Chapter Two : Betrayal
The murmurs in the hall had not yet settled when Kael stepped out of the awakening circle. Whatever had just happened during his assessment lingered in the air like an unspoken question, but the reactions around him were far from admiration.
"Seriously? Damn that got to be brutal."
"Such a leper. Did he expect anything more than that?"
"To be frank my three years old brother would do better than him."
"Wow! I've never heard this before. Even the awakening bulb rejected him."
Whispers spread quickly, eyes followed him, and the weight of their judgment pressed heavily against his chest.
He didn't stop to listen. Instead, he walked straight toward the only two people who had ever mattered to him—Ceres and Diel.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself to believe things would remain the same. Diel had just awakened an A-rank affinity. Ceres had stood by him even before his turn. They were his closest friends and his only real support.
But the moment Kael reached them, something felt wrong. Diel wasn't smiling anymore. The pride that had once filled his expression had twisted into something colder, something sharp.
"So, that's it?" Diel said, his voice low but cutting enough to draw attention. "That's what you've been hiding all this time?" His eyes scanned Kael with open disdain.
"Pathetic."
Kael blinked, caught off guard. "Diel… what are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?" Diel scoffed, stepping closer. "I'm talking about you being nothing. Less than nothing. Do you even realize how embarrassing it is to stand next to someone like you?" His words came faster, harsher, each one like a blade.
"All this time, I thought maybe you had some hidden potential. But no… you're just a waste."
The words struck deeper than Kael expected, but he clenched his fists, trying to steady himself. "You don't mean that."
"Oh, I mean every word," Diel replied coldly. "You're weak, Kael. Always have been !!Always will be!!" He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something far more cruel.
"Even your mother must've known it before she died."
The world went silent.
For a split second, Kael didn't breathe. The mention of his mother, someone he had lost, someone he had cherished that snapped something deep inside him. The pain, the humiliation, the anger that had been building all day surged violently to the surface.
Before he could stop himself, Kael swung his fist but Diel was faster. In a single, fluid motion, Diel sidestepped the punch and struck back. His fist drove into Kael's stomach with brutal precision, knocking the air out of him instantly.
The impact sent Kael crashing to the ground, pain exploding through his body as he struggled to breathe. The hall erupted into gasps, the tension snapping into chaos.
Kael coughed, his vision blurring as he tried to push himself up, but his body refused to respond.
The strength behind that single hit had been overwhelming, a clear difference between them that no words could deny.
"Stay down," Diel muttered coldly, looking down at him without a trace of remorse.
"Stop it!" Ceres rushed forward, placing herself between them. Her voice trembled, but there was urgency in her eyes as she grabbed Diel's arm.
"That's enough, Diel! You've said enough already."
Diel clicked his tongue but didn't resist as she pulled him back. "You're wasting your time on him," he said dismissively, casting one last glance at Kael.
"He's not worth it."
Ceres hesitated for a moment, her gaze falling on Kael. There was conflict in her eyes worry, guilt hesitation. For a brief second, it felt like she might step back toward him.
"Ceres…" Kael called out, his voice strained, barely steady as he struggled to sit up. "Wait…"
But she didn't answer.
Instead, she tightened her grip on Diel and turned away, leading him out of the hall. Her silence cut deeper than Diel's words ever could.
Kael froze.
Something inside him broke.The noise of the hall faded into nothing as he stared at their retreating figures. The warmth he had once felt from them, the trust, the bond they all felt distant now, like a memory that no longer belonged to him. Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself to his feet. His body ached, but it was nothing compared to the weight crushing his chest.
Without saying another word, Kael turned and walked away.
Not a single person stopped him.
And as he disappeared from the hall, the shame followed him like a shadow he couldn't escape.