Neo and Aiden were still slapping dust off their shirts, panting dramatically like two puppies who had just been chased by a broom. Neo's hair was sticking up in angles no physics could explain; Aiden's shirt was wrinkled like someone slept on him.
Kellan approached them with that slow, intimidating walk hands behind his back, shoulders squared, eyes sharp. The room immediately quieted.
"Now that you two have successfully embarrassed yourselves," he said calmly, "let's teach you how to actually fight."
Aiden mumbled, "We didn't embarrass ourselves-"
"You fell on your face," Neo whispered.
"You tripped over MY leg first!"
"Because YOUR legs are too long!"
"Because YOU kicked me!"
Kellan lifted one hand. They both shut up immediately.
Kellan stepped onto the mat, motioned for them to watch closely.
"First rule," he said, raising his hands into a perfect fighter's stance.
"You don't just fight with your fists. You fight with your eyes."
He circled slowly, showing them how to move.
"You read your opponent. Where their weight is.Where their shoulders lean. Whether their hands tighten.
Whether their breathing changes."
He moved gracefully, demonstrating how a slight shift of the foot could change a whole attack.
Neo was watching with intense focus.
Aiden…
Aiden was watching Kellan's lips.
Staring.
Blinking.
Lost.
Completely gone.
Kellan continued, "Your stance must stay grounded. Hands up. Chin down. Eyes locked on their-"
Neo suddenly leaned sideways to look at Aiden's face.
"Aiden. Are you listening?"
Aiden didn't blink. "Mm-hmm. Very much."
Neo squinted.
"You're staring at his mouth."
Aiden blinked. Matteo raised a brow.
Kayla covered her laughter.
Ethan choked.
Lucas murmured, "Unbelievable."
Neo snorted. Loudly.
"What did you dream about him"
Aiden's reaction was instant.
He went stiff. Then red.
Then panicked.
Elijah whispered, "He dreamed about Kellan…?"
Kayla's jaw dropped.
Matteo started laughing silently.
Lucas's eyebrows slowly lifted.
Aiden squeaked, "WHO SAID IT WAS ABOUT HIM?!"
Neo threw his hands up. "So it WAS?"
Aiden turned purple. "I-NO-I-SHUT UP!"
Kellan simply stood there… jaw clenched… ears slightly pink.
Matteo nudged Ethan.
"Ten bucks Neo falls first."
Ethan smirked.
"Fifteen Aiden screams."
Kayla: "Twenty both fall without touching each other."
Lucas: "Fifty they somehow hurt themselves in the process."
Then Kellan led them to the center of the room to take their position and begin.
Neo threw a punch so wide it nearly hit a lamp.
Aiden ducked so dramatically he fell flat on his back. "Dude slowly!!" "Sorry!!"
Neo tried kicking. He missed so badly he spun and almost tripped over his own feet.
Aiden charged at Neo like a confused rooster.
Neo dodged and hit air.
Aiden threw a final punch- and hit NOTHING.
Not Neo.Not the air.Not even gravity.
He just missed the whole universe.
The room exploded.
Kayla dropped to her knees laughing.
Matteo clapped once like they were circus performers.
Elijah recorded the whole thing.
Kellan covered his face with his palm.
Elena sighed into the depths of her soul.
In the midst of the whole chaos
Ethan's phone buzzed. He had been expecting a call from one of their business partners so he answered casually without checking the ID.
"Yes"
And then—
He clicked the loudspeaker button too.
"FINALLY MY PRINCESS DECIDED TO ANSWER." It was so loud the whole room practically heard it so clearly each and every word.
Neo froze mid-punch.
Aiden froze mid-kick.
Both turned their heads so fast their bones cracked.
Silence fell like a bomb.
The guards stopped moving.
Kayla's eyes widened.
Elijah mouthed "P-princess??"
Matteo looked like someone stabbed him.
Lucas's eyebrows flew up.
Kellan's jaw clenched.
