The sun had barely risen over the eastern mountains when the situation in Starborne estate was escalating. Veldora Starborne — the Draconic Mage, Duke of the Starborne Duchy — stood at the balcony of his study, his expression cold and his rage growing by the second. A young guard knelt behind him, sweat tracing down his temple as he delivered the message.
"My lord… young master and young mistress, Lord Christian and Lady Delphine, are nowhere to be seen. After an inquiry, it is reported that they departed before sunrise, the way is towards the Dawn, Koven, and Sinclair Baronies.
Veldora's fingers tightened around the balcony railing. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, a reflection of the inner fire he so carefully restrained. "Without my permission?" he said, voice low but laden with danger.
For a moment, silence ruled the room — the kind of silence that came before fire devoured everything. Then, Veldora exhaled, the air shimmering faintly with heat. "Those fools…"
He turned sharply. "Summon Captain Arwen Komodo and the Earth Dragon Cavalry," he commanded. "Tell her she is to retrieve both heirs without any disturbance to the people of Dawn. If that boy has survived this long, I will not have a war within my borders over family sentiment."
The guard bowed deeply. "At once, my lord."
As the messenger ran from the hall, Veldora Starborne gazed westward — toward the lands where his exiled son now ruled as a minor lord. His eyes narrowed. "Elias…" he murmured. "What madness have you caused that your siblings now chase after you?"
Morning light spread across the Dawn Barony, lighting the fields with hues of gold and amber. Birds took flight from the trees, startled by the sound of hammers and saws from the riverside. The waterwheel stood nearly complete, its wooden arcs gleaming with fresh lacquer. Workers sang as they laboured, voices bright with excitement.
As the morning sun glimmered across the river and Eli approached the old waterwheel. The rhythmic creak of wood and splash of water filled the air, mingling with the scent of wet timber. The workers looked up from their tasks—faces tanned by labour and smiles worn with familiarity.
"Morning, Lord Elias!" one called, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Good day to you, Lord!" another added, pausing as the wheel was slowly being formed behind them.
Eli returned their greetings with a nod and a calm smile. These men weren't just labourers—they were the pulse that kept his village alive, and every greeting felt like a quiet promise of progress.
Eli stood among them, talking with them, his cloak fluttering in the wind. His gaze traced the intricate runes carved into the wheel's frame — the blueprints he'd purchased from the Shop had worked perfectly. The people, once hollow-eyed and weary, now smiled as they worked.
"Lord Elias," Cryella called from behind, her voice carrying across the riverbank. "The workers say construction will finish by tomorrow morning. Once the purifier rune is in place, clean water will flow to all the homes."
Eli turned, his usual cold expression softening slightly. "Tomorrow morning…" he repeated. "Faster than I expected."
Cryella smiled, brushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear. "The people took shifts through the night. They said—" she hesitated, her voice trembling with warmth, "—they said they'd rather lose sleep than lose hope again."
Eli's gaze lingered on the workers for a long moment. "Hope," he murmured. "That's worth more than gold."
Before Cryella could respond, a guard ran up the slope, panting heavily. "My lord! There are… There are visitors at the main gate! They claim to be from the Starborne Duchy!"
The moment the word Starborne reached Eli's ears, something inside him went still. His expression shifted — the warmth vanished, replaced by a cold, distant look that made the air around him seem heavier. "Visitors?" he said quietly. "Names?"
The guard hesitated. "They called themselves… Lady Delphine and Sir Christian."
Cryella's eyes widened slightly. "Delphine and Christian…?" she whispered. "Could they be—"
Eli cut her off with a raised hand. His tone was calm, almost too calm. "Prepare the meeting hall," he said. "Escort our guests there."
Cryella frowned softly. "My lord… shouldn't you—"
"I'll meet them," Eli said, already walking past her, his voice carrying no emotion. "Let them wait in comfort."
As he strode toward the mansion gates, his thoughts swirled like storm winds.
Christian. Delphine.Why now? Why come here after everything?
At the entrance, two riders dismounted — a man and woman with hair like polished silver and eyes the colour of winter sky. Christian Starborne stood tall, his aura faint but unmistakable — the calm power of a Grand Knight restrained under noble discipline. Beside him, Delphine clutched her riding cloak close, eyes scanning the walls of the Dawn mansion.
The doors opened.
And Elias Starborne, the exiled son, stepped through.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
Christian's face lit up — relief flooding his expression. "Eli!" he called, taking a step forward. "You're alive. Thank the heavens. We heard you used the Blaze Core Bomb, and we feared—"
But Eli's gaze silenced him.
Cold. Detached. Like glass over fire.
"Cryella," Eli said evenly, turning away from his siblings. "Please escort our guests to the meeting room. Make sure they're served tea."
Christian froze, the word guests sinking deep like a knife. Delphine blinked rapidly, her voice trembling. "Eli, we didn't come to cause trouble. We just— we were worried—"
Eli didn't even glance her way. "See to it," he repeated, his tone sharp as ice.
Cryella hesitated, then nodded. "As you command, my lord." She turned to the siblings, bowing politely. "Lord Christian, Lady Delphine — please, this way."
The twins exchanged a brief, uncertain look. Still, they followed. As they walked through the grand hall, Delphine whispered, "He's changed."
Christian's jaw tightened. "He has every right to."
