In the dimly lit underground basement, the air was thick with the tang of sweat and the sharp hum of sparring energy. The personal training facility had been built for one purpose: to hone the potential of the young heir, Leonard Bright. At just ten years old, Leon was a force of nature—raw, untamed, and brimming with determination.
“One more, Reina!” Leon’s voice echoed, full of fiery resolve.
He darted forward, his small frame a blur as flames erupted from his fists. His Gift, Sun King, flared to life, enveloping him in a golden aura that cast long shadows across the room. He moved with reckless speed, dashing toward Reina’s blind spots with calculated aggression.
But Reina was always one step ahead.
Leon threw a fiery blast, the heat radiating off it scorching the air. Reina sidestepped effortlessly, her movements precise and measured. She slipped in a sharp jab, her fist colliding with Leon’s midsection and sending him skidding back.
Leon gritted his teeth, feeling his aura control falter under the pressure.
“How?” he muttered, frustration bubbling up. “How do you always do that?”
Reina didn’t answer, her calm expression unchanging. She stood poised, her dark hair tied back in a tight braid, and her piercing eyes never left him.
Leon had spent years trying to uncover the secret of her Gift, but Reina was an enigma. She moved like a ghost, appearing and disappearing with an almost supernatural grace. No matter how much Leon trained, no matter how fiercely he fought, he could never outwit or outrun her.
Leon clenched his fists, his fiery aura intensifying. “I’m going to get out of this place, find Mom, and live my happily ever after!”
As if in response to his declaration, Sun King roared to life. A miniature sun formed in his right hand, its searing light casting an ethereal glow across the room.
Leon’s body flickered, a testament to his Gift’s speed. In an instant, he reappeared above Reina, the miniature sun poised to strike. With a roar, he unleashed it, the orb streaking toward Reina with devastating force.
But it missed.
Leon’s eyes widened in disbelief as the orb slammed into the ground, leaving a scorched mark where Reina should have been.
“I missed?!” Leon exclaimed, twisting in midair to locate her.
A soft voice drifted to his ears, calm and composed. “I’m here, young master.”
Leon barely had time to react before Reina’s foot connected with his face. The impact sent him hurtling downward, his body slamming into the ground with enough force to create a small crater. Dust and debris billowed around him as he groaned in pain.
“Son of a… bitch…” Leon muttered, clutching his head.
Reina descended gracefully, landing beside the crater with barely a sound. She looked down at him, arms crossed. “Language, young master,” she chided, her tone firm but not unkind. “It doesn’t suit your pedigree.”
Leon glared up at her, his golden aura flickering weakly as his energy waned. “Pedigree this,” he grumbled under his breath, pushing himself to his feet.
Reina arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, she gestured toward him. “Again.”
Leon wiped the blood from his nose, his eyes blazing with defiance. He wasn’t done—not by a long shot.
As the flames around him reignited, Reina’s calm expression remained unchanged. She knew he wouldn’t stop until he collapsed, and even then, he’d probably crawl his way back to his feet.
Because that was Leonard Bright.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Few hours later…
Leon stood in the middle of the underground training facility, sweat dripping from his brow as he stared at Reina, his so-called bodyguard and eternal sparring partner. The glow of his aura flickered faintly around him, evidence of his exhaustion after hours of relentless combat. Yet, his frustration wasn’t from the physical exertion—it was from Reina herself.
“Are you even human, Reina?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Reina’s expression remained unreadable, as always. “I was never human to begin with.”
Leon blinked, caught off guard by her matter-of-fact tone. “Wha—? What do you mean?”
“I am originally a doll,” she said calmly, as if discussing the weather. “Created from aura and built from mundane parts. Father’s aura gave me life, and for that, I am grateful. I am also grateful to my mother for bringing me into existence.”
Leon’s jaw dropped. “Mother? You mean… uhh… Leora?”
“No,” Reina replied, shaking her head slightly. “Atropos. She is your father’s sister.”
Leon’s face twisted in confusion. “Hey, isn’t that fucked up? You call them father and mother when they’re siblings.”
Reina tilted her head slightly, her gaze unwavering. “Because, in every sense of the word, that is what they are to me.”Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Leon crossed his arms, trying to process this bizarre revelation. “I never heard that the shitty old man even had a sister.”
“Your father isn’t that old,” Reina corrected him. “He has a long life ahead of him… I think.”
Leon rolled his eyes. “Can you tell me about this mother of yours?”
Reina’s expression softened, but only slightly. “Cold. Unfeeling. That is the impression I remember, probably from my time as a ‘doll.’”
Leon let out a low whistle. “Wow. To sum it up, being shitty parents must run in the family.”
“That is improbable,” Reina countered, her tone unshaken. “Every human heart is complicated and unique in its own ways.”
Leon waved her words off. “So this Atropos is my aunt? If I ask her to take me away from here, would she help me?”
“Highly unlikely,” Reina said without hesitation. “She was estranged from your father. The latter does not acknowledge the former as his sister—unless it benefits him. Mother would most likely foil your childish escape attempts to appeal to him.”
Leon scoffed. “Yep, that’s my shitty old man.”
Reina hesitated, her eyes flickering with something almost human—concern, maybe. “I am not at liberty to say this, but I will do it nonetheless. This must be what it means to have free will.”
Leon groaned, already regretting his curiosity. “I don’t wanna listen if it’s just another lecture. Let’s go another round.”
Reina ignored his deflection, her voice steady and deliberate. “Your father has missing memories and is troubled by traumas. Perhaps the reason he is keeping Mother out of his life is because of this.”
