Alex quickly took a bath and put on a new set of clothes that were laid out on his bed. He wore a white shirt, over it a black tailored coat adorned with intricate golden designs, and trousers. His noble trousers were fitted yet elastic enough to let him bend and sit comfortably without fear of tearing.
He walked over to the mirror and examined his face and clothes. For a moment, his eyes lingered on his neck. The memory made him shudder and wonder if the dream had been real. He shook his head and slapped both cheeks. "Concentrate, Alex. That was just a dream."
He took a ribbon and tied his hair into a small ponytail. His hair barely reached halfway down his neck. He considered cutting it short next time, but for now, he liked the way the longer strands looked. The blue-tinted ends on his black hair gave him an ethereal appearance.
He sighed. "How could I be so beautiful? Today, all the examinees will be stunned by my looks." He laughed loudly at his own comment and left his private chambers.
He walked through the hallway, still unable to forget his old home. Yet, he felt this place was not so bad. Its design resembled his previous home, especially the hallway, though it was smaller in comparison. Whoever had built this place clearly kept the original Drakethorne Palace in mind.
He reached the entrance of the dining room, where two knights stood at the door. Both had come with them. They bowed and opened the door for him. Alex nodded slightly in acknowledgment of their efforts.
He entered the dining room and gazed at his father and Ariana, who were looking at him strangely. He touched his face to check if something was wrong, but found nothing. Raising an eyebrow at his mother, he asked, "What is going on? Why is the atmosphere so tense?" He struggled to find the right words to describe the situation.
Sera told her son to sit first. He sat beside her, across from Ariana, who was seated next to their father.
Sera answered, "They are worried about your dream."
"Why take dreams so seriously? They ar—" He was abruptly stopped by his mother, who put a hand over his mouth.
Sera said, "Do not take your dream so lightly, son." Her face was filled with worry and tension. She had not been able to calm down since hearing about the dream and had shared her concerns with her husband. Their daughter had eventually forced them to explain what was happening after noticing their distress.
Alex nodded and was about to speak, but his father stopped him and said, "Son, we are worried about you. The academy is not as wonderful as you might think. What if that dream comes true? We cannot bear to see you bullied. There will be all sorts of people there." His face was serious, and he did not want to be interrupted.
Alex was shocked by this revelation. His eyebrows shot up, and he did not know what to say. His father continued, "We think that maybe you should consider giving up on the entrance exam and not join the academy."
At this revelation, Alex immediately stood up from his chair and shouted, "What?"
He continued, "No, how could we believe in a dream? It is just a dream and nothing more." His voice shook as he spoke. He was angry that his parents would consider a dream to be real. While dreams could carry bad premonitions, he refused to let one dictate his decisions.
Ariana was shocked by her brother's anger and shouting. She had never seen him this upset with them. Glancing at her father and mother, she noticed their sadness and sensed they were hiding something. She felt there was more to the situation but could not put it into words. For a moment, she was even afraid of her brother when he burst out.
Sera placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "Calm down, son. We are only offering suggestions and do not want to stop you from taking the exam. We have always wanted to see you smile, especially since you have trained so hard for this."
Alex looked at his mother, whose face was downcast. He silently cursed himself for losing his temper, then nodded to her before sitting back down.
Shane looked into his son's eyes and forced a smile that barely reached his own. "We have had this bad feeling ever since your grandfather announced you would be taking the entrance exam. Your dream today only made it worse. We cannot shake off this feeling, son. But it is your life, so choose what you want to do. We will not stop you." His eyes were sincere, filled with love for his son. He never wanted Alex to be left behind with nothing but memories of staying at home. He wanted his son to experience the world and face challenges, but Alex's status problem had forced him to shelter his son.
He took a slow breath, feeling his father's loving gaze and his mother's worried glance from the side. After thinking for a moment, he met his father's eyes and said, "I will take the entrance exam and make sure to pass it, no matter what."
Shane and Sera both sighed at the same time. They had been holding their breath throughout the conversation. Looking at each other, they smiled bitterly at themselves.
Shane said, "Okay, it is decided. You will take the entrance exam."
Sera could not shake off her motherly worries and said, "If you ever feel you cannot handle it anymore, you can always come back. We will always be here to welcome you."
Alex nearly teared up at his mother's words. He nodded, kept his head down, and quietly started eating.
Slowly, the dining room fell into silence as everyone focused on their meals. Ariana glanced at each of them and sensed that sadness and worry still lingered, but she said nothing and continued to eat.
- - -
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