The Return of the Betrayed Heir

7

Alex was thrilled when he witnessed his father's aura once again. He had seen it only once long ago during the war, and now it stood directly before him. Yet Alex knew all too well that this was far from Aenys's full power.

Aenys suppressed his aura. "Now, sit down. You won't master the Crimson Blood Formula immediately, so you will need to train here every day. You should grasp it within a month at most."

Alex smiled, took his seat, and entered a meditative posture. Aenys touched his shoulder, channeling a gentle stream of mana into Alex's body to help him perceive the energy more easily. Closing his eyes, Alex plunged into absolute darkness within his mind. Not a single trace of light existed, yet he strove to feel the mana his father had channeled into him.

Aenys watched him intently. 'His focus is extraordinary. He might perceive mana much faster than I anticipated...'

"I see it," Alex declared, interrupting Aenys's thoughts.

Aenys blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I see the mana," Alex repeated firmly.

"Are you certain? You've only just begun. It might merely be an illusion."

"No, I feel it with absolute certainty. It wraps around my body, making me feel warm."

Still skeptical, Aenys condensed a tiny marble-sized bead of mana. "Very well. To verify, I have formed a bead of mana. Show me where it is."

He guided the mana bead directly behind Alex's head.

"It's behind my head," Alex stated instantly.

Aenys swallowed hard and shifted the bead to the right.

"Now it's on my right."

Aenys was left utterly dumbfounded. Even his dragon, Grayghost, watched the display in disbelief.

'Is this even possible?' Grayghost transmitted mentally.

'I don't know...' Aenys replied internally.

Not even an hour had passed since the start of his mana training, yet Alex was already perceiving and visualizing it with complete clarity. To Aenys, this bordered on the impossible. How many individuals across the entire continent could perceive mana the moment they began training? None.

Driven by curiosity, Aenys decided to test a boundary he knew was premature. He injected mana into Alex's bloodstream, awakening his dormant dragon cells. As the mana fused with his dragon blood, the Crimson Blood Formula began inscribing itself directly into Alex's genetic makeup.

Realizing what was happening, Alex smiled. He began gathering the surrounding mana particles toward his heart. The particles coalesced, glittering like a radiant star. Alex drew in as much mana as his vessel could bear until the star near his heart was fully formed.

The moment Aenys retracted his hand, a massive explosion erupted!

BOOM!!!

Billions of dark smoke plumes billowed through the cabin door. Alex waved his hand to clear the haze before him.

"Father!!" Alex gasped, swallowing hard. 'Did I push it too far?!' he thought anxiously.

Through the thick black smoke, two glowing eyes pierced the gloom. With a snap of Aenys's fingers, the surrounding smoke instantly dissipated. Aenys stood completely unscathed, leaving Alex staring in utter astonishment.

"What happened? You didn't think something like that would harm me, did you?" Aenys remarked calmly. "You overloaded your star, causing a momentary mana backlash. Be careful next time; had it been anyone else in my place, they would have taken damage."

Alex nodded rapidly. Normally, an instantaneous backlash of that magnitude would stagger even a warrior at the Demigod realm, yet Aenys had emerged without a single scratch.

Aenys placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, and in a flash, they materialized in the courtyard of the dragon manor.

"Rest a little. You've just formed your first star, so you must be exhausted."

"Alright, Father." Alex scurried into the manor toward his quarters.

Aenys watched his departing back. "That child is not normal," the black dragon noted.

"Indeed," Aenys agreed quietly.

"Did you notice what he did during the explosion?" Grayghost asked.

"Yes," Aenys replied. "He foresaw the mana backlash. Moving instantly, he gathered the surrounding energy fluctuations to cushion and disperse the explosion's force around himself, leaving him entirely unharmed."

Grayghost was visibly impressed by Alex's instincts. "Impressive indeed... but what intrigues me most is his dragon."

Aenys raised an eyebrow. "His dragon?"

"Yes, didn't you notice? His dragon was merged into his shadow the entire time."

