The world had gone silent.
The last thing I remembered was Rebeka's voice — her final words echoing in my ears as the ground split open and swallowed everything around us. Then there was nothing. No sound. No pain. Only darkness.
Somewhere deep inside that endless void, a voice began to laugh.
"Hahaha… how fascinating," it said — ancient, cold, and strangely amused. "It's the first time a human has ever managed to summon me."
The darkness twisted and shifted until it formed a figure — tall, cloaked, and barely human. Two burning eyes glowed like dying stars beneath his hood. With every step he took, the air itself seemed to bend around him.
He stopped above me, looking down at my broken, unconscious body with something almost like tenderness.
"So fragile… and yet, so powerful," he murmured. "You are broken, young boy."
The figure knelt beside me and placed a cold, claw-like hand over my heart.
"But do not worry," he whispered, a faint smile curling across his lips. "I will fix you. And when I do… you shall become the son I lost long, long ago."
The shadows pulsed once — as if the world itself was taking a breath — and then everything vanished again.
When I opened my eyes, light burned against my vision. My body ached everywhere, and for a moment I wondered if I was still dead.
"…He's awake," someone whispered nearby. "Go tell His Majesty — the boy is awake."
Footsteps hurried away. I tried to move, but my limbs refused to obey. I was too weak, too broken. All I could do was lie there and listen.
Minutes passed before the door creaked open again. A tall figure entered the room — broad-shouldered, dressed in gold-lined robes that shimmered like firelight. He moved with calm, deliberate grace and sat down beside my bed.
"Hey," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"
I didn't answer. My throat tightened, and before I could stop myself, tears blurred my vision.
"I… I lost everything," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Everything I loved is gone. I have nothing left."
He leaned forward slightly. "Tell me," he said softly. "How did you lose everything? I'm listening."
So I told him. I told him about the chase. About Alfonso. About my father's betrayal. About Rebeka and Klaus's father — how they had given their lives to save me. By the time I finished, my chest felt hollow.
The man sighed quietly. "Hmm… so that's why that woman was able to summon him," he murmured. "Your suffering was so deep, so raw, that it opened the path for the Shadow to reach you."
He looked straight into my eyes, and for a moment I felt as if he could see directly into my soul.
"Anyway," he said, straightening his posture, "my name is Alexandra. And I want to make a deal with you."
He paused, then continued in a calm but heavy voice:
"Before we talk about the deal, you need to know something. The woman who summoned me — she truly believed she was your mother. She believed it so deeply that her soul reached me."
My heart sank.
"And there's more," Alexandra continued, his gaze unwavering. "Your friends… MG and Michael… they're gone. I couldn't save them. I arrived too late."
The room grew colder. My breath caught in my throat. I stared blankly at the ceiling as his words sank in, and the weight of everything crashed over me.
"I will return soon," Alexandra said quietly. "Take some time to process all of this. When you're ready… we will make the deal."
He left me alone in the room. I thought and I thought, replaying everything in my mind. I realized that I was nothing. Even if I had gone back in time, I wouldn't have been able to save them.
I felt powerless — empty — and for the first time, I questioned the purpose of my existence.
The door opened again. This time, Alexandra entered alone, without servants.
"Hello, Henry," he said softly. "I couldn't speak freely before — not with others around. I know your life hasn't been easy. And I want to make a deal with you."
He came closer, his voice firm but kind.
"I want you to be my son. I want you to have a new life. Alfonso is dead — and so are those who hurt you. There's no need for revenge. I want you to become the Prince of the Jenevive Empire… my son and my heir."
I stared at him in silence, my heart racing.
"That is the deal," he said. "The choice is yours. You have twenty-four hours to decide. It will not be an easy choice… so be prepared."