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The final roar of the battlefield faded like thunder rolling away from the mountains.
For a long taut moment there was only the whisper of ash and wind, the sort of silence that came after the world had been split apart and stitched back together again.
Cale Henituse stood amid the ruins of the Arm's last stronghold, the weight of his ancient powers, blood, and exhaustion pressing against his bones.
The sky above was streaked in shades of violet and gold, with light bleeding through the cracks of smoke. It would’ve been beautiful, he thought absently, if his legs didn’t feel like someone had replaced them with stone.
“…He’s gone,” Choi Han murmured beside him quietly, his sword now lowered.
Cale didn’t need to ask who.
White Star’s body had long turned to dust, finally.
No more reincarnation, no more fragments, and no more tricks left for that madman to clutch into. The ancient powers within Cale hummed with him in low and tired but steady way.
For the first time in what felt like years, the earth beneath him was quiet.
“We did it,” Raon said softly, and his young voice trembling with something between awe and joy. “Human, the bad guy is really gone this time.”
Cale had exhaled a breath that carried more than fatigue. It was a lifetime of tension, of plans, and of battlefields condensed into one fragile release. His body had sagged slightly, but fortunately for him, Choi Han’s hand was already steady at his shoulder (as he always had).
“You can't collapse here, Cale-nim,” Choi Han said worriedly.
“I wasn’t planning to,” Cale responded dryly, though his knees had other opinions.
He surveyed the Puzzle City and the scattered members of their group regrouping. Rosalyn was helping Lock, Jack, and Hannah with the wounded; Beacrox and Ron were already setting up makeshift tents; and high above, Eruhaben’s golden form cut across the brightening sky, his scales glinting like sunlight over calm seas.
It was finally over.
The world was finally at peace, now freed from that Radish's clutches.
However, suprisingly, all Cale could think was that he had one more thing to do before he could rest.
And it seems he wasn't the only one who thought of this.
“Human,” Raon had piped up again as he fluttered closer. The young dragon’s wings beating with excitement despite his own scratches. “Today’s the day! You promised we’d be home before–!”
“–before evening,” Cale finished with a sigh. “I remember.”
Seemingly to find delight with his words, Raon’s tail swished through the air.
“Today's Fon’s birthday! We can’t be late!”
Cale then closed his eyes briefly, the corners of his mouth tugging upward slightly. Even after an intense battle, his schedule refused to give him peace.
However, he didn't mind it a single bit.
“How could I forget?” he grunted out.
He hadn’t told anyone except their group, but the promise he made before the war started still rang clear in his head.
‘No matter what happens, I’ll come home in time for your birthday.’
Fon had laughed back then, all teeth and bright eyes, believing him completely.
And Cale, who rarely promised anything unless he meant it, had meant it with everything he had.
“Alright,” he started, before straightening himself. “We’re heading home.”
“Now?”
“Yes, before someone decides to hold another victory banquet.” He then turned to the rest of the group, his voice now louder for them to hear. “We’re done here. We’ll let Hyung-nim handle the politics.”
That earned him a short laugh from Rosalyn.
“You’re running away before the crown prince can drag you into another meeting, aren’t you, Young Master Cale?”
And Cale, for all his indifference, didn’t even bother denying it as he shrugged carelessly.
“Exactly.”
He could already imagine Alberu’s annoyed face when he finds out. Well, the man had his own royal duties and is capable. He’d manage for sure, so there's nothing to worry.
Cale had more important things to attend to, namely, a small child with a big grin waiting back home.
Fortunately, the trip back to the Black Castle wasn’t long when you had dragons, especially with Eruhaben insisting on the one teleporting everyone.
“It’ll be faster, and frankly, I’d rather not walk after all this nonsense.”
Raon perched proudly on the old man's shoulder, narrating every detail of the battle in loud and proud tone of voice while Cale tried to pretend he wasn’t listening.
“Human was amazing!” Raon declared to no one in particular. “He made the ground explode and the sky go BOOM! And the Radish went ‘Nooo!’ and turned into dust!”
