Magicians Of Terra Majica: The Emblem Keeper

Chapter 4 : The Vulpine and The Felid

"Hadrian!" he stopped, gripping his backpack tighter. Hadrian wamted to drop his things and run to the source of the voice but Wilfred's sad smile made him think otherwise.

'If you can't do this then how are you supposed to be the one person you promised yourself to be? The person you promised to become?' Wilfred's voice bounded in his head, making his heart torn as he heard yet another call to his name.

"I take it back! I don't care! I don't want you to leave! Big brother please! Don't leave me!" the heartbreaking plea had him abruptly stopping and couldn't move when he saw his younger brother look all helpless and destroyed, his bright hazel eyes prickling with tears. He felt his chest tighten with how Cedric look and with little hesitation rushed towards him.

Wilfred sighed, he knew that it wouldn't be easy on their part, not in the slightest bit. He just looked backed and saw how Hadrian was desperately trying to keep himself for both him and his brother's sake. It was cruel, but Headmistress' orders was clear. Only bring the older one to avoid suspision. Sometimes he wonders how she does it, being caring and loving to some yet cold and hard towards others.

"I don't want you to go! I don't want you to!" Hadrian's resolve crumbled when the first few tears were shed. This was really cruel, even to his part. Sure he wanted to pursue higher education, but he couldn't bring it in himself to care right now. Cedric was crying. Damn the world, his brother was all he cared right now.

"I'll be back Cedric. It's only ten months. I promise," the reassurance didn't seem to work as Cedric hugged him tight. The feeling made Hadrian all guilty, especially when the tears started to seep on his shirt.

'Keep it together Malcolms, keep it together,' he thought, as Cedric's crying had alarm bells ringing all over his mind. There were only very few times his brother cried that just made this even more harder for him to do. As he struggled to think of ways to calm his sobbing sibling-

And he himself allowing a single tear to fall as he looked down on the box, remembering how he left his only family all alone back at the cottage a kingdom away.

He was still inside in one of the rooms of the Infirmary and had quite the flashback shortly after Headmistress Phonette left. The calming hue of orange and the soft scent of lilacs made the room perfect for meditation and calming the nerves, something that made Hadrian smile a bit after everything, but still couldn't help but feel melancholic as he looked out the window. Seeing the forests that surrounded the castle and the fresh air that Hadrian once filled him with tranquility made him remember the forest back at Joton village, the peacefulness and most importantly, his brother whom he loves so much.

He remembered how he tried his best to console his brother who wept a river. It was so bad that he himself was on the verge of crying if not for Wilfred intervening and assuring Cedric that everything will be fine and ten months would just pass by without a hitch.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you Cedie, but I promise that I will not let you down, not ever," he gripped the box with a new found determination. He wasn't just gonna leave his brother there, not when he promised Cedric that he would be the greatest fighter in their ranks, not when he promised his brother that he too would also study here, not when he promised him that he and Cedric would soon be together again.

Family is everything to Hadrian after all,

Looking at the plain box, he noticed that there was no keyhole, only a familiar symbol of an eight-rayed sun that had eight different colors on each ray.

'The answers to all my questions huh?' he thought carefully, pondering whether or not should he use the encantation. But hey, what was he gonna lose anyway?