The drive took hours. Maybe an eternity. I didn't know. I was lost, exhausted, trapped in this body that no longer belonged to me, in this pain, yet, strangely, I had never felt so light. We'd taken a luxury car, the kind you only see on social media; it was my first time. Then, once we arrived at the airport, we took a private jet. I hid my joy, but my eyes couldn't help but widen.
I told myself that this guy might have scammed me, that all of this was just a prank. What did he want ? To make me a prostitute, to sell my organs ? But my absurd recovery calmed my doubts.
— Just how rich are you ? I asked him, worried.
— Hahaha, beyond counting, kid.
Then, finally, the landscape changed.
The gray sky faded away, giving way to a horizon bathed in gold and ash. Plains undulated like a petrified sea, covered in vineyards and olive groves. White peaks pierced the sky; the world became too vast for a kid from the slums of Work Town.
I had no idea where we were. I'd never even traveled before.
The landscape unfolding before me was magnificent; their estate was the size of a city.
Then I saw it.
Perched on a rocky promontory, black against the golden sky:
— Welcome to Castrum Velathor, Iron. This is our home.
It wasn't a fortress. It was an entire world enclosed within magnificent walls. Dark metal towers rose like ancient columns, pierced by immense windows. Suspension bridges connected the buildings, shimmering with shifting lights. Red and black banners flapped in the wind, and every stone seemed to breathe, fueled by an invisible energy.
Simon didn't slow down. The paved road ended in front of a monumental gate, as tall as a cathedral. Two colossal statues stood guard: faceless warriors, one brandishing a broadsword, the other a sword at his side. Their glass eyes emitted a pale light; one could hardly believe they were actually watching us.
The gate opened of its own accord. No creaking, only a fluid, perfect mechanism that pushed the massive blocks aside as if the stone were obeying an invisible will.
And then, I entered another world.
Velathor was not just a fortress: it was a city of technological opulence and warriors, like those of
"the Age of Chaos".
Avenues paved with black marble stretched out in perfect lines. On either side, immense buildings blended ancient architecture with impossible technology: colonnades of stoneveined with gold, facades animated by shifting frescoes that seemed to breathe, glass roofs that opened to let metallic drones pass through.
Hanging gardens burst with greenery, artificial waterfalls cascaded between the towers, and statues of ancient warriors came to life as holograms, slowly turning their heads as if they were still watching over the living.
And in the midst of it all… people.
Dozens, then hundreds of people were infesting the city. Men, women, children. Not ordinary citizens. They all had something in their eyes. An intensity. A depth. As if everyone here had already gone through a hell I couldn't even imagine.
I could feel their gaze on me. No contempt. Not yet. But a silent question: will he hold up?
Simon didn't look at me. He simply walked on, sure of his path.
We crossed immense courtyards where warriors were training, their weapons projecting bursts of aura that made the air tremble. In a circular arena, two young women faced off, their powers clashing in a thunderous roar. Further on, ten-year-olds ran with swords taller than themselves, their instructors shouting orders in firm, disciplined voices.
Everything here exuded power. A power cultivated, refined, honed through effort and mastery.
I was led to my quarters.
When the door opened, I thought there had been a mistake. It wasn't a room. It was a sumptuous loft.
An entrance hall paved with light marble. Columns decorated with red and black frescoes depicting Vongold warriors. A massive library along one wall, filled with manuscripts and luminous tablets. At the back, a room opened onto a terrace, from which one could see the entire Velathor Valley. A pool of clear water reflected the light, and ancient statues stood watch in the corners, along with a state-of-the-art training room.
Everything here was luxury. Everything exuded grandeur. But at what cost.
I stood frozen.
— Unbelievable.
Simon, for his part, didn't turn around.
— I know it's a big change all at once, but enjoy it. Tomorrow, you'll understand why nothing comes for free down here.
Then he disappeared, leaving me alone in this palace.
Night fell. And with it, the shadows of Velathor.It was in this silence that two figures entered without knocking.
The first was tall, wiry, with black, wavy hair and golden eyes; his smile… too wide. He twirled a chain between his fingers like a tamed snake. His eyes sparkled with amused insolence.
— So, you're the ghost we picked up? he said. I'm Pedro, and the giant behind me is Bruno.
Remember this well: if you make that dead-man's face in front of the others, you might wake up strangled, hahaha.
His chain clattered against the floor. I pulled myself together and held his gaze. He laughed.
— Better. Now that's the killer's look we're looking for here. Keep that firmly planted in the back of your mind.
The other one wasn't laughing.
