By his second birthday, Elijah Morgen had become a master of controlled mediocrity. He spoke his first words at the expected time—not early enough to suggest exceptional intelligence, not late enough to cause concern. He walked when other noble children walked, showed curiosity about books when prompted, and displayed the kind of mild magical sensitivity that suggested adequate potential without marking him as remarkable.
To his family, he was a perfectly normal child. To Elijah, every day was a carefully orchestrated performance designed to gather intelligence while avoiding scrutiny.
The performance was exhausting in ways his previous life had never been. At least when Daniel Chen worked eighteen-hour days, he could speak his thoughts aloud, express frustration, or take breaks when his concentration wavered. Now, every moment required the mental discipline to think like an adult while acting like a toddler.
But the intelligence he gathered made the effort worthwhile.
His breakthrough in understanding came during his second winter, when his mother began reading to him from something called "A Child's Guide to the Twin Paths." What she intended as bedtime stories, Elijah received as the most valuable intelligence briefing of his new life.
"Long ago," Lady Sera read in her gentle voice, "the first cultivators discovered that mortal flesh could be strengthened beyond its limits, and mortal souls could reach toward the divine. But they learned a terrible truth: to walk only one path led to madness or death."
The book explained the dual cultivation system with the simplicity necessary for young minds, but Elijah's adult comprehension extracted far deeper implications. Body cultivation without soul development created berserkers—physically powerful but mentally unstable. Soul cultivation without physical foundation resulted in spectral dissolution—the spirit growing too refined for mortal flesh to contain.
"Balance," his mother emphasized, "is the foundation of all cultivation. The body is the vessel, the soul is the flame. Neither can exist without the other."
But what fascinated Elijah most were the system's advanced applications described in casual asides: soul projection, physical enhancement that bordered on supernatural, the ability to sense and manipulate magical energies, and eventually—for the most accomplished—transcendence of mortal limitations entirely.
More importantly, the book contained practical exercises appropriate for children: breathing patterns that encouraged energy circulation, physical movements that strengthened the body's cultivation channels, and meditation techniques that improved soul sensitivity. All presented as games and stories, but Elijah recognized them for what they were—the foundation exercises of a comprehensive power system.
He began incorporating them into his daily routine immediately.
The Morgen household's social calendar provided Elijah with his first direct exposure to the complex web of noble relationships that would define his future environment. House Morgen might be minor nobility, but their border position made them valuable allies to larger powers—a fact that resulted in a steady stream of visitors, each interaction rich with political subtext.
Elijah learned to differentiate between courtesy visits and serious negotiations by observing his parents' preparations. When Lady Caldris of House Arendyll visited, the family used their second-best silverware and served imported wine—important enough to honor, not important enough to display their finest resources. When Lord Commander Thorne arrived unannounced one evening, Elijah's father dismissed all servants except the most trusted, and their conversation took place behind closed doors with ward-stones activated for privacy.
From his position as an apparently napping toddler in his mother's lap, Elijah absorbed fragments of that crucial conversation:
"...corruption spreads faster than we anticipated..."
"...three Academy graduates lost to Abyss taint this month..."
"...need to accelerate the training programs, but quality candidates..."
"...prophecies speak of a new generation, born under the Crimson Alignment..."
The Crimson Alignment. Elijah filed the term away with everything else, but this one carried particular weight. He had been born during an astronomical event significant enough to merit prophecy. In webnovel terms, this made him part of a "special generation"—individuals whose birth timing granted them enhanced potential or destined roles.
The question was whether this applied to all children born during the alignment, or if there were specific individuals marked by fate. And more crucially, whether being part of such a generation was an advantage to be cultivated or a danger to be hidden.
Three months before his third birthday, Elijah received his first glimpse of what he was increasingly certain was this world's protagonist. House Everhart sent a formal delegation to discuss "matters of mutual interest"—diplomatic language for what Elijah's father privately described as "alliance testing."
Duke Thomas Everhart arrived with appropriate ceremony: a retinue of guards whose equipment suggested both wealth and serious magical capability, advisors whose bearing indicated high-level political skill, and most relevantly, his family.
Duchess Lyanna Everhart was elegant in the way that suggested both magical enhancement and careful breeding—beauty that came from genetic perfection rather than cosmetics. She carried herself with the confidence of someone accustomed to being the most powerful person in any room.
But it was their son who commanded Elijah's attention.
Lucian Everhart, at three years old, possessed a presence that was impossible to ignore. While other children his age were still mastering basic coordination, Lucian moved with purposeful grace. While other children babbled or cried when overwhelmed, Lucian observed situations with calm assessment before responding.
Most tellingly, the household's magical servants—individuals trained to sense spiritual potential—treated Lucian with unconscious deference. Their postures shifted when he entered a room, their attention tracked his movement, and their expressions carried the kind of respectful wariness reserved for recognized power.
