"In the time before Eudenia raised me, before she wrapped me in her chains, I was known as Aradel. Aradel Kein."
The name, spoken aloud, echoed in the quiet of my room, it had the weight of centuries. Aradel Kein. The true name of Herald, the legendary warrior that possessed the mythic dragon's eye — an S tier artifact, the hero's master. I had done it. I had outwitted him, extracted the information I needed for Narrative Redaction. The ultimate override was now, theoretically, within my grasp.
Herald regarded me for a long moment, his gaze fixed, as if assessing my reaction to his true name. A faint, almost imperceptible nod. "Now that we are… acquainted, Disciple," he said, his voice gaining a new shift, a subtle change in tone that acknowledged my acceptance, however reluctant. He had finally recognized me as his disciple, his student. The dreaded apprenticeship had begun.
