The morning arrived and the news of Kaito's birth spread throughout the empire.
Everyone had different opinions. From common folks to nobles, everyone was shocked.
But there was one common factor.
Fear.
The fear of being swallowed by a monster.
The fear of competing against a child born under unnatural circumstances.
The fear of being ruled by a being even the heavens warned against.
---
[ Jade Pavilion — Inner Castle ]
"Did you hear the news?"
"Which news?"
"The news about a new heir being born."
"Oh, you mean the monster."
"Yeah… how can this be? A mere child erased mana from an entire nation?"
"I even heard the heavens split in half when he opened his eyes."
"Shut your mouth and clean properly."
The scolding came from a sharp voice. A tall woman draped in crimson silks entered the hall. The other maids lowered their heads.
Lady Sinara, the first concubine, walked with calculated grace.
She sat on a jeweled chair, her long nails tapping against the armrest. Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"Interesting. Truly interesting. It seems Her Majesty has finally borne a son."
Her lady-in-waiting, Lira, bowed. "Yes, my lady. The last time she gave birth was six years ago… and it was a girl."
Sinara's red eyes narrowed. "Ah. You mean little Aria."
"Yes, my lady."
Sinara leaned back, swirling a cup of wine in her hand.
"It seems His Imperial Majesty truly values the new heir," Lira continued carefully.
Sinara's smile sharpened. "It won't matter. Before long, my son Darius will occupy the throne. It doesn't matter if he is not the Queen's son. The fact remains that His Highness's blood runs through him. And this is the Bloodcrest Empire—the place where strength is valued more than bonds."
Her gaze grew colder.
"My Darius will soon form his mana core. He turns thirteen this year. The gap in strength and age is far too wide. A mere infant who was born yesterday cannot rival my son."
Lira hesitated, but her eyes flickered. "Still… my lady, the omens—"
Sinara cut her off. "Omens fade with time. But power… power remains. Let them call the child cursed. Let them whisper. In the end, only one truth decides who rules."
She raised her cup high, eyes glowing with ambition.
"The strong will stand above all."
The whispers did not end in the servants' halls. They reached the royal children too.
Darius, Sinara's pride, sneered when the news reached him.
"So the Empress finally bore a son? Hmph. Let's see if that brat can even survive a year."
Kael, the quiet 10-year-old, didn't speak. His eyes narrowed instead. He knew in Bloodcrest, even silence could be a weapon.
Seren, barely 8, slammed her book shut. "Tch. Another rival? As if Father even notices me now."
Lyra, six like Aria, tugged nervously at her dress. "But… isn't he our brother too?" Her voice was soft, uncertain.
Aria's crimson eyes glimmered. She held her silence, but her small fists clenched. She had already made her decision. Whether the world called her little brother a curse or not, she would protect him.
And in the deepest chambers, the concubines whispered the same.
Some prayed for Kaito's early death.
Some plotted to use him.
And some—like Sinara—planned to crush him before he could even walk.
[Grand Halls of the Crimson Council – Bloodcrest Branch Families' Gathering]
The news of Kaito's birth spread like wildfire, reaching the great houses that served under the Bloodcrest throne. That same morning, the branch families gathered in hushed chambers, wine cups in hand, smiles that hid daggers.
Lord Veynar (Head of Wolfcrest Branch):
"So… Her Imperial Majesty birthed a son. A son who shook the heavens with just his cry."
Lady Morien (Serpentcrest):
"Hah. Don't exaggerate. A child is still a child. Even if mana trembled, he is nothing but an infant. And infants… break easily."
Lord Kaelor (Hawkcrest):
"Careful, Morien. That 'infant' is still the Emperor's blood. Touch him, and even your house will vanish overnight."
Lady Morien (smirking):
"Then why do I hear fear in your voice, Kaelor? You felt it, didn't you? That pressure when the skies split? Even the priests are trembling. That is no normal heir. That is a curse."
The lords exchanged glances. No one wanted to admit it, but the truth lingered unspoken.
Lord Veynar:
"If that boy grows… what place do our sons have? What place do we have?"
Lady Morien:
"Exactly. Which is why we must decide now. While he is still weak. If the Empress's child lives, every ambition we've nurtured will wither."