Cale groaned into his hands.
“Raon, please–”
“But it’s true!” Raon chirped back, not feeling the least bit ashamed. “Even Kind Beacrox said you looked ‘slightly less pathetic than usual.’ That’s clearly a praise, Human!”
“I didn’t say that,” Beacrox grumbled out from where he walked beside Ron with his arms crossed.
Ron, on the other hand, payed no heed to his son's glances as he smiled his usual pleasant smile and opened his mouth to add his opinion.
“I'm afraid you did, son. I was quite proud.”
“Father,” Beacrox hissed, but Cale was too tired to mediate as he raised his head to stare at the rustling leaves of the Forest of Darkness.
The wind was a bit cool against his face, and his hair tugged loose from the bindings. He instantly felt lighter, away the remnants of smoke and ruin, and enveloped in the kind of exhaustion that finally didn’t ache.
'Fon’s going to scold me if I show up covered in soot,' he thought listlessly.
[She’ll probably call you a ‘crispy tomato’, Human] Raon said added cheerfully in his head.
His words made Cale give him a sidelong look of exasperation.
“…You’re reading my mind again.”
[I’m guessing! But I’m right, aren’t I?] Raon giggled instead.
Cale sighed as an answer, before setting his gaze forward.
The castle came into view just as the sun began to set and showered the hills in gold. The familiar sight made something in Cale’s chest unclench, the tiled roofs, the sprawling gardens he and the children tended together, and the faint glimmer of magic that shielded their home.
Even from afar, he could see a tiny figure darting around the courtyard with Hong and Ohn, their laughter carrying faintly through the air.
“Looks like someone’s been waiting,” Rosalyn murmured beside him with a smile.
Cale said nothing, though the sight softened his eyes. Raon, on the other hand, had wasted no time to dash forward.
“Fon! Fon! We’re back! Human didn’t die again!”
“Raon!” Cale barked at the scaly back exasperatedly, but it was a little too late.
The little dragon had barreled into the courtyard, announcing their arrival in the least subtle way possible. Cale followed behind him on a more leisurely pace, brushing off the accumulated dirt from his cloak. He barely had time to adjust before a streak of brown and blue collided with him.
“Papa!”
The word hit him like a physical force as small arms wrapped around his waist, and he looked down to see Fon beaming up at him. Her brown hair stuck up at odd angles, her cheeks smeared with flour and maybe… glitter? Her faintly glowing eyes blinked with excitement.
“You’re back! You didn’t miss it!”
“I told you I wouldn’t,” he said, his voice noticeably softening as he patted her head. “You’ve grown heavier.”
“That’s because I’m eight now!” she announced proudly with her hands on her hips. “Dongsaeng said you were fighting the bad guy and that it would take forever, but I knew you’d come home in time. Noona helped me make cake!”
“Cake?” Raon’s head popped up instantly, his tail wagging frantically at the mere mention of the delicacy. “Where?!”
Fon giggled happily at his reaction, before finally giving an answer when Raon coquettishly bumped her arm with his round head.
“In the kitchen! But it’s not done yet because we ran out of eggs, and Uncle Beacrox said he’d get some but then he forgot, so–”
“I did not forget,” Beacrox interrupted smoothly, appearing noiselessly behind Cale. “Someone,” he then gave Raon a pointed look as he continued, “used them for a magic experiment.”
“It was important!” Raon huffed back righteously. “I needed to see if eggs could fly.”
Cale pinched the bridge of his nose, a defeated expression appearing on his face.
“Of course you did.”
Immediately, laughter rippled around them at his dramatic reaction. Cale let it be, afterall the war may be over, but their chaos was eternal.
And it was at that moment that Fon tugged on Cale’s sleeve.
“Papa, are you tired?”
Cale looked down at her and for a fleeting second, he saw something flicker around her as faint as candlelight. A shimmer of energy curling at her fingertips before fading.
