CHAPTER 17: TODAY AT LAST

The Grand Fighting Hall of House Valerius roared with anticipation, its high-vaulted ceiling catching the echo of hundreds of murmured voices. Braziers lined the walls, bathing the stone floor in a molten glow. The arena was an open circle carved from obsidian slabs. It stood as the testing ground where heirs were forged... or broken.

Kaelen stepped onto the platform, his boots striking the polished blackstone with measured calm. The crowd quieted at his presence. He carried no visible tension, only the quiet, unwavering strength earned from years of exile and struggle. Across from him stood Lyren, his younger half-brother, shoulders squared, jaw tight, eyes burning with restless determination. Today, he would prove himself before the House, before their father, before everyone.

At the far end, seated upon a raised dais, Lord Valerius watched with his usual cold, unreadable expression. Beside him, Lady Evelina Valerius sat resplendent in crimson silks, her poise perfect, though her sharp gaze betrayed a flicker of suppressed agitation. At her right stood a newcomer, who wasn’t new to the house. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his long cloak embroidered with flickering patterns of fire runes.

Salyer Hammon, Evelina’s brother, a mage of renown from one of the most powerful fire clans, had arrived without prior word. His presence sent whispers cascading through the gathered nobles.

"Why is the Hammon heir here?" someone whispered behind Joanna, who stood cloaked in shadow at the far end of the hall, blending into the stone pillars. Her hood obscured her face, but her sharp amber eyes watched Kaelen’s every movement, calmly with deep intentions.

Lord Valerius glanced coldly at him before speaking.

"What brings you unannounced to my house, Salyer? He asked coldly.

Salyer smiled sheepishly, pretending like he was not in the wrong.

"Oh...dearest in-laws, I came to visit my sister and nephew...’’

"It seems the house of Hammon has no boundaries," Lord Valerius roared , before focusing back on the pit.

Salyer grew furious by his mockery but hid it with a sly laughter.

"Let’s say I enjoy your house more than me!"

Salyer leaned closer to Evelina, his gaze sweeping the arena before settling on Kaelen. A thin, disdainful smile curved his lips.

"That’s him?" he murmured, his voice like rolling embers. "The outcast you failed to rid us of?"

Evelina’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing.

Salyer straightened, his voice loud enough for Lyren to hear across the floor.

"Crush him, Lyren. Make sure to shatter his pride and show the House who the true heir should be."

At his words, the crowd tensed.

Lyren’s grip on his twin blades tightened. "I will," he hissed under his breath, glaring at Kaelen as if the mere sight of him was an insult.

Across the hall, Kaelen remained silent, his expression unreadable.

The ceremonial bell tolled once.

Lyren launched forward first, his twin blades flashing in arcs of molten steel, infused with sparks of fire magic inherited from Evelina’s bloodline. Kaelen stepped aside, parrying with calculated precision, his movements fluid yet unhurried. Every time Lyren struck, Kaelen countered with effortless grace.

The audience leaned forward, gasping as Lyren unleashed a roaring strike, flames bursting along his blade only for Kaelen to pivot and deflect it with a single flick of his wrist. Sparks rained down around them.

"Fight me seriously!" Lyren snarled, his frustration mounting. "Stop mocking me!"

Kaelen’s lips curved faintly, his voice low but cutting through the noise.

"I am but it seems you’ve gotten worse since we last fought"

The words stung deeper than steel.

Five minutes passed, Lyren panting, sweat clinging to his brow, his attacks growing wild and unrefined. Kaelen, by contrast, moved like shadow and flame very precisely, unrelenting, devastating.

Then, in one clean motion, Kaelen slipped past Lyren’s guard, twisting his opponent’s wrist and driving him to his knees. His blade hovered an inch from Lyren’s throat.

Gasps rippled through the hall.

"Yield," Kaelen said softly.

Lyren roared and attempted one last strike, but Kaelen disarmed him in a single, fluid motion. The younger brother fell to the ground, his blades clattering across the obsidian floor.

Defeated.

Shamefully, utterly defeated.

Silence hung like a noose. It was expected for some who had witnessed Kaelen defeating the beast a few days ago. This was just a confirmation that his power had grown.

"Kaelen..." hisses Lady Evelina

"Lyren didn’t stand a chance."

