The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: What Happens After the Sun Sets

So, that was what happened.

After that day, I brought the two brothers back to the mountain.

There was no reason to return to the town immediately. If I was going to give them the power of Eclipse, I needed a place where we could remain undisturbed, and the mountain was more than suitable for that purpose.

We built a small shelter between the trees.

It wasn’t much.

A simple wooden structure, a place to sleep, a place to eat, and enough room for the three of us to train without attracting unnecessary attention from the people below.

For now, it would serve as our first base.

The first headquarters of the Eclipse Order.

I stood before the two brothers as they knelt in front of me.

They had already received my power.

The moment Eclipse entered their bodies, both of them had experienced an awakening unlike anything they had ever known. Their physical abilities had changed, their senses had sharpened, and more importantly, they had each awakened a unique manifestation of Eclipse.

Vhan’s power had concentrated around his body and arms, forming an ability he had named Eclipse Armament.

Vince’s power was different.

Rather than concentrating around his body, his Eclipse spread outward, allowing him to influence the space surrounding him. He had named that ability Eclipse Dominion.

Neither of them understood their powers completely yet.

That was why their training had already begun.

"From this day onward, you are no longer merely survivors who happened to receive the power of Eclipse."

My voice was calm.

"You are its first bearers."

Vhan lowered his head.

"Yes, Master."

Vince followed.

"We shall carry the will of the Eclipse."

I looked at them for a moment.

"There is no need to swear your lives to me."

Both of them raised their heads.

"Power without control is nothing more than another form of weakness. If you intend to stand beside me, then first learn to control what I have given you."

"Understood, Master."

"Your strength will not be measured by how much power you can release."

I continued.

"It will be measured by whether you can decide exactly how much power to release."

The two brothers remained silent.

They understood.

That was the first lesson.

During the following days, their training became relentless.

Vhan learned to summon Eclipse Armament without allowing the power to consume his physical strength. At first, the manifestation would appear unevenly, sometimes covering only one arm while the other remained exposed. Whenever he became frustrated and attempted to force more power into it, the armor would become unstable.

So I made him start again.

And again.

And again.

Vince faced a different problem.

Eclipse Dominion responded too easily to his emotions.

When his concentration slipped, the surrounding mana would fluctuate with him. The trees around our training ground would bend, stones would tremble, and even the ground beneath his feet would occasionally crack.

His power was impressive.

His control was terrible.

Naturally, that meant he had to train even more.

Days became weeks.

Weeks became months.

They trained beneath the mountains, far from the eyes of the townspeople, while I observed their progress and corrected their mistakes.

Neither complained.

Neither asked to stop.

They simply continued.

That was exactly what I wanted.

Eventually, I called them before me again.

"You have taken your first steps."

Both brothers knelt.

"We are still unworthy of the power you have bestowed upon us, Master."

Vhan spoke first.

Vince followed.

"But we shall continue until we become worthy."

I looked at the two of them.

Then I smiled faintly.

"Good."

I turned toward the distant mountains.

"This is only the beginning."

The wind moved through the trees.

"The Eclipse will not remain here forever."

I paused.

"There will be others."

The two brothers listened carefully.

"Others who possess talents beyond ordinary men. Others who have nowhere to belong. Others who will carry a portion of Eclipse and stand beneath its name."

I looked back at them.

"And when that day comes, you two will stand above them as the first."

Vhan’s expression hardened with determination.

"Then we shall become worthy of that position."

Vince lowered his head.

"We shall not allow the first hands of the Eclipse to become weak."

I nodded.

"Remember your titles."

The two brothers answered together.

"We are the Eclipse’s Hand."

Back at the D’Averon Estate

By the time I returned to the estate, the sun had already begun to descend beyond the distant hills.

I quietly made my way through the corridors, intending to return to my room before anyone noticed that I had been gone for most of the afternoon. Unfortunately, just as I reached the staircase, I heard my mother’s voice behind me.

"Ares."

I turned around.

My mother was standing a short distance away, looking at me with a gentle but curious expression.

"You’re back."

"Yes, Mother."

She approached me slowly.

"I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You’ve been going into town rather frequently lately. Is there a particular reason?"

I paused.

So she finally noticed.

There was no need to panic. I had already prepared an explanation for this.

"I’ve simply become interested in seeing the town for myself."

"Interested?"

"Yes. I spend most of my time studying here at the estate, and although the books have taught me quite a lot, I thought it would be better to see how the people actually live rather than relying entirely on what I’ve read."

It was a reasonable answer.

It was also mostly true.

I had indeed been observing the people in town, although my reasons were somewhat different from what my mother believed.

She looked at me for a moment.

"So you’ve been going there to learn?"

I nodded.

"I suppose you could say that."

Her expression gradually softened.

"I see."

She reached out and gently placed her hand on my head.

"I’m glad."

I looked up at her.

"You are?"

"Of course. I was beginning to wonder whether you were simply wandering around because you were bored."

She smiled warmly.

"But if you’re genuinely interested in understanding the people who live within your father’s territory, then I’m very pleased."

Her voice carried a hint of pride.

"You’ve become quite thoughtful, Ares."

Before I could respond, she pulled me into her arms.

"Mother..."

She hugged me tightly.

"I am proud of you."

I couldn’t help smiling.

"Thank you."

She released me after a moment and adjusted my clothes as though I were still much younger than I actually was.

"You don’t have to worry so much about understanding everything at your age. You still have plenty of time to learn."

"I know."

"And you should also remember to enjoy yourself."

"I’ll try."

She smiled.

"That’s better."

I remained beside her for a moment before remembering something.

"Mother, I haven’t seen Father today."

"Your father?"

"Yes. I thought he would be here this evening."

"He attended a gathering in the capital."

"The capital?"

She nodded.

"Several nobles were invited, along with representatives from other territories. There are a few matters concerning the kingdom that they are discussing, so your father was required to attend."

"Will he be returning tonight?"

"Probably not. He told me that he would likely return tomorrow."

"I understand."

My mother then smiled faintly, as though she had suddenly remembered something.

"Actually, there is something else I wanted to tell you."

We continued talking for a while, and she told me a little more about my siblings and their lives at the academy. They had been there for several years now, and although I had heard about them before, I had never paid much attention to the details when I was younger.

Now that I was nine, however, I found myself listening more carefully.

My eldest brother was already nearing the end of his studies and would likely graduate soon. My second brother still had some time remaining, while my sister was also approaching the latter part of her education.

It seemed that by the time I entered the academy at twelve, things would be quite different from what they were now.

My eldest brother would probably have already returned home, and my sister might not be far behind him.

As for my second brother, there was a good chance that he would still be in the capital.

"Your siblings have been asking about you," Mother said.

"Really?"

"Yes. Your sister especially. She seems curious about how much you’ve grown."

She gently ran her hand through my hair.

"You’ve grown so quickly, Ares.

For a moment, I simply stood there beside her.

It was a strangely peaceful moment.

My mother believed I was spending most of my free time reading books, studying, and occasionally visiting the town because of my curiosity about the people living there.

She had no idea that whenever night came, I would leave the estate and disappear into the mountains to train with Vhan and Vince.

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