Aldoria: Am I a hero...or not?

{{Valor Manor – Kael's Room}}

Kael sat on the edge of his bed, hands clasped, his mind a tangled web of questions. The events of last night refused to leave him. He could still see the Shadowlord Bear's corpse, still feel the warmth of its blood on his skin. But what haunted him most was the fear in his siblings' eyes.

His fingers tightened. The voice, the ancient, chilling voice that had spoken to him.. who was it? And why did it feel... familiar?

He exhaled sharply and stood. There had to be answers somewhere.

{{Valor Manor – Library}}

Kael strode into the vast library, the scent of old parchment and ink surrounding him. Row upon row of books lined the towering shelves, illuminated by the golden glow of morning lanterns. He moved with purpose, scanning titles.

"The Nature of Auras"

No, that wouldn't help.

"Legendary Beasts of Aldoria"

Not relevant.

"Cursed Bloodlines and Forgotten Powers"

Close, but not quite.

Minutes turned to hours. He pulled book after book, flipping through pages, searching for anything that resembled what happened to him.

Nothing.

Kael leaned against a shelf, frustrated. His body ached from last night's battle, exhaustion clawing at him. The shadows beneath his eyes deepened.

A soft chime echoed through the halls. Morning had come.

{{Valor Manor – Hallways}}

Kael walked back to his room, his limbs heavy. Just as he reached for his door handle.

A voice.

"Kael."

The voice was cold.

Kael turned. Sylvia, one of the head maids, stood before him, her face expressionless.

"You're being summoned for breakfast with the family," she said, her tone lacking the usual warmth.

Kael frowned.

Was she... upset with him?

"I see," he said. "Sylvia... about last night.. I—"

"It's fine."

Kael hesitated. "No, I ignored you. That wasn't right."

Sylvia blinked, then sighed. "You had things on your mind."

"I did. But still..."

She studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then I'll accept your apology. Now, let's not keep your family waiting."

As they walked, whispers trailed behind them.

"Did you see him last night?"

"The bastard child... he looked terrifying."

"I heard he lost control."

"No, I think something happened to him. We shouldn't judge."

Kael ignored them. He had more pressing concerns.

{{Valor Manor – Dining Hall}}

The tension was thick.

Kael sat across from his siblings, the air heavy with silence. Kyle, Garrett, and Freya avoided his gaze. Only Selene looked at him normally, though even she fidgeted.

Then their mother, Elysia, spoke.

"What happened last night?"

The question cut through the stillness like a blade.

Kyle and Garrett exchanged glances. Freya shifted uncomfortably.

Elysia's gaze sharpened. "Speak."

Kael met her eyes. "I don't know."

A pause.

Freya finally broke the silence, her voice softer than Kael had ever heard from her.

"Your eyes," she said. "They were glowing. Dark red. It wasn't aura, it was something else. It felt... like pure rage."

Garrett nodded grimly. "And when you fought the Shadowlord Bear... you killed it with no hesitation. No mercy."

Kael frowned. "That doesn't make sense. I blacked out. All I remember is darkness... and a voice."

Kyle studied him. "A voice?"

Kael nodded. "Someone spoke to me. But I don't know who it was."

Silence fell again.

Selene, eager to break the tension, clapped her hands. "W-Well! What matters is that we're all here. And Kyle, didn't you want to spar with Kael?"

Kyle blinked. "Oh. Right. I did say that."

Elysia sighed. "Very well. But don't overdo it."

{{Training Grounds}}

Word spread fast. By the time Kael and Kyle arrived at the training grounds, knights, servants, and even nobles had gathered to watch.

Kyle rolled his shoulders. "You ready?"

Kael nodded. "Always."

They clashed.

Kyle moved with practiced precision, his sword cutting through the air. Kael deflected the strikes effortlessly, his movements fluid.

Kyle smirked. "Don't get cocky."

He increased the tempo, his strikes heavier. Kael matched him, each parry sharper, each counterattack swifter.

The onlookers murmured.

"Kael is keeping up with Kyle?"

"Isn't Kyle one of the strongest in the academy?"

"How did Kael get so strong?"

Kyle grit his teeth. "Alright, time to get serious."

Light Red Aura flared around him. His movements became faster, his strikes heavier.

Kael exhaled.

Then..

Fwoosh!

His own Light Red Aura ignited.

Gasps filled the air.

Cassian, who had been watching, leaned forward. "My weak brother... actually became strong."

Kyle grinned. "Now we're talking!"

They exchanged rapid blows, neither giving an inch. Kyle launched a powerful downward strike, Kael sidestepped, countering with a precise thrust that stopped just before Kyle's chest.

Silence.

Then...

Kyle laughed, clapping Kael's shoulder. "Damn, you really got me there."

Kael smirked. "You're not bad either."

Kyle turned to the crowd, raising Kael's hand. "My bastard brother really became strong!"

Cheers erupted.

For the first time from last night, Kael saw no fear in their eyes.

Just admiration.