Heir to Nothing

"See that dummy?" Gareth's voice rang out.

I turned toward my left. Hundreds of sturdy dummies stood lined across the ground, some scorched, some cracked—each one worn down from countless rounds of training.

"These are what knights use to hone their aura. Magicians, too, test their spells on them. They're heavy, durable, and built to withstand even A-rank strikes," Gareth continued, voice cold and commanding.

Around me, several knights groaned. A bad feeling crawled up my spine.

"You'll each carry one," he added, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "With your Graviton Bands set to Level 1, increasing your body weight twofold. Fifty laps around the ground. No exceptions."

"…Well, fuck," I muttered under my breath. I wasn't the only one. Curses rippled quietly through the crowd.

Still, no one disobeyed.

Grimly, we marched toward the dummies. I hoisted one onto my shoulder—it had to weigh at least 250 kilograms, and I was already doubled in weight due to the Graviton Bands latched on my limbs and waist.

The training ground was wide and rough. We didn't run. We couldn't. Not with this kind of pressure crushing every step. We walked. One slow, agonizing step after another.

Some finished in two hours.

Me? It took five.

By the time I stumbled through the final lap, I collapsed on the field, breath ragged, limbs shaking like twigs in a storm. I wasn't alone. Knights around me lay scattered across the dirt, panting, groaning, eyes to the sky.

"Twenty-minute rest," Gareth barked. "Make the most of it."

Twenty minutes. For that? Cruel.

After barely catching my breath, we were forced to our feet again. This time, sword training.

My sparring partner was a different knight today—another C-rank. Strong, fast, precise. I barely held my own. My bruises stacked up like badges of failure.

Still, I never quit. I took every hit and stood again.

Then came the real pain.

"Sit," Gareth ordered.

I did. Cross-legged, grounded. The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon, casting long shadows across the field.

"Circulate your aura."

I obeyed.

It still burned. Every time I forced that energy through my body, it felt like steel wire grinding through my veins. But I pushed through. If I couldn't handle this pain now, how the hell was I going to survive what came next?

Two hours later, the pain hadn't lessened. I still couldn't properly circulate aura. I could feel it… almost grasp it… but not fully. I wasn't there yet.

Still, I stayed. Practiced a little longer. Until the sun finally disappeared, and night embraced the fortress.

Unlike the other knights, I didn't live in the shared quarters. I had my own room and private washroom—leftover privilege from the name Thorne. Most knight cadets had to share until they became official knights at B+ rank. That's when they were assigned duties across the federation—some joined guilds, some served the main family, others were posted in special territories.

The Thorne training system was practically its own kingdom—tight, hierarchical, efficient. Like a forge that broke you down and reshaped you.

Only thing I hated? No mirror. Not in my room, at least. There were some in the shared bathhouses, but… I never got to really see myself. I only caught glimpses in the reflection of my blade or water.

And that wasn't enough.

I knew how I was supposed to look—black hair like the midnight sea, black eyes like voids ready to consume the world. Kael Thorne was described as more handsome than even the protagonist… maybe even comparable to the elves.

But I'd never truly seen myself.

Tomorrow, I'd ask Liana to get me a small mirror.

---

Later that night, after I ate with Liana—who laughed when I told her about the mirror but still promised to bring one—I sat down to meditate.

Time to train my mana.

Cross-legged again, breathing steady, I circulated it slowly.

One… two… three flames ignited around my palm. Control was getting easier. Not perfect, but easier.

I tried water next. Failed miserably.

Maybe… just maybe… I really did have an affinity for fire.

And so passed another day. Exhausting. Bruising. But full of progress.

That was how the next two months passed.

Brutal training. Aura grinding my bones. Mana flowing like fire through my veins. Days of pain, nights of healing, and every morning—another battle.

But I endured.

Because I had no other choice.

Two months had passed since I joined the knight training.

Not a long time.

But not short either.

And in those two months, I had changed.

I had grown stronger. Faster. Tougher.

But that wasn't the only thing that had changed.

---

Clank! Clank!

Steel rang out as our swords clashed again.

Right now, I was sparring with Daren—yeah, the same Daren who had wiped the floor with me the first time we fought.

But now?

