Many months had passed, and Xavier had turned eight years old, having lived with Alcmena for a year, undergoing rigorous training under his guidance.
During this time, Xavier and Alcmena developed a strong bond as master and student. Alcmena helped Xavier understand the Runes of Eldora while also pushing him to achieve mastery over his newly acquired green Expert Core.
Now, deep in the woods, Alcmena was teaching Xavier how to use RealmHeart.
However, Xavier struggled to maintain control. Golden markings and Eldora rune symbols flickered across his right hand, spreading to the right side of his face. His hair shimmered with a faint golden hue, yet his body trembled under the immense strain.
"Concentrate, Xavier," Alcmena murmured.
Xavier gritted his teeth, but the pain was unbearable. A sharp, burning sensation surged through his body as if his veins were being set ablaze. He clenched his fists, willing himself to endure it, but the energy was too wild, too overwhelming.
A strangled yell escaped his lips before he collapsed, gasping for breath, sweat dripping from his brow.
"I can't," Xavier panted. "It's too difficult. I can barely hold onto it for a few seconds."
King Alcmena sighed, his golden eyes studying Xavier with patience. "You still don't understand what RealmHeart truly is, do you?"
Xavier groaned in frustration. "I didn't even understand it the first time you explained it."
Alcmena chuckled. "Then allow me to repeat myself. And this time, listen carefully."
He knelt beside Xavier, his voice calm yet firm. "The Dragon Seed I implanted within you is more than just a connection to a dragon. It acts as a conduit, linking you to my essence. When you attempt to tap into it, the Dragon Seed reacts, unleashing a powerful surge of energy throughout your body."
He gestured toward Xavier's glowing hand. "That energy is what I call RealmHeart."
Xavier's eyes widened. "So... these golden runes and my hair changing color—that's me tapping into it?"
"Exactly," Alcmena confirmed. "RealmHeart has multiple stages. As you progress, your body will adopt more draconic traits, drawing you closer to wielding my full power." He locked eyes with Xavier. "But for now, you must master Stage One. Without it, my abilities are beyond your reach."
Xavier exhaled sharply, nodding. "That's incredible. I can't wait to master it."
Alcmena laughed, but his expression quickly hardened. "Good. Because we're not done yet."
Xavier blinked. "Wait... what?"
Alcmena smirked. "Your next lesson is combat training."
Xavier tilted his head. "Who am I fighting this time?"
Alcmena's grin turned almost predatory. "Me."
Before Xavier could react, Alcmena snapped his fingers, and a swarm of armored, humanoid werewolves materialized out of thin air. Their snarls echoed through the forest, fangs glinting beneath the moonlight.
Xavier smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Finally, a real challenge."
He raised his hand. Instantly, Excalibur—resting back in the altar room of Alcmena's home—shook violently. The sacred blade shattered its stone confines, slicing through the air like a comet, debris crumbling in its wake. It soared high, cutting through the atmosphere before landing firmly in Xavier's grasp with a powerful shockwave.
Alcmena chuckled. "Try not to die, Xavier."
Xavier smirked. "I have no intention of dying. Or losing."
The werewolves lunged all at once, their claws poised to tear him apart—but their strikes slammed against an invisible barrier. Xavier's vector shield pulsed, repelling their attacks with double the force. The werewolves howled as their own blows rebounded, sending them crashing into trees and boulders, bones snapping on impact.
Xavier didn't hesitate. He slashed downward with Excalibur, severing one werewolf in a single, clean strike. Another beast lunged at him, only to be met with a devastating kick that sent it flying.
More charged him, but he teleported in an instant, appearing behind them before they could react. With a flick of his wrist, vector air bullets pierced through their skulls, ending them effortlessly.
Gripping Excalibur with both hands, Xavier unleashed a sweeping strike. A blinding arc of energy erupted from the blade, cleaving through the entire pack of werewolves—and, to his astonishment, a distant moon orbiting the planet split in half.
Xavier stared at the destruction in disbelief. "That easily?"
He glanced at Excalibur, awe-struck. "I didn't even use my Regokinesis Blade Technique. Yet it still cut through them... and the moon like butter. What kind of sword is this?"
But his moment of wonder cost him.
Alcmena struck without warning. His massive tail whipped through the air, slamming into Xavier's side with incredible force. Xavier's vector shield activated instantly, attempting to deflect the blow—but Alcmena had anticipated it. At the precise moment of impact, he reversed the attack's trajectory, bending the force back toward Xavier instead of away.
The force hit Xavier like a meteor. His body was launched skyward, breaking through the atmosphere in seconds before he crashed into the surface of another moon, creating a massive crater upon impact.
