Rai used to have a separate wing to sleep in, being the King's biological son, but since he fell out of favor with Vetro, he'd been moved into the shared room with the rest of us.
He spent several nights in my room just talking.
If I got bored, he'd use his fire to cast shadows on the wall and act out a movie to entertain us. After seeing how it was done, I joined in.
The days blurred together since we were stuck inside with no windows or concept of time outside of when we were summoned for training.
I don't know how long it had been when Rai suddenly said,
"I need your help, Zai."
I was taken aback. We had just finished a casual conversation, but his tone shifted the mood entirely.
"How can I help you?" I asked.
His eyebrows furrowed as he muttered,
"I need to break the barrier again. You can come with me this time… or just tell them I did it on my own."
I punched the wall, the sound echoing around the room as I glared at him.
"Is this why you wanted to be my friend?!"
He stared at me, eyes wide, then made a face like he was holding back tears.
"No… I wanted to be your friend because I felt like you were someone I could respect. You're strong, no matter what my father puts you through; you never submit. Everyone else has gone passive. They hate him like me... but they'd never say it to his face."
His sadness killed my anger. I looked down and pouted before whispering,
"Fine, I'll help you."
Rai can't lie, so I trust his words.
Even if he could, I'd know immediately.
The next night, after the servants left the palace, I started experimenting with the barrier. I hit it with various electrical charges... but nothing worked.
"Do you think they changed the barrier's formula?" Rai commented.
I squinted at the door.
"No... the rune pattern's the same. I think it was the reaction between Cera's marbles and my electricity that broke the barrier last time."
"I guess that means we need to ask for him…" Rai muttered with a sigh.
Then he reluctantly trudged to Cera's room.
I knew he wanted to keep this between us, so involving Cera was the last thing either of us wanted.
Somehow, Rai convinced him.
Cera stepped out, looking fidgety.
I wasn't sure I could trust him to keep a secret, but if he needs to be involved, there's no turning back.
Without hesitation, Cera created two orbs, the same size as before.
Then he asked,
"Where will you be going?"
He was looking at me, not Rai.
So I frowned and said,
"Nowhere."
"You can tell me," he insisted with a wink.
"Sure, I can. But I'm not going anywhere. Rai is," I clarified.
Cera raised an eyebrow and turned to Rai, who waved but didn't smile.
"Rai? You two have gotten close," Cera remarked, his tone tinged with distaste.
"Yeah, Rai is my best friend," I replied without hesitation, shocking them both, and worsening Cera's mood.
Then I focused my energy on the orb and aimed it at the door.
I tried to recall the exact output I used that day before flicking the marble.
The barrier crumbled on impact.
"I think… Valin can rebuild the barrier so no one will notice anything wrong. That'll give Rai more time outside, too. Also, don't worry, Zai! I'll clean up the evidence we were involved in," Cera offered.
"Smart thinking," I replied, patting his shoulder.
Several high-level Earth users built the original barrier, but Valin is a genius... an annoying genius.
He could probably repair it all by himself.
Rai hugged me.
"If they interrogate you, say I broke the barrier alone. Please," he pleaded.
I sighed and nodded.
I don't know if I'll actually have the guts to sell him out, but since he asked for my help, maybe he can shoulder the blame without breaking his vow never to lie.
I left Cera to handle the cleanup and went to Valin's room. He was the only one with a door, crafted from crystals he'd made himself. I'd wanted to talk to him anyway, so this was a good excuse.
I knocked repeatedly until the door was aggressively yanked open.
Instead of my brother, a half-dressed maid rushed out.
"Oh, it's you… What do you want?" he asked, irritated and shirtless.
Valin's hair was long and wavy, his features soft, but he worked out more than any of us.
His baby face didn't match his body at all.
"I need a favor."
"What?" he asked impatiently.
"What's wrong? Too busy to help me?" I teased while glancing in the direction that the maid ran.
That seemed to trigger a smile.
"Not anymore, obviously. Plus… I suppose helping my brother is more important."
I grinned and said,
"Alright, follow me."
I led him to the barrier door, and as expected, Valin had no trouble repairing it.
Thanks to that, the others didn't notice what we had done.
Rai was apprehended after two days.
He was covered in bruises when the guards dragged him in with suppression chains on his wrists.
Vetro decided to make an example of him, punishing him personally in front of us as spectators.
