After school, they went to the training grounds. Ben, Gwen, and Athina were all staring at Sam. Sam noticed their expressions and asked, "What, guys? You all look upset!"
Ben shouted, "Hey, old man! Why did you drag us into your mess?!"
Sam looked at them and asked, "Did she scold you?"
Athina replied, "Uncle, she was stalking us in class!"
Ben added, "You're destroying my peaceful life at school!"
Sam laughed and asked, "What did she do to you?"
Athina explained, "She wouldn't let Ben stroll around in the classroom."
Sam looked at Ben and said, "Ben! From now on, you need to pay attention in class. It's an insult to me if you fail the practical or theory exams!"
Ben rolled his eyes and said, "Really, old man? I'm good at studying. Never mind." Then he asked, "Why did you change our instructor?"
Sam answered, "You're all in better condition now, but Alex... you know how he is—pretty much unawakened."
Ben stood up and said, "But the last instructor taught us really well!"
Sam replied, "I know, idiot. But he wasn't better than the man you have now. The decision is final. It won't change."
Gwen asked, "Do we know him?"
Sam nodded. "We all met him—but never saw him."
"Aheyy," they said in unison.
Sam laughed and headed to his room.
Later, John went to Sam's room and knocked on the door. There was no response. He opened it—and Sam was gone. He noticed a white portal shimmering at the edge of the room. John stepped inside.
As soon as he did, gravity intensified—fifty times stronger than Earth. John fortified himself with intense aura and barely managed to stand. He saw a whole separate space: mountains, cliffs, long fortified rocks, and sliced-down hills. Sam was there, training.
"Hey John! What are you doing here?! It's dangerous," Sam warned.
John, speechless, exclaimed, "What are you doing, Sam?! You're standing in this pressure field without any aura?!"
Sam smiled. "It's normal for me. I'm used to it."
Sam stopped training and rushed over, pulling John out of the portal. "Are you crazy?! Never enter like that again! If your aura fades, you'll be crushed in a second."
John gasped. "Are you insane, Sam?! What kind of monstrous training is this?!"
Sam pulled out a wine bottle from the fridge, jumped out the window, and sat on the roof. "Come here, John."
John joined him. "What kind of monstrous training is that?!"
Sam laughed. "It's training, yes—but also how I release my anger and fears."
"What happened?" John asked.
Sam smiled, took a sip, and replied, "Just remembering my family. I miss them."
He handed the bottle to John, who held it for a moment, whispered a prayer, and drank.
"What happened?" John repeated.
Sam looked into the distance. "Annabeth Cane Foster, my only sister. My only family. She died for the sake of the fools who betrayed her."
John pressed, "What happened?"
Sam's voice cracked as tears fell. "A war erupted decades ago. Dark forces corrupted time space and living beings. We told her not to go—but she knocked me out and went anyway. Xander followed. He requested backup, but the Order mocked him and threw him out of the Brave Light Realm."
"Even the gods couldn't intervene. Zeus and a few others went—but couldn't fight directly in that battle. By the time Xander arrived, she was on the edge of death. He watched her die in his arms. He wept. He crumbled. And then he destroyed the dark forces."
"From that day, he couldn't smile again—except around Alex. That loss pushed him to the Supreme King's Realm. Xander and Alex's grandfather, Perseus, single-handedly defeated the dark forces before the Order did anything. Without Alex, Xander might've gone insane."
Ben, listening quietly, asked, "What about Xander's family? And what is this 'Order'?"
Sam chuckled. "Xander's father was the king of the Brave Light Order and the Supreme One. His mother too. But the Order's knights follow their rules—run by a bunch of insecure old geezers."
John asked, "How did Xander escape their grasp?"
Sam laughed. "When he reached the peak of the Knight Order, he defeated all the elders and nearly died doing it. He reminded them why they should never mess with his family. He respects only his sister and mother. We've kept Alex's existence hidden from them."
"Why hide Alex?" John asked.
Sam smiled. "Because he's a child with no limiter."
John nodded. "Yep. Gwen already said that."
They both fell asleep on the roof, forgetting the world.
The next morning, they went inside. Sam freshened up and asked about the kids.
Amber said, "They've already left! Here, take these lunch boxes."
She gave him three bags. Sam took them and flew to the training grounds.
Ben, Gwen, and Athina were running under the gravity field when he arrived.
