How does this world work?
Was life hard?
A child once thought of it, reading it in a book that he got from his family’s library.
It is definitely not hard.
That child thought. After all, for him, everything was as easy as it was. He had a warm place to live and countless different caretakers to take care of him.
Even if it was hard to see his mother and father, at least he wasn’t alone. He had his twin sister with him all the time.
The child lived in a world that seemed to dance with hues of wonder. His days were adorned with laughter and warmth, his ever-present smile a testament to the joy that permeated his life.
A perpetual smile adorned the child’s face, a beacon of happiness that seemed to radiate through his world.
Unbeknownst to him, his infectious joy became a source of delight for the caretakers who watched over him.
Mischievous stunts, carefully crafted to evoke laughter, painted the canvas of his everyday life.
The caretakers, a diverse and caring ensemble, created a supportive environment that allowed the child’s exuberance to thrive. The latest_ep_sodes are on_the ovl_Fir.et
His twin sister was the same as she shared in his zest for life, their unspoken connection weaving an invisible bond that only twins could understand.
But was that really the case?
As the child grew, his radiant smile hadn’t disappeared, yet things had changed. From staying in their rooms together while constantly being cared for by the teachers that their family had paid for specifically, they started to be expected to enter the world of their family’s real face.
At the age of five, both he and his twin stood in front of the man whom they hadn’t seen in quite a while.
The person who made them born is their father. His face was just as they had remembered: strict yet incredibly handsome. Behind him stood another person that they rarely saw. A woman with an incredibly beautiful face – their mother.
That was a face that was so beautiful that it shared radiance to the atmosphere.
Yet, that moment was the point where things would start to differ from anything else.
He remembered the words of the man, their father.
As he began to speak, his words carried a weight that echoed through the room. “My children,” he said, his tone firm, “it’s time for you to learn the ways of our family. The path we follow requires strength, discipline, and a commitment to our legacy to stand on the top.”
With those words, the children were introduced to a reality beyond the warmth of their home and the laughter-filled days with caretakers.
Their father, a figure of authority they hadn’t fully understood until now, handed each of them a sword.
The weight of the weapon in their small hands felt foreign, a stark contrast to the mischievous stunts and laughter that once painted their lives.
“This is the way of our family,” their father continued, his gaze unwavering. “For the path of sword…..starting strict is necessary. You will be trained to uphold the values that define our family’s sword and uniqueness.”
For the first time, the perpetual smiles on the children’s faces wavered, replaced by a mix of uncertainty and curiosity.
The long metallic knife in their hands felt familiar as if it was engraved in their blood.
Daily training sessions commenced, turning the once carefree days into a routine of discipline and endurance.
The children, guided by their father and the radiant woman standing beside him, navigated the intricacies of swordplay and the principles ingrained in their family’s history.
The laughter that echoed through the halls now mingled with the clashing of blades and the stern commands of their trainers—the caretakers, once the bearers of joy, were replaced by mentors who demanded precision and focus.
The twins now stood side by side as they honed their skills.
Through sweat and determination, the children learned the art of combat. The sword became an extension of their beings. The strict teachings, at first met with resistance, gradually became a part of their identity.
Yet, at those times of finding their identity, the child had noticed something different for the first time.
Something different between his twin and himself. It was a subtle difference, a very small one. Yet that difference was blatantly obvious in the face of someone who faced her every day.
–CLANK! SWOOSH!
A sword flashed in front of his eyes for a second, and after that, all he saw was the blade that was pointed at his neck.
“Loser. Middleton Household, First ring disciple, Lucas.”
In the aftermath, Julia’s voice reached Lucas’s ears, breaking through the tension of the training ground. She smiled innocently, her eyes holding a mixture of camaraderie and sympathy. “Lucas, you did well out there,” she praised, her tone genuinely encouraging. “It was a close match, and you almost had me a few times.”
This was how she was, and Lucas knew it firsthand. After all, they had grown up together doing everything together.
‘What is this? I lost?’
However, inwardly, frustration swelled within Lucas—a feeling entirely new to him.
From the start of their education in their rooms, he had always been the one who had the better scores on the small tests their teachers had given to them.
He had been the one that was praised. Therefore, he always thought it was natural for him to win.
Yet, now was different. He felt a new feeling rising from inside, something that made him clench his fists so bad that it started to hurt a little.
He wanted to shout and complain. And to do so, he raised his head. However, at that moment, he saw the faces of his stern father, the instructors, and his nanny looking at him with an expression he couldn’t comprehend.
Their eyes bore into him, assessing not just his skill with the blade but, it seemed, something deeper. Words knotted in his throat, overwhelmed by the weight of expectations he hadn’t fully grasped until this moment.
‘What is this?’
His stern father, usually a figure of authority, seemed to hold a different intensity in his gaze—a blend of expectation and scrutiny.
‘Why?’
The instructors, with their arms crossed, exchanged glances that hinted at silent conversations. Even his nanny, who had always been a source of comfort, now observed him with an unreadable expression.
Even if those things weren’t completely true, at that exact moment, for the child who had been struggling with his internal feelings, their composure made him think in such a way.
In that moment, Lucas felt the frustration within him morph into a new emotion—uncertainty.
What if they were not satisfied with him? What if it was not enough? How should he act now? What should he do so that others wouldn’t be disappointed in him?
Amidst the sea of gazes, he turned to Julia, his twin, and found that she was smiling while looking at him.
‘Smile….’
And the realization hit him. It was a conclusion that he came to with his limited life experience and knowledge at that time as a child.
‘I need to smile.’
He remembered how everyone laughed when he smiled, how his nannies acted. The memories of his young life returned.
