The Starborne estate loomed over the western highlands like a sentinel of fire and stone, its obsidian spires reflecting the morning sun in a thousand jagged shards. Within its inner sanctum, the air was heavy with expectation, an oppressive weight that pressed upon the shoulders of all who entered the chambers of Veldora Starborne. The Draconic Mage, patriarch of a family steeped in power, burned with an aura that even the seasoned walls seemed to feel—heat, authority, and a presence that demanded obedience.
Elias Starborne, only fourteen yet burdened with fourteen years of suppressed expectation and disappointment, stood before the massive double doors of his father's chamber. His posture was cautious, every movement measured; the last time he had attempted to show initiative or talent, he had been met with scorn. Yet today was different. The hum in his chest was unmistakable—the Shop Skill had awakened fully that morning, and for the first time, he had a power, however strange or misunderstood it might be.
He hesitated before knocking, the polished ebony of the doors cool beneath his fingertips. A moment later, the doors swung open with a creak that seemed louder than it should have been. Veldora Starborne's gaze fell upon him immediately, sharp and piercing, like molten metal refined over centuries.
"Elias," Veldora's voice rumbled, low and commanding, "you requested my presence?"
Eli swallowed, nodding once, then stepped forward cautiously. His hands, clenched at his sides, betrayed the tension coursing through him.
"I… Father," he began, voice trembling slightly, "I've awakened a skill. It's… a Shop skill. Growth type."
Veldora blinked slowly, his eyes narrowing. For a brief moment, the chamber seemed to hold its breath. Then the patriarch's lips quirked in what might have been amusement.
"A Shop skill?" Veldora repeated, his tone almost playful. "You're joking , I presume. You mean to tell me that after all these years, after all the training, the guidance, the tutelage, the tutelage I and your siblings have invested in you, your talent manifests as… a shop?"
"No, Father," Eli said quickly, shaking his head. "I am not joking. It is true. Please, I can show you…"
The moment the words left his mouth, the air in the chamber shifted. Veldora's gaze darkened, a shadow consuming the warmth of the Draconic flame he wielded. The temperature initially dropped but then suddenly erupted instantly, heat rippling like a living thing, and the runes etched into the walls began to flare. Sparks danced across the polished floor, and the massive fireplace erupted with unnatural intensity, as though the room itself were reacting to the betrayal it sensed.
"You dare," Veldora said, voice low and cold, "stand before me and claim such… nonsense as your awakening?"
Eli's throat constricted, but he held his ground. "Father, I am not lying. The system… it is real. It can appraise, store, and buy items. I can grow through it, and—"
Veldora's eyes flared red from rage, the intensity of his aura scorching the air between them. Flames erupted around him as he slammed a hand onto the table, sending a shockwave of heat that forced Eli to step back. "Do you even understand the weight of what vision I have for this family? Do you know how strong our family is ? By your age, Christian had tamed a Blazing Stallion of barbarian forest which even amazed the Barbarian clan leader , and Delphine had awakened her second element—Frost—without breaking a sweat. And you… you come to me with a Shop? Do you think this is a joke Elias?"
The words struck Eli harder than any blow. The heat of the chamber pressed down on him, suffocating, and he felt the weight of every expectation that had been placed upon him, every glance of disappointment, every smirk, every whispered comparison to his siblings.
"I… I can be useful," Eli said softly, almost to himself, "I can make something of myself—"
Veldora's roar cut through him like fire through paper. "Silence! Leave this chamber before I lose my control and thrash you" His command was absolute, the air around him shimmering with the intensity of his wrath. Eli obeyed, retreating into the corridor, every step measured yet unsteady.
For two days, he wandered the halls in a haze, the whispers of the household staff and the soft hum of elemental energy from his siblings a constant reminder of his inadequacy. The mansion itself seemed to reject him, the shadows in its corners stretching longer as if to remind him of his place.He felt lonely scared and even Delphine didn't do anything and just watched as Veldora stopped both Christian and Delphine from talking to Eli it was as if he was the only one in the Starborne family manor
Then came the summons.
The call to the "Council of Starborne", a Governing body of Starborne family consisting people of legendary status and those whoade ample contribution with the name Starborne to the Duchy of Starborne this was a chamber reserved only for those of this status within the family. Only those who had proven themselves—through mastery of magic, combat, or aura—could earn a seat. Eli, whose existence had been considered inconsequential, was being called.
The journey to the chamber was silent, each step a Booming resound of dread. He passed the dueling halls, the practice rooms, the libraries where ancient tomes whispered secrets to those who could wield them— but none of it was meant for him. Even the walls seemed to whisper, judging.
