— Look, the failure of the Fernandes…
— I bet he won’t even have his own house.
— They say his twelve-year-old little sister already has more influence than him…
He took a deep breath and ignored them. His destination was the Sun Square.
When he arrived, Lukas froze. Seven statues stood like guardians of time.
- Kotan Aspen, Patriarch of Winter, the Sword of the Frozen Soul raised against the wind.
- Flora Anapelum, Matriarch of Spring, holding a living angelim-rose flower, its petals glowing with magic.
- Helena Summer, Matriarch of Summer, wreathed in flames that caught and returned the sunlight.
- Aurelius Rowan, Patriarch of Autumn, wielding a spear carved from the red wood of the angelim tree.
- Rubya, the White Tigress, frozen mid-pounce, fangs bared.
- Tinbell, the Little Fairy Queen, on her own pedestal, wings carved in crystal.
- And in the center, larger than them all, seated on the Throne of the Black Sun, Kyros José Fernandes, Monarch of the South and Lord of Smile — the Thunder Phantom, the Lord of the Black Sun, the Lion of the Desert.
Lukas drew a breath. I’m back.
But something stole his attention — banners, carried proudly into the square.
The Wolf of Marcos. The Gold of Helena. The Shadow Eye of Selene. The Sunset of Alex of Aurora.
If they were here, that meant all his siblings had come.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Lukas frowned. This is different. In the last life… this never happened. What the hell is going on with this timeline?
Morgana purred in his mind:
— I don’t know, chocolatinho… but isn’t it thrilling when the pieces move on their own?
César barked:
— Thrilling?! It’s temporal instability! That destroys civilizations!
Morgana laughed:
— Or creates legends…
I’ll find out where the error in this equation is, chocolatinho. Leave it to me…
He kept moving, straight to the busiest part of the festival. But Lukas already knew his path. He remembered that alley… and the two figures he would find there.
Two thugs had shoved an elf boy against the wall. Another grabbed a girl’s basket of apples, grinning with filthy teeth.
— Leave them. — Lukas’s voice was cold.
The leader laughed.
— If it isn’t the skinny Fernandes… You wanna play hero? Before you even have your own squad?
He opened his mouth to go on. He never got the chance.
Lukas’s punch shot up like a blade’s strike. The leader’s jaw cracked, and his body collapsed before he even understood what happened.
The other two backed up, but a shadow blocked the exit.
— Tsk… — Le?ncio twirled his mustache into a hooked point, smiling almost kindly. — Let’s have a chat, gentlemen.
César muttered: Your servant is dangerous…
Morgana giggled: Mmm… interesting mustache, though I prefer other shapes.
Lukas groaned: You two are unbearable…
Seconds later, all three thugs were on the ground, tied up. Lukas turned to the two elves.
The boy had orange hair — Aníbal Barca, an elf of Winter blessed with rare Summer mana. The girl had silver hair and shy green eyes… but in this life, something about her was bolder.
Lukas thought: You’re braver this time… She bit her lip.
— You’re already part of the Tenth House — Lukas said, offering his hand. — Hungry?
— Very. — Aníbal answered, still stunned.
— Then let’s hit the festival together. Welcome to the family. Smile welcomes you with open arms.
As they walked back into the crowd, the music and joy of the festival embraced them. But deep down, Lukas knew — tonight was more than just a celebration.
The pieces on the chessboard had begun to move.
End of Chapter 4