For once, he allowed Rai to fight back.
Only to remind Rai of how strong he was.
The ceiling was too low for flight, and Rai had to be careful not to burn us in the crossfire. So he was at a disadvantage from the beginning.
Vetro had no concern about casualties.
During the battle, Rai's feet were sealed with glass. He tried to get free by melting the glass, but Vetro could manipulate molten glass just as well.
Vetro sent it around Rai's neck and wrists.
If he didn't have such a high heat resistance, he might have been decapitated at that moment.
Rai looked at us helplessly as the King stepped toward him.
"How did you break that barrier alone? Where did you go?" Vetro interrogated.
Rai stayed silent, eyes full of defiance.
"That wasn't a question," Vetro said. "It was a demand," he added as he raised his sword.
"Stop!" I shouted.
Cera was beside me, eyes cast down and whimpering as the King turned in our direction.
"I'm getting sick and tired of you," Vetro growled.
In an instant, he stood before me, raising his sword—
That's when Valin stood, catching the blade in his hand.
He gripped the blade slightly, and it shattered, turning to dust in his hand.
"You've won! Rai is back! So keep your hands off of my family!" Valin shouted firmly.
Everyone was stunned.
After regaining his composure, the King launched a series of attacks. Glass spires and boulders came at Valin from all directions, but he blocked them all and even pushed Vetro back.
Valin stepped forward, eyes shining bright in his fury.
"I said stop."
Vetro took a few cautious steps back, and we all looked at our little brother in awe.
I had no idea he was hiding such power.
This was the very first time I saw Vetro retreat in fear.
The servants were so dumbfounded by what happened that they stared at Valin silently before hurriedly cleaning up the mess that was made.
I ran to Valin and hugged him.
"Thank you!" I exclaimed.
He patted my back awkwardly, trying to signal for me to let go, but I ignored it.
He patted me a few more times before muttering,
"Well... yeah, he was taking things too far."
"You can beat him! We can finally leave this place! You're incredible! Your understanding of Earth even surpasses the King's! I can't believe—" I blurted excitedly.
He pushed me away and held up a hand to shush me.
"No."
"No, what?" I mumbled, confused.
"I hate fighting. I'm not fighting anyone."
Then he turned and walked back to his room, sealing it shut behind him.
Valin never does what I expect.
I looked at Rai, who was panting on the floor. His injuries were too severe to heal instantly, so I rushed over to numb his pain, and Cera followed my lead, using his powers to accelerate the healing.
Even Insinz helped, filling the room with calming smoke.
I stayed annoyed at Valin for days, but when it passed, I knocked on his door again.
This time, the door opened from a distance. He was embracing the same maid, but when she saw me, she jumped away, buttoning her blouse and hurrying off.
"Is she your girlfriend?" I asked, curious.
"No. I've been trying to win her over for weeks. She's just a distraction because life here is so dull. She's not even cute enough to be my girlfriend. Still, better options are pretty limited in here."
Okay, I'm no longer curious.
"I understand that you hate fighting… even though your potential is immense," I said carefully.
"Good," Valin replied flatly.
I sighed, forcing myself to stay calm.
"So, teach me to control the Earth element."
He stared at me blankly.
"You were chosen by Lightning, so you do still get to choose a secondary element, but Earth will be the most difficult one for you to adapt to. Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I choose Earth."
He groaned and scratched his head.
"Teaching sounds sooo annoying," he grumbled.
"Please…" I said, mustering all the charm I could manage.
He rolled his eyes, folded his arms, and after a very long period of silence, said,
"Fine. But you'd better pay attention. Don't waste my time."
He paused.
"And in exchange, do me a favor. I need you to hit me if you catch me being too insensitive. I willingly gave up my empathy... but I don't want to become too strange. It'll help me a lot."
"Deal," I replied.
With that, I started studying under Valin in my free time.
I wouldn't say I liked it.
Actually, I would say I disliked it.
There's a reason they say geniuses shouldn't teach.
He skipped the basics and got annoyed if I didn't pick things up right away, even though his element is the exact opposite of mine.
I almost regretted asking.
But I need this.
I need to be able to beat the one who forces us to call him our father.
The one who tore us from our homes.
The one who continues to torment us daily.
No matter how irritating Valin's lessons are, I will master this element and free us all.