Chapter 20: Of Shadows, Swords, and the Weight of a Name
The school courtroom was dense with tension. It hung in the air like a storm about to break, thick and electric. Every seat was filled, whispers crawling like insects through the crowd as teachers, students, and the Holy Ones took their places.
You could hear it—the hum of voices, heavy with speculation and fear.
> "Why are this year first year students causing Chaos"
"Joel's face is wrapped in bandages… What the hell happened out there?"
Liorion Dante sat quietly on the Holy One's side at the court, eyes sharp behind his pale glasses. His fingertips tapped rhythmically on the wooden bench, a habit he picked up when something felt off.
"Something is strange," he murmured to himself, his voice lost to the noise. "Lucia, Isadora, Eren… and Kain's assistant, Kate. None of them are here. What are they doing?"
---
Astra Academy Garden
A sudden gust of wind swept across the academy gardens. Leaves swirled in the air as Isadora darted through, his boots striking the ground with speed and purpose.
His eyes burned with worry. "Come on, come on..." he muttered under his breath. Then without a pause, he activated his magic. With a powerful burst, he shot off the ground, wind spiraling beneath his boots.
Unbeknownst to him, in the shadows of the garden's statues, Eren stood watching. His sharp eyes narrowed as he followed Isadora's path with precision.
"I hope Kate hasn't done anything stupid..." Eren whispered, his voice barely audible. The look on his face betrayed more than concern — it was fear. A fear that someone might act out of grief.
---
Lucia's Office —
The room was too quiet.
Lucia sat elegantly behind his desk, arms folded as he watched Kate with a calm, unreadable gaze. The air between them felt like it might ignite.
Kate stood with her katana in hand, its edge gleaming in the lamplight. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes brimmed with unshed fury.
Lucia broke the silence, voice calm.
"If I may ask…"
Kate's eyes narrowed. Suspicion. Hurt. Anger.
Lucia smirked lightly.
"Hey, don't stare at me like that. It's unsettling."
She took slow steps toward him, the wood beneath her feet creaking.
"I never knew you really hated Kain," she said, voice trembling. "He was very special to me. Even if the school doesn't want to talk about his death yet… I will. I'll take the school law into my hands. And I'll kill you."
Lucia… smiled. Not cruelly. Just… tired.
"That's a brave thing for you to say."
Kate's grip on the katana tightened. She raised it.
But Lucia's words struck like a whip:
"Why is Kain so special to you? Who is he to you?"
Kate hesitated.
Lucia stood slowly, walking toward her with grace. He raised a hand — gently, almost delicately — and touched her cheek.
"Does Kain really value you the way you value him?"
The words hit her like a spell. Her whole body trembled.
She pushed his hand away.
"You're trying to break me," she whispered.
"No," he replied. "I'm trying to understand."
The silence in the hall crackled with unseen tension, as if the very walls had ears and the shadows held their breath.
Kate's gaze was sharp—razor-edged with fury, trembling beneath a blanket of unshed truths. Her lips quivered for just a heartbeat, then steadied like a blade drawn in the night. She turned toward Lucia, eyes gleaming with unspeakable pain.
"You are jealous of him... and you hated him from the beginning."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it rippled through the courtroom like a stone skipping across a still lake—each word slicing the air, leaving invisible wounds.
Lucia stared for a moment, then—abruptly—burst into laughter.
It wasn't the laughter of someone amused. No. It was bitter. Hollow. As though he were exhaling years of restraint in a single breath.
"Jealous? Hate?" he echoed with a tilt of her head, his eyes narrowing like storm clouds gathering at dusk.
His tone danced between mockery and sorrow, a tragic melody only the broken could truly hear.
"Kain was my close friend," Lucia said slowly, as if the words themselves had weight. "Before he was called a 'Holy One.' Before you ever showed up. Before the world saw him as a symbol... I saw him as a soul."
he stepped forward—but only to let go of the katana at her side. The blade fell with a quiet clang against the floor, a symbolic surrender, or perhaps a warning.
Lucia turned, walked away slowly, the sound of her boots echoing with unsettling calm. he returned to his seat with all the grace of someone who had already seen too much, lost too much.
he didn't face Kate when he spoke again.
But his words hung in the air like incense smoke—unmoving, yet unforgettable.
"If I may ask again... why is Kain that important to you?"
Kate didn't move.
The question coiled around her like a serpent, sinking its fangs into her mind.
It slithered beneath her skin, wrapping itself around every memory, every scar, every fleeting moment she had with him.
> Why is Kain that important?
