Simon Ramel

As we watched the duel come to a close, the entire room was frozen. Everyone looked stunned. I didn’t expect Lisa to be that strong—but what shocked me the most... was Bilric. Did he really just control his element? And if so… was that water? Am I imagining things now?

“I knew Lisa had some transformation skills,” Jasmine said beside me, still watching the scene. “But I didn’t think Bilric had that kind of power.”

“You knew about Lisa’s power?” I asked, turning to her.

“Yeah, she’s my friend. We train together sometimes,” she replied casually.

“Oh… is that so,” I muttered, my mind still spinning.

Suddenly, Teacher Sirod’s voice cut through the silence:
“Well, I think that’s enough for today. Class dismissed—everyone, leave now.”

He walked over to me and leaned in, speaking in a low voice.
“I’ll be taking Lisa and Bilric to their homes. I need to speak to your parents about what happened today. First to Lisa’s place, then you can lead me to your house.”

“Sure,” I said. “But… are they both okay?”

He gave a small nod. “Don’t worry. They just overexerted themselves. Energy channel burnout—happens when you push too far. They’ll wake up in a few hours.”

So that’s exactly what happened—we stopped by the Bloodrose mansion first.

I noticed again how nearly every large building in this country seemed to be made from sandrock. I’ve always thought it must be easier to build with that material… maybe that’s why it’s everywhere.

The Bloodrose estate was massive. Its entrance alone had a towering black door with two red wings engraved into the surface—elegant, but intense. You couldn’t see anything inside from the gate.

“We’ve come to return Lady Lisa from training,” Teacher Sirod said to the guard. “She’s unconscious, but she’s alright—just exhaustion.”

The guard looked at us in silence. His eyes scanned Lisa… then Bilric… and finally, he gave a single nod.
“Alright. Leave her to me. I’ll take care of Lady Lisa. You can go now.”

With Lisa in his care, we headed off.

“What exactly are you planning to tell my family?” I mumbled to Teacher Sirod as we walked.

“Nothing too serious, young prince,” he replied smoothly. “The academy’s requesting some updates. I’m just using this visit as an opportunity to speak with our ever-busy leader.”

Teacher Sirod was smart—too smart, maybe. I couldn’t tell if he was brushing me off or genuinely being honest. With him, it was always hard to know.

We continued walking in silence. The Ramel mansion wasn’t far from the Bloodrose estate, but despite the short distance, our families didn’t interact much. The Bloodroses always came off as distant... and intense, if I’m being honest.

Lost in thought, I didn’t even notice we’d arrived until I looked up—and saw my mother already waiting for us at the entrance.

“Lady Dahlia,” Teacher Sirod said, his voice a bit more tense than usual.

“Is that Bilric?” my mother asked, her tone sharp and serious.

“Nothing to worry about, ma’am. He’s just worn out from training,” Sirod replied.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And?”

“I need to speak with Lord Dalfrid. There’s a matter that requires his attention,” he said carefully.

“My husband isn’t available at the moment,” she answered, folding her arms. “Is it something I can handle instead?”

“Yes, thank you, Lady Dahlia,” he replied with a slight bow of respect.

“Then let’s get the boy to his room. After that, explain everything to me,” she said, then turned her gaze to me. “You—shower, rest, and then we’ll talk.”

Something was off. Mom’s expression wasn’t just stern—it was troubled. Everyone seemed tense today. What’s going on? Why do I feel like pressure’s building, and no one’s saying why?

Teacher Sirod

We stepped into a room I assumed was for receiving guests—maybe dignitaries, or maybe just any visitor important enough to sit in a space like this. It was refined, with tasteful furniture and wide open windows that let in a breeze carrying the fresh scent of citrus from the garden outside.

“You may sit,” came a calm, elegant voice. It pulled me back from my momentary distraction.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” I replied, taking my seat.

I went straight into recounting the events of the training session between Bilric and Lisa, then asked, “Did you know about Bilric’s element? I mean… water?”

“Yes, we know,” answered a deeper voice behind me.

I turned quickly—it was Lord Dalfrid. He must’ve returned while we were talking.

I rose and bowed. “Lord Dalfrid. Pleased to meet you.”

