The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 45

"Young lord, let's speak inside. We must not alert the others," Tyrus urged, ushering Kaelen into the stone cabin. They were dangerously close to the Elder's estate; if anyone inside detected Kaelen, it would be a massacre.

There was no way The Azure Sky Sanctum had permitted Kaelen to visit. He must have escaped using some desperate method.

The family members and handmaidens were trapped in a state of euphoric disbelief.

The Young Lord had returned?

Was this really him?

He had grown so tall!

"Kaelen, let me look at you... look how much you've grown." The elderly woman was Elena Stormridge, the biological older sister of Kaelen's mother. Years ago, a tragedy had claimed her husband and son. She had moved into the Citadel Lord's keep, raising Kaelen as if he were her own flesh and blood.

She used to be a woman of unparalleled elegance and grace. Now, her hair was completely white.

In just eight years, she had aged into a withered husk.

Kaelen couldn't believe his eyes, unable to stop the tears from flowing. "Aunt Elena, what happened to you?"

"I'm fine, my boy. Perfectly fine. Strong as an ox," Elena said, tightly gripping Kaelen's hand while her trembling fingers traced his jawline. "Let me see you. Let me get a good look at you."

After her husband's death, she had treated the Citadel Lord's keep as her true home, loving the Stormridge family as her own. But the overnight catastrophe had shattered everything. Her sister and brother-in-law were missing, presumed dead; her adopted family was condemned to hell; and two hundred thousand citizens were enslaved. She had witnessed it all, drowning in grief and helplessness. Sometimes, she even agonized over whether her own cursed luck had brought ruin upon the Citadel.

"Brother, I missed you so much." Elara clung to Kaelen, refusing to let go, terrified she would wake up.

"Young lord, how did you get here?" Tyrus asked with deep concern. If the Sanctum found out, they would execute Kaelen without hesitation.

"I'm participating in the Sanctum's Grand Hunt. It's taking place in The Sacrificial Peaks, a few hundred miles from here. I slipped away to see you. I have to head back soon."

"You're in the Grand Hunt?" Tyrus frowned. He knew the Sanctum's rules—only those at Phase Six of the Spirit Warrior Tier or higher could participate.

"I've reached Phase Six."

"What?!" Everyone in the room gasped in shock.

Tyrus's eyes widened. He immediately stepped forward and inspected Kaelen's Aether pathways. The Spirit Warrior Tier? When he had visited Kaelen last year, the boy hadn't even awakened his Aether!

Elena and Elara were equally astounded. They knew full well that the Sanctum refused to grant Kaelen access to any Martial Codex, expressly forbidding his cultivation. He was practically a cripple a year ago. How had he skyrocketed to Phase Six?!

"You didn't practice some forbidden blood-art to force a breakthrough, did you?" Elena had once been a warrior herself before her core was shattered.

"Don't worry, Auntie. I wouldn't gamble with my future like that."

"It truly is Phase Six... Young lord, your talent is monstrous! The heavens have eyes! They haven't abandoned House Stormridge!" Tyrus was ecstatic. Kaelen's Aether signature was dense and perfectly stabilized. His meridians were wide and flowing flawlessly. This wasn't the fragile, hollow foundation of someone who had used forbidden shortcuts.

Elena exhaled a massive breath of relief. "How did you manage this?"

Kaelen gave a brief explanation of how he broke through and acquired his Martial Arts, deliberately omitting the life-and-death encounters. He only reported the good news.

Listening to his tale, the women wept with joy. Elara refused to leave his side for even a second, staring up at him with tear-filled eyes.

But Kaelen couldn't bring himself to smile. "This isn't what you told me."

Every year, Tyrus had visited the Sanctum and sworn that the family was doing well, that they were given special privileges and light duties in the mines. But tonight, he had seen the truth: they were enslaved as personal servants and dancers, enduring vile humiliation at the hands of Azure Sky Initiates.

Tyrus hung his head. "It's my fault. We drove off a wolf only to invite a tiger. It wasn't always this barbaric. The women used to only handle light maintenance in the estate, and most of the men were placed in the guard. But when Elder Malakor was stationed here, he brought his grandson, Lysander. That boy is a tyrant. He reassigned the women, forcing them to become dancers and handmaidens. If anyone resists, he weaponizes the Sanctum Initiates against the thralls in the mines."

"Don't worry about us, brother. We can endure it. Lysander doesn't dare do anything truly unforgivable," Elara said softly, trying to ease her brother's guilt.

"This isn't unforgivable?" Kaelen's blood boiled as the image of the pavilion flashed through his mind. He prided himself on his iron discipline, but right now, he was struggling not to explode.

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