outsiders since the moment we moved here. Maybe less so for you, Norra, because of your… normal hobbies.” She waved vaguely. “But me and Audree? We’re alchemists in a mining town. People already look at us sideways.”

  She glanced at Audree with a crooked grin.

  “And you — you inherited my social skills. A cursed gift.”

  Audree frowned, not sure if she was teasing him or scolding him. Probably both. He kept fiddling with the bandage around his marked arm, tightening it subconsciously.

  Norra noticed, her eyes narrowing slightly, but she said nothing.

  “And,” Ina continued, leaning forward, “Haldo may be a powerful mage, but his teaching style and morals? Completely upside-down. You need to know that, Audree. Whatever that man tells you, take it with a grain of salt. There’s a reason people avoid him. He’s just as much of a weirdo as we are — if not worse.”

  Audree thought of Leif literally sprinting out of the library.

  “I understand,” he murmured.

  Ina nodded, then looked to Norra, silently passing the conversation baton.

  Norra straightened her posture, pushing her hair behind her ear.

  “Alright,” she said, voice steadier. “Let’s get down to the important part.”

  She took a breath.

  “There are knights patrolling Embershade.”

  Audree’s stomach dropped. He’d already seen them — and barely avoided them.

  Norra continued, eyes serious, tone grave.

  “And they’re not here for a friendly visit.”

  Audree sat stiffly as Norra continued her explanation, her fingers tapping anxiously on the tabletop.

  “Anything magic-related is being investigated now,” she said. “Someone in this tiny, suffocating town managed to get Guildhaven’s attention — real attention — and convince them to send knights.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Audree’s stomach tightened. He had already guessed that, but hearing it confirmed made his skin crawl.

  Norra pressed on, frustration sharpening her voice.

  “Think about it, Audree. Embershade is a mana-dead zone. It has been for generations. The only magic anyone ever knew about here came from one family — Haldo’s. A noble line that people were content to ignore as long as they stayed out of trouble.”

  Ina nodded grimly. Norra continued.

  “But now? Suddenly there’s a magical flower field. Strange little mana-filled insects. A handful of magic-adjacent shops popping up one generation after another — ours included. Merrin’s Menagerie. That new talisman booth. Even a rune forge appliances. Things people can’t explain. And then—”

  She pointed at him.

  “Some nobody kid begins running experiments out in the fields and next to old buildings. No formal mage training. No supervision. Just… stirring up gods-know-what.”

  Audree winced. Yeah. Right. That.

  “And then,” Norra said, throwing her hands up, “out of nowhere, a massive beacon of magic shoots up from the outskirts of town. Anyone with mage glasses could see it from miles away. Guildhaven absolutely noticed. And here we are — knights patrolling our dirt roads.”

  Audree swallowed. He could practically feel the golden mark under his bandages pulsing.

  Norra wasn’t done.

  “And then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, that same nobody kid gets in a fight and suddenly another teen in town — a baker’s son — shows magic too. Nature magic. And the two of you end up injuring a handful of hardworking miners in the process. Dark magic, witchcraft… people are using every ugly word they can think of.”

  Audree felt the blood drain from his face. The entire mess clicked together now — painfully.

  Norra rubbed her temples.

  “So now? Now the capital thinks too much is happening in this little mining town. Too much magic. Too many incidents. And they’ve decided they need to ‘regulate’ things.”

  Ina crossed her arms. “And when miners get hurt, shipments stop. When shipments stop, Guildhaven stops getting the metals they need. And when Guildhaven stops getting what they want?” She shook her head. “They meddle.”

  Audree didn’t totally understand the economics of all this. Leif had said something similar — but hearing both his moms explain it made it feel more real. More dangerous. He was used to thinking only about alchemy, potions, and his next experiment. The bigger picture? The politics? He’d never cared.

  But apparently their “stupid backward town” mattered a lot more to the kingdom of Aurumhold than he realized.

  He looked up. His throat felt tight.

  “So what… what’s going to happen to us?”

  Both of his mothers fell silent.

  The quiet was worse than any answer.

  Norra spoke first, voice low.

  “Well… we had an inspection from the knights. As you can see, this place is a lot cleaner than normal.” She gestured faintly around the shop. “We passed, somehow. But they clearly still suspect us.”

  Audree barely heard her.

  The painting in his bag felt like it was burning through the leather.

  He pulled it out and set it on the table.

  “Ina… do you know what this is?”

  Ina’s expression froze. She turned slowly toward Norra, something like old fear flickering across her face.

  “Where,” she said quietly, “did you get that?”

  “I got it from Haldo,” Audree answered.

  Norra shook her head immediately.

