Novel's Extra: The Lost Heir of Dragon Queen-Chapter 57: Unbreakable Bonds

Kael slowly opened his eyes.

His head throbbed slightly, and a dull ache radiated across his body.

Blinking a few times, he took in his surroundings—a familiar sight.

He was in his dormitory room, the walls lined with shelves holding books, weapons, and keepsakes.

On the bedside table were neatly arranged medicines, bandages, and a half-filled glass of water.

Someone had clearly taken the time to tend to his injuries.

Who could it have been? Kael wondered, his mind drawing a blank as he sat up slowly.

The stiffness in his body served as a stark reminder of the battle he had just endured.

He flexed his fingers experimentally.

He was completely healed.

Astral water has healed his injuries but stiffness is still there.

Dragging his legs over the edge of the bed. Kael gritted his teeth, pushing himself to stand.

"A bath," he murmured to himself.

"I need a bath first." His voice was hoarse.

The bathroom was small but serene, a faint mist clinging to the air as he filled the tub.

Kael sank into the warm water, hissing softly as it stung his wounds.

The figure he had fought flashed in his mind—the commanding voice, the unnerving aura, and the effortless power.

"Who was he?" Kael muttered, his brow furrowing.

"And what did he mean by ’meet you later’?" The words lingered like a curse, each syllable etched into his memory.

After what felt like an eternity, Kael rose from the water.

Steam clung to his skin as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

The ache in his body was slightly dulled now, the bath having worked its magic.

Yet, his mind was still restless, swirling with unanswered questions and fragments of the fight.

Emerging from the bathroom, Kael’s damp hair clung to his face as droplets of water traced down his toned frame.

CLACK

The door to his room creaked open.

Kael turned his head and froze.

Standing there was Lumia, her face as red as a ripe tomato.

"Uh… K-Kael!" she stammered, her eyes darting away as she quickly shielded her gaze with her hand.

"Stop messing around and put on a shirt!" Lumia snapped, her voice rising as she peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

Kael glanced down at himself. Shirtless, he smirked.

"Oh? What’s the matter, Lumia?" he teased, deliberately flexing his arms slightly as he stretched.

Lumia’s face turned an even brighter shade of red.

"S-stop messing around and put on a shirt!" she shouted, her voice flustered yet commanding.

Kael decided to have a little fun.

He began to walk toward her slowly, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"What’s wrong, Lumia? You’re looking a little flushed. Should I call the healer for you?" he asked, inching closer.

Lumia’s mind seemed to short-circuit as she backed up against the door.

Her eyes darted around, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I-I’m warning you! D-don’t come any closer! You pervert!" she managed to sputter.

Kael chuckled and stopped, backing off just as quickly as he approached.

"Relax. I’m just teasing. You make it way too easy." Kael said while picking up his shirt from the wardrobe.

As Lumia tried to regain her composure, Kael sat back down on the bed.

"So, Lumia," he began, his tone softening.

"How many days have I been out?" He asked.

"Two days," she replied, still flustered but managing to collect herself.

Kael nodded, his expression growing serious.

"I need to get back out there. I’ve rested enough. We still have missions to complete." Kael said.

Lumia’s face darkened, and her voice turned cold as ice.

"Are you serious, Kael?" she snapped, her eyes boring into him.

"The first thing that comes to your mind after everything that happened is completing more missions?"

Kael blinked, taken aback by her tone.

"Well, yeah. Isn’t that what we—" kael replied.

Lumia cut him off, her voice trembling with frustration.

"Do you even understand how much trouble you put everyone through? While you were unconscious, I was wasting my time trying to heal you instead of helping my own team finish our missions! And now you’re talking about running off again?"

Kael looked down, guilt flickering in his eyes.

"Lumia, I didn’t mean—" Kael said.

"You’re not going anywhere," Lumia interrupted, crossing her arms with finality.

"And just so you know, your team has already qualified." She said.

"Qualified?" Kael asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "How? We didn’t complete the quota yet."

Lumia huffed, glaring at him.

"After your mission, Principal Elowen went to the portal herself. Whatever she found or saw must have been enough because when she came back, she declared that your team was qualified." Lumia said.

Kael’s eyes widened.

"She went in? What did she—"

"That’s none of your concern right now," Lumia interrupted again, her tone softening slightly.

"What you should be focusing on is recovering. Your team’s fine. You’re fine. So stop pushing yourself so hard, Kael."

