A few days later, I finally recovered from my injuries. The timing was perfect, because that night an event was taking place at Aurora. The academy was shining that evening like a cathedral of light.
Chandeliers hung above the columns, and red drapes covered the walls. The great hall echoed with laughter and voices, filled with the rich smell of roasted meat and expensive wine. It was the gala of the great people of this world. All the great houses gathered here to strengthen alliances, plan betrayals, talk about the state of the world, or simply for their own interest.
The heirs, the instructors, the staff, everyone was there, but tonight… there was even more.
The three patriarchs known as the famous Big Three were present. In the whole world, they were considered the ultimate example of fracture bearers, three beings whose power, wealth and fame didn't need to be explained anymore.
Albus Vongold, my patriarch, massive just by his presence, imposing silence when he laughed. He still intimidated me… no matter how many times I saw him, I felt like an insignificant ant next to him. But what could be said about Valerius Montclair? A noble figure, with incredible blue eyes sharp like blades. He didn't need to show his aura for people to fear approaching him. He was the leader of the most powerful family in the world, considered a perfect being… and Cassian was his son.
Septimus Draxion, on the other hand, was strangely calm, charming, mysterious. His gaze seemed to look directly into the soul. He had eyes like a dragon, long black locks tied behind his head, and a build just as impressive as the other two. I immediately saw the resemblance with Selene.
Everyone seemed to stand straighter in their presence.
Then I stepped forward, dressed in the formal outfit required for members of House Vongold. A three-piece suit, elegant and rich, dark colored, with cufflinks shaped like an upside-down crown.
People looked at me. Some with admiration, others with hate, but all of them… started whispering my name.
Albus saw me, and his laughter echoed through the hall.
He was already drunk.
— There he is! he shouted, raising his glass. My flying specter!
He turned toward Valerius and Septimus, his eyes shining with almost youthful excitement.
— Have you seen, you tired old men? A boy the world wanted to ignore, and now he flies like our legendary ancestors, those beings who had the power to destroy entire continents. I really have a talent for finding hidden gems! he said proudly.
Simon listened with a mixed expression…
Valerius only gave a small smile, cold, almost mocking.
— His control of his fracture is still lacking, if the recordings are accurate… And yes, he flies, but that's all. He is surely not at the level of my son, not even close to the lowest member of our family. Alcohol really doesn't suit you, Alb.
He called him by a nickname?
Septimus said nothing, but honestly I would have preferred words. He looked at me for a long moment, his dragon-like eyes frightening, showing a depth I couldn't understand. Then he simply nodded.
— I don't agree with you, Val. I would say this boy is… interesting.
His calculating expression made me uncomfortable.
I felt overwhelmed by all these great names, but a firm hand rested on my shoulder.
Helena.
She wore a beautiful dark dress, elegant and simple, because she didn't need anything more. Her wavy hair was loose, her calm gaze showed natural beauty and confidence. She looked at me with her hazel eyes, a small smile on her lips.
— You are getting a lot of attention, disciple, she said quietly. And for once… it's not exaggerated. You've come a long way since your complaints in the Enduriel room.
I wanted to answer with something clever, but that would have been like jumping off the highest mountain in the world and hoping to survive.
— Don't forget, Iron, the more eyes turn toward you, the clearer the targets on your back become. When we return to Castrum Velathor, we will continue your training.
If only she knew…
[That it would be the last time we would see each other…]
Then she let go of my shoulder and returned to stand beside Albus, as if nothing had happened. But I remembered her warning.
At the heirs' table, my group welcomed me with bright looks.
Elias nodded, serious and proud.
Asha hit the table with her fist, like my victory was also hers.
Lyra smiled shyly, her cheeks slightly red without her noticing.
And Dorian raised his glass high.
— To our lightning specter! he shouted.
Laughter broke out. Even Bruno and Pedro, further away, raised their glasses. For the first time, I saw Bruno laugh loudly. So alcohol was the weakness behind that emotionless face.