Cryella led them into the meeting room, where sunlight streamed through tall windows. The scent of fresh tea filled the air as she poured it into fine ceramic cups. Christian thanked her with a quiet nod.
"Lady Cryella," he said after a moment, "I was truly saddened to hear of your father's passing. Baron Sebastian Dawn was a good man."
Cryella lowered her eyes. "I thank you, my lord. My father held the Starborne name in great respect."
Delphine sipped her tea, her eyes wandering toward the window that overlooked the barony. "The people here seem… happier," she said softly. "Even after everything."
Cryella smiled faintly. "That is Lord Elias's doing. Since his arrival, the people have begun to believe again."
Both siblings fell silent, their expressions touched by sorrow.
Outside, behind the mansion, Eli stood by a quiet pond — the water was transparent. The gentle sound of leaves falling filled the silence, yet his mind was anything but calm.
Why did they come? Guilt? Pity? Fear? Do they think I'm some wounded child waiting for rescue?
He sat by the pond, watching his reflection ripple. The face staring back was his own, yet not — eyes once warm now cold and tired, lips set in a line of discipline, not youth. The faint red glow of his pupils shimmered under the light.
"Do you even know what exile feels like, Christian?" he muttered softly. "To be cast out by the man you call father, stripping you of worth, told you were born with no talent and are a disgrace to the family…"
He laughed bitterly. "No, of course you don't. You were always the perfect heir."
His voice softened. "And you, Delphine. You cried, but you didn't stop him. None of you did."
He closed his eyes. "Now you come here, when I finally stand on my own feet. Why now? Why not then?"
The wind carried his words away, but his thoughts remained heavy — lingering like ghosts around the pond's still surface.
Does Father no "Lord Starborne" even know?No. He clenched his fist. Lord Starborne does not concern himself with the exiled.
Back in the meeting room, the conversation had shifted. Cryella poured a second round of tea as Christian asked softly, "Tell me, Lady Cryella… how is my brother faring?"
Cryella's expression dimmed slightly. "Your brother… hides more than he shows, my lord."
Delphine looked up. "What do you mean?"
"He is kind but shows himself as cold," Cryella said quietly, "but he wears that coldness like armour. He smiles when the people are happy but hides it profusely, but when he's alone, he's distant — as if something inside him was once broken, and is waiting to be put together again."
Christian's hand trembled slightly around his teacup. "He truly has changed."
Cryella nodded. "Yes. He leads us with a calm voice, but behind that calmness, I see pain — and determination that frightens even the bandits who would mock our name."
Delphine swallowed hard, eyes glistening. "He shouldn't have had to bear that alone."
Before Christian could reply, the door opened. Cyrus Dawn entered, bowing respectfully. His wrist was still bandaged, but his movements were steady.
"My lords," he greeted. "I heard of your arrival."
Christian recognised him at once. "Cyrus Dawn — son of the late Baron Sebastian. You've grown."
Cyrus smiled faintly. "Perhaps. But I'm no noble anymore. I serve the Lord of Dawn."
Christian inclined his head. "Then you serve my brother."
Cyrus nodded, the faintest hint of pride in his voice. "Indeed. He's by the pond, if you wish to see him. But…" He hesitated. "I'd advise you to speak gently. Lord Elias… does not easily forgive."
The path to the pond was filled with dandelion flowers, their flowers flying in the wind. Christian walked first, his cloak brushing the grass, Delphine close behind.
They saw him there — their brother — sitting before the still waters, eyes distant as if some strangers had come.
For a long time, none of them spoke.
Then, quietly, Christian broke the silence. "You've grown, Eli."
Eli didn't turn. "People do that when they're left to survive. And it is Elias, not Eli."
Delphine took a hesitant step forward. "We were worried. When we heard about the Blaze Core Bomb—"
"So Lord Starborne sent you?" Eli's voice cut through, sharp and cold.
"No," Christian said quickly. "He doesn't know we're here. We came because we wanted to—"
"To what?" Eli turned now, his eyes glinting with that old crimson light. "Apologise? Offer pity? Tell me how amusing it was for you to watch me thrown away like trash?"
Delphine flinched, tears welling in her eyes. "Eli, please—"
Christian's voice hardened. "Enough! You think we didn't suffer too? I watched Father exile you, powerless to stop it. I thought obeying him was the right choice, but I was wrong. That's why we came — to see you safe."
Eli stared at him for a long moment — the cold fury in his expression slowly softening, replaced by exhaustion. He looked away, gazing again at the pond.
"You shouldn't have come," he said finally, voice low. "This place… It's not the Starborne Duchy. Here, I stand on my own."
Christian stepped closer, his tone calm but firm. "Then let us help you."
For the first time, Eli's eyes flickered with surprise — a faint, fleeting spark of warmth beneath the ice.
He didn't respond, but the silence between them was different now — not hostile, but uncertain… fragile, like something that might, with time, heal.
Behind them, Cyrus and Cryella watched quietly from afar.
"Seems the storm is passing," Cyrus murmured.
Cryella nodded softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Perhaps. But some storms never leave — they just teach you how to walk through the rain."
And as the sun dipped behind the mountains, painting the pond in hues of crimson and gold, three siblings — torn by exile, pride, and pain — stood together once more, uncertain yet united by something stronger than blood: the faint, rekindled warmth of family.