Rebirthing

~~~📜~~~

It burns.

Rei had to attack the glass of water with urgency to force the food down. He had no idea what they had put in it, but damn—it far surpassed the spice Gorō ever dared to add to his stews.

“If you cannot endure the fire of the tongue,” Magistrate Dalthon intoned, dry and solemn, “then you will endure far less the fire of adversity.”

“That is true,” Velina agreed softly.

“Yet another trial, nothing less,” Nireya added, equally solemn.

“Life offers no respite,” Maedros concluded, his eyes glinting sharp as steel.

That night’s dinner was even more intimidating than the one before. Understandable, considering that all four members of the Solar Council sat at the table, alongside the Royal Family—and the Hero himself. The crystal chandeliers illuminated the banquet, the table gleaming beautifully, and for the first time Rei did not lower his gaze in clumsy discomfort. The King observed him closely, noting a spark that had not been there since his arrival.

“Tell me, boy,” the King asked, his voice deep but warm, “how was your day?”

Rei blinked. That simple question stirred something inside him. To speak openly under the watching eyes of everyone present. He took a breath, straightened his back, and spoke with determination.

“Your Majesty. If I am to stay here, I need to work.”

Time seemed to freeze again. Every eye turned toward him, astonished, as though they had not expected this side of his character.

“Go on,” the King urged.

“You all know… what happened yesterday. And today as well.”

As he said this, Rei glanced first at General Maedros, then at Ettor—holding the latter’s dark gaze for several heartbeats. In those eyes he found only defiance.

But this time, Rei would not look away.

"It's true. I don't know how to fight. I can't slaughter enemy hordes with one swing of a sword, or fire a bow, or cast deadly spells. I promise I'll work hard to get there, but today I'm not that. Sorry if that's what you expected."

“Hero…” the Queen tried to console him, though Rei needed no such comfort.

“But what I do know… is how to build devices. It’s what I’ve done for as long as I can remember, even before…”

Memories surged through him. But he would not flee from them this time.

“Even before Gorō adopted me!”

Gasps spread across the faces around the table. Surprise mixed with compassion at the sudden outburst. Rei breathed out, his voice softened.

“Let me use a workshop. Give me tools, materials—whatever you have. Just let me do what I know best.”

Queen Valeta’s lips curved into a gentle smile, while the King narrowed his eyes, weighing the plea. Ettor and General Maedros still regarded him with open scorn, while the rest of the Council waited with reserved expectation. Yet in Nessus and Leonoris he found support; their warm smiles radiated pride. After a moment of solemn silence, the King nodded.

“You shall have it, Hero. I will grant you a space worthy of your hands. All that we can provide will be yours, if by it you can save our people.”

A breath of relief escaped Rei before he pressed forward, curious and urgent.

“Thank you. What materials do you have in this land? Something I can work with.”

The courtiers began to recite grand names with solemn reverence: Auricite, Shadow-iron, Solar Fluorite… and of course, the famed Ether Crystals. With every name, Rei’s brow arched higher in frustration. To his ears they were nothing but strange rocks—useless for what he needed right away. Learning them would take time, and time was something he did not have. Scowling, scratching the back of his neck, he finally interrupted.

“I don’t… really know those. I’m sorry. Don’t you have copper? Tin?”

The hall fell silent. Absolutely everyone stared at him, as though he had spoken blasphemy.

“C-Copper? Tin?” High Councillor Nireya repeated, nearly offended. “The Hero… wants things of tin?”

“This was all a grave mistake,” Dalthon groaned, palm to his face.

“Eh?” Rei raised an eyebrow, bewildered. “You know them?”

General Maedros cleared his throat, still surprised.

“All too well, in fact. They are plentiful in the quarries of Kaliross, to the west.”

“Yes! Finally!” Rei exclaimed with relief. “So you do use copper and tin!”

“For ornamentation.”

…

“You’re… serious?” Rei asked, devastated.

“Why yes,” the Queen interjected, almost excited. “They are used for inlays in temples and shrines: columns, altars, sculptures, even reliquaries. But… weapons? We would never have imagined.”

Rei’s eyes widened, a spark of excitement igniting within. On one hand, no one would mind giving him such worthless materials. On the other—he thought—their surprise would be all the greater when he saved them with it.

“Then give me everything you can spare for my workshop. All of it. And the tools you use. I imagine you don’t have forge presses, rolling mills, steam boilers, or anything like that.”

The Queen tilted her head, intrigued by the strange words.

“I do not know what any of those are. But we have anvils, smelting furnaces, forge hammers, chisels, molds, and tongs. Everything our smiths employ.”

“I’ll make do,” Rei declared, before drinking deeply from his glass of water.

The King smiled, amused by such a humble yet resolute request.

Later, as servants laid out fruit and wine, Rei turned toward Leonoris with a mix of timidity and hope.

“Hey, Leonoris… when could we start magic lessons? I feel like I need… Solaria’s help to get through all this.”

It took her a few moments to process the words. Then, her eyes lit up brighter than ever.

“Tomorrow! T-Tonight if need be! I’ll teach you everything I know!” she answered without hesitation.

Her enthusiasm drew a small laugh from Rei.

“Relax. Tomorrow’s fine. Thank you, Leonoris. I look forward to learning from you.”

The princess placed a hand over her heart, lowering her gaze with shy warmth, as though his words had touched something deep within.

“Yes!” Her smile grew even wider.

Rei took another drink of water, as though the liquid fueled his resolve. He set the glass down firmly, eyes locking onto a new target.

“I also look forward to learning from you, Ettor. I trust you’ll guide me to become the Hero they expect me to be.”

Ettor held his gaze, and Rei did not flinch. The Illuminated One’s face betrayed irritation—this useless Hero had not crumbled after his punishment, and that seemed to unsettle him. At last, Ettor merely gave a silent nod before resuming his meal.

Rei did the same, feeling as though he had claimed a great victory. The silence of the hall no longer suffocated him. He had carved out a place of his own, one that declared he was there.

~~~🧑‍🔧~~~

“Good night, Hero.”

Leonoris walked slowly down the torchlit corridor, her silhouette outlined in warm glow. She stopped only when a simple but powerful word followed her.

“Thanks.”

She turned back, her eyes meeting his. They spoke what her lips did not. Rei nodded.

“We await what you can give us, Hero.”

Rei watched her leave, then closed the heavy door. Finally alone in his room. Moonlight poured through the window, lighting the table where an object lay—the one he'd avoided looking at since last night.

His pistol.

He stepped closer. His hand trembled as he picked it up, remembering that this was the very weapon that had…

Killed Gorō. His world began to—

No. Not this time.

He almost dropped it, but instead gripped it tighter. The weapon had already taken his master’s life—he would not let it take his master’s wish as well.

Rage burned in his chest. Grief clogged his throat. And because of that, he had to move—he had to burn it away.

He thought of his brothers, alone in a world where they had no one left. How could he surrender, when there was even the smallest chance to protect them once more?

He realized his grip on the weapon was too tight. His hand flushed red, burning—but he did not let go.

He aimed at the mirror beside him. The reflection staring back was not a hero, not a savior. Just a broken boy, still unsure who he was in this world.

He could not remain that.

“I have to return… and I will return.”

His finger tensed on the trigger. His jaw clenched with fury. The barrel of the gun stared back at him in the glass.

“Whatever…”

Something in him had changed in just a single day. Perhaps… just perhaps…

“It...”

This was how the tale of the Hero of Solaria had to begin.

"Takes."

BANG