At the end of the breakfast
The King finally broke the silence, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he observed his son. "Are you ready for the Awakening Ceremony for today?"
"Yes, Father," Aether replied instantly. The words didn't tremble; they were a statement of fact.
King Aldric nodded slowly. "I hope that just like your siblings, you bring glory to the kingdom in the future."
"He will become a magic user," Seraphina, the 1st Queen, interjected smoothly. Her voice was as cool as the silver-blue of her hair. "Just like me."
Beside her, Elara, his second mother, offered a rare nod of approval to her elder sister's words. They were united in their expectation, a pressure that felt like an invisible weight on Aether's shoulders.
However, the 1st Prince—his eldest brother, Kaelion—didn't share the sentiment. He let out a dry, sharp huff. "If he didn't lazy around all day, he would at least have a trained body to show for it."
The critique was biting, a reminder of Aether's perceived failures. But before the tension could escalate, a soft, warm voice intervened.
Elder brother," his eldest sister said, her eyes softening as she looked at Aether. "You can't blame him."
The warmth in her voice was like a shield, catching the brunt of Kaelion's irritation.
Watching this play out—the bickering, the high expectations, the quiet support—Aether felt a strange sensation stirring in his chest. He began to recall memories of his previous life, specifically the aftermath of the failed Awakening Ceremony. Even then, when he had been a disappointment to the crown, the family warmth hadn't truly vanished; it had simply been buried under the duty of their positions.
As he realized that the bonds of this family were deeper than his previous bitterness had allowed him to see, a genuine warmth spread from his chest to his heart. A slow, quiet smile appeared on his face.
The King's announcement hung in the air like a heavy curtain.
"Today afternoon," Aldric's voice resonated one last time, "the Awakening Ceremony will be held for Aether and all the noble children of the kingdom."
With that final decree, the breakfast officially ended. One by one, the chairs scraped against the stone floor. The King rose first, his crimson cape sweeping the ground as he departed, followed by the queens and the younger children. The bustling dining hall, once filled with the clatter of silver and the low hum of royal tension, began to empty.
Everyone seemed in a hurry to prepare for the monumental event, but Aether remained seated.
He didn't move. He simply sat in the third chair, his hands resting lightly on the mahogany table, watching the sunlight shift across the remnants of the feast. He felt a strange stillness in his blood—a composure that hadn't existed in his previous life.
"Aether?"
The soft voice of his elder sister broke his meditation. She had stopped near the exit, turning back to look at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. To her, her brother was usually a whirlwind of nerves or a shadow of laziness, but the person sitting there now was someone else entirely.
"What has happened to you?" she asked, her voice hushed. "You seem different today. Unusual. You look so calm and... steady."
She stepped closer, her brow furrowing. "Are you not worried about your awakening? The whole kingdom will be watching."
Aether turned his head slowly to meet her gaze. For a moment, his dark eyes seemed to hold the depth of a man who had already seen the end of the world and returned. A small, reassuring smile touched his lips—not the arrogant smirk of Kaelion, but something rooted in quiet confidence.
"Nothing, sister," he replied softly. "I am simply ready."
His sister lingered for a moment, clearly unsatisfied with the answer but unable to find the words to probe further. She gave a small, hesitant nod and finally turned to leave.
Left alone in the silence of the dining hall, Aether stood up. He didn't feel the weight of the kingdom's expectations or the fear of failure. He felt only the pulse of the magic waiting to be claimed.
The morning was over.