Kael stood on the platform of the train station, his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie as the morning chill wrapped around him. The station bustled with life—commuters chatting over steaming cups of coffee, luggage wheels rattling against the concrete, and the rhythmic hiss of departing trains. Despite the noise, Kael felt a bubble of solitude around him, his thoughts preoccupied with the journey ahead.
Nereia's voice piped up in his mind, as carefree as ever. "So, you're seriously going back to that ice palace, huh? I gotta say, Kael, I admire your guts. If it were me, I'd hop on a train heading anywhere else."
Kael smirked faintly, adjusting the strap of his satchel over his shoulder. "I already told you," he muttered under his breath. "I can't just walk away. They're still my family, no matter how... complicated things are."
It wasn't the first time Kael had confided in Nereia about his family. Over the past days, he had gradually opened up about the coldness of his parents, their disappointment in his past struggles, and the emotional distance that defined their relationship. But what he hadn't fully revealed, not even to her, was the deeper truth—the secret that set him apart from the Kael they had once known.
He wasn't Kael. Not entirely.
Nate, a soul from another world, now inhabited the body of the boy who had once been abandoned by his own potential. He had inherited Kael's memories, his pain, and his family, but he wasn't bound by the same insecurities. Nate brought with him a different outlook, a resilience forged from another life. And yet, as much as he tried to remind himself of who he truly was, the emotions tangled in Kael's memories—the hurt, the longing—sometimes felt just as real as his own.
"You know," Nereia's voice interrupted his thoughts, "you could just skip the whole 'family drama' arc and write your own story. Ever consider that?"
Kael chuckled under his breath. "Tempting," he admitted. "But I can't just ignore my parents. It doesn't work that way."
The sound of polished shoes tapping against stone caught his attention, and Kael turned to see a man in a crisp black suit standing a few feet away. Giles, his personal driver, stood poised with his usual calm demeanor. For a brief moment, Giles's professional mask slipped as his eyes widened slightly, his gaze settling on Kael's face. The changes were subtle yet striking—the sharper angles of his jaw, the intensity of his blue eyes. But Giles quickly composed himself, offering a slight bow of his head.
"Young Master Kael," Giles said politely. "The car is ready for your return."
Kael nodded, his expression unreadable. "Thanks, Giles," he replied simply.
As they walked through the crowded station, Kael could feel Giles's gaze flicker toward him once or twice, though the man said nothing. Ever the professional, Giles focused on his task, guiding Kael to the sleek black car waiting just outside—a beacon of Draylen prestige among the humbler vehicles lined along the curb.
Giles opened the door, stepping aside with a practiced elegance as Kael slid into the leather seat, the cool surface pressing against his back. As the car pulled away from the station, the cityscape began to melt into open countryside, the quiet hum of the engine punctuating the silence.
"You know," Nereia's voice broke through the stillness, "this feels like the start of one of those overly dramatic family dramas. Let me guess—cold stares, hidden agendas, and old-fashioned scoldings over dinner? Did I nail it?"
Kael's lips twitched into a reluctant grin. "You're not far off."
This time, though, he thought to himself, he wouldn't face it as the same weak and overlooked boy they once knew. He carried the strength of two lives now, the determination to overcome both Kael's burdens and Nate's own expectations.
As the car sped toward the estate, Kael braced himself for what awaited him. The Draylen family's reputation was as pristine as the sprawling grounds of their home, but beneath the surface, he knew, was a coldness that had always made it hard for Kael to belong. This time, however, he wasn't just Kael—they would have to reckon with the person he had become.
The towering gates of the Draylen estate came into view, their wrought iron curves gleaming in the afternoon sun. The car rolled to a stop, and Kael exhaled deeply, steeling himself for the confrontation that awaited beyond those gates.
Kael stood at the gates of the Draylen estate, the iron bars swinging open with a low groan that echoed across the meticulously maintained grounds. The grand mansion loomed before him, its pristine walls and arched windows exuding an air of cold perfection. The neatly trimmed hedges and glittering fountains in the courtyard seemed to mock him with their artificial serenity.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main entrance, where a group of maids waited with practiced poise. As Kael stepped out, his hoodie and casual demeanor contrasted sharply with the estate's polished grandeur.
