The Same Cloth

One year passed.

The clan changed.

Leo changed with it.

So did Celine.

And Catherine.

The three of them were no longer the children who had once raced through the training grounds, arguing over who could defeat the most monsters.

The accident had taken something from them.

Not their friendship.

Not their determination.

But the easy happiness they had once possessed.

Celine had learned to live without the use of her legs.

At first, she had refused to accept it.

She had screamed.

She had cried.

She had demanded every healer, mage, physician, and artificer the Vale family could find.

They had tried everything.

Healing magic.

Regenerative techniques.

Experimental alchemy.

Ancient medical texts.

Nothing restored the damage.

Catherine’s situation was no easier.

She had lost her sight completely.

Her hearing remained, but only partially.

She learned to navigate through touch, vibration, and the temporal sense that had once been a minor part of her affinity.

Her visions had changed too.

Before the accident, Catherine could see fragments of possible futures.

Afterward, the visions became something stranger.

She couldn’t see them.

She could only feel them.

Moments existed around her like pressure in the air.

She could sense when something had happened.

Sometimes, when she touched a person, she could feel echoes of their past.

It was useful.

But it was exhausting.

And neither sister was willing to let their disabilities define them.

Celine learned to fight from her chair.

Catherine learned to fight without sight.

Leo trained beside them.

Every day.

Without fail.

They became inseparable.

And that was precisely what Lance had wanted to prevent.

Instead, he had accomplished the opposite.

They had become closer than ever.

The clan noticed.

And the clan began to whisper.

“He’s dangerous.”

“I heard he nearly killed one of the dungeon instructors.”

“That’s not true.”

“He doesn’t respect the elders.”

“Neither does Celine.”

“Catherine can’t even see.”

“Keep your voice down.”

Leo heard every word.

He pretended he didn’t.

Celine heard them too.

She had become remarkably good at reading the expressions of people around her.

Catherine couldn’t see them.

But she could feel when conversations stopped as she entered a room.

The three began eating separately.

Training separately.

Avoiding the main gathering halls.

The clan that had once been their home gradually became something else.

A place where they were tolerated.

Not welcomed.

Leo understood why.

The clan had wanted him to remain weak.

Instead, he had become stronger.

Celine and Catherine had once been considered promising young warriors.

Now they were viewed as damaged.

Their parents refused to accept that description.

Marcus became increasingly hostile toward anyone who spoke about his daughters that way.

Elara simply stopped attending clan functions.

Eventually, they stopped inviting the family altogether.

The Vale family had become an island within its own clan.

And then came the final confrontation.

It began in the training yard.

Leo was practicing with Celine.

Her chair moved across the stone as she maneuvered around him.

“Left.”

Leo moved.

“Too slow.”

He dodged.

Celine struck with a spatial rift.

Leo stepped through it.

She smiled.

“Better.”

“You’re getting predictable.”

“Am I?”

A portal opened beneath Leo.

He fell through.

He landed several yards away.

Celine laughed.

Leo shook his head.

“That’s cheating.”

“There’s no cheating in combat.”

Catherine sat nearby.

She smiled.

“She’s right.”

Leo pointed toward her.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am.”

“Then defend me.”

“I am.”

“You’re defending her.”

Catherine smiled.

“I can do both.”

Leo laughed.

For a few minutes, everything felt normal.

Then a voice interrupted them.

“Having fun?”

Leo stopped.

He recognized the voice immediately.

Darian.

Lance’s eldest son.

He had always disliked Leo.

But over the past year, that dislike had become hatred.

Darian walked into the training yard.

Behind him were several clan warriors.

Celine’s expression changed.

“Darian.”

“Still playing warrior?”

Leo stood.

“What do you want?”

Darian laughed.

“I wanted to see how the clan’s greatest disappointment was doing.”

Celine’s hands tightened on her chair.

Leo remained calm.

“Leave.”

Darian stepped closer.

“Or what?”

Leo said nothing.

Darian looked toward Celine.

“Your little contract is still active, isn’t it?”

Leo’s expression hardened.

Darian smiled.

“Imagine that.”

He turned toward Catherine.

“And she’s still here too.”

Catherine’s head tilted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means.”

Leo stepped between them.

“Don’t.”

Darian laughed.

“You’re protecting them?”

“Yes.”

“From me?”

“Yes.”

Darian’s smile disappeared.

“You’re not a clan member anymore.”

Leo stared at him.

“Not yet.”

Darian’s eyes narrowed.

“You think you’re better than us.”

