[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes":3,"chapter-magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-chapter-118":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Magical Marvel: The Rise of Arthur Hayes",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1375152,1819,"Chapter 118: The Weight of Love","magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-chapter-118",118,"\u003Cp>The temperature dropped gently, like autumn stealing into summer. Not the bone-deep cold of vengeful spirits, but something softer. Familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur’s hand trembled on the Resurrection Stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthur?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother’s voice. Exactly as he remembered—warm honey over morning tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Son?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father. That subtle Welsh accent bleeding through, the one he’d never quite managed to polish away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stood before him in shimmering translucence, as vivid as they had been that final morning. Sarah’s eyes that could spot a lie at a thousand paces. Richard’s crooked smile that had sealed deals and solved problems with equal ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mum. Dad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, my beautiful boy.\" Sarah’s ghostly hand reached for his face, stopping just short. \"Look at you. All grown up and carrying the world on those shoulders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still trying to do everything alone,\" Richard said, a familiar note of fond exasperation in his voice. \"Some things never change.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words Arthur had rehearsed for years tumbled out in a rush. \"I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. The market tips, the investments—I made you targets. If I hadn’t been so eager to live the life of a rich kid, to—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop.\" Richard’s voice carried CEO authority. \"Stop right there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Arthur Hayes.\" Sarah’s voice cracked like a whip. \"You were a child. A child who loved his parents so much he tried to give them the world. The only thing you’re guilty of is loving us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The information I gave you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was a gift,\" Richard interrupted. \"Our brilliant boy, always three steps ahead of everyone else, wanting to share his insights with us. How could that ever be wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It got you killed!\" Arthur’s voice broke, the words escaping in a strangled hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Sarah’s voice turned fierce. \"Greedy men with guns killed us. Men who would have found other reasons if not for the money. That’s on them, not you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I should have been more careful—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We should have been more careful,\" Richard corrected. \"We were the adults. We knew sudden wealth brought problems. Security, discretion—that was our responsibility, not yours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur shook his head violently, fists clenching as if he could squeeze the guilt from his soul. \"I knew the world was dangerous. I knew! I should’ve protected you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop.\" Richard’s tone carried the same authority that had once made boardrooms fall silent. \"We need to have a conversation we should have had while alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur froze. \"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sarah’s smile was tinged with sadness. \"We knew, darling. From the beginning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath caught. \"Knew what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That you were... different.\" She gestured faintly, as if words couldn’t quite capture it. \"Our not-yet-ten-year-old predicting market trends like he’d seen the future. Understanding things no child should. Watching people, places—always cataloging, always calculating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur’s chest felt tight. \"You knew?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Parents know their children,\" Richard said simply. \"We knew you weren’t... ordinary. And we didn’t care. You were our son.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you never said anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What was there to say?\" Sarah smiled. \"You were our son. You let us love you, tuck you in, tell terrible jokes at breakfast. That was everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We figured you’d tell us when you were ready,\" Richard added. \"Or not. It didn’t matter. You chose to be ours. That was enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence stretched between them, heavy with years of unspoken understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I killed them.\" The confession came out flat. \"The men who murdered you. All of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents exchanged a look that needed no words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We know,\" Sarah whispered. \"We watched.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you disappointed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re sad,\" Richard admitted. \"Not disappointed. Sad that you felt you had to carry that weight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We would have preferred you chose differently,\" Sarah said softly. \"Found peace instead of vengeance. But we understand why you couldn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were monsters—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Sarah agreed. \"But hunting monsters changes the hunter. You’re so young to carry so much blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I couldn’t let them live.\" Arthur’s voice hardened. \"Icouldn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We understand,\" Richard said gently. \"Just promise us you won’t become what you fought against. Don’t let your humanity slip away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur nodded slowly. \"I promise. I’ll keep my mind... my soul intact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\" Sarah’s smile was watery but real. \"Now tell us about this wizard business! Our son can do actual magic!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The change of subject was deliberate, parental manipulation at its finest. Arthur let them guide him to safer ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One of the strongest alive,\" he couldn’t help bragging. \"And I’m only twenty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still so young,\" Richard marveled. \"All that power, and barely started living.