.
"Trash, we don't have all day. Get on your knees and start begging," Lucian sneered, his voice laced with venom. He stared at Aden as if he were staring at something utterly worthless, expecting him to bow down without a fight.Aden stood frozen, his body tense as Lucian's words echoed around him. It was the confrontation he had hoped to avoid, and now it was here, unraveling everything he'd tried to build. He clenched his fists, refusing to look away, even as the weight of his brother's expectations pressed down on him like a lead blanket.
Meanwhile, Emelia stood nearby, her gaze flickering with a hint of concern as she watched the exchange. But Aden, caught in the turmoil of facing Lucian, remained oblivious to her silent worry
———
My mind was in turmoil. The opportunity was right in front of me, yet fear gripped my heart like a vice. My instinct betrayed me; the coward within me urged me to yield, to walk away from the confrontation. It whispered that any resistance would lead to nothing but more pain. Even if I managed to win today, who could say what tomorrow would bring?It was the same every single time. I had given up too easily, yielded like a coward. But not today. The spark within me flickered, refusing to be extinguished.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied myself, trying to calm the storm raging inside.
"Trash, we don't have all day. Get on your knees and start begging," Lucian's voice cut through my moment of peace, harsh and taunting.
But something shifted within me, breaking the chains of doubt. "Brother, actually, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now," I said, surprising even myself with how calm I sounded, almost devoid of the hatred and rage I had felt moments ago.
Lucian's sneer faltered as he regarded me with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm truly grateful for everything you've done for me up until now, and for that, I would like to thank you." My face remained a mask of calm, concealing the tumultuous emotions swirling beneath the surface. "I also wanted to give you something."With a swift gesture, I tossed the bouquet in his direction.
Lucian, momentarily stunned, barely had time to react. Just as the flowers were about to hit him in the face, he instinctively caught them, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
This was the opportunity I had been waiting for, and I was determined to seize it without any hesitation. Seeing the opening I rushed forward with a surge of adrenaline, gathering all the strength I could muster in my fist. I aimed a punch directly at Lucian's face.
I might not be the strongest fighter, but I knew a blow from me could still pack a punch for someone like Lucian.
I felt the jolt reverberate through my hand as Lucian stumbled back a few steps. To my surprise, he didn't go down. Instead, this fact only fueled my excitement further, it would take more than a punch to cool down my anger.
Fueled by momentum, I twisted my hips and kicked straight into Lucian's gut. I expected him to double over, clutching his stomach and gasping for breath, but something was off
He barely bugged, his stance unwavering.
As I looked at Lucian's face ready to see the pain and agony I thought I would inflict, I was instead met with a mocking smile that twisted my stomach.
———
For a brief movement, Lucian just stood there, the bouquet still in his hand, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. It was as if time had momentarily frozen, disbelief etched across his face, by the time he realized something was amiss Aden's fist was already a few inches from his face. He tried to dodge, but it was too late.
The punch landed with enough force to send him stumbling a few steps back. Yet it barely left a mark—his armor absorbed the impact effortlessly. A magical artifact gifted by his father on his fifteenth birthday, the armor could withstand a full force blow from a nascent rank cultivator. Against a strike from Aden, it didn't even register a scratch.
Aden didn't stop there. He followed up with a kick to Lucian's gut, but that, too, was ineffective. From beginning to end, Lucian remained entirely unscathed. But while the blows didn't hurt him, the sheer audacity of his *trash* brother daring to strike him made him furious, this was unforgivable. The smug, condensing look that usually adorned his face darkened, replaced by seething fury.
" Tsk... To think that even a piece of trash would dare to hit me" Lucian spat out words, his eyes burning with malice. In the blink of an eye, he lunched forward at a blinding speed.
" Let me show you your place trash "
{Blaze}
In an instant, crimson flames erupted around Lucian's fist. The heat was intense, capable of melting iron, yet the flames caressed his skin without harm.
As Aden's eyes locked onto the crimson flames, a chill ran down his spine. He could feel the searing heat and danger radiating from them, and instinctively stepped back. But Lucian wasn't about let him escape-the gap between them vanished in an instant as Lucian closed it with terrifying speed. Lucian's fist shot toward Aden. Sensing the lethal intent, Aden twisted his body in a desperate attempt to dodge, but the proximity left him with no room to fully escape. The punch grazed his shoulder, and the flames licked at his skin, burning through his shirt and leaving a searing wound in their wake.
Agonizing pain surged through him, threatening to overwhelm his senses. Although adrenaline pumped through his veins, it did little to dull the burning agony. Before he could regain his footing Lucian launched another strike, this time aimed directly at his chest. Realizing he couldn't avoid it, Aden raised his arms to block. The sheer force of the blow shattered through his defenses. With a thunderous impact, Aden was sent flying back, tumbling across the ground for tens of meters before finally coming to a stop. Despite blocking most of the punch, the residual force was devastating Pain flooded his body, and darkness crept at the edges of his vision, but the adrenaline refused to let him collapse. Gritting his teeth, Aden forced himself back to his feet.
"See that? This is the difference between you and me, trash," Lucian sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. He stared down at Aden, eyes blazing with fury, nostrils flaring as if the very thought of sharing the same space disgusted him. The flames around his fists flickered, casting eerie shadows, as if feeding off his rage.Aden, still struggling to stand, felt the weight of those words. But despite the pain coursing through his body, he refused to look away. His gaze locked onto Lucian's, defiant and unyielding, as if silently promising this wasn't over.