He’d seen it before, the strange untamed glow that appeared when she was emotional. No one had been able to figure out what it was yet, but it didn’t seem dangerous according to the Dragons.
It was just… different.
“Not too tired,” he lied gently. “We’ll talk about that glow later. For now, let’s get you ready for your birthday dinner.”
“Okay!” Fon grinned and ran ahead toward the house, calling for Hong and Ohn to help set the table. Raon followed immediately, shouting about frosting and cake toppings. The sound of their voices filled the air, making the cold Autumn day warm.
Cale stood there for a moment longer, letting everything sink in.
The war with Arm was really over.
And with it the world was now safe. No matter how momentarily that may be.
And somehow, impossibly, he was home in time for his daughter’s eighth birthday.
Rosalyn nudged his shoulder as she passed, snapping Cale out of his daze.
“You did well, Young Master Cale.”
He gave her a dry side-eye in response.
“Don’t start with that sentimental nonsense.”
“Too late,” she said, her eyes curved into crescents with a playful smile. “You deserve to hear it.”
Eruhaben now stood casually beside them, his human form as usual shimmering in gold.
“Indeed, and to think you managed to finish a war and still make it home for a child’s party. Remarkable efficiency, even for you, unlucky bastard.”
Cale huffed at them indignantly.
“I had motivation.”
“Of course,” the ancient dragon drawled, amusement clear in his eyes. “A father’s determination, how touching.”
Cale pretended not to hear the teasing tone and headed inside whilst muttering about baths, cake, and children with too much energy.
But despite the exhaustion weighing on his limbs, there was a quiet contentment sitting in his chest, a warmth that even he couldn’t deny.
The sun dipped behind the hills, bathing the castle in soft gold.
Tomorrow, there would be rebuilding, diplomacy, letters, and countless headaches.
But tonight… tonight was for Fon.
And Cale Henituse, battle-worn and perpetually exasperated, intended to keep that promise.
The scent of baked sugar and something faintly burnt greeted Cale as he stepped into the Black Castle’s kitchen.
It was, unsurprisingly by all accounts really, chaos.
Flour had dusted the counters, the floor, and, somehow, even the ceiling.
Raon hovered near the mixing bowl, cheerfully commanding Hong to “pour more sugar!” while Ohn sighed and shook her head, trying to clean the mess with a mop and a rag.
Fon was in the middle of it all, her hair tied in two uneven pigtails, proudly holding a wooden spoon like it was a legendary weapon.
“Papa, look! We’re making cake!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Cale surveyed the scene in dumbfounded silence. He didn’t know where to start.
Beacrox was standing off to the side, his arms crossed, and expression dark, clearly trying not to intervene despite the culinary disaster unfolding before his eyes. What a nightmare this must have been to the germaphobe chef.
Ron, on the other hand, looked utterly delighted as he watched over the four children. His eyes crinkling as if this was the best entertainment he’d seen all year.
“I can see that,” Cale finally responded, his voice dry as he stepped carefully over a puddle of milk. “Who allowed this again?”
“Me!” Raon said proudly, not a bit remorseful at the mess they had made in such a short time. “Because Kind Beacrox said we couldn’t, so I made it a mission!”
“An unauthorized mission,” Beacrox muttered dejectedly.
Fon giggled at his furrowed expression.
“But it’s my birthday! That means I’m in charge!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! And you promised you’d be home, so now you have to follow the birthday rules too.”
Cale sighed a long-suffering but faintly amused.
“And what are these… birthday rules?”
“Number one!” Fon lifted her spoon up high. “No work allowed! Number two, everyone has to eat at least two slices of cake. Number three, no frowning! Even you, Papa.”
“That’s impossible,” he let out lightly causing Raon to gasp dramatically.
“Human! You can’t break the birthday rules!”
And as if to add fuel to the fire, Ohn, ever the voice of reason, padded closer with a towel clutched in her hands.
“You might as well give up, Papa. Fon’s rules are absolute today.”
