Breaking the curse (III)

Behind the Branmere mansion, two young boys could be seen standing off against each other. One walked forward with proud, confident steps. The other backed away slowly, staying calm but ready.

"Oh, Lux. No need to be so wary," Hel said, his fake smile getting wider. "I'm your brother, after all."

But his eyes told a different story. They were cold and hungry, like a cat watching a mouse. Every step he took forward was measured and deliberate. He wasn't just walking – he was hunting.

Lux kept backing up, his tired legs moving carefully over the uneven ground. His body screamed in protest from the morning's training, but his mind was sharp with fear. "Since when do you care about being brothers?" he asked, trying to buy time.

The courtyard behind the mansion was bigger than the front, but right now it felt like a cage. Stone walls rose up on three sides, with only one path back to the main house. Tall hedges lined the edges, casting long shadows in the afternoon light. There was nowhere to run.

"I've always cared," Hel said, tilting his head like he was confused by the question. "Maybe I haven't shown it well, but family is important, don't you think?"

His voice was sweet like honey, but Lux could hear the poison underneath. This was the same brother who had made his life miserable for years. The same one who found excuses to hurt him whenever their parents weren't looking. Now he was pretending to care?

"What do you really want?" Lux asked again, his back almost touching the stone wall now.

Hel stopped walking and put his hand to his chest, acting hurt. "Can't a brother just want to talk? Besides, I heard something interesting today."

Lux's heart skipped. "What did you hear?"

"Father mentioned that you've been training hard lately. Getting stronger." Hel's smile turned sharp. "He seemed almost... impressed."

There it was. The real reason Hel was here. Their father had noticed Lux's progress, and Hel couldn't stand it. In their family, Hel was supposed to be the strong one, the talented one, the heir. Lux was supposed to stay weak and forgotten.

"So what if I'm training?" Lux said, trying to sound braver than he felt. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is my business." Hel started walking forward again, his steps slower now, more threatening. "You see, I have a reputation to maintain. I can't have my weak little brother suddenly thinking he's strong."

The afternoon sun was getting lower, making the shadows longer and darker. Lux could feel the rough stone wall pressing against his back. His legs felt like jelly from exhaustion, but he forced them to hold him up.

"I'm not trying to compete with you," Lux said, though they both knew that wasn't entirely true.

"Aren't you?" Hel was close now, only a few steps away. "Then why are you training in secret? Why are you getting stronger without telling anyone?"

Lux's mouth went dry. How much did Hel actually know? Had he seen the system messages? Did he know about the quest?

"I just want to be able to protect myself," Lux said honestly.

"Protect yourself from what?" Hel's voice dropped lower, more dangerous. "From who?"

The question hung in the air between them. They both knew the answer. Lux wanted to protect himself from Hel. From the beatings, the cruel jokes, the constant fear. And Hel knew it too.

"You ungrateful little brat," Hel whispered, his friendly mask finally slipping away completely. "I've been going easy on you all these years, and this is how you repay me? By training to fight back?"

Lux's survival instincts kicked in fully now. His tired body flooded with energy he didn't know he had. "Maybe I'm tired of being your punching bag."

Hel's face twisted with anger. "Then let me remind you why you should stay weak."

He lunged forward, his fist aimed straight at Lux's face. But something strange happened. Time seemed to slow down. Lux could see the punch coming like it was moving through water. His body, trained and pushed to its limits for days, reacted without thinking.

He dodged to the side.

Hel's fist hit the stone wall with a loud crack. He screamed in pain and rage, pulling his hand back and shaking it. "You little—"

"What is going on here?"

Both boys froze. The voice was calm but carried absolute authority. They turned to see Maskl standing at the edge of the courtyard, his usually kind face hard as stone.

The old butler took in the scene with sharp eyes. Hel standing too close to Lux, his hand bleeding from hitting the wall. Lux pressed against the stone, clearly trapped. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut.

"Young Master Hel," Maskl said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Step away from your brother. Now."

Hel's face went through several emotions at once. Anger, embarrassment, and something that looked almost like fear. But he was too proud to back down completely. "This is between me and him, old man. Family business."

"Family business?" Maskl stepped forward, and suddenly he didn't look like a gentle old butler anymore. He looked like someone who had seen real fights, real danger. "Is that what you call cornering an exhausted boy against a wall?"

"He's not that weak anymore," Hel said, cradling his injured hand. "He dodged me."

"And that bothers you?" Maskl's voice was getting colder. "That your brother is getting stronger?"

Hel opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. How could he explain without sounding like the bully he was?

"Young Master Lux," Maskl said without taking his eyes off Hel. "Go inside. Your bath is ready."

Lux didn't need to be told twice. He pushed off from the wall and started walking toward the mansion, his legs shaky but determined. As he passed Maskl, the old butler placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You did well," Maskl whispered, so quietly only Lux could hear.

But Hel wasn't done. "This isn't over," he called out, his voice full of promise and threat.

Lux stopped walking and turned around. For the first time in his life, he looked his brother straight in the eyes without fear. "No," he said simply. "It's not."

Then he walked into the mansion, leaving Hel alone with Maskl in the courtyard. Through the window, he could see the old butler talking to his brother in low, serious tones. Hel's face got paler and paler as Maskl spoke.

Whatever the butler was saying, it was working. Hel looked like a scolded child instead of a dangerous bully.

Lux made his way to his room, his heart still beating fast. His whole body was shaking, but not just from exhaustion anymore. He had dodged Hel's punch. His training was actually working.

For the first time since coming to this world, Lux felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope.

But he also knew Hel was right about one thing. This wasn't over. If anything, it was just the beginning. His brother would be back, probably angrier than before. Next time, Maskl might not be there to save him.

Next time, Lux would have to save himself.

As he sank into the warm bath water, washing away the sweat and fear of the day, Lux made a silent promise. He would get stronger. Strong enough to never feel trapped against a wall again.

Strong enough to fight back.