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve lived plenty—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve achieved plenty,\" Sarah corrected. \"That’s not the same thing. When’s the last time you did something just for joy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... the business brings satisfaction—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Satisfaction isn’t joy,\" Richard said. \"When did you last laugh with friends? Real, belly-deep laughter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have friends. Daniel—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your business partner who calls you Mr. Hayes,\" Sarah interrupted. \"Winky, who worships you. Aurora, who still sees you as her former charge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re friends—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Name one person you’d call at three in the morning just to talk,\" Richard challenged. \"Not for help, not for business. Just to hear another voice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur opened his mouth. Closed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s what we thought,\" Sarah said sadly. \"Oh, darling. You’ve built such impressive walls. But walls keep out love as well as pain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s safer—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not living,\" Richard said firmly. \"Son, you’re treating life like a game. Gain power, defeat the enemy, level up, find the next challenge. That’s not how it works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then how does it work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Messily,\" Sarah said. \"With mistakes and laughter and heartbreak and joy. With people who matter more than power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur bowed his head. \"I don’t remember how. After you died, I just... shut down that part of myself. Only when I’m strong enough to protect those I love can I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no such thing as strongenough,\" Richard said softly. \"There will always be someone stronger. The point isn’t to be invincible. It’s to be human.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur felt the fight go out of him. He slumped back in his chair, knowing they were right. He had known it all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why can I still call you?\" he asked. \"Why haven’t you moved on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could we?\" Sarah asked. \"Our brilliant, lonely boy achieved everything except happiness. We can’t leave until we know you’ll be okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am okay—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re functioning,\" Richard corrected. \"That’s not the same thing. We want to see you living before we go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With someone special,\" Sarah added with maternal determination. \"Speaking of which, Aurora’s lovely—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mum, no.\" Arthur actually laughed. \"She’s like a dumb big sister. Anything else would be incredibly weird.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine,\" Sarah sighed. \"But you need someone. Someone who sees past the walls to the man behind them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t have time—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have nothing but time,\" Richard countered. \"You’re twenty. Brilliant, powerful, successful, and completely alone. You don’t have to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They talked for hours after that. Arthur told them everything—the Phoenix Group’s success, his magical feats, his brushes with cosmic powers. They listened, pride and worry mingling in equal measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ancient One sounds terrifying,\" Sarah said after hearing about Kamar-Taj.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She is,\" Arthur agreed. \"But kind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And Carol Danvers? Aliens?\" Richard shook his head. \"When I said I want you to expand your horizons, I meant maybe join a football fan club or something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur chuckled. \"Well, I don’t watch football.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe start,\" Richard said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shared stories, jokes, and memories. For a few precious hours, it was almost like having them back. Almost like being whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even ghosts grow weary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We should go,\" Sarah finally said. \"This isn’t right, keeping us here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I could call you again—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Richard’s voice was firm. \"You can’t, and you won’t. This was goodbye, son. The one we never got to have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No buts,\" Sarah said. \"We’ll be watching, waiting to see you live. Really live. But no more conversations. The dead and the living shouldn’t cling to each other.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What if I need you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t need us,\" Richard said. \"You never really did. You’re stronger than you know. You just need to let others see that strength isn’t all you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Promise us,\" Sarah insisted. \"Promise you’ll try. Make friends. Fall in love. Make mistakes. Be human.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I promise,\" Arthur said, meaning it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They began to fade, the Stone’s power waning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We love you,\" they said in unison. \"We’re so proud of who you’ve become. Now become more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love you too,\" Arthur whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they were gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat alone in his study, the Resurrection Stone cold in his palm. No tears—he’d shed those years ago. But something in his chest had shifted, loosened. A weight he’d carried so long he’d forgotten it wasn’t part of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents had known he was different. Had loved him anyway. Had died without blame or regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they wanted him to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur set the Stone aside and poured himself a generous measure of firewhisky. Outside, London glittered with possibilities he’d ignored for too long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To living,\" he toasted the empty air. \"Whatever that means.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur sat alone in his study, the Hallows on his desk suddenly seeming less like keys to ultimate power and more like childish trinkets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents had given him one final gift. A new mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His next great quest, it seemed, wasn’t to master Death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was to master living.\u003C\u002Fp>",1550,"2026-06-05T22:00:28.089Z",1,"novelbin.me","dd35eba5affeda1f9462aa09e41e86e34afaf492f96a8e7226acf4d76c0801dd","magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-chapter-119","magical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-chapter-117",324,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmagical-marvel-the-rise-of-arthur-hayes-cover.jpg"]