A chilling silence followed. Some looked away. Others nodded grimly.
At the edge of the hall, a younger heir of a branch family whispered under his breath:
"A demon born in the cradle… if the Emperor won't deal with him, maybe we should."
[Sanctum of Aetherion – High Priesthood Council Chamber]
After witnessing it themselves, the erased mana, the beast's howls and the thunder splitting the heavens, all the mages and priests gathered together to discuss about the matters in hand.
High Priest Calren:
"You all felt it. The sky split when the child opened his eyes. Mana trembled across the empire. Such signs have not appeared in a thousand years."
Archmage Ilvara :
"Signs? No. Omens. This child is not heaven's gift—he is its warning. A bloodline that defies balance. If we let him live, the scales will tip, and the world will pay."
Younger Priest:
"Should we… erase him, before he takes root?"
The word hung like poison in the air.
Calren (frowning):
"To raise a hand against the Emperor's son is to declare war on Bloodcrest. Even we are not so foolish."
Ilvara (cold smile):
"And yet, if he truly is cursed, then Bloodcrest itself may fall. Which fate is more dangerous? A war we can see—or a storm we cannot control?"
Archmage Varian (silent until now):
"…Then let us watch. If the boy is a blessing, he will shine. If he is a curse, the curse will reveal itself soon enough. And when it does… we will strike first."
The decision was made. Not openly, not yet. But the intent was seeded.
[Bloodcrest Inner Palace – Third Night After Kaito's Birth]
The nursery was drowned in silence. Moonlight spilled over the cradle, where Kaito slept soundly.
The doors barely breathed open. Five shadows slid in—masters of the Lilith Clan, trained since birth, their auras completely erased. Not even the King would sense them.
Assassin 1 (whisper):
"No sound. No slip. We strike, then vanish."
Assassin 2:
"How cruel… three days alive, and fate already cuts him down."
Assassin 3 (low, bitter):
"…Forgive me, child. I swore I'd never take a baby's life. But I have a daughter to feed. If I fail, she will become a blade for this clan. I'll carry this sin so she won't have to."
They raised their daggers—cold steel glinting in the moonlight.
And then—
A voice, cold enough to freeze marrow, rippled through the chamber.
Selena:
"…Pathetic."
The assassins stiffened. Every instinct screamed at them to flee. Slowly, their eyes turned toward the corner.
She stood there. Hands folded, leaning across the wall.
Selena Bloodcrest. The War Goddess. The Empress.
Her golden eyes shone in the dark like suns ready to devour. She didn't need to summon mana. She didn't need to move. Her very presence crushed them, like the world itself bent to her breath.
Assassin 4 (shaking, whisper):
"T-this… this is impossible. We erased everything. Not even the King would—"
Selena (voice like iron):
"The King is a man. I am not."
"You underestimate a Mother"
Her aura erupted.
The nursery shook. The walls groaned. The assassins' lungs collapsed as if an ocean pressed down on them. Their daggers trembled in their hands, blood vessels bursting across their eyes.
Assassin 1 (gasping, blood from mouth):
"Th-this is… no human…"
Assasin 3:
"Sorry my child. I wasn't able to provide you a decent life."
Selena didn't lift a hand. She simply stepped forward. Each step bent the air, sending ripples across the floor. The assassins dropped to their knees without realizing, choking on their own fear.
Selena (cold, final):
"You thought you erased your presence? Before me, even nothingness has a shadow."
She flicked her finger.
The air detonated.
The five assassins exploded where they knelt—shattered like glass. Blood painted the nursery walls, chunks of flesh sliding to the floor. The stench of iron filled the room in a single breath.
Kaito woke with a cry, his tiny body drenched in blood that wasn't his own. The cradle rocked, stained crimson.
Selena's aura vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. She crossed the room, her expression softening as though the massacre meant nothing.
She lifted Kaito into her arms, ignoring the gore soaking his blanket. Her voice melted, gentle and warm.
Selena (softly):
"Oh my… Kaito. All covered in blood already."
She kissed his forehead, golden eyes tender now.
"Now, now… don't cry. Mama is here."