Ever since Luke was disowned and banished from the Kingsley Estate, the family had not been the same. They had thought getting rid of a weak son would make them perfect, but it caused problems for them.

Because Luke had been very important in the household, many things stopped functioning in his absence. Like his father’s tea. Cedric always drank a special tea made from melted crystals. Since Luke was the only one who could melt the crystals perfectly, the maids kept burning the tea, and it tasted horrible.

Also, the family had a Guardian Gargoyle on the roof for security. The beast was picky and would only eat its meals directly from Luke’s hands. Since Luke left, the Gargoyle hadn’t eaten anything. Adrian tried to throw a chicken leg at it, but the Gargoyle snapped its jaws and almost maimed the new heir.

After almost losing an arm, Adrian gave up on any chore that had to do with Luke, leaving the family unsatisfied in those fields.

The Duke, Cedric, tried his best to act like the effects of Luke’s absence weren’t bothering him.

"Everything is totally fine," Cedric muttered to his guards. "We are better off without that failure."

But everyone could tell he was lying. Tonight, the biggest silence hit the estate. Nobody talked at dinner, and no one looked happy.

At the back of the mansion was a beautiful temple adorned ostentatiously with glowing candles, white marble pillars, and gold curtains. A large picture framed the wall of the altar, a portrait of a gorgeous woman with silver hair and eyes as calm as the ocean. She was Penelope, Luke’s biological mother.

Kneeling on the floor below the portrait was a girl who looked exactly like her. Vivian. Her hands were pressed together, quietly praying before the altar.

CREAK.

The doors of the temple opened, and someone walked inside. It was Raven.

Just like her sister, Raven looked like a carbon copy of her mother. In fact, if all three stood side by side, they’d all pass for triplets.

Raven walked down the aisle, looking at the candles in disapproval.

"You’re still doing this?" Raven asked as she approached her sister, tapping her feet on the floor. "Wrap it up, Vivian. We need to go to the courtyard to train. We haven’t trained in a really long while."

Vivian did her best to ignore her sister, keeping her eyes closed as she prayed for Luke.

But Raven was persistent, leaning over and poking Vivian. "Come on. Get up. We have to be ready for the next class battle."

Vivian finally lost it. She opened her eyes, stood up quickly, and turned around angrily.

"Do you really have no respect for our mother?!" Vivian shouted, her voice echoing off the temple walls.

Raven looked confused for a second, but then she pointed at the altar. "You mean a picture, Vivian?" She laughed. "Do you think that frame is going to come alive and give you a hug? It’s just wood and paint, sis."

Vivian sighed, trying her best to ignore the mean comments. She turned back to the altar, her voice trembling. "I am praying for Luke’s safety. I am praying that his soul gets stronger and that he is restored as the true heir to the Kingsley name."

Raven laughed even louder this time.

"Restored as the heir? Oh my, Vivian, you are living in delusion!" She exclaimed. "Luke summoned a glove. A metal glove! He doesn’t even have a real beast. He is out there in the city right now, probably begging or crying, or getting mugged. He is never coming back here."

"Shut up!" Vivian spat back. "Luke is smart! He is Penelope’s son! He has her blood in him, just like us. He will find a way to survive!"

"Blood doesn’t buy survival, Vivian!" Raven spat right back, stepping closer until their faces touched. "Adrian is the heir now. That is the reality. You need to wake up and stop acting like a baby."

Tears gathered around Vivian’s eyes as Raven’s words struck a fragile spot. Seeing this, Raven crossed her arms, feeling bad.

"Look at the facts," she said. "Father only cares about one thing: power. Luke didn’t have it. If Luke stayed in this house without any power, Adrian and Roselyn would have made his life a living hell every single day. Honestly, being banished is the best thing that ever happened to him. Out there in the city, he’s just a normal nobody. No one is trying to poison his food or challenge him to lethal duels. He’s safe from the politics."

Vivian realized her sister was right about how mean the family was. The tears that gathered started to roll down her cheeks, and she wept, complaining about how unfair the world was.

"It’s just not fair," Vivian sobbed, covering her face. "He’s our brother."

Raven looked down at her crying sister for a while until her face tendered. She sighed, hugging Vivian to console her. After all, they were still sisters no matter how much they argued.

"I know it sucks," Raven muttered, patting Vivian’s back. "But crying in front of a painting isn’t going to fix the Kingsley family."

Raven pulled away, grabbed Vivian’s wrist tightly, and her serious face came back.

"Sister, we can’t always stop tragedy from happening, but we can prepare for it," Raven said. "If you want to keep Luke safe and truly challenge Father’s choices, you need the strength to back up your words. So, let’s build that."

Without waiting for Vivian to reply, Raven pulled her out of the temple to the training grounds.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!