He arrived before the great double doors of the council chamber, taking a deep breath. Inside, the legendary figures of the Starborne family sat, each exuding power, skill, and authority. Their gazes, like daggers, pierced him immediately. Among them sat Christian,his apperance was classic knight like white hair and blue eyes almost similar to their father Veldora Christian had a slight scar on his neck that came from training with his father who used a simple spell to damge and block Christian Blazing that went out of control, Christian and Veldora thier presence alone seemed to warm the chamber with the intensity of a forge, and Delphine,her facial appearance carbon copy to their mother Vena Starborne she had blue eyes and white hair , whose aura shimmered with the intertwining cold of ice and the heat of flame though opposing element they seemed to become one for her
And at the head of the council, seated like a living inferno, was Veldora Starborne. His crimson eyes regarded Eli with a depth that chilled him. The Draconic Mage's expression was unreadable, but there was a hardness to it, an unyielding judgment.
"Elias," Veldora began, his voice resonating across the chamber, "you have long been a disappointment. A child who lacks the fundamental talents of this family. Christian excels in combat, Delphine in magic, and yet… you exist as a shadow among them."
Eli's heart pounded, but he held his head high. He had known this day might come, even as he hoped against hope that some miracle might allow him to earn their recognition.
"I… Father, Council, I have awakened a skill," he said, his voice trembling but firm. "A Shop skill, Growth type. I—"
Veldora's gaze darkened further, and the council members stirred, exchanging glances heavy with expectation. "Do not insult this assembly with frivolity," Veldora said sharply. "By your age, Christian and Delphine had showed talent worthy of this family. And you… what do you bring to this family? A Merchant fantasy?"
"I…" Eli faltered, his throat tight, "I can… I can grow through this skill, I can—"
Veldora slammed his fist on the table, sending a shockwave of heat through the chamber. "Enough! You are a waste, Elias Starborne. From birth, we hoped—perhaps foolishly—that you would awaken a talent worthy of our name, something that could bring pride to this house, that could mature you into a man. And yet… you remain… nothing!"
The words struck Eli like a blade. His knees threatened to buckle, but he forced himself to remain standing, swallowing the lump in his throat. He felt the sting of tears, not yet falling, as Christian's eyes widened in shock, the first crack in his brotherly mockery.
Delphine's hands trembled, a faint frost forming in the air around her as she tried to speak, but Christian's sharp, commanding voice stopped her.
"Do not interfere," Christian said, stepping closer to his sister. "This is our father's decision. Speak out, and you will bring wrath upon yourself as well."
Delphine's eyes welled with tears, streaming down her cheeks as she stared helplessly at her brother, but she remained silent. Her aura flickered, the ice burning faintly against her skin, a silent testament to her anguish.
Eli's own vision blurred, but not with tears. His eyes, normally red pupils, glowed with an unnatural Crimson hue as if a red flower was blooming right in that second , a reflection of the fury and devastation coiling within him. He dropped to his knees, bowing before the council, yet his gaze did not waver. He looked up, directly into the eyes of his father, and for a fleeting moment, the chamber seemed to still. His red pupils burned with a silence more profound than any shout, more lethal than any curse.
Veldora's voice finally cut through the tension, final and absolute. "Elias Starborne, you are hereby exiled from this house. You shall take the title of Lord of Dawn City—a barony in ruin, far from this family and its legacy. Perhaps there, in obscurity, you may find purpose… though I doubt it."
The words crashed over him like a tidal wave. Dawn City—a broken, decaying settlement, a far cry from the grandeur of the Starborne Duchy. Eli wanted to protest, to scream, to reject it, but every word died on his tongue as the combined weight of Veldora, Christian, and the council pressed down on him.
"You will leave at once," Veldora added, the flames of his aura simmering but still palpable. "Do not bring your weaknesses into the streets of this world. You are talentless, a failure, and a burden we have carried for too long. Perhaps… far from our eyes, you may achieve something… though I doubt even that."
Eli's fists clenched, nails digging into the polished floor. He remained silent, kneeling in the chamber, the council's judgment settling around him like molten iron. Christian's shock had not faded, but even he nodded in agreement, his pride in the family legacy outweighing any sympathy. Delphine's sobs echoed faintly, restrained by her own inability to intervene.
And in that moment, the boy who had once been Elijah Stane, the quiet observer, the patient, the gentle, the overlooked, felt the another fracture in his spirit after the one that happened in his past life with the best friend he trusted Walter. His lips did not move, his body did not tremble, yet his mind burned.
He stared at his father, red pupils unwavering, unblinking, silent. The chamber was filled with whispers, the crackling of residual flames, and the palpable weight of power.
And there, in the halls of the Starborne Council, Elias Starborne—exiled, dismissed, broken—knew that everything had changed.
Everything.