There he was.
The man who had killed my brother.
We were alone in that room.
The moment he entered, everything went silent. The noise from outside disappeared, as if it had never existed. As if the world had shrunk down to that instant. To him.
I couldn't focus on anything other than Aether.
I had to stay silent. I had to catch him off guard. For that, I couldn't make the slightest noise. Not even breathe… although, to be honest, that was already difficult.
I waited.
Listening.
Nothing.
There was absolutely no sound.
Not a step. Not a breath. Not a rustle.
Nothing from Aether.
For a moment I even thought he wasn't there anymore. But no. He had to be.
I waited a little longer.
Nothing.
Time passed and the tension grew. If I waited too long… he might leave.
I had to do something.
I opened the wardrobe door.
Very slowly.
As slowly as I could.
And then I saw him.
Closer than ever.
Aether.
Standing. In front of the window.
Looking at the city.
As if he were admiring everything he had achieved.
That man…
How much must he have had to endure to reach that point?
Had his path been difficult?
And if… I shouldn't be doing this?
Just to become a court mage, was I going to kill him?
The thoughts hit me one after another.
I hesitated.
For a moment… I truly hesitated.
No.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
My brother's killer.
He had to die.
For him.
For everyone.
I took a step.
Then another.
I was very close.
Too close.
I had to do it.
Now.
I raised my sword.
And swung straight at his neck.
Before the strike landed, I closed my eyes. Pure instinct, I suppose. I didn't want to see what I was about to do.
With my eyes completely shut, I could only feel.
I felt the motion of the sword… until, halfway through, it stopped.
Dead.
My heart skipped a beat.
Had it reached his neck?
I tried to push through. Force it. Finish it.
But the sword wouldn't move.
It wasn't stuck.
It was something else.
As if someone was holding it.
Then I understood.
I opened my eyes suddenly.
Aether was in front of me.
Turned around.
Completely calm.
Holding my sword between his fingertips, right on the unsharpened edge.
He had stopped it.
Effortlessly.
Had he turned around… and blocked my attack so easily?
Had he really stopped me like that?
No.
This wasn't over.
I was going to kill him.
I pulled my body back, ripping the sword from his fingers. The moment it was free, I lunged again without thinking.
A thrust.
The same one Elijah had taught me. Much worse executed… but maybe enough.
I attacked as fast as I could. Faster than I thought I was capable of. I even surprised myself.
But it wasn't enough.
Aether simply stepped aside. One step, nothing more.
And then he touched me. A hand on my chest.
Everything stopped. My body refused to respond. I couldn't move. I couldn't react.
When had he done it? I didn't see it. I didn't feel it coming.
He leaned slightly closer and whispered:
—You took longer than I expected, Ren. Not a bad attempt… though I can already see who the strong one in the family was.
He turned and started walking toward the door.
He opened it.
And in that instant I reacted, as if something inside me had switched on. I couldn't let him leave.
I turned and took a step.
Then I felt it.
In my chest. First a mild burn, almost insignificant. Then more. Much more.
As if something had ignited inside me. As if I were being burned from within.
The pain exploded.
I fell to the ground. I screamed without being able to stop it. It was unbearable, the worst pain I had ever felt.
Before leaving, Aether spoke one last time:
—Take care.
The burning in my chest grew stronger. I couldn't think. I couldn't move.
Still, I dragged myself a few centimeters across the floor, trying to reach him, trying to complete my mission.
But he was already gone. And I could barely move.
I gave up. Not because I wanted to, but because I couldn't go on.
I felt like I would lose consciousness at any moment. And that's exactly what happened.
My vision began to fade.
But before everything went black, I saw guards entering the room. Many. At least a dozen. Some couldn't even fit inside properly.
I only recognized one of them—the one who had given me the letter.
And just before I closed my eyes, I heard him murmur:
—This shouldn't have happened like this…
The world went dark.
During that time there were no images, no clear thoughts. Only a sensation.
Heat.
A constant, heavy heat that filled everything. I didn't know where it came from or what it meant, but it was the only thing I felt while unconscious.
Until slowly I began to open my eyes.
Very slowly.
My vision was blurry at first. Dark shapes without meaning. I blinked a couple of times until I managed to focus.
I didn't recognize the place.
It wasn't the warmth of my room. Nor the luxury of the palace.
It was something different.
Grayer. Dimmer.
The light was scarce, but it wasn't just that. Even with more light, I doubted the place could ever feel welcoming. Everything felt cold. Empty.
Then I realized.
I wasn't lying down.
I was sitting.
On a chair.
I tried to move my hands… but they didn't respond.
I frowned and forced more strength. Nothing.
I looked down as best as I could.
Tied.
My hands were bound behind my back, tightly. And when I tried to move my legs, I confirmed what I already feared: my feet were also tied to the chair legs.
A chill ran through my body.
What was I doing there?
Where was I?
Why was I tied up?
For a moment, everything related to Aether disappeared from my mind. This was more immediate. More urgent.
I didn't have to wait long for something to change.
Light began to slip through the edges of a door.
It opened.
A royal guard entered holding a torch.
He looked at me.
For a full second.
As if he hadn't expected me to be conscious. As if he were processing something.
Without saying a word, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.
—Wait! Where am I?!
No answer.
I was alone again.
The dim darkness was no longer unfamiliar, but it was just as unsettling.
Time passed. Or at least it felt like it did. It could have been minutes… or much longer.
Then the light returned.
This time brighter. Much brighter.
When the door opened, the glare completely blinded me. I squinted, trying to adjust.
And when I finally managed to see clearly…
There he was.
The king.
My chest tightened.
He was accompanied by someone who didn't look like a guard. A servant, perhaps. He held a sphere of light in his hand, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime.
The king didn't even look at me at first. He spoke calmly to the servant:
—Leave the light and go outside.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
The man obeyed, placed the sphere on the floor, and left, closing the door.
And then…
we were alone.
He began walking in circles.
Slowly.
He didn't look pleased. More like… annoyed.
As if he was waiting for me to say something.
So I spoke.
—Where am I?
My voice came out weaker than I wanted.
The king didn't respond immediately. He walked a couple more circles in silence until he finally stopped.
And looked at me.
—Aether was named court mage yesterday —he said calmly—.
He paused slightly.
—And the first thing you ask is where you are.
My stomach tightened.
—Don't you think you should start with something else? —he continued— Something like… "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. This is my fault."
I clenched my teeth.
I guess I had to say it.
—I'm sorry, Your Majesty. This is…
I couldn't finish.
He suddenly raised his hand and swung it toward my face.
A strike.
I closed my eyes on instinct.
But it never came.
The air stopped inches from my cheek.
I opened my eyes, confused.
His hand was still there, suspended, as if something invisible were holding it back.
He slowly lowered his arm.
—You are in one of the hidden rooms of the palace —he said in a completely different tone—. And you will stay here for a while. You'd better get used to it.
He turned around, as if the conversation was over.
—Wait! —I shouted— Why am I here?
He stopped.
Turned his head just enough to look at me over his shoulder.
—Do you really need me to say it?
Silence.
—You failed.
The words fell heavily.
—I gave you a chance… and you wasted it.
He turned fully now.
—You are a burden. Someone who doesn't even deserve the freedom he had.
I felt my body tense.
—I'm sure your brother… —he paused briefly— is ashamed of you.
I said nothing.
I couldn't.
The silence between us grew heavy.
This man…
is disgusting.
Without adding anything else, he turned and left the room.
The door closed.
And slowly, the light began to fade…
leaving me alone with my thoughts.