They Called Me Forsaken, Not Knowing I Was the Dragon God

CHAPTER Four

Aeron pushed open the door of his family home and stepped inside.

For a moment, nobody spoke. It looked like a ghost had walked in.

His mother was the first to move. The moment she saw him standing there alive, relief flashed across her face. She had begun to believe that her son might never return from the execution ground even after being moments away from death.

However, the relief did not last however.

Her eyes slowly moved down to the tiny snake wrapped around Aeron’s wrist.

His father noticed it too and his face contorted slowly.

The man stared at the little creature for several second “What did you awaken?”

Aeron looked at him calmly. “My Guardian Beast.”

His father frowned, hoping there was more explanation. “I know that. But what is it?”

“A snake.”

Silence filled the room.

His father looked at the snake again as though it offended him. “A snake?”

His face hardened. “After five years?”

Silence.

“After five years of waiting?” his father continued, his voice was rising now. “After everything we went through because of you? After you nearly got executed today, this was what you brought home?”

Aeron glanced at Valeor. “At least I awakened something.”

His father’s eyes widened. His hands curled into fists. Something about the answer seemed to anger him even more.

At that moment, two of Aeron’s cousins, Orion and Ryan, who had been sitting nearby, began laughing.

Orion leaned forward, staring at the tiny snake.

“So this is it?” he asked, looking at him with a mocking expression. “You waited five years for this?”

Ryan shook his head. “How horrible! He nearly died today just to come back with a snake.”

Orion laughed again. “Maybe they should have finished the execution.”

Aeron slowly turned his head toward him, his eyes glinting with something dark.

Their laughter paused.

“Be careful with your words,” Aeron said. His voice was calm but there was something dangerous about it.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “What?"

“You heard me.”

Orion scoffed, irritation growing on his face. “Look at him. He has finally awakened a beast and now he thinks he has become someone important.”

Aeron’s eyes remained cold. “I just survived an execution. You should think carefully before acting as if you were the one who stood there.”

They exchanged looks.

The old Aeron would never have spoken like that. Who was this?

For five years, they had watched him lower his head whenever someone insulted him. They had seen him swallow every humiliation because he desperately wanted his family to believe in him.

Now... that boy was gone.

His father suddenly slammed his hand against the table. “Enough!”

Silence enveloped the room.

His father stood up in annoyance.

“What exactly do you expect us to do?” he shouted. “Celebrate?”

Aeron looked at him. His expression remained neutral and unbothered, irritating everyone more.

His father pointed toward the snake.

“Should I throw a feast because my twenty-one-year-old son finally awakened a useless little snake?”

“I never asked you to throw a feast.” Aeron deadpanned.

“You never asked me for anything?” his father hissed, anger threatening to explode!. “For five years, I defended you! For five years, I listened to people call my son cursed and useless. I told them you would awaken one day!”

“I never asked you to defend me.”

The room went quiet this time, seemingly echoing his words.

His father’s face burned red. "What did you just say?”

Aeron did not look away. “I said I never asked you to defend me. I didn’t choose to be born without a Guardian Beast.”

His father stared at him in disbelief. “Now you’re blaming us?”

Aeron clenched his jaw. “No! I only said I didn’t deserve to be insulted for something I couldn’t control.”

His father laughed bitterly. “Insulted?”

He pointed at Aeron, finger trembling with rage. “Do you know what you’ve done to this family? Every time people saw you, they saw a Forsaken. Every time your name was mentioned, people talked about how my son could not awaken a beast. I had to listen to people pitying me because of you!”

Aeron tucked his free hand into his pocket. They wouldn't see their words affecting him. "What should I have done?"

His father's voice grew deathly calm. “You should have died today!”

The words hit the room harder than his shouting. Everyone felt the impact but no one moved.

Aeron’s eyes slowly changed.

His father continued, carried away by years of anger and disappointment. “Yes. Maybe it would have been better if the execution had been completed. At least, the shame would have ended with you.”

Aeron stared at him, disbelief settling on his face. “You would rather have buried me today?”

His father’s breathing was heavy. “At least I wouldn't have to watch my son walk into this house with a beast that makes him more of a disgrace.”

