The Return of the Betrayed Heir

10

Slap! A young boy collapsed to the ground from the impact of the strike. He was a frail boy with jet-black hair and blood-red eyes, his slender legs barely able to support him as he struggled to remain on his knees. This pitiful child was none other than Alex. 

Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes as his mother, Reyla Dragonblood, stood over him, having just delivered the blow.

"You are nothing but a disappointment!" she said, her voice dripping with harsh contempt. "Realize that you are a dragon! Powerful blood flows through your veins, yet you... you can't even hold a sword properly. You are the disgrace of this entire family, and looking at you makes me sick."

At those cruel words, Alex wept even harder, biting his lower lip until it bled to stifle his sobs. Tears fell one after another in this dark, damp room where he endured his mother's relentless scolding day after day.

Behind the cracked door, two pairs of curious eyes peeked into the room. They belonged to Alex's twin siblings, Baela and Baelon. Baela looked at her younger brother with pity and sorrow, whereas Baelon took cruel delight in watching Alex being humiliated.

Reyla glared down at Alex with cold, unyielding eyes. "Pull yourself together. If you want to remain a part of this family, work harder and improve yourself."

She tossed a wooden sword onto the floor in front of Alex, turned around, and slammed the door shut behind her, abandoning him in total darkness. 

Alex crawled behind the door, pulled his knees to his chest, and wept silently. He knew how dire his situation was; at eight years old, he had been ostracized by his entire family. Despite starting his mana training at age six, he still hadn't managed to form a single mana star by the time he turned eight. His body accepted mana, yet he struggled immensely to grasp and control it.

"Why... why can't I do it no matter how hard I try?" he sobbed into his knees.

Even though he gave his absolute best every single day, he could never achieve the results he desperately craved. He dedicated all his time to training and self-improvement, but neither swordsmanship nor magic seemed to be his calling.

"Young master."

A gentle voice called out from behind the door. Hearing it, Alex immediately lifted his head.

"Helena... is that you...?" he whispered.

"Yes, it's me."

Hearing her warm voice brought Alex a faint sense of comfort. Helena leaned her back against the door and said sorrowfully, "I am so sorry that you have to suffer like this because of me..."

"It's not your fault. I'm just a complete failure..."

Helena bit her lip tightly. "It is my fault... If I had taken better care of you, you wouldn't be in this state."

Alex rolled his blood-red eyes and shook his head weakly. "Don't blame yourself. I don't blame anyone. Being this incompetent is entirely on me... There is no child in the dragon family more useless than I am. After all, who else reaches this age without even being able to form a mana star?"

Helena pressed her hand against the wooden door and said firmly, "I believe in you. You will do it. One day, you will become an exceptionally powerful dragon."

Alex rested his head against the door, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Thank you..."

***

Suddenly, Alex's eyes snapped open, his breath coming in ragged, heavy gasps as sweat drenched his brow.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Osiris asked without looking up, sitting calmly by the crackling fire.

Alex rubbed his forehead, trying to clear his mind. "It wasn't a nightmare... just a bad memory I wanted to forget."

Reliving those past memories in his dreams left him feeling deeply unsettled. Tessarion approached him and gently rested his head against Alex's side.

"Those days are long gone," the golden dragon said reassuringly. "Everyone loves you now."

Alex stroked the golden dragon's scales softly. "I know, but those are memories I can never truly erase. That's why I know the affection they show me now is only because I'm strong."

Alex remembered everything he had endured in his previous life, which was why he never allowed himself to grow close to his family. He refused to believe their affection was genuine, leading his family to assume he was simply anti-social and withdrawn.

The only person who truly perceived the suppressed anger and cold reality within him was his father, Aenys Dragonblood. Aenys didn't want to push his son too hard; even in his past life, Alex had only seen his father around twenty times, and once the war broke out, he barely saw him at all. Consequently, Alex always maintained a cautious distance whenever he interacted with his father.

Alex looked up at the night sky, where countelss brilliant stars covered the expanse like a shimmering blanket.

"That's enough training for today," Osiris said, stirring the glowing embers with a wooden stick, sending tiny sparks flying into the cool air. "You're better than I expected. Your swordsmanship and situational awareness are top-tier. When you reach adulthood, you will undoubtedly become the strongest swordsman on this continent."

Alex watched the dancing flames before asking, "Why are you training me?"