Everything was new to me. I couldn't even measure how happy I felt. I almost forgot the hatred I once had for the whole world.
But beyond the laughter, I could feel the looks.
Cassian, sitting not far away, celebrated like a prince, his eyes burning with a madness so small most wouldn't notice… but I did.
Selene, on the other hand, watched me with her mysterious smile, like everything here was just a game whose ending she already knew.
And in the whispers of the banquet… it never stopped. They never got tired.
— Lightning, you say…?
— Vongold or not, he could become a problem, just like those cursed "Xilon".
I took my glass.
For a moment, I thought about Simon, about Helena, about Pedro, about Bruno.
About my mother.
About my own reflection in my glass, back then, when I was nothing but emptiness.
Then I drank to my own health.
Aurora was celebrating like never before.
But in my heart, I knew: this rank was not mine. I was a kid from Work Town, not an aristocrat. While we enjoyed all of this, others were still working until sunrise.
The banquet was still going strong.
Laughter, glasses clinking together, soft music… I felt caught in a storm of light and sound. I had never been surrounded by so much luxury, and I knew I would never truly get used to it.
I needed air…
I slipped out through a side door and found myself on a balcony overlooking all of Aurora. The towers stood under the moon, the soft gemstones in the walls casting blue reflections on the ground. The cool wind touched my face.
I breathed deeply for the first time in a long time.
— Beautiful view, isn't it?
My heart almost stopped. Simon was standing there, leaning against the railing, charismatic as always, a glass of wine in his hand. His shadow looked bigger than the man himself.
I looked down for a moment, hesitating. Then I said quietly:
— Simon…
He gave me that calm, sharp smile that only belonged to him.
— You drank, you ate, you survived, and you even crushed an heir from the top ten. You could smile, you know…
I interrupted him.
— I never thanked you…
He raised an eyebrow.
— For what?
— That day… at the hospital… when I was nothing… you reached out your hand to me. You gave me a new life. Without you, I wouldn't be here. Without you… I would probably be dead…
Even if I didn't know his true reasons for choosing someone like me, I preferred to focus on what this decision gave me… instead of what it might cost me later.
My voice trembled slightly.
— So… I just wanted to say thank you.
Simon stayed silent for a moment. Then he took a sip of wine and spoke.
— I didn't know you were so sentimental… The world is simple, Iron. Brutal, but simple. It makes no promises, it gives nothing. It takes, and devours whatever it wants. So when a spark appears in the dark, when someone receives a fate worse than death… sometimes it is worth reaching out a hand… even if it means accepting the devil's hand…
He looked at me, his emerald eyes shining like jade stones.
— But don't thank me for that. I didn't lift you up. You did… You chose to take my hand… You chose to suffer, to walk forward, to fight… You almost died many times, and yet you are still here. Maybe there is a reason. For me, all this… is something I've seen before…
He straightened up, looking toward the horizon.
— I fought my own battles, Iron. I saw brothers fall, friends get slaughtered while I could do nothing, many times. Monsters you couldn't even imagine. I saw a world where people give value to paper, the vanity of people like us. And you know what?
He smiled, almost sadly.
— Those battles are the reason I am still standing. The battles… and the faces of those who fought beside me, whose voices I still hear today.
His gaze disappeared into the night.
— Enjoy the battles you live today. Enjoy the allies at your side. Because tomorrow… no one knows what is waiting for us…
I stayed still, my hands tight on the railing.
His words hit harder than Kael's blows, harder than the lightning still rumbling inside my chest.
I understood that I was only at the beginning… That the battles ahead would be greater than anything before… but as long as I walked with them, Pedro, Bruno, Elias, Asha, Lyra and Dorian… I would not be alone.
I nodded, unable to find the right words.
Simon lightly tapped my shoulder, then returned to the light of the banquet, his shadow swallowed by the noise.
I stayed there a little longer, alone, facing the wind.
And for the first time in a long time… I smiled, simply because I was happy with what I had.