Chapter 13: Dinner Under the Blue Moon

Seated behind a heavy oak desk, Darius gazed at the library’s grandfather clock, its face blurred by swirling earth and lightning mana. He leaned back, a sigh escaping as he deactivated his Arcane Gaze.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced back at the clock. "Five already? Time for supper, then."

Over the past two years, the dynamics of Darius’s relationship with his parents had grown increasingly complex. The shadow of a failed assessment loomed over them, an unspoken yet pervasive presence that created a subtle divide.

His father's love remained unwavering, yet, an unexplained chasm had begun to form, instilling a sense of discomfort in Darius. Snippets of overheard conversations hinted at a looming crisis tied to the Valdene legacy, a threat that his father seemed intent on shielding him from.

While his relationship with his father strained, Darius's mother faced a painful dilemma. Her fierce loyalty to her husband, who sought another child to secure a successful heir, conflicted deeply with her unwavering love for Darius, her firstborn.

Despite the pressure, he could tell she resisted the idea, her maternal instincts refusing to give up on him. This internal conflict tore at her, caught between the demands of familial duty and the depth of her maternal love.

From the top of the staircase, Darius caught a flicker of pleasant surprise on his mother's face as she saw him descending to join them.

Silence enveloped the grand dining table like a dense fog as Darius settled into his usual seat. The meal, though carefully prepared by Tilly, tasted muted, each bite reminding him of the fragile balance his family maintained.

As he absentmindedly toyed with his food, his thoughts churned, 'I don't need to hesitate anymore, it's already started...'

Drawing in a deep breath, he cleared his throat, lifting his gaze to meet the anxious eyes of his parents. "Mother, Father," his words steady despite the drumming of his heart. "There's something we need to discuss. I want to have a sibling."

Jarek choked on his drink, his face flushing a deep red as he struggled to compose himself.

Beside him, Amara's expression turned to one of stunned confusion, her eyes narrowing, "Darius, we shouldn't—"

"I understand more than you think." He faced his parents squarely, "I'm aware of your disappointment with my assessments."

"Darius, we—"

"Mother." His voice firm but soft, captured their full attention. "I know. I feel it too." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I will never have the capabilities of a mage or the strength of a manaforged knight."

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"I've come to terms with this reality," his gaze shifting deliberately from one parent to the other. "It's important for us all to do the same to move forward."

Silence enveloped them, his parents faces etched with mixed emotions. He caught the glint of tears in his mother's eyes before turning to his father, whose pale blue eyes seemed to shield a depth of unspoken pain.

"I know the family heir cannot be a dud."

"Darius!" Jarek’s aura discharged, his face tensing. "Never call yourself that."

"It's the truth, Father."

Seeing the tensions rising, Darius sighed, softening his voice, "Our family needs an heir, and besides... I really want a sibling to play with. It seems reasonable enough." His approach lightened the gravity of their discussion, introducing a touch of levity.

Jarek, taken aback by the subtle change in Darius's tone and the hopeful look in his eyes, paused, momentarily at a loss for words.

Staring at his son's earnest expression, Jarek found himself disarmed by Darius's tactics. "Well, when you put it like that, how can we object?"

"We can," Amara interjected, "in the first place, this conversation isn’t for you. And second, we don't need another heir. You are more than enough," she stated firmly, her words carrying a decisive finality. "I refuse to give up on you."

"I didn't suggest you should lose faith in me. I recognize the family's need for an heir suited to the paths of mage or knight... yet it's reality that I'm not meant for either. But that doesn't limit my potential to carve out my own path."

Darius turned to his father with a challenging tone. "Father, can you hide your aura? Focus it to just one part of your body without showing me."

A flicker of confusion crossed Jarek's face, "Alright."

Jarek closed his eyes, and the steady hum of his aura began to fade. The air around him grew still, the once vibrant crackle of his lightning quieting to a soft whisper.

He then focused his energy with precise control, his left hand becoming the sole emitter of his aura. The spectral steel armor and arcing lightning, his elemental signature, concentrated onto the skin of his hand, now invisible but filled with charged mana.

Darius activated his Arcane Gaze. His eyes, a deep azure-blue, brightened with an subtle glow, transforming his view into a vibrant spectrum of elemental mana.

First, he directed his gaze toward his mother. Her familiar aura enveloped her in waves of deep blue light, breaking softly around her body like sea foam at the edge of the tide. It extended a hands length from her skin, pulsing gently with a rhythm that suggested the quiet breathing of the ocean. As Darius observed the subtle flow, he now noticed tiny symbols weaving through her mana. "Are those runes?"

Next, Darius shifted his attention to his father. Concentrated on Jarek's left hand was a dense cluster of runes, tightly packed within thrumming lightning mana. The arcing around his fist pulsed, the runes intermingling with electric bursts. "Your left hand."

Dumbstruck, Jarek forgot to hold his aura, sending off an electric display of light that erupted from his fist. But neither of Darius's parents seemed affected in the slightest.

"D-Darius, what have you been studying?" Amara asked with a look of shock.

Steadily, Jarek's aura went back to cover his body, spreading the aura so it was less concentrated and bright. "Does this mean the test was wrong?"

"No, Father, the test wasn’t wrong. I’ve found a way to bypass that result, and now, I can see mana in its natural state." The sudden admission left his parents looking both confused and alarmed. "Seeing both of you so distressed, I knew keeping this secret would only prolong how it's been between everyone."

"My little wolf," rising swiftly from her seat, Amara approached him. "Ensuring this families happiness is our responsibility," She gently cradled his head, kissing his forehead, then drawing him back to look into her eyes. "You never fail to amaze us. Your brain is just too big."

Before the moment of tenderness could fully settle, Jarek's awestruck words cut through. "If you're not meant to be a mage or a knight, then what path is left for you?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," Darius responded with a chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "It all starts with seeing and sensing mana. I've just managed that today, so there’s more research and experimenting ahead to figure out where to go from here."

Jarek and Amara exchanged a fleeting, knowing glance, a blend of worry and pride. "You must never, under any circumstance, tell anyone about this. Not until you are strong enough to defeat me in a single move."

Feigning a startle to Jarek's words, "But father, you're the strongest person I've ever known. How can this be a fair expectation?"

"Darius, your father speaks the truth. What you've accomplished so far, it must remain our secret. You have to promise us this."

"Alright mother, I'll listen to father, I promise." As he voiced his agreement, a silent thought sounded in his mind, 'I don't want the world chasing after me either.'

"Excellent!" Amara immediately dropped to eye level with Darius, her eyes practically sparking with curiosity. "Now, my little wolf, let us dissect your learnings, one by one."