Upon hearing the question, Osiris stopped stirring the fire and opened his two closed eyes. He stared at Alex with pitch-black, fathomless eyes. A heavy silence fell over them as they exchanged gazes.

Alex exhaled softly. "I'm sorry for asking."

"I once had a disciple," Osiris spoke in a calm, distant voice. "He was just like you—eager to learn both swordsmanship and magic. I trained him, and as he grew, he became a highly respected warrior. I was immensely proud of him."

Alex listened attentively as Osiris continued.

"One day... he went on an elimination mission with a team. A short while later, the entire squad was wiped out. All that remained of my disciple was a single severed arm. From that day forward, I swore never to take another student, turning down everyone who sought my guidance."

Osiris resumed stirring the fire. Alex lowered his eyes, feeling a weight in his chest. "I'm really sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine. Perhaps it was good for me to speak of it; I've never shared that story with anyone before."

Silence settled between them once more until Alex raised his head, looking directly into Osiris's eyes with absolute conviction.

"I will never die, Master."

The moment Alex uttered those words, Osiris dropped the stick from his hand, staring at Alex in sheer shock. For a split second, he saw the phantom image of his late disciple standing right behind the boy. For the first time in years, Osiris felt a warm, forgotten emotion swell within his chest.

Osiris stood up abruptly. "You've stayed here too long. You should head home; your family might be worried about you."

Alex stood up, grabbed his bag from the ground, as Tessarion slipped back into his shadow. Osiris opened a glowing portal. Before stepping through, Alex turned around and waved goodbye to Osiris before stepping into the light, returning to the forest.

Osiris watched the portal close and smiled softly. (I won't let you end up like him... I will make you far stronger than I ever made him, Alex.)

Arriving back in the forest, Alex began walking slowly toward the manor. He recognized the deep sorrow Osiris carried for his fallen disciple. Clenching his fists tightly, Alex promised himself, "I won't end up like his disciple. I won't die."

"Don't overthink it," Tessarion remarked. "We've only just met him. We don't fully know who or what he really is."

"Even though we just met, he's actively helping us," Alex replied. "Training at this level cannot be found anywhere else on this continent."

Alex was entirely correct. The instruction he received from Osiris was unmatched anywhere in Edeya. If the noble families knew such training existed, they would spend fortunes to secure it for their children. Alex considered himself fortunate and was determined to exploit every bit of this opportunity.

"I still don't trust him completely," Tessarion admitted. "But if you trust him, then I'll trust your judgment."

The golden dragon disliked Alex's open acceptance, but there was little he could do. If Alex trusted Osiris, Tessarion had to trust him too. Desperate to prevent Alex from meeting a tragic end like in his previous life, Tessarion paid far more attention to Alex's surroundings than Alex did himself. 

Since the golden dragon had access to all of Alex's memories, he vowed to continuously advise him on who to trust and who to keep at arm's length.

When Alex reached the estate grounds, old memories surfaced once more. Returning here brought back feelings he wished he could ignore. He narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the manor, the cool breeze blowing through his dark hair.

"This place still makes me tense," Alex muttered.

Tessarion emerged from Alex's shadow and stretched his wings slowly. "We only need to stay here a little longer. After that, we'll be far away from this place."

"You're right," Alex agreed, turning his gaze toward the west. "I'll be seeing you soon, Uncle."

Tessarion flapped his wings and soared toward Dragon Mountain—a sanctuary designed specifically for dragons to rest, possessing extreme heat that only dragons could endure. 

All dragon eggs were kept on this mountain, awaiting their future riders. In his previous life, Alex had traveled there as a child and chosen Tessarion's egg. 

Normally, the lineage of every dragon's parents was meticulously documented, yet Tessarion's lineage remained entirely unrecorded. Alex hadn't known the truth of Tessarion's origins in his past life, and despite extensive research in this life, it remained an unsolved mystery.

Alex watched Tessarion fly into the distance. "A golden dragon... a color never seen before, and a level of ferocity never witnessed..."

Alex slid his hands into his pockets and walked steadily toward the manor. The dragon bloodline was always full of anomalies, rare talents, and strange destinies. 

That was the exact reason this formidable family stood at the absolute apex of the world—they fed on chaos and forged it into pure, unyielding power. A unique trait belonging solely to the dragons.