Break (1)

Pain.

A dull, throbbing ache in my arm, pulsing in sync with my heartbeat. It was the first thing I registered as I drifted back to consciousness.

I opened my eyes.

A pristine white ceiling greeted me, the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. I glanced down, noting the tightness around my arm. A cast. Suspended in a sling.

I exhaled slowly.

I was in the *Royal Hospital.*

Shifting slightly, I scanned the room. Other injured students occupied the beds around me, their bodies wrapped in bandages, their breathing shallow. Some were unconscious. Others lay awake, staring at nothing.

*They really bought it.*

After the incident, the Holy Knights had come, recovered the unconscious students—including myself—and transported us here. I had been out for two days.

From what I had gathered, the Holy Knights had already issued an official statement.

The attack on the academy was labeled an act of terrorism. A coordinated assault by *infidels*—fanatics who worshipped demons.

They had accused members of other races of orchestrating the attack, stoking the flames of existing tensions. A convenient scapegoat.

And Doyle?

The official report stated that he had *self-destructed* from an overdose of demonic energy.

A neat little lie.

It was easier that way. A simple story. One that required no further investigation. No lingering questions.

But the real tragedy?

**230 students were dead.**

---

The *Holy Knights.*

The so-called *Shield of Humanity.*

They weren't just warriors. They were zealots. Fanatics dressed in divine garb, wielding authority in one hand and a blade in the other.

Their role was simple—to serve the church, uphold its doctrine, and purge heresy wherever it arose.

It was their *truth* that shaped the world.

And in this world, truth was whatever the church decided it to be.

---

A knock at the door.

I didn't react as it swung open.

Sophia stepped inside, golden hair slightly disheveled, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. Despite that, her posture remained rigid, her presence sharp.

She looked at me, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"You're awake," she said.

I didn't respond.

A tense silence stretched between us before she finally spoke again.

"Why?"

I met her gaze.

"Why did you go after Doyle?" she demanded. "If you were just going to get yourself injured, what was the point?!"

Ah.

She was *angry.*

I tilted my head slightly. "I stumbled upon the chamber by accident."

A blatant lie. A *terrible* one.

And from the way her expression darkened, she knew it.

But I didn't care.

I stood up.

"Julius—"

I walked past her without a word.

She clenched her fists. "Damn it, Vaelorian, at least *pretend* to care!"

I didn't stop.

Didn't even look back.

Her anger, her frustration—it didn't matter.

Nothing did.

---

The academy would be closed for a two-week period.

A temporary suspension, a time for *mourning.*

Officially, at least.

In reality, it was an opportunity for the academy to tighten security. A chance for the Holy Knights to conduct their *investigation.*

An investigation that would, inevitably, lead nowhere.

It didn't matter.

I had no intention of wasting those two weeks.

---

The carriage ride back to my estate was quiet.

Joseph was the first to greet me upon my return.

And he wasn't alone.

Standing beside him were three figures I hadn't seen in months.

Adrian Vaelorian.

My older brother.

Lysandra Vaelorian.

My cousin.

And, of course—

Blake.

My younger half-brother.

They greeted me the way they always did.

With forced smiles and thinly veiled contempt.

"Julius," Adrian said evenly.

"Welcome home," Lysandra added.

Blake, however, was far less subtle. His sneer was evident, his voice dripping with disdain.

"I see you managed to survive somehow. A shame."

I met their gazes.

Then, without a word, I walked past them.

---

The door to my room clicked shut behind me.

I let out a slow breath.

Then, I spoke.

"System."

A red window flickered into existence before me.

**[SYSTEM MESSAGE]**

**Congratulations. You have completed the first quest.**

**Reward: ???**

I clicked the reward.

**You have obtained: Hellfire.**

I stared at the words.

Then, slowly, I raised a hand.

A flame flickered to life in my palm.

Black and crimson, twisting unnaturally, the fire danced between my fingers—alive in a way ordinary flames weren't.

*Hellfire.*

A power that burned beyond flesh. That *consumed.*

I watched the flame, its glow reflecting in my eyes.

Then, I turned, stepping onto the balcony.

The wind was cold. The sky stretched endlessly above.

I clenched my fist, snuffing out the fire.

I had spent so much time hiding. Manipulating. *Surviving.*

For what?

Why settle for survival—

When I could *conquer?*

A chuckle escaped me.

A thought. A certainty.

*"Change of plans."*

*"Why should I hide in the shadows—"*

*"When I can stand above them all?"*