Leaning against a wall, a colossus whose muscles looked as if they'd been carved from stone watched me with his arms crossed. A religious chain around his neck, curly red hair, mixed-race skin. The scar on his cheek ran up to his brow, giving him the air of a former gladiator. His serious eyes rested on me for just a moment.
— Stand up straight… my God, you look like a corpse.
He said nothing else, as if he felt sorry for me. Then he went back to his work.
Pedro approached, a predatory smile playing on his lips.
— You don't look all that impressed. That's good. Now that the introductions are done, we'll let you rest for a moment, you'll need it. The others are waiting for you.
They finally left, and I collapsed onto my gigantic bed, taking in the surroundings I found myself in a paradise. Later that afternoon, we were summoned by Simon.
The main courtyard of Velathor was a Colosseum of shadow and gold. The opulence didn't scream; it whispered, self-assured, like a sated animal that has nothing to prove.
We had been lined up in a semicircle. Heron drones flew over the rooftops, their glowing irises flashing in a code none of us understood. The statues of the ancient Vongoldsgiants with weathered faces monitered the arena. I could feel their stony gaze pressing against the back of my neck.
To my left, Pedro was twirling his chain. He was making it change size and shape. His eyes gave me a brief glance, not a single smile this time. To my right, Bruno held his spear resting on the ground, calm, breathing evenly. He didn't talk much, but on second thought, he seemed nicer than he looked.
The silence shifted in weight.
Simon entered.A dark coat, a sharp stride, that way of commanding the space that forces the weak to step aside. People spoke of him as a tightrope stretched between two abysses: as feared as
Albus, our Patriarch, they were his second-in-command. Unwavering loyalty, without orders or threats.
— It's been a while since you were rookies, you've all grown up. Here you are, strong young men and women, he said. Hahaha, I've missed you, but that's not what matters most.
His voice wasn't loud; it carried just enough weight to fall at our feet like a seal.
— It's been five years since I've been home, but I'm not the only one who's come home today.
He turned his hand slightly.
The massive steel doors swung open. The floor vibrated beneath our boots, a deep rumble running up my spine, sending shivers down my skin.
She entered.
A woman.
Her beauty struck me: among all those monsters of power, I would almost have thought their wives would be all the more like the image I had in my mind brutes, but I was wrong. She was dressed in a black training outfit, with long, wavy hair and no jewelry. Her aura didn't descend upon us… it contained us. Like a sea without waves, yet of a depth that defies the surface. Her hazel eyes swept the courtyard slowly, with surgical patience. When they passed over me, something inside me tensed, a primal reflex in the face of an invisible threat.
Simon tilted his head, greeting her.
— Helena Vongold. An Aseides. Dragon Slayer. Your new instructor.
A murmur rippled through the ranks. Here, everyone reacted as if they were standing before a legend. She'd faced a Dragon, I thought. A real one. Do they really exist? Damn it, where have I ended up?
Helena stopped in the center. She wasn't trying to make an impression. Her voice came out clear, cold, polished by years of use.
— People call me a legend. They think slaying a dragon made me who I am. They're wrong.
Those who truly rule this world could have killed ten of them, had they ever come across any.
She paused briefly, as if to frame the next sentence more precisely.
— I'm not here to hold your hand. Nor to inspire you. I'm here to remove what, within you, lacks the strength to survive. If there's anything worth saving, we'll keep it. Otherwise, you'll fall, and the world won't even notice the dust you've become.No one flinched.
She let her gaze wander from face to face. She wasn't looking for fear or adoration. She was looking for weakness. When her eyes returned to me, I felt the target Simon had placed on me. She could see it. My weakness.
— You.
Her finger pointed at me, simple, direct.
I held my breath.
— Y-yes ? I stammered.
— What's your name ?
— I-Iron, ma'am. I spoke like a child who had just learned to talk.
Around me, the courtyard was a second behind, as if the information took time to circulate through their veins. Then the whispers, the brief shrugs, the piercing stares.
Pedro, however, didn't stiffen; instead, he exuded confidence. I felt his chain slow down, then come to a stop. He gave me a light, discreet tap on the arm to lift my chin. Don't worry, the gesture said.
Bruno turned his face toward me, just a little. A slight nod that meant everything and nothing.
Helena lowered her hand.
— You're the weakest here, she said without harshness. The most fragile. You won't be surprised to hear that. Simon really has a knack for bringing in black sheep like you… but anyway, he told me you could handle it. You'll be the only one I decide to take on as my apprentice.
The word didn't sound like a privilege. It sounded like a commitment. You don't refuse such a command in this court; you endure it.
