The throne room remained silent.
The scent of burning wax and old wood filled the air as the light of the setting sun passed through the enormous windows, casting golden lines across the marble floor.
Laurence Douglas was kneeling before King Philip.
His cloak still carried the dust from the road. In his hand, he held a small leather case.
Inside were the proofs.
But the true weight was not in the documents.
It was in what they represented.
—Your Majesty.
Laurence's voice echoed through the hall.
—I have confirmed that the Denisse family was primarily responsible for the betrayal. However, they did not act alone.
He slowly opened the case.
—Three other houses are involved: the Sneiders, the Browns, and the Armetts.
King Philip closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he leaned back against the throne.
—Four noble families...
His hand covered part of his face.
—In the middle of a war that threatens our borders.
Laurence remained silent.
There was no need to add anything else.
The king knew the Douglases too well to ignore what that silence meant.
—What do you intend to do?
Laurence raised his gaze.
His gray eyes were cold, almost impossible to read.
—The Denisses are mine.
Philip's expression hardened.
—Laurence.
—My son died because of them.
The duke's voice did not rise.
It did not need to.
—I will deal with them personally. The fate of the other families rests in your hands, Your Majesty.
The king remained silent.
Then Laurence added:
—There is something else.
Philip looked at him.
—The Denisses appear to have ties to the demon cult.
The candle flames seemed to freeze.
—I still do not have definitive proof.
Laurence closed the case.
—But I will obtain it.
The king tightened his fingers against the armrest of the throne.
He knew what those words meant.
When a Douglas said he would find something...
It meant he had already decided to search until he found it.
Laurence slightly bowed his head.
—Our house has served the kingdom since its founding.
He stood up.
—We are the sword that cuts through the darkness so that the crown may remain illuminated.
Philip narrowed his eyes.
—Remember one thing, Laurence.
His voice became firmer.
—The kingdom's justice is decided only by the king.
A faint smile appeared on the duke's face.
—Of course, Your Majesty.
He turned around.
—But remember...
His footsteps began echoing through the hall.
—Our sword does not serve men.
The door opened.
—It serves the kingdom.
Over the following days, the academy spoke of only one thing.
The lightning tournament.
Every match changed the odds.
Every victory created new rumors.
Students filled the stands from early morning, eager to discover who the true talents of their generation were.
Among all the names, one began being repeated more and more often.
Lusian Douglas.
The training arena was packed when Lusian entered.
Standing before him was a young man with dark hair and a determined gaze.
Aiden Douglas.
Adela's twin brother.
—My lord.
Aiden bowed his head.
—I ask that you allow me to fight with all my strength.
Lusian took his sword.
—That is what I expect.
The signal for the match rang.
Aiden moved first.
His sword cut through the air with precision.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
Every movement was clean and powerful.
But Lusian did not retreat.
He deflected each attack with only the necessary amount of force.
He wasted no movements.
He showed no nervousness.
It seemed as if he could read the battle before it even happened.
Aiden stepped back.
For the first time, surprise appeared on his face.
—So this is the difference...
He gritted his teeth.
Mana began gathering around him.
A magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
The air grew heavy.
Moisture condensed around his sword.
—Tidal Slash!
A blade of water shot toward Lusian.
The students held their breath.
The attack was powerful enough to pierce armor.
But Lusian did not move.
He waited.
Only when the blade was inches away from his body did he slightly tilt his torso.
The attack passed beside him and destroyed the ground behind him.
The audience fell silent.
Lusian was already moving forward.
His sword became covered in a layer of dark mana.
Aiden barely managed to raise his own.
The impact forced him backward.
And before he could regain his balance...
He felt Lusian's blade against his throat.
The battle was over.
—You are strong —Lusian said, lowering his sword—. Keep training, and you will go much further.
Aiden took a deep breath.
Then he knelt.
—Thank you, my lord.
In the stands, several students looked at one another.
It was no longer just a rumor.
Lusian Douglas was someone they had to take seriously.
Throughout the rest of the week, the academy continued to be filled with the excitement of the battles.
Jean defeated Walker Wall with a precision that surprised even the professors.
Emily, meanwhile, became one of the tournament's biggest surprises.
Standing before her was Melodi Denisse.
Many expected the defeat to be quick.
They were wrong.
When Emily's magic circles began appearing, the atmosphere changed.
Her mana shone with pure intensity.
Then the sky above the arena lit up.
Dozens of rays of light descended upon the battlefield.
Melodi attempted to raise a barrier, but the pressure of the spell was too great.
When the light disappeared, only silence remained.
Emily had won.
As she stepped down from the platform, she was still breathing heavily.
Then she saw him.
Lusian was waiting for her.
—Congratulations.
Emily smiled in surprise.
—Did you come to watch me?
—Of course.
Lusian looked at the destroyed battlefield.
—I knew you would win.
She lowered her gaze.
—And if I had lost?
Lusian smiled slightly.
—Then I would have been here anyway.
Emily looked up.
For a moment, she forgot all the noise from the stands.
But someone else was watching the scene.
Elizabeth.
She stepped onto the platform prepared for her match.
However, before looking at her opponent, her eyes searched for Lusian.
She found him beside Emily.
She was smiling.
He was smiling too.
An uncomfortable feeling appeared in her chest.
Elizabeth frowned.
—What a nuisance...
It was not jealousy.
Of course not.
It was merely a distraction.
A distraction she could not afford.
Her opponent assumed a combat stance.
—Are you finished staring?
Elizabeth turned her gaze forward.
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
—Yes.
Her magic began gathering around her.
—Now I am.
The audience held its breath.
—Elizabeth Erkhan versus Nora Rymer! Begin!
The judge's voice echoed throughout the arena.
The audience fell silent.
For several seconds, the only sound was the wind moving the banners above the stands.