From the dais, Evelina’s hands tightened around the armrest until her knuckles whitened. Her perfect composure cracked for the briefest moment, her narrowed eyes flashing contempt at Kaelen’s effortless dominance.

Salyer, however, was less restrained. He stepped forward, his voice carrying across the hall like rolling thunder:

"Lyren, you disappoint me. Have you forgotten the power of your bloodline?!"

Lyren avoided his uncle’s gaze, fists trembling.

Salyer turned his scorn on Kaelen, his voice dripping with venom:

"And you... Outcast. Don’t mistake this for acceptance. That win means nothing without the Ember Ledger."

At those words, Kaelen merely inclined his head slightly, unbothered.

"Gullible Foul!" Kaelen muttered under his breath before leaving.

From her shadowed corner, Joanna’s amber eyes remained fixed on Kaelen, her expression unreadable. But when Salyer’s glare swept past her, his jaw clenched, fury sparking like flint.

"Even she watches him now?" he muttered beneath his breath, his tone cold. "This is totally unacceptable."

Lord Valerius, as always, betrayed nothing. Rising from his seat, he left without a word, his heavy cloak brushing past Evelina as if she were invisible.

Later, behind closed doors, the air between Evelina and Salyer was thick with tension.

"You’ve failed," Salyer said flatly, pacing before the tall windows where the rain traced silver veins against the glass. "Our years of planning, and still you allowed him to walk back into this House."

Evelina, seated at her vanity, brushed her dark hair slowly, her reflection calm though her eyes blazed in the mirror. "I didn’t allow anything, Salyer. His father brought him back, not me."

Salyer slammed his palm against the table, the wood groaning under his strength. "Excuses! All you keep doing is give excuses. If Lyren had won today, we could have silenced Kaelen for good. Now? The House whispers about him. The Council watches. And Joanna...I heard powerful rumours that might shake our foundation" his voice sharpened, "...even Joanna shows interest in him."

Evelina’s hand stilled mid-stroke. "Joanna’s interest is meaningless," she said coolly. "The Ember Ledger speaks louder than her curiosity. Kaelen’s name was stricken years ago, and it will remain so."

Salyer turned, firelight catching the edges of his sharp features. His voice dropped, low and dangerous:

"Then act, Evelina. Before whispers turn to doubt. Before he takes everything."

She met his gaze, unflinching. "And what would you have me do? Murder my stepson in his sleep? That would bring more shame upon us than his return ever could."

"You might as well consider that since the option is not far fetched. He lives under your roof," her brother imposed.

"But also under his father’s protection, even the house of Soltair wants him safe for their own benefit. That alone is risky to employ." She revealed.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Salyer leaned closer, his words a quiet warning:

"Think and act fast, sister... or you’ll regret it. Don’t bring shame to the Hammon name."

He left without another word, the heavy doors slamming shut behind him.

Back in his chambers, Lyren raged. He threw vases as they shattered against the stone walls, bookshelves overturned, shards of broken glass littering the floor. Servants cowered by the door, too frightened to intervene.

"How?!" Lyren roared, smashing a porcelain lamp into the ground. "How could I still lose to him?!"

One trembling servant dared to speak: "M-my lord, perhaps rest..."

"GET OUT!" Lyren’s voice cracked like fire against dry wood. The servants fled in a panic.

A sudden, sharp sound cut through the chaos.

A slap.

Evelina stood in the doorway, her crimson gown flowing like liquid flame, her hand still raised from striking her son.

"You shame yourself," she hissed, her voice slightly venomous. "Do you think breaking furniture makes you stronger? You failed because you are weak, Lyren. Because you hesitated. Because you let your emotions rule you."

Lyren stared at her, jaw clenched, chest heaving. "I’ll kill him," he whispered hoarsely. "I’ll kill Kaelen if it’s the last thing I do."

Evelina’s lips curved into a cold, approving smile. "Good," she murmured, brushing her fingers against his cheek. "Hate him. Let that hatred sharpen you... until nothing can stand in your way."

Tiara hidden in a dark cloak in the low warden received a letter from an unknown source. It was marked with golden blood and sealed with patterns only she could unlock. The edges were sharpened with veins different from anything she had ever encountered.

After hours of trying to unlock the patterns, it finally opened but with a warning.

"You pry too deep...you better out for your head! Destroying one candle will only lead to another"

Instantly the smell of gasoline and ash choked her nose, she rushed out through the window.