Chapter 383: THE HEARTBREAKING NEWS
The night was quiet, the secret courtyard of the Grey family illuminated by soft moonlight filtering through the trees. The silence carried a weight of memories—the kind both Morris and Drake had long tried to bury.
Drake stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the old stone fountain in the middle of the courtyard. His usually proud shoulders seemed heavier now, his expression softened. Morris arrived slowly, still dressed in his clothes he arrived there with, the faint traces of fatigue from their journey still visible on his face.
For a while, neither spoke. The only sound was the trickle of water from the fountain.
At last, Drake turned. His eyes, once filled with superiority whenever they landed on Morris, now carried something else—regret.
"Morris," Drake began, his voice low, almost hesitant, "I’ve been meaning to say this for a long time."
Morris kept his gaze steady, but his fists clenched slightly at his sides.
Drake stepped closer. "Back at the Academy, I made things harder for you. I belittled you, bullied you... all because I thought being the elder brother meant standing taller by pushing you down." His lips tightened as guilt rippled across his face. "But I was wrong. I was just... insecure. You didn’t deserve any of it."
The courtyard fell silent again, the confession hanging heavy in the air.
Morris looked down at the ground, memories of his brother’s cruelty surfacing—times when Drake mocked his talent, belittled his achievements, and reminded him he would never measure up. Yet... those days felt so far away now.
Finally, Morris lifted his eyes. His voice was calm, but it trembled slightly.
"Drake... I resented you for years. Every word you spoke cut deep. But now... now that Father and Mother are gone, I realize we don’t have the luxury of staying divided anymore."
Drake’s eyes widened slightly.
Morris stepped closer, his tone steady. "You’re still my brother. And despite everything, I accept you. I don’t want to hold on to the past anymore."
For the first time in years, Drake’s stern composure cracked. His lips quivered, and he quickly looked away, as though ashamed to be seen so vulnerable. But before he could reply, Morris placed a hand firmly on his shoulder.
"We’re all that’s left of our family, Drake. Let’s carry their legacy together."
Drake lowered his head and finally nodded, his voice thick. "...Thank you, Morris."
Not far from them, under the shadow of an old oak, Kang watched the brothers from a distance. At his side stood Ethan, his son, his expression curious as he too witnessed the moment of reconciliation.
Kang placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, speaking in a grave but gentle tone.
"Ethan, you see what’s happening there? Family is fragile. Bonds are harder to protect than battles are to win."
Ethan looked up at his father, nodding quietly.
Kang continued, "No matter what the future holds—whether you become stronger than me, or carve your own path—remember this above all else: keep Morris safe. He is a pillar you cannot allow to fall."
Ethan’s eyes flickered with determination as he nodded firmly. "I understand, Father."
A proud smile crept onto Kang’s face. He squeezed Ethan’s shoulder, his voice carrying a rare warmth.
"Good. You’ve come farther than I ever dreamed. I’m proud of you, son."
Ethan’s chest swelled at the words, his heart racing with both pride and responsibility.
And in that quiet courtyard, as two brothers reconciled and a father entrusted his son with the weight of a promise, the legacy of the Grey family—fractured and fragile—began to weave itself whole again.
---
The moonlight still shimmered faintly over the Grey family’s secret courtyard. Drake and Morris now sat beneath the old stone lanterns, the silence between them no longer sharp, but hesitant, fragile. Their earlier words lingered in the air like balm on an old wound. Kang’s low, steady voice carried across the courtyard as he spoke to Ethan, who stood with his head bowed, listening intently. The atmosphere was one of mending and quiet pride.
Just then, soft footsteps approached. Kaelen appeared at the edge of the courtyard, his presence calm yet firm. His robes carried the faint scent of herbs—Lila had finally fallen asleep in the bedchambers.
Seeing him, the tension in the courtyard eased further. Morris managed a small smile, and even Drake, though composed, let out a long breath as if Kaelen’s arrival helped anchor the fragile bond he had just reforged with his younger brother.
"You’ve all been carrying heavy burdens," Kaelen said, his tone warm, encouraging. "But for tonight, at least, you should allow yourselves this peace. Lila is resting, and she would want the same for all of you."