Kael smiled faintly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You’re really scary when you’re mad, you know that?" Kael said.

Lumia’s face flushed again.

"J-just shut up and rest!" she shouted, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

As the door slammed behind her, Kael chuckled to himself.

"She’s got a point," he muttered.

Kael lay on his bed.

His mind replayed the events inside the portal.

It was chaos—a fight for survival—but they had made it back.

The image of Principal Elowen catching him as he fell flashed in his mind.

’I have to get stronger,’ he thought.

Unable to rest, Kael decided to check on his team.

Quietly, he slipped out of his room and knocked on Ren’s door.

No response.

He checked Aelina’s and Lira’s rooms, but they were also empty.

Where are they? he wondered, a mix of curiosity and unease brewing inside him.

Following a hunch, Kael headed to the training arena.

As he approached, faint sounds of clashing echoed through the hallways.

The faint hum of mana resonated in the air as Kael walked into the training arena, his steps slow but deliberate.

His body still ached from the ordeal in the portal, but his mind was sharper than ever.

He watched his teammates scattered around the space, each pushing themselves harder than he had ever seen before.

Kael sharp eyes scanning Ren, Aelina, Lira, and Marcus.

They were drenched in sweat, their movements heavy yet determined.

They were fighting their own battles, not just against their limitations but against the memory of nearly losing him and Marcus

A guiltyness of being weak.

Ren was practicing his barrier spells, his arms trembling as he held the shimmering forcefield against a relentless barrage of training dummies.

Lira was locked in a heated duel with a training construct, her usually graceful movements now desperate and raw.

Aelina sat in the corner, her usually radiant aura dimmed, as she practiced rapid spellcasting, her frustration evident in every flick of her wrist.

Marcus, meanwhile, was hammering at a training dummy with wild, relentless strikes, his eyes filled with a burning resolve.

Kael leaned against the wall, unnoticed at first, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"They’ve realized it too—the fragility of strength when pushed to its limits."

Ren was the first to notice him.

Midway through reinforcing a crumbling barrier, his gaze shifted to the entrance.

His eyes widened.

"Hey! Kael!" he shouted, his voice cracking with relief.

The room went still as every head turned toward the doorway.

Ren dropped his barrier and bolted toward Kael, his excitement contagious.

"Are you alright now?" he asked, practically skidding to a stop in front of him.

Before Kael could answer, the rest of the team rushed over.

Lira was the first to punch his shoulder lightly, a grin tugging at her lips despite the concern in her eyes.

"You idiot. Don’t scare us like that again." Lira said.

Aelina crossed her arms, a rare show of sternness.

"You shouldn’t be up. You need to rest." She said.

Marcus, slightly apart from the group, stayed silent, his gaze locked onto Kael.

Marcus eyes flickered with a mix of guilt and admiration, but Kael noticed the faintest of nods—an unspoken acknowledgment.

Kael let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"You’re the ones who need to rest. Look at you—pushing yourselves like this." Kael said.

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Ren grinned, his usual cheekiness returning.

"Yeah, but if we don’t train like this, how can we keep up with you, My lady?" Ren said.

Kael raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening.

"Keep up? Please, Ren, you’re barely keeping upright and also one more thing fuck yo—." Kael said.

The group laughed, the tension breaking slightly.

But Kael’s eyes softened as he looked at each of them.

"I mean it. We’re a team. Weakness, strength—we share it all. Just don’t forget to breathe, alright?" Kael added.

The moment hung in the air, the bonds between them reaffirmed.

"Kael"

Kael blinked as the voice pierced.

Turning his head, he saw a striking girl with vibrant red hair cascading down her back and red eyes.

There was an aura of authority and composure about her, and Kael immediately recognized her.

"Fianna Blackthorne," Kael muttered under his breath, recalling the name he’d once read in the novel.

She was powerful ally of Lumia in the War of—

And Eric Blackthorne’s older sister.

She extended a gloved hand toward him, a small, polite smile gracing her lips.

"You must be Kael," she said, her voice carrying a certain regality.

"I’ve heard a lot about you." She said.

Kael hesitated for a moment, his thoughts racing. Why is she here?

Despite the questions swirling in his mind, he extended his hand and grasped hers briefly.

"I’m Fianna Blackthorne," she introduced herself formally.

"President of the entire academy."

Her title hung in the air like a weight...