Chapter 11: The Breakdown: Fractured Bonds
"I'm... an affintyless?"
Adrian muttered in disbelief.
"Brother..." Aurelia muttered in a painful voice as she sensed her brother's feelings.
Adrian, still processing the revelation, looked at his sister, who had released him from the hug but still held a supportive gaze. Aurelia wiped away a stray tear and managed a small, reassuring smile. "D-Don't worry. I will always be with you brother. We promised each other."
"...Yeah... Right." Adrian muttered and looked at the ground.
He went silent for a few moments.
Aurelia looked at her brother, not knowing what exactly to do.
The next moment, Adrian raised his head, his expression and complexion returning to his usual calm and collected self.
Aurelia, sensing the turmoil within her brother, cautiously asked, "Adrian, are you okay?"
Adrian's initial response was a forced smile, attempting to reassure his sister. "I've never been better, Aurelia. I'm proud of you, truly. You've awakened such a powerful ability and gained the recognition of a prestigious professor. I couldn't be happier for you."
Aurelia, relieved by his seemingly positive response, couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, brother. Thank goodness, you are-"
However, the atmosphere shifted abruptly as Adrian's expression changed and interrupted her. "Did you think I would say these?"
His forced smile disappeared, replaced by a sudden intensity that startled Aurelia. She listened in shock as Adrian's tone shifted, his words tinged with frustration and resentment.
"Why does it have to be like this? Why did I have to be the one without any affinity?" Adrian muttered, his voice escalating into an anguished tone.
Aurelia, taken aback by the sudden outburst, stammered, "Brother, what... What are you saying?"
Adrian's frustration erupted as he continued, "I was always better than you in every aspect, and yet... and yet, I'm the one without any elemental affinity. It's not fair! Why does it have to be me? Why wasn't it you?"
Aurelia, grappling with the sudden change in her brother's demeanor, struggled to comprehend the intensity of his emotions. The calm and collected Adrian she knew seemed to be unraveling before her eyes, revealing a side she had never seen.
"Brother, please, calm down. I don't understand why you're—"
"Why do you get everything, and I'm left with nothing? I trained harder, I studied more, and yet, you surpassed me effortlessly. It's not fair!" Adrian's frustration turned into an anguished scream.
Aurelia, her heart sinking with each word, felt a profound sense of confusion and sorrow. She never anticipated her brother harboring such resentful feelings.
"Why, Aurelia? Why do you get everything?" Adrian's voice wavered, and his eyes, once calm, were now clouded with a mixture of despair and envy. "Our parents also liked you more, treated you like a princess. While it was as if I wasn't their child..."
"Maybe they died because of - !"
Swoosh!
Aurelia, fueled by a surge of anger and hurt, didn't hesitate.
Slap!
Her hand swung through the air, and a resounding slap echoed through the courtyard. The force behind the slap mirrored the intensity of the emotions that had erupted between the siblings.
Adrian caught off guard, touched his stinging cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief. The courtyard, which had been a witness to magical awakenings, now held its breath, witnessing the unraveling of a family's deeply buried sentiments.
"You hit me?" Adrian's voice wavered between shock and disbelief. He stared at Aurelia, as if struggling to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
Aurelia's expression was furious, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of anger and hurt. "You crossed a line, brother. I can tolerate you blaming me for everything. But don't talk about our parents like that just because you failed to awaken any affinity. They treated us the same and it's not their fault you ended up in such-!"
"Haha..." Adrian, still processing the sting on his cheek, gradually shifted from disbelief to a realization that darkened his expression. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step back as if repelled by the revelation.
"Is this it, Aurelia?" he muttered with a bitter tone. "You get a powerful ability, recognition from a renowned professor, and suddenly you're too good for me. You forget everything I did for you and feel superior, don't you?"
Aurelia, her anger transforming into a profound sadness, shook her head. "N-no. Brother. That's not true. I-I..."
But Adrian, now enveloped in his own resentful thoughts, scoffed. "What you? Even now, you probably think you're better than me because of that ability and affinities. Hahaha..."
Aurelia took a step closer, pleading with her eyes. "Brother, please..."
But Adrian, his resentment now seeping into every word, stepped further back. "I see your true colors now, Aurelia. You've changed. Hmm..."
He took a deep breath, his eyes turning cold. Then he spoke, his voice loud, enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear. "I have decided. I no longer have a sister named Aurelia Lighthaven. And as the inheritor of the Family, I officially took the Lighthaven name away from you. You aren't a part of our, no, my family any longer."
"N-No... No way..." (Aurelia)
The courtyard, once filled with magical wonder, now bore witness to the shattering of familial bonds. The revelation echoed through the silent air, leaving a heavy, unsettling tension.
Aurelia, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, watched her brother retreat with each step. The words he uttered, the disownment he declared, hung in the air like a specter. The onlookers, who had witnessed the grandeur of magical awakenings, now observed a different kind of awakening—one of pain and separation.
As Adrian distanced himself, Aurelia's voice trembled with a mixture of sorrow and desperation. "Brother, please... don't say such things. I-I can't recognize you anymore... Brother, let's-"
"Stop." Adrian cut her off with a cold glance. "There's nothing to talk about. I've said what needed to be said. You've shown your true colors, and I won't allow myself to be burdened by someone who sees me as less. Goodbye."
Then Adrian continued leaving. However, he made a stop as he reached the king.
"Sorry for showing such a scene to you, your majesty." He bowed slightly. "Since I disowned her, she won't be able to marry the crown prince as we promised each other. But I will make sure to find another girl for the prince if you allow me to. I will also compensate for the losses as well."
"Now, if you excuse me."
Adrian stood up and turned toward the exit.
"Ah, one more thing Your Majesty." He stopped and turned back. He spoke in a low voice, while his expression was cold. "The truth will always come to light, just like today. Remember it well. I will make it so. For your sake. For their sake..."
"Goodbye, then."
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