Aslan murmured under his breath, almost to himself,
"So this was it… a beast-casting circle."
His eyes narrowed.
"The circle must've malfunctioned when it fractured — which explains why it started summoning beasts in unpredictable waves."
He turned toward his Shadows behind him, voice steady.
"Thankfully, we nullified it before the situation could spiral out of control."
Next Day
At the border, the Crown Prince and his knights arrived — only to find countless dead bodies of beasts and monsters scattered everywhere.
They were shocked.
The Crown Prince knelt beside one of the bodies, examining the deep scars on its flesh. Then he stood up slowly.
"This wasn't done by one person," he said. "There was a group here last night."
Lucian came rushing in, a rare smile on his face.
"Aslan! A letter just arrived from Varek."
Aslan raised an eyebrow as Lucian handed him the letter.
"It says the number of monsters at the border has dropped drastically. Varek should be returning soon."
Aslan's eyes softened slightly.
"That's… great."
But then Lucian frowned, holding up a second envelope.
"Also… your academy has sent at least five letters."
Aslan blinked.
Lucian crossed his arms.
"They said if you don't return by Friday, they'll officially expel you. Apparently, they've 'reached their limit with your truancy and disregard for rules.'"
Aslan sighed dramatically.
"I mean… it was bound to happen. They don't usually give commoners this many chances anyway."
Lucian's eyebrow twitched.
"Aslaaan!" he snapped.
"It's been ten days since your vacation ended! How much more nonsense are you planning to pull?"
Aslan's expression instantly turned pitiful, eyes wide and lips trembling in mock sadness.
"How could I leave you and Mother like this?" he whispered, voice cracking.
"She's sick… you're stressed… I just couldn't."
Lucian rubbed his temples.
"Look… I know you're worried about Mother. I am too. But you need to go back."
His voice softened, calm and sincere.
"You have responsibilities there too. You can't stay here forever."
Lucian placed a gentle hand on Aslan's shoulder.
"Varek will be back soon… ." He paused, voice softer now. "Nothing bad will happen again… probably."
He gave a small smile — unsure, but trying.
Aslan's voice cracked softly.
"But… even so…"
Lucian's gaze turned thoughtful, and his voice dropped to a soft murmur.
"Mother always wanted you to enjoy your academy life."
"She wanted to see you graduate… live freely… smile without carrying the weight of everything."
He looked directly into his younger brother's eyes.
"Is that really too much to do for her?"
The words struck deep.
Aslan said nothing at first — no sarcasm, no stubborn retort.
Just silence.
Lucian's voice grew quieter.
"If she knew you stayed away from the academy because of her…"
"It would break her heart, Aslan."
A heavy pause filled the space between them.
And finally…
Aslan let out a quiet breath.
Then, with the faintest nod—
"Okay. I'll go."
Next Day
Aslan was in his mother's room, dressed in his academy uniform.
With a gentle smile, he said,
"Mother, I'm going to the academy. Take care."
He walked into the courtyard.
Lucian smiled as he saw him.
"It makes me happy to see you in that uniform again. You look dashing."
Aslan ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, I always look good. Seems like your eyes finally started working today."
"You brat."
Aslan stood in front of the carriage.
"So, farewell."
Suddenly, Lucian hugged him tightly.
"You brat… I'll miss your chaos. What will I do without you?"
Tears started to gather in the corners of Lucian's eyes.
Aslan placed a hand on his back.
And then… he left for the academy.