"In the legend's beginning, the world was pure chaos.
Then the gods cast down the Coreflames, and the Titans were born within.
Three Titans carved the heaven and earth;
Three wove the threads of fate;
Three molded life in their hands; and
Three guided calamity's gate…"
Sunlight shone through the glass windows. Inside the study room were two people: a girl and a man. The girl sat upright on her wooden chair. The man, a teacher, read an excerpt from his book. His attire was reminiscent of that of ancient Greece. Half of his upper body was revealed. The girl wore a one-piece flaxen dress.
The flexible stick in his other hand elicited fear from the girl's eyes.
Once she could not maintain her upright posture or answer the questions wrong…
Slap-!
…she will be met by its ruthless strikes.
This torturous period ended once the man closed the thick leather book. He held it in one hand as he glanced coldly at the neat-looking girl.
"I will check your progress tomorrow. Remember, mistakes will be met with punishment."
He did not wait for the girl to answer. The door was slammed shut. Only then did the girl wince out of pain. The glaring mark on her cheeks and arms felt like burning flames. Golden blood seeped out from them. Tears fell from her eyes. She desperately suppressed her sobs.
"No… I won't… return… food…"
She could not remember when it was. She was originally someone from the slums. A homeless girl with nothing to eat. It was a challenge to live another day.
The Northern Empire, Hyperborea, boasts a frigid climate all year long. Its fallen sovereign left no heirs to the throne, sparking a fierce internal war to claim the throne.
The girl's pale blue hair akin to the royal family members' caught the attention of a royal aristocrat. Her golden blood, which was said to be blessed by the Titans themselves, added another legitimacy to her.
Hence she was brought up as a "lost legitimate successor". From a refugee who resorted to begging for her food, she was taught royal etiquette and the likes.
The first taste of soft bread and warm soup strengthened her conviction.
She will bear the name "Cerydra".
Never would she become hungry again. Never will she sleep on the cold stone floor. She will be someone who has something called "dignity"!
What she never anticipated was the coldness of human nature. Fitting for Hyperborea's winter climate, its people are just as cold. They ingrained every bit of royal tutelage on "Cerydra's" bones, all to have the perfect puppet emperor to control.
Now, she is paying the price for everything. The tight corset sought to squeeze her frail body. The tutor's teaching stick left trickles of golden blood. The never-ending speeches she must recite, even when her throat loses its voice…
"King. The fated king who draws the Sword of Victory."
"Who—?!"
Cerydra looked over the room. When her gaze returned to her desk, she was startled to find a face so close-up. He looked like a boy, the same age as hers. His bright golden pupils reflected her face. The well-contoured nose, paired with his pale white skin and short purple hair, made him look like a royalty. The unfamiliar and exotic white robe he wore fitted strangely well in this climate.
He supported his chin with his right hand. His elbow was placed at the desk's surface. He was visibly surprised when Cerydra "saw" him.
"Hey. Do you see me?"
"Ah..?!"
She pushed the desk away. The boy tumbled down the floor along with the desk.
"Ow!"
Bam-!
The door was swiftly open.
"What's going on, Your Highness?!"
The guard scanned the room. His gaze alternated between the fallen desk and the frightened Cerydra. Confusion seeped in his eyes. She noticed this almost instantly.
The guard didn't see the boy!
"N-nothing. Excuse me for my unsightly display."
"Understood!"
The guard did a salute before leaving the study room. Her ocean-like pupils stared at the purple-haired boy in confusion.
"That hurts, you know?" He complained as he stood up. "So you really can see me?"
His eyes gave an enthusiastic spark.
"...Who are you?" She asked vigilantly.
"I don't know."
"..."
Cerydra did not fully believe his words. The boy also sensed her disbelief. He quickly defended himself.
"I really don't know! I woke up in this cold place without any recollections whatsoever. Also, people seem to ignore my presence. They act as if I do not exist. You are the first one to see me."
'Talantons above… Such a ridiculous story, should I believe it?'
It took a while before she made a choice.
"Hmph. I shall believe your words for now."
"I knew I could trust you!"
The boy was particularly easy-going. He brought up the fallen desk and dusted off his hands.
"So, are you aware of your current status?"
His question made her look at him sharply. It contrasted his previous 'brainless' remarks.
"...Yes."
"Fret not. It's not as if there aren't ways to turn the tables. I have… um, the stories of Emperors in my head. As the saying goes, one can learn from the ancients."
He gave off a sage-like nod as he crossed his arms.
Cerydra felt skeptical about the authenticity of his words once again.
"You said you don't have any memories. Where did that come from?" She asked.
"From you."
"From me?"
"Mhm. Memories about kings and emperors appeared when I saw you. For example, the Knight King who led Camelot to its prosperity… and to its demise."
Hearing the name "Knight King", her heart constricted. She could feel a sense of power from that title.
"Amongst her men, there was one named as the Royal Advisor, the Magus of Flowers. The man known as Merlin."
"The Imperial Advisor." Cerydra caught up to what he wanted.
"Yes. You pick it up well."
Cerydra faintly grasped what he wanted to do.
"You are the only one in this world… in this city, to see me. And I don't want you to die."
The boy's words struck like a sledgehammer—cruel but truthful.
"So, may I fulfill that role?"
The boy knelt on one knee. He placed his right hand flatly atop his heart. His head hung low. The royal temperament around him made everything far more formal than he or Cerydra expected.
She remained silent while pursing her lips. Complex thoughts flashed in her eyes.
'He cannot be trusted wholly, but for now…'
"You may."
From today onwards, the Imperator gained her first loyal ally.
*****
A/N: I'll be saying this from the start. Amnesia lasts until 303. I did it to place the early chapters' focus solely on Amphoreus. I wanted to introduce everything from scratch (even for those who haven't seen HSR's story), so there's this.
As for Amphoreus' importance to his road to immortality, we'll be seeing it as the chapters progress. I will be using all the canon knowledge up to the recent 4.0 update. The rest will have to be filled in (again) by my Dao of Writing and Creativity.
All I can say is, the biggest plot point leading to his Dao Integration breakthrough is hidden in plain sight.