"Did you see who caused the flames?" she asked, her eyes searching his for any flicker of a lie.
"No... I was asleep," Leon replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Did you see anyone?"
"No, I didn't. But..." she paused, her expression turning grim. "I believe it was an S-Rank attack, and I am certain they will return."
"Really...?" Leon asked, playing along to maintain his cover.
"Yes. Leon, promise me something," Claire said, placing a hand gently on his head. "If you ever see a stranger—anyone you don't recognize, inside the manor or anywhere else—run to me first. I will keep you safe."
In that moment, the weight in Leon's chest lifted. He realized she hadn't seen him at all; she was simply terrified for his life.
Claire pulled him into a tight embrace, holding him close. She then pulled back slightly, cupping his face with both hands and whispering, "I promise I will get stronger. Strong enough to always protect you. So, don't worry about your stats or being strong... I'll be strong for both of us."
Her words hit him with the force of a tidal wave. The guilt of his secret and the warmth of her unconditional love crashed over him, and he suddenly burst into tears.
Two years had passed. Claire was now ten years old—the age of enrollment for the Royal Academy. On the eve of her departure, she took Leon for one last walk.
Accompanied by a B-Rank guard—a seasoned ice user—the siblings trekked deep into the woods to a crystal-clear stream near the castle. They sat at the water's edge, the sunlight filtering through the canopy.
"Leon, I'll be leaving soon," Claire said, her eyes fixated on him with a mixture of pride and sadness.
"I know... you're going to the Academy," Leon replied softly.
"Yes. But I'll be back for the holidays, and I'll send you letters whenever I can," she promised, turning her gaze to the flowing water. "This is the only way for me to get stronger... the way to keep my promise to you."
Leon looked at her with newfound determination. "I'm going to get stronger too, so I can join you at the Academy. I've been taking my practice seriously, big sis. My combat and abilities are improving every day. I hope I can catch up to you soon."
Claire smiled. "I heard Father hired four elemental tutors for you. Since your special skill is Elemental, having masters of all four types should help you learn quickly."
"Yeah, you're right. I—"
"Both of you, get behind me! Now!"
The guard's sharp command cut Leon off. The man rushed toward them, reaching out to pull the children to safety. But before his hands could touch them, an invisible, violent force slammed into him. He was yanked backward through the air, flying nearly a mile before crashing into a massive tree, rendered instantly unconscious.
Claire spun around, her hands glowing with mana as she prepared to defend her brother. Standing in the clearing was a towering figure with a predatory smirk.
Leon's blood ran cold. He recognized the man from the stories told by his father. It was the notorious S-Rank telekinesis user: Reo Don Vickrey.
Reo Don Vickrey was not just any mage; he was an S-Rank telekinesis user and a member of the Black Heart, a notorious gang led by five S-Rank criminals. Rumors whispered that they served a mysterious Legendary Rank, though no one had ever found proof of the connection.
"Hmm..." Reo hummed, his eyes darting between the two children. "I heard the von Vinci noble had a prodigy daughter and a useless son. I came to see if the rumors were true." He locked eyes with Claire. "I'm guessing you're the prodigy, and the boy is the failure."
"My brother is not useless!" Claire snapped. She thrust her hand forward, using her matter manipulation to strike the air, successfully shoving the massive man several feet backward.
"I see... impressive," Reo said, dusting off his shoulder, his smirk never fading. "But you're still too weak."
He raised his hand toward the sky. Suddenly, the earth groaned as every tree in the vicinity was ripped from the soil by its roots. With a casual flick of his fingers, Reo sharpened the massive roots into lethal, pencil-like points. With a wave of his hand, he launched the barrage of timber toward them.
Claire instinctively stepped in front of Leon, her palms open. She channeled her power to its limit, shattering the incoming trees into splinters before they could reach them.
Reo's smile widened into a jagged grin. "You truly are a prodigy. I want to see exactly how much you can take."
He lifted both hands this time. The ground fractured as jagged boulders were carved out of the earth, their tips sharpened into spears. Beside them, the stream rose into the air, the water spinning at such an extreme velocity that it gained a piercing, serrated edge.
With a roar of telekinetic force, Reo launched the rocks, the sharpened trees, and the pressurized water all at once. Claire stared in total shock; the scale of the attack was far beyond what a ten-year-old could handle.
Just as the wall of death was about to collide with them, a massive, obsidian-thick wall erupted from the ground. It stood like an unbreakable fortress, absorbing the impact of the boulders and the slicing water.
Beside Claire, Leon stood with his hand outstretched, his face pale but determined. He had raised the wall to protect his sister, finally putting his secret training into action.
The barrage of attacks stopped abruptly, followed by a sharp, deafening snap. The massive wall Leon had summoned crumbled instantly, but instead of falling to dust, Reo's telekinesis forced the debris to reshape into jagged, hovering spikes.
Reo began to drift forward, levitating a few feet off the ground. His predatory gaze shifted toward Leon; he knew that earth-based defense didn't match Claire's matter manipulation. "So, the 'useless' son finally manifested a skill," he mused. "Tell me, is it simple Earth Control?"
"I'm... I'm not done yet," Claire whispered. She forced herself to stand, her body trembling with exhaustion as she raised a hand toward the S-Rank killer.
Reo looked at her with pure disdain. "Pathetic," he spat.
With a casual, violent swipe of his hand, he sent a wave of telekinetic force crashing into her. Claire was launched through the air like a ragdoll, smashing through several trees before finally colliding with a massive oak. The sound of the impact was sickening—her right arm was twisted at a grotesque angle, and her spine and legs were shattered.
Leon screamed his sister's name and charged toward the wreckage. Reo followed at a leisurely pace, floating behind the boy with a calm, mocking smile.
When Leon reached Claire, he froze. The horror of what he saw left him in a state of total shock. His vibrant, protective older sister lay broken and unmoving against the roots of the tree, her life fading.
"Why do you look at her like that?" Reo giggled, the sound chillingly out of place in the blood-stained clearing. "She wasn't of much use anyway. Besides, it's not like either of you is making it out of here alive."
He drifted closer, looking down at the broken girl with zero empathy. He leaned over Leon, his tone mocking and cruel. "So, little lord... what exactly are you going to do about it?"
As Leon stared at his sister, the memories of her promises flooded his mind—her warm smile, her gentle touch, and her vow to be strong for both of them. A single, hot tear ran down his cheek as he began to tremble, his voice a low, guttural whisper.
"No..."