The words echoed again.
> Why is Kain that important...?
And again.
— Years Ago, in the Dusty Streets of Dranell
Kate was younger then, carrying a bag of fruits from the market square. Her hair was tied in two rough braids. The sun was setting, casting the streets in gold.
Then she heard it.
Cries. Shouts. The sound of fists hitting flesh.
Down a dark alley, a young boy — no older than 10 — was being beaten by three grown men. His face was bloodied, and his body curled into itself.
Kate screamed.
"Stop! STOP! He's a child!"
She rushed in, grabbing the boy and shielding him with her own body.
The men growled.
"Why are you supporting a demon child?"
Kate was confused.
"Demon?"
One man — tall, scarred — spat on the ground.
"He's been stealing from everyone. Money, goods, even jewelry. We finally caught him. We'll drag him to the king if we must."
Kate stood tall, tears in her eyes.
"He's just a boy trying to survive. You don't punish desperation. You help it."
The man growled and raised a hand to strike her.
"Are you trying to hit a lady?"
The voice stopped everyone.
Kain emerged from the shadows, wearing his Astra Academy uniform. His badge gleamed.
The men's attitudes changed immediately.
"Oh— Kain! We didn't know you were here—"
Kain stepped forward, quiet but firm.
"Leave. Now."
They obeyed without a word.
Kate turned to Kain, shocked.
"Thank you…"
"No worries," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Just doing my job."
She stared.
"You go to Astra Academy?"
"Yeah… but I may have… snuck out. Classes were kinda boring today."
Kate blinked.
"You sneak out of the most elite magical academy in the kingdom?"
Kain smirked.
"Don't act like you wouldn't do the same. I saw you yell at three grown men like they were schoolboys. You're basically qualified already."
They laughed.
The boy they saved grumbled.
"If you're done with your love speech, I'm leaving."
Kate chuckled.
"Wait—what's your name?"
The boy scoffed and walked off.
"Rude," Kain said with a grin."Thank you," she said softly, her voice laced with sincerity and a strange fragility.
Kain smiled, though his expression remained guarded. There was something distant in his eyes, something thoughtful. Perhaps it was exhaustion… or maybe it was something deeper—something he didn't know how to say out loud. But he nodded anyway.
"You're welcome," he replied, his voice low and calm, like the sky before a gentle rain. "Are you sure you'll be okay going home alone?"
Kate nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she stepped away. "Yeah, I've done it a hundred times."
But just as she turned and took a few steps forward, she froze.
Her bag.
It was gone.
She blinked, confused. The weight had been there just a second ago. Her eyes quickly scanned the narrow street, and then she saw the little boy he just saved from those men ragged and fast, disappearing into the corner of the alley with her bag clutched tightly in his little arms.
Kain reacted instantly, his muscles tensing. "Stay here," he said, already stepping forward, ready to chase the boy down.
But before he could sprint after him, Kate reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"Wait!" she said, her voice urgent.
He paused, glancing at her in confusion.
"I know him," she continued, her tone suddenly different—gentler, more emotional. "That boy… he's not a thief. Not really."
Kain frowned. "He just stole your bag, Kate."
"I know," she whispered. "But he's just a kid. He doesn't have anyone—no parents, no family. He lives by himself in the broken house near the edge of the district… behind the old chapel."
Kain's eyes softened as he looked at her. "You've met him before?"
She nodded slowly. "A few times. He always hides in the shadows. Never talks. But I've seen him watching people from the alley. He steals sometimes… but only food. Or something to keep himself warm." She looked toward the corner where the boy had vanished. "I left an apple in that bag. He probably saw it sticking out."
The moment grew still again. The street, once silent, now carried the weight of something heavier than sound—understanding. Not just for the boy. But for each other.
Kain sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So… we let him go?"
Kate didn't answer at first. She just looked at the direction the boy had gone, her gaze filled with something unexplainable—regret, sorrow… and hope.
"He's not hurting anyone," she finally said. "He's just surviving."
Kain looked at her for a long moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright. We let him go."
They began to walk side by side, leaving the alley behind, their steps quiet against the cobbled ground. The wind picked up slightly, rustling the ends of Kate's coat.
As they walked, silence fell between them—but it wasn't the awkward kind. It was the kind that comes when two people are thinking deeply, yet don't need to speak. The kind that says: I see you. I understand.
"You care a lot about people," Kain said after a while, his voice thoughtful.
Kate glanced at him, caught off guard by the statement.
"You noticed him," he continued. "Most people wouldn't have."