"Welcome back, Young Master Kael," one of the maids said, her tone polite and measured. Her expression faltered for the briefest of moments as her eyes lingered on his face. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and the other maids exchanged quick, flustered glances. The sharp angles of Kael's jawline, the healthier glow to his skin, and the striking blue of his eyes—a result of merging with Nereia's divine water essence—had subtly but undeniably enhanced his appearance.
Kael noticed their reactions and frowned slightly, wondering at their behavior. Then it hit him. His eye color. He hadn't even thought about it until now, but the change was undeniable. The rich black irises Kael had once known were now a vivid shade of blue. Combined with the refined features brought about by his transformation, he looked drastically different from the boy who had left the estate. For a moment, Kael's stomach knotted with unease. How was he going to explain this? Would his family notice? Would they question it? The thought of dealing with their scrutiny made him exhale sharply.
"Is everything alright, Young Master?" the maid who had spoken earlier asked, her voice polite but cautious, as if she were trying to reconcile the Kael she remembered with the one standing before her.
Kael blinked, realizing he'd been standing still for too long. "Yeah," he said, his voice steady as he masked his thoughts. "I'm fine."
The maid gave a slight bow, her eyes briefly flickering to his again before looking away. "Very well. I will inform Master Draylen of your arrival. Please, make yourself comfortable in the main hall."
Kael nodded, his expression calm despite the churn of thoughts beneath the surface. He adjusted the strap of his satchel and made his way up the marble steps, the heavy double doors opening before him as two footmen pulled them aside. The familiar scent of polished wood and fresh flowers filled the air, an aroma that instantly brought back memories—some bittersweet, others filled with resentment.
As he stepped into the grand hall, Kael's gaze swept over the opulent surroundings. Everything was just as he remembered: the gleaming chandeliers, the intricate carvings on the walls, the cold elegance that defined the Draylen estate. Yet it all felt distant now, like a relic of a life that no longer belonged to him.
He tightened his grip on the strap of his satchel and straightened his posture. Whatever awaited him here—his father's cold indifference, his mother's icy expectations—he was ready to face it. This time, he wasn't just Kael anymore. He carried the strength of who he had become.
Kael ascended the grand staircase of the Draylen estate, his footsteps light but deliberate against the polished marble. The memories etched into Kael's mind guided him effortlessly through the halls, though to Nate—living in this borrowed body—it all still felt oddly foreign. The journey had been long and exhausting, and his body ached for rest. He passed gilded portraits of ancestors who seemed to stare at him with cold indifference, their painted gazes a reminder of the legacy Kael had inherited but Nate struggled to embody. Despite its grandeur, the estate had never felt like home—it was merely a place where Kael had existed, rather than truly lived.
Pushing open the door to his room, Kael—Nate—was greeted by the sight of his neatly kept sanctuary. The staff had clearly maintained it in his absence; not a speck of dust lingered on the dark wood furnishings, and the bed was perfectly made with crisp, fresh linens. He dropped his satchel near the desk and shrugged off his hoodie, letting out a sigh as the tension began to ease from his shoulders.
Collapsing onto the bed, Kael let himself sink into the mattress, his arms stretched out wide. The soft glow of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm golden hue over the room. For the first time in what felt like days, he allowed himself to relax.
But as much as he tried to let go of the tension, the strange reality of his situation lingered. Nate closed his eyes briefly, wrestling with the heavy truth that had settled at the core of his being. He wasn't truly Kael—not in the way everyone believed. He had been Nate once, a different soul, a different person, from an entirely different world. His life, his identity, had been ripped away, and now he was here, wearing someone else's skin. Kael's memories and emotions filled his mind, vivid and overwhelming, but deep down, they weren't his.
And yet, despite the alien feeling of it all, Nate felt a responsibility to honor this life he'd been thrust into. Kael's struggles, his aspirations—they were now his to carry forward. The stares from the maids, the whispers, the subtle glances—they had been looking at Kael but seeing someone unfamiliar. In a way, they weren't wrong. Kael had changed, and Nate could only hope he would be able to walk this path without unraveling the truth of who he really was.
"Finally," Nereia's voice chimed in his mind, her usual carefree tone unmistakable. "I was starting to think you'd never stop moving. Did you even breathe this whole trip, Kael? Or do you run on some kind of endless energy supply?"
