Chapter 50: Four years.
(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don’t hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)
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Knock, knock, knock.
A sound, continuous knocking, echoed in the hallway of the Chronos mansion.
Knock, knock, knock.
After continuously knocking with no response from the inhabitant of the room.
The person immediately burst into the room.
Snore..snore
Iris looked at the sleeping figure of Orion on the bed, her eyes narrowing at the audacity of her nephew.
He knew this was the time for their training, yet he dared fall asleep. She definitely had to reward his courage one way or the other, but for now.
"Orion!" She called out, raising her voice as best as she could.
"Hmmm," Orion groaned out, sleep and laziness written over his face.
"Wake up, it’s time for our training," She announced.
That immediately caught Orion’s attention as he practically jumped out of his bed.
"Now!!" Orion shouted, disbelief written on his face.
Iris stared at her nephew, her eyes scanning him from his head to his feet. His change over the past four years had been remarkable, some parts more than others.
He now stood at approximately five feet and three inches. He had grown another ten inches the past four years, a small growth compared to his last one, at least according to his mother, but she had a feeling he still had one more in his future.
His hair had grown out even more, going past his shoulders. She had asked him why he wasn’t interested in cutting or at least trimming it. Apparently, he liked tying it in a bun, something about a character.
His height and hair aside, his face had grown more masculine; the whole chiselled chin and intense face was definitely in his DNA. He still had some baby fat on his cheeks, but even that was quickly shedding away.
All this at ten years, she really couldn’t remember much of Erevan’s stature and change when he was ten, but she was sure it wasn’t this pronounced; it was like the world was forcing Orion to mature faster.
But most importantly, his strength, which in itself was most terrifying, had completely skyrocketed beyond what was supposed to be possible.
"Stop staring at me like that, dear aunt, I hope you aren’t getting ideas," Orion said, his frown turning to a smirk.
She had almost forgotten. His words had gotten even bolder. When did ten-year-old kids start having such ideas? Aurora had been seriously searching for whoever had put such words in Orion’s mouth.
"Shut up, Orion, get dressed and meet me outside," Iris said, already immune to her nephew’s words.
"I thought we agreed no training today. Besides, have you stepped outside? That sun is going to end us." Orion argued, his mind set on continuing his well-deserved rest.
"Change of plans, and the sun isn’t that hot," Iris said simply.
Orion just stared at her with a deadpan expression.
"Aunt, there are far better ways to get rid of boredom than training and beating up a nephew" Orion said with an appeasing smile.
"I’m not bored," Iris protested, a small frown forming on her face.
Orion just stared at her.
"I just believe, considering you are resuming the academy very soon, you should get more training in." Iris reasoned.
"Come on, Aunt, getting stronger than I already am is just setting me up to bully my mates," Orion said with a chuckle.
"Is that arrogance I smell, very disgusting" Iris said, her nose crinkling in distate.
"No, it’s the truth," Orion said matter-of-factly.
"Besides, no last-minute unscheduled training under the burning sun is really going to change much at this stage," Orion said with a sigh, walking towards his bathroom while trying to tie his hair up.
"Excuses, Orion," Iris said, her eyes following him.
"No, not excuses, aunt, facts," He said, his voice muffled as he entered the bathroom.
Iris took her seat on his bed, her mind working on excuses to convince him to come train with her. Honestly, Orion was completely right; she was bored. It was somewhat infuriating how much he could read her now.
Orion soon walked out, his hair tied behind him in a bun the way he liked it, water dropping from his face, and a small towel around his face.
"If you’re really that bored, you could simply leave the estate and visit friends, or do you have none?" Orion teased.
In the past four years, he had never seen his aunt leave the mansion; surely she had to have people she missed in the outside world, but knowing her, she probably didn’t have much, the way she carried herself like some edgy teenager always amused Orion.
"You are really in no place to ask me such, Orion," Iris quipped back.
"Oh, dear aunt, that reply is going to grow outdated very soon, I assure you. I’m going to make many friends in the academy and in the future," Orion said with a chuckle.
Iris couldn’t refuse his claims, he was effortlessly friendly and social at least with most in he considers close or in his station.
"The academy isn’t exactly a place for making friends, Orion," Iris said with a sigh.
"I’ll take my chances, I’m the heir after all." He said with a smirk.
"We can play a game of chess, I’m also quite jobless after all, and thanks to someone interrupting, I won’t be able to fall asleep anytime soon," Orion said.
"I’m not really interested in that right now; it’s grown tiring," Iris said, hesitantly.
"Oh, are you scared, dear aunt? I promise to go easy on you." Orion teased.
"Of course not, I’m just not in the mood." She argued, frowning.
"You definitely are, no need to hide it." Orion continued.
He could see her face going red; if there was something he’d noticed about his stoic-faced aunt, she was easy to tease at least until she got used to it.
"You are on." She said, taking her seat opposite him, a frown on her face.
’And easy to rile up.’ Orion thought with a smile.