“Haaaah…..”
Lucas took a deep breath, realizing that he needed to act, to wear the mask of normalcy he had worn for years.
‘I can do it….Just like I had done all this time.’
The clenching fists relaxed, and he summoned a smile mirroring the one on Julia’s face. He accepted her words gracefully, acknowledging the close match and adding a touch of humor to diffuse the tension.
“You got me this time, Julia,” he said with a playful wink. “But just wait; next time, I might surprise you. After all, it’s not every day you see a loser with such style, right?” The words carried a lighthearted tone, a deliberate choice to deflect the weight of the moment.
“Hehehe….We will see about that.”
‘I will make sure not to lose next time.’
That was what he thought, yet the reality was never what he had expected after all.
*******
Years passed, and the children had now become teenagers. However, the reality once again proved the young Lucas wrong.
In the following years of training, Julia displayed a natural talent for swordplay that surpassed Lucas’s efforts.
Despite his dedication and hard work, he couldn’t match the fluidity and instinctive grace with which Julia wielded the blade.
Even though the difference was small, as they were both talented to the edges and were able to defeat their instructors at the age of 12, two years after awakening, Lucas always knew that small differences always existed.
The family, particularly his stern father and the instructors, showered Julia with praise for her remarkable skills.
While Lucas excelled in academics more, the very foundation of his family’s values, it became evident that in the realm of swordsmanship, Julia was the one born with a natural gift.
‘A genius that would only come once in a century.’
Was what his father said about her.
The realization struck Lucas, a mix of astonishment and a tinge of disappointment. His family’s expectations were leaning towards the prowess of a sword, and Julia seemed to effortlessly fulfill those expectations.
The uncertainty he felt before transformed into a silent resolve—a determination to prove himself despite this unexpected turn of events.
As the days passed, Lucas continued to smile to maintain the façade of normalcy.
But beneath that smile lay a burning desire to catch up, to bridge the gap between their skills, and to show his family that he, too, could wield a sword with the grace and finesse they admired.
Yet, he never was able to.
“School of Middleton. Fifth style.”
“Failed.”
While she was able to master one of the hardest techniques in their family, he was not able to do so after all.
And that feeling was inwardly eating him alive.
‘Feeling of being in the shadow of someone.’
Yet, at those moments, he was somehow able to cope with it, thanks to someone.
His best friend, Ethan.
In the presence of Ethan, Lucas found solace. Ethan, a non-
awakened in their age and weaker in terms of physical abilities, became a refuge for Lucas.
In a world where Julia’s prowess cast a long shadow over his ambitions, Ethan’s friendship provided a sense of safety and assurance.
Lucas convinced himself that, no matter what happened, he would always be better than Ethan since he was a non-
awakened. It became a reassuring thought, a pillar supporting his fragile ego in the face of Julia’s undeniable excellence.
Even though it may sound disgusting, at the very least, he was able to make himself relieved a little at least.
As the shadow of inadequacy loomed, Ethan’s companionship became a balm, offering temporary relief from the relentless pursuit of familial expectations.
Yet, things changed a little just before the academy started.
Ethan, the non-awakened friend who had been Lucas’s pillar of reassurance, underwent a transformation.
The awakening, delayed but inevitable, occurred just before they entered the academy. It was a term called ‘late awakening.’
‘Well, he won’t be able to catch up to me ever.’
Lucas was a little worried, yet he reassured himself inwardly that Ethan was way too late and would never be able to catch up to him.
Even then, the relief that came with Ethan’s non-awakened status was replaced by an unforeseen twist—a twist that stirred a newfound insecurity within Lucas.
Ethan, the friend who had always been a step behind in the realm of abilities, had now entered the awakened realm.
Lucas could feel the ground shifting beneath his feet, and the pillar of reassurance he had built started to waver.
“Haaaah….haaaah…..”
He had just recently woken up from a long sleep, yet he was able to remember everything clearly.
‘No way.’
He didn’t want to believe it, yet inwardly, he knew for some reason he had seen a weird dream.
❰This is my gift to you.❱
A voice echoed inside his head, a voice that was both strong but at the same time slowly trailing away.
‘What is this?’
He asked to the voice inside his head.
❰It is the life you were supposed to live.❱
‘The life I was supposed to live.’
❰That is right.❱
The voice replied inwardly.
‘Who are you?’
He asked, trying to understand who was the source of the voice.
❰Who am I?❱
The voice asked.
And now it was crushed to the pieces, thanks to the future he had seen and still remembered.
❰I am a being who never desired to be in the shadow of others, yet couldn’t find a solution for it before. But now, the solution presented itself.❱
The voice continued, revealing fragments of its existence. Lucas, confused and intrigued, questioned further, asking the voice to explain what it meant.
❰It is a feeling you know all too well, don’t you? But now, I have found a way to step into the light.❱
The voice conveyed a mix of emotions, from bitterness to a strange sense of liberation. Lucas, still grappling with the surreal nature of the conversation, asked,
‘What are you saying?’
Yet, the voice fell silent, refusing to provide any more answers.
Though inwardly, Lucas knew one thing.
‘I was never able to leave his shadow no matter what?’
As he saw the future, he realized what was about to happen to him and how Ethan was about to be the hero while he was always on the backlines.
‘I will never accept it; I refuse.’
It was at that moment that Lucas had accepted the feeling inside him.
———–A/N———-
This brings us to the end of the second volume. Hope you liked this arc.
I think it is quite important to build every character so that they don’t sound one-dimensional, and Lucas has been on the backlines for a while.
I may take a one-day break after this, and my college semester has started as well, so I will try to upload as much as I can.
Have a nice weekend.
