Eight years had passed since the twins tore into the quiet reality of the Draven household.
The estate had eventually settled into a new, volatile rhythm. The incident regarding Caelum's terrifying, localized hurricane in the northern solarium was now a closely guarded family secret. Cassian had nearly dismantled the Crescent Moon estate brick by brick before the infant was stabilized, ensuring no one outside their trusted circle ever spoke of it.
But Caelum wasn't the only anomaly in the nursery.
A mere few days after his brother's explosive awakening, Lyra's core had ignited. To Neo's profound shock, she hadn't done it amidst a violent tantrum. She had done it while fast asleep, tucked securely in his arms. One second she was a quiet infant, and the next, a soothing, massive wave of pure Water mana washed over the room, soaking Neo to the bone.
'I spent months in a stone bunker giving myself magical frostbite, and these two casually awaken elements before they can even eat solid food,' Neo had thought at the time, wringing out his sleeves while Sylvia wept with joy.
His siblings were terrifyingly talented.
But Neo was not the type to drown in self-pity. He knew his reality. He hadn't been born with the world-ending talent of a Calamity, or the spontaneous, freakish affinity of his siblings. He had to bleed for his power. He had to study until his vision blurred, systematically tearing his own core apart and rebuilding it, point by agonizing point.
And his suffering had yielded results.
Shortly after turning twelve, during a brutal meditation session where he pushed his mana compression to the absolute physical breaking point, something snapped inside his Dantian. The cold, heavy liquid mana didn't just expand; it violently reorganized.
He awakened his second element: Lightning.
It was incredibly rare for a mage to possess dual affinities, especially two that clashed as violently as Frost and Lightning. But Neo's core, forged under immense pressure and constant discipline, forced the two elements into a deadly equilibrium.
Now, at thirteen, Neo stood at the absolute peak of the Apprentice rank.
But whenever a surge of pride threatened to settle in his chest, the universe had a cruel way of reminding him exactly where he stood on the hierarchy of power.
*BOOOOOOM!*
A deafening shockwave ripped across the estate's sprawling training grounds, pulling Neo out of his thoughts.
He turned his head, resting his wooden training sword against his shoulder. At the far end of the field, dust and pulverized earth rained down around a massive, smoking crater.
Standing in the center of the destruction was Nora.
She was thirteen now, and she wore her title as the Calamity effortlessly. She was striking, her spun-silver hair tied back in a severe braid, her violet eyes sharp and calculating. She wore a sleek, dark navy combat tunic that remained completely untouched by the blast she had just caused.
Over the last eight years, Nora hadn't just breached the Apprentice rank; she had shattered it, stepping firmly into the realm of an Early Adept. She had awakened Ice as her primary element—mirroring Neo's own affinity, which secretly gave him a grim sense of satisfaction—but ice hadn't caused that crater.
That was her Supernatural ability.
'Crimson Petal.
It was the most baffling, terrifying power Neo had ever witnessed. It wasn't an elemental spell or a physical enhancement. It was a conceptual manifestation. With a mere thought, Nora could summon thousands of glowing, blood-red petals. She could weave them into indestructible shields, forge them into blades, or condense them into a single point and trigger a concussive blast that hit like artillery fire.
Neo knew the terrible truth of her potential. When she eventually neared the Ascendant rank, those petals would form a localized domain, allowing her to manipulate reality itself within its borders.
'Show-off,' Neo muttered under his breath, wiping a sting of sweat from his brow.
He couldn't entirely suppress the bitter spark of jealousy in his chest. It wasn't malicious, but it was deeply frustrating. Supernatural powers were the absolute pinnacle of this world. They weren't learned or inherited; they were bestowed by the gods upon an uncountable few.
Nora had received 'Crimson Petal' from the 'God of Judgment'. The supposed hero of this era, Kael—currently fourteen and likely honing his skills somewhere in the countryside—had been blessed by the 'God of Lightning'.
