Selena sat in the Solar Chamber, her private hall for counsel, fingers brushing a scroll she wasn't reading.
"...So. Kaito finished his training?" Her voice, soft yet edged, cut through the stillness.
A shadow knelt, head lowered. "Yes, Empress."
"How did it go? Report everything—minor or major. How many potions did he consume? Did he break, or did he push forward?"
The shadow did not hesitate. "Prince Kaito consumed a total of eighty-four bottles throughout the day. We believe the number will decline in time; his body will adapt. Because of the potions, his stamina has already shown drastic increase. He was struck twenty-three times—twenty-one for breaking, twice for improper form. He completed one hundred laps in seven hours, push-ups in thirty-three minutes, pull-ups in forty-two, squats and sit-ups in twenty-nine each, and sword swings in one hundred sixty-seven."
Selena leaned back, her crimson eyes narrowing. "...That's a lot of time. And a lot of potions. If I recall, Aria completed hers quicker. She consumed only fifty-one potions."
Her lips curved faintly, neither smiling nor frowning. "Perhaps he isn't as naturally gifted as Aria. But even so, he's well above his peers. Don't you think so, Reyzen?"
The man sitting silently at the side finally stirred. Silver hair caught the lantern glow as his blue eyes lifted from the floor.
"...He's good," Reyzen said, his voice low, gravel carried by restraint. "But not enough. He has to train harder. If he cannot defend himself when the time comes… we won't be able to protect him."
Selena's expression softened, a flicker of warmth breaking through her regal mask. "Yes. We won't be able to interfere. Customs bind us. But I believe in Kaito. Three years from now… he will be far stronger. Perhaps strong enough to manifest his mana core by then."
Reyzen's hands clenched against the armrest of his chair. His gaze lingered on nothing, far beyond the chamber walls. "I should be happy. Blessed with children like Aria and Kaito. Yet what a shame…" His voice cracked, but only for a breath. "...that I cannot show it."
Selena turned toward him, her words cutting sharper than the silence. "Don't you think it's about time you go see him? Express something, at least once? He thought you were nothing more than a story, a fable. And after meeting you, his impression wasn't good. How will he know the truth—that you've always watched over him, always protected him while he slept?"
Reyzen's jaw tightened. "I can only guard him in the shadows. Who would believe us if we said a child of seven has already survived more than thirty assassination attempts? If I show affection publicly, if I let them see… then they'll do anything to break him. To kill him." His voice hardened. "This is the curse of an emperor. To love in silence. To let the world believe I'm heartless. That I care only for strength and achievements."
The weight of his words thickened the air. Selena opened her mouth to answer, but the chamber itself seemed to stir.
From the corner, darkness rippled like water. A figure emerged soundlessly, dropping to one knee.
Both Emperor and Empress straightened at once.
"What is it?" Selena's voice sharpened, her calm cracking into steel.
The shadow bowed low. "Forgive me, Empress. Forgive me, Majesty. It's the young Prince…"
Selena's chair scraped against stone as she rose. "Kaito? Speak clearly."
The shadow's tone did not waver, but urgency bled through the words."After training, he returned to his chambers. He bathed, changed, and sat to eat… but the moment he took his first bite, he began vomiting violently. Potions. Food. Everything. He continued until he collapsed."
Selena's breath hitched, her fingers trembling before her form blurred and vanished in a streak of crimson light. Reyzen's fists tightened, knuckles white, but he did not rise.
Silence.
[KAITO'S POV]
Darkness.
Weightless. Silent. Endless.
I floated, unable to feel my arms or legs, as though my body had dissolved into the void. No ground. No sky. No warmth. Just nothing.
"…Where… am I?" My whisper vanished without echo.
Then—
A voice. Gentle, calm, yet carrying a weight that pressed against my chest. It didn't come from outside. It bloomed inside my head, inside my soul.
[ Do not fear, Kaito. ]
My eyes widened, though I wasn't sure if I even had eyes here."W-who's there!?"
The voice was neither male nor female. It was both. It was everything. Like the hush of the wind and the stillness of a grave at once.
[ I am Veyra. ]
[ A skill born from your soul. ]
[ You need not understand me yet. ]
[ I exist for you, as you exist for me. ]
"…Veyra…?" My voice trembled. "What does that even mean? Why are you inside my head?"
Silence stretched, then the reply flowed through me, steady and patient.
[ Your body is not yet ready. ]
[ You are still too weak. ]
[ But strength will come. ]
[ Until then—sleep. Grow. Endure. ]
I reached out into the void, desperate. "Wait! Don't leave! What are you talking about? Weak? Strength? Just… tell me what you are!"
The voice dimmed, fading like a dream.
[ In time, you will understand. ]
[ For now… survive. ]
The words clung to me like chains as the void surged forward, swallowing me whole.