Hades collapsed to his knees, his mind spinning as the weight of a single word crushed him.
Disowned.
It shattered everything he knew, planned, and dreamed. With that one declaration, his family severed their ties, leaving him nameless, penniless—an orphan in every way that mattered.
When the parents of the other boys arrived, the scene erupted into chaos. Discovering their sons unconscious, bruised, and stinking of urine and fear in a stranger's home, they demanded answers. It was only thanks to Raaz's calm but firm mediation that the commotion subsided enough for reason to take hold.
"You," Raaz commanded, pointing at Hades, now stripped of his name and status. "Explain yourself."
Shock dulled the edges of his rage, but not his pride.
If I must go down, I'll take them all with me. Let us share the same fate—I won't be alone in disgrace.
The nameless boy spilled the truth, admitting his hatred for his brother and how he had orchestrated the attack with the help of his friends. His tone was defiant, his words cutting, but the room's reaction was not what he expected.
Gasps of disbelief filled the air. These families had always seen Hades as kind and respectful.
"Arthur, Morgan," one of the fathers prompted gently. "What happened here?"
Arthur limped forward from his mother's embrace, ensuring his injuries were as noticeable as his trembling voice. Each wince, each step, was calculated.
"As you all know, my family struggles to make ends meet, especially with my sister being so ill. I work here cleaning Miss Selia's home—she pays me, and I give the money to my parents. It helps us survive." He paused for dramatic effect, his small frame trembling. "Today, I was alone. Selia is out of town, and your sons barged in. They started beating me for no reason."
Turning slowly, Arthur showed the full extent of his bruises, carefully calculated sobs punctuating his words. "I defended myself as my father taught me, but they were too strong. I… I thought I was going to die!" Tears poured freely as he collapsed back into his mother's arms.
Bromann, Rizel's father, picked up a wooden stick lying nearby. His face darkened as he recognized it.
"This… This is my father's memento," he said bitterly, holding the stick like it was poison. He turned to Arthur and Raaz. "I am deeply sorry. I have failed, not just as a father, but as a man. Whatever punishment you see fit, I'll comply. But first…"
With grim determination, Bromann dumped a bucket of dirty water on Rizel to jolt him awake.
"W-what?" Rizel stammered, clutching his bruised face as his memory returned. His father loomed over him, eyes blazing with fury.
"I'll ask the questions. What were you all doing here?"
Terrified by both his father and Arthur's cold, glowing blue eyes, Rizel broke. One by one, the remaining boys were revived and interrogated. Attempts to shift blame back to Arthur were swiftly silenced by their enraged parents.
"Five against one," one father spat. "And you dare accuse the victim? Your actions have disgraced us all. You'll learn what real punishment means!"
Raaz addressed the room. "I'll disown Hades and report this to the village chief. I don't expect anything from you, but you deserved to hear it directly from me."
"I won't disown my son," Bromann said, his voice hard. "But I won't shield him from the law, either. He'll face the consequences, and I'll make sure he never harms another soul."
The boys stood before the village chief, their confessions damning. The verdict was swift.
"I sentence the six of you to four hours in the pillory. You will be shaved bald, whipped ten times, and spend three days in jail to reflect on your actions. Any objections?"
The parents and the condemned stayed silent.
Arthur raised his hand. "May I ask them something?"
The chief nodded. "Go ahead."
Arthur walked to Rizel, his voice calm but piercing. "Did Trion know about this?"
Rizel hesitated but finally spat, "No. Hades said he didn't trust Trion. Called him a coward who'd rat us out."
Arthur turned to the chief. "Could you reduce Rizel's sentence? His honesty has helped my family."
The chief nodded. "Five lashes instead of ten. Once the pillory is done, his family may take him home."
The days that followed were dark for Raaz, Elina, and Trion. The grief of losing Hades—both as a son and a brother—was unbearable. They questioned everything about the boy they thought they knew.
Trion bore the heaviest burden. Though Rizel's confession cleared his name, doubt lingered. How could he have been so close to Hades and not seen his cruelty?
Meanwhile, Arthur, Rena, and Tista thrived in Hades' absence. They no longer endured his insults or schemes. Gifts from the other families eased their burdens, and Arthur's growing magical prowess allowed him to plow fields and hunt large prey.
As spring approached, Arthur wandered the dense Thrawn woods, his eyes scanning the underbrush for the massive boar he'd been tracking. The creature's massive frame moved with surprising grace, but Arthur's ice magic slowed its movements, and his careful tactics guided it toward an ancient oak. A precise shot with an ice arrow ended its life.
He stood over the boar, pondering how to transport it, when something strange happened—the boar suddenly vanished into thin air.
"What the—? Who's there?" Arthur demanded, his pulse quickening. His hand instinctively reached for his Life Vision. He activated it, his senses extending into the woods, but all he could see were the familiar movements of birds and small rodents.
Moments later, the boar reappeared, its massive form standing in front of him once again. Arthur jumped back, his heart racing in his chest.
"Show yourself!" he shouted, voice trembling.
A calm, almost soothing voice echoed in his mind. There is no need to fear, host. I am not your enemy.
"Host? What do you mean? Where are you?" Arthur demanded, panic rising in his voice.
Around your neck, the voice replied simply.
Arthur's hand shot up to the pouch around his neck, where the strange stone he had forgotten about for so long now seemed to pulse with a faint energy. He pulled it from the pouch and hurled it to the ground in frustration, but as it hit the earth, a surge of magic flared from it.
"What are you?" Arthur's voice was more demanding now, though still shaken.
Our minds are linked. Let me show you, the voice replied.
Suddenly, images flooded Arthur's mind. He saw a grand tower that reached high into the sky, its once-gleaming spires now crumbling with age. The tower's power had waned with the death of its original owner, its magic desperately searching for a new host. Then, through a connection that felt primal, the bond between the tower and Arthur was formed—woven together through blood.
The vision ended, and Arthur stood there, stunned, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed.
At the same moment, across the house, Morgan felt her brother's voice in her head, accompanied by another, unfamiliar voice.
"Is that you, Arthur? And who is this other voice?" she thought, confusion flooding her mind.
The voice, sounding almost shocked, responded. "Who are you? I can only have one owner?"
The same images that had overwhelmed Arthur's mind now surged into Morgan's consciousness, leaving her stunned.
Both Arthur and Morgan spoke in unison, their voices filled with disbelief. "Resonance Magic…"
The voice, now clearer, responded with mild confusion. "Okay, that makes no sense to me, but as for your question… I am the automated Central Intelligence unit for the Mage Tower True Light. The stone you found is the access key to the Mage Tower, and it's directly linked to the Tower itself."