Chapter 57: A Sibling's Wrath
Lyrian exhaled as he stepped into his room, shutting the door behind him. His muscles ached from the brutal training with Varos, every movement sending dull pain through his limbs. The weighted exercises had pushed him beyond exhaustion, and the strain of controlling his mana had left his head pounding. He barely had the energy to think.
All he wanted was to collapse onto his bed.
But before he could take a single step—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A sharp, rapid series of knocks echoed through the room. Lyrian frowned, rubbing his temple. Whoever it was, they weren't being subtle.
Another knock, more insistent this time.
With a sigh, he dragged himself toward the door, still rolling his sore shoulder. As soon as he twisted the handle and pulled it open—
SMACK.
A sharp sting spread across his cheek as his head jerked slightly to the side.
"Ow!" Lyrian snapped, blinking in shock.
Elyreina stood in front of him, arms crossed, her fiery crimson eyes narrowed into a glare. "Took you long enough."
Lyrian lifted a hand to his face, still processing the sting. "Was that really necessary?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Where have you been?"
Her tone wasn't just annoyed—it carried something heavier beneath it. Concern, frustration… worry.
Lyrian rubbed his cheek, sighing. "Training."
"For two days?"
He blinked. "Wait, two—"
"You weren't in your room yesterday," she cut in, stepping inside before he could react. "I came looking for you, but you were nowhere to be found. Do you know how worrying that is?"
Now inside, she took one proper look at him—at the bruises lining his arms, the slight stiffness in his posture. Her expression shifted instantly.
Her arms fell to her sides, her voice dropping. "…What have you been doing?"
Lyrian hesitated, glancing away. "Training," he repeated.
Elyreina stepped closer, eyes scanning him more carefully now. The faint bruising, the exhaustion in his stance—this wasn't just normal training.
"With who?" she demanded.
"Varos," Lyrian admitted.
She let out a sharp breath. Varos ? The rumored transcendent? Of course you'd find him of all people."
"we met him at Marlowe office that day you know? he was the one sitting next to Marlowe when we came in ," Lyrian said.
Elyreina questioned. "Wait that's varos ?." The rumored transcendent? What was he doing at Marlowe's office then.
"How would I know!"
She shook her head, crossing her arms again. "You do realize there are better ways to train than nearly breaking yourself, right?"
"I'm fine."
She gave him a flat look.
Lyrian sighed. "Mostly fine."
She let out a tired huff before walking past him. She grabbed a chair and sat down, still watching him closely. "You're impossible," she muttered.
Lyrian closed the door and leaned against it. "You came all this way just to scold me?"
"Yes."
There was no hesitation in her answer.
Lyrian huffed out a small laugh, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable."
"That makes two of us."
A beat of silence passed between them, the tension easing slightly.
Then, after a moment, Elyreina tilted her head. "So?"
Lyrian blinked. "So… what?"
She gave him a pointed look. "The tournament."
Lyrian barely stopped himself from groaning. "Not you too."
Elyreina smirked, resting her chin on her hand. "Come on. You have to know everyone's talking about it."
"I know," Lyrian muttered. The academy had been buzzing with anticipation lately—students preparing, eager to prove themselves, while others were excited about the senior-level matches. Some had even started making early predictions about who would rise to the top.
He just didn't care to get involved.
Elyreina studied him. "And? Are you entering?"
Lyrian let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think so."
She raised an eyebrow. "Not even a little tempted?"
"Not really."
Elyreina hummed, leaning back slightly. "Huh. That's a shame. Would've been fun to see you wipe the floor with some arrogant noble."
Lyrian rolled his eyes. "I'll leave that to you."
She grinned. "Tempting. But seriously," she tapped a finger against the chair's armrest, "you're getting stronger, Lyrian. A tournament wouldn't be the worst way to see where you stand."
Lyrian exhaled. "I know."
And he did. The thought had crossed his mind before, but…
He wasn't here for a tournament.
Elyreina seemed to pick up on his thoughts because she didn't press the matter. Instead, she stretched and stood up. "Well, you should at least rest before you actually collapse."
Lyrian smirked. "Now you care about my well-being?"
Elyreina shot him a look. "Shut up and get some sleep."
Lyrian chuckled as she walked toward the door, but just before leaving, she paused, glancing at him one more time.
"…Seriously," she said quietly, "don't push yourself too far."
Lyrian met her gaze, the weight of her concern settling between them.
Then, he gave a small nod. "I won't."
Elyreina lingered for a moment before nodding back and stepping out.
As the door closed behind her, Lyrian let out a deep breath and finally—finally—allowed himself to collapse onto the bed.