We hadn’t traveled very far when Samuel suddenly stopped in the middle of the air. The change was so abrupt that I slowed instinctively and came to a halt beside him.
Samuel wasn’t looking at the city anymore. His gaze was focused somewhere far away and his expression had become strangely attentive. It almost looked as though he was listening to somebody.
Several seconds passed before Samuel finally nodded.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"He’s here."
Another pause. Then the old man sighed.
"Fine."
The strange exchange ended. Samuel looked toward me.
"Well, change of plans."
"What happened?"
"We aren’t going to the council."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Aren’t they waiting?"
"They can continue waiting."
That answer alone told me whoever had interrupted him ranked considerably above the council. Before I could ask another question, Samuel changed direction and accelerated away from the city center.
I followed.
The towering buildings gradually disappeared behind us as we crossed multiple sections. Eventually even the modern skyline began thinning out and gave way to a quieter section of the settlement.
The atmosphere itself felt different here. It was calmer and ancient.
Gardens and courtyards appeared between homes. The further we traveled, the more it felt like stepping backward through history.
Then Samuel began descending. My eyes followed his trajectory.
The destination surprised me. The structure occupied a large courtyard surrounded by ancient wooden walls. The architecture resembled something from a much older era. Wooden pillars supported curved roofs while stone pathways wound through carefully maintained gardens. Several ancient trees grew throughout the courtyard, their branches extending over the rooftops like protective guardians.
I had noticed this place earlier. More specifically, I had noticed the soul signature hidden inside it. Even among all the powerful Saints scattered throughout the city, one presence had stood above the rest.
That presence came from this house. As we landed within the courtyard, I instinctively focused on it again.
The result surprised me. The person inside was a late Saint. The aura carried a depth and stability that I had only seen from extremely old powerhouses.
For a brief moment I almost wondered whether I was sensing somebody comparable to Gerald. The door to the house slid open before either of us could announce our arrival.
An elderly woman stepped outside. At first glance she appeared completely ordinary.
She wasn’t tall. She wasn’t physically imposing.
Her silver hair had been gathered neatly behind her head while simple blue robes hung loosely around her frame. Fine wrinkles covered her face, yet none of them diminished the warmth in her smile.
She looked less like the strongest Ironhart in the settlement and more like somebody’s grandmother waiting for family to arrive for dinner.
Then my perception touched her again. The feeling immediately returned.
Dangerous.
The contrast was almost absurd. The old woman looked at me.
Then smiled. Then smiled even wider.
"Oh."
The single word escaped her mouth.
"So that’s him."
I had no idea who "him" was supposed to be. Unfortunately Samuel apparently did.
"Yeah the anomaly in our records. Who informed you about it?."
The old woman laughed.
"I know everything little Samuel."
Then her eyes moved over me again. The smile somehow widened further.
"You definitely look like an Ironhart."
I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.
Samuel walked forward.
"Evelyn."
"No."
The old woman immediately cut him off.
Samuel blinked.
"What?"
"You leave."
Samuel stared at her. She pointed toward the courtyard gate.
"You leave."
The old man looked genuinely offended.
"I brought him here."
"Thank you."
"I should stay. Orders from the council."
"You should leave."
"Evelyn."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I won’t repeat myself again Samuel."
For several seconds they simply stared at one another. Then Samuel sighed.
"Fine. I will be out of your sight."
He turned toward me.
"Good luck."
That statement concerned me more than anything else he had said all day. Then he left. The courtyard became quiet. The old woman waited until Samuel disappeared completely before gesturing toward the house.
"Come inside child."
I followed her inside. The interior matched the exterior.
It was simple and comfortable. Books lined several walls while wooden furniture occupied most of the room. The place felt lived in rather than maintained.
The old woman eventually sat down and motioned for me to do the same.
Then she studied me. The silence stretched long enough that I eventually became uncomfortable.
Finally she spoke.
"Why did your parents lie about your death?"
Straight to the point.
I blinked.
"I don’t know."
The old woman tilted her head slightly.
"You genuinely don’t know?"
"No."
For several moments she continued watching me.
Then she nodded as if she believed me.
"Then let’s try a different question."
I waited.
"Where were you raised?"
The question seemed harmless enough.
"In a small world."
"Name?"
"Vaythos."
Her expression didn’t change.
"How many Ironharts lived there?"
I thought about it for a moment. Then shrugged.
"My family was the only one."
The old woman leaned back slowly. The reaction was much stronger than I expected. Almost as though the answer had confirmed something important.
Eventually she exhaled.
"A single family. A single Ironhart family surviving alone in an entire world. A rare occasion."
Then she looked back at me. The smile returned. This time it carried something different.
Affection.
The sort an elderly grandmother might show a grandchild she had only just met.
"Then you must have many questions."
I laughed.
"A few."
"A few?"
The old woman chuckled.
"Good."
She reached for a nearby cup and poured herself tea.
"Because unlike Samuel, I actually enjoy answering them."
A smile lingered on her face as she lifted the teacup. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity immediately.
"How long have you been in the Null Realm?"
The old woman paused.
"I honestly don’t remember."
She looked down at the tea swirling inside the cup.
"After a certain point the years stop mattering. But if that answer isn’t satisfying enough, I can give you another one."
I waited.
"I am the oldest Ironhart currently in the null realm."
The words were spoken casually.
"The ones before me were hunted down by the Eternals. Some were killed by Soul Hunters. Some disappeared entirely. Others died defending settlements that no longer exist."
She shrugged.
"Even after me, many met similar fates."
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
"The previous nine Ironhart settlements all eventually fell. Some survived for centuries. Some lasted only decades. In the end it didn’t matter. The Eternals found them eventually."
There was no bitterness in her voice. Only acceptance.
"We lost many people."
Then a faint smile touched her lips.
"Apparently my luck is bad enough that I survive every time."
I couldn’t help chuckling.
"Is this the only Ironhart settlement left?"
She took another sip before nodding.
"Yes."
The answer arrived immediately.
"It is the only one. The decision wasn’t made lightly. For a very long time the surviving branches remained scattered. Different settlements. Different regions. Different hiding places."
Her fingers tapped lightly against the cup.
"The idea sounded reasonable. If one settlement fell, others would survive."
A snort escaped her.
"The reality turned out to be considerably less inspiring. The more scattered we were, the easier it became to hunt us."
She nodded toward the city outside.
"So eventually the remaining families gathered together. We pooled our resources. Combined our strength. Consolidated our defenses. And for once, it was the correct decision."
Her eyes shifted toward me.
"Which brings me to a much more important question. How exactly did you find this place?"
Honestly, I didn’t see much point hiding it.
"Gerald the Wise."
The reaction was immediate. The teacup in her hand shattered. The porcelain exploded into fine dust while the tea suspended within it instantly evaporated.
The old woman’s eye twitched.
"That rogue old man."
The words emerged through clenched teeth.
I blinked.
"Well."
She leaned back.
"That explains everything."
The irritation on her face continued growing.
"Of course it would be Gerald."
Another eye twitch.
"Who else would decide that the best solution was throwing a living Ironhart directly into the middle of our settlement and seeing what happened?"
I stared.
"You don’t seem very fond of him."
The old woman laughed. A very dangerous laugh.
"Oh, I adore him."