Then, still standing, I continued with a hint of frustration, “If you knew… why didn’t you inform me? I could have taken precautions, shielded the boy from unnecessary attention. Especially from the other families.”

“Calm yourself, Sirod,” Lord Dalfrid said, raising a hand. “You’re still young. I understand your concern. Bilric’s ability is… unusual, yes. We’ve never recorded anyone channeling water energy before. It was assumed water had no elemental flow. The Great Families knew of this, so we chose not to announce it further—even to the academy.”

“But this is a new element,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “It’s bound to draw attention…”

“Precisely why we kept it quiet,” Lady Dahlia interjected gently. “We didn’t want to weigh him down with expectations. We’ve made that mistake once—with Gurd.”

I paused. Of course. Gurd… my cousin. I knew exactly what they meant. That pressure, that burden—it shaped him, maybe even broke him.

“You’ve done your part, Sirod,” Lord Dalfrid added. “Leave the rest to us.”

“Yes, my lord. Thank you for receiving me,” I said with a respectful nod.

And with that, I took my leave from the Ramel estate, a strange weight lingering in my chest.

Dalfrid Ramel

Things are starting to move too quickly.

I had hoped I could sweep the dust under the rug, quietly, before anyone noticed—but it seems the past has a way of clawing its way back into the light. Now, I have to find a way to prevent this from escalating further.

As I drifted deeper into my thoughts, a gentle voice pulled me back to the present.

“Darling, did that old man—Karl—put pressure on you again?” Dahlia asked, her voice soft but sharp.

My wife. Dahlia. With her warm brown hair and eyes the color of autumn light—she turned forty this past winter. There’s a decade or so between us, yet she sees through me like no one else.

I gave a short laugh, trying to brush it off. “It’s… complicated, my love. Maybe he’s trying to help. Maybe he’s threatening me. With men like Karl, it’s impossible to tell. You never quite know what they’re thinking.”

She frowned gently, but I offered her a reassuring smile. “Let me carry this burden. Don’t let it trouble you. It’ll work out—as it always does.”

She stepped closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t try to carry it all alone, Dalfrid. Speak with the other Lords. Share the weight.”

She was right, of course. But politics… trust among the Great Families was always delicate. And Karl—Karl Benoit—is no ordinary man. Whatever message he came with today… I can’t take it lightly. He knows far too much—about this peaceful era, and more importantly, about the world that came before it.

His nation, after all, stands at the heart of the world’s power. Or… at least, it once did.

Dahlia Ramel
I left the political matters to my husband and turned toward my sons’ room. Simon was still in the shower, and Bilric remained asleep on the bed—he hadn’t even changed position since Sirod placed him there. He must have been truly exhausted. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, and for a moment, I let myself wonder.

I had always wished my boys could stay little a bit longer—far from talk of elements, energy, and power. I didn’t want them to be part of this world. I only wanted them to live good, happy lives. But they were born into a ruling family, and that meant interacting with the world differently. That’s just how it is.

“Mom?” a voice snapped me from my thoughts. It was Simon.
“You finished your shower?” I asked.
“Yeah, just now,” he said.

I looked at him and asked gently, “Tell me, Simon... what happened today? Why did Bilric come back unconscious like that?”
He told me everything—more than I expected, even including small details. Then, with a thoughtful tone, he added, “The other families... they’ve got some amazing abilities. They’re strong. And if they’ve been training since before the academy while we haven’t—why is that?”

“You two are already strong,” I told him with a soft smile. “It wouldn’t have been fair to train you the same way.”

The truth is, we believed our family already held enough power. We didn’t see the need to push them further—not yet. We thought letting them grow naturally, without pressure, would give them something the others might not have: freedom.

“Mom, is that you?” a sleepy voice asked.
“Yes, it’s me,” I replied gently. “You feeling okay? Still exhausted?”
“I’m fine now,” Bilric answered, his eyes slowly opening. “But did I do okay today at the academy? Did Simon tell you?”

“He did,” I said, brushing his hair again. “You both did great.”

“I got my ass whipped, if you ask me,” Simon interrupted with a laugh. “Didn’t even stand a chance against Jasmine.”

I smiled. “Well, boys... in this world, strength isn’t everything. What truly matters most is being smart—and I hope both of you are.”
“That’s true,” they said in unison.
And for the first time today, we all laughed.