Kapitel 3: Race between Blendbreeds
Marina gently stroked her horse.
"And then he just disappeared, out of nowhere. We've got plenty of strange people here at the park, but he's definitely an exception."
She brushed the mane of the gentle animal a couple more times before stopping and smiling.
"All done," she exclaimed with satisfaction.
Suddenly, the air grew heavier, a sign that someone was nearby. The sensation wasn't new; in fact, it felt almost familiar. Her instincts as a Blendbreed kicked in, making Marina turn around with a hint of worry: the guy from that morning was there, watching her.
"Hey... Shirei, right?" She noticed his gaze fixed on the animal. "Her name is Nebula, she's my horse. Do you like her?"
The Blendbreed moved silently, closing the distance. Marina couldn't help but notice how his steps made no sound, a sign of extraordinary agility and control. The boy's stature was distracting; anyone would have imagined he'd prefer slower combat.
"It's not that I don't like her," he said, tilting his head to the side, "but I was expecting something more... mythical, if you know what I mean."
"Like what?" asked the girl, placing some hay in front of the animal.
"Pegasi."
Marina burst into laughter. Realizing Shirei wasn't joking, she quickly stopped. "Sorry, really," she paused briefly to make sure she'd composed herself. "Pegasi are extremely rare. You'd be lucky to see one in your entire life."
"In Greek mythology, they're quite common, descendants of the original Pegasus."
"Yeah, I've studied that story too. Medusa's head and all that," she shook her head slightly. "But those are just myths."
The boy shifted his gaze sideways and glanced at her. "Maybe, but all of this could be considered a myth too."
"What are you trying to say?" she asked, leaning slightly forward.
The Blendbreed's voice was strangely comforting. Shirei was a stranger to her, but the calmness he carried was reassuring.
"I'm just reflecting on what I see and hear. Myths or not, they might have actually happened, don't you think?"
"Are you saying there could be other pantheons like the Italian one? Look, unlike them, our history in the Mortal World is a secret. No one knows anything about us. Nothing."
"Exactly. If they're real, why hide ours and spread the others? Doesn't that seem strange to you?"
"Well..." The girl was momentarily speechless; she'd never dwelled on that thought before.
"Don't worry, I was just rambling. We can drop the subject if you want."
"As you prefer..."
The Blendbreed simply observed Nebula, and Marina smiled thoughtfully. The relentless passage of silent minutes was starting to make her slightly uncomfortable.
Shirei seemed to read her mind. He sighed. "If you have any questions about me, feel free to ask," he said before reaching out a hand to Nebula and gently stroking her.
"Are you a son of Cragar?" she asked, tense.
Shirei nodded, confirming her suspicions.
"So earlier, when I came back, you disappeared because you were in the Interworld?"
"Yes, I used a Spectral Travel. Why did you come back to look for me?"
"Mr. D'Agostini asked me to show you around."
Nebula neighed at Shirei's touch, seeming to have taken a liking to him. "That's not necessary, nor is keeping an eye on me."
That seemed like a veiled allusion to her, and Marina smiled guiltily.
The boy continued. "Why did he ask you... should I know you?"
But Marina's mind was already too busy categorizing the information she'd just received. Another son of Cragar at Lilies Park, another Forbidden Heir—she was surprised Aena had allowed it.
"Are you okay?" asked the Blendbreed, his violet gaze invading her vision and making her falter.
"Yes, I was just lost in thought," she mumbled after regaining her composure. "I think he asked me because not everyone here sees the sons of Cragar in a good light. Why do you think you should know me?"
"I don't spend much time here, and for the duration of my stay, I remain in my room. You're the third person I've spoken to since arriving at the park, and if they asked you to keep an eye on me, maybe they think they can... honestly, I don't know," Shirei covered his face with a hand and rubbed his eyes. "It's clear they know my identity, but they still don't want to reveal anything to me. This whole memory loss thing is killing me."
Marina frowned. From Lyceum's words, she had gathered that Shirei had only recently arrived at the park. She still couldn't quite figure him out. She felt sorry for his lost memories but didn't understand his distrustful nature.
To mask her growing doubts, she decided to steer the conversation toward irony and try to lift his spirits. "Regardless, I feel honored to be the third person you've spoken to here," she burst into a loud laugh.
"I'm not joking."
"Ah, I see," she replied, disappointed by the failure of her plan. "I know it's none of my business, but what do you usually do?"
Shirei gave Nebula one last pat and stepped back. "I train, every day."
"Strange, I've never seen you at the training arena."
Nebula wandered off again, so they had no choice but to leave the stable. As they walked toward the exit, Marina couldn't help but notice their height difference. Shirei briefly met her gaze before continuing the conversation.
"I don't train here; I'm used to training elsewhere."
"Let me guess, if I ask where, you won't tell me."
