---
The iron gate of the Lei mansion rose before them like an impenetrable wall. The family crest — a warrior clad in thunder-forged armor holding lightning in his hands — was boldly engraved at the center, a silent reminder of the lineage's glory.
The boy held his father's hand tightly, his eyes scanning everything around him, absorbing each detail of the world that now opened before him. It was the first time he had seen such grandeur: the well-kept gardens, marble fountains, guards in polished armor standing with proud posture.
But his father was tense. Each step heavier than the last.
"Stay by my side. Don't let go of my hand."
His father's voice was firm, but the boy could hear the hesitation behind the tone. He didn't fully understand — he was still young — but he could feel it. The sadness in his father's eyes, the slight tremble in his fingers, the way he avoided looking the guards in the eye.
As they entered the main courtyard, they were met by a middle-aged woman in a noble servant's attire. Her face twisted in disdain when she saw the man.
"…You had the nerve to come back, Lei Qingshan? After disgracing the family?"
He didn't answer. He simply bowed his head.
"The master is expecting you. I don't know what madness has made him accept you back… but if it were up to me, you wouldn't stay here another hour."
The boy frowned. His heart raced. He wanted to speak up, but his father gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, silently asking for patience.
They were led to the main hall. Grand, with jade pillars, tapestries of glorious battles, and an elevated throne at the back. Sitting there was a man with a stern expression, gray hair tied in a military knot, and a presence that seemed to crush the air around him.
Lei Tianlong, the Iron Thunder Duke.
His father knelt immediately.
"Father. I've returned."
The duke stared down at him with eyes of steel.
"Took you long enough."
Silence.
The boy watched everything in silence, feeling the weight of the tension. Then the duke stood and descended the steps slowly.
"You shamed our name. Fled like a coward. Traded your glorious fate for a peasant woman. And now you return with… this child in your arms, asking me to accept you?"
He pointed at the boy.
The child flinched, but held his gaze. Something inside him burned. He didn't know what it was, but he hated that coldness. That way of treating his father. That way of treating him like… nothing.
Lei Qingshan kept his head down.
"This is my son. Lei blood runs in his veins. I ask for nothing for myself. Only that you accept him. Give him a place where he can grow."
The duke turned to the other family members gathered along the sides of the hall. Nobles, cousins, siblings. Whispers began to rise.
"He should be banished."
"That bastard doesn't belong here."
"He'll bring shame to the family."
The boy heard everything. Felt each word like an invisible blade.
But the duke raised his hand, and all fell silent.
"Have you forgotten who I am? Forgotten that I decide here?"
Absolute silence.
He turned to the boy, his eyes as hard as stone.
"What is your name?"
The boy swallowed hard, but answered with steady resolve.
"Lei Wuchen."
The duke studied him for a long moment, then gave a single nod.
"You will live here. You'll be raised as a Lei. But know this… there will be no favoritism. You'll have to prove your worth every single day. Being a duke's grandson is not a privilege — it's a burden."
Lei Wuchen clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with something more than fear.
"I will prove it."
---
Hours later, already settled in a room far from the noble wing, Lei Qingshan knelt before his son.
"I'm sorry, Wuchen. I knew this would be hard, but… I didn't think it would hurt you this much."
The boy hugged him.
"It's okay, Dad. I… I don't understand everything yet, but I understand you. And I'll show them. One day, they'll respect me. And they'll respect you too."
That night, as the stars shone beyond the tall windows of the Lei mansion, Lei Wuchen made a silent promise to himself.
He wouldn't be just another rejected noble.
He wouldn't be just a boy trapped in his own body.
He would become the strongest this world had ever seen.
He would be free.