Kate looked down at the ground. "Maybe because I used to be like him. Not in the same way. But… I know what it's like to feel invisible."
That admission floated in the air between them like a leaf carried by the breeze.
Kain's expression changed, a flicker of pain and compassion crossing his face.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Kate smiled faintly. "It's okay. Some things shape us. Some things hurt. But sometimes, people like that boy… remind me that even when you have nothing, you can still survive."
As they walked together, Kate asked questions. Kain answered with stories.
> "So, what's it like? Astra Academy?"
Kain:
"Imagine a hundred teenagers with magic… and the teachers are either geniuses, monsters, or both. We've got dorms bigger than palaces, flying duels, food that cooks itself — and don't get me started on the prank wars."
> "Prank wars?"
"There's this guy, Rollo. Kid can duplicate any object… so he duplicated the principal's chair and made the original vanish. Took two days to find it… it was floating in the bathhouse."
Kate laughed. "You're lying."
"I swear on my uniform. Then Lucia replaced all the class bells with frog croaks for a week. It was chaos."
They kept walking.
Kain told her about magical duels, floating libraries, and secret underground chambers. He told her about his dream to protect people with his magic — not just for glory, but because he hated injustice.
Kate listened to it all.
---
At Kate's Home
Her house was small — stone walls, an old wooden roof. Her father, blind, sat near the doorway. Her mother, pale and frail, lay in bed.
Kate rushed to her mother's side, giving her medicine. Kain stayed outside with her father.Kain cleared his throat, unsure where to begin.
"Sir," he started softly, "Thank you... for letting me stay."
The older man—Mr. Obadele—smiled faintly, his eyes never leaving the horizon. "You don't have to thank me, Kain. Any friend of Kate's is welcome here. Kain chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hopefully... not too much."
Mr. Obadele let out a low laugh, deep and warm like the crackle of firewood.Kain grew quiet, his thoughts briefly drifting to Kate's soft smile and fierce eyes. "She's... strong. Braver than anyone I've met."
Mr. Obadele nodded, his voice suddenly softer. "She takes after her mother, no doubt. But don't be mistaken—her strength was carved from pain. She didn't become that way overnight."
"I can tell," Kain murmured.
The two sat in silence for a moment, watching a young boy chase a chicken in the neighbor's yard. Laughter from a nearby house floated through the air like a lullaby.
Then Mr. Obadele leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.
Kain:
"Your daughter is… impressive."
Father:
"She's my eyes now. She's everything."
Kain:
"She could be more, sir. She could be a guardian. A protector. She has fire in her."
Father:
"She's all we have. If she leaves… who will take care of us?"
Kain was quiet.
"If she explains your situation to the Academy, I believe they'll help. They take care of promising students — and their families. You won't be left behind, sir."
The old man leaned back.
"She's the reason my wife is alive. She works from morning till night. But if what you say is true… if Astra will truly protect her, I'll think about it."
Kain stood, bowed.
"Thank you, sir. I know she'll make you proud."
---
That Night
Kate stood by her mother, whispering.
"I want to protect my family. With my own hands. I want to become strong."
Outside, she stared at the stars.
"I want to be a part of that world... the world of heroes, of guardians."
And for the first time in her life… she dreamed not just of surviving.
She dreamed of becoming something more.
Few Years later
The sun spilled its golden light over the tall spires of Astra Academy, painting the marble walls with a warm glow. The grand entrance gates opened wide, creaking under the weight of tradition and time, as another batch of fresh year students arrived—wide-eyed, eager, and full of dreams.
Among them walked a girl whose eyes mirrored the morning sky—soft yet filled with fire. Her name was Kate.
She adjusted her satchel, heart pounding like a drum. The academy was everything the stories promised—majestic, overwhelming, and somehow magical in its silence. Her boots crunched against the stone-paved path leading toward the courtyard where a crowd had gathered.
And there he was.
Standing confidently at the steps of the Central Tower, with a commanding voice and a presence that seemed to silence even the birds, was Kain.
Kate's heart skipped.
His raven-black hair had grown longer since she last saw him, and the glow of wisdom now adorned his once-boyish face. He was no longer just the boy she had known—he had become someone everyone admired.
"Welcome to Astra Academy," Kain said, his voice smooth like running water, yet carrying the weight of steel. "This academy is more than a school. It's a crucible. You either become gold... or you melt."
The crowd was spellbound.
"He's sooo handsome," whispered a tall girl in the crowd.
"Did you hear he once single-handedly stopped a spell beast?" another gushed.