The Blendbreed nodded. "You're right."
"See, you're a man of a thousand secrets too!" she replied, laughing. "So... how about we train together?"
"Now?"
"That way, we can take a break by lunchtime," she added, unsure if she could convince him. "Okay, listen, last week a son of Sidal beat me, and that can never happen again. Never!"
She was surprised by her own oddly proud tone, but she was willing to do anything to keep him from disappearing again.
"Sidal, you mean the god of war?"
"Exactly, ten points to the sons of Cragar! Apparently, there's not exactly good blood between our houses, you know. War isn't a wise choice... but hey, it's our parents' fault," she rambled, losing track of her point. "So? You're not scared of losing to me, are you?" she asked, trying to provoke him.
"I've already trained, but thanks for the offer."
"It's morning, Shirei. At least come up with a decent excuse if you really don't like me."
But the boy's serious expression made it clear he wasn't joking. Marina was confused—did that mean he trained at night? The sons of Cragar were always strange; she shouldn't forget that, yet she kept making that mistake.
She wasn't ready to give up. "How about a race? Let's go to..." She looked up, thinking of a suitable destination. "The Thirteenth House!"
The Blendbreed sighed. "Fine, but I don't usually hold back."
Marina was quite proud of her speed. She had even won the relay race held at the park during the holidays once. However, Shirei's confidence unsettled her.
Without waiting any longer, she decided to catch him off guard to gain an advantage.
"3-2-1-Go!" she suddenly shouted the countdown and took off at the same instant.
Marina began running as fast as she could. About twenty seconds passed in a flash. The boy hadn't overtaken her yet, so her plan must have worked—she just had to maintain her lead. Her route was well-planned and definitely the shortest possible; after all, she knew the place better than anyone. She would win, no doubt about it—at least until then. Shirei's aura suddenly manifested behind her, startling her, and she nearly tripped. Her blood ran cold when the son of Cragar sprinted up beside her and, like lightning, left her behind in an instant.
Marina's blue eyes widened, and she tried to speed up, but she had already reached her maximum pace. The park's scenery rushed past her eyes; she was sure she was giving it her all.
Shirei's figure gradually shrank until it disappeared from her sight entirely. Marina kept running until she was exhausted, but there was no trace of the Blendbreed left. Eventually, she reached the Thirteenth House: a small black wooden building.
Shirei was there waiting for her, sitting on the main steps.
"That was easy," he commented as soon as he saw her.
Marina bent over to catch her breath. "Excuse me?"
"You're pretty fast."
She looked up, annoyed, but the boy seemed completely sincere. Without a second thought, she slumped down next to him on the black steps of the Thirteenth House.
"You definitely weren't kidding when you said you train a lot."
Shirei seemed focused on something specific in the distance. "I'm not the type to joke about these things," he gestured vaguely toward the horizon. "I think someone's looking for you."
The Blendbreed followed his gaze until she noticed a small figure in the distance. She looked at Shirei in surprise and squinted, trying to figure out how he could see that far—after all, she was wearing her contact lenses, so she was sure her vision wasn't the issue. Slowly, she made out the blond hair of the distant figure and stood up.
"Guess who it could be? Lore!" she waved with her right hand.
"You know him?"
"Yeah, he's my stepbrother. We're both children of Ien."
The son of Cragar fell silent, which slightly unsettled Marina. For her, a self-proclaimed control freak, not knowing what others were thinking was agonizing. As Lorenzo approached, the blonde took the opportunity to sit back down and glance at Shirei out of the corner of her eye. His violet eyes fascinated her—she had never seen such a shade before, not even in mythological creatures. The boy was quiet, and his footsteps made no sound, as if he didn't want to be noticed. His aura and stature made him an undeniably imposing presence, yet he seemed capable of vanishing, both literally through Spectral Travel and figuratively. He was a living oxymoron.
"You know..." Marina said casually, "If Mr. D'Agostini hadn't introduced you, I probably would've thought you were a ghost."
Shirei sighed. "I figured."
The girl immediately realized she'd said the wrong thing and tried to apologize. "I didn't mean... really, Shirei, I've only known you for a few hours. I'd never insinuate anything. I didn't mean any harm. Sorry!"
She raised her hands in a pleading gesture, but the boy simply looked away, covering his mouth with one hand.
"Oh, you think this is funny, huh?" blurted the daughter of Ien. "Well, now I'm definitely calling you Ghost!"
"Nicknames too? Fine. Ghost, specter, whatever you want."
"Good!" she retorted boldly.
Shirei didn't seem to take it personally, and that realization put Marina at ease. Finally, Lorenzo arrived, though the expression on his face confused the blonde. The son of Ien slowed his pace, almost hesitating, and gave her a rather obvious look. Marina raised her eyebrows, intrigued, before realizing what he was referring to and blushing. Without making it too obvious, she took advantage of her stepbrother's arrival to put a few more centimeters between herself and Shirei.
