In the capital city of Aurelthrone, the streets were alive with chaos and joy. People hurried here and there, voices rising in laughter, cheers, and song. Bright banners fluttered from the high towers, and flower petals rained down from balconies as if the city itself were rejoicing.
It was not just any day—it was a festival. The bells of the Grand Cathedral tolled across the city, carrying the news that the Duke's second wife had safely given birth to their third child. From the humblest merchant in the market square to the gilded halls of the nobility, the entire duchy was swept into celebration.
Ale flowed freely in taverns, children paraded through the streets with garlands in their hair, and fire-breathers and minstrels turned every corner into a stage. To the people of Aurelthrone, the birth of another heir was more than noble joy—it was a promise of strength, prosperity, and the duchy's continued legacy.
But amidst the jubilant crowds, not everyone shared in the revelry.
In a remote corner of Aurelthrone, where the festival lights did not reach, shadows stirred. Figures cloaked in black moved silently along the narrow alleys, their presence swallowed by the night.
One of them spoke in a hushed, gravelly voice.
"…The mission begins now. Our goal is simple—kill the Duke's son, by any means necessary."
The others gave no reply, only curt nods. Yet beneath their stillness, unease gnawed at them. They were not infiltrating an ordinary household. No—their target lay within the castle of the Sword Saint, a fortress guarded not only by steel and stone but by the reputation of a man who had carved his name into legend.
Even the bravest among them could feel their courage waver.
Meanwhile, far removed from the whispers of death and betrayal, in a chamber bathed in the soft glow of lanternlight, the reason for their trembling hands slept soundly. The newborn heir—tiny, fragile, blissfully unaware—rested in silken sheets, his peaceful breaths defying the danger that gathered just beyond the castle walls.
The heir was not merely cute—he was a vision of overwhelming charm, the kind of beauty that seemed destined to ensnare countless hearts in the years to come. His delicate features held a rare grace, even in infancy, as if the gods themselves had sculpted him to be admired.
His raven-black hair shimmered softly under the lanternlight, framing a face far too perfect for a newborn. From beneath his half-opened lids glimmered blood-red eyes, luminous and unsettling, already carrying the weight of something otherworldly.
Yet what truly marked him as extraordinary was the eerie starlight that flowed through his hair—subtle threads of violet radiance, as though fragments of the night sky had taken root upon his head. And in his eyes, beyond the crimson hue, lay the illusion of a purple cosmos, a vast universe swirling in miniature.
It was a sight both enchanting and unnerving—an omen wrapped in beauty, a child whose very existence defied the ordinary.
•••••••••••
After what felt like hours, I forced my eyes open. Darkness still pressed in around me—but before I could even gather my thoughts, a sudden chime rang inside my skull.
A faint, flickering screen appeared before me, the text fractured and unstable, as though reality itself were glitching:
[connection error@.'xb]
[using emergency measures]
[fixing bugs@/;;)/]
[Error]
[User's mind is too weak<|$]
[initiating seal of memory]
[error:,.!@]
[Host, brace yourself for a minor discomfort]
[initiating the process…]
[Starting memory seal.&.:!]
[96.7% harmful memories have been sealed]
The words dissolved into static before reforming into a single, sharp line of text that pulsed like a heartbeat:
{ Welcome, Host }
A cold shiver ran down my spine. I could feel it—something foreign now lurked within me, something watching… something binding.
And with it came a sudden headache, sharp and unbearable, as though a thousand needles were piercing directly into my skull. My vision blurred, my breath caught, and for a fleeting moment I longed to sink back into the safety of unconsciousness.
But the pain was merciless. It refused to let me escape.
Each throb of my head carried with it fragments—shards of images I could not recognize, voices I could not place, and emotions too heavy for me to endure. My body trembled, sweat beading across my skin as though I were being torn apart from the inside.
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The agony was mine to bear alone.
And then… just as I thought my mind would shatter completely, the pain dulled, leaving behind only an eerie silence and the faint glow of the words that still hovered before me:
[Memory seal complete.]
[System initializing…]
••••••