The Broken Rule
The sword fell like lightning.
Kael stepped back purely on instinct, stumbling over a root. The flaming blade grazed his shoulder, tearing a cry of surprise from him. In front of him, Éléonore — the red-haired bodyguard — charged forward with ruthless precision, eyes locked on her target: an unknown intruder too close to her mistress.
"Step away from her!" she shouted, launching a second strike.
But just as her blade was about to hit, the forest itself responded.
Roots burst from the ground, whipping the air to block the blow. Éléonore slashed through them expertly, but more sprang up. The trees bent, the leaves quivered. Something — or someone — was awakening.
A voice echoed through the air.
"Back away, human."
From the shadows of the trees, a woman stepped forward. She looked as though she had emerged from the very heart of the forest: cascading green hair, brown skin marked with dark veins like bark, and deep red eyes glowing with fury. Her very presence silenced everything. Nature hummed around her.
Kael recognized her instantly.
"Mom…"
But he had no time to say more. Éléonore, sensing the threatening aura of the newcomer, acted on instinct.
"You control this forest… You're a threat!"
And she attacked.
Her blade sliced through the air, a trail of fire lighting up the trees. But the woman raised a hand. A wall of thorns rose, absorbing the blow. Sharp spikes shot out in response, forcing Éléonore to retreat.
The ground trembled. A thick vine coiled around the knight's leg, but she sliced through it. With a fluid movement, she spun, unleashing a swirling burst of flames to burn the encroaching vegetation. Parts of the forest caught fire — but were instantly extinguished by a sudden rain summoned by the forest woman.
The flaming sword whistled again. And suddenly, Éléonore struck at Kael once more.
Kael, frozen by fear, watched the sword descend like a bolt of light. His legs wouldn't move. His breath stopped. He was going to die — here, on the edge of the world he had longed to discover.
"Stop! He's with me!" Iria screamed sharply.
But it was too late.
Éléonore wasn't listening anymore. The Flame Knight, sworn protector of the young noble, had become nothing but instinct and duty. She wouldn't slow down. Not now. Not when her mistress's life might be in danger.
And suddenly, the forest answered.
Behind Kael, the trees rustled, the ground cracked, and thick vines shot up like green serpents. A wall of vegetation closed in front of him, blocking the flaming sword. A sharp sound rang out. The blade struck bark, throwing sparks into the air.
"What the—?"
A breeze passed. A soft mist rose among the leaves, and a figure stepped forward slowly.
"You dare raise your weapon against my son… in MY forest?"
Éléonore took two steps back, fists clenched around her sword hilt.
"I… I'm protecting the princess."
"And I protect my child."
A loud snap cut through the air.
Roots stirred on the ground, the wind swirled. In a flash, the two women lunged at each other.
Éléonore thrust precisely and swiftly. But the woman responded with fluid movement — nature itself seemed to dance around her. Thorns shot up, trying to trap the blade. One branch deflected the strike, another whipped like a lash, forcing Éléonore back.
For a moment, they clashed — fire against nature, sword against vine, flame against sap.
The wind calmed. The leaves stopped spinning. The two women stood face to face, breath short, ready to fight again if needed.
Still trembling, Kael awkwardly stepped between them, arms raised.
"Please… I just wanted to see the world outside… It's my fault, not hers."
Éléonore, sword still in hand, glanced briefly at Iria, who stood with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes shining with worry.
"I told you he wasn't dangerous, Éléonore… You don't need to protect me from him."
A heavy silence fell. The forest woman broke it, her voice sharp:
"You don't threaten my son — especially not when he reaches out instead of drawing his sword."
Éléonore, her pride stung, swallowed her anger.
"And you've turned this entire forest into a living trap. That's hardly a welcoming gesture."
The woman gave a cold smile.
"This isn't a place to welcome. It's a place to hide."
Another silence.
Then Kael murmured, hesitant:
"Maybe you could… stop fighting? I… I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."
Éléonore finally sheathed her sword, her muscles still tense.
"I came to protect my mistress. Not to start a war."
Kael's mother stepped back, her red eyes softening slightly.
"Then let her live. But don't let her return alone."
Their gazes locked one last time, like blades refusing to cross again. Then the tension faded, though neither turned their back on the other.
Without sparing the others a glance, Naeliah fixed her eyes on her son with a mix of anger and worry. She stepped forward, firm, her glowing eyes locked onto the teenager's.
"You… I told you never to leave this forest. I close my eyes for five minutes — five little minutes! — and you're already outside!"
Kael immediately lowered his head, eyes shifting like a child caught in the act.
"Sorry, Mom… I just wanted to see what the outside world looked like."
"And now you've seen it, huh?! Her voice turned harsher. "The second you step out, someone tries to kill you like you're some kind of monster! I warned you it was too dangerous..."
Feeling targeted, Éléonore replied quickly, her tone haughty:
"I was only doing my duty."
But Iria, who had stayed slightly behind, softly whispered to her bodyguard:
"Éléonore… please, apologize."
The knight raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"And why, my lady? He appeared out of nowhere, without permission…"
"Because…" Iria whispered, her voice slightly shaky, "…if you don't, he won't come back. And I don't want to lose my only friend…"
Silence fell. Éléonore, despite her pride, felt the weight of those words in the girl's gaze. She took a deep breath, swallowed her pride, and stepped toward Naeliah and Kael.
"I acknowledge I acted rashly. I misjudged the situation. My apologies to you and your son. It won't happen again."
Naeliah stared at her, impassive. Then she gave a slight nod.
"Very well. But remember: anyone who raises a hand against my child… will face me. And I'm not so merciful the second time."
"Then does that mean Kael can stay?!" Iria exclaimed, eyes shining, throwing her arms around her new friend.
Naeliah, still standing tall, answered firmly:
"No, he cannot."
She knelt to Iria's level. Her gaze, though gentle, carried a quiet urgency.
"Listen to me carefully, Iria. Kael cannot live outside. Unlike you, he has no core… no power. Even if he is a Carbalis, the outside world is far too dangerous for him. That's exactly why I created this forest. To protect him."
Iria lowered her eyes, realizing how serious things were. She opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out.
Kael, meanwhile, clenched his fists and said, voice trembling:
"It's not fair, Mom… I'm fifteen, and I still can't go out!"
At that, Iria's head shot up, a huge smile on her face.
"Fifteen? Did you just say you're fifteen?"
Kael blinked, confused.
"Uh… yeah, why?"
Iria clapped her hands joyfully and exclaimed:
"Because in this kingdom, anyone who turns fifteen must go to school!"
Éléonore, who had remained silent, crossed her arms and added gravely:
"And if you refuse… the king himself would come to burn this forest to the ground just to get him in."
Naeliah slowly stood up. She knew Iria was right. And she knew the king's reputation: he didn't tolerate disobedience — not even for noble causes.
She closed her eyes for a moment, sighed deeply, then said in a resigned tone:
"Fine… alright."
Immediately, Iria and Kael threw their arms in the air, jumping with joy, their laughter echoing beneath the leafy canopy. For the first time in a long while, Kael was going outside. And for the first time ever, Iria would go to school… with a friend.