Aeron remained silent for several seconds, the words stabbing his heart as they re-echoed in his mind.

Then he said quietly, "Then you should have said that before I came home.”

His mother finally spoke. Her expression was a fusion of both fear, sadness and slight irritation at the snake. “Aeron…”

He turned toward her.

"Your father is angry, but perhaps…” She hesitated. “Perhaps it really is better if you leave.”

Aeron stared at her, disbelief washing over his face for a second as his brows shot up. “You agree with him?”

His mother lowered her eyes. “You need to understand the situation.”

Ryan laughed quietly. “What situation? It’s simple. He doesn’t belong here anymore.”

Orion folded his arms. “Exactly. Elara understood that years ago. That’s why she chose Cassius.”

Aeron’s expression remained calm, refusing to let their words break him. “Elara made her choice.”

“You still think you can act like you’re above her?” Orion asked. “She chose someone with a future. What future do you have?”

Aeron looked at him. “That's no longer your concern.”

Ryan scoffed. “You have no status, no powerful beast, no money, and no fiancée. What exactly are you going to do?”

Aeron looked around the room.

For years, this had been home but now every face in front of him looked at him like he was something they wanted removed.

He finally understood something painful.

They had never been waiting for him to become strong.

They had simply been waiting for a reason to give up on him.

Aeron looked at his father. “If you are ashamed of me, say it clearly.”

His father’s answer came immediately, fury still blazing in his eyes. “I am.”

Aeron did not move.

His father pointed toward the stairs. “Pack your things.”

Aeron’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you serious?”

“I have never been more serious.”

A long silence followed as they remained hooked in a stare off. His father's gaze did not shift and his glare remained stern.

Slowly, Aeron nodded. “Then you won’t have to ask me twice.”

He turned and disappeared. Within a few minutes, he reemerged with a small backpack.

Ryan and Orion were still talking about the snake while his father sat silently. His mother also remained in her seat, her face set in a sad frown.

They watched him head towards the door wordlessly for a moment.

Then his mother finally asked, “Where will you go?”

He paused for a moment. “Somewhere I won’t be treated like a burden.”

“Aeron.” His father’s voice stopped him.

For a fraction of a second, there was almost remorse on his face but it quickly disappeared.

“Don’t come back when life outside becomes difficult.”

Aeron looked at him for a few seconds. “I won’t.”

"A man with a tiny snake for a Guardian Beast won’t survive for long.”

Aeron glanced at the tiny creature wrapped around his wrist.

Valeor remained completely still.

“We’ll see.”

With that, he walked away without looking back.

*

Several streets later, Aeron’s steps slowly became heavier and he finally stopped.

The pain he had been suppressed began to rise.

His father had wished he had died.

His mother had agreed that he should leave.

His cousins had mocked him like his existence was a joke.

Aeron lowered his head.

Five years!

He had tried to prove that he was not worthless.

He had studied, endured humiliation, waited, and even stood before death without begging.

Yet, he remained nothing to them.

Valeor’s voice entered his mind. “You are hurt."

But Aeron's grip tightened around the strap of his bag. “I’m done proving myself to them.”

Valeor remained quiet for a second. Then said, “Being the reincarnation of the Dragon God will not make your life easy.”

Aeron looked ahead at the crowded streets of Valerius. “I don’t need an easy life. I only need a place to begin.”

He continued walking.

He had no proper home, very little money, no family, and no powerful Guardian Beast anyone respected.

But for the first time, Aeron did not feel like he needed any of them.

Then a loud voice suddenly came from a nearby street. “Please! I told you I will pay!”

Aeron stopped at the pathetic and frail sound of the voice.

Another voice followed. “You’ve been saying that for weeks!”

Aeron turned toward the sound.

When he reached the corner, he saw several rough-looking men surrounding an elderly man who had fallen to the ground.

One of them grabbed the old man’s clothes and pulled him up.

Aeron watched silently, contemplating. Was this really his business?

But the old man looked so terrified that it yanked at something in Aeron's chest.

Then one of the men raised his leg.

Aeron’s eyes narrowed and he stepped forward.

“Leave him alone.”