SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Welcome...home.”

”...”

”Welcome home?” Lady Anny repeated. ”I’m beginning to think coming here was a mistake.”

Lord Joe stared at Rowen.

”Your expression tells me that you already knew.”

”Yes.”

”Yes?” Lady Hinger gasped. ”You didn’t tell us!”

”The boy said his surname by himself in the academy that day.” Tell shrugged. ”It was obvious.”

”You knew too?!”

They returned their attention to Elias.

Meanwhile—

He tried. Jordan tried so hard to hide it.

He brought both hands up, pressed them to his face like a child caught crying in class. His shoulders shook but no sound came out.

From behind him, someone snorted. Then another.

The seven maidens who were basically Jordan’s shadow were now failing miserably at keeping their lips shut.

One of them bit her lip. Another’s shoulders trembled beneath her white robe. The one who had opened the door earlier, giggled. Jordan shot her a glare over his fingers, and she swallowed it.

He dropped his hands. His face was red. ”Don’t...don’t laugh.”

That was the trigger button. They covered their faces and turned around.

”Hey!” He looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor.

That was when Elias moved. He crossed the space in three strides. Just walked straight to his little brother.

Jordan flinched, expecting... he didn’t know what he was expecting. Elias reached up.

Tap.

He patted Jordan’s head.

The boy looked up slowly, eyes wet, jaw clenched.

Elias stared at him. At the height. At the messy hair. At the face that was like his own, just younger.

”You’re too tall for your age.”

Jordan blinked. ”...What?”

”I wasn’t expecting this. Are you competing with me now?”

”...”

This scene was new.

Jordan’s memories as a child had always involved hiding in a secluded corner, and watching the anomaly from a distance. Elias had given him a few occasional stares, but they had never come this close to each other. Talk less of measuring heights.

The laugh bubbled up from him before he could stop it. He clasped a hand over his mouth.

”I’m just...growing...”

He cleaned his face with the sleeve. ”I’ll be taller than you, very soon. Just you wait.”

”Nice try. Ain’t happening.” Elias snorted.

Elias glanced past him, scanning the room. The leading family. The students.

”Where is Brin?”

Jordan’s whole face lit up like someone had lit a lantern inside him.

”Brin?”

His eyes twitched in disbelief.

”Irue, she was born two days before you left.”

”Yeah. That one.”

”...”

”Did something happen to her?”

”..no...no.” He was already turning. ”I’ll go call her.”

And then he was gone. Bare feet slapping against the stone, with a terrifying speed, like a child seeking candy.

The maidens shrieked and scrambled after him, white robes and veils flying. ”Your highness, wait—”

”You’ll trip!”

”Your highness!”

The doors slammed shut behind them.

Silence.

Thick, awkward and heavy.

Tyler cleared his throat. ”...Right. He’s the heir...”

Lady Hinger’s smile was strained. ”The prince seems... energetic...right...everyone?”

They all glanced at her.

”No one? Okay...” she stepped back.

Now they allowed themselves to think. For now, reeling from the shock, they were still mildly saved. They haven’t directly offended him or anything, unlike someone, they didn’t blabber insults and yell at the sight of him.

Tyler slowly looked at Bora.

Since Jordan had turned to Elias, she had been staring at the ground, and even now, she was still looking down.

”...”

She slowly raised her head and met his stare. He blinked once.

She returned her eyes to the ground.

Elias slowly turned around and walked sideways to observe the paintings.

Tiana joined in the stare.

When Elias was touching every single painting and nodding, the leading family had joined in the stare.

And when he had finally observed everything, everyone was staring at Bora.

Aka, the silent judgement.

The door opened again, drawing all their attention.

Maidens and guards matched in, and right at the middle was a woman.

She didn’t waste time in closing the distance between her and Elias, and pulling him into a crushing hug.

”My son!”

”Step son.” He corrected.

”I don’t see any difference.” she shrugged.

He shoved her back slightly, then casually lifted her off her feet with her shoulder and dropped her sideways, away from his view.

”Where did you keep my mother’s body?” He began walking away.

”Shouldn’t you see your father first?” She ran after him.

”I plan to avoid him. I feel like he’ll kill me if we meet.”

”Too bad. He told me to escort you over.”

As they walked out the door, the head maiden stepped forward and bowed slightly.

”I’ll escort you all to your abodes. Please follow me.”

___

Elias was led up another dozens of stairs, leading to another wing in the palace. The private wing of the king.

”Come to think of it, what’s your name?”

She raised a brow. ”you don’t know my name?”

”Are you saying it or not?”

She smiled. ”Sienna. My name is Sienna.”

”I see...” he turned his gaze back to the direction they came from.

Hiding behind the pillars were children. No doubt his siblings. He turned around and walked in that direction. As he got closer, their whispered words got louder.

”We can’t just run up to him!” Brin whispered in a hush tone.

She looked more like Elias with her dark hair, and eyes.

”He asked me to call you though.” Jordan muttered.

”How did he know your name?” Another younger boy muttered.

”Jordan must have told him!” A little girl pointed her finger.

Jordan heaved a bored sigh. ”Like I said, I didn’t...”

He raised his head and saw Elias standing there.

His composure shattered, and he subconsciously rearranged his stance. ”I...”

He nudged Brin’s shoulder. ”I brought her.”

The girl looked away, while the rest hid behind Jordan.

Elias tilted his head. ”This is odd...”

They flinched.

”What is?” Sienna asked.

”I’m seeing this one for the first time, but it looks like they are already familiar with me.”

He turned around before Sienna could reply and continued his journey to his father’s private wing.

The children watched him with poker faces until he called over his shoulder.

”Let’s have a duel after I settle down.”

Their faces lit up.

Sienna ran after Elias.

”You remember those recording orbs always placed around the palace?”

He raised a brow. ”Really?”

”Yes. The children used to watch it everyday.”

”And?”

”They are familiar with the freak show you usually perform as a child.”

Elias stopped and turned to her.

”Freak show? Step mother?”

She turned around and ran away. ”Someone is calling me.”

He was left to proceed alone. He climbed the rocky ways and finally arrived at the door. With a casual nudge, he pushed it open.

Inside, it was dark. Only a single candle was lit. Smoke covered the dim lit room, and only the silhouette of a garment could be seen.

Elias stepped in, and shut the door behind him. Silence followed for a moment, until the silhouette moved.

He took the cigar out of his mouth, and blew the smoke into the dark.

”You used to have trouble pushing that door. Spent hours trying.”

Elias glanced back at the door. He had barely felt it when he came in, but it used to weigh a ton in the past.

”Well...yeah...”

Richard slightly leaned forward and dropped the cigar on a tray.

”Why? Why are you running away from home, Irue?”