Alisha left the hall, the soldiers following closely behind her, their armor clanking with each step, echoing in the now-quiet dining hall. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Aldermond turned to face Jack. His expression was grim, a heavy burden hanging in the air between them. 'How will he react to this?' Aldermond wondered silently, suppressing a sigh that threatened to escape. The secret they had hidden from Jack for so many years was now about to be revealed. Aldermond feared that Jack would feel betrayed by the choices they had made on his behalf, choices meant to protect him, yet ones that would strip him of any illusion of control.
For years, they had kept the truth from Jack, hoping to spare him the pain of knowing how powerless he had been made by their decisions. But now, with war looming and the threat of destruction becoming all too real, Aldermond had no choice but to tell him the truth.
Taking a deep breath, Aldermond looked at Jack, who sat there, wearing his usual mask—a faint smile, calm and composed. But Aldermond could see the tension beneath it. He had raised Jack, and he knew when something was wrong. Yet Jack gave nothing away.
"Asriel," Aldermond began, using Jack's given name, his voice stern and heavy with authority. "You'll be leaving for training tomorrow. You'll be under the care of Alogra, an old friend of the family. As it stands, you cannot wield magical powers, and we've waited long enough. We cannot let you remain defenseless while war approaches. I won't have any member of this family be weak." His tone was as sharp as the edge of a sword, slicing through any room for argument.
Jack's smile never faltered, though his eyes betrayed nothing of what he was truly thinking. His mind was racing, but outwardly, he simply nodded.
Arwen, seated beside Aldermond, was visibly taken aback by his harsh words. Shock and guilt flashed across her face as her hands tightened around the edge of her chair. She had always known the truth, that their decisions had been what made Jack unable to awaken his magical powers. It had been a hard choice, but necessary at the time. Still, seeing her son being chastised for something that was not his fault, it cut her deeply.
'Aldermond, you shouldn't have said that,' she thought, but the words stayed locked inside her. She didn't have the courage to voice her protest. It was too late to change anything now.
Meanwhile, Jack's thoughts swirled, barely containing his amusement. 'Alogra,' he mused, as memories of the name resurfaced. It had been years, but of course, he knew exactly who Alogra was. Alogra, the legendary swordmaster who had once been the sword of the Avalonian Kingdom. In the first great war, he had earned the name "The Sword Sovereign," feared across battlefields for the sheer number of enemies he had slain. His blade had cut through armies, and his title had become synonymous with death itself. Some called him "The Devil's Blade," while others whispered that he was a demon in human form.
But Alogra had disappeared after the war, abandoning the kingdom he had once served, dismissing the entire conflict as a foolish endeavor. The stories varied, but most believed that the weight of the lives he had taken had finally driven him into seclusion, perhaps haunted by the souls of the dead. He had vanished from the world, fading into legend.
'And now I'm supposed to train under him?' Jack thought, barely able to hide his excitement. The irony wasn't lost on him. In the book, Asriel had met Alogra, but the fool had failed to learn anything substantial from the legendary warrior. Jack smirked inwardly, recalling how Asriel had been too weak, too incompetent to grasp the lessons that could have made him invincible. But this time? This time, things would be different. Jack wasn't the same person. He was no longer bound by Asriel's weaknesses.
'This is perfect,' Jack thought, a surge of anticipation coursing through him. Not only would he learn the way of the sword, but he would learn it from the best—someone who had once matched the strength of the Sword Kings. This was his first step towards escaping the shackles of weakness and building his own empire. He could already picture it—the power, the control, the world bowing to him. It was vivid, a dream he had kept in his heart since regaining his memories.
A flicker of a smile briefly appeared on his lips, but he quickly lowered his head to hide it from the others. He didn't want them to see just how excited he was.
Seeing Jack's bowed head, Arwen mistook it for a sign of sadness. She believed her son was disheartened, crushed by the weight of being powerless in a world ruled by magic. After all, he had worked so hard to try and awaken his magical abilities, but nothing had come of it. Guilt gnawed at her, twisting the knife she had been carrying in her heart all these years.
'This is all our fault,' Arwen thought, clenching her hands into fists. 'We've made him powerless.' But despite the pain, she knew she had to say something to comfort him. She couldn't let him lose hope.
"Asriel, my dear," she began softly, her voice gentle and warm, though the weight of her guilt was hidden behind her smile. "Don't feel bad. You're a star. I believe you'll shine even brighter with the sword than you ever could have with magic. I know you'll make us proud."
Jack's mood soured instantly. 'And she just has to ruin the moment,' he thought, irritated by her attempt to console him. Still, he raised his head and forced a smile, the same innocent smile that had always fooled them.
"Don't worry, Mom," Jack said, his voice filled with feigned sweetness. "I'll make you and Dad proud." He sounded sincere, but inside, he was seething with thoughts of rebellion. 'I don't care about either of you. Not anymore. Everything from now on is about me—about escaping the fate this world has planned for me.'
Arin, Jack's younger brother, had remained quiet until now. But hearing Jack's promise made him scoff, his disdain obvious. He didn't care if Aldermond was present—he had no respect for Jack.
"When you can't even awaken your magical powers, what makes you think you can master the sword?" Arin's voice dripped with scorn. "Dad, don't waste your time on him. He's a lost cause."
The entire room fell silent as Arin's words echoed off the walls. Aldermond tensed, his face a mask of disapproval. But Jack wasn't surprised. He had expected Arin's disdain—it was nothing new. If anything, Jack relished it. It made the inevitable reversal of fortunes all the more satisfying.
'And they call me arrogant?' Jack thought, holding back a laugh. He found Arin's outburst amusing, like a scene from a drama he had read in his previous life. Watching it unfold in real time was far more entertaining.
"Lina," Aldermond said calmly, his voice steady but commanding, "control your son's mouth."
Lina, Arin's mother, shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Aldermond had long known about the tension between his sons, a common occurrence in families like theirs. Yet, this situation was different. Lina's own ambitions for Arin were known to him—her desire to see her son ascend to the throne. Aldermond had long suspected her motivations, given her powerful connections to Lord Gale, the alchemist king. But now was not the time for confrontation.
"Asriel, prepare yourself," Aldermond continued, ignoring the tension that lingered in the room. "You'll leave at first light tomorrow."
Jack simply nodded, his face still the picture of innocence, while inside, his mind was already planning his next moves. His path to power had just begun.