Reaching into an open area, only lit by the few rays of light that escaped the thick clouds, kael took out what seems like a rune from his cloak.

  "take Ethan for a moment zero" keal said gently while handing the vulnerable infant to zero, he began to chant into the rune with a whispering voice, making it glow under more and more intensely, when the glowing reached its crescendo, he throw it on the rays of sunlight.

  the moment it touches the light mid-air it exploded into a blinding light, when it subdued, they were standing in front of Portal, leading to what seems like another space, a space where nature grow, where the sun's bathing everything without the interrupting of the clouds.

  without hesitation nor rushing, they stepped into the portal, as it closes behind them, The familiar green canopy stretched above Kael as he stepped through the forest, its dense leaves filtering the sunlight into soft, dappled patterns on the forest floor. The air was alive with the scent of earth and wildflowers, and the steady hum of the trees whispered around him, a comforting reminder of home. The wind rustled the leaves, and the distant chirps of birds echoed through the branches.

  Zero darted ahead, already running toward the towering figure of the ancient tree at the heart of the forest. The tree had always been their home—a massive, sprawling entity whose roots dug deep into the earth, twisting through the soil like a labyrinth. At the top of the tree, their home awaited, a sturdy, weathered structure that had been passed down through generations, built from the very wood of the tree itself.

  Kael followed slowly, his pace unhurried but deliberate. His hand still cradled the bundle of cloth that held Ethan, the baby who had appeared like a sign from some distant fate. The child’s presence weighed heavily on Kael’s mind, but here, in the shadow of the ancient tree, the world seemed almost... normal. The life that surrounded them was a stark contrast to the desolation they had left behind, but it wasn’t enough to push away the gnawing feeling that something was different—something had changed.

  The house atop the tree, which had once felt like a sanctuary, now seemed almost too quiet. The familiar creaks of the wooden structure, the rustling of the wind through the leaves—everything felt oddly distant.

  Zero had already reached the base of the tree and was looking up toward their home, eyes wide with excitement.

  Kale's gaze lingered on the tree’s massive trunk, tracing the intricate patterns in its bark, patterns that had never seemed as significant as they did now. He had lived here for as long as he could remember, surrounded by the comfort of nature and the rhythms of the forest. And yet, today, everything felt unfamiliar.

  The whispers in the back of his mind had returned, and they were louder than ever. Here, in this place, this has always been home. Yet now it feels as though it never was.

  “Kael?” Zero’s voice interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. Something's feels.....off

  Kael nodded in agreement, sensing that something is different about the treehouse , but Kael had always stayed, finding peace in the endless green around him. But now, with Ethan’s arrival and the strange energy surrounding the child, even this haven seemed uncertain.

  “We’re staying for now,” Kael replied, his voice steady, though he could feel the tension building inside him. “We’ll make sure the house is secure. I need to think.”

  Zero tilted his head, puzzled. “Think about what?”

  Kael hesitated. “I’m not sure yet. But things are changing, Zero. You can feel it too, can’t you?”

  Zero looked around, his youthful innocence giving way to an understanding beyond his years. He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the ancient tree. “Something’s different. I can feel it. But… it doesn’t feel bad. It feels... alive.”

  Kael’s lips pressed into a thin line. Alive. That was the word. The world had been dead for so long, yet here, in this familiar space, there was something undeniably vibrant. But it was not the same life that had once thrived here—it was a darker, deeper kind of pulse, one that whispered of secrets buried deep within the roots of the ancient tree itself.

  From the base of the tree The house was just s they had left it, nestled high within the ancient tree, its weathered wooden structure draped in vines and moss. But today, there was a subtle shift in the air—an undercurrent of change that Kael could feel deep in his bones.

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  With a brief glance at Zero, Kael extended his hand, and the wind around them stirred. A soft gust swirled at his fingertips, lifting them gently from the ground. They began to ascend into the house, floating effortlessly through the air, the wind catching them like a whisper of freedom. Zero, always eager, allowed his own magic to flow as well. A frost of delicate, sparkling ice spread over his hands as the cold air around him swirled, adding an ethereal chill to their flight.

  Together, they glided through the opening in the treehouse, the wind caressing their forms, and the soft crackle of frost following in Zero’s wake. They hovered into the heart of the house, a familiar warmth greeting them.

  But something felt different. The space—though intimate, as always—now seemed somehow larger, more complex. The walls stretched subtly, and there were more doors than Kael could ever remember. Some were cracked open, spilling faint light into the room. Others remained shut, their wooden surfaces unmarked, but they all seemed to hold the promise of something hidden beyond.

  Zero darted toward one of the open doors, his feet not even touching the floor as he excitedly hovered into the space beyond. “Kael! This room wasn’t here before!”

  Kael didn’t immediately respond, his attention split between Zero’s curiosity and the strange pull he felt toward the farthest door. The house had always felt like home—steady, unchanged—but today there was something else, an undercurrent of mystery whispering through the walls.

