Elias, standing near the doorway, shifted uncomfortably, his hands clasped tightly as he watched the confrontation unfold. His gaze flickered nervously between the two, sweat gathering at his brow as if fearing the consequences of this escalating argument.
The duke finally straightened his posture, his hands sliding off the desk to rest at his sides. His expression grew colder, his voice dropping to a tone so icy it sent chills down Elias's spine.
"You truly believe you are above this? That you have the luxury to deny your fate simply because it does not suit your whims?"
Axelius's fists clenched tighter, his knuckles whitening from the pressure. "Whims?" he spat, voice shaking slightly—not with fear, but with restrained fury.
"You think it's whims that make me refuse? You think I'm just throwing a tantrum because I want attention?" He took a step forward, "You've never understood, have you Duke?"
The duke's eyes narrowed. "Mind your tone, Axelius. You forget your place."
"My place?" Axelius's laugh was bitter, "What place, huh? The place of a son who's treated like nothing but an obligation? Or maybe you mean the place of someone who's expected to follow orders blindly, without ever being asked what he wants?" His voice rose, filled with years of pent-up frustration.
"You think I don't see it? You've never looked at me the way other fathers look at their sons. Not even once!"
The duke's expression hardened, but Axelius didn't stop—he couldn't stop, not now. "I've watched other families," he continued, voice cracking slightly. "I've seen fathers who actually care, who smile at their children, who spend time with them... who don't just see them as pawns to be moved around on a damn chessboard." His fists were shaking now, his breathing ragged.
"Do you even know what that's like? To watch it happen and know you'll never have it?"
Elias's eyes softened with sympathy, but he did not dare interrupt. The duke's face was a mask of stone, but his hands twitched slightly, betraying the faintest hint of emotion.
Axelius took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing. "And now… now you want me to go to the Royal Academy? To be paraded around like some sort of miracle? That's what this is, isn't it?" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
"Getting selected by the royal academy must be a mistake," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't even have a mana core! I was born manaless yet I got selected? Do you not see how ridiculous that is?"
The duke's jaw tightened, but he finally spoke, "It is not a mistake, Axelius," he said slowly, his eyes locked onto the boy's. "You may not have a mana core, but the Royal Academy has their reasons. Do you think they would choose just anyone? Even someone born without mana?"
He leaned forward, voice dropping to a near whisper, almost daring Axelius to understand. "Perhaps there is more to you than you even realize."
Axelius stared back "What are you talking about?" he demanded, h "What could they possibly want from someone like me?"
The duke did not answer immediately. Instead, he straightened his coat, eyes never leaving Axelius's face. "That," he said finally, "is something you must discover for yourself. But know this, Axelius…"
His gaze hardened, carrying the weight of authority. "You will attend the Royal Academy. Whether you go willingly or not is entirely up to you."
He took one last look at the duke, eyes narrowing with a mixture of defiance and pain. Then, slowly, he turned around, his back now facing the man who had raised him with cold indifference.
But before he took a step forward, Axelius paused, "You took me away from my mother," he began, his voice steady but laced with venom.
"You dragged me into this house, into this… this prison, and left her to die alone in sickness."
His shoulders stiffened, and he tilted his head slightly as if savoring the weight of his next words. "But that's not the truth, is it?"
Axelius's hands curled into fists at his sides. "You killed her," he spat, the accusation hanging heavy in the air. "And yet… you let them treat me like I was some black sheep of this family. Like I was the stain that ruined your perfect little world."
He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and sharp. "All these years, you watched them whisper and glare. You watched them look at me like I didn't belong… and you did nothing."
"You know not of what you speak."
Axelius turned slightly, just enough to cast a sharp glare over his shoulder. "Don't I?" he shot back, eyes glinting with rebellion. "I remember her, you know. Her smile, her laugh… the way she used to hold me. She was everything this house isn't—warm, kind… alive. And then you took that away."
The duke's expression remained a mask of stone, but there was a flicker—just a flicker—of something that crossed his gaze. Regret? Pain? It was gone before Axelius could catch it, replaced with that same unyielding authority.
"Your mother…" the duke began, his voice low and measured, "was a woman of delicate constitution. Her fate was sealed long before you came here. Do not place the burden of her death on my shoulders, Axelius. You know nothing of sacrifice."
Axelius scoffed, turning fully now to face him, eyes blazing. "Sacrifice? Is that what you call it?" He stepped forward, "Sacrifice is loving someone even when it's hard. Sacrifice is fighting for them when they're too weak to fight for themselves. You didn't sacrifice—you abandoned."
The duke's eyes flashed with something darker now, his hands clenched at his sides. "You dare speak to me of love and sacrifice?" he growled, voice dropping to a chilling whisper.
"You are a child—nothing more. You know not of the choices I have made to keep this house standing. To keep you breathing."
Axelius raised his chin defiantly. "Breathing, maybe. Living? That's something you wouldn't understand."
The duke's fists clenched tighter, his jaw set hard. "Enough," he commanded, his voice cracking like a whip. "You will attend the Royal Academy, Axelius. That is final. You will not defy this house any longer."
But Axelius merely smirked, the fire in his eyes undiminished. "We'll see about that," he said coolly, and without waiting for permission, he turned and strode toward the door, shoulders straight, chin high.
Elias, who had been standing frozen in shock, hurried to follow, his eyes flicking nervously between Axelius and the duke.
The duke watched his retreating figure "Axelius…" he muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the door. "How i wish your memories will be lost forever"