Cale then looked around, finally realizing there wasn’t a single ally in the room.
“Traitors, all of you.”
“A true leader adapts, Commander,” Ron chuckled out softly.
“Ron, don’t call me that here.”
“Of course, young master.”
Cale gave up trying to argue and leaned against the counter, watching as the chaos somehow turned into a functioning baking process.
Raon had hummed a victory tune, Hong arranged decorations shaped like tiny dragons, and Fon concentrated deeply on whisking the frosting with Ohn by her side, her tongue sticking out slightly.
The faint shimmer of her strange magic flickered at her fingertips again, this time softer as if responding to her joy. Cale couldn’t help but watch quietly, fascinated at the sight.
And finally by evening, the whole castle had been transformed.
Rosalyn and Eruhaben had conjured floating lanterns that drifted lazily around the living room, glowing like captured stars. Lock and his younger siblings had brought in wildflowers from the forest, arranging them clumsily but proudly in glass jars.
Even Alberu had sent a gift through teleportation with an elegantly wrapped box with a note that simply read, “Don’t let your father escape the party.”
Cale stared at it for a full minute in disbelief before scoffing.
“He thinks he’s funny.”
“The Cookie Prince is right, Human!”
And later, when Fon finally appeared in her new dress (courtesy of Rosalyn), everyone gathered around the long dining table.
It was overflowing with food consisting of roasted meats, fruit tarts, and, at the center, the slightly lopsided cake the children had made. It leaned precariously, covered in far too much frosting, and yet Fon’s grin made it all look perfect.
“Everyone!” Raon declared loudly, his little wings flapping in his excitement. “We must sing the birthday song! Human, you too!”
“I’ll pass,” Cale started but then a chorus of voices drowned him out immediately.
Raon, Hong, Ohn, Choi Han, Lock, Rosalyn, Eruhaben, and even Beacrox (though he muttered the words) sang loudly and off-key. Fon’s laughter rang bright and free as she clapped her hands along with the rhythm.
When the song ended, she closed her eyes to make a wish. For a brief moment, that faint magical light appeared again, swirling like dust motes around her head before fading. The candles went out on their own.
Everyone paused at the suddenness of it.
“…Did she just–?” Rosalyn began, her voice trembling a bit in her awe.
“I think so,” Choi Han whispered back, his smile growing a bit wider.
Fon blinked her big brown eyes, before turning to Cale with a curious look.
“Did it work, Papa?”
Cale smiled faintly as he patted her braided hair.
“Whatever you wished for, I’m sure it did.”
“What did you wish for?” Raon asked eagerly as he leaned towards the girl.
“It’s a secret!” Fon giggled out playfully.
“But I helped bake your cake! I deserve to know!” Raon pouted in exaggeration.
“Secrets are more fun!” she said and leaned over to hug him to appease him. Raon immediately forgave her, because of course he did.
And finally, as the laughter resumed, the plates were passed around, stories were retold, and the night was filled with warmth.
Cale had sat back, letting the sound of the chatter, the clinking of forks, Raon’s overdramatic retelling of their latest battle (“The human glowed like a giant tomato of justice!”), and the occasional sigh of exasperation from Beacrox, wash over him.
He felt… content.
Eruhaben caught his eye from across the table, with the old dragon smiling knowingly at him.
“You look like a man who’s finally realized he’s happy.”
“Don’t start,” Cale said automatically.
“Too late,” the dragon drawled slowly. “It suits you.”
Cale shooked his head, deigning not to answer and instead watched as Rosalyn raised her glass for a toast.
“To Fon’s birthday,” she began warmly, “and to a world that’s finally at peace.”
Everyone echoed her, and Cale found himself lifting his cup without thinking. The firelight flickered across his family's faces. The children laughing, the adults smiling, and the air filled with something he never quite learned how to describe.
And later when the meal was over, Raon and Fon had somehow managed to convinced everyone to play a “magic light chase” in the courtyard, when it was really Eruhaben’s golden orbs drifting around while the children tried to catch them.
