Luca stood there, flames still licking at his heels as he stared off in the direction of the dragon. My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn’t from exertion… it was fear. I was scared of my brother.

  “Explain,” Alden said, his hoarse voice cutting through the quiet. He picked himself up off the ground, wincing in pain. “Why didn’t you kill it?”

  Luca turned his head slightly, his eyes landing on me for a moment before moving to my mentor. “It escaped,” he said.

  “Escaped?” The older man’s voice rose in a mixture of disbelief and anger. “You’re telling me, with that show of power you just gave… it just escaped?”

  “I don’t owe you an explanation,” Luca shot back.

  I stepped forward, my broken arm throbbing as I cradled it. “You can’t just expect us to take your word for it,” I said, strained. “That dragon’s fire- it looked like yours, Luca. Exactly like yours.”

  His gaze shifted to me, hands clenching at his sides. “I’m not responsible for that thing,”

  “You think that’s enough?” Lysara barked. “We’re supposed to believe that you just happened to be in the same village this dragon was attacking, and that you had nothing to do with it?”

  Luca took a deep breath before speaking, “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth.” As he spoke, he studied one of his hands. “I think there’s someone out there- the same person controlling this dragon, I think. They’re posing as me, maybe.”

  “You expect us to believe that nonsense?” Lysara spat, shaking her head. “You want us to believe that there is someone else out there capable of producing black flames?”

  “Enough!” I snapped, my voice breaking from the strain. Everyone turned to me. I met Luca’s gaze, ignoring the orders Gabriel was pushing into the forefront of my mind. “Why would someone pose as you?”

  Luca hesitated, his gaze softening. “To spread fear, maybe. Or to see the world burn? I don’t know who or why, but… I have to find them and stop them.”

  “How noble of you,” Alden muttered, though his voice lacked the fire and conviction it sported earlier.

  Luca ignored him, turning to leave.

  “Wait,” I said, stepping forward again. The pain in my arm flared, but I forced myself to keep moving. “Where are you going?”

  “To find them, like I said.” He stated, continuing to walk towards the tree line.

  “I’m not letting you leave!” I cried out.

  This stopped him in his tracks, and he turned to look at me, a playful smirk on his face. “Your arm is broken, Sacer. How would you stop me?”

  I stopped a few paces behind him, pumping as much of my magic into my arm as I could in an attempt to heal myself. “It’s my responsibility to-”

  “To what?” He cut me off, the smirk leaving his face. “To kill me? Forget the broken arm, Sacer, do you really think you could take me in a fight right now?”

  I hesitated for a moment, glancing down at my arm and then to my comrades. Alden was leaning on Lysara, his body hurt from being thrown into the tree. Edric was in the worst shape, but, thanks to Luca…

  “I’m going with you.”

  “What?” he asked, dumbfounded.

  “I'm going with you.” I repeated, my voice steady.

  A short laugh erupted from Luca as he shook his head. “No.. haha, no you’re not.”

  “I am.” I stepped forward, ignoring the sharp pulse of pain in my arm. “You said it- someone is out there using magic just like yours. They’re attacking villages and hurting people. It’s my duty as Gabriel to stop them.”

  Luca’s red eyes darkened. “Gabriel huh? And what comes after we stop them? I’m finally executed?”

  Before I could respond, Alden scoffed. “Sacer has a point. If you’re telling the truth, this imposter is dangerous.”

  “Why are we trusting him?” Lysara spat. “We’re just gonna let this monster play hero?”

  Luca quickly shot her a glare. “I never said I was playing hero. My life already sucks, I don’t need someone else’s crimes pinned on me too.”

  I swallowed hard. “Then let me help you bring them down, Luca.”

  Silence.

  Lysara shook her head. “Look at this, I mean, seriously- In these past three months, two villages have burned to the ground. Just like Draemoor did. And you expect me to trust you? Sorry, but I’m not as stupid as Edric.”

  “Hey,” Edric muttered weakly.

  Luca didn’t respond right away. Instead, he studied his hands. Thinking. When he finally spoke, he met my gaze directly. “Fine.”

  Before I could say anything, Edric, still laid out, groaned and pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Yeah, I’m going too.”

  Alden turned to him, his eyes wide. “Edric, you can barely sit up.”

  Edric grinned wide. “What? Nah, I’m in perfect condition.” With a cough, he turned to Luca. “You saved me back there, that’s gotta mean something.”

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  My brother rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t.”

  Ignoring him, Edric forced himself upright with a grimace. “Well, too bad for you, I’m stuck to our Hero here like a tick.”

  Luca scoffed. “Sacer? Fine, sure, I can stomach him around me. But you? You think you can keep up?”

  “Bet on it.”

  Alden let out a laugh. “And what, I’m just supposed to let you two run off with the Demon King? King Calor ordered for you to bring him in, Sacer. Dead or Alive.”

  I turned to Alden, my voice firm. “I’m not asking you to trust Luca. I need you to trust me.”

  My teacher’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Lysara for support, but she seemed just as wary.

  She crossed her arms. “You’re making a mistake, Sacer.”

  “Maybe,” I sighed. “But it’s my mistake to make.”

  Luca glanced between the four of us before finally pinching the bridge of his nose, a groan escaping his lips. “Don’t slow me down.”

  A small, satisfied smile crossed my lips, and with that we turned and headed into the treeline.

