"What the hell are you doing here?"
Alden muttered as he looked at the unexpected intruder.
The intruder was sleeping peacefully on the bed in his guest room. Even after Alden’s loud voice, she didn’t wake up.
Damn it.
Alden slowly walked toward the bed. A small stick appeared in his hand.
It wasn’t a normal stick—it was one of the artifacts he’d found inside the storage ring Caera had given him.
Its function? Stupidly simple.
It created a sphere of water every ti soone supplied it with mana.
Utterly useless in combat.
But looking at the peacefully sleeping intruder, Alden couldn’t resist.
Don’t bla .
He thought, grinning, as he activated the artifact above her face.
A sphere of cold water dropped.
"MRRRAAOW—?!?"
A cat-like screech echoed as the intruder bolted upright. She practically launched off the bed.
She turned around, hair soaked and her eyes wild.
"GAH! Cold! Cold! Whyyy—?!"
Alden smirked. "That’s what you get for breaking into soone’s house uninvited, Vanyaa."
"You know, that wasn’t a good thing to do." Vanyaa pouted. "I could’ve drowned in my sleep."
"Oh, sorry, sorry," Alden said, chuckling without a hint of remorse. "But you have to admit, this is your fault. Who the hell sneaks into soone’s guest room and naps like they own the place?"
"I was tired," she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms dramatically. "Besides, I didn’t infiltrate the academy this ti."
Alden narrowed his eyes. "What?"
What is she talking about?
Vanyaa gave a smug look. "I ca with Mom."
"Wait, what do you an with your mom?" Alden blinked. "Did Cipher also infiltrate with you?"
Vanyaa grinned. "That’s a surprise. I ain’t telling you."
Why did Cipher co to the academy?
Is this related to Seles?
Or is it for so different kind of mission?
Well, I’ll just ask her myself once I et her.
"So, what were you doing in my apartnt?" Alden narrowed his eyes.
"I ca to check on you. But you weren’t here... So I figured I’d take a nap while I waited." Vanyaa shrugged.
Tsk... what to do with this lazy cat?
"Anyway, I’ll get going now. Mom must be waiting for ."
With a stretch and a yawn, Vanyaa glowed, and in a blink, she shifted back into her small feline form.
"Next ti," Alden muttered, "at least knock before you break in and nap."
Vanyaa let out a soft mrrp that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.
With one final smug glance, she leapt off the bed and jumped toward the window.
Then she was gone like she’d never been there at all.
You could have gone through the entrance.
Alden sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
Cipher, huh?
What the hell is that woman planning now?
He didn’t have long to wonder.
Just as he turned back towards his room, a soft chi echoed in the room.
It was his ManaSync.
Alden checked the new ssage out of curiosity.
Did Aziel wake up already?
Not many people ssaged him. So, he suspected it to be Aziel.
But it was soone else entirely.
The ssage was from Jeremy Voidforge.
A formal summons.
Alden groaned. "Great. What now?"
__
He scanned the ssage calmly.
The ssage didn’t say much. Just asked him to visit the principal’s office.
Fuck, at least let rest a bit.
__
After freshening up a bit and changing into fresh clothes, Alden exited his apartnt.
His destination—principal’s office.
He had no clue why Jeremy was calling him.
It couldn’t be because of the duel, right?
Probably not.
As far as Alden knew, Jeremy wouldn’t bother him over sothing that small.
There had to be another reason.
Whatever, I’ll know once I’m there.
He walked across the academy grounds peacefully, enjoying the scenery.
But peace and Alden? They never got along.
He once joked that Pain was a yandere obsessed with him.
If that was true, then Peace must’ve been Pain’s jealous ex.
Every ti he tried to find peace, sothing—or soone—showed up.
Like now.
He was minding his own business when a figure crossed his path.
He looked at the woman.
Bright red hair. Crimson eyes.
Seraphina Draven.
His half-sister... or at least, soone he used to think of that way. Her eyes trembled slightly when they t his.
"Alden?" she murmured.
Alden looked at her.
He didn’t have any interest in talking to her. With a small nod, he walked past her.
She looked at the retreating back of Alden, dazed for a mont before she snapped out.
"Hey... wait." She called him out.
Alden stopped.
What the hell does she want now?
Seraphina hesitated for a mont before walking up beside him.
"I..." she started, her voice quiet. "I feel sorry. About everything."
