On the third day of the week, the complicated atmosphere was gone, replaced by the annoying reality of a tight collar and a schedule.

Leo spent a good twenty minutes wrestling with his formal tunic before finally getting the silver clasps to stay shut. He checked himself in the mirror one last time. He looked like an Atlantis, even if he didn’t feel like one.

He left his room and headed toward the central plaza of the fortress, where the adoption ceremony was being held.

The usual military tension of the Spire had been dialed back for the festivities. Banners of teal and silver fluttered in the wind, and the smell of roasted meats and expensive spices filled the air.

As he walked toward the main dais, a heavy hand slammed into his shoulder, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

"Look at you! You actually look like a civilized human being for once," a booming voice laughed. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Leo winced and turned to see Fang Rui. The man was dressed in his full eastern regalia, looking twice as wide as usual.

"I try my best, oh grand master Rui," Leo teased, adjusting his tunic. "Though I think this collar is trying to decapitate me."

"Better the collar than a Viking’s axe, kid," Fang Rui grinned, leaning in closer. "Taren’s already at the buffet. I’d get there soon if I were you, the boy eats like he has a black hole for a stomach."

"He has to power that porcelain arm somehow," Leo joked.

Then he frowned as he moved away. ’Hey, did I just joke with Fang Rui? Did he just talk to me nicely? Did he just compliment me?!’

He moved through the crowd, nodding to a few guards he recognized from the voyage. People he’d traveled with on the deck of the ship now bowed slightly as he passed. It was weird, but he didn’t hate it.

If anything, he loved it.

He found Taren and Mirage near a long table piled high with food. Mirage looked stunning in a formal dress that matched the banners, though she looked like she wanted to hide behind a pillar. Taren, as promised, had a plate stacked with some sort of glazed poultry.

"Eat something, Leo," Mirage said, handing him a small plate of what looked like fried pastries. "You haven’t eaten properly in days."

"I was busy sleeping," Leo said, taking a bite. It was sweet, crunchy, and exactly what he needed. "Where’s Yariel?"

"Probably scaring the help," Taren said between mouthfuls.

A horn blasted, echoing through the spires. The crowd began to settle, moving toward the grand archway where Jean and Elara sat on thrones on a small altar.

Jean was dressed in blue medieval clothing with a furred cape draped over him. There was a golden, intricate crown on his head and a ceremonial golden sword in his hand.

Elara wore a long purple regal dress that aligned with her purple eyes and purple hair, also making her pale skin show even more, making her exceptionally alluring, tempting, and beautiful at the same time.

Beside them was the priest who had hosted Tharok’s funeral, still wearing the same white clothing.

Guards stood in different corners, both in and out, while the guests—the whole of Eldoria, small leaders of different regions in Eldoria, and leaders from other countries—watched the ceremony proceed.

Leo and Mirage sat on smaller thrones beside their parents.

The ceremony itself was a blur of tradition. There were rites, formal recitations of the Atlantis lineage, the mixing of a drop of Jean and Elara’s blood into a silver basin, and a heavy, rhythmic chanting from the elders that made the very air vibrate.

It was long, and the sun was hot, making Leo feel like he had been sitting for eons. He was bored.

When the formal part finally ended and the official adoption was sealed, the music started. It was fast, played on instruments that sounded like a mix of flutes and harps.

Leo didn’t waste any time. He stayed away from the nobles and the long speeches, instead sticking close to the food. He tried a dish made of spiced mountain berries, then moved on to some sort of savory meat pie that melted in his mouth.

"Congratulations, Leo Atlantis," Mirage said, coming up beside him with a glass of sparkling juice. Her eyes had that forced confidence in them again.

"Thanks, Mirage," Leo said, his mouth half-full of pie. "But can you tell me why you’re forcing yourself?"

"For... force? I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Don’t act numb, Mirage. You know what I’m talking about. I know you to be a shy type. So if you want to find your voice, do it slowly, don’t try to force it. And I know Yariel gave you that stupid advice. It’s best you don’t listen to her."

"I’ll... I’ll try."

He nodded.

Taren walked to them at that time and patted Leo on the back. "Ah, the new crown prince of Atlantis. How does it feel?" he asked.

Leo smiled. "It all feels... surreal, I guess. But hey, don’t you think this tastes delicious?" he said, changing the topic.

Taren stared at him for a few seconds before smiling, wanting to respect Leo’s choice of not talking about it. Who knows what he was hiding.

"Ah, it looks like a dead fish?!" Taren joked.

"That’s because it is..." Leo laughed, looking out over the fortress. The sky was still that bruised red, but with the music playing and his stomach full, it didn’t look so ominous. He took another pastry and watched the performers, enjoying the rare moment where no one was trying to kill him or teach him a life lesson.

Next week, he’ll be at the academy to learn more about being an Aura Farmer. In the coming year, he would be a second-year student and would have obviously become stronger.

The same process would repeat itself the year after that and the year after that. He would graduate from the academy and become a soldier for Primoria and a king for Eldoria in the future.

"What could possibly— no, no... slow and steady wins the race."