*****
Right now, Xylen sat motionless in his wheelchair, looking as though his spirit had departed him, his gaze blankly fixed on the people he hated the most in his life and considered the very embodiment of his life's tragedies.
These were the same half-siblings who had orchestrated Aurelia's demise in his past life, schemed against him, and ultimately caused his own death.
They had even hinted at knowledge of the fatal plane crash that had led to his mother's demise.
Recalling these memories, Xylen remained trapped in a haze, unable to respond even as time stretched on. Finally, one of his siblings broke the silence.
"My dear crippled elder brother," sneered an arrogant young man of seventeen, his smug grin spreading across his face, showing not even the slightest hint of respect.
"I've been praying for the day you'd show your miserable face here again to show so we can finally have the reason to kick your cursed self out of this glorious mansion."
"You thought we were bluffing when we told you a decade ago to stay hidden in that shadow and never dare to show your face again, didn't you?" one of his half-sisters chimed in, her tone laced with disdain.
"Since you clearly can't follow simple instructions, daring to come out and even show your face to the world, you can pack your things now and leave. You're no longer welcome here."
Hearing their icy, hateful, inhumane, and mockery words, Xylen flinched. Not from hurt, but from the clear familiarity of the scene.
It had unfolded almost exactly as this in his previous life after Aurelia's death.
These half-siblings of his had also united in their hatred and driven him out with similar venom in his past life, treating him like an unspeakable disgrace.
At last, Xylen returned to his senses, his eyes shifting to meet theirs one by one.
These faces, so full of malice, were etched deeply into his soul.
He hated them more than anything in the world now, probably even more than they hated him. So, staring at them now, the thought of inflicting unspeakable suffering upon them filled him to the brim, almost causing him to lose himself to darkness.
His expression hardened before he knew it, his eyes reflecting an unbridled rage and bloodlust that didn't go unnoticed.
In response, however, his siblings smirked at the sight, their mockery escalating.
They hurled even more insults and jeers at him, their words dripping with cruelty that one shouldn't even his enemy, talk more of a family.
Xylen, on the other hand, did not make a sound, instead, he let them speak, their venomous words washing over him, until finally:
"What exactly has been my crime against you all?" he asked, his voice cold and cutting.
In the next second, the room fell silent, no one expecting his sudden question.
But not waiting for them to react;
"Why do you hate me to this extent?" Xylen pressed, his tone chilling the air.
Hearing him, his siblings exchanged uneasy glances, surprised by Xylen's question.
They had assumed the outcome would be the same as it had always been, with Xylen too afraid to retort or challenge them.
They had even anticipated him groveling before them as he usually did, desperately pleading with them, but this...
They continued staring at him in a trance for a moment before finally;
"Do we need any special reason to despise someone like you?" the eldest among them, the first child of their father's second wife after Xylen scoffed.
"Exactly!" another chimed in, spitting her words venomously. "How could we not hate this ugly and disgusting sight of you?"
With this;
"Do you even know what a blemish you are to this family?"
"How many times have my friends laughed at me because our father's firstborn is a cursed cripple?"
"My crush even rejected me because of you, saying she couldn't risk having a child who might inherit your misfortune!"
Each sibling added their voice to the tirade, their words cutting deeper with every turn.
"You… you all…" Aurelia, trembling with anger and sorrow, couldn't hold back any longer. "How can you be so cruel to your own brother? Why?" she demanded, her voice quivering.
In response, however, they glared at her, one of the two half-sisters, who had always been filled with envy for Aurelia's beauty, spat hatefully;
"And since when does a mere servant have the right to interfere in our family matters?" she snapped.
"You dog, who…"
The barrage of insults continued until the eldest half-brother finally raised his voice.
"Since you've chosen to defy our authority!" he declared, his voice sharp and decisive.
"You are hereby expelled from the Asthorn estate from now till forever," he announced, his words causing Aurelia to gasp audibly.
"You… you all…"
"Sister." Xylen's voice, calm and firm, voice finally sounded, interrupting her.
Aurelia turned to him and became startled by the cold, emotionless expression on his face: one she had never seen before.
Before she could react…
"Let's go," he said simply, his words shocking everyone in the room, most especially Aurelia.
"You… where…" she stammered, but Xylen's tone remained steady.
"Trust me."
"I…" Tears instantly welled up in Aurelia's eyes, but still, she could only nod her head reluctantly.
"Let me gather our belongings," she muttered weakly, her voice so sorrowful that it tugged at Xylen's heart.
"Don't worry," he assured her, and hearing him, the room fell silent again, the air heavy with tension.
Aurelia was also dumbstruck, having no idea what Xylen was doing.
But since he already told her to trust him, she decided to do just that.
Gritting her teeth, she turned the wheelchair around and began to Xylen toward the door.
But just as they were about to leave:
Thud. Thud.
The sound of measured footsteps echoed through the room, loud and clear.
Everyone instantly frowned and looked toward the source.
But just then, the room froze, the source of the sound finally coming into view.
It was an imposing, majestic middle-aged man whose presence radiated pressure and authority.
The moment they saw him, the expressions of Xylen's siblings and the servants shifted to ones of apprehension.
Aurelia's face lit with hope, as though she had glimpsed light at the end of the tunnel, while Xylen's body trembled despite his stoic demeanor.
This man was his father—the one who had abandoned him since he was born because of his condition.
Just then;
"Master!" Aurelia cried out suddenly, leaving Xylen's wheelchair and rushing toward the man, desperation and pleading lacing her voice as she dropped to her knees.
As soon as Xylen's half-siblings saw this, they turned pale. But before they could react:
"They're throwing my brother out of the mansion! Please, help us!" Aurelia sobbed bitterly.
As soon as the man heard her report, a small frown formed on his face, his gaze falling on Aurelia momentarily.
Then he looked ahead, his eyes passing over Xylen as though he were invisible.
Xylen's half-siblings and the servants instantly bowed their heads, expecting a reprimand. But to everyone's astonishment, the man said nothing.
Instead, he lifted his foot, then as though nothing had anything to do with him, strode past them, ignoring Aurelia's plea and Xylen's presence entirely.
Witnessing this, the room descended into an oppressive silence, all jaws dropping to the ground in disbelief.