Rowen then raised his head. "You saw it right? The flame label."
Tyler’s expression remained blank for a while, then he carefully nodded.
"Vanya’s label." Rowen said. "Let you draw energy from the world core."
Tyler flinched. "World...core?"
"Pretty intense, I know."
"How...did you know about it?"
"Huh? Oh...I have it too."
Tyler frowned. "With your teleportation?"
"Did you forget that the fire is a domain ability?"
Tyler was taken aback. "You can use fire too?"
"Pile down kid. It’s boring."
"Then..." He paused, pondering on if he should ask the question. Curiosity finally won. "The marked ones. Carlel said the labels were meant to guide them."
"Yes."
"Then you know about the marked ones."
"Yes."
"Are they in Qld?"
"Yes."
He narrowed down the question. "Are they in Salvador?"
"Yes." Rowen answered again.
"And we never found them? You have been hiding them?"
Rowen didn’t answer that.
"Why are you telling me now? Because I was labeled?"
"Yes."
Tyler puckered his lips. Despite the overloaded information, he stayed level headed.
"There are the disciples right?"
Rowen nodded.
"And the protectors that protect the disciples?"
"No. They protect the worlds the disciples manage." Rowen corrected.
"Okay. So, then the marked ones. What do they do?"
"The marked ones are descendants of the disciples or disciples’ family who were granted the privilege to summon the disciple If they all came together."
"And the labels are to protect them?"
"Yes."
Tyler finally understood. This system was set up to tie up loose ends. It was after this clarification that he realised how much work was cut out for Claude, Quil and Kael.
They had to protect a whole world.
’Is that even possible?’
"So? Can I meet the marked ones I’m supposed to protect?" He asked.
"That’s why I called you." Rowen rose up.
He went around the table and stopped before Tyler. He just casually placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and teleported them both.
When the world settled, he was standing on cold gravel with wind in his face. The school was gone. Around him were cliffs, pine trees, and a sky that felt much too close.
"...Where’s the school?"
"Behind us."
Tyler turned. There was only a rock face.
Rowen was already walking up a narrow path winding up the mountainside. They climbed for what felt like an hour. Tyler’s shoes were not made for this. No birds sang. No signs marked the way.
"Are we hiking?"
"Walking."
"That’s the same thing."
"It’s not."
"...Is this a punishment?"
A tiny smile touched Rowen’s lips. "Tiana also did the same thing when I brought her here. Ask stupid questions."
"We’re twins so..."
Tyler looked around.
"Did she tell you yet? About her past?" Rowen asked.
"No. Not any of us. We still are not..."
"Close enough?" Rowen raised a brow.
"Yes."
Tyler glanced at him. "Did she tell you? I mean you adopted her so..."
"I didn’t ask. I never asked." Rowen heaved a sigh. "The only person she ever opened up to is dead. I guess he was a better father figure than I was."
At last the trees parted around a small clearing. A rusted iron cage stood against the cliff, taller than a man, its door hanging open.
Tyler stared at it. "Why is there a cage? Are there bears?"
"No."
"Then why..."
"Come."
Rowen stepped inside. Tyler hesitated, glanced at the empty mountain, and followed.
The gate clanged shut. The air bent. The ground dropped away and came back, and Tyler caught the air to keep from falling.
"...Huh?"
The mountain was gone. They stood in a cavern so vast he couldn’t see its edges, lit by thousands of crystals that burned softly in the walls. Blue light ran through channels in the floor and under stone bridges. Pillars as wide as houses climbed into darkness.
And ahead, a fortress. White walls were draped in blossoming vines. Silver banners rippled in air that wasn’t moving. Gold-trimmed doors rose beyond a staircase of pale marble.
Tyler’s mouth opened. Nothing came out.
"...Uncle."
Rowen kept walking.
"Uncle Rowen."
Tyler scrambled after him. Knights on the walls turned and saluted. A gardener dropped his shears and bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.
"Master Rowen!"
"Welcome home, Clan Master!"
Tyler stared at the back of his uncle’s head. He had his suspicions, but had never exaggerated it this much.
The great doors opened on their own.
Inside, a hall stretched farther than the school’s football field. Three women waited at the end of a crimson carpet, and behind them, in neat rows, stood a crowd of children.
"Welcome home, Husband."
Tyler stopped breathing.
"Welcome home, Father!" the children chorused.
He turned slowly to Rowen. Then to the women. Then to Rowen again.
"...Husband," he whispered. "Husband? Which one of them?"
Rowen spread his arms slightly. This was a clue.
The whole family ran into his arms and hugged him.
Tyler was stunned.
’This man...’
His gaze quickly caught a sight. A sight that drove off the shock from his gaze.
One of the children’s arms has a fire mark.
’A marked one?’ Tyler narrowed his eyes.
Almost like he gave himself out, the child glanced at him.
"Oh." He looked away.
After the brief hug, Rowen introduced. "This is Tyler. We all know Tyler."
"The crown prince." They chorused.
Rowen nodded. "Good. The crown prince. Now introduce yourselves."
"Rhythm," the eldest said. Then she pointed to the rest and introduced all of them. "Raze, Reia, Rena, Rowy, Rowdy, Rain, Roy, Rood, Runi."
"Wha...what?" Tyler was actually stuttering. "R...what? I mean ...nice to meet you all."
"Runi," Rowen called the youngest who had the mark.
"Yes father."
"Rowy,"
She turned. "Yes father?"
"And Raze."
"Sir." The boy answered.
"Guide him to the inner hall. Introduced him to the rest of you,"
"Wait, they are marked?" Tyler asked.
"Oddly yes." Rowen shrugged. Then he tapped Rhythm’s shoulder. "She’s labelled."
The girl waved.
"Work with her for the next week. Get whatever you did the black empire under check, got it?"
Tyler nodded. "Alright."
"Good," Rowen moved first. His wives followed behind.
"See you in a week."