Now it was different.

He was still beating me... but not nearly as badly as before.

---

His blade came down in a sharp arc from above.

I raised my katana and parried the strike with a grunt, metal grinding against metal.

Then I stepped in, slashing horizontally toward his side.

He moved with that same uncanny smoothness, stepping just out of reach and countering with a slash of his own.

I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade, and followed up with another strike—

He backed off, then burst forward with sudden speed.

I dodged the blow again—but didn't see the kick coming.

Thud!

His foot slammed into my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs.

I crashed to the ground, my katana slipping from my fingers and skidding across the dirt.

Cold steel pressed against my neck.

"Yield," Daren said flatly.

I stared up at him, panting hard, frustration burning in my chest.

"...Yield," I muttered through clenched teeth.

He smiled faintly, then sheathed his sword.

Without a word, he reached out his hand.

I hesitated for a second—then took it.

He pulled me back to my feet.

"That's twenty-five to zero," Daren said, grinning smugly.

He extended a hand to help me up. Again.

"You cheated," I muttered, brushing the dirt off my clothes.

He raised an eyebrow. "Cheated? How?"

"It was a sword spar. And you kicked me. Since when does sword fighting involve booting someone in the gut?"

Daren crossed his arms and shook his head. "Stop whining like a baby. In real fights, you use everything. If you don't—you die."

"Yeah, yeah..." I sighed. "Just admit it—if we were using only sword skills, I'd have you."

He scoffed, patting my shoulder like I was a toddler with a wooden stick.

"Keep dreaming, Kael-boy. You're still too early to touch me."

---

As we bickered, two other knights-in-training approached us—guys I often trained with.

One of them, John, had short blond hair and sharp brown eyes.

The other, Nicholas, had messy dark brown hair and jet-black eyes, his expression always unreadable.

"Got your ass handed to you again, pretty boy?" John smirked.

I rolled my eyes and pointed at Nicholas.

"Oh? Just like you got beat by Nicholas last week?"

Nicholas chuckled. John's smirk faltered.

John, a C- Rank aura user, wasn't bad—but his spear skills were sloppy.

He had never beaten Nicholas in a duel, and he hated when anyone brought it up.

John turned toward me with mock offense.

"Oh? So you wanna go now? See who wins, pretty boy?"

"Why are you bullying me?" I sighed dramatically. "You know I'm still two major ranks below you. And stop calling me pretty boy. I'm not pretty—I'm handsome. Big difference."

I struck a mock side pose, one hand brushing my bangs back.

Nicholas stifled a laugh.

John just rolled his eyes.

"Handsome? Bro, you're prettier than half the girls in this fortress. Black silky hair, pale skin, doe eyes—hell, sometimes I think you're a girl in disguise."

He wasn't exactly wrong.

The first time Liana brought me a mirror, even I was startled by my reflection. I looked more like a noble girl than a soldier.

But now—after months of training—there was muscle on my frame. Strength in my posture. I was changing. Slowly.

Still, I couldn't deny it. I did look a bit too... refined.

---

As we continued our usual back-and-forth, Daren glanced past us.

"Enough. We should go."

"Go where?" I asked.

He tilted his head toward the path.

I turned.

And saw her.

Liana, walking toward us, her calm presence cutting through the afternoon haze.

---

Nicholas grinned the moment he spotted her.

"Oh yeah, we definitely need to leave. Let the lovebirds have their moment."

I snapped toward him.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"Right, right," John added with a wink. "You just eat every meal together and spend all your free time with her. Totally normal friendship."

Nicholas smirked.

"Some guys have it lucky, huh? We clean our own gear, wash our uniforms, and drag our tired bodies to dinner—while this guy gets everything delivered with a smile."

I sighed. "She's just a friend. More like a sister, really."

They all looked at me like I'd just said I bathe in cold mud by choice.

"Yeah yeah, they all say that," Daren chuckled. "Right before the kissing starts."

"Can you guys just—"

"Alright, we're out." Daren said as Liana reached us.

The three of them gave her a polite wave.

"Good afternoon, Liana," they said in near-unison.

She nodded, smiling softly. "Afternoon."

And just like that, they were gone—leaving me alone with her.