Chapter 14 The Hero Cadet Program

Rein's room was enormous—vaulted ceiling, silk drapes, polished floors that caught the light like still water. A marble bathtub steamed gently in the corner. Rein stood in the middle of it all, silent.

He hadn’t touched the warm food on the silver tray. He hadn’t looked at the gold-framed mirror across the wall. He just stood there.

“If I trained harder… just a little more… They wouldn’t be dead. I was supposed to protect them. I made a promise to myself that I would! I thought I was special, better than others! What a joke! I'm not strong, I'm just a joke...”

His hands trembled. The bandages wrapped around his arms itched, the cuts underneath stung. He didn’t care. His parents’ faces kept flashing in his head—smiling at the dinner table, training him in the backyard. Then their last moment—gone in an instant under that beast’s crushing might.

Rein sat at the edge of the velvet-lined bed, eyes fixed on the untouched food laid across the ornate table. Silver platters full of roasted meat, warm bread, sweet fruit glazes—meals fit for nobility.

He didn’t taste any of it. He didn’t want any of it. The warmth of the fire in the marble hearth did nothing to chase away the cold gripping his chest. The silence in the room was deafening.

“Why am I here? Why are they gone and I’m still breathing? If I wasn’t wasting time playing around all those years… If I trained harder—just a little harder…”

With a cry of rage, he stood and flung the heavy plate across the room. It slammed against the wall with a metallic clang, spilling food everywhere. The golden goblet followed next, clattering as wine splashed down the white drapes like blood.

“It’s my fault…” he whispered.

Then louder— “It’s my fault! If I just... if I just fought harder— Why couldn’t I stop it?! Why did it have to be them?!”

Tears came suddenly, violently. He sobbed into the silence, shoulders trembling, tears falling freely onto the polished stone floor. His voice cracked as he tried to muffle the sounds, but the grief was too strong. The pain too deep.

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Aura stood in the hallway of the military wing. Her new quarters were small, but neat. The bed was clean, the sword rack polished, uniform folded on the desk. It felt… strange.

Liora stood nearby, arms folded as she watched Aura scan the room.

“You’ll be sharing this hallway with the other cadets. Most of them are older. Some are stronger than others. But… not like us.”

Aura gave a tired smile. 

“It’s nice here. Thank you, Miss Liora.”

Kael leaned against the doorway, arms crossed.

 “You’ll be watched. A lot of people won’t like that you jumped straight into nobility. Stay sharp. Word spreads quick around these parts. Some cheeky cadets might get an urge to throw a prank or two your way. And if they do, I will ask you not to break them too much. I mean, you solo the colossus, I can't image what would you do to some stupid kid who decides to try and bully you. Sheesh! Let them get away with broken arm or leg.”

Aura nodded. She looked down at her hands—bandaged and healing from the lava burns. They still ached.

“Commander Kael, I do not like violence. But there was no other way but to kill those monsters. I will not cause any trouble or hurt other people.”

Liora stood nearby, face lined with her usual fake smile.

“You did well today. Better than well, honestly. I know you're still healing... Just holding a sword with those burns must've been agony—let alone blocking a swing from... him. You were injured, exhausted, and still stood your ground against the King.”

Aura looked down at her hands. 

“It hurt just to hold the sword… When I swung, it felt like the skin was tearing off my palms.”

Liora’s gaze lingered on her.

“I could see that. And yet, you didn’t back down. And that means you earned something. He doesn’t hand out titles—or warnings—lightly. And that’s why you need to survive now. Every day from here on out is training. Harder than what you’ve seen so far.”

Liora stepped forward and listed it off plainly, “You’ll be expected to keep up—no excuses. Now, let’s talk about your schedule. Starting tomorrow, you’re officially part of the hero cadet program. That means early mornings—training with others before sunrise. Sword drills, endurance, tactics. 

After that, you're attending lessons. Don’t groan, it’s non-negotiable. We don’t need a hero who can swing a sword but can’t read a map or form a sentence.

Once school’s out, you’re right back to training. More advanced lessons. Magic theory, monster behavior, sparring. You’ll be tired, but that’s the point.

Evenings are yours. You’re not a prisoner here—you can walk the castle, visit the gardens, read, draw, whatever you like. You’re even allowed into town, if you want to see it... but you follow the rules, understand? Curfew. No picking fights. No sneaking around. Because if His Majesty hears you’ve stepped out of line... your head might roll ...And he might take mine with it. So behave. Train. Learn. Rest. And… try to find time to breathe too, Aura. You earned that much."

Aura nodded.

 “Understood. I won’t let that happen. I’ll do what I have to.”

“Good. I expect great things from you, Aura.”

Liora step over to a nearby case, unlatching it with a metallic click, and pulled out a sheathed sword.

"This is yours now. Standard issue for hero cadets. Don’t let the term ‘standard’ fool you—this blade’s better forged than that ruined slab of iron you were swinging around out there. High-carbon steel, light enchantments woven into the hilt. It’ll hold up where the last one melted. You earned it. Treat it well. This isn’t just a weapon—it’s a symbol. Know this, Aura, you’re not some street rat as the King called you. You’re one of us now. A cadet. A candidate. Now—go get some rest. Tomorrow, everything begins."

She turned for the door but paused just before stepping out.

“Oh—and one more thing.”

Aura looked up.

“Tomorrow morning, you’re sparring with Kael. So, sleep well.”

The door closed behind her.