Ch-5 “Raizen: The Forgotten Brother”

The world still hadn't fully returned.

Vareon stood frozen, trapped somewhere between now and then—his body in the imperial palace, his mind lost in the depths of memories stirred by Kazuki's voice.

It was no ordinary recollection.

It was deliberate.

Kazuki's narration flowed smoothly, subtly, like a calm river concealing dangerous currents. Vareon didn't even realize when his gaze drifted across the imagined classroom, settling on a familiar face sitting just a few desks ahead.

Raizen.

A younger Raizen—neatly dressed, back straight, attention pinned to the front of the class. Not a strand of hair out of place. Book open. Quill poised. Watching everyone else with quiet judgment, as if the entire class were merely background noise to his existence.

[Backstory — Raizen: The Mind Behind the Mask]

Raizen always looked like the perfect student. A rule-follower. A teacher's favorite. A nerd, as most called him.

But appearances... were a façade.

In truth, Raizen carried the heart of someone far more complex. Though he rarely engaged in small talk, and though he'd chastise others for disrupting the lesson, he was never unkind.

He simply knew his place in the world—or rather, the place he believed he had to earn.

And perhaps most people never knew this, but Raizen was the biological son of the same royal who adopted Darius. He grew up beside the silent boy everyone feared and misunderstood. And while Raizen never said it aloud, he always saw Darius as a younger brother.

He was confused by Darius's behavior. Hurt, even.

But he never blamed him.

Not once.

When Darius stared into space instead of answering a question... Raizen covered for him.When others mocked his silence... Raizen silenced them with logic and cold glares.When rumors of Darius's bloodline swirled like poison... Raizen ignored them. Or rather, chose to believe in something more.

That was Raizen—kind at his core, though guarded in expression.

And behind those glasses, those monotone replies, and scholarly focus was a mind unmatched in the academy. In pure knowledge, no student rivaled him. Whether it was spirit resonance theory, history of ancient clans, or elemental formulas, Raizen knew it all.

But he was also proud.

Deeply, dangerously proud.

If someone insulted him publicly or wounded his ego—he never forgot. He never forgave. He didn't strike back with fists, but with icy precision. People learned to speak to him respectfully not out of fear, but because his mind could humiliate you before you even realized you'd lost.

And yet… as he matured, so did his restraint.He grew wiser. Softer, perhaps—not in knowledge, but in humanity.

[Back to the Classroom – Vareon's Memory Loop]

Back in the vision, young Vareon blinked and looked at Raizen once more—now seeing beyond the stiff back and rule-following exterior. He was remembering what he had forgotten: Raizen's quiet strength. His protectiveness over Darius. His buried emotion.

In the present, Vareon's lips quivered.

Still... no words.

Kazuki's voice continued, slow and composed, layering past upon past—each truth hitting like a chisel against a crumbling wall.

And the worst part?

Vareon didn't want to stop it.