Siblings

Albert Eldran stepped heavily yet gently on the staircase toward the royal palace. The place he once called home was now filled with people who wanted his life. The tender breeze seemed to blow away any hesitation or empathy that had cursed him for years.

"Shun, are you ready?" Albert whispered to the nothingness, expecting no reply. Yet, a feeling in his heart assured him. He stopped briefly, turning around to look at his shadow, but soon after, he resumed walking, faster than before.

So many people had contributed to support him, but now, every step was his to make, with no one by his side.

It had always been that way, and the situation didn't seem to change.

The palace was relatively empty compared to an ordinary day, signaling the horror that was about to unfold. Out of the silence, an old and friendly voice called out to him.

"Your Highness, is there something wrong?" It was Eriq Ranborg, the 73rd complete ethereal warrior. As the instructor of Mia Hart and potentially all other rare healers within the kingdom, his words were directed at Albert, but his eyes were fixed on his shadow. Eriq, known for his kindness, seemed extra delighted after seeing him.

"Princess Alfreya summoned me. She probably missed her brother after I left for so long," Albert smiled back politely, his voice trembling but only slightly, so much so that Eriq didn't seem to notice.

"That's great, that's great," Eriq nodded slowly, a glimmer of worry emerging in his eyes. "Be careful, Your Highness." His words trailed along the atmosphere as he steadily departed.

"But it seems like someone would cover that for you already..." Eriq whispered to himself after making sure Albert wouldn't hear him, shaking his head.

"Yeah... I guess it's about time."

"Peace and freedom have been great, but everything comes to a conclusion someday..."

He sighed, filled with sorrow and memories.

On the other side, Albert finally reached the giant and luxurious door, the entrance to his older sister Alfreya Eldran's room. Recalling the past, his sister had always been somewhat mean to him when he was young. However, she stood up for him every time someone talked about his mute behind his back.

But that was the past, and the past was better left forgotten in pursuit of a better present and future.

He stood there for almost a minute, though it was not hesitation. It was more of a grieving session for someone about to die. The door automatically opened for him, revealing the 23rd complete ethereal warrior, Sora Tiamat, Princess Alfreya's bodyguard. He was supposed to have a bodyguard too—King Eldran had planned for Silver to take charge of his safety, but Albert quickly rejected the idea. He didn't want to disrupt the balance within the SIGMA academy team, nor make Silver his subordinate.

"I apologize for my previous discourtesy, my dearest brother." Princess Alfreya lounged sideways on her bed, positioned in the back of the room. The long staircase leading toward it almost seemed to signal the power difference between them.

Albert remained silent, scanning the room. As Glynn Belkarn had predicted, Alfreya had removed all royal guards from her room to prevent any unwanted inconvenience.

But as Glynn said, cause the unwanted inconvenience, and when people confront you, that's when you turn your target toward them.

The door shut behind him. Princess Alfreya slowly got up and walked down the staircase elegantly, a smirk on her face. Sora slightly shook her head, whether because of Alfreya's suspicious stance or the general conflict between the siblings, it was unclear.

"There's a rumor going around the palace, I'm afraid," Alfreya's voice was soft and seductive, a habit she couldn't prevent even if she wanted to. "But you're my brother, Albert. I watched you grow up."

Then she hesitated, correcting herself briefly, "Well, maybe not entirely, but you get my point."

"Let's not let treacherous rumors ruin our relationship, don't you agree?"

Despite her words, Albert had already sensed the danger lurking in every corner of the room. Alfreya and Sora had surrounded him, front and back. The atmosphere was tense, yet awfully quiet.

"Rumors? I'm not sure if it's what you're talking about, but if you're thinking the same thing as me, then it's true."

Alfreya trembled, lifting her eyebrows. Albert's response wasn't what she expected. A strange feeling in her heart almost warned her that the brother before her wasn't the innocent, submissive child he once was.

But she wasn't afraid. With a complete ethereal warrior in her room, she felt invincible.

Ignoring Albert's mysterious words, she continued, "You know, fortunate and unfortunate as we are, we were born as ascended ethereal warriors. We hold high positions and honor within the kingdom, but after Father passes away, we'll be nothing like we are now."

"If there's one thing you taught me, it's that fate can be grasped within our hands—all we need to do is never let go. Even if it means my fingers bleed, my arm wears out, I will never give up my position. That could be easily done if no one tries to drag me down."

"I will clear every single obstacle blocking my way, even if it's you, Albert." Her stare grew cold, Sora closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Whatever happened next, she wouldn't interfere.

Albert sighed, his tone equally cold and determined, "What did I do to you, Alfreya?"

"You don't know the truth behind your cure, do you?" Alfreya replied, "Then go ask the dead souls of this kingdom, sacrificed just for you."

She stepped close, and the dagger hidden in her hand grew meters long in an instant, impaling Albert's body. Dodging that strike was impossible, no matter how prepared he was.

But a voice rose behind her, undoubtedly Albert's, "How are you going to explain this to Father?" His voice was deep and slow, devoid of emotion.

"There are millions of ways and millions of suspects," she turned, preparing to strike again. But this time, she hesitated. Albert stared at her face and froze.

There were tears in her eyes.

And two bloody daggers pierced her body.

She hesitated, but the person behind her did not.

Sora Tiamat gasped, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Though her eyes were closed, she had been constantly sensing Albert's movements, prepared to guard against any potential counterattacks. She was sure no one had followed him into the room.

Shun Xshasi smiled brightly at her, pointing to his own shadow.

As Glynn had informed him, Sora could control all types of darkness, though she mainly used this ability to blend into the background. Ironically, Shun possessed an ethereal arm with a similar ability—Long Shadow, one of the first he had ever harvested.

Albert froze, staring at his sister's lifeless body. Shun ignored him and spoke to Sora, "Now that the protected person is dead, the bodyguard has proven herself useless and will likely be disposed of."

"It's not too late to reconsider your allegiance, Mrs. Tiamat."

Sora knew it wasn't a lie. Alfreya had been the first to make a move, and it wasn't too late to claim she had assisted Albert in self-defence. She could also kill the two boys in front of her, but it wasn't difficult to see which side was more reliable.

Such was Glynn Belkarn's grand plan, simple, yet perfectly effective.