Alone at home

Looking at the snow slowly falling outside, Elias sat quietly in his room, his expression calm and composed. He was currently five years old. A year had passed since his mother awakened her talent, and they first arrived in White River Town.

In that year, Elias had been busy. He had learned a lot and had become more knowledgeable about the world and his situation. His daily training continued, and his body was now much stronger than before but it was still not really something impressive.

As he sat in the quiet room, Elias's mind began to wander. He glanced at the pouch containing his daily dose of candies, which he received after his grueling "body training" sessions.

He now knew that the instructor was under Liandor, so he no longer bothered to pay him much attention and sometimes outright ignored him or his training plan. Elias understood that regardless of his behavior, the instructor was obligated to provide the candies, so he didn't see the need to act compliant or obedient.

In fact, Elias sometimes provoked the instructor in an attempt to secure more candies. Through subtle prying, he discovered that the instructor seemed unaware of the candies' exact composition or effects.

He had once asked for more candies, but the instructor had refused and only said that he had no more. This only confirmed Elias's suspicions: the candies were meant to be a slow-acting poison. If he consumed too many at once, his talent would awaken prematurely, and the truth would be revealed.

Popping one of the sweet candies into his mouth, Elias felt a familiar warmth spread through his body.

In the past year, he had been diligently consuming the candies given to him, and surprisingly, his aperture was on the verge of collapse. This was something even Elias did not expect, as he had predicted it would take at least another year.

As the aether flowed through his aperture and slowly eroded his talent. His aperture now looked like cracked glass, with only a few dots of pristine white trying desperately to hold the cracks together.

'But that won't last. I would roughly only ten more before my aperture completely shatters.' He looked at the pouch, his expression dark and cold. 'Only a few more...'

With a sigh, Elias slowly got up and walked to the window. His deep blue eyes reflected the serene snowfall outside. He looked out at the snow-covered landscape, his gaze distant and unfocused.

He then turned his attention to the wooden horse he had received for his fourth anniversary. 'It has already been five years since my first breath in this world...' Elias thought, his mind drifting back to when he first arrived.

After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "I should join them for breakfast."

He turned and walked out of the room. Stepping into the hallway, Elias headed directly to the dining room, where Ray, Yui, and Raymond ate breakfast. As he entered the room, everyone turned to look at him.

"Good morning, Elias," Yui said, her voice warm and welcoming, before turning to the servants. "Please bring another plate for Elias."

"Good morning," Elias replied politely, sitting at the table.

Sitting beside his mother, Raymond had a bright smile and kept glancing at Elias with a strange smirk. Elias raised an eyebrow as he looked at Raymond but did not dwell on it much.

As the servants brought Elias's plate, he began eating his breakfast slowly and methodically. Each movement was deliberate, almost mechanical.

Once everyone had finished breakfast, Ray cleared his throat. "Today is a big day for Raymond. He will be awakening his talent and entering school. Let's hope he has the same talent as his mother."

Elias took another bite of his egg, pondering the situation. 'School... It's true that after a clan member awakens at six or seven, they are sent to school to learn about what manifestations are and how to use them correctly, ascension, or ranked material. Surprisingly, the clan even provides some basic manifestation training for free. Of course, it won't be high quality, maybe even mediocre, but it guarantees the clan's future.'

"I can't wait to start cultivating! I will become the strongest cultivator!" Raymond declared, his voice brimming with confidence and excitement.

"I am sure you will be a great cultivator with great talent! Grandpa Liandor will be there, and he will give you the most powerful manifestation," Ray said, his voice filled with pride and warmth.

"Congratulations, Raymond," Yui added, her voice cheerful and sincere.

"Thank you... Mom," Raymond replied, glancing at Elias mockingly. Seeing that Elias did not react, he wanted to say something more but was cut off.

"Congratulations, big brother!" Elias said brightly.

Raymond's face turned red with anger. He was about to retort when Ray intervened. "Well, let's get going. We don't want to be late for your first day. All your friends are probably waiting for you." Ray said, standing up from his chair.

"Yes, father!" Raymond replied, acting as if nothing had happened, quickly following suit.

The family left the dining room and headed toward the main entrance. As they approached the door, Raymond suddenly stopped and turned to face Elias.

"Hey, Elias, I don't want you to come," he said, his voice unyielding.

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's just that... I don't want you to come. You are always so boring. I don't like you," Raymond replied coldly.

"Raymond, what are you saying?" Yui asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Mom, I don't want him to come. I don't like him. It's my special day. I want only you, Dad, and Grandpa," Raymond repeated, his voice firm and resolute.

There was a long silence as the rest of the family looked at each other, unsure what to say.

After a while, Yui seemed to have made up her mind.

"...Elias, please stay home today. Raymond is right. It is his special day. It would be best if you stayed home and did not disturb him," she said with a guilty expression.

Elias stood silent momentarily, "But you said a year ago that you would never leave me alone," he reminded her, his tone carefully measured.

"Elias, this is different. This is Raymond's special day. He doesn't want you to come, and we can't force him. Moreover, there's servants here right, you won't be alone? Please understand," Yui explained gently.

"...Alright. I understand, I am only a little sad that I won't be able to see how talented my brother will be, but you are right, it is his special day." Elias said, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you, Elias. I am very proud of you for being so mature. I will buy you some toys on my way back." Yui said, relief evident in her voice.

Raymond smirked, satisfied with the outcome.

As the rest of the family left the house, Elias remained in the entrance hall, his expression calm and composed. "Disappointing," he muttered under his breath.

After a moment, he turned and headed toward his room, his footsteps echoing through the empty corridors.