Kimberly POV:
When Kaye called me to instruct Matt in her place, I immediately knew something was off. Kaye was energetic and always bright, the complete opposite of me.
People called me a genius the moment I awakened as a Duad Weaver, a Weaver born with two cores and blessed by two colors.
Expectations were simple: I was supposed to surpass Kaye.
But I was proven wrong time and time again.
Kaye was better than me in everything except raw power. She had me beat in literally anything else we'd do, be it wits, hard work, guts, drive, talent, and most of all… kindness.
My whole life had been focused on surpassing my sister. The moment I realised I couldn't, I should've felt depressed or jealous.
Instead, what I felt was freedom.
Pursuing power in a world shaped by it is a perfectly justified cause. But somewhere along the way, I forgot that I was also human. And this human had her family beside her the whole time.
I remembered Kaye extending her hand to me while I was on the ground, out of breath and grasping for air.
"Sorry, I hit too hard. Let's take a thirty-minute break and go again, yeah?"
"Ack!!"
A faint squeal of pain pulled me back to the present just as my own kick sent Matt skidding back harder than I meant.
I suddenly understood what Kaye felt back then, and a small, soft laugh almost escaped me. I wanted to extend my hand to Matt the same way she did-... but I stopped myself and simply said,
"Thirty-minute break."
I headed to the bench, grabbed my duffel bag, and called Kaye. After a few rings, she finally answered.
"Hello, sis! How many bones have you broken so far?"
"I stopped counting at the fifty mark," I replied.
"Hahaha, so just like you. Anyway, need something?"
"You are not telling me something, sis. You explained that it is a unique skill, but no unranked unique skill produces that kind of firepower. And I can tell. He is still holding back. Not because he wants to, but because he needs to."
I heard her shift the phone. A faint rustle. Then, that familiar tone she used whenever she tried to sidestep a topic.
Kaye replied with a shrug I could almost picture perfectly. She brushed the whole topic aside and said, "You are too stiff. That is not cute, you know."
"What is being cute?" I asked plainly.
..........
An awkward pause.
"Y-you are joking, right?" she asked.
"I am not," I answered, genuinely confused as to why this suddenly mattered.
.....
Another pause settled between us. This time it's heavier, as she reconsiders every belief she had about me.
"SNAP-!"
I heard something break.
"That is it. Those sons of b*t****!!!!"
"I am going to kill those geezers who trained you in those mountains."
She released profanity nonstop.
"Do they think they are safe because technically they are retired veterans?!!! Watch me rip out their senile b*lls and shove them right up their fu***** a**** those mo***********-"
I let her continue until she finally noticed Matt slowly walking toward me, rubbing his shoulder after taking my earlier kick.
He glanced at the phone like it were a dangerous object.
"Judging by the loudness, it must be Kaye, right?"
I nodded once.
"Pass it."
I tossed the phone to him. He almost dropped it and had to juggle it between his hands before steadying himself, grumbling about how people should not throw fragile objects.
Kaye was still cursing the elders, but the moment Matt said hello, she stopped instantly.
Completely.
As if someone had pressed a reset button on her emotions. She forced a tiny cough, almost like she needed to clean her entire soul of the noise she had just produced, and replied with a calm voice.
"Yes?"
Matt straightened a bit. "I will attend Excellia Academy's entrance exam. I need help again."
The noise of exasperation that followed was loud enough for me to hear without the phone pressed to my ear. "But you said you would live as a shut-in online worker for the rest of your life."
"Plans changed, and you know it yourself that would be a waste if I did not try. You know my talents."
There was another long silence, hovewer, this time it was not awkward like the one we had earlier.
Matt rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ground, shy but determined.
"And… remember what I told you before I awakened. That I would do my best this time."
Something in Kaye softened so much that I could feel it even from a distance. She became flustered.
Her voice wavered like she forgot how to speak for a moment. "I-I see. Well, do what you want then. But if that is your plan, then you need to rest and prepare. There might be a written exam. And you need to pack your luggage. It is a dorm-style school. You will be living on your own. You also need essentials like your loom if you want to be a mage-type wizard, or a sword, axe, or maybe gauntlets if you prefer the warrior route. And do not forget that…"
It was clear she would continue for hours if he let her.
Matt immediately cut her off before she could build momentum. "Excellia Academy provides top-class equipment. I only need to study. I already did my research. That is all I wanted to say."
Kaye sensed that he wanted to end the conversation. Her sigh was long and annoyed.
"Fine. Pass the phone back to Kim."
Matt walked over and handed it to me, choosing not to risk another airborne catch.
"Yes?" I said.
"Give him everything he needs, but do not overdo it." Her tone changed again.
Serious.
Focused.
Almost like how she sounded during missions.
"And Kim… I think Matt has finally started to open up and trust us. We should trust him back, right?"
I let a short pause rest between us, letting her words settle deeper than I expected.
"Yes."
_________________________________________
Eight days later, Blume Household.
The morning sun filtered through the tall windows, painting the polished floor with soft light. The entire room was filled with the quiet rustle of fabrics, the clinking of suitcase locks, and the disciplined movements of the maids as they packed and arranged their young master's belongings with practised precision.
The said young master sat on the edge of his bed, his shoulders slightly hunched, eyes darting uncomfortably between the maids bustling around him.
Every time one of them folded a shirt or checked a compartment, he looked more and more embarrassed. He pressed the tips of his fingers together, clearly struggling to speak, then finally muttered under his breath.
"There is no need for all of this. I mean… I am only an adopted family member. Having this many people help me pack is too much. It feels strange."
One of the senior maids paused and turned to him. Her expression was gentle but firm, the way a caretaker might address someone who kept forgetting his own worth.
"Whatever the case is, you are now officially part of the succession war of the Blume household. From the moment the head of the house, lord Clemantis, announced it, you were recognised as the main blood.
We were instructed to assist you in everything you need, and within those needs, we must uphold the image of the Blume family itself."
The boy tugged lightly at a strand of his olive colored hair with green highlights, twisting it between his fingers while grumbling under his breath.
"Even if you say that… I really have no idea what kind of image I am supposed to uphold."
He dropped the hair and let out a long sigh that seemed to deflate his whole body.
A knock echoed through the room.
"It is Azalea. I am coming in."
The door opened smoothly, and Azalea stepped inside. Her eyes scanned the room, landing first on the neatly arranged luggage, then on the maids who were moving with calm precision, and finally on the boy who looked like he wanted to melt into the nearest corner in his bed.
"Well, everything is going well," she said with a small nod. Then she looked straight at him.
"Time to escape this stuffy place"
She extended her hand to him and said, "Are you ready, Finster?"
He stared at her with the most defeated expression, his shoulders completely slumped.
"Can I say no?" he asked weakly.