The sparring match had left the twins
buzzing with excitement.
They had fought against Theia—the legendary assassin of the Guild—and while they had lost, they had pushed her
further than most.
Still, the conversation had taken a different turn.
“How big is your house?” Sylvaine asked suddenly, stretching her arms behind her head.
Theia, who had been wiping down her blade with a cloth,
paused.
“That’s kind of personal,” she mused. “But I suppose it’s a decent size. Why?”
Elowen smirked. “Oh, nothing,” she said, glancing at her sister. “It’s just that—”
Sylvaine
grinned mischievously.
“Our mother’s house is bigger.”
Theia raised a brow. “Really now?” she said, clearly amused. “And how big is that?”
“Bigger than yours.”
Theia chuckled, shaking her head. “Alright, alright,” she said, standing up. “Now I have to see it. Your mother isn’t exactly rolling in gold, so I doubt it’s that impressive.”
Elowen and Sylvaine exchanged a glance.
Seraphis, who had been watching this exchange quietly,
sighed.
“Fine,” she said, standing up as well. “Let’s go.”
The twins cheered, and with that, they left the Guild behind,
heading toward the dense forests beyond the city.
Through the Forest – A Hidden Path
They traveled
deep into the woods,
the path becoming
more rugged and uneven
the further they went. The Guild Hall, and even the outer villages, were long behind them.
Theia had been expecting some kind of quaint
cottage
or maybe a
fortified cabin.
But as they approached a
mountainous cliffside,
she saw nothing resembling a home.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Where is it?”
Seraphis stopped, placing a hand on what appeared to be an
ordinary rock wall.
The twins smirked at each other before turning back to Theia.
“You didn’t bring me out here to rob me, did you?” Theia joked.
Elowen and Sylvaine
burst into laughter.
Then—
the mountain rumbled.
Theia’s
eyes widened
as the rock face began to shift, stone grinding against stone. A
hidden entrance
slowly revealed itself,
a massive gate carved into the mountainside.
Seraphis
stepped forward.
“Come on, you three.”
She
walked inside.
Inside the Hidden Stronghold
As Theia entered, she
stopped dead in her tracks.
This wasn’t a house.
This was a damn castle.
The entrance led into a vast underground
hallway,
its walls lined with
intricate carvings and runes.
A set of
massive iron doors
stood at the far end, leading deeper into what seemed to be
a fortress built within the mountain itself.
Torches flickered along the walls, illuminating a space
far larger than Theia had expected.
“You live here?” Theia asked, staring at Seraphis.
Seraphis merely shrugged. “It’s home.”
The twins, meanwhile, were
grinning ear to ear.
The Grand Hall
They led Theia through the iron doors and into the
main hall.
It was an enormous chamber, its
ceilings impossibly high,
lined with
hanging banners
and
rows of weapons on display.
A
fireplace the size of a small house
burned at the far end, casting a warm glow across the dark stone walls. A massive wooden
dining table
sat in the center, surrounded by finely crafted chairs.
Theia whistled. “You call this a house?” she said, stepping forward. “I’ve seen noble estates smaller than this.”
Sylvaine
laughed.
“Told you it was bigger than yours.”
Weapon Displays & Training Grounds
Theia was led
deeper inside,
where they entered what could only be described as
a personal armory.
Rows upon rows of
swords, daggers, spears, and throwing weapons
lined the walls, each meticulously maintained. Some of the weapons
glowed faintly,
evidence of enchantments far beyond common craftsmanship.
Theia raised a brow, recognizing the
deadly precision
in their design.
“You could arm an entire army with these,” she muttered.
“We don’t need an army,” Elowen said with a grin. “We have Mother.”
Theia shook her head, but she couldn’t deny that she was
impressed.
Beyond the armory was a
vast open space
, a
training ground carved directly into the mountain.
Wooden dummies lined the area, along with
sparring circles
and even a section for
target practice.
“You trained the twins here?” Theia asked.
Seraphis nodded. “Every day.”
That explained their
skill.
The Living Quarters
The tour continued through
several hallways,
revealing well-furnished
living quarters.
Seraphis’s room was
minimalist
, featuring only a large bed, a desk, and a rack of weapons. But the twins' rooms were
decorated with personality
—Elowen’s filled with books and fine daggers, while Sylvaine’s had an
array of trinkets and throwing knives
on display.
Theia glanced at Seraphis. “You’ve built all of this… just for yourself and the twins?”
Seraphis nodded.
“It’s safe. Hidden. And it gives us everything we need.”
Theia couldn’t argue with that.
The Hot Springs & Secret Escape Route
The next stop was
perhaps the most shocking.
A tunnel led them
deeper underground,
opening into a
natural hot spring
inside the mountain. Steam rose from the clear waters, giving the cavern an
ethereal glow.
Theia stared.
“You have a damn hot spring?”
Seraphis
tilted her head.
“Would you prefer cold baths?”
Elowen and Sylvaine laughed as Theia groaned. “I live in a decent house, but now my place feels like a shack compared to this.”
They continued the tour, passing through
a hidden escape tunnel
leading to an exit on the other side of the mountain—
a precaution against enemies.
Theia had to admit—
this was beyond impressive.
Final Thoughts – A Newfound Respect
By the time they reached the main hall again, Theia let out a breath, shaking her head.
“Alright, I take it back,” she admitted. “You’re definitely getting paid more than I thought.”
Seraphis smirked. “I never said I wasn’t.”
Elowen
grinned.
“So, do you like our house?”
Theia glanced around one last time.
“…It’s a fortress. But yeah.” She cracked a grin. “It’s damn impressive.”
The twins
cheered,
clearly pleased with themselves.
Seraphis, meanwhile, just watched.
This was home.
And it was
the safest place in the world
for her and her daughters.