The Only Friend

The sound of the door knock attracted everyone's attention. All of them knew who it was behind the door.

Julia with her soft voice called out the person. "Come in, Drake,"

The door protested with a mournful groan as it was creaked open. A small boy, in a white shirt, black waistcoat and a black pant, with his head down apologetically, came in. The boy, similar in height to Ray, just looked at the marble floor as if he had done something wrong and was ready for punishment.

Everyone silently shared a glance with each other and looked back at the boy as Eve and Edgar sighed.

Julia carefully looked at the red-haired boy before speaking in a gentle tone. "Now don't be sad, Drake. We know you love sleeping. Now Come and have breakfast with us."

The red-haired boy raised his head and started looking at everyone's face with his fiery red eyes. His eyes rested on Julia for a moment before he bowed and started apologising with teary eyes.

"I am sorry, mam. I.. I truly apologise for being late again. I just can't seem to remove this habit, no matter how much I try. I.."

Julia, with a caring look on her face just like a mother's, looked at the child. "We know, Drake. We are not blaming you and also don't blame yourself. It'll happen automatically when you grow up. Now, have your breakfast with us."

Drake, after taking one last look at everyone's faces, went to sit beside Ray. As he sat on the comfy chair, he looked at his father, Edgar, who was also looking at him with an indifferent expression on his face.

The family started eating after everyone was present. Even though Drake wasn't related to Aaron or Julia, they were like his second parents. After his mother died while giving birth to him, it was Julia and the rest who helped him stay in this household without being lonely. Subsequently, he became good friends with Eve and Ray except for the fact that Eve sometimes annoys him. He also had a deep respect for both Aaron and Julia, as it was them who treated him as their own child. However, his sleeping problems made him feel like he was always letting everyone down by being late at work. He tried several methods from throwing a bucket full of cold water to banging unpleasant noises in front of him. Every time his father helped him. But to their disappointment, Drake always slept like nothing ever happened. At one time, he even slept in the open garden but even the direct sunlight wasn't able to wake him up on time. At another, he tried to resist sleeping but in the end, he gave in to the temptation.

To dispel the awkward atmosphere, Julia brought up the topic of Eve's awakening and her academy admission.

"How is your training going Eve?"

"It's going fine, Mom. I think I'll be ready for awakening in a month or two. I can't wait to go to the Arcane Academy and meet new people."

"That's good. You're already fifteen now. So, you have just one year left for the academy. But don't overdo it, ok,"

"Yeah Mom, I know."

Most people start their training in their childhood to make their body physically and mentally stronger. It was a prerequisite for those who wanted to become hunters. There were cases when one whose body wasn't strong enough, tried to awaken himself, failed badly. The body lost the ability to sense mana and his future as a hunter was also ruined. Moreover, as a consequence, he lost most of the opportunities in the world. So before awakening which mostly happens at age fifteen, children try to do strengthening exercises from around the age of seven. Some elite children even tried to learn other useful skills like swordsmanship or the basics of being a mage to help them in the admission process of the academy.

The Arcane Academy, the most prestigious academy in the world, accepts new admissions when children reach the age of sixteen, one year after being awakened, to nurture them from scratch but to also give them enough time to get comfortable with their new powers. It is located in the city of Arcadia, a city built for only students, cut off from the rest of the world. Even though it's a paradise for many because of the several facilities the city provides, it's also a hell for those who are unable to keep up with the competition and challenges.

Adelberts, being a duke household, also gave their children different kinds of training from early childhood as it was a matter of pride and dignity of their household but, above all, their children's future.

Julia glanced at the two boys and curved her lips into a smile.

"Those two will soon be joining you. So, you had better work hard."

The words as a challenge directed toward Eve, ignited a fire in her heart.

"Don't worry, Mom. I can handle it. Moreover, they are just thirteen now. I have more than enough time to get stronger."

"Fine. But, your dad has something to say to all of you."

Julia looked at Aaron as if she wanted Aaron to say something. Aaron after observing everyone, cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention.

