I was discharged from the infirmary the next day.
Vivianne gave me a clean report—well, clean enough. My mana had stabilized, my condition was holding, and I could walk without falling over. She didn't smile, but I knew that was as close to praise as I'd get from her.
A notice was posted at the front of the dorms:
"Self-study week begins. All students will return home in preparation for exams next week."
Most students were excited. Some of them were practically racing to the carriages with their bags still open.
Students who lived too far away could remain in the dorms. I lived very far. But I still chose to go home.
Vivianne came with me, as always.
Even though she was the Head Nurse of Cyran Academy, she still boarded the same enchanted carriage with me and sat across from me the whole ride—silent, watchful, always protective.
She'd been assigned to me since birth by the Headmaster himself.
The trip was long.
We traveled in a black, crest-marked carriage pulled by two silver-maned horses. The windows were sound-proofed and enchanted with heat charms. Inside smelled like polished wood and something sharp—like magic and mint.
Vivianne barely spoke, and I didn't push it. When she does talk, it's either life-saving advice or sarcasm.
We arrived at House Drakopoulos just before sunset on the second day.
The towering black marble estate loomed ahead—sharp walls, cold windows, and a silence that felt like it was always judging you.
Home sweet home.
As the carriage stopped, the front gates opened.
A few guards stood outside, but one figure walked ahead of them—fast, warm, and very pregnant.
"NOAH!" my mother cried, rushing forward in a rich navy dress.
Lady Caroline Drakopoulos. She hadn't changed at all, except for the baby bump. Her smile was big enough to light a room, even one as dark as this place.
"You're standing!" she gasped, hugging me tightly. "You're walking on your own."
"I know," I said. "Don't faint."
"You've filled out too," she added. "Not so bony."
"All part of my new plan: less dying, more walking."
She laughed, squeezing my arm. "Come inside. You must be tired."
We walked slowly through the massive halls of the estate. Cold stone floors. Tall portraits of ancestors. And chandeliers shaped like coiled serpents.
Vivianne didn't join us. She peeled off toward Father's office.
"Report time," I said under my breath.
"She'll tell him you're doing better," Mom whispered. "That's all that matters."
I smiled.
That smile died the second we walked into the main hall.
Alexios and Cassian.
My older brothers.
Both dressed in formal black. Both taller, stronger, and more smug than necessary.
I stopped in the doorway. So did they.
Alexios raised an eyebrow.
"Well," he said, "the ghost returns."
Cassian smirked but said nothing.
"Thought you'd be buried by now," Alexios added.
I shrugged. "Missed the funeral. I heard it was lovely."
Cassian nodded toward me. "You're stronger than before."
"Still not enough," Alexios said. "But I guess you're not crawling anymore."
"I walk, I talk, and I dodge knives now," I said. "So we're improving."
Their smirks faded just a little.
I headed to my room.
The moment I dropped on my bed, a maid entered quietly with a tray of sweet bread, tea, and red velvet custard.
I thanked her, sat up, and stared out the tall window.
All of this—the academy, my black flames, the kidnapping, Liora, Selene, this whole thirty-day death countdown—it was all still happening. Still real.
Part of me wanted to believe it was just a fever dream.
But the ache in my chest told me otherwise.
Around 6 p.m., the head maid knocked on my door.
"Your father has requested your presence at the family dinner."
I blinked. "I'm sorry—what?"
"This will be the first time," she said. "Shall I help you dress?"
I wore full noble attire: deep blue coat with silver trim, matching pants, polished boots, and the Drakopoulos house pin over my chest.
I looked like I belonged in a portrait. Still felt like a side character.
The maid walked me to the long banquet hall.
The table could seat twelve. I was placed at the far opposite end from the head seat.
The moment I sat down, I heard it:
"What are you doing here?" Alexios asked, halfway standing.
Cassian leaned forward, just as surprised.
I smiled and adjusted my sleeve. "Father invited me."
They didn't look pleased.
Mom and Dad entered a moment later.
Lord Theron Drakopoulos. Cold eyes. Strong posture. Voice like thunder that forgot how to laugh.
He took the head seat.
Mom sat beside him, glowing.
I stayed right where I was.
"Why don't you sit closer, dear?" she asked gently.
"I'm good," I replied. "Great view from here."
The food was unbelievable.
Slices of roast boar. Glazed carrots. Spiced wine. Sweet rolls layered with cream and cinnamon. Everything a noble would eat before a major event or... a funeral.
Then Father spoke.
"I received a letter," he said, cutting into a steak. "Said you beat someone in class."
Silence.
Alexios frowned. Cassian looked stunned.
"And that you used fire."
I swallowed my bite.
"Black flames," he added.
Mom looked excited. "Is that true? That's incredible, Noah!"
I tried not to choke. "Depends on your definition of 'incredible.'"
Cassian leaned in. "You can use magic now?"
Alexios looked like he was calculating ten things at once.
I lifted my glass. "To surviving death and setting stuff on fire."
[STATUS WINDOW – NEW MISSION]
✅ "Survive Dinner"
Difficulty: Moderate
Warning: Incoming projectile.
The warning blinked just in time.
Alexios flung a knife across the table.
I ducked.
The knife thunked into the wall behind me.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Mom snapped, standing so fast her chair nearly flipped.
"Apologize," she said. Her voice low. Dangerous.
Alexios looked away.
"Now, Alexios."
"…Sorry."
I gave a slow thumbs-up. "Accepted."
Mom sat down, still glaring.
Dad said nothing. Just cut another piece of meat like none of it happened.
Just another normal dinner at House Drakopoulos.
I was chewing a piece of roast duck when the dining room doors opened.
Vivianne walked in.
She wore a neat dark-blue dress, no healer's coat today. She looked more like a noble than a nurse. Calm, serious, and confident — the way she always was.
Without waiting, she sat down right next to me.
"Thank you for the invitation, Duke Drakopoulos," she said.
My father nodded. "You are like family, Lady Vivianne."
She smiled just a little. "Then I'll speak like family."
I immediately tensed.
"She's going to say something crazy," I thought.
Vivianne picked up her glass. "Noah is doing better. His body is stronger. He's handling his mana better. And he's making friends."
I froze.
Please don't—
"One of them is Princess Selene Lykaios."
Everything stopped.
My brothers stared.
Even my father looked shocked.
"You're saying," he said slowly, "my sick, useless son is now friends with a princess?"
Vivianne nodded.
"And," she added, "he's also using a fire magic no one's ever seen before. Black flames."
"What?" Cassian asked.
Alexios stood up. "she's lying. That's not possible!"
"It's true," Vivianne said.
My mom looked amazed. "Noah, that's wonderful!"
I cleared my throat. "I mean… it just kind of happened."
Alexios slammed his hand on the table. "Then fight me. Right here."
"I came home to study," I said, waving it off. "You know, rest and peace and all that."
Instead of listening, Alexios held out his hand.
A sword appeared in a flash of lightning — summoned from his mana.
He threw it straight at me.
Time slowed.
I didn't think — I just moved.
My hand went up.
And from the shadows around my chair, dark shapes shot out — twisting, long, and alive.
Shadow Snakes.
They snapped around the flying sword, catching it in mid-air.
Then, in the same breath, they wrapped around Alexios' arms.
Everyone gasped.
I slowly stood and brushed off my clothes.
"I think I'll go finish dessert in my room," I said calmly.
I turned and walked out, the shadows vanishing behind me like smoke.
No one said a word.
Not even my father.