Reincarnated into the strongest family

The light of the rising sun streamed through the windows, casting soft rays over Nox as he stood in front of his training dummy. His wooden sword, gripped tightly in his hands, felt both familiar and foreign. His muscles burned from hours of practice—training to hone his skills, training for the duel, training for the academy.

Nox knew his strength. He was confident in it. After all, he had once been the best on Earth. A being of immense power and control. He knew his potential; his body had never failed him. His mind never wavered. The question now was not whether he was strong enough to win the duel—he was. The question was how much he should show. How much could he reveal?

The duel was fast approaching. He would have to fight to earn his place, to prove himself, to claim the right to attend the academy. The pressure of it all weighed heavily on his mind. He couldn't fail. Not when the academy was the key to his future growth.

His grip tightened around the sword. I'll win. I have no doubt about that.

But the attention that would follow—he wasn't sure he wanted it. He had worked hard to hide the extent of his abilities, to make sure no one knew just how capable he was. In this world, power was a double-edged sword.

"Nox," his mother's voice called from behind him, firm and clear, breaking his thoughts. "Stop holding back."

He froze mid-swing, the sword hovering in the air as his eyes quickly darted to her. His mother stood there, arms crossed, with a sharp look in her crimson eyes—eyes that had seen through his defenses too many times.

"I'm not holding back," he replied, though the words didn't come out as confidently as he had hoped.

His mother narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you are. I can see it in the way you hesitate, in the way you hold yourself back."

Nox's jaw tightened. She didn't understand. He wasn't scared of his power—he was just being careful. I have to be careful.

"I'm just... making sure my form is right," Nox said with a calm smile, forcing his voice to sound casual. But it was an empty excuse, one he knew wouldn't fool her for long.

Her gaze sharpened. "No, you're holding back. You fear your power."

It was an accusation, but Nox didn't flinch. Instead, he shook his head. "I don't fear my power."

His mother's lips tightened in response, but she stepped forward, her gaze softening just slightly. "Then why don't you use it? You've been holding back since the beginning. You've trained your whole life to harness it. You're not just training for this duel, you're training for something far greater. Don't let fear dictate your choices."

Nox's heart raced slightly at her words. Her concern was genuine, but she didn't understand the depth of his hesitation. He didn't fear the power itself. He feared the consequences of revealing it. If they know... if they see... they'll target me. They'll come for me.

"I'm not afraid of my power," Nox repeated, his gaze hardening. "But I have to be strategic. I can't just show everything. I can't afford to let people see what I can really do."

His mother studied him carefully, tilting her head as if weighing his words. "You're playing a dangerous game, Nox. Hiding your strength doesn't make you stronger. It weakens you."

Nox's grip on the sword tightened, his knuckles whitening. His shoulders stiffened with the tension he refused to release. "I'm not hiding it. I'm waiting for the right moment."

His mother's eyes softened slightly, but the concern was still there. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You'll have to fight for the academy. It won't be handed to you just because of your name. If you're afraid to fight now, then how will you fight when it really matters?"

Nox's eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid. I'll win. I don't need to prove myself to anyone."

Her lips quirked upward slightly, as though she were testing him. "Is that so? So, you're confident you'll win, even if you don't use your full strength?"

Nox hesitated only for a fraction of a second. He wasn't afraid of his power, but the world didn't need to see everything. If he could win without revealing his full potential, that would be the smarter play. "I don't need to use everything to win. I'll do what it takes to secure my place in the academy. That's all that matters."

His mother didn't respond immediately, but her gaze lingered on him, unreadable. After a moment, she nodded slowly, though there was something in her eyes that Nox couldn't quite decipher. "Very well. But remember this, Nox: you have to be in control of yourself. Don't let hesitation steal that from you."

Nox gave a sharp nod, his mind already racing with thoughts of the duel and the path ahead. His confidence never wavered, but his strategy was still in play. The academy is just the beginning. There's so much more to gain.

As he picked up the pace in his training, a part of him couldn't shake the growing unease. If people see my full strength, fear and jealousy would rise... That would make things far more complicated. People might target him—just as they did in his past life. The academy would teach him how to control his power, but first, he had to survive the duel. Only then would the real training begin.