Umbra Rising

Drake barely had time to process what was happening before two guards grabbed him by the arms, their grips firm but not cruel. They didn't drag him away immediately, but the message was clear—he was no longer welcome here.

"Wait," Lord Solaris's voice cut through the murmurs of the gathered nobles. "Take him inside first."

The guards hesitated, then nodded, turning and leading Drake toward the towering Solaris estate. Drake barely resisted—his limbs felt numb, his mind a haze of disbelief. As they passed through the grand doors, the hush of the courtyard was replaced by the heavy silence of the great hall. The golden banners of his family hung from the high walls, their glow no longer comforting but suffocating.

The guards led him up the marble staircase, through the halls he had walked since childhood, until they reached his father's private study. The heavy oak door swung open, and they stepped inside. Lord Solaris followed, shutting the door behind them.

The moment they were alone, the air in the room changed.

Drake stood frozen, watching as his father moved toward the window, staring out at the city below. The golden glow of his magic flickered faintly around him, but there was no warmth in it.

"Do you understand what you've done?" Lord Solaris finally said, his voice quiet but laced with something cold.

Drake swallowed. "I—I didn't do anything. I never—"

"Enough." His father turned, his golden eyes like molten steel. "The moment that orb revealed your magic, you ceased to be my son."

The words landed like a physical blow. Drake clenched his fists, trying to suppress the rising panic, the fury, the devastation.

"You think I chose this?" His voice wavered despite himself. "You think I wanted this?"

Lord Solaris regarded him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he sighed, turning fully to face Drake. "It doesn't matter what you wanted. You are what you are."

Drake's breath hitched. "You taught me that magic is a gift, that it's a reflection of who we are. So what does that say about me?"

His father's lips pressed into a thin line. "It says that you are nothing like the Solaris line."

Drake flinched, but his father wasn't finished.

"There is no place for Dark magic here. It is weak, disgraceful, and dangerous. This family has protected the kingdom for generations with Light. We do not harbor shadows." His voice hardened, the weight of generations pressing down with each syllable. "You will leave this estate by nightfall. You will take nothing with you. You will not return."

Drake's stomach twisted. "You can't just—"

"I can. And I will."

His father stepped forward, standing tall, his golden aura flaring ever so slightly. "If you have any dignity left, you will walk out of here on your own. If not, I will ensure you are removed."

The guards behind him tensed at the unspoken command, ready to act.

Drake exhaled sharply, his hands shaking at his sides. His father's face showed no hesitation, no regret. No sign that he had once called Drake his son.

Something inside him broke.

He turned toward the door, his movements stiff, his pulse roaring in his ears. He would not beg. He would not plead. If his father had already decided to erase him, then he would not give him the satisfaction of seeing his pain.

As he stepped out of the study, his father spoke one last time.

"You are no longer worthy of the Solaris name."

Drake didn't stop walking. He didn't look back.

He had always thought of his father as an unshakable force—strong, composed, unyielding. But now, Lord Solaris had proven something else.

He was willing to throw away his own son without a second thought.