Once she'd calmed down, she turned to Lorenzo with a smile. "Lore, what are you doing here?"
"I..." The Blendbreed couldn't avoid Shirei's gaze and quickly greeted him. "Hi. I'm Lorenzo, Marina's stepbrother, but you can call me Lore."
"Shirei," replied the son of Cragar expressionlessly. "If you need to talk, I'll get out of your way."
"No!" the two children of Ien replied in unison.
Marina turned to look at Lorenzo, confused, so the blond took the opportunity to explain further. "There's no need. I just wanted to let Marina know that Lyceum is waiting for her at the Grand Manor."
"Why did you come looking for her here?" asked Shirei.
"Well..." The son of Ien reached out a hand toward his stepsister, but she interrupted him.
"My best friend is a daughter of Cragar. I'm here often."
The Blendbreed turned to look at the closed door of the house. "You mean Dahlia?"
"Yeah, Mr. Ghost. I thought it was strange you didn't know your only housemate."
Lorenzo stood there, watching the scene, feeling slightly out of place. He began to back away. "Alright! It was nice meeting you. I just wanted to deliver the message. See you around!"
The two children of Ien exchanged a glance, and Lorenzo gave a quick wink before running off.
"Does he have eye problems?" Shirei asked curiously.
"No, his problems are in his head," Marina replied before standing up. "Okay, Ghost, this was fun, but I'd better get going. If Mr. D'Agostini has something important to tell me... well, it's important. I'm feeling a bit anxious now that I think about it..."
"I understand," the Blendbreed replied calmly.
Marina turned to say goodbye, but Shirei was already on his feet as well. Before she could realize what was happening, he grabbed her forearm to stop her.
"Wait, what?" Marina shivered at the contact. She could feel his icy hands even through the fabric of her shirt.
"You said you need to go to the Grand Manor. I'll take you there."
"What do you mean... no, Shirei, please, no!"
Marina realized what he had in mind too late. Darkness enveloped the two, and suddenly the world distorted, taking on the fluidity of a liquid. Marina's ears began to ring, and she heard voices and wails coming from everywhere. Shirei still held her, but the Blendbreed couldn't make out anything else. Everything seemed abnormal, as if reality itself had been altered. Shades of light green mixed with white and black, creating a surreal atmosphere. Marina couldn't stop gasping, desperately trying to inhale to get oxygen to her lungs. Once, Dahlia had tried to take her on a Spectral Travel, but they had failed miserably. According to her books, it was a technique that required great skill, so mastering it was essential to pull off something like this. Shirei hadn't been lying about his dedication to training—Marina was now certain of that. She closed her eyes as the environment moved rapidly, wishing it would end quickly. The Interworld wasn't a place for the living; she had always known that, but at that moment, she was getting a glaring reminder.
"We're here," the son of Cragar commented after a few seconds.
Marina reopened her eyes and doubled over, a slight wave of nausea forcing her to stay still. She tried to play it cool—after all, the boy had only been trying to help. "Thanks...!"
The words came out of her mouth almost as if they'd been forced out.
"Are you okay?" asked the Blendbreed with concern.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, I just need to... recover. I've never really experienced Spectral Travel before."
"I apologize."
Marina managed a weak smile and waved her hand to let him know not to worry.
"Do you want me to wait here?" added the shadowy boy.
"Don't worry, Shirei, go ahead. I'll see you around."
The Blendbreed nodded without a word and, before the girl could say goodbye, disappeared into the shadows once more.
"Classic son of Cragar, dear Marina, classic," she repeated to herself before taking a deep breath and trying to make her way toward her destination.
The Grand Manor stood with an imposing presence at the heart of the park, dominating the view and capturing the gaze of anyone who laid eyes on it. The structure, an elegant fusion of ancient architecture and modern practicality, boasted a majestic facade that rose high into the sky. The raw gray stone and dark wood used in its construction created a striking contrast, giving it a solid and enduring appearance. Massive Corinthian columns, grand and imposing, lined the facade, supporting a gracefully extended entrance portico. The portico itself was an architectural masterpiece, with hand-carved details that told stories of past ballads and celebrations. The sloping tile roof added a sense of nobility and tradition, while the classic yet modern windows were evenly spaced, adding a touch of contemporary elegance.
It was the beating heart of life at Lilies Park, a symbol of hope but also of authority, ready to welcome and guide young Blendbreeds in their fight against destiny.
Marina was worried about the mysterious meeting with Mr. D'Agostini. Usually, it was he who sought out the Blendbreeds when he needed to speak. The fact that he had asked Lorenzo to fetch her ruled out a routine discussion about organizing park activities.
Being summoned to the Grand Manor never boded well.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein