The banquet hall already sparkled with a thousand lights. Servants bustled about, laying down tablecloths and adjusting chandeliers, while Alycia gave her orders with the confidence of a true steward. Liam, however, still felt like a stranger in this setting. Every step, every gesture carried with it a sense of dissonance.
He picked up a chair to place it by a table, but his fingers trembled slightly. A strange warmth coursed through his veins, as though an ember had been burning inside him ever since his awakening. He clenched his jaw, praying no one would notice.
— "Are you sure you're alright?" Alycia asked, raising a brow. "You look like your mind is elsewhere."
— "Yes… or at least, I think so," he replied uneasily. "It just feels like… something has changed."
Before he could say another word, Belior strode in. His mocking smile always came before his barbed remarks.
— "Well, well. Our dear brother finally decides to lend a hand. Don't tell me you're already exhausted? Or is it those long nights of secret training wearing you out?"
Liam felt the provocation in every syllable. He wanted to snap back, but at that instant, a strange vibration rippled through him. As if the mana itself was responding to the anger rising inside him.
Then, everything happened at once.
A servant stumbled, knocking over a lit candle onto a tablecloth. Flames began to spread. Without thinking, Liam raised his hand.
A massive flame erupted from his palm. It shot forward, swallowing the accidental fire… but nearly set everything else ablaze. The servants shrieked, stumbling back in panic, eyes wide with horror.
Liam froze, hand trembling, unable to comprehend what he had just unleashed. The heat around him was suffocating, and yet the fire bent to his will… even as it threatened to consume him.
— "Liam… how did you… ?" Alycia whispered, stunned.
Belior burst into incredulous laughter.
— "So that's it! You were hiding your little secret. Tell me—are you planning to burn the house down just to impress us?"
Their father's gaze fell upon Liam, cold and heavy.
— "Enough, Belior."
Then he turned to his younger son.
— "Liam… this power… you must learn to control it. Quickly."
Their mother placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.
— "Calm yourself, my dear. Breathe… let the flames fade."
At her words, as if her voice had pierced the haze clouding his mind, the fire abruptly vanished, leaving only a faint scent of soot.
Silence fell over the hall. Every gaze was fixed on Liam. Some filled with fear, others with admiration… but none indifferent.
It was then that a messenger clad in imperial colors rushed in. He knelt before their father.
— "Lord Leywin… the Court has learned of your son's return. He is summoned to Varaam. The Emperor wishes to assess… the strength of his heir."
Liam's heart tightened. He was not merely an intruder in this body… he was now at the center of everyone's expectations.
After the incident, Liam and his family stepped outside, heading toward the carriage bound for Varaam.
His father spoke:
— "Liam, you know where we're going. So behave yourself, and don't let your anger get the better of you just because of your brother's childish taunts!" he said with a faint smile.
— "Alright, Father… but why are we going to Varaam when we just finished preparing the hall?" Liam asked, clearly unsettled.
— "That is not for me to say. But word has it… you may have been chosen as a Deviant by Laural, our King!" his father replied, pride tugging at his lips.
Belior cut in, venom dripping from his voice:
— "Tch… You, chosen by the King? A pathetic user of mana and aura without a rank? I highly doubt it!"
— "I don't have a rank… then how do I obtain one?" Liam asked his elder brother.
— "Ask Mother. She's the one who assigns noble ranks in the capital!"
Liam gave a friendly smile.
— "Thank you, Belior."
For the rest of the journey, no one dared meet another's eyes.
At the border between Liarma and Lixum, the guards ordered the coachman to stop.
— "Good day, sir. May we verify who is inside?"
— "Of course," replied the coachman. "No problem, it's the Leywin family."
— "Hm… And what business takes you to Liarma?"
— "I wouldn't know. I was only tasked with taking them safely to Varaam."
The guard went to the back to confirm for himself.
— "Lord Isdor von Leywin! What brings you here in such rainy weather?" he asked respectfully.
— "Haha, Alexian, worry not. We are going to meet King Laural and the other lords, to test my second son."
— "Y-your second son? He's with you? I thought he had remained in Varaam!"
Liam spoke up:
— "Oh no, I was only supposed to stay a month. Don't worry."
— "My respects, Lord Liam. Yet you told us you would remain in Varaam for about two moons…"
The carriage resumed its journey toward Varaam. The rattling of wheels on wet cobblestones beat out a heavy silence. Liam stared at the floor, his thoughts still haunted by the fire he had unleashed. Each breath reminded him of the suffocating heat of the flames.
He wanted to ask for answers… but no words would come.
Suddenly, a chill crept down his neck. Like a breath, a whisper brushed his ear:
"You are not alone…"
Liam flinched, eyes darting in search of the voice. Belior noticed immediately.
— "What now? Shaking again? Planning to blow up the carriage this time?"
Their father's stern gaze silenced him.
— "Enough, Belior. Do not forget where we are headed."
Belior scowled, but his mocking smile never faded.
At the outskirts of Varaam, the carriage slowed. A long line of travelers and merchants awaited entry into the capital. Imperial guards inspected each vehicle with unusual rigor.
One stepped forward, boots striking the wet stones.
— "Open up. Mandatory inspection."
The coachman complied. The door swung open, revealing the Leywin family.
The guard blanched upon recognizing Isdor von Leywin.
— "My lord… I… forgive this delay."
— "It is nothing, Orec," Isdor replied calmly. "But tell me—why such strict measures today?"
The soldier hesitated.
— "Rumors are spreading, my lord… They speak of a mage with uncontrollable power, one who could reduce an entire hall to ashes. The Emperor has ordered heightened vigilance."
All eyes turned to Liam. His heart clenched, his fist tightening against his thigh.
Belior let out a bitter laugh.
— "Well, brother… it seems your reputation got here before you did."
But before Liam could respond, the voice echoed once more inside his mind:
"Burn… show them what you are…"
His blood ran cold. This was no hallucination. Something was speaking through his fire.
Noticing his distress, his mother quietly placed a reassuring hand on his.
— "Breathe, Liam. You have nothing to prove here… not yet."
At last, the carriage passed through Varaam's massive gates. The capital stretched before them: a sea of ivory towers, gilded domes, and crowded streets alive with endless clamor. Yet at the heart of this splendor, Liam felt only the stares. Eyes that lingered on him with fear, curiosity, or disdain.
The imperial palace loomed in the distance, vast and unapproachable.
His father spoke solemnly:
— "Prepare yourself, Liam. The Emperor did not summon you for a mere audience. This will be your first true judgment."
To be continued in Volume 3.