Chapter 268: Beyond Familiar Grounds

Lucy noticed the stillness in him. The way his focus drifted even as he listened. The weight he carried beneath his calm. So, shw didn’t press.

Bruce was grateful for that.

For a little while, he wasn’t the Anomaly. He wasn’t a problem-solver or a looming force in a world on the brink.

He was just someone sitting at a table, sharing a meal.

When dinner ended, Lily wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, pressing her face into his side before Lucy gently ushered her toward bed. She went reluctantly, still smiling, eyes heavy with sleep. Ash followed, padding after her before curling up near her door like a silent sentinel.

Lucy lingered in the kitchen.

“You’re leaving tomorrow,” she said softly.

Bruce nodded.

She didn’t ask where.

She didn’t ask why.

“Be careful,” she said instead.

“I will,” Bruce replied.

That night, sleep didn’t come easily.

Bruce lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as shadows shifted faintly with the passing hours. His thoughts drifted forward, beyond Valkrin, beyond familiarity, into cold lands he had never walked, systems he didn’t yet understand, and dangers that hadn’t revealed themselves.

For all his power, for all his preparation,

This was still the unknown.

Eventually, exhaustion won.

Sleep claimed him quietly.

Morning came without ceremony.

Bruce opened his eyes.

For a moment, everything was still, the room, the world, his breathing.

Then,

Resolve settled in. Whatever waited in Eiskar,

He would face it.

And Velmora would move forward with him.

Morning arrived quietly.

Bruce opened his eyes and, out of habit more than intention, spread his senses outward. Valkrin unfolded before him in familiar layers, the low hum of mana as the city stirred awake, distant footsteps echoing through stone streets, households beginning their routines. Life moving forward, steady and unchanged.

But one presence was missing.

The Traveler wasn’t here yet.

Bruce exhaled slowly through his nose.

Figures.

He rose from bed and stepped outside for a moment, letting the cool morning air wash over him. Dawn light crept across rooftops, pale and clean. Ash was already awake, perched nearby with alert eyes, posture sharp despite the calm.

“Not yet,” Bruce murmured.

Ash chirped softly in response, as if agreeing.

When Bruce returned inside, the house was already alive.

Lily sat at the table swinging her legs, spoon in hand, eyes only half-focused on her breakfast, until she noticed him.

“Big brother!” she called brightly.

Bruce smiled. “Want me to take you to the academy today?”

For half a second, Lily froze.

Then,

“YAY!”

She sprang up so fast her chair nearly toppled over, excitement exploding out of her all at once. “I’m ready! I’m ready!” she declared, already shoveling food into her mouth with exaggerated urgency. “I’ll eat fast!”

“Slow down,” Lucy said with a small laugh, resting a gentle hand on Lily’s head. “Chew properly.”

Lily nodded vigorously, cheeks puffed out as she obeyed, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement.

Bruce leaned against the doorway, watching the scene unfold. For a moment, the weight of plans, destinations, and unknowns faded into the background.

Ash hovered nearby, tail swaying lazily, clearly amused.

When Lily finally finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and hopped down from the chair.

“I’m done!” she announced proudly.

Lucy smiled as she stepped forward, straightening Lily’s clothes and brushing stray strands of hair aside. Then she looked up at Bruce, her expression softening.

“Be careful,” she said quietly.

Bruce nodded. “I will.”

Lucy kissed Lily’s forehead and stepped back. “Have a good day.”

“We will!” Lily replied cheerfully.

Bruce lifted Lily into his arms with effortless ease. She wrapped her arms around his neck immediately, resting her chin against his shoulder as if it were the most natural place in the world.

“Hold tight,” he said.

“I always do,” Lily replied seriously.

Bruce stepped outside.

Then,

He moved.

The street blurred as he accelerated smoothly, careful to keep his pace steady so Lily wouldn’t feel a jolt. Wind rushed past them, cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of morning with it. Lily laughed softly, tightening her grip just a little.

“We’re fast today!” she said.

Bruce chuckled. “Not too fast.”

Ash kept pace easily beside them, gliding through the air with lazy wingbeats, looking almost bored by the speed.