Kael smirked faintly, draping an arm over his forehead as he stared at the ceiling. "Endless energy supply? I wish," he said, his voice tinged with fatigue. "It feels like I've been running non-stop."
"Well, you're back now," Nereia said. "Though I gotta say, this place is a little… stiff for my taste. Nice digs, though. Fancy chandelier. I mean, it's not exactly the kind of grandeur I used to create back in my divine prime, but it'll do."
Kael chuckled softly. "Oh, so you're saying your divine creations could outshine this estate? I find that hard to believe."
"Believe it," Nereia replied smugly. "I was a god, Kael. I didn't need some job polishing chandeliers—I made the heavens sparkle. This estate has nothing on that."
Kael shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. Her humor chased away some of the tension that had weighed on him. For her part, she remained blissfully unaware of the truth about him, the fact that his soul didn't belong to the body it inhabited. That secret rested heavily in his chest, one he wasn't yet ready to explain—not to her, not to anyone.
"Seriously, though," Nereia continued, her tone softening just a little. "You holding up okay? Walking into the icy halls of your past can't be easy."
Kael hesitated, his fingers tapping absently against the bed. "I'm fine," he said after a moment, though he wasn't entirely sure if he believed it. "It's just… weird being back here. The way people look at me now, like I'm someone they don't recognize. I guess I've changed more than I thought."
"That's not a bad thing, Kael," Nereia said. "You've grown stronger. More… what's the word? Dashing. Yeah, definitely more dashing. I mean, did you see those maids? They were practically swooning."
Kael groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Please don't remind me."
"Too late," she teased. "But hey, you should be proud. Not just for the looks—though they don't hurt—but for everything you've become. They'll see it eventually, even if they're too stubborn to admit it."
Her words lingered in the air, carrying a weight that Kael hadn't anticipated. For all her jokes and lightheartedness, Nereia had a way of cutting through to the truth. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing the tension to ease just a little more.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Maybe.
ael lay sprawled on the bed, the tension in his body easing with each passing moment. The conversation with Nereia had done its job—her lighthearted banter and unshakable confidence made the complicated layers of his reality feel a little less overwhelming, even if only for a while.
"So," Nereia began again, her voice carrying a sing-song quality. "When are you going to give me the full tour of this lovely little ice palace? Surely a god like me deserves to see every corner of the place."
Kael chuckled. "A tour, huh? What, you think I'm going to walk around narrating my own house to you?"
"Absolutely," Nereia said without missing a beat. "How else am I supposed to judge your fancy mortal living arrangements? You might be stronger now, but I need to make sure you've also got style."
Kael shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're impossible."
Before Nereia could fire off another quip, there was a soft knock at the door. Kael sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair as he called out. "Come in."
The door creaked open, and Lina, one of the maids who had worked at the estate for years, stepped inside. She carried herself with the practiced grace typical of the Draylen staff, but her gaze hesitated ever so slightly when it landed on Kael. It was subtle—a flicker of surprise, a quick widening of her eyes—before she lowered her gaze and maintained her composed expression.
"Young Master Kael," she began, her voice measured and polite. "Your father has requested your presence in the study."
Kael nodded, rising to his feet. "Understood. I'll head there now."
But as he moved toward her, he caught the faintest tension in Lina's posture. Her eyes darted to his face again, just for a moment, before she quickly looked away. She didn't say anything, but Kael could tell—she had noticed the changes. The sharper jawline, the striking blue of his eyes, the way he carried himself now with an air of quiet strength. These weren't things she would have expected from the Kael she had known.
Lina, however, remained professional, bowing slightly before stepping aside to let him pass. "Shall I escort you, sir?"
"No need," Kael said, his tone calm but firm. "I know the way."
She nodded, stepping back as he left the room, her gaze lingering for just a second longer than necessary before she turned and closed the door behind her. Kael exhaled as he made his way down the hall, the weight of what awaited him settling onto his shoulders.
"She noticed, didn't she?" Nereia's voice chimed in his mind, her tone curious but amused.
Kael huffed softly. "Of course she did. They all notice. They just don't know what to say."
"Not surprising," Nereia said. "You're like a totally different person now—on the outside, at least. Just wait until you have to deal with your father. Bet he's gonna love this new and improved Kael."
Kael's lips pressed into a thin line as he walked. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "We'll see about that."