I felt the stares grow heavier, then shift. But there was nothing hostile about them; jealousy didn't exist here.
Simon crossed his arms, a nearly amused glint at the corner of his lips. The piece had just been placed in the right spot on the board. And the game could begin.
Helena continued, calmly:
— Starting tomorrow, you won't train with them.
— Given your situation and what Simon is asking of me, you'll come to the place few have ever made it to the end of. It's called the Hall of Endurance. There, you'll learn what the rest of us have learned the hard way. I will make you, within these six months, a true Vongold.Six months, perfect. I couldn't turn back anyway, so if hell awaited me, it wouldn't be a change of scenery.
Helena concluded, without emphasis:
— The rest of you, your schedules remain the same. Do your best.
She turned to Simon. They exchanged nothing that could be called words: an ancient understanding, woven with things I couldn't name. Then she walked away, swallowed up by the doors that closed with the quietness of a trap that doesn't need to snap shut.
Silence lingered for a moment, then shattered into voices, into orders; Velathor began to breathe again.
I hadn't moved an inch since then.
— Hey, specter, Pedro said without raising his voice. If you stay rooted there, you're going to take root. Come on, let's go eat with Bruno, all this has made me hungry.
— It's true, I haven't eaten anything since I got here. Let's go.
I turned my head. His smile returned, not insolent, but rather knowing. Without really knowing how or why, these guys liked me, and I accepted their friendship.
— Well, maybe you're worth betting on, specter. Try to get really tough with Helena's teachers. You're just a rookie, but I have a feeling the three of us are going to get along great HAHAHA.
Bruno nodded, serious.
— Get strong, he said. Show them you deserve to be part of the family.
Yet I felt something take root inside me: bonds were forming, barely born but strong enough to hold onto.
We left the Colosseum. As we passed, the smart partitions shifted to a softer shade of gray; an adaptive system that measured one's aura and adjusted the lighting to suit each person's state of mind. Luxury here wasn't just decoration… It was a weapon. Everything was designed so that no fatigue could serve as an excuse for weakness, so that every comfort would strip you of an alibi.
Once dinner was over, we took the elevator; the glass was so clear that I felt as though I were floating. The vineyards below traced lines across the earth, like musical staves stretching toward the sea. The world seemed peaceful, almost too beautiful to be true.
I looked at Pedro, and before I even had a chance to speak, he cut me off.
— You don't have to thank me, he said, anticipating a sentence I hadn't spoken. We're not bullies, I just wanted to see if you had any guts earlier when we saw you arrive HAHA.
Bruno, arms crossed, added:— I don't know what you've been through before, but with the Vongolds, we protect our own, but we simply don't tolerate cowardice and unwarranted weakness.
He placed his palm on the back of my neck for a second, like a caring older brother looking down on his younger sibling.
Back at my quarters, Pedro pushed open the window and let the air in.
—You're in for a rough time, though, he said, looking impressed. The Hall of Endurance…
I've seen guys go down there proud as peacocks and come back up with dead eyes.
Bruno leaned his spear against a column. His gaze grew heavy.
— Anyway, do your best—that's all you can do in your situation.
— Thanks for the advice, guys. And yes, I fully intend to come out of this a changed man.
I nodded. There was nothing else to say. I looked at my hands. Simon's awakening had left a tremor in my joints, not enough for anyone to see, but enough for me to feel. A faint, persistent vibration, like a whisper that hadn't yet found its voice.
— Iron, said Pedro. I don't know what power will awaken in you, but try not to get too big-headed. If you get one that turns out to be cool, you'll want it. Hahaha.
— What if I get a crappy one?
— Then you'll make sure it becomes dangerous. Here, we're not all of the same blood, so all our powers are diverse and varied, unlike the other Families.
I turned around. He held out his clenched fist. Not a challenge. A gesture.
— In any case, there's nothing you can do about it, so don't dwell on it too much.
I bumped my fist against his.
— Tomorrow, at dawn, said Bruno. We'll walk you to the door. After that, it's you against yourself.
There was no promise in his voice. There was something better: confidence.
When they left, silence returned, vast and deep. The walls projected a discreet pattern: heart rate, temperature, rest protocol. I lay down. The ceiling took on a dark blue hue where artificial constellations traced themselves, faithful to the real ones, just a little closer.
I finally closed my eyes, exhausted by all these changes.
In my heart, my thorn stirred, like an animal dreaming. And, far away, deep within the stone,
I heard, or thought I heard… an echo calling me in the darkness.
The Hall of Enduriel awaited me.Tomorrow, dawn will not smell of warm bread. It will taste of iron and blood.