"One month from now, Everly household is hosting a celebration and our household is invited. They didn't inform us about the reason behind the celebration but they assured us it is something in our interest. So, Julia and I decided to attend the party with all of us, considering they also invited several other dukes' families. We will also be busy with our guild work for some days and might not attend lunch with you all. However, Edgar will be here in our absence to take care of you. And Drake…"

Drake, who was silently eating his breakfast, suddenly jolted up before he looked at the person calling his name.

"Yes sir,"

Aaron, with a tender gaze, looked at the child. 

"We also want you to come with us."

"B.. But…"

Drake who was unsure about going as a member of the family, on top of going to a Marquis territory, hesitantly tried to say something. However, before he could say something, Aaron stopped him in his tracks. Aaron, his voice commanding yet betraying a feeling of love for his children, said to Drake.

"I'll not take no for an answer. I've always said you are also a part of the family and always will be."

Drake, whose eyes got almost teary, looked at his side as someone was pulling his shirt. He turned his neck to see and found Ray who was also nodding in agreement with his indifferent expression.

Drake who was just on the verge of crying, downed his head and thanked them for their generosity.

"Thank you."

Everyone just smiled after that as they looked at Drake.

After finishing their breakfast, Aaron and Julia left for their work whereas Eve went to train. Drake and Ray, both of them went to the back of the mansion which was a huge field as far as the eye could see. They did their own training just as they were taught by Julia who sometimes teaches them about basic strengthening techniques. It was mostly Drake who was doing those exercises. Ray, on the other hand, just sat quietly under a tree while looking at Drake.

At lunch, they ate a delicious meal with Eve as Aaron and Julia didn't come home. Everyone later went to their own work. However, Drake requested Ray to visit the city market with him. Ray, who was reluctant to go, didn't want to upset his only friend. So, he gave in to his demand and they went to their destination.

The marketplace of the city, Emporia, buzzing with crowds of people as bodies try to surge through the alleyway. The air vibrates with a symphony of haggling voices as vendors try to bargain with customers whereas some showcase their mouth-watery food to attract customers. Bypassers gulped as they smelled the delicious scent of roasted meat while the aroma of different spices which spread through the air made the others follow their lead. The atmosphere was charged with energy as people converse with each other. It exuded a warmth which made the place vibrant with different colours.

In between, Ray and Drake entered the market. After seeing different varieties of food, Drake started dragging Ray to different shops and tasting their foods. It was as if Drake was in his own world now where only he, Ray and food existed. Ray noticed the smile on his face as if he had forgotten about his worries. That also made Ray follow him and listen to his demands even if it's for today.

People gradually started to notice both of them. As both went from one shop to another, people started talking with each other. They started giving them weird looks.

"Isn't he that child?"

"Yeah"

"How come he is here? I thought he died or something when nobody heard a thing about him for a long time."

"It's my first time seeing him. He is nothing like Lady Eve who gives off the aura of a noble and is also very hardworking."

"Yeah. It's hard to imagine, he is the son of our Lord Aaron and Lady Julia."

"Shh… he is still a duke's son. Low your voice. Of course, if you don't love your head, you can always go ahead."

As more and more people talked about Ray, the sound gradually became louder. Eventually, it reached Ray's ear. However, Ray paid them no heed and followed behind Drake. After a while, Drake stopped and looked at the people around them, everyone instantly looked away from them and started doing their own work. However, Drake started to pull Ray's hand to exit the place.

Ray with his calm expression looked at Drake before asking.

"Aren't you going to visit a few more shops?"

Drake with a smile on his face, answered him. "No. We are getting late as the sun has started to set. People at the home might start to worry about us."

As he said this, Drake ended his adventure of tasting different foods and went back home with Ray.

At night, Everyone including Aaron and Julia ate dinner. After eating an exquisite dinner, everyone went to their rooms. Ray, Eve, his Mom and Dad lived in the main mansion where they ate their meals. The rest of the servants with their families have their rooms in separate buildings in the estate. As it was more convenient as well as safe for everyone to live in nearby places.

In the end, everyone said their good night to each other and went to sleep. However, for Ray, it wasn't a good night. He started to have terrifying nightmares from that day onwards.