Then Nora attacked.
A dozen lightning bolts erupted from her hands and crossed the field like serpents of light.
Elizabeth did not retreat.
With an elegant movement of her wand, she drew a circle in the air.
The electricity collided with an invisible barrier and scattered in every direction, illuminating the faces of the spectators.
But something was different.
The professors noticed it.
The students noticed it as well.
Elizabeth had always been a precise and calculating mage.
But that day...
Her magic was more aggressive.
More intense.
As if every spell carried an emotion she could not express with words.
Nora took advantage of the opening and launched another attack.
Elizabeth dodged it.
Then another.
And another.
Each movement was faster than the last.
Her gaze remained fixed.
She was not fighting Nora.
She was trying to prove something.
To someone.
Finally, she extended her hand.
Electricity began gathering in her palm.
At first, it was a small spark.
Then a sphere.
Then a mass of energy that made the air around her vibrate.
The spectators held their breath.
—What kind of spell is that?
Elizabeth smiled faintly.
And released the attack.
The impact shook the arena.
The banners whipped violently, and a cloud of dust covered the battlefield.
When it disappeared, Nora was on her knees.
Her breathing was uneven.
She could no longer continue.
The judge raised his hand.
—Victory goes to Elizabeth Erkhan!
The crowd erupted into applause.
But Elizabeth barely heard the noise.
Her eyes were already searching for one person.
And she found him.
Lusian was among the spectators.
He was not shouting.
He was not celebrating excessively.
He was simply smiling.
A calm smile, filled with pride.
Elizabeth felt a small sense of satisfaction appear in her chest.
She tried to hide it.
She failed.
She responded with an arrogant smile and slightly raised her hand.
A small electric spark ran across her fingers.
Only Lusian understood the message.
Three days after the meeting between Laurence Douglas and King Philip, the situation in the kingdom began to change.
At the Armett residence, Noah remained seated in silence.
Standing before him was Sofia Douglas.
The duchess had spoken with absolute calm.
Precisely because of that, her words were even more frightening.
—Your army will be placed under Douglas supervision.
Noah gritted his teeth.
—And my family?
Sofia looked at him without emotion.
—Isabella will be handed over to resolve the conflict between both houses.
Each word was another chain.
Noah wanted to protest.
To shout.
To refuse.
But he knew the truth.
He was not negotiating.
He was accepting the conditions of the victor.
The news that arrived afterward was even worse.
Laurence Douglas had declared war on the Denisses.
At the Denisse mansion, Tomas remained frozen upon hearing the report.
He had expected fury.
He had expected an impulsive reaction.
He had expected a father consumed by grief.
But Laurence had not acted like a man blinded by anger.
He had acted like a strategist.
Cold.
Precise.
Relentless.
Tomas placed a hand against his forehead.
—How...?
His voice barely escaped.
—When did Noah have the chance to speak with him?
Any encounter between them should have ended in blood.
But Laurence had seen beyond that.
He had destroyed their plans before they could react.
Then a deep voice filled the room.
—Human.
Tomas raised his head.
Bragoz appeared from the shadows.
His eyes burned like embers.
—You have made a decision.
Tomas swallowed.
For the first time in a long while, he felt fear.
—If I accept your offer... will you fulfill my wishes?
The demon smiled.
—That depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice.
Tomas clenched his fists.
—I need power.
He paused.
—And I need soldiers.
Bragoz tilted his head.
—Then give me human lives.
The silence became heavy.
—In exchange, you will receive an army capable of destroying your enemies.
Tomas felt a chill.
—I only have thirty days.
Bragoz's smile widened.
—Then you had better start soon.
The academy no longer viewed Lusian the same way.
When he walked through the halls, conversations stopped.
Eyes followed him.
Some admired him.
Others despised him.
But no one was indifferent.
When he arrived at the classroom, Corwin Armett was already waiting for him.
His arms were crossed.
His expression was filled with anger.
—So that was your plan.
Lusian stopped.
—I don't know what you think I did.
Corwin stepped forward.
—You wanted to take my sister away from us.
The atmosphere changed.
Several students stopped talking.
Lusian narrowed his eyes.
—Be careful with your words.
But Corwin did not retreat.
—You are despicable!
Before he could move any closer, a shadow appeared behind him.
Umber.
With one hand, the magical bear lifted the young Armett off the ground.
—Let me go.
Corwin struggled to free himself.
Without success.
Lusian simply continued walking to his seat.
He had no strength left to explain something no one wanted to hear.
To them, he had not protected Isabella.
He had simply made a suspicious decision.
Emily sat beside him.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she asked:
—Did you really think this would happen?
Lusian leaned back against his chair.
—Yes.
His voice was tired.
—But I still had to do it.
Emily looked at him.
Not with fear.
Not with suspicion.
With understanding.
—Then you did the right thing.
Lusian smiled slightly.
—Thank you for being the only person who seems to understand.
Emily pointed behind them.
—Although you could call Umber.
Lusian frowned.
—Why?
She looked at Corwin.
—Because I think he's starting to run out of air.
Lusian sighed.
—Umber.
The magical bear immediately released Corwin.
The young man fell to the floor, breathing heavily and completely humiliated.
Lusian looked at him.
His voice was cold.
—Do not disrespect me again.
Corwin lowered his gaze.
—Even though we are in the academy, remember who you are and who I am.
The classroom fell silent.
Lusian closed his eyes.
On the outside, he was still the Douglas heir.
The cold man.
The noble who could not be challenged.
But inside, he was exhausted.
Pretending to be the old Lusian was harder than any battle.
For a moment, he remembered another life.
A quiet room.
A computer glowing in the darkness.
Hours without responsibilities.
No wars.
No conspiracies.
No people depending on him.
Only himself.
And the peace he had lost.