The sound of the rector's footsteps as he simply walked away, after hanging our sword of Damocles over us, had faded for a long time. And yet in each of us, the echo of his words remained. Only four months. Four months that would decide everything.
I walked alone through the halls of Aurora, alone with my thoughts, my reflection fading into the stained glass windows showing our predecessors and our legends. Every mural showed me a face I didn't recognize, and yet most of them felt extremely familiar to me. I was marked by blood, by victory and defeat, and by countless new feelings I couldn't explain.
Arcadia had done its job well. Without telling anyone, there were moments when I caught sight of what seemed to be Aegon and then there was nothing. Just me and my cold sweat.
I had survived, but that word felt empty. Something had permanently changed inside me. You don't really survive that kind of thing. The feeling of helplessness, of uselessness, even of being worthless, tears the soul apart and darkens the heart to the point where you wonder if you'll ever get past it.
Still, I tried as best I could to stay clear-headed and see this not as a blessing, but rather… a cruel reminder. A reminder that every step I take from now on in this world could mean my end, or the end of someone close to me. Just as Simon had told me so clearly.
And that was the moment my path crossed with Elias, Lyra, and Asha.
They didn't need to say a word. Just their presence was enough to remind me that I still had people I could count on.
— Listen, I said. Since we got back, I've been asking myself a lot of questions. And with the announcement of this tournament, one thing has become very clear to me. We can't know what's waiting for us in the future. The one thing I'm sure of is that this world won't give us anything for free.
Elias slowly nodded.
— Then let's promise each other that we'll never let something like this happen again. We have to be ready so we're never caught off guard. Never again.
Asha pressed her clenched fist against my chest and looked at me with warmth.
— We'll get stronger, Vongold. So strong that no monster, no family, no Butcher will ever be able to hurt us again. Not in any way.
Lyra was the one who surprised us most. Her sobs gave way to a stronger aura, and she whispered with a frightening determination, without a single hint of hesitation:
— I won't let anyone die in front of me again…
Then their fists met mine.
— No matter what happens… Nothing… Nothing will separate us again, even when we go home, I said boldly.
We stayed like that, united by that makeshift vow, our fists joined in the unforgiving light of Aurora.
And I foolishly believed, for a moment, that that promise would be enough to change everything.
I should say that back then, I knew nothing, to a point that was almost painful.
I didn't know it would be the last time we'd be together like that for a very long time. The last time we'd be so united, still believing our future belonged to us.
I'd love to go back to who I was then and tell him to be less reckless, less of a dreamer, and more realistic and careful. But unfortunately, fate had already decided it would go this way, no matter what I wanted or how strong I was.
Later, we said our goodbyes, and I began the journey back to Castrum Velathor to return to my people, the Vongold. The jet cut through the clouds, gliding across the starry sky.
The seats were empty, and I couldn't stop thinking about all of them. Each had been sent back to their house to find new strength.
There was no nervous laughter anymore, no awkward confessions, just the sound of the jet engine at full speed. I watched the world rush by beneath me. I had lived through so much in so little time, and yet it had all felt like an eternity. Arcadia had changed me as much as the fights and the lessons learned at Aurora. These experiences would never leave my mind.
My eyes drifted to the window. My reflection showed me a stranger, my eyes, red as if burning in the dark, and my face, still young, but marked by too many losses.
— If that's what it means… to live in their world… then maybe I would have been better off staying dead that night.
The jet descended, preparing to land. And that's when, through the mist and the calm plains swept by the wind, Castrum Velathor rose up before me.
I took a long breath. I had to admit I hadn't grown up here, but somehow, it felt like I was finally coming home.
Castrum Velathor rose before me like a fortress pulled from the finest myths. I had set foot on these grounds once before,
broken, bruised, still unsure in my reborn body. This time, I came back with eyes full of experience and marked by trials.
The moment I walked in, some noticed me right away. Here, my name wasn't used to put me down or criticize me. For some, it earned respect. For others, it was a challenge to be met.
They knew what had happened through the replays of my fights. Everyone knew I had survived where others had become nothing more than a whisper forgotten by the world.
Pedro had been expecting me. He had left a few hours before me, and he was the first to welcome me when he spotted me in the crowd.
— Well… look at that! Looks like our little brother is doing better. How was the trip?
— Pretty good, yeah. I'm mostly just ready to get back to training.
— That's what I wanted to hear! HAHA!
His arms came down on my shoulders like anvils, but there was real warmth behind his roughness.
Bruno, quieter, stepped forward with a short laugh.
— You don't have that beaten dog look anymore… and it seems like you've found your drive back — must be the tournament. You're finally moving forward… he said, holding out his fist.
I bumped mine against his.
— Thank you for all your advice, brothers. I know what I have to do now… I have to move forward and get stronger. And I think I know how I'm going to do it…
— Couldn't have said it better myself, haha.
I looked down for a moment. Their presence, their voices… I sometimes forgot just how special our bond was. The other members of the House had gathered to see me. Some asked how I was doing. Others offered to fight me one on one — even the youngest ones. And there were those who looked at my build, felt my aura, and seemed to find satisfaction in it.
It was a warm welcome, free of any pettiness. Among us Vongold, I had come to understand that we respected those who had the courage to fight and keep growing.
Then footsteps broke through the noise, and as they drew closer, people stepped aside to make room for the most important person in this place, Albus Vongold, the Patriarch of House Vongold. His aura was heavy. An invisible pressure weighed on my shoulders. Even Pedro straightened up, like a kid caught doing something wrong. And then, just a few feet away from me, his gaze pierced mine.
— Iron… You've changed… and from what I can see, for the better.
His voice carried a great weight. I felt my own voice almost abandon me. But this time, I didn't want to back down. This wasn't the time for admiration. I took one step, then another, each heartbeat hammering like an anvil, until I stood face to face with one of the most powerful beings in the world.
He watched me approach. Intrigued.
My fists clenched, but my voice came out clear:
— Patriarch… I have a request to make.
Silence split the room in two.
Albus tilted his head ever so slightly to one side.
— A request? Speak…
I took a breath and firmly placed one knee on the ground — a gesture that caught the entire crowd off guard.
— You who stand among the most powerful beings in the world, you did me the honor of welcoming me into your family, where I adopted your ways, found mentors, found brothers. I beg you! Train me! Make me your disciple! Make me someone who can hold their own against anyone in this world! I don't just want to survive anymore! I want to become… No, I will become incomparably stronger, so I never have to face my own weakness again, and so I can keep honoring what makes us Vongold! I will do whatever you tell me to do. I will defeat whoever you tell me to defeat, no matter the cost. A tournament has been announced, and I intend to show every one of those miserable Houses that look down on us that it's better to fear us and respect us! That is my request!
The silence was absolute, total. Every gaze froze as if time had stopped. No one had ever had the nerve, the guts, to ask something like that to the Patriarch of their House, face to face. Some went pale. Others were stunned. Only Pedro looked like he was living the best day of his life.
— HOHO INSANE! There's the Iron I know! Steel balls, what the *****!
Bruno crossed his arms, a rare smile on his usually serious face.
— He really has changed, that one…
Albus didn't flinch. His gaze cut through me like a burning sword. His silence stretched on, I thought I had gone too far.
Then, slowly, he broke into a wide smile.
— Get up, kid… Do you realize what you just said?
— YES.
— HAHAHAHA So you seek power, huh. Your youth and your fire remind me of wonderful memories, kid… Fine. I accept to train you personally ahead of the coming tournament. We'll see if those were just empty words, or the words of a future Peerless One.
My heart kept hammering in my chest. I had just made my request to a being that transcended human limits. And he had just accepted.