A more amiable air settled. Even Kang, who rarely softened his expressions, gave Kaelen a respectful nod, while Ethan’s eyes brightened with relief. For a moment, it felt like the shadows that had chased them for so long were finally held at bay.
But Kaelen’s expression soon shifted, his brow furrowing as the weight of another thought pressed on him. He turned to Drake, his voice steady but edged with concern.
"Drake... I need to ask. What of the Pillars of the Academy? And Vice Chancellor Reeves? Where are they now?"
The courtyard grew still. Morris’s breath caught, and Ethan exchanged a nervous glance with his father. Kaelen’s question seemed to slice through the fragile peace they had managed to build.
Drake lowered his gaze, his shoulders heavy with grief he could no longer mask. His lips parted, but for a moment, no words came. When he finally spoke, his tone was quiet—yet every syllable carried the weight of heartbreak.
"They’re gone, Kaelen," Drake said hoarsely. "The Pillars... Vice Chancellor Reeves... all of them. They’ve passed away."
The words crashed over the courtyard like thunder, shattering the warmth that had begun to take root. The flickering lantern light suddenly seemed dimmer, the night colder.
Kaelen stood in silence, his jaw tightening as the truth sank in.
Drake’s lips quivered. His usual fiery tone was gone, replaced with something brittle, as though each word tore at his chest. "Reeves... General Cao... and Forbes Hernandez. They were all slain—by Endless. Back in Valoria. It happened right after you and Kelvin vanished with the Pandora’s power. After ensuring that both you and Kelvin along with the others have safely gotten away from there, they quickly decided to flee themselves. But Endless wasn’t letting that happen as he end there lives with nothing more than a snap..."
Despite hearing what Drake is saying with a heavy heart, a particular name struck Kaelen like a blade to the heart. Forbes Hernandez. The mysterious swordsman. The strongest student in Pace Setters Academy and the one who always had stood so firm, so enigmatic—cut down, just like that. His chest ached with a heaviness he hadn’t felt in years, and for a heartbeat, his mind replayed every fleeting moment he’d shared with Forbes. That unspoken respect between warriors, now turned to ash. His throat tightened, but no sound came out.
Drake’s eyes were rimmed red now, his voice breaking further as he continued.
"And it didn’t end there... Carmilia Vlahović, and Bowen—they fell too. The Celestials and their Hybrids came for Lila. They wanted her. Because of her bloodline according to Neana. And the three of them... they threw their lives away to stop them from taking her."
The words slammed into Kaelen’s chest like a hammer. His jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached, and mana around him stirred uncontrollably. The atmosphere thickened, pressing down on everyone in the courtyard. Even breathing became difficult. The walls themselves groaned, as if they feared what was being birthed in his silence.
The thought that Celestials—the gods of this world—and their abominable creations had their eyes fixed on Lila carved into his heart like a cruel brand. His fists tightened until his knuckles cracked, and for a terrifying moment, the storm within him threatened to erupt.
"Kaelen, Calm down!! It’s all in the past now!" Morris hurriedly said when he was having it extremely difficult to breathe along with the others.
Seeing that... Kaelen closed his eyes. He drew a long, ragged breath, forcing the flood of rage and grief back into the depths of his soul. Slowly, the suffocating pressure in the courtyard eased.
"What has happened to Hybrids lately? We didn’t see a single one while coming back" Kaelen suddenly asked after he gave in some thought of how his journey back here went.
"They are now extinct" Drake said with a wry smile on his face. "Extinct?" Kaelen asked with a surprised tone.
"Yeah, apparently, Lila went to their domain to fully awaken her bloodline. And in the process, she was chased by the entirety of the race. But with the help of Neana tribesmen, and strangely enough, Endless forces who were also after Lila, they got wiped out" Drake calmly explained with mocking smile on his face.
"Well, that was unexpected. For such an esteemed race to just go extinct at this time is just sad" Morris suddenly said while shaking his head.
As for Kealen, his lips parted, and though his tone was calm, it carried the bitterness of a thousand storms.
"Kelvin..." His gaze lowered to the floor, shadow veiling his expression. "...how will he bear this? To hear that his father—Bowen—is gone?"