Eratz's parents had sacrificed much to send him to Genova Academy, putting all their dreams and efforts in him, but that dream shattered when he was expelled, accused of cheating and aggression.
When he returned home, his family was livid. His father paced back and forth, while his mother looked at him with a mixture of disappointment and disgust.
"Do you have any idea how much we've sacrificed for you?" his father shouted, his face red with fury. "When will you stop being a burden to this family? I didn't raise a criminal!"
His mother's words were even colder.
"You're going to go back there and apologize to that girl you assaulted. After that, we're sending you to your aunt's. We don't want you here anymore."
Eratz tried to explain the truth, how he had been set up by Kenny, how the accusation was false, but his parents refused to listen.
"Enough with your lies!" his father shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "I don't want to hear any more excuses!"
Eratz fell silent, knowing that no words could penetrate their anger. He realized they had already made up their minds, casting him as the villain without even trying to understand his side. As they berated him, the weight of their disappointment crushed him in ways he hadn't expected. Words hurt more than any physical blow. He felt broken, incapable of feeling anything anymore, not even resentment. All he could do was nod in silence.
In the following weeks, his isolation grew. His parents hid the truth from their neighbors, pretending he was merely expelled for poor performance. His mother kept his younger brother and sister away from him, fearing a "sexual agression virus."
He had become the shame of the family, a failure, an outcast, a disgrace.
His salvation came when he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the countryside. It was a modest house with a small garden, but it was a world away from the suffocating hell of his parents' home.
The little family ressembles his in appearance, his aunt, Cassie, was Ishtarian like him and his mother, but his uncle Roger was a native of the country like his father. They knew about his situation, but when he arrived, they welcomed him without hesitation.
Upon his arrival, Roger led him to the attic, which they had converted into a bedroom. "Sorry it's a bit cramped," Roger said, placing Eratz's bags down. "But it's the best we could do on short notice."
Cassie, however, grumbled.
"It would've been done sooner if someone hadn't spent all day fishing."
Roger rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I was trying to catch something for a feast to welcome him."
Eratz stood quietly, listening to their playful argument. Their lightheartedness was a stark contrast to the oppressive silence he had endured at home.
Later, they sat down for dinner, and though the meal was simple, they had prepared it with care. But Eratz couldn't shake the tension inside him.
"Why aren't you asking me why I'm here?" Eratz finally broke the silence. He couldn't understand why they were treating him so kindly, despite knowing what his parents had said about him.
Roger looked up.
"What do you mean? You're our nephew. Of course, we'd take care of you."
Cassie nodded.
"We've known you since you were a baby, Eratz. You wouldn't do something horrible."
Eratz stared down at his plate.
"You know what they told you. Why don't you ask me what really happened?"
Cassie and Roger exchanged a glance, their cheerful expressions turning serious. It wasn't about believing or not, but an horrible story had been spread and Eratz had never been able to tell his own version.
"If it'll help you feel better," Roger said gently, "we can listen to your side of the story."
And so, Eratz told them everything. He recounted how he had found the device in Professor Rowan's office while cleaning, how Lisa had tried to steal it, and how Kenny had twisted the story to frame him. As he spoke, he could feel some of the pain lifting, like a weight slowly being chipped away.
By the end of his tale, Cassie was furious.
"That little bitch," she muttered, reaching for her phone. "I'll drag your mother here and make her apologize for everything."
But Eratz shook his head.
"Don't call them. I don't want to go back."
Cassie hesitated.
"Eratz, they're your parents. They need to know what they did to you."
"No," Eratz said firmly, his voice colder than before. "Even if they believed me now, it wouldn't change anything. They didn't listen when I needed them. You did. You and uncle Roger, you're the ones who believed in me. You treated me more like a parent that they ever did."
His voice was calm, too calm for a boy who had been through so much. Something had changed in him. His green eyes had changed, now glowing with a reddish hue as if reflecting the fire of his burning emotions. His transformation was not just physical, but mental.
Cassie and Roger exchanged another glance, both realizing how deeply the academy and his family's betrayal had scarred him.
"I've decided what I'm going to do," Eratz said, staring at the glowing red orb of fire that had appeared in his palm, a manifestation of his bond with the fire spirit. "I'll rise to the top, not to prove anything to them, but for myself, for you, and for Colin."