  “You can’t trust that man with anything.”

  Ina let out a long sigh.

  “That old goat… of course he’d have something like this.”

  Audree clenched the painting tighter.

  “You two never talk about what you were doing before you lived here. How you met. Or—”

  He swallowed hard.

  “—who my father is.”

  The next words slipped out before he even understood why he felt them.

  “I’m not stupid. I love you both, but… are you two even my parents?”

  The silence that followed was suffocating.

  Ina’s tough expression cracked.

  Norra’s softened completely.

  They shared another glance — longer, heavier. A silent conversation.

  Then Norra reached out and rested a hand on the painting, her expression gentle.

  “I think it’s about time we told you at least some of the truth.”

  Ina stayed quiet, jaw tight, eyes troubled.

  Norra continued, her voice warm but tired:

  “Well, Audree… as you’ve probably figured out, your mother Ina was a bit of a badass in her day.”

  Ina made a tiny sound of protest, but Norra pressed on.

  “That painting was made a little before you were born, actually. The woman next to her was a friend she made on a job. Ina was always finding these random women — gods know how many she swept off their feet.” She gave Ina a teasing look.

  Ina groaned and rubbed her forehead.

  Norra laughed softly.

  “And yes, I’ll admit it — I was probably one of the ones swept off my feet. I was… not living a very free life back then. Ina changed that. She made freedom real for me.”

  Her smile dimmed, turning sadder.

  “Your mom was one of the best combat alchemists of her generation. No keyword, no magic — just skill, grit, and dedication. She worked dangerous jobs, fought dangerous creatures. That creature in the painting? Just one of many.”

  Audree stared at his mother, stunned.

  Ina looked away.

  Norra continued, this time more carefully:

  “There are… things we can’t tell you. Things that would put us — and you — in danger. Some truths are better left buried, Audree.”

  She inhaled slowly, steeling herself.

  “Your ‘father,’ if that’s what you want to call him, was a very bad man. I won’t sugarcoat that. Embershade is one of the only places me and your mother feel safe. So I need you to hear this clearly.”

  Her eyes locked onto his.

  “If you ever leave this town… do not go looking for that man. No matter how tempting it might feel.”

  Audree’s heart pounded in his chest.

  Norra reached out, placing her hand over his.

  “And if it makes you feel better to know: yes, I am your birth mother. And Ina—” she looked over at her partner “—may not express it often, but she loves you as though you were her blood.”

  Ina finally spoke, voice quiet but firm.

  “We’ve been here for you your whole life. Don’t think for a second you don’t have a connection to us. You do. More than you know.”

  Audree swallowed hard.

  The truth stung, warmed, and confused him all at once.

  Ina cleared her throat, clearly wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere.

  “Alright,” she said, slipping back into her firm, practical tone. “With knights roaming the streets now, we’re going to need you to stop doing your experiments out by those run-down buildings. For your safety and ours. People are getting a little too jumpy, and we can’t have any more attention on us.”

  Norra nodded gently.

  “Ina isn’t saying you can’t practice alchemy anymore. We’re just asking you to keep it somewhere private. Either here at home with us, or somewhere no one can see you working.”

  Audree lowered his head.

  “I understand.”

  Ina’s eyes softened.

  “And whatever you do, don’t show your arm to those knights, Audree. We don’t know what any of those markings mean…” She hesitated, then added quietly,

  “Haldo told us your keyword. A keyword tied to a sin—it’s… worrying. Just be careful.”

  Norra and Ina both leaned in, hugging him tightly. Norra pressed a kiss to the top of his head before they stepped away toward their bedroom hallway.

  Audree sat for a moment, nodding after them—then suddenly stiffened.

  “Ina—wait.”

  She paused in the doorway.

  “Do you think you could get Velra? I, uh… need to talk to her about something soon. I want to ask her something.”

  Ina raised an eyebrow.

  “As long as you don’t cause another explosion, that’s fine.” She crossed her arms. “Velra’s been doing a lot of lurking lately, you know. People keep talking about a shifting red pool showing up around town. You wouldn’t happen to know what she’s up to, would you?”

  Audree blinked. He barely knew Velra. He had no idea why she wandered around like a dramatic blood ghost. He was just following Haldo’s advice about asking her for training.

  He shrugged.

  “I… don’t really know her well enough to know what she does.”

  Ina studied his face for a long moment, then seemed satisfied he wasn’t lying.

  “Alright,” she sighed. “I’ll see if I can get her.”

  And with that, she disappeared into the hallway, the door clicking softly behind her.

  Audree was alone with the dim lamps, the quiet hum of his home, and the weight of far too many new truths.