The Heavenly Hero Returns

Chapter 5.5: Smoldering Embers

Tobias was still watching you.

Even as the adventurers finished their work. Even as the bodies of slain beasts were dragged aside, as wounds were tended to, as the fire mage muttered something under his breath about how "none of this made sense."

Your brother hadn't spoken in a while.

Not since the hug. Not since the vanguard's questioning.

You were aware of it, that hesitation—the way he wanted to say something but didn't know how.

That alone was enough to set off warning bells.

Tobias never hesitated.

But you were too exhausted to push.

The sharp burn in your muscles was only getting worse. Your entire body felt as if it had been wrung dry, the cost of suddenly pushing yourself from zero to beyond normal limits.

This body wasn't ready for that yet.

You clenched and unclenched your fingers, testing them. Still responsive, but the trembling lingered.

"…You good to move?" Tobias finally asked.

You shot him a look. "Do I have a choice?"

He exhaled. "No."

Then he wordlessly moved beside you, offering his arm.

You stared at it.

He didn't look at you. As if ignoring the gesture would make it more casual.

Tobias had never offered support before. Not even once.

Your body still felt like it had been set ablaze from the inside out, your legs stiff with fatigue. Accepting the help would make sense.

But some part of you—the part that knew it shouldn't have struggled at all, that in another life this wouldn't have even been a fight—refused to acknowledge it.

So instead of taking his arm, you just started walking.

It was stiff. It wasn't graceful.

But you moved.

Tobias didn't say anything. Just sighed and matched your pace.

You made it back to the carriage.

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Arrival at Arcadia Magic Knight Academy

The academy's gates loomed ahead.

Massive. Ornate. A display of prestige and power.

Beyond them, Arcadia's sprawling campus stretched into the distance—towers of stone and marble, dueling fields, training halls, libraries stacked high with tomes and artifacts.

This was where nobles and elite warriors were forged.

For most students, arrival was a moment of excitement, of ambition. A step toward glory.

For you, it just meant another battlefield.

Your muscles still ached as you stepped down from the carriage. Tobias landed beside you, his usual air of arrogance snapping back into place the moment others were within sight.

You adjusted the heavy sword strapped to your back, barely resisting the urge to grimace at the weight. Still a tumor.

Students and knights-in-training bustled around the entrance, groups forming as they evaluated their peers.

Some wore rich, embroidered coats. Others had crests pinned to their chests—symbols of their families, their heritage, their status.

Tobias barely spared them a glance, his presence alone enough to draw attention.

You, on the other hand—

Eyes flicked toward you.

Your uniform, the family crest, your presence beside him.

A few recognized your name. You caught whispers.

"The second Moran?"

"I thought she was crippled."

"She looks… different."

You ignored them.

Tobias finally turned to you. He hesitated again. Then, voice lower than before—

"…You sure you're okay?"

It was quieter. Uncharacteristic.

You exhaled. Your body still hurt, but—

You tilted your head at him, a slow, deliberate movement. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Tobias watched you for a moment longer. Then just shook his head, huffing.

"Try not to embarrass me, little sister."

And with that, he strode forward, the crowd already parting for him.

You followed, stepping into Arcadia.

Into the next battlefield.