  —

  As we walked through the forest, Edric trudged along beside me, his usual energy dulled by exhaustion. Luca walked a few paces ahead, silent.

  Edric groaned, rubbing his ribs. “You’d think the guy who saved my life would give me a piggyback ride…”

  Luca snorted. “Not a chance.”

  He huffed but didn't argue. Edric took a few more steps before his legs wobbled. Luca barely caught him before he hit the ground.

  “Alright that’s enough!” I said, watching as Luca placed him against a fallen log.

  “I’m fine,” Edric muttered.

  “No you’re not,” I countered.

  Luca crouched nearby, picking up a twig. In an instant, the kindling erupted into black flames, the fire casting an eerie glow over the clearing. “You can sleep here,” he said. “Sacer and I will keep watch.”

  Edric didn’t argue, just grunted and folded his arms behind his head. Within minutes he was snoring.

  I sighed and took a seat on a rock nearby. The silence between my brother and I was thick and unnerving. Surprisingly, he was the one who broke it.

  “How’s dad?” He asked, staring into the fire.

  I hesitated. “He.. uh, left. Three months ago.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I exhaled sharply. “He didn’t tell me much, just left a note. It said he was looking for you.”

  “He shouldn’t have done that,” Luca muttered.

  “Can you blame him?” I asked, leaning forward slightly. “Ever since that day, he regretted how he pushed you away.”

  “Like you?”

  I tensed, a frown forming.

  Before I could respond, Luca turned to me. His arm outstretched, aimed directly at my still broken arm. Just like before, with Edric, flames flowed from his fingertips and wrapped around my limb like a chrysalis. At first, the heat was unbearable, but then it became warm, almost gentle.

  Thankful for both the subject change, and the reprieve from pain, I spoke up. “Okay, how’re you doing that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I leaned back against the tree behind me, staring up at the canopy above. “All of it. You showed up out of nowhere, controlling your magic like never before. You’re capable of healing with it now too?” I let out a long, dissatisfied sigh. “I really don’t understand how magic works. I’ve just been… using it.”

  Luca huffed a small, amused sound. Almost a snicker. “You’re telling me the great Hero doesn’t know how magic works?”

  I shot him a look. “How do you?”

  He reached down, grabbing a small stone from the dirt and began tossing it in his palm. “After Draemoor, Damon has been silent for the most part. But his memories are more vivid than ever. I can see… everything. His life, his battles, et cetera. How much do you know?”

  “Well, not much,” I admitted. “I know we’re born with a mana-producing organ. A Taika, right?”

  “Yeah. Most people are born with an affinity,” he said. “Fire, water, earth. Basic elements. Although, there are some rarer ones,” he jutted a thumb towards Edrics sleeping body. “this dunce and that old man have a lightning affinity. You're using your magic as if it's just a way to boost your physical capabilities, but it can do more. Mana is like an extension of your body, it's more muscle than anything. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.”

  “What about me? Light magic?” I asked, my eyebrow raised.

  “Light magic is divine. It’s different, not really an element.” He said simply.

  I shifted on the rock slightly. “What about you?”

  Luca’s gaze returned to the fire, he looked almost solemn. “Then there’s demonic magic,” he said quietly. “Magic that shouldn’t be here. Powerful, and wild. Wrong.”

  Silence again. The fire crackled.

  Finally, I spoke up. “Do you hate it?”

  Luca turned to me, and for a moment, I saw the little boy I grew up with. Then his expression hardened.

  “With every breath I take.”

  His voice was quiet, but I felt the weight of it.

  “Then why do you keep using it? If you just came with me to Valtara and spoke to King Calor, I’m sure we could figure something out. Maybe even be able to separate Damon from you. Maybe.”

  Luca scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t trust the royal family at all.” He glanced at me. “I’ll prove I’m not Damon. My own way. And that starts with finding whoever is controlling a dragon and burning villages down.”

  "What happened to you these past three months?" I asked bluntly.

  Luca hesitated, looking down at his hands. "I... hm. Nothing, really. I decided to stop running from the memories in my head, and instead learned from them." With a solemn smile, he looked up at the stars peaking through the canopy. "I protected travelers from bandits as practice. Mostly because what you said stuck with me; that I was 'just a kid.'"

  I looked down, contemplating how to respond, then forced a smirk. “You know, that girl defended you.”

  Luca, taken aback by the subject switch, blinked. “What?”

  “Marei, I think her name was. they returned to Draemoor shortly after our… fight, and I brought them back to the capital with me. Frankly, she didn’t like the way King Calor spoke about you,” I said. “She stood up for you. Called him a coward.”

  Something in his face softened, like hearing that eased some fears. “Marei… did that?”

  “She your girlfriend or something?”

  “I-” Luca turned away from me. “No way. We’re just friends.”

  I grinned. “Right.” I nudged his shoulder. “Calm down. Remember when we used to sneak out at night?”

  Luca laughed softly. “You mean when you tried sneaking out and I had to cover for you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I got better at it.”

  My brother hummed. “Mmm, sure. That’s why Father caught you every time.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “I’m starting to regret asking you to let us come with you.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  I sighed. “No, I’m not.”

  The fire crackled in the moonlight, burning low. The night stretched on, and for the first time in months, we sat together. Not as enemies, not as Gabriel and Damon, but as Luca and Sacer.

  As brothers.