They passed through the waking city, shops pulling open their doors, adventurers heading out with gear slung over their shoulders, citizens pausing mid-step as a familiar blur streaked past.

Some pointed.

Some smiled.

Lily peeked over Bruce’s shoulder, waving enthusiastically at anyone she saw. “Good morning!” she called.

By the time they reached the academy, Bruce slowed naturally, setting her down gently at the gates.

She beamed up at him.

“Thank you, big brother!”

She hugged him tightly, small arms squeezing with surprising strength.

Bruce returned the embrace, ruffling her hair lightly. “Train hard.”

“I will!”

Ash dipped its head toward her before hovering back.

Lily ran inside, turning once more to wave before disappearing into the crowd of students.

Bruce watched until she was gone.

Then,

He straightened.

The warmth lingered, quiet and stubborn.

But the path ahead was already calling.

And somewhere,

The Traveler was on his way.

Bruce didn’t hesitate. The moment the decision settled, he turned back toward the meetup point, his body blurring as he cut through Valkrin’s streets at high speed. The city had fully awakened by now, vendors calling out, boots striking stone, mana flowing in invisible currents through the air, but none of it slowed him. Buildings stretched into streaks of stone and light as distance folded neatly beneath his steps, the world bending around his intent rather than resisting it.

When his compound came into view, he slowed naturally, momentum bleeding away as his feet touched the ground without a sound.

The Traveler was already there.

He stood just beyond the outer wall, leaning casually as if he’d been waiting for hours rather than moments, hands tucked into his pockets, posture loose and unguarded. His clothes were different from the night before, still rugged, still travel-worn, but darker now, heavier, better suited for colder lands. The familiar cowboy hat remained perched at the same lazy angle, its brim casting a faint shadow over sharp, amused eyes that tracked Bruce’s approach with easy confidence.

As if he’d never moved at all.

“You’re punctual,” the Traveler said, glancing sideways as Bruce stopped a few steps away. His tone was light, almost teasing. “That’s either a good sign or a bad one.”

Bruce’s gaze swept over him once, measured. “You’re early.”

The Traveler grinned. “Habit. Worlds don’t wait, so I stopped trying to.” He tugged lightly at his coat, as though testing the weight of it. “North calls for different manners. It was a bit cold this morning. Cold has a way of reminding you you’re still alive. Or killing you, if you’re careless, so steel yourself when you get there, the North is a cold place.”

Bruce let out a faint snort. “You don’t seem worried.”

“I’m used to it,” the Traveler replied with a shrug, like it was nothing worth remembering.

For a moment, silence settled between them. The morning air was crisp and clean, carrying distant sounds of Valkrin beginning another ordinary day, completely unaware that two beings standing just outside its walls were about to leave it behind. Bruce felt it then, that subtle tension that always came before a threshold was crossed, before something irreversible began.

“So,” the Traveler said at last, tilting his head slightly, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “How does it feel?”

Bruce frowned faintly. “What?”

“The will of the world,” the Traveler clarified. “Letting something that big decide where you go. Does it feel any different from your usual tricks?”

Bruce paused, the question striking deeper than he’d expected. He considered it carefully before answering. “It’s… hard to describe…”

His gaze drifted for a brief second, unfocused. “While i need it’s help for the most part the decision to do this was by me and me alone.”

The Traveler’s grin widened, genuine satisfaction flashing across his face. “Hah. Thought so.” He chuckled softly, almost to himself. “I’ve always wondered what that’d feel like from the other side.”

He straightened then, rolling his shoulders once. The casualness never fully left him, but something beneath it aligned, an old, familiar readiness settling into place.

“Alright,” he said. “I’m ready.”

Bruce nodded.

The Traveler took a few steps closer, then stopped, turning just enough that his profile caught the light. “When you give the order,” he said, tone still light but threaded with intent, “don’t send us inside.”

Bruce frowned. “Inside Eiskar?”

“Outer walls,” the Traveler corrected. “Just beyond the kingdom’s boundary.”

Bruce studied him. “Why?”

The Traveler didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he adjusted the brim of his hat, fingers lingering there as his gaze shifted northward, far beyond Valkrin’s skyline, far beyond what ordinary eyes could see. For the briefest moment, something ancient flickered behind his expression.

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