Cale, predictably, had tried to stay inside, but alas Raon had other plans.
“Human! You have to play too!”
“I’m too old for this,” he tried to bargain.
“But Goldie Gramps, Lemonade Gramps, Strong Choi Han, Smart Rosalyn, and even Kind Beacrox is playing. And they're all older than you!” Raon started listing off, mercilessly leaving no room for escape for Cale.
“...”
And Cale couldn't even deny it because, technically, he is the youngest sans Lock and the children.
And it was at that moment that Fon tugged on his sleeve, her expression filled with eagerness and hope.
“Please, Papa?”
…And that was how Cale Henituse, hero of the two continents, found himself standing in the courtyard holding a glowing orb while the children averaging ten giggled around him. The night air was cool and the stars bright as laughter echoed off the castle walls.
“Got you!” Fon shouted energetically, lightly touching his hand with a spark of her faint magic. The orb burst into a cascade of tiny lights and scattered into the air like fireflies.
“She did it again!” Raon gasped out in awe.
Rosalyn laughed softly from where she stood on the balcony (Cale narrowed his eyes at her sneakiness).
“Looks like her power responds to happiness.”
“Then we should keep her happy forever,” Ohn said, her tail curling languidly as she voiced out in a even tone.
That caused Cale to feel something tighten in his chest.
“That’s… not a bad idea,” he said softly as he watched the children bounce around.
And fortunately for him, he didn’t notice Eruhaben watching him from the shadows, smiling faintly at his words.
Or he would have not appeared in front of the ancient dragon for days.
Hours later when the castle was quiet again, Cale now stood by Fon’s room. She’d fallen asleep surrounded by gifts and half-eaten cake, with Raon curled protectively at her side.
There was a faint shimmer still clung to her fingertips as she breathed evenly, a soft pulse of magic with her every exhale.
He had lingered there, his form leaning against the doorframe as he watched over her.
“Papa?” then came a sleepy voice, Cale raised his brows as Fon’s eyes blinked open.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was… but I wanted to say thank you,” she smiled drowsily. “For coming home.”
Cale felt something gentle twist in his chest again.
“…Of course.”
“You kept your promise,” she mumbled in a low voice, her eyes closing once more. “You always do.”
Cale didn’t answer back, he just reached over and brushed her hair back, before pulling the blanket higher.
And when he saw that she had finally drifted off back to sleep, he whispered softly.
“I’ll always try to,” he paused, before leaning to plant a soft kiss on the girl's forehead. “Happy Birthday, my daughter.”
He turned to leave, but paused when he saw the faint glow at her bedside. It was a tiny sphere of light hovering there like a guardian star. It had pulsed once, then faded. Cale stared at where it disappeared before shaking his head and left the room.
Outside, the castle was quiet except for the soft hum of nighttime insects.
Cale stepped onto the balcony and inhaled the cool air. Even from the distance, he could hear faint laughter from the adults who were still awake.
But it as then that Raon’s voice echoed in his head, half-asleep but still smug.
[Human, are you smiling?]
“…No,” Cale denied after a beat.
[You are!] Raon strongly insisted. [I can feel it!]
Cale shook his head, a small huff of laughter escaping before he could stop it.
“Go to sleep, Raon.”
[Hehe goodnight, Human! You’re the best Papa ever!]
He rolled his eyes goodnaturedly, though his heart felt strangely light.
“Goodnight, Raon.”
And finlly, as the stars wheeled above and the lanterns flickered out one by one, Cale finally allowed himself to sit on the balcony floor, his back against the railing. The cool stone, the faint warmth of distant voices, and the quiet knowledge that there was no battle awaiting tomorrow.
There was just peace.
And well maybe, if he was unlucky enough, another cake disaster in the morning.
He could live with that.
Cale Henituse closed his eyes, a smile ghosting his lips as the world settled into the kind of silence only happiness could make.
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