"Hey kids! Don't forget your lunch boxes!" he called out.
Ben muttered, "I'm sure these idiots will forget them." He walked to the car, placed the boxes in the back seat, and told the driver, "Make sure these get to them."
The driver nodded.
Xander continued overseeing their physical training.
Afterward, Ben asked, "Are you sure Alex will come home?"
Sam smiled. "They should be starting now. Go to school."
Ben nodded. "Okay. We're off."
They got into the car and slept during the ride. When they arrived, the driver stopped at their usual spot. The kids stood together. The driver quietly slipped the lunch boxes into their bags.
Gwen asked, "Do you think Alex will come to school?"
"If he doesn't, we're dead for sure! I'm out of energy for punishment!" Ben whined.
They cleaned up, showered, and went to their classrooms, forgetting about Avery for a moment.
When they reached the door, Avery was already there, glaring.
Ben peeked inside, looking for Alex. Not seeing him, he chuckled nervously.
"Good morning, Madam! How are you doing today?".
Avery look at them and say " i am doing fine but where is your friend !".
Ben laugh , " i better say out as well , i can hate waiting !".
when he was about talk , a sonic boom sound resonate in school near .
every one was looking out at window
A man descended from the sky, a glowing white aura swirling around him like a divine meteor crashing gently to Earth.
Ben sprinted to the window, eyes bulging. "Miss! Alex is here—with his dad! Oh God, we're saved!"
Athina and Gwen dashed to his side. Their jaws dropped. Xander stood tall, majestic, and carrying Alex on his back like some hero Uber driver.
Moments later, Xander reached the classroom hallway. Ben, Gwen, and Athina stood frozen at the door, glaring at Alex and Xander .
Alex smiled weakly. "Hey guys… how're you holding up?"
The three of them didn't speak. Just glared.
Xander glanced between them. "Wow, three kids and not one welcome hug? What is this, a funeral or a surprise inspection?"
Ben stepped forward, pointing toward the classroom. "There's someone in there you need to talk to."
"Oh good," Xander said, peeking through the door. "I love spontaneous parent-teacher conferences."
Inside stood a stern-looking woman, clipboard in hand, mid-lecture. She turned as Xander cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, madam," he said smoothly.
She raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"
He gave a practiced smile. "Xander Foster Cane. Father of this disaster on my back. Also part-time bodyguard, full-time therapist, and unofficial babysitter to those three delinquents behind me."
She folded her arms. "What did they do this time?"
"They started lying. Covering for each other. Hiding their friend's mistakes," she said, voice sharp as chalk on a blackboard.
Xander chuckled. "Ah, the ancient art of friendship. Look, I take full blame. They're good kids. They just happen to be mine-adjacent. Forgive them—for my sanity, if not theirs."
Her gaze slid to the boy slumped behind him. "You must be Alex."
Alex gave a soft nod. "Yes, miss. Alex Foster Cane."
"Sir, can you put your son down?"
"Of course. He's not luggage." Xander carefully lowered Alex, and Ben rushed to support him.
"He was injured during the Trial of Awakening," Xander explained. "Broken ribs, cracked leg bones, and an ego that took a serious hit."
The teacher blinked. "That sounds… intense."
"You should've seen the other guy," Xander said. "And by 'other guy,' I mean a three-headed beast on fire. Typical Monday."
She tilted her head. "Why did you drive a car into the school building?"
"Ah, that," Xander said, grinning. "Look, our car's got personality. The exhaust sounds like a dragon coughing. What do you want me to do—muffle the beast?"
"You can't bring vehicles inside school grounds."
"Well, technically I didn't park inside. I just… made a tactical entry. Alex couldn't walk. He's a kid, not a gladiator."
She stared at him, amused and mildly alarmed. "You really think that justifies it?"
Xander sighed. "Look, if I had a hoverboard, I'd have used it. But all I had was a very angry car, a half-dead son, and a whole lot of stress."
"Do you have proof of his injuries?"
"Madam," he said, pulling a folded document from his coat like a magician with a trick card, "I have x-rays, doctor's notes, and a receipt for painkillers that cost more than my rent."
She examined the papers. After a pause, she nodded. "Fine. Go sit down. Quietly."
Xander gave a mock salute. "Yes, maam. I'll try not to summon another flying car."
As they turned to leave, he added, "And please, don't drag the kids into adult problems. They're already stuck with me—that's punishment enough."