"The Golden Crane Academy has accepted your application." Elder Hong's announcement filled the Jin Clan's council chamber. "You will depart with your siblings at dawn tomorrow."

Tae-Won kept his expression carefully neutral, though inside, his thoughts churned like storm clouds before lightning strikes. In his previous life, he had never made it to the academy. Instead, his path had led to darker places, to the shadows of the Heavenly Demonic Cult's hidden valleys. Yet he had known this acceptance would come – his victory at the tournament had guaranteed it, just as his future knowledge had predicted.

What he hadn't predicted was the slight tremor in Kae-Won's usually steady qi when the announcement was made. His elder brother stood at the chamber's edge, face impassive as always, but something in his aura betrayed an emotion Tae-Won couldn't quite read.

The elders continued their discussions, their voices a distant hum as Tae-Won observed his brother from the corner of his eye. The legendary Crown Dragon of the Jin Clan, whose mere presence could silence a room – yet now something unseen disturbed his legendary composure.

Later that night, Tae-Won sat beneath the clan's ancient spirit tree, its leaves shimmering with accumulated wisdom of generations. River's Heart flowed through practice forms that had become as natural as breathing. Each movement cast silvery ripples of qi through the midnight air, a dance of power that would have been impossible for him in his previous life.

As he moved through the forms, his mind wandered to darker memories – or were they futures? – of his time with the Heavenly Demonic Cult. They had taken him when he was at his weakest, after his failure at the tournament, after the clan had all but abandoned him. He had always wondered why no one had come for him, why even the legendary Crown Dragon, his own brother, hadn't tracked him down.

"Your form has improved."

A bitter smile touched Tae-Won's lips as he lowered River's Heart. "Well," he thought to himself, "there's my answer." The Heavenly Demonic Cult – even Kae-Won, with all his power, would have had to think twice about challenging them directly. Perhaps that explained the distance, the years of cold shoulders and avoided gazes. Had his brother been trying to protect him by staying away, only to have that strategy backfire in the worst possible way?

"Elder brother." Tae-Won maintained a respectful distance. The title felt strange on his tongue – formal, cold, like all their interactions had been before his regression. In his previous life, Kae-Won had been more myth than brother, the clan's golden child who ascended to the Warrior Realm while Tae-Won struggled to grasp basic qi circulation.

Kae-Won studied him with those piercing eyes that had earned him the title "Crown Dragon" – eyes that saw through deception and measured worth in an instant. "You've changed," he stated simply. "Three months ago, you could barely channel qi through a basic sword. Now..." He gestured at River's Heart, its segments still humming with residual energy. "Now you move like someone who has spent years mastering their art."

"I found my path," Tae-Won answered carefully, memories of both lives warring in his mind. "The tournament helped me understand what I was missing." And it had – though not in the way anyone could guess. The tournament had shown him exactly what he needed to change in this second chance.

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"You've been watching my training," Tae-Won realized aloud. "Not just recently, but... before." The words carried extra weight now, knowing how that vigilant distance had failed to prevent his fall into the Heavenly Demonic Cult's hands in that other timeline.

"Since you were first able to hold a training sword." Kae-Won's admission came with a bitter smile. "I watched you struggle, watched you fail, watched you pick yourself up and try again. And I did nothing."

"Why?" The question escaped before Tae-Won could stop it, carrying the weight of two lifetimes of wondering – and now, understanding the price of that answer.

Kae-Won turned toward the spirit tree, its leaves casting dappled shadows across his face. "Because I was afraid," he said finally. "Afraid that if I tried to help, if I showed any favoritism, the clan elders would use it against you. They already whispered that you were weak, that you survived only because of your connection to me and Mi-Cha. I thought... I thought distance would force you to grow stronger on your own."

The words hit Tae-Won like a physical blow. In his previous life, he had assumed Kae-Won's distance came from disappointment or disdain. The truth was both better and worse – a brother's misguided attempt at protection that had only deepened their divide.

"And now?" Tae-Won asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his heart.

"Now?" Kae-Won turned back to him, and for the first time, Tae-Won saw past the facade of the Crown Dragon to the brother underneath. "Now you've shown strength that has nothing to do with me or anyone else. You've found your own path, developed techniques I've never seen before. The elders can't dismiss that, can't attribute it to anything but your own talent."

He stepped forward, and for a moment, Tae-Won saw an echo of the older brother he barely remembered from early childhood – before expectations and responsibilities had built walls between them.

"At Golden Crane Academy," Kae-Won continued, "you'll face challenges beyond anything you've encountered. Disciples from every major sect, wandering cultivators with mysterious techniques, and..." He hesitated. "And those who would use any weakness against you. I can't protect you there. I can't even appear to favor you."

"I understand," Tae-Won replied, and he did – far better than Kae-Won could know. In his previous life, these hidden politics had destroyed promising disciples who never saw the daggers coming.

"But know this, little brother." Kae-Won's hand came to rest on Tae-Won's shoulder, the first such gesture between them in years. "I will be watching. And this time, if you truly need me, I won't let false pride or fear stop me from acting."

They stood there in silence for a moment, the spirit tree's leaves whispering secrets above them. Tae-Won felt the weight of both lives pressing down – the bitter memories of his past failure, the desperate hope for a different future, and now this unexpected bridge between them.

The next morning, as Tae-Won stood before Golden Crane Academy's imposing gates, he felt his brother's presence somewhere behind him – distant as always, but somehow closer than before. River's Heart hummed across his back, responding to the academy's thick spiritual energy, as if eager to begin this new chapter.

This time would be different. The Heavenly Demonic Cult wouldn't find him weak and abandoned. This time, understanding the true reason behind his brother's distance, he would forge a different path – one that would protect not just himself, but everyone he had failed to save in that other life.

Dawn's first light pierced through the morning mist, casting long shadows across the academy grounds. As Tae-Won took his first step forward, the spirit tree's leaves rustled in the distance – a reminder of both the legacy he carried and the future he would change. He was no longer just the forgotten son of the Jin. He was a warrior who had lived two lives, and this time, he would make both of them count.

The gates of Golden Crane Academy swung open before him, revealing the path to destiny he would walk once again.