And Neo? Neo received an opportunity to watch the Powerful figure in sideline like a Side-kick!
'The gods play favorites,' Neo thought grimly, his grip tightening on his wooden sword.
'I'm left to carve my own path with a spreadsheet and a pickaxe.'
Even his family defied logic. Cassian had broken through the monumental barrier of the Saint rank, stepping into the minor rank of Sovereign. Sylvia rested at the absolute peak of the Saint rank. Even the twins, now eight years old, wore master-crafted, heavy mana-blocking bracelets just to keep their raw output from tearing their young bodies apart.
"Focus, Neo," a sharp, amused voice called out, snapping his attention back to the sparring ring.
"If you stare at Lady Nora any longer, the training dummy is going to hit you back."
Neo rolled his eyes, turning to face his opponent.
"I wasn't staring, Lias. I was analyzing. There's a vast difference between talents and hardwork."
Standing a few paces away, twirling a wooden sword with effortless, infuriating grace, was Lias.
Lias was Neo's age, though slightly taller and significantly leaner. He had messy, sandy-brown hair and bright, perceptive hazel eyes. He wore a standard Draven knight-in-training uniform, though he wore it loosely, as if military conduct were merely a suggestion.
Lias wasn't a noble. He was an orphan. Cassian had found him wandering the outskirts of the territory six years ago, half-starved and fiercely clutching a rusted iron dagger. The Duke had taken pity on the boy, integrating him into the barracks. Since Caelum still actively avoided Neo, Neo had gravitated toward Lias.
"Analyzing," Lias repeated, a teasing smirk pulling at his lips.
"Right. You're definitely not just envious that she can level a courtyard while we're stuck hitting stuffed burlap."
"I have a Mana Cannon," Neo retorted, his mana flaring as he lunged forward, swinging his wooden sword in a clean, horizontal arc.
"I can blow things up too."
Wood cracked sharply against wood as Lias parried the strike without flinching. "Yeah, but your cannon gives you a migraine and puts you in bed for twelve hours. She just blinks and a mountain disappears."
"Shut up and fight," Neo huffed. He channeled a fraction of Lightning mana into his calves, drastically increasing his physical speed.
He pushed forward, unleashing a rapid flurry of strikes. Lias danced backward, his hazel eyes tracking Neo's movements with an unnatural, predatory sharpness. Lias didn't have a massive mana pool or a crazy elemental affinity, but his physical instincts were terrifying. He fought like a street brawler who had memorized a knight's manual.
*Clack!* *Smack!* *Thud!*
"You rely too much on your element," Lias grunted. He suddenly sidestepped a heavy overhead chop, bringing the pommel of his wooden sword down hard on Neo's shoulder.
Neo stumbled forward, hisses of pain escaping his teeth as a sharp ache radiated down his arm.
"See?" Lias chuckled, stepping back and lowering his guard.
"You get sloppy when you use lightning to compensate. Your physical body is still trying to catch up to your brain."
Neo rubbed his shoulder, glaring at his friend.
"You only say that because your mana capacity is pathetic."
"I don't need elements," Lias grinned, tossing his wooden sword into the air and catching it by the hilt.
"I have raw, unfiltered talent."
Before Neo could retort, a sudden, sharp drop in the ambient temperature made both boys freeze.
The hairs on the back of Neo's neck stood up.
He slowly turned his head. Nora had finished her target practice and was walking toward them. The glowing red aura of her petals had faded, but the heavy pressure of her Adept-rank clingered in the air like a physical weight.
She stopped at the edge of the sparring ring. Her violet eyes flicked from Lias to Neo.
"You are distracted," she stated, her raspy voice deadpan.
Lias visibly stiffened. Despite knowing Nora for years, the orphan was incredibly wary of the Calamity. He took a respectful, subtle half-step backward, conceding the floor.
"I'm not distracted," Neo lied, wiping the sweat from his face.
"Lias is just a cheap fighter."
"Hey," Lias protested weakly, not daring to raise his voice.