"What?" Aenys stared in shock.

"Indeed," Grayghost explained. "I was startled at first. When I attempted to exert my royal authority to force it to speak, the dragon fainted right before I could even address it! Neither I nor the dragon itself was the cause of that blackout."

Aenys stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'What is truly going on here...'

Perceiving mana instantly, forming a star within minutes, manipulating energy like a master... and now, hiding a dragon within a shadow before receiving a single lesson from the Dragon King. These unanswered questions swirled endlessly in Aenys's mind.

Entering the manor, Aenys made his way to his private study. He pulled three heavy, dust-covered leather volumes from the shelves—each bearing the crest of the Dragonblood house: a dragon holding a sword—to examine the historical ancestral records.

He spent hours sifting through the yellowed pages late into the night, yet found no precedent.

Aenys leaned back into his seat with a heavy sigh. "Nothing... Sensing mana in under a month is classified as an anomaly, but forming a star within minutes of learning...?"

His mind was thoroughly perplexed. He had always known his son was a prodigy, but this defied every historical boundary.

His gaze drifted to Aberyum—the curved black sword of their founder hovering in mid-air.

"Do you think he is a reincarnation?" Grayghost asked quietly.

"I don't know..." Aenys murmured. "I never even considered such a concept possible. But if reincarnation is real... could he be the rebirth of our founding ancestor?"

Aenys could conceive of no other explanation, for throughout recorded history, no entity had ever been as extraordinary as Izaya Dragonblood... until now.

The study door clicked open, and Reyla Dragonblood walked in. Aenys's sole and cherished love looked breathtaking, with her long, braided white hair and ruby-red eyes glowing like gems. With her sharp jawline and regal demeanor, she looked like a goddess incarnate.

"Aenys, are you still awake?" she asked gently.

"Yes, I had a few matters to tend to."

Reyla approached, leaning against his back to press a soft kiss against his cheek. "That's enough work for tonight; you need rest. The children are asleep, and I grew tired of waiting for you."

Aenys held her hand softly. "I know, but once I retire from my position, I won't keep you waiting anymore."

Reyla sighed playfully. "Wait for your retirement? That will take much longer than you think! Our children are still far too young to take over."

"You may be right," Aenys smiled, "though one of them seems to be growing and developing at an unsettling speed."

Reyla raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Aenys chuckled softly. "Let's leave that aside for tonight; we can discuss it tomorrow in detail. Now tell me... why did you come to this room when you usually never step foot inside?"

Reyla smiled warmly. "Perhaps I missed my husband. After all, I haven't seen him properly for the past two weeks. You just returned, only to disappear again."

Aenys kissed her silky white hair. "I missed you as well. It seems I've neglected you lately, but I'll find a way to make it up to you."

Leaving his shoulders, Reyla sat on his lap and rested her head against his chest. "Aenys, I'm so glad you're by my side. I don't know what I would do without you."

Aenys stroked her back gently. "You and our children are the only reason I stand strong. Thanks to you, I hold this family together, and I am willing to do anything for your sake."

Their eyes met, and Reyla offered a gentle smile. "Don't worry, my love. Those dark days will never return. Our family will remain united, and we will overcome everything together. Watching our children grow reminds me of our own childhood... I just want them to be as happy as we were."

Aenys pressed his forehead against hers. "Don't worry. As long as our youngest doesn't cause too much trouble, everything will be fine."

Reyla laughed softly. "He might be a little mischievous, but he is a good child at heart. He may be reserved and quiet, but he is still our child."

Aenys gently pinched her cheek. "Then shall we make another child without those minor flaws?"

Reyla's laughter faltered. "You're not serious, are you?" She giggled nervously, but Aenys remained silent with a subtle smirk.

Realizing his expression, Reyla stopped laughing entirely. "You're serious..."

Before she could speak further, Aenys leaned in and kissed her lips, leaving Reyla wide-eyed with surprise at the sudden gesture.