“No.”

“You think you’re stronger.”

Leo didn’t answer.

Darian suddenly attacked.

His fist was wrapped in Lightning.

Leo dodged.

Darian attacked again.

Leo blocked.

The impact cracked the stone beneath his feet.

Darian was strong.

Very strong.

But Leo had spent the past year fighting every day.

Against monsters.

Against exhaustion.

Against grief.

Against himself.

Darian attacked again.

Leo caught his wrist.

Lightning surged.

Darian screamed.

Leo threw him across the yard.

The other warriors moved.

Celine shouted.

“Leo!”

Leo stopped himself.

Darian rose.

His face was twisted with rage.

“You—”

He charged again.

Leo’s eyes hardened.

Plasma formed around his fist.

He struck.

Once.

Darian flew backward.

He hit the ground.

Leo stood over him.

“Stay down.”

Darian tried to rise.

Leo struck again.

And again.

Celine screamed.

“Leo, stop!”

He stopped.

Darian lay on the ground, badly injured.

Several bones were broken.

His face was bleeding.

Leo stared down at him.

His breathing was heavy.

For one terrible moment, he understood exactly how close he had come to killing him.

Then the clan guards arrived.

Lance was with them.

He saw his son.

Then he saw Leo.

His face became cold.

“You.”

Leo stared at him.

“He attacked first.”

“I don’t care.”

“He attacked me.”

“You broke my son’s body.”

Leo’s expression hardened.

“He should have stayed down.”

Lance stepped forward.

“You’ve disgraced this clan for the last time.”

Leo laughed bitterly.

“Disgraced?”

“You are hereby stripped of your clan name.”

The training yard went silent.

Leo stared at him.

“What?”

“You are no longer a member of this clan.”

Celine immediately moved her chair forward.

“Then we’re leaving too.”

Marcus and Elara had arrived.

Marcus stared at Lance.

“You can’t do this.”

Lance looked at him.

“Your daughter is still bound by the marriage contract.”

Marcus’s voice became cold.

“That contract means nothing if she leaves the clan.”

Lance smiled.

“You think so?”

Elara stepped forward.

“It was signed when they were children.”

“Which makes it legally binding.”

“Not without her consent.”

Lance looked toward Celine.

“Do you consent?”

Celine stared at him.

Then she smiled.

“To leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely.”

Lance’s expression darkened.

Celine turned toward Leo.

“I’m going with him.”

Catherine stood beside her.

“So am I.”

Lance stared.

“You’re throwing away your future.”

Catherine smiled faintly.

“No.”

She reached for Leo’s hand.

“We’re choosing it.”

Leo looked at both sisters.

His eyes filled with tears.

“You don’t have to do this.”

Celine smiled.

“Yes, we do.”

Catherine took his other hand.

“We’re family.”

Marcus looked at his daughters.

Then at Leo.

Then at Elara.

His decision was immediate.

“Then we’re leaving too.”

Lance stared at him.

“Marcus.”

“I spent twenty years serving this clan.”

Marcus removed the clan insignia from his coat.

He dropped it onto the ground.

“I’m done.”

Elara removed hers as well.

She looked at Lance.

“You should have stopped this a long time ago.”

Then she turned away.

They left with almost nothing.

The Vale family had spent most of its resources during the previous year.

The healers.

The treatments.

The artificers.

The physicians.

Everything they could afford had gone toward saving their daughters.

What remained was barely enough to purchase a small house.

It wasn’t impressive.

It wasn’t large.

It stood several days’ travel from the clan territory.

A simple wooden structure surrounded by fields and forest.

There were three bedrooms.

A small kitchen.

A sitting room.

And a barn that needed repairs.

Marcus stared at it.

“This is it.”

Elara smiled.

“It’s enough.”

Celine was sitting in the wagon.

Catherine sat beside her.

Leo stood nearby.

He looked at the house.

For the first time in a year, he smiled.

“It’s ours.”

Celine nodded.

“No clan.”

Catherine smiled.

“No elders.”

Marcus laughed.

“No Lance.”

Elara looked at him.

“Marcus.”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t enjoy that so much.”

“I’ve earned it.”

Everyone laughed.

It was the first genuine laughter they had shared in months.

That evening, they sat around the dinner table.

The house was small.

The furniture didn’t match.

The walls were bare.

But it felt warm.

It felt safe.

Leo looked around.

“I like it.”

Marcus nodded.

“So do I.”

Celine smiled.

“There’s something we need to talk about.”

Leo looked at her.