  He moved silently through the space, allowing the wind to carry him gently. He passed by Zero, who was absorbed in a room filled with old books, strange trinkets, and items Kael can remember every detail about them....and he clearly remember...they were long gone, destroyed, vanished. The air in the room was thick, but not in a way that felt oppressive. It was alive, imbued with something ancient and powerful.

  “Do you think this place... is growing?” Zero asked, his voice full of awe as he ran his fingers along a dust-covered map.

  Kael’s gaze flickered to the other doors. "It is, but maybe it's not a bad thing" he murmured, his voice low. "But it feels like we're not just in a house anymore. It's like the house is aware of us."

  He glanced back at the door that had caught his attention—the one at the far end of the room, slightly hidden in the shadow of the fireplace. With a slow, deliberate motion, Kael drifted closer, his hand extending toward the handle. But just as his fingers hovered over it, something stirred in the air, a pulse of energy that made his skin tingle. He pulled his hand back, unease washing over him.

  Zero, sensing Kael’s change in demeanor, floated back toward him, his eyes wide with curiosity. “What’s wrong?”

  Kael didn’t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the door, his senses alive with an energy he couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t a feeling of danger, not exactly, but of something old—something that had been waiting for a long time. The house was changing, and with it, something else was shifting too, something Kael could only begin to grasp.

  “it's not for me,” Kael said quietly. "But i....think i know who might be this door calling."

  Before Zero could respond, Kael gestured toward another door at the opposite side of the room. "Let’s keep moving."

  The two of them hovered toward the new door, the wind and frost swirling around them as they passed. Kael could feel it now, a growing sense of anticipation that seemed to hum beneath the wooden floorboards.

  This house—their house—was no longer just a refuge. It was a living thing, and something was calling them forward.

  Kael's gaze shifted back to the far door, the one he had avoided. The air around it felt different—darker, more tangible. He could feel it before he even reached the threshold: the shadows that danced just beyond the doorframe, twisting and contorting into shapes he couldn’t quite recognize. It was as if the darkness itself had a life, an energy of its own, and it moved with intent.

  Zero, unaware of the significance, floated closer, his eyes wide with intrigue. “What’s in there, Kael? It looks... weird.”

  Kael stood still for a moment, his hand hovering just shy of the door. He wasn’t in a hurry. There was no need to rush—he knew exactly what this door was for, who it was meant for. The shadows, flickering like living things, seemed to pulse in response to his presence. They didn’t react to him the way they might have to another being. No. This was something else entirely.

  “They’re waiting for him,” Kael murmured softly, his voice carrying a weight of knowledge that was both heavy and distant.

  Zero tilted his head. “Waiting for who?”

  Kael’s eyes lingered on the swirling shadows. “Someone who doesn’t belong here. Not yet. But they will. And when they do, the door will open.”

  The darkness around the frame writhed, a wave of shadowy tendrils curling and uncoiling like a living thing. Unfamiliar shapes twisted within the inky blackness, shifting and flickering out of sight only to return, morphing into different forms. For a brief moment, Kael thought he saw a face—a fleeting, distorted image that vanished before he could focus on it. It was a reminder of something old, something long forgotten.

  Zero's excitement faded into confusion. “But... there’s nothing behind it, right?”

  Kael didn't answer right away. His hand remained outstretched, but there was no need for him to open it—he knew the door would not answer to him. Not now. Not yet. The shadows were a silent reminder, a beckoning for someone else, someone who wasn’t here. Someone who would come when the time was right.

  “The door doesn’t open for you,” Kael said finally, his tone unreadable. “It’s not meant for us.”

  Zero looked up at him, sensing the change in the atmosphere. He didn't press further, instead looking curiously at the ever-moving shadows. His frost magic fizzled out, leaving behind a soft mist as the temperature dropped slightly. He frowned, his small brow furrowing in uncertainty.

  Kael stepped back, his focus unbroken. “This place is more than we understand. It has its own purpose, its own design.”

  Zero glanced back toward the room they had explored earlier, a room full of forgotten things. “So... this is all for him, then?”

  “Yes,” Kael said, his voice low and cryptic. “Everything is for him.”

  As the shadows danced, Kael felt the faintest stir of something—an ancient pull, a destiny woven into the fabric of time itself. It was a reminder that everything, even this house, was tied to fate in ways that only Kael understood. But now was not the time to explain. Not yet.

  The wind that had carried them through the house shifted, swirling gently around them, brushing the shadows back from the doorframe. Kael turned, motioning to Zero. "We will leave this for now. But the time will come when this door calls to us again."

  Zero nodded, though the mystery hung heavily in the air between them. Kael's movements were slow, purposeful, as he guided them away from the shadowed door and into the heart of the house. But even as they moved, Kael couldn’t shake the feeling that things were moving toward an inevitable convergence—something ancient, something inevitable, was stirring beneath the surface of this world.

  And Ethan would be at the center of it.