Chapter 3: The Weight of the Throne
The afternoon sun filtered lazily through the skeletons of burned houses. A harsh wind kicked up dust and dry leaves, dragging them through the silent streets of the ruined village. In the center of the square, the surviving villagers formed an expectant semicircle, their faces etched with fear and hope. They were waiting for their heroine.
Alex walked three steps behind Emi, as always. His steps were measured, his breathing controlled. Everything about him screamed "don't look at me." The air smelled of ash and despair, a scent that was starting to become all too familiar.
"Don't worry!" announced Emi, her voice bright and strong as a trumpet, cutting through the gloom. "I'll take care of this! Alex, stay back, I don't want you getting hurt."
He nodded, a minimal gesture, and melted into the shadow of a ruined wall. The same routine. She acts, I observe. She shines, I disappear. If only I could just evaporate...
A guttural roar, seeming to rise from the very bowels of the earth, shook the ground. Emi didn't hesitate. Her ash wand appeared in her hand, and she began to weave the twilight light into an offensive spell.
"Come on, beast! Today you learn the power of a true heroine!" she shouted, hurling a spear of solar energy into the forest's darkness.
The creature that emerged made even the bravest villagers step back. It was a mass of twisted black scales, with eyes like wells of burning tar. Emi's spells, which usually shattered rocks, only left superficial burn marks on its hide. THWACK! THWACK! The impacts resonated, but the beast advanced, unstoppable.
"Why... isn't it working...?" Emi panted, a drop of cold sweat tracing her temple. The confidence in her eyes was beginning to crack.
Alex, from his hiding spot, clenched his fists. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to participate. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn and leave. But another part, deeper, more stubborn, watched Emi's staggering back and felt an iron knot in his stomach.
It's not your problem, he told himself. She's the summoned one. The Chosen One.
But then, the beast reared up, preparing a final charge that would shatter Emi's defenses. And without thinking, almost as a reflex, Alex extended his will.
A ray of energy left him, invisible and intangible, and coiled around Emi like a reinforcing cable. He wasn't even fully aware of having done it; by now it was like breathing, an instinct he had learned to suppress, but which activated on its own in moments of extreme danger.
On the battlefield, Emi felt a sudden warmth in her chest, a mental clarity that swept away her fatigue. Her next word of power wasn't a shout, but a declaration.
"LUX FINALIS!"
The spell she unleashed was no longer a beam of light. It was a miniature sun. The blinding explosion struck the monster squarely, piercing its scales and detonating its core of corruption from within. The beast disintegrated with a howl that faded into a whisper of black dust.
The silence was absolute. Then, cheers erupted.
"You did it, heroine!" the people shouted, surrounding Emi, who smiled, exhausted but triumphant.
"Thanks to my magic, we defeated it!"
Alex sank deeper into the shadows, the taste in his mouth sour. It wasn't envy. It was the familiar, weary discomfort of being a useful ghost.
"Alex, we did it!" Emi made her way through the crowd and planted herself in front of him, her smile a beacon of genuine joy. "Thanks for always being there!"
"It was nothing," he murmured, averting his gaze. "You just did what you had to do."
His words sounded hollow even to his own ears. Emi looked at him with that intense gratitude that always made him feel like a fraud, and a thought ran through his mind, bitter and tired:
How the hell did I end up wrapped up in this?
---
The throne room was spacious, with high ceilings adorned with frescoes of ancient victories. The sunlight bathed the queen in a golden glow, but Alex couldn't bring himself to pay attention.
As usual, he had stayed in a corner, trying to go unnoticed.
While his friend Emi—the main heroine of this world—enthusiastically recounted her success in the village mission, Alex only nodded silently. He didn't want to draw attention.
"We did it!" Emi said, radiant, addressing the queen.
"I'm glad everything went well," the sovereign replied in a voice both soft and full of authority. "Many will breathe easy knowing the danger has passed."
Alex looked away, thinking of the other summoned heroes. Who along with Emi were the ones who actually did everything, he thought with an internal sigh, reviewing their abilities.
Hiroshi. Time manipulation. Absolute power, a cold gaze... he mostly goes on missions only because he doesn't want to harm others with such a troublesome power, to his own taste and mine.
Ayumi. Water control. Dangerous and carefree, she's like Emi—a girl who in our world of origin was one of the most popular, with hundreds of guys after her, but also a girl from a high-class background who acts eccentric, as she likes to use her power for everything and show it off, though she doesn't seem conscious of it, as she's also a girl who likes to make others smile.
Emi. Light control. There's not much to say about her—you'll see during this journey, since she's, in my opinion, how I like to refer to her: the protagonist. And also, strangely enough, she's my best friend—not by my own choice, obviously. Always smiling, always in the center of everything.
And then there was him. Alex. His power was to strengthen others. Silent support from the shadows. Something he preferred not to reveal.
His reflection was interrupted by a cold voice.
"It's interesting," said the prince, his eyes fixed on Emi with a hint of disdain that Alex caught instantly. "All the important heroes have missions in other kingdoms. Strange that someone like you stays here so... quietly."
The queen raised an eyebrow in disapproval.
"Each one has a role to fulfill," she clarified patiently. "Including Emi, who will soon travel to face new challenges."
Finally, thought Alex with relief. If Emi leaves, there won't be any complicated missions for me. I can return to my anonymity.
The thought lasted a second.
Suddenly, Emi rushed up to him. Before he could react, her arms wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Don't worry, Alex!" she announced in her cheerful tone, but looking at the queen. "You're coming with me on this journey too! Whatever comes, we'll face it together."
Alex froze. The sigh of relief got stuck in his throat.
To the side, Princess Leona clenched her jaw, her perfect expression cracking with a mix of jealousy and contempt. She watched as Emi—disheveled, informal—won everyone over effortlessly.
With a mocking smile directed at Leona, Emi added:
"Her Majesty already said it! With Alex on our side, everything will turn out fine."
The queen nodded.
"Of course. I have no doubt about either of you."
Trapped in Emi's hug, Alex could only let out a resigned sigh. His fate, once again, was sealed.
Princess Leona watched him with resentment. The prince looked at Emi with frustration and desire.
And Alex, the support hero who just wanted to go unnoticed, understood the truth: no matter how hard he tried, his place was—and always would be—by Emi's side, in the eye of the storm.