ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 146: KAELEN’S PARENTS

In the dimly lit office of the Vice Chancellor, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. Kaelen and his companions stood in a semi-circle, still bearing the subtle marks of their recent battle. General Cao was seated nearby, his arms crossed and his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.

The Vice Chancellor leaned forward from his desk, his piercing eyes sweeping over the group, before settling on Kaelen.

"How did you manage to grow so strong so quickly?" the Vice Chancellor asked, his voice low but intense. "You and your companions just faced the Chaos Twins—Aron and Selene—and held your own. That is no small feat. What happened during your pilgrimage?"

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Kaelen hesitated for a moment, glancing briefly at his companions. Ethan, shrouded in shadow, gave a slight nod, while Guinevere and Eldric exchanged knowing glances. They all carried a deep bond now, forged in the fires of their pilgrimage. Kaelen knew this was something only he could explain.

Taking a breath, he stepped forward. "It was a trial we had to face in a strange Ruin," he began. "Each of us was pushed to our absolute limit. For me, it was the Venerables of the Eternal Blades who apparently are the true founders of the Blade of Eternity that set my path. They made me face… myself, both literally and metaphorically.

I had to learn how to wield the Blade of Eternity properly, and unlock powers I hadn’t even known existed. We were all transformed, not just in strength, but in spirit."

As he spoke, the Vice Chancellor listened intently, his fingers steepled as if calculating every word. But then, as the room fell into silence, his gaze became sharper, more focused. His next question cut through the air like a knife.

"And who are you, Kaelen?" the Vice Chancellor asked, his tone carrying more weight. "Who are your parents?"

The question hit Kaelen like a blow to the chest. The room felt suddenly colder, and for a moment, it was as if all the memories he had kept buried came rushing back. His hands clenched at his sides as an overwhelming wave of grief washed over him. His companions, sensing the shift in his mood, grew quiet.

Kaelen looked down at the floor, the pain in his eyes unmistakable. "My parents…" he began, his voice low and strained. "They… they were part of the Dragonyx family. Once."

The room grew even quieter, the tension palpable. General Cao’s brows furrowed in thought, and the Vice Chancellor’s expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of understanding passed through his eyes.

Kaelen continued, though it was clear the memories were painful. "I don’t remember much about them, not clearly. They weren’t like the rest of the Dragonyx family. They wanted something different—peace, a life away from the chaos and bloodshed. But... they didn’t survive long enough to see that dream through.

All I have of them are fragmented memories. Nothing more."

His voice faltered, and he clenched his fists tighter. The room remained in an awkward, respectful silence, giving Kaelen the space he needed. His grief was raw, still unhealed, and the vague description of his parents seemed like a barrier—a defense against fully confronting the weight of his past.

The Vice Chancellor nodded slowly, sensing the deep emotional turmoil in Kaelen’s words. "I see," he said quietly. "Their legacy clearly runs deep within you, even if you seek a different path from the Dragonyx. That connection... explains more than you know."

Kaelen said nothing in response, his grief too consuming. The room remained still, each of them reflecting on the weight of the revelations. The Dragonyx family’s shadow loomed large, but Kaelen had chosen his path—one far removed from the chaotic power and ambition that marked his lineage.

The Vice Chancellor leaned back in his chair, his mind clearly working through the implications of what Kaelen had just revealed. "Thank you for your honesty," he finally said. "There will be time to uncover more when you’re ready. For now, rest. You’ve earned it."

Kaelen, his companions standing silently by his side, gave a small nod, grateful for the reprieve. They had all come a long way, and while the questions surrounding Kaelen’s past still lingered, the battle was far from over.

As Kaelen and his companions exited the Vice Chancellor’s office, the heavy atmosphere lingered, with the weight of their recent conversation still pressing on their minds. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving General Cao and the Vice Chancellor alone.

General Cao, arms crossed and brows furrowed, broke the silence first. "That trial Kaelen mentioned… what exactly happened in those ruins? What kind of trial could forge him into what we’ve just seen? Did the chancellor tell you anything concerning it?"

Reeves have already told him that the chancellor will make sure Kaelen and his friends will come back to the Academy unscathed. So with that knowledge in mind, General Cao assumed that the chancellor might have witnessed the trials Kaelen and his companions went through.

Vice Chancellor Reeves leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the surface of his desk thoughtfully. "When I first asked the Chancellor about those ruins, and Kaelen’s experience after coming out of the so called ruins, I got a cryptic response." He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "The Chancellor said the trials were not just about power.

They were a test of one’s soul, a rite of passage that reshapes those who pass through them. Only those who can truly endure—physically, mentally, spiritually—emerge stronger. They face the essence of their deepest selves."

General Cao’s eyes narrowed. "A test of one’s soul?" He shook his head slightly, trying to digest the weight of the explanation. "Whatever happened in those ruins transformed Kaelen. He’s… different."

The Vice Chancellor nodded. "That’s what the Chancellor said would happen. He also mentioned the Eternal Venerables which according to him was in Kaelen’s trial. Those trials are ancient, beyond what even we can fully understand. They were never meant for ordinary magic users, and Kaelen’s connection to that place is far from ordinary."

’Seems like there is more to history than what I know’

The silence stretched for a moment as General Cao considered the implications. But his thoughts quickly shifted, his gaze hardening as he remembered the battle that had nearly consumed the academy just days ago.

"And why didn’t you come to help us earlier?" General Cao asked, his voice carrying a trace of frustration. "While we were fending off the Dragonyx family, you and the Chancellor didn’t intervene. We were on the verge of losing everything."

Reeves met his gaze evenly, though the weight of his own responsibilities pressed on him. "I had no choice, General. My hands were tied. While you were all fighting Aron and Selene, I was dealing with someone else. Someone far more dangerous. And am sure the chancellor was also doing the same for both me and the Academy."

General Cao’s eyes widened in surprise. "The one in the clouds?"

Reeves nodded slowly. "Exactly. That young man who appeared when I did—his aura was beyond anything we’ve encountered. Primal, ancient… disruptive to the very fabric of reality. I sensed him the moment I arrived. And believe me, if I hadn’t been there to counter him, the situation could have been far worse, devastating even."

General Cao fell silent, his frustration giving way to realization. He had sensed that figure too, but he hadn’t grasped just how dangerous the individual was. "So, it wasn’t that you abandoned us," he murmured, "but that you were fighting another battle entirely."

"Precisely," Reeves confirmed. "I couldn’t afford to let that young man go unchecked. He wasn’t just a threat to the academy—he was a threat to everyone present. If he had acted, it would’ve been catastrophic. It was all I could do to hold him at bay."

General Cao nodded slowly, finally understanding the full scope of the situation. The Vice Chancellor’s hands had indeed been full. The battle they had fought with the Dragonyx family was only one piece of the larger storm that had been brewing.

"Then we were lucky," Cao said quietly. "Lucky that we didn’t have to face both battles at once."

Reeves gave a solemn nod. "We were. But luck won’t last forever, General. The forces at play are shifting, and the Dragonyx family… they’re just the beginning."

"Just the beginning?" General Cao quickly asked back with a skeptical look on his face. But vice chancellor Reeves didn’t flinch as he replied.

"Yes they are just the beginning, the powers who are intensely green for the blade of eternity in Kaelen’s hand are way more formidable than the Dragonyx family we just encountered. Why they just haven’t arrived yet is because their hands are already full with the battle convention coming up."

With that sobering thought hanging in the air, General Cao gave a nod of respect, his frustrations eased but replaced with a growing unease for the future. He turned and left the office, leaving the Vice Chancellor to his thoughts, knowing that the academy’s trials were far from over.