The magic of darkness

Chapter 1

Bearing the name Aetherius was considered an honor. I knew that. To be part of my family was everyone's dream—everyone except mine.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciated the powerful legacy that came with the name, but that was where my admiration ended. My family, particularly my parents, were far from kind. They weren't warm like many other families. No, to them, power was the only thing that truly mattered, along with their perfect son, Maximus.

Many people say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I Wasn't. Sure I looked like a Aetherius. I had alle the classic prominent Aetherius genetics. This trait ran strongly in our family, some might even say unnaturally strong. But in a world of magic, who's to say what's natural? Nearly everyone in the family shared these traits, making it clear who I was and where I came from.

I wasn't even aware if people knew of my existed. I was only allowed to leave the mansion if I were to go to my grandparents. I knew they had been told to not take my out. The only reason for their obedient was that they knew my parents wouldn't allowed them to see me if they were to disobey.

Never was I invited to all the extravagant balls my parents and brother went to. Never.

They would go to dinners with other pureblooded family's and even have people over. Sometimes Maximus friends other times the other pureblooded families. Each time I was supposed to hide away and make sure to not make I single noise.

They would always tell me it was for my own best. Wouldn't want the world to know how big of a disappointment I were. That I would embarrass them. So I just spend the time locked in my room. I would get some of the houselfs to bring me food so I wouldn't disobey their orders.

I looked just like a Aetherius, which was why I had to be sure to be at my best all the time. Yo wouldn't have to ask me to know who I was linked to.

My hair was blond with a silver sheen in certain lights, and my eyes were a pale blue with an almost unnatural silver glint. What was most striking was my skin, which was pale and had an ethereal glow, noticeable only in dim light.

All the classics characteristics of a Aetherius

While I resembled my Scandinavian ancestors, my brother and father were a different story.

Both had natural light brown hair, which they now dyed lighter to look more like their name. They bore blue eyes with a small silver shin to them. Their skin, though to the lighter side, was somewhat tanned. They had looked more like me and the rest of our family when they were born, but as time passed, their hair and skin darkened. They liked to remind me of this, expecting me to eventually follow the same path.

Rumors had spread that the ancient Aetherius line was losing its power, which prompted them to dye their hair. They hoped to mask this decline, maintaining the façade that the line was as strong as ever so they wouldn't have to work hard for respect and power. That was why they colored their hair. I was one of the few that had knowledge of their little secret. I guesse you could call it a littlw family secret.

I didn't share their belief that the name alone was enough. Not that it would change anything if I did. No, I had to study twice as hard as anyone else just to keep my family's disappointment to a minimum. I never received a 'well done' or an 'I'm proud of you'. I was never good enough for their expectations, while my older brother, the so-called perfect child, was always praised.

It was always, "Did you see what your brother did?" or "Isn't he just perfect?" These were usually followed by, "Why can't you be more like your brother?" In their eyes, he was flawless. Yes, he got into a prestigious school—Nocturnus Citadel, the third-best school in the wizarding world, renowned for accepting only a select few.