To old readers: You know what's gonna happen the next few chapters based on the title.

To new readers: ...enjoy.

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"Do you know what happened to Alec earlier?" Uncle Donovan asked from behind him.

"What happened?" Gael leaned into the balustrade, watching the twins and Alec from the balcony of the sitting room.

He had sensed that something was wrong when Alec had refused to look at him again. The kiddo must be angry at him for trying to hide his condition. On top of that, the twins, along with their parents Edrik and Zandria had glared at him. He was used to receiving those glares every time he overused his sentiral ability, but it seemed they were angrier and more worried than usual.

Gael did not turn to the old man but continued to watch the twins drag Alec into their shenanigans. They were on the poolside after Solana forcibly had the other two change into bathing suits. They had set up numerous floaties and dumped them on the water.

Solana said something, and Knox looked like he had given up. Alec meanwhile vehemently shook his head at whatever she said. The blonde twin just smirked and said something again, causing Alec to narrow his eyes and clench his jaw. It was the same look he got whenever Gael provoked him to do some extra paperwork in the office.

A moment later, his brother ran, throwing himself into the pool. Using the floaties as stepping stones, he managed to walk a few steps before he fell into the water with a big splash. When he resurfaced, he swam back to where he started for a second attempt. Solana laughed loudly and Knox gave Alec a look of pity.

It seemed Solana wanted them to do the walk-on-water challenge that Gael used to play with them when they were younger. Knowing Alec's physical capabilities, he'll eventually succeed.

"He had a panic attack."

Gael turned, eyes going wide at what he heard. "What?"

"Amara said that Alec had frozen and was not responding to her, so she called down the hall for help," Uncle Donovan said. "When we entered, he was leaning on the bedpost, clutching his chest, and having a hard time breathing. The twins immediately embraced him and we tried to calm him down."

Gael felt worry consuming him slowly. "Did he say anything?"

Donovan shook his head. "He did not say anything and Zandria distracted him with tea and stories about the twins and you."

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of a cause for Alec's distress. It did not take him long to remember something written in Alec's file.

Alen Arden. Alec's older brother who raised him since he was a baby.

The man had died after being infected by the Red Boils during the epidemic that swept through Friosan. Patients who suffered from the disease would remain bedridden from the first day to their last, which lasted a month on average. Blood would flow from their orifices and red boils would appear on their skin. From what he could remember, no one could help these people and it took months to create a cure. Many people were left to watch helplessly as their family members died.

Alec would have been around 10 when it happened.

Gael wanted to punch himself. In the last few months, Alec gained Crimson and treated the drae like family, only to lose him soon after. Now, Alec was starting to accept him as his family, but what did Gael do? He ignored Amara's warnings like always and proceeded to get bloody and unconscious. Although he wasn't in critical condition, Gael might have briefly reminded Alec of a terrible time in his life.

"Somebody, please punch me," he said.

Asher's large head popped out from below the balcony, causing him to take a few steps back. With a small movement of his wing, he smacked Gael's side. Asher barely used any strength but it still made Gael yelp and flail to right his balance.

The black drae gave him a glare from the corner of his large eye and went back to watching the young adults. Gael's eye twitched but resigned himself.

"I am a reckless idiot and I deserved that," he said. He rubbed his arm and waist.

The old man next to him snorted. "You only realize that now? For years, you did not only give me gray hairs, but Edrik and Zandria as well. Especially, Zandria."

"I'm sorry." That was all he could say in front of his not-adoptive family.

Donovan shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "Go talk it out later. I'm worried about Alec."

Gael nodded.

From below, a big splash of water occurred as Alec fell into the water once more. This time, Knox's laughter joined Solana's.

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After a loud and fun dinner with the Munstones, Gael finally made it home with Alec. Throughout the carriage ride, they did not speak to each other. Even when they entered the house, Alec still refused to look at him.

"Alec," he called. The young man paused on his way to the stairs. "Can we talk?"

He stood there for a moment, patiently waiting for Alec to make up his mind. A sigh of relief escaped him when his younger brother turned back and sat on one of the living room couches. "It was no big deal. I just overreacted," Alec said, already knowing what he would ask. Gael would have believed him if he had not avoided his eyes and rubbed his thumb on top of the other.

Sitting next to him, he reached out and placed a hand on Alec's shoulder. It was a silent gesture to let him know that he was willing to listen.

A minute later Alec curled forward, hiding his face in the arms braced against his knees. "When I saw you and smelled blood...I...just...I saw Alen again, lying on the bed and bleeding. I...remember standing there...unable to do anything even approach him to wipe off the blood," he said, voice small. "I hated it. Hated...myself for being so useless."

Gael couldn't resist and pulled him up. He tucked Alec's head into the crook of his neck and held him tight, running his hands softly over his back. Alec was big enough to fit in his clothes but he felt so small in his arms.

Alec did not resist and continued speaking. "Losing my brother, my only family...hurt so much. I don't want...to go through with that again. So, please Gael..."

He held him tighter. "It won't happen again, I promise," he said. "I won't scare you like that again."

"You can't promise something like that."

