Invisible Inheritances
[Evening – Ryan's House]
Ryan kicked open the door and tossed his backpack onto the couch. The screen of his phone blinked insistently — ten unread messages. All from Annie.
"Crap…" he muttered, unlocking it.
Before he could even start typing, his phone started to ring. He sighed and answered.
"Hey—"
"Yan! You finally picked up!" Annie's voice was bright and teasing. "Did you get home okay? Why didn't you answer my messages?"
Ryan blinked. "Wait. Did you just call me… Yan?"
"Yeah, duh. Ryan becomes Yan. It's your nickname now."
He smiled, scratching his head awkwardly. "That's… new. Sorry, I got home and passed out."
"You're forgiven," she said, her tone softening. "But can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What did Lorien Valtier whisper in your ear?"
The question hit him like a spark. Ryan went quiet, replaying that moment in his head — the handshake, the crowd, the weight of those words.
"He said…" Ryan began slowly, "…that he's counting on me in the Draft. And that he called me… a prodigy."
On the other end, Annie squealed. "I knew there was something special about you! I'm rooting for you, Yan!"
Ryan couldn't help but laugh, the warmth in her voice filling the lonely room.
"Thanks, Annie. That means a lot."
He hesitated for a second, then added, "And that's not all. On the way home, I ran into Mr. Inavy. We talked about Ray Stormbreak… and he told me he believes someone like me can become a hero."
Silence. Not empty — but reverent. Then Annie's voice came, soft but sure.
"You will become one, Ryan. I believe that."
Ryan felt something stir in his chest — hope, fragile but alive.
[Later – The Stormbreak Residence]
"I'm home!" Inavy Stormbreak's voice boomed through the entryway. He held a grocery bag in one hand — or at least, he thought he did.
Before he could even close the door, a blur of motion collided into him.
"Daddyyyy!"
He laughed, catching his daughter in his arms. "My little ray of sunshine!"
Saddie giggled, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. "You smell Very good daddy!"
From the living room, a dry voice chimed in.
"That's quite the hour for a married man to be getting home, huh?" Ethan muttered without looking up from his handheld console.
"This kid…" Inavy grumbled under his breath.
Rose Eldara appeared from the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. "Welcome home, my love. Did you bring the groceries?"
Inavy blinked. "About that…" He looked down at his empty hand, then back up with an awkward grin. "So… funny story. I bought them. Then I may have… left them on a park bench."
Rose sighed deeply. "AGAIN, Inavy?! You've been like this since high school! Even Darius wouldn't forget something like that!"
"You're comparing me to that scatterbrained lunatic?" Inavy laughed. "It's a miracle he doesn't forget his own name!"
The house filled with laughter — warm and alive.
Dinner followed soon after. When everyone had finished, Inavy found Ethan sitting quietly by the window, game console resting in his lap.
"Son," Inavy said, approaching him. "Can we talk?"
Ethan looked up, puzzled. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing bad," Inavy replied. "Let's go for a walk."
[Later – Ray Stormbreak Monument, Herocity Park]
The park was silent under a silver moon. The statue of Ray Stormbreak stood tall, bathed in starlight — the eternal guardian of the city.
Ethan looked unimpressed. "You brought me here… to clean Grandpa's statue again?"
"It's the least we can do for him," Inavy said simply.
They worked in silence for a while, the rhythmic sound of brushes against stone filling the air. Then, without warning, Inavy spoke.
"You know, Ethan… you remind me a lot of Ray."
Ethan tensed. "There we go again. Everyone compares me to him, to you, to Uncle Ron… It's exhausting, Dad."
Inavy didn't respond immediately. Instead, he sat on the bench before the monument, eyes tracing Ray's calm, immortal face.
"I know how that feels," he said finally. "From the day I was born, everyone expected me to be the next Ray Stormbreak. But do you know why?"
Ethan glanced at him warily. "Why?"
"Because every Stormbreak represents hope," Inavy said, voice steady. "And every time one is born… the world dares to believe something good can rise again."
Ethan sighed. "But I just want to be myself."
"And you will be," Inavy assured him. "But listen — you're like Ray not because of your powers. It's because you protect people without expecting anything in return. Just like you did for Ryan."
Ethan's eyes dropped. "It was the least I could do."
Inavy stood, looking up at the stars. "Did you know we're only half Stormbreak?"
Ethan blinked. "What?"
"Thirty-five years ago," Inavy began, his tone lowering, "our city was attacked by the Order of Tyrus. Their mission was to kill a baby — the Heir of Chaos."
Ethan froze. "It was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Inavy nodded. "And I was saved by a man named Julius — my real father. A warrior from a distant kingdom called Nionderland. He had no powers, but he fought with everything he had to protect me. He placed me and my mother, Mary Stormbreak, into an indestructible capsule."
"Grandpa Ray's sister…" Ethan whispered.
"Exactly. Ray and Tiana fought that day. They won — but they died in the process. Ray found me afterward and raised me as his own." Inavy's eyes glimmered faintly. "He taught me what it means to be a hero."
He placed both hands on Ethan's shoulders, his voice firm.
"Our legacy as Stormbreaks isn't about power or fame. It's about sacrifice — giving everything for those we love. There's no greater proof of heroism than that."
Ethan's lips trembled. "Dad…"
"I don't want you to be the next Ray. Or the next Inavy," his father said softly. "I want you to be the first Ethan Stormbreak."
The words broke through Ethan's armor like sunlight through clouds. Tears filled his eyes before he could stop them.
"That's all I ever wanted to hear," he whispered. "Especially from you, Dad."
Inavy smiled gently and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Then honor that legacy, my son."
They stood together beneath the starlit sky — father and son, bound by legacy and love. And as they looked up, they could almost see two figures among the constellations: Ray Stormbreak and Tiana, smiling proudly.
Inavy chuckled quietly. "You see that, guys?" he murmured to the heavens.
"He's ready."
End of Chapter 9 – "Invisible Inheritances"
"Blood may carry a name, but choice carries the legacy."