I let out a slow breath of relief as I glanced at my status window. Good. At least it hadn't revealed the other secrets hidden within it.
The others, however, were still frozen in shock.
Selene's expression, in particular, said it all. She knew my stats better than anyone here. When I first arrived at the fortress, I had been nothing more than an F+ rank—pathetic, barely worth noticing. Yet in just five short months, I had surpassed every expectation, climbing past the so-called prodigies of our age.
Selene herself had only just reached D- rank, the same as many others blessed with SS+ potential. That was supposed to be the mark of greatness, the sign of future legends. But I… I had caught up to them.
Her disbelief was written across her face. After all, I wasn't supposed to be capable of this. With my pitiful B+ potential, I should have been left in the dust. Instead, my status now gleamed with something terrifying—S+ potential.
Not the peak like SS+, but still a realm far beyond the average. A height no one expected me to reach.
And Selene couldn't comprehend how someone she once dismissed had stepped into a place meant only for the chosen.
Charlotte's eyes widened at my stats, and Liana's happiness was written all over her face. Commander Arvell's look, however, I couldn't quite grasp—part surprise, part acknowledgment, as if he had made a promise to himself in that very moment.
Selene's lips parted slightly, her voice trembling as if the words themselves weighed too much to speak.
"So… it's true," she whispered, eyes widening. "You've… achieved enlightenment."
Her expression was one of pure shock—like a priestess watching her god descend, unable to reconcile faith with reality. Even she couldn't seem to believe her own words, yet the truth burned before her eyes. The Status Stone did not lie.
I watched her, quietly. For someone like Selene—someone so composed, so sharp—to falter like this, the sight was almost intoxicating.
A slow smile tugged at my lips. Her disbelief was sweeter than praise.
For once, I wasn't the one lost in awe.
Selene's voice cut through the silence.
"I've read the legends… listened to the stories. They say those who reach enlightenment, who shatter their limits, become something greater. Untouchable. Almost divine."
Her eyes lingered on me, wide for a heartbeat before her face smoothed over. The shock was gone—buried under her usual mask.
"I never thought I'd see it. And out of all people, you of all…?" She let out a soft laugh, the sound sharp and mocking. "Maybe it isn't much of a legend after all, if even you managed it."
Her words stung, but I could see it—the faint tremor in her gaze, the tightness in her jaw. She wanted to sound amused, dismissive. But she was shaken to her core, and the mockery was just armor.
Selene's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"At first, you really surprised me, Kael. But now…" She tilted her head, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "I see it's nothing special. Even if you gain enlightenment, in the end, you'll only ever be S+ potential. Do you know what that means? In this world, it's worthless. In the eyes of true powerhouses, you're nothing."
Her gaze slid toward me, sharp and cruel. "And look at your affinity—darkness." A laugh slipped from her throat, light and poisonous. "Hahaha… it seems even the heavens despise you. They gifted you the most cursed element of all."
Her words dripped with scorn, each one digging deeper.
"Kael, no matter what you do, you'll always be nothing."
Then, as if to twist the knife, Selene's expression softened. She smiled at me sweetly, almost tenderly—yet the malice beneath it was clearer than ever.
Even Charlotte, standing nearby, flinched. Her eyes widened in surprise at her lady's venom.
And me? I could feel the heat rising in my chest, anger clawing its way out. My fists tightened until my knuckles turned white. If not for the iron grip I kept on myself, I would have already buried my fist in her pretty little face.
Patience, Kael. Patience.
I forced the words through my head like a mantra.
You can punch her in the future.
While I was silently repeating my mantra to keep calm—
Baam!
The sound cut through the air like thunder.
Everyone froze.
It wasn't me.
It wasn't Charlotte.
Not even the commander.
It was Liana.
Her small hands had slammed against the chair with startling force. The sharp crack echoed in the office, and for the first time, her usual gentle smile was nowhere to be found.
She glared at Selene, anger burning in her eyes. Even the commander blinked in surprise, as if unable to reconcile the sweet, quiet Liana with the girl standing before us now.
"You cannot talk to Kael like that!" she snapped, voice trembling with fury.
Selene opened her mouth, but Liana didn't give her the chance.
"You don't know," she continued, her voice sharper, firmer. "You don't know anything about how much he trains. I've seen it with my own eyes. Every day. Every night. If there's anyone worthy in my eyes, it's Kael."
Her gaze didn't waver, her voice didn't falter.
"He is far more than you'll ever be."
Liana was still glaring at Selene, her voice sharp and filled with anger. She was shouting—for my sake.
The sight made me pause. For a moment, I simply stared.
And then it hit me.
A strange warmth spread through my chest. She was angry because of me. She was standing up against Selene… because of me.
I couldn't stop myself.
"Hahahahaha!"
The laugh burst out, loud and wild, echoing through the room. Heads turned. Every single person was now staring.
Liana froze, as if waking from her fury. Her eyes darted around and then landed on me. The sound of my laughter seemed to burn her more than Selene's words. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.
Flustered, she quickly broke her glare, sat down beside me, and lowered her head. Her face was glowing with shame.
But me? I just kept laughing.
Selene, who had already witnessed more than her share of strange things today, cleared her throat softly.
"Ahem… Now that it's certain Liana has awakened her divinity, she cannot stay here. Father has ordered her return to the main estate. From there, she will be sent to the Church for formal training. She will… become part of our family."
Her voice carried a tone of finality, one that left little room for argument.
At her words, Liana tugged at my sleeve. I glanced down. Her wide, anxious eyes pleaded silently, trembling with the fear of being taken away. My chest tightened, but I said nothing. I couldn't.
She would be safer under the Church's wing if House Thorne formally delivered her. If she went on her own, they might treat her like a threat. This way, she would be protected—at least in name.
Selene's gaze shifted back to me. She continued, almost casually:
"And for you, Kael… there is good news. Father has lessened your punishment. Instead of three years, you are to serve only one and a half here at the fortress. After that, you will return to the main estate."
A faint smile touched her lips, as though this were mercy.
So that's how it is. Father is pulling me back—cutting the leash but never letting it go. No matter what I do, no matter how far I fall, I remain his son. A Thorne. He'll never truly abandon me, not even in this forsaken place.
Perhaps Mother had a hand in this too. It reeks of her influence. But does it matter? To me, they are nothing now. I am not the Kael they think I am.
Still… this gives me time. One and a half a year of freedom before before Aetherion Academy begins.
I need to plan. Carefully.
Shaking away the storm of thoughts, I turned my gaze to Liana.
Her head was lowered, her expression heavy with sadness—an expression that twisted something inside me.
Selene's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"Now then, Liana. Pack your bags. We leave in half an hour."
Her words were calm, matter-of-fact, as though they weren't shattering the world of the girl beside me.
Liana looked up at me first, her eyes still carrying that quiet sorrow. Then she turned to Selene. Slowly, I watched the grief in her face harden, shifting into something resolute.
Her lips trembled for only a heartbeat before her expression settled—no longer sad, but firm, as though she had made her choice.
Hello everyone! 🌙
I'll be deleting this version of the novel in about a week. I've already re-uploaded it under the same name with proper cover pictures and I'll be posting all new chapters there regularly.
Please head over to the other version, add it to your collections, and continue reading there. Thank you for your support—it means a lot! 🙏