And Ethan?…
Ethan looked like he might evaporate, like he just saw his worst nightmare come to life he knew who's voice was that he knew him so well he could use the tiniest details to recognize him. CEALAN
Lucas stepped forward slowly. Small steps.
Dangerously calm, as though he had found a prey he couldn't loose at all.
He stood right in front of Ethan.
"Princess?" he repeated.
The phone guy realized what he'd done.
"Oh-AM SORRY-WRONG NUMBER-IS THIS NOT JESSICA? PLEASE FORGIVE-"
Ethan stuttered, "Y-yeah wrong number guys that's all spam call"
Neo whispered, "Jessica???"
Aiden whispered, "Princess???"
Matteo stared at Ethan with betrayal.
His face was unreadable. "You never stutter not even in front of a bullet instead you would lie through you teeths even at the point of death. So why do you stutter with just this little call or else someone actually calls you princess"
Lucas sighed "Matteo is right we all know you" Ethan was so red now when the word "princess" was repeated again "am serious I don't even if I did have someone he won't be so careless as this and none of you will know till my wedding day"
"We will return to that later." Lucas said and walked away.
Ethan exhaled like he'd been underwater for twenty minutes.
Elena stepped forward, unbothered by the chaos.
"As I was saying, before your love life interrupted training-"
Ethan nearly died.
She rolled out a board with symbols.
"These are the Estate Codes we use them only when necessary not as you like because everyone here has been trained to memorize it too well so if you say it out of joke you will actually trigger an alarm" she said very seriously looking at Aiden
"Code Black – Threat inside the house
Code Crown – Lucas in danger
Code Viper – Enemy approaching the gates
Code Ember – Hide instantly
Code Thorn – Do not shoot
Code Raven – Kill on sight
Code Echo – All members regroup
Code Obsidian – Emergency lockdown" she paused pulling out another board
Neo stared.
Aiden blinked rapidly.
"These are the familia codes," Elena continued:
"Umbra – Blend in
Ironveil – Prepare for attack
Glasswalker – Move undetected
Clocktower – Capture alive
Featherfall – Protect the civilian
Fallbreaker – Retreat immediately"
Aiden raised his hand.
"Yes?" Elena asked.
"So if I scream 'FEATHERFALL' do people actually listen?"
"They listen and pull you away," she said.
"Ah. Good to know."
Elena opened a long case.
Inside were two small, sleek black practice pistols with rubber bullets.
"These are for home practice," she said.
"Learn your stance,Learn not to drop it.
Learn not to shoot yourself in the foot and without also loosing your balance"
Aiden whispered, "Okay but can it kill mosquitoes?"
Neo smacked him.
They moved to the dining room, ate, talked, and tried pretending Ethan wasn't dying inside.
Matteo barely spoke.
Lucas watched Neo more than he spoke.
Kellan kept sneaking glances at Aiden.
The tension was delicious
AIDEN'S ROOM
Aiden got home, fell on his bed, and sighed dramatically into his pillow.
His phone buzzed.
Kellan:
Did you learn at all from today?
Aiden blinked. It was really kellan, kellan was texting him for real
Aiden:
Only emotionally
Kellan:
You need rest. And training.
Aiden smirked his inner instinct kicking in
His cheeks heated.
Aiden:
Are you saying you'll train me personally? 👀
There was a pause.
Kellan:
…Goodnight, Aiden.
Aiden grinned into his pillow like an idiot.
NEO'S ROOM
Neo entered his room, dropped his bag, then saw his phone buzz.
Lucas:
Did Aiden say the truth about your birthday?
Neo sighed.
Neo:
Please ignore him.
Lucas:
Are you sure you want me to do that
Neo swallowed.
Lucas:
But I liked the part where he said you both could celebrate your birthday wildly
Neo turned red.
Neo:
Can we stop—
Lucas:
Sleep early. We continue training tomorrow.
Neo hugged his pillow.