Kaelvir, who had been pretending to sleep, could feel the two of them communicating. But he kept silent and let it end—this way, his dignity wouldn't be ruined. Before long, sleep whisked him away.
Beside him, Blue lay as close to him as possible, while Solune and Nythra stood watch indifferently, keeping vigil as both man and fox drifted into slumber. The dimly lit room soon fell silent.
Hours passed, and morning came.
Kaelvir woke up groggily, stretching and yawning. The bed felt so comfortable that he refused to get up.
"It's morning again? That was fast…" he muttered with another yawn. "I don't feel like getting up today."
His eyes drifted toward Blue, who was still lying beside him, staring back as though she understood his words.
"Blue, don't you think so? Sleeping in is the best choice today."
Blue's eyes twinkled, making him feel as though she really did understand. He rolled onto his back, glancing around the room, but couldn't find Solune or Nythra.
"Seems they went back to the Dream Sea… come to think of it, they didn't push for answers yesterday when I told them I didn't remember my dream. That really saved me." He sighed in relief.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
It was Fay. She entered the room, only to find him still in bed. Her brow arched in question.
"Young Master, why are you still in bed?" she asked sternly.
Kaelvir quickly pulled the quilt over himself and Blue, refusing to move.
"Young Master, are you trying to be lazy today? You should know the Patriarch wants to give orientation to those Awakening three days from now."
Kaelvir refused to budge. "I don't think I need that. I've already attended such orientations three times. I can sit this one out."
Fay sighed, realizing he was determined. She grabbed the edge of the quilt.
"Even if you've attended more than once, you should still respect your father by going. What are you trying to accomplish by sleeping all day?" she said sharply, tugging at the quilt that he stubbornly pulled back.
Suddenly, her side of the quilt slackened. Kaelvir thought she had given up—until a much stronger force yanked it from his hands. The pull sent him tumbling off the bed.
"Damn…" he muttered, groaning as he hit the floor face-first.
He sat up, rubbing his head. "Fay… how could you? I never knew you could be this cruel to your master," he whined dramatically, feigning pain. Usually, she would rush to help him, and he'd use the chance to guilt her into letting him sleep in.
But nothing happened.
Instead, a deep voice cut through the silence.
"You seem to enjoy sleeping in…"
Kaelvir froze. A shadow loomed over him. His eyes traced upward—first the familiar strong foot, then the golden-red robe, the red beads pulsing on a dark wrist, the broad chest adorned with a necklace of two sharp white fangs—and finally, those golden eyes.
His father's golden eyes.
Zar looked down at him with a wicked smile. "How about I let you sleep in forever, if you like it that much?"
Kaelvir shivered and quickly sprang to his feet, face burning with embarrassment.
"Father, you're here," he said awkwardly.
Zar studied his son's flustered face for a moment, then ended the exchange.
"You are not to miss this orientation. And make sure you get there early."
He turned his gaze to Fay, who stared at the floor in silence, then left the room.
As soon as Zar was gone, Kaelvir exhaled in relief. "That was tense for a minute… how did he come in without me knowing?"
Fay, still shaken, shot him an annoyed look. "How would I know that? If you'd just gotten out of bed like I told you, things would've been different!"
Kaelvir scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. Seeing his embarrassed look, Fay gave up scolding him.
"Young Master, let's forget it. You need to get to the Awakening Platform quickly—the orientation starts in three hours. Let's not anger the Patriarch any further."
Her tone softened with concern.
Kaelvir nodded. "Don't worry. Now that Father told me himself, I have no choice but to attend."
Fay sighed in relief. "Good. Then take your bath. I'll prepare your clothes and breakfast."
After she left, Kaelvir's expression darkened slightly. The thought of attending another orientation stirred unpleasant memories—faces of those he once Awakened alongside flashed through his mind.
He shook his head and muttered, "I'll just shamelessly attend. No one would dare speak against me anyway."
He bathed quickly and changed into the new green-and-black robes Fay had laid out. Blue, still on the bed, watched him like she was evaluating him.
When he was done, he looked at his reflection and nodded in satisfaction. "I do look strikingly handsome, right?"
Blue rolled her eyes. Kaelvir laughed. "Even you can make that face, huh?"
He picked her up, holding her close to his face while stroking her fur. "Let's go. Fay must be waiting."
As he stepped out, he nearly collided with Fay in the hallway. She tried to step back, but her balance gave way. Kaelvir instinctively tightened his grip on Blue with one hand and stretched out the other, wrapping his arm around Fay's waist and pulling her close to him.
"Heeek!" Fay gasped, freezing as she felt his arm around her waist and the firmness of his chest.
Kaelvir looked down at her, concerned. "Fay, are you alright?"
Her face was buried against him, heart pounding wildly. Her hands trembled slightly as his words reached her ears. Her face flushed red as she stammered, "I-I'm fine. I just came to call you for breakfast," before hurrying ahead.
Kaelvir blinked, puzzled by her reaction, but followed her anyway.
At the dining hall, his siblings were already there—especially Esuryon, who was halfway through his meal without waiting for anyone. Kaelvon sat at the head of the table, watching with disappointment.
"You can't even observe basic table manners," Kaelvon scolded. "Show some respect to everyone at the table."
Esuryon barely looked up. "Are you saying I should respect food by eating it slowly? You can't be that dense, right?"
Kaelvir, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked. Is this guy really ready to die? Does he not care about his life anymore?
The room fell silent. Everyone's eyes were on Kaelvon, waiting for his reaction—until Kaelvir's coughing drew their attention. Even Esuryon sighed in relief.
Kaelvon waited until Kaelvir was fine before turning back to Esuryon, whose eyes now avoided his.
"Esuryon," Kaelvon said with a cold smile, "you need more discipline. Meet me at the training grounds after breakfast."
Esuryon's face fell. Kaelvir and Ani both gave him pitying looks. Even Fay, standing at a distance, couldn't help but do the same.
Kaelvon's tone shifted as he addressed Kaelvir. "You should prepare yourself—not just for the Awakening, but for the orientation as well."
Kaelvir frowned. It was just an orientation; why did his brother sound so serious? But Kaelvon's next words deepened his confusion.
"This orientation will be different from the others," he said solemnly. "It might even be… an Awakening itself."
The room fell utterly silent as his words sank in. Kaelvir's hands froze mid-bite. Something in Kaelvon's tone chilled him—it wasn't just a warning.
It was a prophecy.
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone, I'm really sorry for the long gap — it's been about 18 days since my last update. My job has been taking up more time than I expected, so I haven't been able to keep up with the three-chapter-per-week schedule.
From now on, I'll be posting one chapter per week until things settle down. Thank you all for your patience and support — it means a lot..
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