Half an hour later, I found myself once again standing before the massive iron gates of the fortress.
The engines of the waiting cars rumbled softly, their polished frames gleaming beneath the morning light. Selene and Charlotte were speaking with the elderly A-rank awakened who had opened the car doors for them earlier, his posture firm despite his age, his presence carrying quiet weight.
Beside me, Commander Arvell stood as impassive as ever, his gaze sharp and cold, as though nothing in front of him could stir even the faintest ripple in his composure.
Liana, however, was different. She wore her usual smile, but it was brittle, forced. Her eyes betrayed her heart—faint worry flickering there no matter how hard she tried to mask it.
Her luggage had already been placed neatly inside the car. Everything was ready for departure.
After a final exchange with the old awakened, Selene and Charlotte turned and walked back toward us, their steps deliberate, their expressions unreadable.
Selene stopped in front of us and turned to Commander Arvel.
"Thank you for your gracious hospitality. This has been a most pleasant visit. Father will be pleased to hear of it."
"It is my duty, Lady Selene," the commander replied in his usual steady tone.
"Now then," she continued, turning to Liana, "let us depart. We still have a long journey ahead of us, and we'll be moving at full speed."
Then her gaze slid toward me. A smirk curved her lips.
"As for you, Kael… your punishment has been lessened. I'll see you in a year. Do try to keep up—when we train together at the main house for the academy." Her tone was mocking, almost playful.
With that, she stepped into the sleek black car waiting outside.
Emotional farewell with Liana
Liana was still beside me, lingering. The commander had already returned to his duties, leaving us alone.
"I'll see you… maybe in a year," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
She smiled, though tears shimmered in her eyes. "Yes, Kael. I'll be waiting for you. And don't worry about me—I'll take care of myself. But you… don't train too hard, okay? Rest properly. Don't go back to the dark forest again. Eat well. And—"
She went on for nearly five minutes, listing everything I should and shouldn't do. Her worry for me was written all over her face.
A laugh escaped me.
She stopped, pouting. "Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing," I said, grinning. "It's just… you sounded like a mother nagging her child. Telling me what to do, what not to do…"
"So funny, Kael," she shot back sarcastically, but then suddenly, she stepped forward and hugged me tightly.
For a moment, I froze—then I sank into it. That familiar warmth. The comfort of the only person who had stayed by my side for half a year—and for Kael, his entire life. I hugged her back, trying to hold onto that moment.
When she finally let go, she whispered, "Goodbye, Kael. I'll be waiting for you."
She climbed into the long, sleek car. The old man closed the door behind her and stepped into the second vehicle. Moments later, the convoy rolled forward, and within minutes… they were gone.
"Shit…" I muttered under my breath, staring at the empty road. "It really feels awful saying goodbye to her."
A heavy silence settled in. But then I clenched my fists, a new fire in my chest.
I have to get stronger. Strong enough to stand beside her.
With that resolve burning in me, I turned toward my room—only to stop short.
Gareth was standing in front of my door, arms crossed as though he'd been waiting.
When he saw me, he straightened. "Kael. The commander requests your presence."
Then, without another word, he walked off.
My brows furrowed. The commander? Again?
The only time I ever saw him was when I did something reckless.
My stomach sank. Don't tell me… he's about to punish me now for the forest stunt…
With that grim thought, I made my way to his office, silently praying whatever awaited me wouldn't be too extreme.
Once again, I stepped into the commander's office. By now, it almost felt like I belonged there.
Commander Arvell was standing near his chair, staring out the window at the training grounds. His cold, impassive eyes followed the movements below, though his broad back radiated a strange loneliness.
For a moment, I just watched him in silence.
I realized… I didn't know anything about him.
In the original story, he was supposed to die without a second thought. A disposable extra. A nameless commander. A man who would vanish from the tale without leaving the faintest ripple.
But now? I had saved him. And looking at him now, I couldn't help but wonder—just how much weight could he add to the story?
Was he someone worth drawing closer to? Someone worth making into an ally?
I thought back to his interaction with Selene. He clearly despised the Thorne family. No respect, no loyalty to them as individuals. And yet… he still served them. An S-rank awakened, commander of one of their fortresses. Why?
The Thorne family commanded two forces.
The first was their guild. The most powerful in the world, operating across the Federation, even in foreign territories. They didn't fight for loyalty—they fought for money. Mercenaries, every one of them. Contracts, missions, resources—that was all they cared about.
But the second force was different.
The Knights of Thorne.
Unlike the guild, they swore loyalty not to coin, but to blood. Bound to the Thorne family alone, they answered only to them. Tools of their will. A personal army that my father, Lord Eldric Thorne, could command at any time.
And Commander Arvell—an S-rank powerhouse—was on of the commander of the knight of thorne family.
He had sworn his loyalty to my family. But why, if he despised them?
That was what I needed to find out.
Only then could I decide if he was worth drawing into my plans.
"Come here."
The commander's voice was calm but carried weight. I walked toward him and stopped by his side. He was staring out the wide window of his office, hands clasped behind his back.
Below, the knights were training as always—running drills, sparring, sharpening blades. The familiar clamor of metal and shouts echoed faintly through the glass.
"What do you see, Kael?" he asked, his gaze never leaving the field.
I blinked, unsure why he would ask something so obvious. Still, I looked again.
"I see knights training… trying to become stronger," I said, because that was all there was to see.
"Stronger, yes. You're right…" the commander murmured. Then his eyes narrowed slightly, as though peering at something beyond the surface. "But not complete."
I frowned. What is he talking about?
"You're wrong, Kael," he said finally. His tone wasn't harsh, but firm—unyielding. "You're still looking at them with your perspective. Look again. This time, not through your own eyes—but theirs. Ask yourself: why do they train? Why do they push themselves? Why do they bleed and break day after day out there?"
I followed his gaze, forcing myself to watch more carefully.
A knight was running with weighted gear strapped across his body, his face pale, breaths ragged, every step like he was about to collapse. Yet… he didn't stop. Not once.
Another pair sparred fiercely—one was already battered and bruised, knocked down over and over. But each time he rose again, jaw clenched, determination burning in his eyes.
Around the field, I saw Jack, Darwin, Nicholas—all of them straining, pushing, enduring.
And then… I saw myself.
I realized I had been wrong. They weren't training just to be "strong." I knew that feeling deep inside—why I fought, why I refused to break. It wasn't glory. It wasn't fame.
It was survival.
It was to live another day.
And above all—it was to protect.
"Ther are trying to survive" I said
I swallowed hard, the weight of that truth sinking in.
When I turned, Commander Arvel was watching me. There was something in his eyes—something almost relieved, as though he'd been waiting for me to say it.
"So tell me, Kael," Arvel said, his voice low, heavy, carrying the weight of years. "Do you want to survive?"
He stepped closer, his eyes piercing through me.
"Do you want to protect?"
A pause.
"Do you want to live?"
His words struck me like an echo from somewhere far away—as if he himself had once been asked the same question, and failed to answer. Now, he demanded mine.
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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.
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