The corridor beyond the entrance hall was quiet, filled only with the low hum of the nighttime estate.
Aurelian walked quickly, his polished boots striking against the marble floor with more force than necessary. He did not stop until he reached the far end of the western gallery, where tall arched windows overlooked the moonlit gardens.
He stepped forward and gripped the cold stone railing. His breathing was uneven and shallow.
And he hated that.
He hated that his eyes were burning with unshed tears.
Most of all, he hated that his father had seen him leave the hall like a child.
Footsteps approached softly from behind. Aurelian did not turn around, but he knew very well who it was.
"I don't want to talk,"
Aurelian said, his voice tense.
Sora stopped several paces behind him in the hallway.
"That's fine," Sora replied softly and Aurelian frowned. He had fully expected his father to argue or press the issue.
Instead, Sora simply walked over to the stone railing and stood right beside him, looking out into the dim garden.
For several long moments, neither of them spoke a word.
The silence was not uncomfortable, but it was incredibly heavy.
Aurelian finally turned his head slightly and whispered,
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Sora's expression softened as he looked at his son.
"About what?"
"You know exactly what," Aurelian said, turning fully toward him now. "That he is alive after all."
Sora remained quiet, listening patiently.
"You knew that he could come back," Aurelian continued, his chest heaving.
"We all knew it was possible," Sora said quietly. "After all Lucien came back with the fifteen years promise, didn't he?"
"How was I supposed to know that it wasn't merely a childish promise to make us stop questioning his disappearance?" Aurelian's voice cracked. "And you let me spend years believing that he abandoned us."
Sora lowered his eyes slightly and then sighed.
"But I never told you that he abandoned you, Reli."
"You didn't have to say it out loud," Aurelian said, clenching his fists at his sides. "Everyone else did. While uncle kept on reassuring the twins that he would come back, you spent years convincing me that we were moving on with uncle Lucien. Even for me, it was better believing that you were going to be married with uncle Lucien and live our lives like we always did, instead of being surprised by this man's sudden appearance."
His voice grew bitter as he looked away. "After all, they said he chose another world over us. They said he didn't care about us, and uncle Lucien spent all those years chasing a man who had forgotten him."
Sora swallowed hard, watching the deep hurt on his son's face.
"That's what hurts," Aurelian muttered.
Sora studied him closely.
"What hurts, Reli?"
Aurelian's eyes shimmered with tears. "That he came back. I'd rather he stayed wherever he was."
"Reli, you don't mean that," Sora said, his expression changing but Aurelian laughed bitterly.
"Oh, I actually mean it, father. Just because he came back, why should everyone forget what he did to us and welcome him back with warm arms?"
He stepped closer to Sora, his eyes fierce.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't forgotten. Not after how much you suffered with him gone."
Sora looked at him quietly, taking a deep breath before he sighed.
"I am not trying to change the way that you feel, Aurelian. Even I was mad when he left us. You spent all of these years growing up without him. Therefore, you are allowed to feel angry that he returned only after you learned how to live without him."
He paused, resting his hands gently against the cold ledge.
"But don't be so harsh on him and yourself. At least get yourself some explanation from him first."
Aurelian's lips trembled. "I don't even remember him."
Sora's heart tightened at those words.
"So why should I care?"
"Don't waste the chance to get to know your father over again," Sora said gently. "Believe me, he is a great man and you will learn so much from him."
Sora smiled faintly, a warm memory passing through his eyes.
"Growing up, you adored even just the thought of him. After all, isn't that why you trained under the Crimson Vanguard?"
Aurelian blinked, caught off guard.
"To know more about him and his achievements? To be stronger like him?"
Aurelian's eyes widened slightly, a sudden flush rising on his cheeks. A tiny laugh escaped Sora as he looked at his son's face.
"Even you look a lot like him, you know?"
Sora added.
Aurelian turned his head toward the garden, puffing his cheeks in clear annoyance.
"Stop saying that I look like him."
"You actually do," Sora's voice softened even further. "And believe me, the man adored you so much even before you were born."