"I know...but I will try."

A second later, Alec's hands grabbed hold of his back and he buried himself tighter in his embrace. He then let go just as quickly and slumped back into the cushions. A yawn escaped his lips, and his eyes blinked.

Gael chuckled at the rare and cute sight. He reached for Alec's hair and ran a hand through his hair.

"If I put you through that again, the Munstones will most probably disown me," he said. "Asher would really smack me with his wings. Full strength."

Alec furrowed his brows in confusion. "I can understand, Asher. But why the Munstones? I just met them."

He only chuckled and gave a mysterious smile, much to Alec's irritation.

I want to make you realize how lovable you are eventually, but it's kind of fun when you're confused like this.

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The following week was the most peaceful and fun he had with Alec. His younger brother had fully taken over breakfast and dinner duty in the kitchen, whipping up various foods that had Gael's stomach dancing. He did not even mind when Alec remembered that he banned him from his "sugar-water-not-coffee" for one week. Alec also started barging into his home office without knocking to physically drag him out for meals.

He also finally responded to his drama and theatrics with eye rolls, scoffs resigned sighs, and an occasional chuckle. His office would be filled with Alec's grumbles about the inhumane amount of workload. Occasionally, he nagged when Gael did something stupid like changing the lesson plans at the last minute, usually to force Alec to torture the students. He always claimed that it was for their betterment, but Alec would quip back that it was for his amusement.

Ever since he moved out of the Munstone's home, his life was a lot quieter. When he was younger, it was nice and annoying. Now, it was just nice.

If only the bad news he received had not tainted it a bit.

"My men arrived in Arkadin and indeed found traces of Herce Rubiosa in Karad City. He had been in contact with a regular poacher group and three Whisper members. They captured some of the poachers, but the Whispers slipped through their grasp. After a bit of intimidation, they learned that Rubiosa disappeared into the mountain range again. No sign on whether he still has the egg or he dropped it off," Kreis said.

"Thank you, Kreis," Gael said into the commu-crima. "Keep us updated."

"It's fine. This is also letting me investigate these Whisper guys. I've heard of them years before, but I could never catch wind of even one of them. This is a good opportunity to see what those creepy bastards are really like."

"I'll inform the headmaster," he said. "See you later."

"See you later. Say hi to Alec for me."

Gael raised a brow. "This is a first."

"He's your younger brother now, isn't he? I don't want to be at odds with my best friend's family. Plus...the kid is kind of fun to tease."

He sighed at his best friend, silently praying for Alec's peace of mind when Kreis came for a visit.

A second later, the call ended and he leaned back on his seat of his home office.

He still had not heard from Amara about the possible missing Bonded. He had asked Amara to look into cases on all skylands, which was why it was taking way longer than he had hoped. Should he have narrowed it down first?

His door opened and Alec barged in, commu-crima in hand. Gael looked at the clock on the wall and found that it was hours before dinner time, so he wondered why he was already there.

"Gael, I have to head for the Sanctuary," Alec said. "The eggs are showing signs of hatching, and they asked all available volunteers for help."

A smile made its way to Gael's mouth. "Is the blue one that freezes people's hands hatching too?"

"It is."

"Then, I'll go and help. I want to know what kind of draeling has so much personality even before hatching."

Alec only rolled his eyes at him. Gael ignored him, grabbed his coat and they were both out the door a minute later.

Once they arrived at the Sanctuary, they headed for the Incubation Chamber. Inside the towering structure, a large number of people going to the top floor could be seen. As they climbed the stairs, they found the caretakers and the volunteers examining each egg carefully, checking if the draeling inside would need any help breaking free from their egg.

"Alec, help me over here," Linan, the professor in charge of the Sanctuary called.

Alec quickly went to help, assisting Linan and other caretakers when they needed help to break the eggshells a little. He stood to the side with the other staff and students who decided to spectate, making sure that no one disturbed the work being done. He could feel the anticipation of everyone present.

The hatching of draelings was always a joyous occasion. It shows that the draes were still thriving, and therefore ensured a future where the skylands would not sink into the clouds of the Infinite Sky.

His mind recalled the Draeyer's Song his mother used to sing on the Preservene. Although they could not see the Antenier seeping into the skylands back then, the draes would cover the sky as they danced around each other.

Hear the calling of your Drae

Lock eyes and share your fate

Loyal and forever by your side

Always there as you take your strides

Either to walk the path of light

Or tread on the trail as dark as night

Whisper tunes to the open air

No song from them, nature despairs

The loss shall tip the balanced scales

And bring the fall of the heaven realm

As he stood there with the song in his head, he heard a large crack. When he turned his head, he found the silver top of a red egg had popped off, cracking the rest of the eggshell. A small slimy redhead poked and a wide gummy mouth opened in a yawn. Its large horns indicated it was male.

"So cute," was all he could say. A few others behind him let out "awws" "so cute" and "my heart."

The little one rocked his egg until it tipped forward, allowing him to crawl on the blankets and hay spread around. With a huff, the draeling rolled over and rubbed the slimy fluids off him using the blankets and hay. When he was relatively drier, curious eyes looked around and landed on the people watching him. The baby furrowed its brows before they widened in obvious delight when he found Alec.

