Red Knight

Sibling bonding

The Unbreakable Shield

For Cale, stepping into the garden always felt like entering another world. Time slowed, the air felt lighter, and the weight on his shoulders eased-if only for a little while. But the moment he stepped out again, reality would come crashing back, and time would rush forward as if making up for the lost moments.

Right now, he sat at a small, ornate table, having tea with Lilly and Basen. The soft clink of porcelain echoed through the air as Hans meticulously set everything up for the three siblings. His gaze wandered across the garden, taking in its full beauty-something he never had the chance to do before in...

[ᎬᏒᏒᎾᏒ ᎿᎻᎨᏕ ᎨᏁᎰᎾ ᏯᎨᏝᏝ ᏰᎬ ᎶᎨᏉᎬᏁ ᏝᎯᎿᎬᏒ ᎾᏁ]

The garden was breathtaking, unlike anything else in the world.

Lilly adored the roses, each one blooming in a different color, their petals carefully tended to. Basen found peace in the quiet serenity, the fresh scent of the flowers mixing with the crisp morning air. And Hans? He loved everything about the garden-the way the paths were arranged, the delicate patterns in the flower beds, the effort that had gone into making this place a sanctuary.

Cale set his teacup down with a soft clink.

"Before my departure today, is there anything you'd like me to bring back?"

Lilly's eyes lit up as she looked at her older brother. For a moment, she hesitated before nervously asking, "Orabeoni... could you get me a sword?"

Before Cale could respond, Basen spoke up.

"Lilly has taken an interest in swordsmanship lately, hyung-nim," he explained, glancing at Cale.

"Ah, I see. Then I'll make sure to bring back only the best sword for you, Lilly."

Lilly beamed. "Thank you, Orabeoni!"

Cale turned to Basen next. "And you?"

"A fountain pen and a poetry book, hyung-nim," Basen answered, his voice quiet, but there was a small, almost imperceptible smile on his lips.

"A fine choice. I'll bring you the best fountain pen I can find, along with a poetry book from that famous poet who recently published two new works."

"Thank you, hyung-nim!"

"Thank you, Orabeoni!"

Their voices overlapped as both siblings smiled at him.

Cale simply nodded, lifting his teacup once more.

.

.

.

After their tea in the garden, Cale returned to his room, gathering a few of his belongings before heading out. His destination? The man-eating tree.

One thing he had learned from that annoying god who refused to leave him alone was the location of ancient powers-ones that could change the course of the future. Today marked the beginning of his quest to acquire them.

The first on his list? The Unbreakable Shield.

⸻

Upon arriving in town, Cale made his way toward a familiar bakery.

The moment he stepped inside, the salesman flinched, hurriedly straightening as he stammered out a greeting. "S-Sir! Welcome!"

Cale merely sighed internally.

"R̲i̲g̲h̲t̲... I̲'m̲ s̲t̲i̲l̲l̲ t̲r̲a̲s̲h̲."

Without wasting time, he pointed at the shelves. "Bread."

"Excuse me?"

"From here to there," Cale gestured vaguely before tossing a gold coin onto the counter. "Pack them all up. Or I can go elsewhere."

The salesman jolted. "Y-Yes! Right away, young master!" He hurried off to fetch a sack large enough to hold all the bread.

Cale rolled his shoulders and exhaled.

"F̲i̲n̲a̲l̲l̲y̲. Now to get to the man-eating tree. S̲o̲m̲e̲t̲i̲m̲e̲s̲, being t̲r̲a̲s̲h̲ i̲s̲ e̲f̲f̲e̲c̲t̲i̲v̲e̲."

⸻

Reaching the man-eating tree was easy. Now, all that was left was to feed it.

Just as Cale stood beneath its massive branches, preparing to begin, a voice rang out from a distance.

"Don't go near that tree! It'll eat you!"

Cale turned his head toward the source of the voice.

Two children stood by the entrance of the tree's territory.

The first was a young boy with striking golden eyes and messy, dark red hair that matched his brows. His clothes were old, tattered.

Beside him stood a girl, slightly older, with silver hair and the same golden eyes.

Cale's gaze lingered on them for a moment before he smirked.

Things were about to get interesting.

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Please tell me it sounds better than what I originally had written😣🙏

How's your day/night been, dear reader?