Everyone looked up at the sky: for mortals like them, seeing a person fly was certainly not an everyday event. The rising wind and the sight of a man suspended in the air caused disbelief among the crowd. The man landed gracefully in front of the gate, a tall figure with long brown hair, piercing eyes, and an imposing stature of about two meters. His appearance commanded respect, as if he were not just an ordinary mortal.
Mr. Asteris quickly approached, bowing deeply. Following his example, everyone present lowered their heads, but the man raised a hand in a gentle gesture.
"There's no need for such formality," he said in a deep but friendly voice. "Duke, please, come in. I've prepared a feast in your honor."
The duke shook his head, interrupting the formalities, but with a smile. "Leophold, come closer."
Leophold stepped forward, his gaze slightly lowered but determined. "Did you take care of everything?" the duke asked.
Leophold nodded, his eyes filled with sadness that Ares could sense, even from afar. He walked toward his parents, who moved closer to embrace him.
"Father, mother, goodbye. Don't worry, I don't want you to cry," Leophold said in a trembling voice.
Leophold's father looked at him intensely, caressing his face. "Don't cry, my son. We are proud of you," he replied firmly but affectionately. His mother, with teary eyes, nodded. The butler handed Leophold a handkerchief.
"When you're out there, don't ever cry in front of others," he said, trying to give strength to the boy. "If you do, you risk seeming weak. And weakness is the greatest enemy in this world."
Leophold took the handkerchief, silently thanking him. Then, without looking back, he walked toward the duke, who looked at him with an expression that seemed to come from both understanding and authority. "Are you ready?" the duke asked, his voice resonating like a command that Ares clearly heard.
"I'm ready," Leophold replied, his eyes filled with determination.
As soon as he spoke those words, the duke raised his hand. Leophold lifted off the ground as if gravity no longer had any power over him. The air seemed to bend to his will, and with a surge that defied all natural law, he began to rise.
Ares watched in silence as young Leophold ascended higher and higher, becoming a tiny dot in the sky. The speed with which he disappeared impressed him. He was no longer just a boy. He was something more, something that challenged all the reality Ares had ever known. He flew away, free from all limits, like someone destined for greatness.
"Incredible…" murmured the crowd, while the air whispered their disbelief.
Ares felt overwhelmed. He couldn't take his eyes off the sight. The power. The freedom. The flight. That flight represented everything Ares secretly desired. A desire that grew inside him, fueled by the vision of Leophold fading into the horizon, like a meteor.
"Why is this happening? Why do I keep thinking about her?"
The thought of his mother suddenly hit him, making him tremble inside. He had always felt protected by her love, but now that protection felt limiting. She, who loved him unconditionally, who fed him simple meals, who always greeted him with a smile… but her possibilities were so small. Her life was so small. Ares felt strangled by that reality.
His mind tried to justify the detachment he was feeling: I can't keep living like a servant. She can't give me what I want. In that moment, the need to become something more, to escape that life, became overwhelming. Leophold's flight, the power he was demonstrating, had sparked in him an insatiable hunger. His mother's protection now seemed too restrictive, like a gilded cage holding him prisoner. The bond with her, once his strength, now felt like an obstacle.
Yet, the concern for her didn't entirely fade away. He felt a pang in his heart whenever he thought of her loneliness, the effort she made for him, but that thought became more distant, more hazy. His mind focused on the future, on what he could become, on how it would feel to live without limits.
If I'm strong enough, I'll be able to give her a better life… no, I'll give her a life where she won't have to sacrifice anything anymore. This was the justification he repeated to himself as his thirst for power consumed him.
He no longer felt young, no longer felt connected to the past he had known. His view of the world was changing, and that view was leading him far from home. The desire for power that had ignited his heart was transforming him. His mother, though she could no longer provide him that protection, was still a thought that tied him to a past he no longer wanted.
Mr. Asteris's voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Well, now that the ceremony is over, I invite you all to come inside. The feast is ready and waiting. There's no reason to delay. Come, come everyone. Let's put duties aside, just for once."
The crowd, after a moment of hesitation, began to move toward the large manor. Ares, however, didn't move right away. He kept staring at the horizon, the spot where Leophold had vanished. His mind was elsewhere, focused on something greater, something that no longer had to do with his mother, but with the future he now felt he deserved: power.
And so, almost without realizing it, he joined the rest of the servants, his heart already far from home, far from everything he had known. He spent the entire day, and his mother still hadn't returned.