Groaning, Xavier struggled to his feet, pain searing through his bones. He coughed, gasping for air, only to realize his body was freezing. A sharp, burning chill spread through his limbs. The suffocating vacuum of space clamped around him like a vice.
Panic flared in his mind. "How did he bypass my shield?"
Then it clicked. "He did the same thing Big Brother Aleksander used to do during our training sessions... but I thought only Big Brother could pull that off!"
His vision blurred as the lack of oxygen took hold. Desperately, Xavier tried to manipulate the vectors of individual oxygen molecules, directing them into his lungs while simultaneously pushing carbon dioxide away.
But it was slow—too slow.
His body was shutting down.
Xavier chose a different approach. Instead of resisting Alcmena's overwhelming force head-on, he used his vector manipulation to suppress his physiological needs—specifically, his dependence on oxygen.
With precise control, he enhanced his body's efficiency in consuming oxygen, regulating the vectors involved in cellular respiration. Every molecule was recycled and utilized to its full potential, allowing him to endure the oxygen-deprived atmosphere for only ten seconds.
As he prepared to descend back to the planet, King Alcmena unleashed his Dragon Fear—a thunderous, soul-shaking roar that tore through the fabric of the realm itself. The sheer force of it sent shivers through Xavier's body, filling him with a primal, suffocating terror. His knees buckled, and he collapsed under the overwhelming pressure, struggling even to breathe.
Just as abruptly, the pressure disappeared. Alcmena had deactivated Dragon Fear, yet its lingering effects still coursed through Xavier's trembling form. The Dragon King, unfazed, gathered a tremendous amount of energy within his celestial horns. Xavier, his vision still slightly hazy, suddenly sensed a growing threat through the use of his Cosmic Eyes.
'He's charging up something massive… I can feel it
Gritting his teeth, Xavier funneled an immense surge of vectors into Excalibur. He braced himself, preparing to unleash Vector Nova the moment Alcmena struck.
And then—it came.
A brilliant beam of energy erupted from Alcmena's horns, slicing through the void like a divine decree of destruction. The Cosmic Cannon roared toward Xavier with the fury of a dying star.
Xavier didn't hesitate. He released Vector Nova, his counterforce colliding head-on with the incoming devastation. The impact birthed an explosion so vast that it momentarily drowned out all sound, the sheer force of it warping the very space around them. The planet below trembled under the shockwave, the clash utterly dwarfing an entire country scale.
As the dust and energy waves settled, Alcmena's gaze remained fixed on the sky, searching for any sign of his student.
'Surely that didn't kill him,' he mused. 'I held back just enough.'
A moment later, a charred figure plummeted from the heavens, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. Xavier lay motionless, his entire body blackened, smoke rising from his scorched form.
Alcmena landed beside him and peered down. "You still alive, kid?"
Xavier groaned. "Yeah... just a little... burned."
Alcmena let out a deep, rumbling laugh before lowering his head, pressing it gently against Xavier's. The Dragon Seed within Xavier stirred in response, activating his regenerative capabilities. His burned skin flaked away, revealing fresh, unscathed flesh beneath.
As Xavier's body fully healed, Alcmena grinned, scooping him up onto his back. "That's enough training for today. Let's go eat."
Xavier, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten, beamed. "Yes! Please tell me we're having your meat stew."
Alcmena chuckled. "You really like that stuff, huh?"
"Of course! It's amazing!"
The Dragon King let out another deep laugh. It had been a long time since anyone had praised his cooking—Sylvia had been the only one before. And he hasn't seen her for many years now…
The next day, an air of bittersweet finality hung between them. Xavier stood before Alcmena, gripping Excalibur tightly, his golden-red scarf wrapped around its hilt.
"Do I have to leave?" he asked, voice laced with hesitation. "Can't I stay just a little longer?"
Alcmena sighed. "Xavier, you know you have to return. Your family and friends—they miss you."
Xavier lowered his gaze, unwilling to accept it. "Then why won't you come with me?"
The Dragon King shook his head. "You already know the answer. Dragons aren't welcome in the human realm. If I followed you, it'd bring nothing but trouble for you and your people."
Xavier clenched his fists. "But—"
"Besides," Alcmena interrupted, "this place… it's my home now. I can't abandon everything I've built here. The memories I've made—they matter too."
Xavier swallowed hard, trying to fight back the lump in his throat. But the emotions overwhelmed him, and before he could stop himself, tears spilled down his face.