Aurelian's stern expression began to crumble. "Then why did he leave? Why didn't he come back sooner?"
Sora went completely silent.
Because there was no simple answer to give. Neither did he have a full answer to that himself.
"You will have to hear the rest of it from him personally," Sora finally answered. "But in all honesty, he tried to return with Lucien fifteen years ago."
Aurelian turned back to look at him. "How do you know that?"
"Because I watched Lucien destroy himself searching for him," Sora said softly. "And when he found his world, he went to get him personally, but the rift never allowed him to cross over as it wasn't his time to come back."
Sora's voice became quieter as he met his son's gaze. "And because I know Cassian. He is not one to abandon the people he cares about."
Aurelian lowered his head and let out a long sigh. "What am I supposed to do now?"
"Nothing much," Sora replied gently. "Just follow your heart."
Sora reached out and placed a warm hand on his shoulder and then smiled.
"You don't have to run to him and welcome him home."
Aurelian stayed silent.
"You don't have to call him your Father either," Sora continued.
A short pause fell between them.
"And you don't even have to forgive him if you don't want to."
Aurelian looked up, his brow furrowed. "But—"
Sora smiled gently, brushing a thumb over his shoulder.
"But you can definitely get to know him first. Slowly."
Aurelian stared at him, his breath growing shaky as Sora squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.
"What if he doesn't like me?" Aurelian asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Sora almost laughed. "In the end, you still consider him your father."
Aurelian looked down at his own hands, feeling embarrassed. For the first time all night, his anger felt tangled with something much softer and scarier.
"I don't know how to talk to him," Aurelian admitted.
"Just tell him the truth," Sora said.
"What truth?"
"That you're angry at him and that you are hurt."
Aurelian swallowed the dry lump in his throat while Sora continued softly,
"And also tell him that despite everything—"
He looked directly into his son's eyes.
"—some part of you still wants him to be your father."
Aurelian's eyes immediately overflowed with tears.
He quickly turned away, wiping his face with his sleeve and letting out a loud scoff to cover his sniffling.
"Father, I hate you."
Sora chuckled softly.
"What did I do now?"
"Because you always know what I'm thinking."
"Of course I know, because I am your father."
Aurelian sniffed, brushing his eyes again. "You weren't supposed to make me cry. What if someone sees me like this? I am a grown man now, so stop making me feel like a little child."
"I didn't do anything though," Sora said, smiling warmly. "You did that all yourself. I just talked to you."
Aurelian scoffed weakly through his tears, shaking his head.
For a long moment, they stood together beneath the cold moonlight, letting the quiet restore them.
Then Aurelian whispered,
"Do you think he will still be there tomorrow?"
Sora looked at him. "I think he'll be waiting."
Aurelian nodded slowly. He stared down the long hallway toward the distant entrance hall.
"And if I don't go?"
"He'll wait still."
"And if I make him wait a long time?"
"He waited for even more years," Sora replied smoothly. "After all, he is here to stay."
Aurelian's lips parted slightly.
And Sora's smile grew warmer.
"I don't think another day will frighten him."
Aurelian looked down at his boots.
Then, very quietly, he said, "I want to talk to him and let him know how I truly feel."
"Then go when you're ready."
Aurelian took one hesitant step toward the corridor.
Then he stopped and looked back. "Father?"
"Yes?"
"What will become of you and Uncle Lucien now?"
Sora froze at his words. His expression shifted, and after a moment, he let out a quiet sigh, waving his hand for Aurelian to leave.
"That is between me and your father and Lucien," Sora said, his voice firm but gentle. "You children should just stay out of it. Now go."
Aurelian looked at him once more, then nodded. He turned and finally walked back into the main hallway, his steps lighter than before.
Left alone in the quiet gallery, Sora leaned against the railing, staring out into the dark trees.
"It was only a mana supply," Sora murmured softly to himself, his voice dropping into a quiet thread. "For someone who wronged me and left me on my own, he should accept that much and not be angry about it. It was his own fault that my health suffered and I needed Lucien's help."
*****