The heavy front door clicked shut, sealing the family in a thick, uncomfortable silence. The air, which had moments before been filled with the imposing presence of legends, now felt charged with a different, more intimate kind of tension.
James, turned slowly, his usual composure gone, replaced by a storm of paternal fear and disbelief. His eyes, dark and sharp, fixed on his son. "Exalibar," he began, his voice calm. "Care to explain what that was?" Exalibar met his father's gaze. "I got the kids out. Kaelen was a monster who—"
"I heard that part," James interrupted, his voice rising a fraction. "But you murdered a man."
"No not murder self-defense!" Exalibar shot back, "He had just electrocuted me and ordered a child to stab Theo! What was I supposed to do, ask him politely to stop?"
"You still took a man's life, Exalibar!" James's voice boomed through the foyer, the sound echoing off the marble floors. The raw anger in it was undercut by a tremor of something else—heartbreak.
"So what, I should have just let him take mine?!" Exalibar yelled, frustration boiling over. "Let him kill Theo and keep controlling those children? Is that the better option?"
James brought a hand to his forehead, his shoulders slumping. He had partially expected this, dreaded it from the moment his son was born. "Fine," he said, the fight draining from his voice. "I understand the circumstances. But you are not to take that job. You hear me? That is the end of it."
Diana, who had been watching the exchange, finally stepped forward. "James, wait, that's not your decision to make. It's his."
James whirled on her. "So you expect him to keep risking his life, doing a darker version of heroics? He can't even properly utilize mana! He'll definitely get himself killed!"
"I know that's your fear," Diana countered, "But with his brother there, he has a greater chance of being safe. And how long are you going to keep using his past struggles to hold him down?"
"I am not trying to hold him down; I am trying to protect him!"
"Mom, Dad—" Exalibar tried to interject, but he was utterly ignored. The argument was a force of nature swirling around him. Frustration boiled over. He raised a hand, and with a sharp fwoosh, a perfectly formed sphere of mana erupted from his palm, flying towards the high ceiling. It extinguished itself a foot from the ornate plasterwork, leaving behind only a wisp of smoke and the scent of ozone.
The room fell silent.
"Listen," Exalibar said, his voice low and intense, commanding their attention for the first time. "I can take care of myself, alright? My mana levels have increased and my efficiency is higher than it's ever been."
James stared, his anger displaced by pure shock. "What?"
"Yes, that's right," Exalibar stated, the truth finally out in the open. "I'm not yet at Sky's raw capacity, but I've made major improvements. I'm way better at handling myself now. I'm not the same kid who struggled to even light a candle."
Diana's face lit up with a mixture of surprise and maternal pride. "Really?" she breathed, stepping closer to look him up and down as if she could see the change. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I wanted to," he admitted, the defiance leaving his posture. "I was just waiting for the right time."
James recovered, his protective instincts reasserting themselves. "Okay. That's... good. But my decision still stands, Exalibar. You are still not alright. I will not stand by and let my son become a murderer."
Exalibar took a deep breath, his next words a deliberate, calculated lie to ease his father's conscience. "Dad, the dreams… they've stopped." He looked his father directly in the eye. "And Kaelen's death, though it weighs on my heart, was justified. It was kill or be killed. How many villains has Mom killed during her heroics? How is this any different?" He paused, his voice dropping, taking on a grim, mature certainty.
"The world is a better place without him. I know the saying—if you kill one murderer, the number of murderers stays the same. But when I think about the lives he would have taken in the future, the countless children who would have suffered… it brings me a sense of peace. Even if it damns my soul."
James was silent for a long moment, the philosophical argument striking him to his core. The mention of the children, was a powerful blow. He finally stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on Exalibar's shoulder, his expression a complex mix of sorrow, fear, and a dawning, reluctant respect.
"Even though you didn't show it," James said softly, "and don't want to admit it… you do have your mother's passion for saving people." He sighed, the last of his resistance crumbling. "Now, I am still not on board with this whole thing. But it seems I can't stop you." A small, resigned smile touched his lips. "So… do as you wish."
Diana turned her attention to her other son, who had been a silent, observant statue throughout the entire confrontation. "And what about you, Sky?"
Sky shrugged, "Well, I did want to be eventually become a hero, but not this way." He glanced at his brother, a smirk forming. "Oh, well. Can't pass up an opportunity like this. Someone's gotta watch his back."
"You know," Diana added with a warm smile, "if you want to enter heroics publicly, you can always join my agency."
Sky laughed, the tension in the room finally breaking. "That will never happen."
Exalibar clapped his hands together, bringing the emotional summit to a close. "Anyways, we need to get ready for school. Exam period is approaching, and we don't want to be late." The mundane statement was a bizarre yet comforting return to normalcy, a reminder that despite the life-altering decisions just made, they were still, for now, just two brothers trying to get to class on time.