Alcmena sighed, watching his student struggle with the pain of parting. For a moment, he simply stood there, deep in thought. Then, as if coming to a decision, he finally spoke. "Xavier… before you go, I have something for you."
Xavier wiped his eyes. "A gift?"
Without answering, Alcmena bit his finger, allowing a few drops of his blood to fall to the ground. The moment they touched the earth, a strange energy swirled, taking shape. From the crimson essence, a small creature began to form, its body molded from the very land itself. Alcmena then wove an eggshell around it and held it out to Xavier.
"What… is this?" Xavier asked, staring in wonder.
Alcmena smirked. "A piece of myself. A baby replica of me, carrying my memories, my power… not all of it, but enough."
Xavier's eyes widened. "You mean…?"
"It'll grow alongside you, train with you, and help you understand your role as my vessel. But most importantly, it'll keep me by your side—even if I can't be there physically."
Xavier hesitated for only a moment before accepting the egg, holding it close.
King Alcmena then added, telling Xavier that he needed to keep his other version a secret since what he had just done was entirely forbidden and could land him in serious trouble with the Four Great Races.
"Now, take good care of it. It's part of you now, as much as it is part of me", he said, with a grin that pierced through Xavier's sorrow.
Xavier nodded firmly, meeting Alcmena's gaze. "I promise, Master. I'll keep our covenant and the dragon a secret. And I'll make sure to take care of your other half as well".
King Alcmena let out a relieved sigh, but before he could say anything, Xavier suddenly threw his arms around him in a tight embrace. The unexpected gesture made the Dragon King freeze in place. In all his countless years of existence, through endless wars and ancient pacts, no one had ever embraced him like this.
"I love you, Master Alcmena," Xavier said, his voice warm and genuine, his smile as bright as the stars.
Alcmena stood motionless, his mind blank. Love? He had been revered, feared, and obeyed, but love was something foreign—something he had never believed he could receive. Slowly, he raised his clawed hand and gently rested it on Xavier's head, stroking his hair with a tenderness that surprised even himself.
Without another word, he conjured a glowing portal, a swirling gateway that would return Xavier to the human realm.
Xavier, clutching Excalibur and the dragon egg tightly, took a deep breath as he stepped toward the portal. Alcmena watched, his golden eyes following every movement. He wanted to say it—to return the words Xavier had gifted him. But something in his heart held him back. He didn't believe he was worthy of saying it.
When Xavier reached the threshold of the portal, he turned one last time and waved. Alcmena raised a hand in return, his usual composed demeanor betraying the faintest trace of sadness.
As Xavier disappeared into the shimmering vortex, Alcmena felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest, a hollow void where warmth had once been.
He wasn't losing a student. He wasn't losing a vessel. He was losing a son.
A son he had guided, protected, and watched grow. A son he had come to love more than anything in the vastness of the cosmos.
With a rare, gentle smile, King Alcmena whispered into the emptiness, "Farewell, my son."
—
The journey through the portal was a blur of radiant light and shifting energies, blinding and disorienting. Xavier felt as if he were soaring across countless worlds, moving through the fabric of reality itself. Voices echoed around him, distant yet familiar.
"Xavier… Xavier… Wake up."
His eyelids felt like lead as he forced them open. The brightness faded, replaced by sterile white lights and the chirps of the birds who flew by. He blinked, his vision still hazy, and realized he was lying in a hospital bed.
Xavier groggily turned his head and spotted a man sitting casually in the corner of the room, one leg crossed over the other. He was strikingly handsome, dressed in dark robes with an air of authority about him. But what caught Xavier's attention the most was how eerily familiar he looked.
"Papa…?" Xavier murmured, confusion lacing his voice. His mind struggled to grasp reality. The man looked almost identical to Jonathan, his father—except for one glaring difference. His eyes. They were black as the void, unlike Jonathan's deep crimson ones.
The man let out a low chuckle. "I'm not Jonathan, Xavier."
Xavier's breath hitched as the man leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto him.
"It's me—your uncle, Percival."
Xavier's body tensed. The name struck a chord within him, yet his memories refused to make sense of it. "Percival…?" he echoed, his voice uncertain.
Before he could process it any further, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door to his hospital room swung open, and Jonathan stepped inside.
His eyes landed on the figure sitting beside Xavier, and for a brief moment, all emotion drained from his face.
"…Brother?" Jonathan's voice was barely above a whisper, yet the weight behind it was undeniable.
The room fell into silence.
Xavier, still weak, could only watch as his father and the man claiming to be his uncle stared at each other—one with shock, the other with an unsettling smile.
And in that moment, he realized that his return to the human world was about to become far more complicated than he had ever imagined.