Chapter 13 – The Burden of the Heirs
The Kingdom of Atlantis stood in crystalline majesty, its shining walls reflecting in the endless ocean. Each wave seemed to carry an ancient song, as if the sea itself watched over this city born from the depths. Yet, within the heart of this flawless beauty, Degel, Prince of the Waves, felt only silence and darkness within his soul.
After the great meeting in Britannia, he wandered along the palace balconies, his gaze lost on the maritime horizon. Beside him, his loyal guard, Neige, walked silently. She observed everything—every gesture, every pause—and saw what no one else dared to notice: the invisible weight he carried.
Neige broke the silence with a calm, respectful voice: "My lord, forgive my frankness, but your silence seems heavier than the very walls of this palace."
Degel let his fingers glide along the crystalline railing, his gaze still fixed on the horizon. "Silence, Neige, is my last defense. Words... they break against the wind."
She stepped forward, her cloak fluttering gently in the salty breeze. "But an armor worn too long ends up wounding the one it protects."
A bitter smile, like a shard of ice, appeared on the prince's lips. "And what heir would dare expose his weaknesses before his people?"
Neige slightly bowed her head. "He would be far more valuable than a specter that fades into silence. For suffering is not weakness; it is simply the proof of life."
Degel turned away, as if fleeing a truth he was not ready to hear. The cool sea breeze seemed soft compared to the torment that consumed him.
"Live?" he whispered. "I have spent years imitating that word."
Neige extended a gloved hand, drawing it near his chest without fully placing it on him. "You are not alone in this burden. I am here, and I see what you try to hide."
He looked at her, his face frozen by an emotion he immediately concealed. "Then turn your eyes away, Neige. I would rather you believe me made of marble than of wounded flesh."
A heavy silence fell, and in that suspended moment, Degel's pain echoed like a taut string, ready to break.
Neige lowered her eyelids slightly, her voice barely a breath: "One can pretend to be a statue, but blood always finds its way through the cracks."
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A few hours later, Degel entered the throne room. The crystalline palace, dazzling with light, appeared to him like a cage of glass. In the center, his father, King Agnor, sat with the cold demeanor of a monarch who had lost all hope.
The king's gaze, heavy and severe, fell upon his son. "So, here you are again… Twenty-three years old, and I still see nothing bloom within you. What a waste to have sired such a pale heir."
Each word struck like a blade. Degel lowered his head, trapped in his silence. The king, unmoved, continued: "You are but a shadow of a prince. Without ambition, without radiance. A name carried by an empty body."
Degel endured it without speaking. He knew his words would be futile. His father's disdain was not a storm, but an unchanging, frozen sea.
He left the palace, fleeing the light to reach a more intimate place: the marine cemetery. There, tombs carved from coral glowed softly under the light of two moons.
Before a white stone, he knelt. His mother's name was engraved there, a frozen memory of a love lost too soon. He placed flowers with white petals, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Mother…" His voice cracked. "If you were still here, perhaps I would know who I am. Perhaps I wouldn't be this empty man."
The wind carried his words above the waves, as if to drown them in the ocean.
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At Etheria
Far from the ocean, Etheria Academy stood, a fortress of white marble and onyx. Its walls bore ancient runes, and the cobblestones sparkled like fragments of stars. Everything here breathed grandeur and austerity.
At the entrance, a valet bowed before Seth, Kael, and Tara. "Welcome to Etheria. Your journey ends here."
He added with a firm, unwavering tone: "Lady Tara, your lodging is in the girls' castle."
Kael immediately frowned, indignation escaping in a sharp voice: "What?! After everything we've been through together, you separate us?!"
The valet showed no emotion and answered without hesitation: "These are the rules. You will meet in class, but you will never share the same quarters."
Seth remained thoughtful, accepting the decision with a nod. Behind his calm exterior, his thoughts swirled around the true intentions of Suo and Arthur.
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The Boys' Dormitories
Their new world exuded luxury: spacious rooms, purple draperies, polished marble, and crystals suspended like artificial stars.
Seth would share his room with Damian, heir to a great lineage of dragon hunters, a young man of noble bearing and marked pride.
Kael, on the other hand, was assigned to Teddy, an introverted boy who avoided looks as if each gaze upon him burned.
On their beds lay the Etheria uniforms: midnight-black jackets embroidered with gold, white capes, and gleaming insignias.
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The Girls' Side
The girls' castle offered a different view: colorful stained glass, fragrant corridors, and rooms bathed in soft light. But the welcome was poisoned.
Upon their arrival, several students eyed Tara with hostility. "Another intruder…" "She has no place among us."
Tara clenched her fists but held her head high.
Her room was already occupied by Katia, the daughter of a high-ranking dignitary from the Earth Kingdom. Her obsidian eyes flashed with contempt. "I refuse to have an imposed roommate."
The housekeeper, impassive, gave a firm response: "The orders are clear: two per room, to forge bonds."
Katia turned her face away disdainfully, but the decision was final.
Thus began their first days at Etheria: between invisible wounds, growing grudges, and hidden doubts, each moved toward a destiny whose weight already threatened to crush their shoulders.
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TO BE CONTINUED…