She didn’t seem like her usual cold self.
The one who didn’t care when Alden got beaten.
The one who didn’t even flinch when he called for help.
No. She looked like soone who cared for him. Which made Alden laugh.
Why the hell are you pretending to care about ?
He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t sad. He just didn’t feel anything for her.
He had grown up thinking she was his sister. Still, there were no emotions for her in his heart.
He didn’t reply. He let her continue.
"When you were exiled... with Father not around, I couldn’t do anything. I tried talking to the elders. I even begged Mother to intervene."
Still, silence.
Her voice cracked slightly. "I asked everyone I could. But the Elder Council... didn’t allow the cancellation of your exile."
Seraphina reached out but pulled her hand back before touching him. "I’ll try again. I’ll speak to them. I’ll make them see the reason."
"I can get you back into the family, Alden. I will. Just give so ti."
He finally stopped.
What a joke?
Why would I want to be part of that shitty family anymore?
They had given nothing but suffering all my life.
Slowly, he turned his head toward her.
His expressions were unreadable.
Then he spoke, his voice low and even.
"I don’t want to be part of that family."
Seraphina’s eyes widened slightly.
"For all I care," he said, "the entire bloodline can go and fuck off."
And with that, he turned and walked away—never looking back.
__
Seraphina looked at the retreating back of Alden. Tears welled in her eyes.
She was weak.
So, so weak.
She used to tell herself that Alden would grow stronger through the hardships. That enduring it all would shape him into soone unshakeable.
But she had been lying.
It wasn’t Alden who was weak.
It had never been him.
It was her.
She had always been too afraid— to stand against Rodrick, to speak up to the elders, to protect the only person who truly needed her.
All she had done was send potions from a distance. Empty gestures. Weak excuses. A way to convince herself she was doing her part as a sister.
But the truth was...
She had done nothing.
She looked up at the sky, blinking through the tears.
Why am I such a terrible sister?
She had seen Alden’s eyes just now. Cold. Unforgiving. No affection left. No warmth. Not even anger.
Just emptiness.
I’m sorry, Alden.
But she knew—
Sorry wouldn’t change anything.
Not anymore.
__
Alden walked ahead without looking back.
Once, he might’ve paused.
Once, he might’ve hoped.
But that version of him—the one who craved warmth, who begged for affection—was long dead.
He rembered the boy who cried himself to sleep.
Who whispered for help into the darkness and heard nothing in return.
Who once thought if he just endured enough pain, soone might finally care.
He even rembered old Alden trying to kill himself. But he never succeeded.
Every ti he tried to do that, he fell unconscious.
Back then, he’d believed it was so divine rcy. Now? He knew better.
Soone in the family didn’t want him dead—not out of care, but calculation. An illegitimate heir dying by suicide would stain the Draven na.
That was the only reason he was still breathing.
And Seraphina? She didn’t help. Not when it mattered. She sent him potions, like tossing bread to a starving stray.
Not love. Not protection. Just... convenience.
He hated her. As much as he did to Cedric and Rodrick.
And now she wants to be a good sister.
How funny.
Lost in his thoughts, he arrived in front of the principal’s office.
Ti to move forward.
__
Alden entered the office building. The guards didn’t block him.
Instead, they bowed ninety degrees.
Perks of being a personal disciple.
Alden smirked.
The guards didn’t raise their heads until Alden completely entered the building.
Inside, soone familiar caught his eye—a girl with midnight black hair.
What’s Nyx doing?
He quickened his pace until they were side by side.
"Didn’t think I’d run into you here," he said.
Nyx turned her head, offering a small smile. "I was about to say the sa."
"Guess Principal summoned both his disciples." Alden muttered.
"Uhh, yeah." She nodded. "You’re not late for once. Progress."
Alden raised an eyebrow. "Coming from soone who is never on ti for class."
Nyx smirked.
"Anyway," Alden asked, looking at the hallway ahead. "You know why we’re being called?"
"Nope." Nyx answered.
Soon, they arrived in front of the office door.
Alden glanced at Nyx, then back at the door.
Let’s see what Jeremy wants this ti.
With that thought, he followed her inside.
____
Author’s Note:
If this story gave you even one good mont, help out — drop a review and let future readers know what kind of chaos they’re signing up for. 😉
Once we hit 100 reviews, I’ll drop a 5-Chapter mass release as thanks. Let’s make it happen, team.
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