Gael shook his head in amusement. He knew that it would happen. The caretakers, volunteers and spectators also smiled at the sight, already knowing what would happen.

The draeling let out a quiet cry and pounced on Alec's back. The young man did not even flinch and sighed, grabbing the baby under his little front legs. "I am so happy to meet you too and thank you for hatching healthy like this." All the while, Alec's eyes glowed, a sign that he was using his power to communicate emphatically with the baby.

The little baby let out a happy growl before darting away. He followed the barricaded path that led outside of the chamber, gentle and fond eyes watching out for him as he crawled out of the place. A few minutes later, more eggs started to hatch, each draeling just as cute and precious as the other. Same as the first draeling, some of them clung to Alec for affectionate pats, while others acknowledged his presence with a nod. They would then head out to explore the world beyond their shells.

About 15 eggs had shown signs of hatching, and 13 had already hatched. The blue egg with wing patterns had barely moved at all and instead started to cover the area around it in a very light frost. Gael's attention turned to the 14th egg that finally hatch. The silver top had been pushed off, and the little yellow female draeling's head poked out.

Unlike the other draelings before, the little one narrowed her eyes, looking unhappy. She did not move and just glared into space.

Gael raised a brow at this unusual behavior. "Is she hurt?"

Linan shook his head and went to touch the baby. The draeling glared harder but did not protest when Linan picked her up and examined her for a few minutes. "She's perfectly healthy," Linan said, brows furrowed. "Alec, can you tell what's wrong with her?"

Alec stepped forward, eyes glowing once more as he probably established an emphatic thread with the draeling. The little one turned to regard Alec and stopped glaring. But still managed to be mightily displeased about something.

A minute later, Alec made a weird expression. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to be amused or concerned.

"Well?" Gael prompted him, impatient.

"The draeling is fine. She just wants to stay like this for a few more moments as she is feeling burdened."

"She just hatched. What could she be burdened about?" Linan asked.

"...Existence."

Silence filled the surroundings as everyone tried to process what they just heard. But it did not take long for Gael's and Linan's laughter to ring loud in the chamber. Soon after, Alec and the others joined in.

"We did not ask to be born but here we are...existing. Such is life, little one," Linan said as he stroked the baby drae's head.

Gael laughed harder, but he put more effort into trying to keep it quiet. His stomach started to hurt from the effort.

Alec began to approach the draeling, hands reaching for the baby. His eyes glowed again as he spoke to the draeling. "Life is actually—."

Gael's laughter slowly stopped when Alec paused, eyes wide as he placed a hand on top of the draeling's hand. Linan and the others fell into confusion at his pause, but Gael knew what was happening.

A few weeks ago, the same thing happened when the dumb draeling Blip Bonded with Rei.

Did Alec find her Draeyer?

His younger brother's eyes glowed brighter, do not enough to make his pupils disappear. Alec turned his head like he was following a path that led to a female student.

Everyone in the area immediately reacted, eyes showing anticipation for what was about to happen. Despite Gael's best efforts, many people still found out about Alec helping Rei and Blip Bond with each other. The only reason no one had approached him directly until now, was because of the rumors about Alec's fierce reputation and Gael's protectiveness.

The student stood straighter, her body already unconsciously moving forward.

Alec gently took the draeling from Linan, as the man excitedly watched what was happening. The young man looked down at the draeling once more, eyes glowing as he talked with her. This time he did not say anything out loud, brows furrowing in concentration. Alec told him that when the message he was trying to get across contained too complicated emotions, he had to focus more than usual.

The yellow draeling started to move and squirm in his hold, glaring eyes turning curious as she looked at the student before her.

A moment later, Alec sighed and rubbed the spot between his brows. There was still the quiet affection for the draeling in his hands, but he just looked...tired. Exhausted.

He regarded the female student who had stood directly in front of him.

"She wants to know if you can make...existence...fun for her."

The girl looked absolutely delighted at his words, visibly shaking in excitement.

"I will do my absolute best!"

Alec looked at her, impressed, but his eyes contained a bit of pity. "Good luck..."

The little draeling then squirmed and used his arm to jump towards the girl. A moment later, flashes of light appeared on the draeling's body, swirling and moving until they formed star-shaped markings on her neck. Soon enough, the same markings appeared on the girl's hand.

Another Draeyer had joined their ranks.

A celebratory atmosphere filled the chamber as everyone came and congratulated the new Draeyer. The little draeling looked annoyed at the attention and would glare at anyone who touched her. Her Draeyer immediately noticed and politely asked everyone to back off.

While they were all celebrating, Linan and Alec had turned to the last egg.

Unlike earlier, there was barely any frost spreading on the blankets and hay. There were hardly any changes and they barely saw it move.

"Why is it taking so long?" Linan said as he examined the egg. "Alec, have you tried using your ability on the eggs before?"

"I haven't, but I can try."

"Then go for it."

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Minor change: Female draes now have horns, but smaller. No purpose behind the change, just realized how weird draes look without horns.