This was definitely the protagonist.
During the formal dinner, Elijah found himself positioned where he could observe Lucian directly. The other boy seemed to return his interest, studying Elijah with the same analytical attention that Elijah was applying to him.
When the adults' conversation turned to Academy placement and cultivation potential, both children listened with focus that would have been remarkable in anyone else but seemed natural between them.
"The Awakening Ceremony will be quite competitive this year," Duchess Lyanna observed. "So many promising children born under the Crimson Alignment."
"Indeed," Viscount Armin replied. "Though potential means little without proper guidance and discipline."
Duke Thomas nodded approvingly. "Spoken like a man who understands that raw talent creates as many problems as it solves. The Academy has seen too many prodigies who burned themselves out before their first year concluded."
Elijah caught Lucian's slight reaction to this—a tightening around the eyes that suggested personal relevance. So the protagonist was already aware of his exceptional status, and already concerned about its implications. Interesting.
Based on this encounter, Elijah refined his approach to the upcoming Awakening Ceremony. His original plan to remain thoroughly unremarkable needed adjustment. If he appeared too ordinary compared to other children of the Crimson Alignment generation, he might not be selected for the same opportunities as the protagonist and his peer group.
The optimal strategy required threading a careful needle: demonstrate enough potential to justify inclusion in Lucian's circle, but not so much as to be seen as a rival or threat. He needed to be valuable enough to keep around, interesting enough to merit attention, but never so prominent as to shoulder the burdens of leadership.
In webnovel terms, he was aiming for the role of "reliable strategist"—the character who provided crucial support and advice but never competed for the spotlight. Such characters typically survived longer and faced fewer personal crises while still gaining access to the protagonist's resources and opportunities.
While planning his social positioning, Elijah continued developing his actual capabilities. The breathing exercises from his mother's bedtime stories had evolved into more sophisticated energy circulation techniques. The physical movements had become a daily routine that was slowly but noticeably improving his coordination and strength.
Most importantly, he had begun to sense the energy channels that cultivation theory described. Late at night, when the household slept, he would lie perfectly still and trace the pathways through which magical energy moved through his body. The channels were weak—barely more than potential pathways at his age—but they were undeniably present.
His soul cultivation proved more challenging. The meditation techniques required a level of mental stillness that was difficult to achieve when his mind constantly analyzed, planned, and worried. But gradually, he learned to create periods of genuine quiet—moments when his thoughts settled enough for him to sense something beyond physical sensation.
It was during one such meditation session, two weeks before the Awakening Ceremony, that Elijah experienced his first genuine magical phenomenon. He had been focusing on his breathing, allowing his consciousness to drift into the peaceful state the texts described, when suddenly he could sense the entire household.
Not see or hear—sense. His awareness expanded beyond his room to encompass the building like a three-dimensional map drawn in light and shadow. He could feel his parents sleeping two rooms away, the guards maintaining their watch rotations, even the kitchen staff preparing for morning duties.
The sensation lasted only moments before snapping back to normal perception, but it left Elijah with absolute certainty: he possessed genuine magical potential, and his careful cultivation was beginning to produce measurable results.
The week before the Awakening Ceremony brought a flurry of activity to House Morgen. Formal clothing was commissioned, family jewelry was retrieved from secure storage, and Elijah's parents held increasingly frequent conferences about "presentation strategy."
From these conversations, Elijah learned that the ceremony served multiple functions beyond simple potential assessment. It was a social debut for noble children, a networking opportunity for their families, and a preliminary sorting mechanism for Academy admission consideration. How he performed would influence not just his own future, but House Morgen's political standing for years to come.
"Remember," his mother coached him during their final preparation session, "you are representing more than yourself tomorrow. You carry the reputation of our house, the legacy of your ancestors, and the hopes of your future."
Elijah nodded solemnly, playing his role of dutiful child while internally reviewing his strategy. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of his active participation in this world's larger story. Everything he had learned, every relationship he had observed, every skill he had developed would be tested.
But unlike the protagonists in his beloved webnovels, Elijah was not walking into the ceremony hoping for destiny to reveal itself. He was walking in with a plan.
He would meet Lucian Everhart as an equal—not a rival, not a follower, but a potential ally worthy of trust and respect. He would demonstrate cultivation potential sufficient to merit Academy consideration without suggesting exceptional talent. He would charm the adults with appropriate deference while establishing his credibility with his peer group through quiet competence.
And most importantly, he would begin laying the groundwork for the most crucial element of his long-term strategy: ensuring that when the real challenges began, when the Abyss threat intensified and the true scope of this world's dangers became clear, Elijah Morgen would be exactly where he needed to be.
In the shadows beside the hero, strong enough to matter and smart enough to survive.
The ceremony would be his debut. But it would not be his climax.
That was still years away, and Elijah intended to be ready for it.