Austin stepped into the dormitory, closing the heavy wooden door behind him with a soft thud.
He had been prepared to settle in for the evening—perhaps to read through some of his notes or rest after the exhausting day. But the moment he turned the corner into the shared living space, he froze.
Lucian stood pressed against the wall, his usually neat uniform slightly ruffled.
Aidan loomed over him, his smirk sharp with amusement, while two of his lackeys flanked him, blocking any escape routes.
"Not so brave now, hiding behind someone, are you?" Aidan's voice carried a mockingly sweet lilt. "You had so much confidence before. What happened? Were you abandoned?"
Lucian had changed. Now, his narrowed eyes made his defiance clear, though his lips were pressed tightly together, as if forcing himself not to react.
Austin's fingers twitched at his sides.
"Please leave me alone, Aidan." Lucian's voice was timid, barely managing to ask Aidan to stop.
Aidan chuckled, placing a hand on Lucian's shoulder and shoving him back against the wall. "Oh? You don't have time? What, are you going to run to Austin again? Maybe he can help you out." His gaze flicked toward Austin, as if only noticing his presence now.
Austin remained still, his feet refused to move.
Aidan laughed, shoving Lucian again, harder this time. "What's with that look?"
Lucian scoffed. "I'll do better next time so please leave me alone."
The slap came fast.
Not hard enough to be damaging, but loud enough to send a sharp crack through the room.
Austin's hand clenched into a fist.
The logical part of his mind whispered that he should stay out of it since they're brothers. That getting involved would only complicate things. That it wasn't his fight.
But something about the way Lucian stood his ground despite the stinging red mark on his cheek made something in Austin snap.
Before he could think twice, he stepped forward. "Aidan, stop." The words were calm, controlled.
The moment Austin's voice cut through the room, a heavy silence followed.
Even Aidan, who had been grinning moments before, paused.
Lucian, however, reacted differently. His head snapped toward Austin, his expression twisting with something unreadable—anger, frustration, maybe even betrayal.
"Stay out of it, Austin!" Lucian's voice was sharp, filled with something Austin hadn't expected: pure resentment.
Austin frowned. "I'm just—"
"I didn't ask for your help!" Lucian's hands clenched at his sides. "I don't need you!"
Aidan recovered from his initial shock and let out a low chuckle. "Well, that was unexpected. Looks like the little twin actually has a voice after all." His lackeys snickered behind him.
Austin ignored them, his gaze locked onto Lucian. "I wasn't trying to—"
"Just stop!" Lucian's voice cracked slightly, his face red with emotion. "You treat me like I'm some burden you have to carry! Like I can't do anything on my own! Well, if that's what you think, then just leave me alone!"
Austin was stunned. "Lucian, that's not—"
"I hate you!"
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
Before Austin could react, Lucian turned and ran.
Aidan whistled, his smirk returning. "Wow. Didn't know you two were having a lovers' quarrel. Should I be worried?" He laughed, clearly trying to regain his usual bravado, but even his amusement seemed a little forced.
Austin didn't respond. Without another word, he turned and followed Lucian outside.
Austin stepped outside, his eyes scanning the dimly lit courtyard until he spotted Lucian.
He sitting alone on a stone bench. His shoulders were hunched, his face buried in his hands as quiet sniffles escaped him.
Austin sighed and approached without a word. Instead of speaking, he simply sat beside Lucian, leaning back slightly as he gazed up at the vast night sky.
The stars twinkled like tiny embers, scattered across the darkness—calm, distant, unaffected by the turbulence of the world below.
Lucian said nothing, but Austin could hear his uneven breathing, the occasional sniffle.
He gave him time.
Minutes passed in silence.
Finally, as Lucian's breaths evened out, Austin spoke.
"Was that why you tried to distance yourself from me?" His voice was quiet, careful. "Because you feel like you're a burden?"
Lucian tensed, his hands clenching into fists on his lap. He hesitated before letting out a bitter chuckle. "I overheard you talking to Egbert."
Austin blinked. "What?"
"That day," Lucian murmured, staring at the ground. "I heard you say you longed for a quiet life. And being with me… that's not quiet, is it?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "That's when I realized it. I was only making things harder for you."
Austin exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Damn, I really do talk too much."
Lucian looked at him, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "You talk too little, in my opinion."
Austin grinned. "I always thought I had a habit of being loud, but now you're telling me it's ruining my reputation?" He let out a laugh, clearly being sarcastic.
Lucian realized the teasing too late—and promptly punched Austin in the face.
Austin recoiled slightly, more from shock than pain. He rubbed his cheek and smirked. "Feel better?"
Lucian let out a frustrated sigh. "No. Worse." He kicked a small rock by his foot, watching as it tumbled across the dirt. "I'm sorry."
Austin's smirk faded, and he spoke with uncharacteristic seriousness. "Lucian, you're not a burden to me."
Lucian's eyes widened slightly. He looked at Austin as if he wanted to say something—but before he could, Austin continued.
"But I do have a question for you." He turned to him fully, his expression unreadable. "Why are you letting your twin brother bully you?"
Lucian froze.
For a moment, he didn't answer. He seemed to be struggling with something, his lips parting slightly before pressing into a thin line.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Back at home," Lucian began slowly, "we were actually… friends. When we were younger, Aidan and I did everything together." His voice softened, nostalgic. "But people called me cursed due to my appearance. As you can see, I'm all white. They said I was unlucky, a stain on our family. And every time they did, Aidan would get into fights defending me."
Austin listened quietly. He knew Lucian's condition was called Albinism, a rare trait that affected pigmentation, but he doubted anyone in this world had a name for it. Instead, they called it a curse—something unnatural. Something to be feared.
He clenched his fist. It was absurd. Lucian was just a person like anyone else. And yet, because of superstition and ignorance, he had suffered for it.
Lucian swallowed. "One time, I was kidnapped. I don't remember much, but… I almost died that day. I was weak, crying, helpless. But then Aidan showed up." He let out a shaky breath. "He awakened as a Mystian that day. A little boy, standing in the middle of a group of bandits… and setting them all on fire."
Austin frowned.
"After that," Lucian continued, "Aidan changed. He started bullying me, pushing me away, acting like he hated me. And I… I never understood why."
"You never asked him why?" Austin asked.
"I tried." Lucian's voice was bitter. "Again and again. But every time, he just ignored me." He let out a weak chuckle. "So, I stopped trying."
Silence hung between them.
Austin processed everything, staring at the stars above. "And then you awakened?"
Lucian nodded. "A year later. Turns out, I was a fire elementalist too. But my fire is weak. It's nothing like Aidan's. It can't burn. It can't destroy. It can only…" He raised his hand slightly, and a small flicker of white flame appeared, shifting in shape until it formed a delicate figure—a bird, fluttering its tiny wings. "It only shows what I imagine."
Austin watched the glowing figure hover in Lucian's palm before slowly fading away.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Austin let out a breath. "Your brother's an idiot."
Lucian blinked. "...Huh?"
Austin crossed his arms. "You were never the problem, Lucian. He was. And if you want to fix things, you need to start by believing that."
Lucian hesitated.
Austin stood up, stretching. "Now come on. Let's get back before you start crying again."
Lucian scoffed, wiping his eyes. "I wasn't crying."
Austin smirked. "Sure, sure."
Lucian sighed but got up, following Austin back inside.
When they arrived in the dormitories, everyone was already asleep.