Zephyr shut the heavy door behind him, the ornate crest of the Demios clan etched deep into the polished wood gleaming faintly under the flickering crystal-light chandeliers. The silence of his room pressed down on him like a thick velvet curtain.
His breathing was slow, measured, but his heart hadn't calmed since that moment with Serena. He stared at his trembling hands, the memory of Aether still crackling beneath his skin like static before a storm. A tingling pulse swirled in his chest, faint but real—proof that something alive was within him.
He walked across the obsidian-tiled floor, dragging his fingers over the stone-carved fireplace, his reflection stretching faintly in the polished black surface. Then he looked up at the tall mirror near his bed.
His red hair was slightly messy, eyes still vibrant red, and his silver-white skin glowed faintly in the dim light. But something was different. His eyes held weight now. Like the first flicker of power had begun to burn away the fog of worthlessness the clan had branded him with.
Zephyr leaned closer.
"It's real."
He placed a hand over his heart where the Aether stirred—a weak beat, yet alive. A grin slowly pulled at his lips. "You bastards really thought I was a joke. Turns out, the joke's got a punchline." He could feel it the sharp increase in strength and speed, his processing power increased the feeling was exhilarating.
'i feel lighter, it's as if space has softened for me'. It was a surreal feeling, it was as if he was facing less resistance when moving forward. And then a thought struck him. 'By my knowledge the Art gained is relative to one's deepest desire or trauma, I wonder what mine is derived from'. Just as the thought settled the answer came.
"You are a waste of space". The thought rang loud through out his life, he heard the word numerous times that even when asleep he would hear it, the trauma of the previous zephyr was so deep it affected how the world saw him. 'was it his deepest desire to not being seen as a waste of space, damn the guy sure has suffered, but worry not I am here now'. It seems the word waste of space was too much for the young zephyr to bear that he actually gained a power similar to it, overriding his innate bloodline. They were time where people awaken power that differ from their family but they still share the same source, but his Art was related to space and it didn't even start with 'DESTRUCTIVE PIN' but LIMBO.
As he pulled back, a knock echoed through the room.
He turned, composed. "Enter."
Serena stepped in, kneeling briefly in respect. Her voice, cool and crisp, carried a subtle undercurrent of urgency. "Young Master Zephyr… the Crownkin wishes to see you."
Zephyr's grin faltered.
'Not my father?'. He didn't know why he instinctively thought his father would want to see him, maybe it was the thrist of a son to please his father.
He masked his unease and nodded. "I see. Thank you, Serena. I'll be on my way shortly."
She hesitated. "...I reported your awakening. Personally."
He blinked, caught off guard by her tone. No fear. Just loyalty.
"I appreciate the honesty," he said. "Go. I'll handle the rest."
She bowed and left.
---
The Crownkin's quarters were high in the east wing—far from the Patriarch's seat, but still weighed down with authority. When Zephyr arrived, two guards from a branch family flanked the door. They said nothing as it opened and admitted him into a chamber lined with volcanic silk tapestries and portraits of previous clan lords.
The man inside was Nex Demios.
He was older, broad-shouldered, with sharp obsidian eyes and an artificial smile.
Zephyr walked briskly towards him, pulled out a chair but the cold voice of Nex stopped him in his tracks
"Zephyr," Nex said. "This will be quick no need to sit." His voice indifferent.
Zephyr frowned then pushed the chair back to it's initial position. Then Nex gestured at the table where a scroll was already waiting for him—sealed with Aether wax and clan script. The Crownkin pushed it toward him.
"This is your reward," he said smoothly. "A place in the Imperial Aether Academy. However…"
Zephyr unrolled the scroll.
His eyes narrowed.
— In exchange for enrollment into the Imperial Aether Academy, Zephyr hereby relinquishes the name Demios, taking no claim to blood, rank, or inheritance. Furthermore, he binds his Aether core to Clan Demios, becoming a tethered asset. Upon summon or call, he must respond, regardless of location or condition. Refusal is equivalent to betrayal.
His hands tightened. 'What is this'.
"You're asking me to give up my name… and then leech off my power anyway?" Zephyr asked coldly.
"It's not leeching," Nex responded indifference clear in his tone. "It's structure. You'll be given a spot in the Academy in exchange for your entitlement of Demios clan."
"What happens if I don't sign it". Zephyr voice was low filled with a subtle anger.
Nex face remained indifferent. "You do know your existence isn't exactly clean".
Zephyr met his gaze. "Because of your actions."
Nex expression didn't shift.
"I sign this, and I'll be hunted like a dog if I ever refuse a summons," Zephyr muttered. "I'd be the Demios clan's tool—without the name, the status, or the right to say no."
"And without it," the Crownkin said, leaning forward, "you face the wrath of the royal family. The princess's family hasn't forgotten what happened. Neither has the people who seek to curry favor from the princess. The Academy will eat you alive unless you have some backing. Your choice."
Zephyr stared at the contract. The ink shimmered faintly. Bound by ancient law and reinforced by clan blood rituals. Once signed, it would be etched into his Aether core. Permanent.
'You get a future… by becoming their chained blade....Or you walk free… into a furnace'. Zephyr sighed inwardly. 'they really underestimate the previous zephyr and in extension me, like hell I will be signing this piece of shit! They got me in trouble by setting me up with the princess and now if I sign this contract although I will no longer be considered a Demios clan member which I don't mind, but I will become their dog! This will serve as a shield for me but at the same time I lose my free will, hmmm I think I already have an answer to this'.
He closed the scroll.
"No."
Nex blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I said no." Zephyr stood. "I won't sign it."
"You're walking into ruin."
"I've already lived through it," Zephyr replied, his voice like flint. "I'd rather face ruin as myself than survive as your shadow."
Nex's gaze sharpened. "You'll regret this."
Zephyr turned without another word.
As he stepped out into the corridor, his heart thundered—not with fear, but resolve.
He didn't know how he'd survive the Academy. He didn't know was was so bad about the Academy wasn't it just that and Academy. He also didn't know what the princess's family would do. But for the first time, the fire in his chest burned for him—not for the clan.
And he'd fight to keep it that way.