At Lukas' Hideout
Under the moonlit night, Nolen arrived at the lonely tree atop the hill.
He stood staright gazing at this alchemical wonder his Father had gifted Lukas, observing it silently. The chilly wind rustled through his long blonde hair causing it to sway and dance.
He couldn't help but wonder what his brother was doing with all those things. Ever since they were young, Lukas had displayed intelligence beyond his peers and even his natural disposition had that calm poise to it.
And then one day, out of nowhere, his brother asked for a place to play as an excuse, which their father immediately agreed to. But Nolen's curiosity grew when his brother started requesting peculiar things like a mana analyzer and monsters orbs, claiming he wanted to do something.
"My father agreed to all of it, letting you have that freedom, but I wonder what kind of mess you brat have made here."
Nolen scanned the surroundings, trying to sense if anyone was nearby.
Not detecting any guards or traps, he knew it was his chance.
Touching the tree gently, he began infusing it with mana.Blue aura bloomed from his body, surroundings his palm like a dancing flame.
A few seconds passed, but there was no reaction from the entrance.
"That's strange. Did he lock the entrance? But wasn't the key with father?" Nolen pondered.
The tree itself wasn't natural. It had been modified by an alchemist of their family. An alchemical marvel he called it. Since it wasn't opening, Nolen employed his aura zone to sense the tree.
The blue aura surrounding his hands expanded, covering his whole body and enclosing him in a blue transparent dome. It then become invisible to the naked eyes, leaving behind only his glowing red eyes within the blue flames.
[The AURA ZONE: An advanced use of aura combined with mana. The size of one's aura zone depends on one's soul power and the ability to channel aura. It aids in sensing abnormalities around the mage,such as high mana usage,mana disturbances and much more. Aura zone is also the prerequisite to draw spells in free space]
"Heh, I can no longer sense the orb powering this. He must have shut it down."
"Should I just break it then?"He pulled his hands back and contemplated.
After a moment of thought, he firmly grasped his black twin blades, each with two pointed edges. As he held them, the ancient markings on the blades began to glow, the red orbs on the hilt emitting a radiant light.
He hesitated a bit, then shook his head and turned around. The swords dimmed their glow and returned to their usual state.
"I will come here again. After he leaves tomorrow"
He didn't want Lukas to know that he was prying into his privacy. Although this was his way of caring and worrying for his brother.
And so, just like that, he departed, leaving the tree untouched.
-------
The next day,
The time for him to attend the Renowned "Owsdin academy of Magus" finally came.
After finishing breakfast with his parents, Miss Nayla with Nolen who for some reason was in a bad mood and glaring at him.
He departed the Oswind Estate and walked to the main street along with his butler, where their carrage was waiting.
The carriage was of moderate size, neither large nor small and was pulled by two black horses. It had a spacious cabin situated on top of thin yet large black wheels.The door featured a carving of the prominent Verdon family symbol, depicting a majestic earth dragon in a grand scale.
In the Owsdin family, there was a rule: never bid farewell to loved ones when they were going far away. It was believed to bring bad luck. Instead, one would simply say "Come back again" to the departing one.
Lukas closed the carriage window with a smile after glancing back at his house for a while.
He embarked on his journey and within minutes, they had left his hometown behind and ventured into the depths of the forest.
Meanwhile, the Rhys couple stood on their balcony, gazing at carriage. They were filled with worry for their youngest son.
"Honey"
Rhys met his wife's worried eyes.He let out a sigh and gestured towards the forest with his hand.
Suddenly, three figures appeared out of the shadows, clad in black attire and wearing white faceless masks. They simultaneously bowed down, before swiftly vanishing from sight.
"He will be fine. Don't worry too much," his father reassured, crossing his arms as he gazed at the distant forest.
"He will definitely shine the brightest...."
He paused, looking at Alessia who couldn't shake off her worry. After all, it was her son, her lovable and cute son.
"...because he's our son after all."
He hugged Alessia, who couldn't help smile at his words.
---
As the carriage ventured deeper into the forest, Lukas could see the tall trees which loomed high over the path, their branches casting shadows on the ground.
The butler Winston, spoke seeing the worried expression on his face, "Don't worry, Master Lukas. The academy is a place of wonders and knowledge. You'll shine among your peers. Everything will be good"
Lukas nodded in response, though his concerns were not about his own future at the academy. Instead, he was worried about something he had left behind for his distant and cold-hearted brother.
-------
At the hideout,
Nolen stood shaken, holding a small parchment, he couldn't believe what was written on it.
Nolen Ver Owsdin, a 24-year-old in the fifth circle, was considered a genius. He excelled in both magic and swordsmanship. Furthermore, he was the chosen representative for their household in the upcoming hegemony war, aiming to maintain and improve their ranking.
Among his peers, there were only a few successors who could match his strength out of the hundreds. Some might say that he was destined for greatness and would soon surpass his father. However, the truth was that compared to the true monsters hidden within the Owsdin family, he was merely above average.
Unfortunately, he had been stuck at the fifth circle for years due to an assassination attempt during his training. The mere fact that he was alive and able to use mana was considered a blessing.
His father, Rhys Ver Owsdin, could not let it go. He ruthlessly decimated the entire assassin unit of the Black Bird Association. He scoured everywhere in search of any items that could aid in recovering the shattered sixth circle that Nolen was striving to attain.
But alas, his search yielded nothing but a few potions for recovery. It would take at least fifteen years for Nolen to fully recover, meaning his prime years would be lost.
And now here his younger brother was saying he can fix his broken sixth circle of his using such a simple mana circulating formula. It was simply an unbelievable idea yet he couldn't think of his brother having any motives to harm him, so he can only hope for a miracle and believein him.
" I will trust you and if by chance this doesn't work" Nolen spoke, cracking his knuckles,"I will simply beat the crap out of you"
------
Time passed by.
Lukas gazed out the carriage window, eyes darting at every rustle of leaves, hoping for a glimpse of the academy ahead.
Winston chuckled at his eager self.
Just then, the trees suddenly gave way to a vast clearing.
Lukas smiled.
" I'm finally here"
Before him stood the tall marbled walls that protected the academy atop which were statues of different races made at equal distance, giving the academy quite a fierce appearance. Yet even such tall walls could not hide those majestic towers that reached the very sky.
After some time, the carriage came to a halt some distance away from the front gate. The huge front gate stood imposingly, showing the prestige and power of the academy and deterring those with stupid ideas.
The steel doors, one white and one black were wide open as the crowds of family carriages were allowed to enter. Above the gate stood the greatest statue ever made, the symbol of the academy. A majestical dragon, the wisest of them with two majestic horns protruding from the forehead with his hair half-black and half-white adding a sense of mystery.
People seeing this sight for the first time stood there, gawking at the intricate details of the statue. It looked almost life-like even. Lukas was also among those gawking like country bumpkins.
[ To be continued..]