“When they tried to kill me while I lay unconscious, your mother stood between me and death. She held her staff, and with a single command, she stopped them. That day, I made a promise to her—a favor that I would fulfill whenever she asked. And now, that favor is training you.”
He looked at Kent, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and resolve.
“After the war, I couldn’t bear to stay in the Seventh Realm. The pain, the loss—it was too much. I left it all behind and came to this desolate land, hoping to forget the revenge that still burns in my heart. But now, training you, perhaps there is a chance for something else, a chance to repay the debt I owe.”
Tang Zi’s voice lowered as he delved deeper into the bitter history that connected their fates. “Soon after your father gained control of the entire Seventh Realm, your mother became pregnant. Those were times of turmoil, but also of hope—for her, at least.”
He paused, his eyes darkening with the weight of the memories. “On the day you were born, your father, Ryon Lionheart, left your mother behind and went straight to the 9 Realms Association to meet Jason Mama, the current leader of the association.
The birth of a son was an occasion for celebration, but your father had other priorities. He was seeking power, looking to consolidate his control over the Seventh Realm. He asked Jason to officially declare the Seventh Realm under Quinn family rule and to grant him the power to control the allocation of resources.”
Tang Zi’s voice grew colder as he continued, “What your father never expected was that Jason’s sister, Soya, would lose her heart to him. Soya was a woman of ambition, someone who saw your father as a means to elevate her own status.
Jason, sensing an opportunity, agreed to Ryon’s request—but he set a condition. In exchange for granting sovereignty over the Seventh Realm to the Quinn family, your father would have to marry Soya and make her the queen mother of the Quinn family.”
Tang Zi’s lips curled into a sneer. “Your father agreed, seeing the marriage as a strategic move that would solidify his power by allying with the sister of the 9 Realms head.
But when Soya arrived at the Quinn family for the marriage ritual, she refused to enter the household while your mother was still residing there as the queen mother. Your mother was displaced, sent to live with the Frost family, where Ryon’s brother and sister resided.”
Kent’s eyes widened as the connection clicked into place. “The Frost family… Thea…” he murmured, realization dawned on him.
“Yes,” Tang Zi confirmed, his tone grim. “That’s how you got linked to your promised bride. For an entire year, your father never came to see your mother. She was left alone, abandoned in the Frost family’s care.
Then came your naming ceremony—a moment that should have been one of joy, of celebration. But instead, it became something far more sinister.”
Tang Zi’s voice grew heavy with the weight of the memory. “The fate wizards were called in to draw your fate lines, a tradition meant to reveal the destiny of a newborn. When they saw yours, the entire Quinn family was thrown into chaos.
You were fated to be the Dragon Lord, a destiny that would elevate you to unparalleled heights of power. The news spread like wildfire, and it reached the ears of Queen Mother Soya. She was immediately consumed with fear—fear that her own newborn son would lose his claim to the throne, overshadowed by your destiny.”
Tang Zi’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. “Soya demanded that your father nullify his marriage to your mother and send her away.
But your grandmother—the matriarch of the Quinn family—refused. She believed in your fate, believed that you would bring the Quinn family to even greater heights. Your father didn’t dare defy his mother, but Soya was not one to be easily thwarted.”
Tang Zi’s voice was laced with anger as he continued, “Soya used her influence and power to hire an assassin, one skilled in the use of poisons. She had your aura channels poisoned with a heavenly rank poison, a substance so deadly that it was believed to be impossible to cure. When your mother discovered what had been done to you, she was consumed with a fury that knew no bounds.”
His eyes burned with the memory. “Your mother tracked down the assassin and killed him without hesitation. Then she stormed back to the Quinn family, her eyes set on one target: Queen Mother Soya. That night, the Quinn family compound became a battlefield. Your mother unleashed her full power, and by the time dawn broke, two hundred thousand mages lay dead.”
Kent’s breath caught in his throat as Tang Zi described the bloodshed.
“But Soya… Soya survived,” Tang Zi said bitterly. “Your father arrived just in time to save her. He promised your mother the antidote to the poison that was binding your aura channels and threatened to annihilate the entire Clark family if she dared to kill Soya.
That was the only thing that stopped your mother. In that moment, she made a choice. She spared Soya’s life, but not without leaving her mark.”
Tang Zi’s expression darkened further. “With a single slap, your mother shattered Soya’s pride. That slap left a permanent mark on her right cheek, a scar that she carries to this day—a reminder of the fury that she barely survived.”
The air around the campfire seemed to grow heavier as Tang Zi continued his tale, his eyes locked on Kent. “That was the night everything changed. Your mother was forced into a position of powerlessness, all to save you. But it came at a cost—a cost that you now bear. But it’s not ended there.”
Tang Zi’s gaze grew even darker, the flicker of anger in his eyes mirrored the tumultuous events he was about to describe.
“After that fateful night, when your mother spared Soya’s life, the tension between the Quinn family and the 9 Realms Association became unbearable.”
_
Thank you 🙂