“What?”

She reached for Catherine’s hand.

Catherine squeezed it.

Their parents looked at them.

Marcus immediately knew this was serious.

“What is it?”

Celine took a breath.

“Leo and I have been promised to each other since we were children.”

Marcus nodded.

“Yes.”

Celine looked toward Catherine.

“But that isn’t the whole story.”

Leo frowned.

“Celine?”

She smiled nervously.

“Catherine has something to tell you.”

Catherine lowered her head.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she reached across the table.

Her fingers found Leo’s hand.

“I’ve loved you for a long time.”

Leo froze.

Celine smiled.

“She’s loved you almost as long as I have.”

Catherine laughed softly.

“I was going to tell him eventually.”

“You were taking too long.”

Leo stared at them.

“I…”

He couldn’t find the words.

Catherine’s fingers tightened around his.

“I know you love Celine.”

“I do.”

“I know.”

She smiled.

“But I love you too.”

Leo looked at her.

His heart was pounding.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Catherine laughed softly.

“Because I was afraid.”

“Of me?”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“Of losing you.”

Leo swallowed.

“You could never lose me.”

Celine spoke quietly.

“That’s why we’ve been talking about this.”

Leo looked between them.

“Talking about what?”

Celine took Catherine’s hand.

“We want to marry you.”

Leo stared.

“Both of you?”

“Yes.”

Catherine nodded.

“If you’ll have us.”

Leo’s eyes filled with tears.

He looked toward Marcus and Elara.

Neither appeared surprised.

Marcus sighed.

“We’ve known for some time.”

“You knew?”

Marcus smiled.

“You weren’t exactly subtle.”

Elara laughed.

“You’ve been inseparable since childhood.”

Leo looked at Catherine.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“Completely.”

He looked at Celine.

“And you?”

Celine smiled.

“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t.”

Leo lowered his head.

He had spent years losing people.

His parents.

His home.

His place in the clan.

He had thought that love always meant eventually losing someone.

But these two women had stayed.

Even when they were hurt.

Even when the clan turned against them.

Even when Leo believed he was responsible for everything that had happened.

They had stayed.

He stood.

Celine reached toward him.

Leo took her hand.

Then Catherine’s.

“I love you both.”

Celine smiled.

Catherine began crying.

Leo laughed softly.

“So…”

He looked at Marcus.

“Does this mean I have two fiancées?”

Marcus groaned.

“Apparently.”

Elara smiled.

“Congratulations.”

Marcus pointed at Leo.

“But if you hurt either of them—”

Celine interrupted.

“Father.”

Marcus raised his hands.

“I’m just saying.”

Everyone laughed.

For the first time in a long time, the future didn’t feel frightening.

It felt possible.

Far away, beneath the northern mountains, Silas Veyr opened his eyes.

He sat before a black mirror.

He watched the small house.

Leo.

Celine.

Catherine.

Marcus.

Elara.

Silas smiled.

“So.”

The shadow behind him spoke.

“They have left the clan.”

“Yes.”

“And the bloodline?”

Silas watched Leo carefully.

“It is growing.”

“Will you act?”

“Not yet.”

Silas leaned closer to the mirror.

“The boy needed to lose the clan.”

He smiled.

“Now he has.”

“But he gained the twins.”

“Exactly.”

Silas’s eyes narrowed.

“Love is unpredictable.”

The shadow asked:

“Is that a problem?”

Silas smiled.

“No.”

He looked toward Leo.

“It is an opportunity.”

The black mirror went dark.

That night, Leo stood outside the house.

The stars were brilliant.

Celine joined him.

Her chair rolled softly across the porch.

“Can’t sleep?”

“No.”

“Thinking about the clan?”

Leo shook his head.

“No.”

He looked at the house.

“I’m thinking about what we have now.”

Catherine stepped outside.

She carefully followed the sound of his voice.

Leo immediately went to her.

He took her hand.

Celine smiled.

The three stood together.

Their old lives were gone.

The clan was gone.

The Hollow remained hidden.

Silas remained somewhere in the darkness.

And the truth about Lawrence and Corrine was still waiting to be uncovered.

But for tonight, they were together.

And that was enough.

None of them knew that their departure from the clan was exactly what Silas had wanted.

None of them knew that Lance had helped make it happen.

And none of them knew that the man watching them from the darkness had just taken the first step toward isolating Leo from everyone who had ever known him.

Because Silas didn’t want Leo alone yet.

He wanted Leo to believe he had finally found a home.

Before taking it away.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!