Family hurts

Energy swirled from the pill before him, a phenomenon Raze was intimately familiar with. It was the same energy emanating from mythical creatures in his world, or more specifically, from the crystals they would relinquish upon their demise.

Raze hailed from a planet called Alterian, a world devoid of such mythical beasts. Yet, mages, through their magic, strength, and rigorous testing, had achieved a breakthrough: the ability to create portals to other worlds, or perhaps other planets - the distinction remained unclear.

On these foreign lands, mythical creatures, animals of immense power capable of harnessing strength akin to mages, roamed freely. Upon their death, the crystals were uncovered. These crystals were a monumental breakthrough, empowering mages to craft items that enhanced their abilities, facilitated physical growth to ascend to the next star stage, and even opened portals themselves.

This era was hailed as the golden period of magic, and to this day, portals were continually opened to hunt beasts for stronger crystals. Despite exploring numerous planets and locations, there remained no sign of other intelligent life, at least to Raze's knowledge.

'A high star mage, equipped with the knowledge of magic circle formations, can utilize their own mana to open a portal. As a one-star mage, my mana is insufficient. However, instead of using my own mana, I can harness the power of a crystal, or in this instance, this pill!'

Human life, in any other form, had yet to be discovered through the opened portals. The world Raze currently inhabited was beyond imagination, yet it existed. Thus, there was a glimmer of hope that a portal could lead him back to Alterian.

'It's unlikely that I will succeed on my first attempt. Nevertheless, even if I am transported to another location, I can hunt beasts, gather more crystals to augment my body's strength, and progress to the next Star stage!'

"This pill is exceedingly rare, Raze," Kron continued. "For individuals like us, acquiring something of this nature could take a lifetime. For intermediate and deity stage Pagna warriors, this might be trivial, but we are not them. It is imperative that you do not inform the other students of my involvement. Ideally, consume this discreetly at night. It will take a few hours for your body to assimilate all the energy." Kron winked.

Raze was genuinely perplexed by Kron's generosity. It concerned him that there might be an ulterior motive. However, for the time being, he decided not to dwell on it, as he had no intention of using the pill as Kron had advised.

With that, their meeting concluded, and they rejoined the others for breakfast. As they exited the room and entered the main hall, they noticed Safa soaked, water dripping from her body.

"What happened here?" Kron inquired.

"Ah, it was us, sir!" Giyo confessed, bowing down. "My brother and I were careless while playing and made a mistake. We will clean it up immediately!"

"It's okay," Kron reassured. "Safa, clean yourself up, change your clothes, and then join us for breakfast. The rest of you, don't worry about this; I will handle it."

The group complied, and everyone prepared for breakfast, with Gren, Giyo, and Biyo sporting broad smiles.

Breakfast was uneventful. Safa joined later, and everyone enjoyed their meal. A brief respite followed before they resumed their chores.

Since Simyon had praised Raze's culinary skills, they continued to work together in the kitchen, preparing both lunch and dinner. While busily chopping vegetables, Simyon could no longer contain himself.

"Hey man, I'm not sure if your sister planned to tell you, but what happened to her this morning wasn't an accident," Simyon revealed.

"You mean her being soaked with water?" Raze asked.

"Yes, man. Look, I've witnessed it before. Those guys resent anyone talented encroaching on their territory. They relish being Kron's star pupils and are easily envious. If you outshine them, they will attempt to knock you down. Why do you think my scores are always so low during practice?"

"Because you suck?" Raze retorted instantly.

Simyon felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart, but he tried to dismiss it because, in all honesty, there was some truth to it. He was merely attempting to salvage his pride.

"Hey, I'm serious here. Things will only escalate. The last person they did this to ended up fleeing the temple. They've done it before and gotten away with it, so they'll do it again."

Raze sighed, realizing the direction Simyon was headed.

"You said it yourself, it's happened before and will happen again. So things won't change unless someone does something. If I intervene, it won't alter the situation. Safa needs to stand up for herself.

"There are plenty of people like them out in the world, so when it happens again and no one is there to protect her, what is she going to do? Cry like she did now? Will a white knight like you come to her rescue?"

Simyon's face flushed with embarrassment at the remark.

"Besides, what am I supposed to do? She's stronger than me; I'm just a weakling who'll get hurt in the process," Raze added, as he continued chopping the carrots before him.

"But she's your si-"

"Enough!" Raze interjected sharply. It was the first time he had raised his voice, especially at Simyon.

Something about the entire conversation rubbed Raze the wrong way. It didn't help that his body was reacting contrary to his thoughts. When he saw his sister earlier, he yearned to rush over and embrace her.

But Raze also understood that just because someone is family doesn't mean they need to be kind to you. Family, being the ones closest to you, are often the ones who can hurt you the most.

It was best for Safa to become stronger independently.

——

Outside, a group of children were sweeping the ground. Safa was near the stairs leading up to the temple, while Gren and the twins occupied the vast courtyard. They occasionally glanced over their shoulders at Safa.

"That was really clever what you did back there," Giyo chuckled.

"How long do you think this one will last?" Biyo inquired.

"I don't know; she might stay a bit longer since she has her brother with her."

"Yeah, but he's a weakling; it's not like he can do anything. Maybe we should target him as well; that way, she'll leave quicker, and they'll both be gone."

"No," Gren interjected, interrupting the two. "Leave her brother alone. He seems unaffected by what is happening. I'm sure the two aren't close, and besides, like you said, he's weak; there's nothing to worry about."

Although Gren expressed these thoughts, he was contemplating something different. There was something disconcerting about the new boy.

'I'm not sure if I imagined it or not, but when he came out with Kron and saw his sister, it was only for a moment… but those eyes. I don't know why, but my whole body trembles every time I think about it.'