Nora ignored him entirely. She stepped into the dirt ring, reaching out her pale hand.
"Give me the sword," she demanded softly.
Neo blinked. "What? Why?"
"I want to try," Nora said, her gaze locking onto his with an intense, unreadable expression.
Neo hesitated. He looked at Lias, who merely shrugged helplessly, clearly unwilling to involve himself in their dynamic.
"Nora, you don't use swords," Neo pointed out, holding the practice blade out of her reach.
"You use your petals to sever things. You're a mage, not a vanguard."
"I want to try."
Neo let out a defeated sigh. He knew better than to argue when she adopted that tone. He flipped the wooden sword around, offering her the hilt.
"Fine. But don't use your mana. If you push your Adept aura into that cheap wood, it will splinter and take my eye out."
Nora took the sword. Her grip was awkward, completely devoid of proper technique. She held it like a heavy club.
Neo stepped back, dropping into a relaxed, unarmed defensive stance. He figured she would swing wildly a few times and lose interest.
"Okay," Neo said.
"Show me what you got."
Nora stared at him. She didn't move.
Then, her violet eyes narrowed.
She didn't cast a spell. She didn't summon a petal. She simply activated her physical reinforcement. She launched herself forward with a burst of pure, terrifying speed that completely bypassed Neo's reaction time.
She closed the distance in a fraction of a second, swinging the wooden sword in a brutal, horizontal arc aimed directly at his ribs.
Neo's instincts screamed. He threw himself backward, barely twisting his torso out of the way. The tip of the wooden sword grazed his tunic, the sheer force of the swing cutting the air with a sharp whistle.
"Hey! I said no mana!" Neo yelled, scrambling to regain his balance.
"I didn't use mana," Nora replied, turning smoothly on her heel and launching another unrefined, aggressive strike toward his head.
"I used my legs."
"That's physical reinforcement, you cheater!" Neo shouted, ducking under the swing.
"Hahahahaha....!"
From the sidelines, Lias burst into genuine, barking laughter, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the genius Draven heir frantically dodging a stick wielded by a girl in a pristine dress.
"Don't laugh, help me!" Neo demanded. He quickly channeled a burst of Lightning into his boots, rapidly backpedaling away from another vicious swing.
"This is a domestic dispute, Young Master!" Lias hollered back, leaning comfortably against the wooden fence.
"I am strictly neutral."
Neo gritted his teeth, dodging another strike. He couldn't attack her. He couldn't use telekinesis without potentially hurting her, and he certainly couldn't use frost or lightning. He was forced to rely entirely on his footwork.
For the next five minutes, the training grounds became the stage for an incredibly chaotic, high-speed evasion drill. Nora chased him relentlessly, her face completely expressionless, swinging the wood with terrifying power. Neo frantically scrambled across the dirt, desperately trying to avoid getting concussed by his own fiancée.
Finally, Neo's boot caught on a stray divot in the earth. He went down hard on his back.
He stared up at the sky, gasping for air.
A shadow fell over his face. Nora stood above him, looking down with her glacial eyes. She wasn't even breathing heavily. She casually tossed the wooden sword onto the dirt next to his head.
"You are slow," she stated.
Neo groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes.
"I'm a mage, Nora. I cast spells. I don't run."
Nora was quiet for a second. Then, she crouched down beside him. Reaching out, her cool fingers gently brushed a stray lock of white hair from his sweaty forehead.
"I will protect you," she whispered.
Her raspy voice was incredibly soft, yet it carried a heavy, absolute sincerity that made Neo's chest tighten.
Neo moved his arm, looking up at her. The supposed destiny of this world felt entirely irrelevant. The protagonist didn't matter.
He looked at the terrifying Calamity—who had just spent five minutes trying to beat him with a stick, only to casually swear a vow of absolute protection—and couldn't suppress the exhausted smile that spread across his face.
"Thanks, Nora," Neo whispered back.
"I'll hold you to that."