Leon shrugged, turning his back to her and rolling his shoulders in preparation for another fight. “Not my problem.”
Reina sighed softly, stepping into her stance. “Very well, young master. Let us continue.”
And so they did, the echoes of their battle reverberating through the underground space. Yet, as they clashed, Leon couldn’t help but feel a small, nagging curiosity about this mysterious aunt of his—and the secrets his father so desperately tried to bury.
Leon sat on the edge of the crater he had made during his last failed attempt to outmaneuver Reina. His body ached, his breathing was labored, and his mind wouldn’t stop racing. He had always seen his father as an untouchable figure, distant and cold. Yet now, after Reina’s revelations, his thoughts spiraled into a chaotic tangle.
For five years, Leon had lived under his father’s roof, enduring the weight of his presence. He couldn’t measure the man by normal standards—his father wasn’t human in the ways that mattered. Leon saw it in the way he moved, the way he spoke, and most of all, in the way he pretended to care.
Artificial… forced…
Leon’s Gift, Sun King, had always been attuned to the truth, to the light hidden behind lies. It screamed at him whenever his father attempted to act the part of a caring parent. The warmth his father displayed was a facade, and knowing this only made Leon’s frustration burn hotter.
He clenched his fists, the flicker of heat radiating from his aura an echo of his anger. He wanted his mom back. Desperately. The thought consumed him, filling every corner of his mind with questions and bitterness.
Reina stepped closer, her calm presence a stark contrast to Leon’s fiery emotions. “Let’s stop here,” she said, her voice even.
Leon exhaled sharply, collapsing onto his back. The cold, hard floor felt like a welcome reprieve from the heat coursing through his body. “Huff…”
Reina’s gaze remained steady as she folded her arms. “Your father calls for you, young master. Take a breather, a shower, and get dressed. He will be meeting you in his office.”
Leon groaned, covering his face with one arm. “Great. More cryptic bullshit, I bet.”
Reina tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “Perhaps. Or perhaps he has something important to say.”
Leon sat up slowly, glaring at her. “When does he not have something important to say? It’s always about control with him. Always about making sure I don’t ‘step out of line.’”
Reina didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she knelt down, her tone softer than usual. “Your father may be cold, but that does not mean he lacks care. The ways of the human heart are often… complicated.”
Leon scoffed, rising to his feet. “Yeah, well, his heart’s more like a block of ice. And I’m tired of being frozen out.”
Reina added, “Don’t stay for too long.”
It didn’t take long.
Leon adjusted the hood of his black hoodie, the fabric slightly snug against his head as he stepped into his father’s office. The space was as sterile and imposing as ever—bookshelves lined with volumes that seemed untouched, a sleek black desk free of clutter, and the faint hum of an unseen aura permeating the room.
Before Leon could utter a word, something metallic gleamed in the air, hurtling toward him. Instinct kicked in, and his hand shot out to catch it. He frowned as he examined the object: a silver ring, smooth and unassuming, save for faint etchings that shimmered under the office’s dim lighting.
“What’s that about, shitty dad?” Leon growled, his grip tightening on the ring.
His father, standing behind the desk, offered no immediate response. The man’s gaze was cold and calculating, as always. “New aura-based technology,” he said, his tone clipped. “Using spatial technology at its core. Think of it as an item box, like in those games you waste your time on.”
Leon turned the ring over in his hand, studying it. The faint shimmer of aura infused within the metal betrayed its value. “This is one gift I can’t reject…” he muttered, though his tone was skeptical. He glanced up at his father. “But my birthday isn’t even around the corner.”
He hesitated, caught off guard by the gesture. Part of him wanted to scoff, to hurl the ring back and storm out. But Reina’s earlier words lingered in his mind. Your father may be cold, but that does not mean he lacks care.
And then there was the undeniable utility of the ring itself. He wasn’t stupid—he knew how invaluable this would be, especially if he ever managed to escape this suffocating life.
His father’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Inside that ring are stored amounts of water and food. I’ve also left your card open, so you won’t be strapped for cash.”
Leon’s brow furrowed. “Huh? What for?”
His father stepped out from behind the desk, his suit’s empty left sleeve flapping slightly as if caught in an invisible breeze. Despite the missing arm, the aura radiating from the man was anything but crippled. It filled the room with an oppressive weight, the air crackling faintly with invisible threads of power that only Leon’s Gift could faintly detect.
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” his father said, his tone laced with impatience. “My fallible son, you are getting kicked out of the house.”
Leon froze, the words hitting him like a physical blow. He stared at his father, the weight of the silver ring suddenly feeling heavier in his hand.
The man’s expression didn’t waver as he closed the distance between them, his aura pulling at the edges of Leon’s senses like an invisible tide. “You’ve been coddled long enough. It’s time for you to leave.”
Leon’s jaw tightened, anger flaring up in his chest. “If you think I’m going to thank you, then don’t,” he spat, shoving the ring into his pocket.
His father’s lips curled into the faintest semblance of a smirk, though it lacked any warmth. “I never imagined it.”
Leon glared at him, fists clenched, but the man didn’t flinch. Instead, he stepped aside, gesturing toward the door.
“Out,” his father commanded, the single word sharp and final.
Leon’s legs felt like lead as he turned and walked toward the door. He didn’t look back, even as the familiar prickling sensation of his father’s aura lingered in the air, wrapping around him like a reminder of the power he was leaving behind.
As he stepped out of the office and into the hallway, the realization hit him fully: he was being cast out, pushed into the world he had only dreamed of escaping to.
And for the first time, the thought of freedom didn’t feel as triumphant as he had imagined.