"I heard he's an assistant to one of the Holy Ones!" a shorter girl squealed, cheeks flushed.
"I want him to tutor me… all day…" a bold one murmured with a sly grin.
Kate felt a strange pinch in her chest—a subtle, sour flutter. She didn't realize she was jealous until she caught herself frowning. "Ugh, snap out of it," she whispered under her breath.
A few days passed.
Kate settled in well, forging friendships with kindred spirits and noble hearts. One such friend was Isadora Vellcroft.
She first met him at the training ground, her hands shaking as she attempted the katana spell. The blade was a dancing illusion of mana, and hers trembled like a candle in the wind.
"Relax your wrist," came a gentle voice.
She turned. Isadora stood tall with silvery-blond hair cascading down his back, his blue eyes calm like frozen lakes.
"You're focusing too much on force," he continued, stepping beside her. "The katana spell is about precision and flow."
She tried again, and this time, the magic responded—not perfect, but alive.
From that moment on, they trained together. He shared meals with her in the vast dining hall, walked with her through the starlit gardens, and once even stood by her when senior students mocked her spell style. Their bond deepened like roots intertwining under the soil.
Still, her bond with Kain was a special one. He often joined her during library hours, guiding her studies, sometimes just sitting in quiet companionship.
One day, they sat by the river behind the academy, the air heavy with cherry blossoms.
"I want to become a Holy One," Kain said, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
Kate looked at him, lips parting. "Really?"
He nodded. "And if I do… I'll make you my assistant."
Her cheeks flushed. "Me?"
"You're brilliant, and you have a kind heart. That's rare."
She smiled shyly. "So… what does it take to become a Holy One?"
Kain's gaze turned serious. "A deep understanding of magic—both personal and academic. You must know the law of the academy and the kingdom. But most importantly… you must master your Magic Domain."
Kate blinked. "Magic domain?"
He nodded. Just as he was about to explain—
A voice cut through the moment.
"So you guys are still dating?"
Kate and Kain turned, startled.
A boy stood there, arms crossed, smirking.
Kate gasped. "The little boy?!"
The boy scowled. "I am not a little boy! My name is Eren Vael, and I'm older than you!"
Kate laughed. "Oh, so you finally spoke your name. And… you're an assistant?"
Kain chuckled. "Yes. Eren's one of the youngest assistants in history. His magic is… something else."
Kate looked at Eren with admiration.
"Stop staring at me like a psychopath!" Eren barked and stormed off, cheeks bright red.
But happiness doesn't last forever.
One rainy night, Kate received news.
Her mother had collapsed. A rare illness. Her organs were failing.
Kate was granted emergency leave. She returned home to see her mother—a pale shell of the woman who raised her, lying still, barely breathing.
She tried everything—her savings, her knowledge, even forbidden herbs—but nothing worked. Desperation clung to her like a curse.
Kain arrived two days later, soaked in rain, eyes full of concern.
"I came as soon as I could."
Isadora came too, carrying tomes and scrolls from the academy's restricted archives.
For nights, they studied. Kain delved into lost healing arts. Isadora enchanted recovery spells. Kate never slept, never left her mother's side.
One night, Kate wept beside the bed.
"I can't lose her…"
Kain gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You won't. Not on my watch."
He performed a forbidden spirit-weaving ritual, sacrificing a part of his own mana core. The room glowed golden. Her mother's chest rose—slowly, then stronger.
Isadora stabilized her with spell runes. Kate fed her medicine and warmth with her own hands.
And slowly… life returned.
Kate hugged them both, crying rivers.
"You two… you saved my family."
"We're your family too," Kain said softly.
———
Now.
In the present.
Tears spilled from Kate's eyes.
The courtyard was shattered.
Lucia stood before her, cold, unmoved.
"You know nothing about Kain!!" Kate screamed, magic flaring like a dying star.
She was about to strike—but Lucia held up a parchment.
"Kain left you his final words."
Kate froze.
The parchment bore Kain's handwriting.
She took it, hands trembling. Her lips whispered, "This… this is his script… and his signature glyph…"
Kate fell to her knees, body shaking, breath caught in her throat.
"No… way…" she whispered.
Lucia's smile turned bitter. "Now you finally know who killed him, right?"
Kate's face turned pale. Her whole world cracked like shattered glass.
And then…
A warmth.
A soft touch.
Lucia knelt before her, his figure glowing in ethereal light. He cupped her cheek.
"Now make your boss proud.avenge his death"
Kate broke.
Tears flowed like rain. But now, with a new fire.
To be continued