Now alone in his room, he sighed and glanced around, trying to recall what he had been about to do before Caelum showed up.
Feeling drained, he sank onto the bed, the image of Caelum saving him replaying over and over in his mind.
"He can be a jerk sometimes, but he really did save me," he muttered to himself, covering his face.
After a moment of silence, he let out a deep breath. "I can't stay weak like this… I need to train. I need to fix my mana core," he whispered.
Leaning back against the pillow, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
****
The first light of morning spilled gently across the spires and moss-lined towers of the House of Vireas.
Mist curled along the distant cliffs, where old stone bridges linked the hovering mage towers, and magic flickered faintly in the air like dew.
It was a peaceful morning, a new day, deceptively gentle.
A soft knock tapped against the heavy wooden door before it creaked open.
"Your Highness... it's time to wake up," a gentle voice called.
Kaelith stirred beneath the silken covers, a groggy breath escaping him.
His eyes fluttered open slowly, the golden rays of early sun filtering through the tall windows, painting warm streaks across the cold marble floor.
"Five more minutes," he mumbled, burying his face into the pillow, as if he were back on Earth, where his mum would wake him and he'd groan for more sleep.
Mira and two maids stepped further in, carrying a silver tray with ointments and jewelry prepared for their lord.
"My Lord, you need to wake up. His Majesty asked that you join him for breakfast… and your sister is joining, too."
At those words, Kaelith groaned softly but sat up, his tousled dark hair falling over his face.
He rubbed his eyes and glanced toward the window.
"We'll prepare your bath, My Lord," Mira said with a bow, before leading the two maids toward the bathing chamber.
Sighing, he began to remove his robe when it suddenly hit him.
'Shit! I forgot about the letter,' he cursed mentally, quickly pulling the folded paper from within his robe.
Just then, Mira's voice echoed from the other room. "My Lord, your bath is ready."
Startled, Kaelith swiftly tucked the letter into a shelf and made his way to the bath chamber.
About thirty minutes later, the maids had finished preparing him.
He emerged freshly bathed and dressed in a deep blue robe embroidered with a golden serpent coiling across the fabric.
"All done, My Lord," Mira said with a warm smile, while the other maids couldn't help but admire Kaelith's striking appearance.
Kaelith was led down the long hallway by Mira, the soft sound of their footsteps echoing off the marble floor.
His thoughts drifted to the letter he hid, it was all because of Caelum he wasn't able to read the letter yesterday.
But the smell of freshly baked bread and brewed tea quickly caught his attention.
The grand chamber doors opened with a quiet push, and he spotted Lysenia sitting at the long dining table, casually sipping from a porcelain cup.
"You're late," she said without looking up, her brown hair neatly braided, her tone as flat as ever.
Kaelith rolled his eyes slightly but didn't argue. He walked over and took a seat. "Good morning to you too, Lysenia."
She looked up at him then, her sharp eyes scanning his face. "Morning, big brother. Seems like you forgot I exist."
"Hey now, that wasn't on purpose. Your big brother was busy fighting for his life," he said with a warm smile, moving closer to pinch her cheeks before sitting beside her.
She swatted his hand away with a small pout, but a faint smile tugged at her lips.
"You always use that excuse," she muttered, reaching for a piece of bread.
Kaelith chuckled, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin on his hand. "Because it's always true. Danger follows me like a shadow."
Lysenia gave him a look. "Or maybe you just walk straight into it."
He snorted. "Touché."
Mira stepped forward and gently poured him a cup of tea. "Would you like me to serve your breakfast now, my Lord?"
Kaelith shook his head. "No, thank you, Mira." Then he turned to his sister, a curious look on his face.
"Aren't we waiting for Father before we eat?" he asked.
Lysenia raised an eyebrow. "Brother, did you hit your head or something? We never eat breakfast with him."
Her voice held a trace of bitterness.
Kaelith frowned slightly. 'Then why did the King ask us to have breakfast? Does he want to catch up with his children?' he wondered, then glanced at Lysenia with a soft smile.
At her age, she was already used to being ignored by their father. Kaelith reached out and ruffled her hair gently, messing it up a little.
'She's so mature for her age… like an adult trapped in a child's body. She must've missed out on a lot of fun growing up,' he sighed to himself.
Lysenia leaned in, her voice lowering. "You really scared me, you know. When I heard what happened in the ballroom…"
Kaelith's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Lys. I didn't mean to make you worry."
She shook her head. "Just… don't die, okay?"
A quiet moment passed before he nodded. "I promise."
Then, trying to lighten the mood, he picked up his teacup with a smile. "Let's not ruin breakfast with heavy talk. Tell me what I missed while I was out."
Lysenia smirked. "Well, for starters, Lady Mirelle is still pretending she doesn't like you, and Lord Albrecht challenged someone to a duel… over soup."
Kaelith blinked. "Soup?"
"Pumpkin soup," she replied with mock seriousness.
He groaned. "I was gone too long."
"Oh, and the healer said I'm improving. Very soon, I'll start working on my mana core," she added proudly.
Kaelith nodded, a proud smile on his face.
Just as Kaelith was about to reply, the door creaked open, and a voice called out firmly from the entrance.
"His Majesty, King Malrec, and Prince Caelum have arrived."
Kaelith straightened in his seat, his casual demeanor slipping into something more guarded.
Lysenia, however, merely rolled her eyes and continued sipping her tea.
The room shifted instantly. Servants hurried to stand by the walls, and Mira lowered her gaze respectfully.
Heavy footsteps echoed in before the King entered tall, regal, and distant as ever.
He wore a dark blue coat embroidered with gold patterns, his expression unreadable.
Behind him came Caelum, his dying-storm eyes always having some effects and stoic, the dark red of his cloak fluttering slightly with his movements.
Kaelith met Caelum's eyes for a split second, but it was cold as ever.
And he frowned, then turned to the King, who took the seat at the head of the table.
"Good. You're both here," he said, voice calm but commanding. "We have much to discuss."
Kaelith's mind sharpened. 'So this isn't just about breakfast.'
He flicked a glance at Caelum, now seated directly across from him. The two men sat in silence, each pretending the other didn't exist.