NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Eyes of command
Chapter 25 "Eyes of command"
The next day, Thrain prepared to leave for the academy—the very place he was determined to change, though he still didn't know how. On his way, he unexpectedly crossed paths with his brothers. They stood together in casual conversation, but what caught his eye was the striking red-haired girl standing beside them, her fiery presence impossible to ignore.
Cormac, the larger of the two, towered over Hitel, who was closer in height to Thrain. And then there was Meryl—the red-haired girl standing off to the side. Thrain's ex. Once, her presence would have stirred something in him, but now? Nothing. He had the Bijins, and since his evolution, his connection to emotions like hate had dulled. He didn't care for grudges anymore; he didn't attack unprovoked. But cross him? That was a different story.
"So, how's our little brother doing?" Cormac teased, reaching out as if to caress Thrain's face.
Thrain ducked instinctively, knowing better than to trust his brother's seemingly innocent gestures. He could still sense the hate simmering beneath the surface, though it hadn't escalated—yet.
Thrain knew the truth—Hitel and Cormac weren't exactly fond of each other. Born on the same day but to different mothers, their rivalry for power and the throne had fueled a quiet animosity between them. Yet somehow, they always seemed to find common ground when it came to humiliating him. Those days, however, were over. Thrain was stronger now, and he wouldn't allow himself to be treated like dirt anymore.
"What is it? Why'd you leave your glorious quarters to come all the way down here to my 'shitty sanctuary'?" Thrain asked, his tone sharp as he folded his arms.
"Oh, c'mon, this place isn't that bad," Hitel replied, glancing around with a faint smirk that barely masked his disdain. "We came to congratulate you on going to the academy. You know, Dad sent us there too. It was a bit different for us, though. The instructors knew who we were, and we were already trained by the best of the best at home. But he wanted us to mingle with peasants—get used to their ways or something. So, we went in disguise and, well, handled things. Our glory days."
Thrain had heard enough. Without a word, he brushed past them, his resolve unshaken. He wasn't going to waste his time indulging their arrogance.
"Thrain!" Hitel's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, laced with frustration.
"Don't walk past me!" he snapped, his tone growing angrier. "Do you think just because you've finally awakened, you can disrespect me? Or is it that ridiculous throne room explosion—something I obviously don't believe—that's made you think you're untouchable?"
Thrain halted, but not out of deference. He was struck by how blind Hitel's pride had made him. First, the fool hadn't believed he'd awakened, and now he refused to believe he'd been the one to destroy the throne room. "This is exactly why anger must be kept in check, used only when it serves a purpose," Thrain mused, a calmness settling over him.
Without a word or glance back, he resumed walking, brushing past the guards flanking the two princes. Their gazes followed him, but none dared to stop him.
…
Hitel's fury ignited like an inferno, his hand blazing with fire that pulsed violently. His eyes burned with Pyrope intensity, each flicker of flame feeding his seething anger.
Cormac stepped in swiftly, grabbing Hitel's arm. "We shouldn't do this," he said, his voice calm yet firm. "Father wouldn't be happy. This isn't the place, not here, not now."
Even Meryl interjected, placing herself between Thrain and Hitel. "Stop this, Hitel," she said, her tone sharp yet steady. Her protective stance only added fuel to Hitel's rage.
"You side with him?" Hitel spat, his flames flaring hotter.
Cormac tightened his grip. "You'll regret it if you don't walk away now. Let it go."
Hitel appeared to relent, the fire in his hand dimming slightly. But the moment Cormac turned his back, Hitel snapped. With a guttural roar, he unleashed a searing blast of flame. It surged forward with a spiraling force, growing larger and hotter with each passing moment, its sheer intensity bending the air around it. The wave of fire crackled and hissed, roaring toward Thrain with unrelenting speed and power.
Thrain felt it before it came, his heightened senses flaring to life. His vision shifted, his eyes glowing electric blue. He didn't see the fire in the usual way—it was as though he saw the energy behind it, flowing in lines and arcs, outlining its deadly trajectory.
Instinct took over, his body moving with precision and speed as the fiery wave bore down on him.
Thrain leapt into the air with fluid precision, his body twisting mid-flight into a backflip. His hands moved instinctively, weaving patterns he didn't fully understand but felt compelled to execute. The fire responded to him, curving mid-flight as though under his command. When his feet hit the ground, the flames twisted upward, arcing back toward the one who had unleashed them—Hitel.
Cormac and Meryl stood frozen, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief as the fire roared toward them. Hitel's Pyrope-enhanced reflexes kicked in, allowing him to dodge the redirected flames with supernatural speed. But instead of standing his ground, he made a split-second decision that shocked everyone. He kicked Cormac into the path of the oncoming flames and bolted, leaving Meryl behind without a second thought.
The betrayal stunned them all, happening so fast it felt like a blur. But Hitel's escape was cut short as he suddenly stumbled and fell. A searing heat gripped his legs, burning so intensely that he collapsed to the ground, clutching at them in agony.
The flames, which had been hurtling toward Cormac, shifted course at the last moment, sparing him and Meryl entirely. Instead, they veered sharply toward Hitel, growing fiercer as they closed in. The inferno stopped just inches from his face, hanging in the air as if suspended by an unseen force.
Hitel's eyes widened, reflecting the swirling flames before him. Fear replaced his earlier arrogance, and he realized too late that the fire he once controlled now answered to someone far stronger.
…
The flames vanished in an instant with a sharp crack, leaving a faint shimmer in the air. The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the sound of Hitel's ragged breaths. When the smoke cleared, Thrain stood before him, his piercing blue eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity.
Hitel froze, his body refusing to move as his gaze locked on Thrain. "Those eyes... what are those?" A shiver of fear ran down his spine.
Without warning, thin beams of blue light shot from Thrain's eyes, striking Hitel's forehead. Blue flames erupted where they landed—not consuming him, but flickering ominously like a silent promise.
Hitel couldn't understand it. The fire didn't burn, yet it felt alive, coiling around him with a weight that pressed against his very soul. His knees buckled as the strange energy bore down on him.
Then, the words came—not spoken, but resonating in his mind like a thunderous command.
"Listen, Hitel. This will be the last time."
The voice was unmistakably Thrain's, yet his mouth hadn't moved. The others—Cormac and Meryl—watched in stunned silence, their confusion growing by the second.
Hitel's thoughts raced as he looked into those glowing eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening. But the message was clear. Thrain wasn't asking for respect anymore; he was demanding it.
The blue flames dimmed, vanishing as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving Hitel trembling. Thrain turned and walked away without a word, leaving the air heavy with unspoken authority. Meryl and Cormac exchanged uncertain glances, knowing that whatever powe
r Thrain now wielded, it was something far beyond their comprehension.