Year 716 of the Nyxion calender, twenty seven years before the Great Empire war. And on the sixteen of the twelfth month, Callista gave birth to the Monarch, one who would overturn everything from it's roots.
The night sky stretched endlessly above Asterius as he stirred from his slumber. He still couldn't wrap his head around on what was happening; Dream? No, it felt more than just a dream. His little bright eyes grazed at the stars beyond the window as his small body nestled between two familiar presence. Something he never thought he could feel again.
Wish someone could tell me when all this nightmare would be over
A terrible lie at its finest. Even now, his thoughts lingered on the comrades he left behind. No matter how absurd his situation, he couldn't push aside the gut-wrenching fear gnawing at him. And then-
It appeared again, the translucent blue screen, one that almost gave him another near death feel.
"A heavenly body is curious about what the Worldless Monarch is thinking"
His breath hitched. It loomed closer, its glow reflecting in his wary gaze. It was the only entity that seemed to know who he really was—the only one that had spoken to him since he awoke. The heavenly bodies.
"Guguuuaaa bbaaaagaaa"
he couldn't speak out properly, his infant body refused to form coherent words, his plan to try to communicate with these so called 'Heavenly bodies' failed atrociously. His soul showed sorrow quicker than his face.
"The heavenly body asks you to think of her and say what you want in your mind, she will be able to hear you"
The floating screen expanded, it's text clearer than before.
"What is happening here right now? Am I dead?"
He gulped in fear of knowing the truth.
"The heavenly body states that you were at the brim of death and that you are not dead right now"
"…huh? wh-what does it mean?!"
"The heavenly body states that you could have died in the battle with the Demon King"
"Could have? So I'm not dead right now?! What is this place then?"
"The heavenly body states that you have… Regressed"
"wait… So, are my teammates alive?!"
"Just one…"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST ONE?! BASTARD WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?!"
Panic surged through him like a wildfire. He thrashed in frustration, his tiny fists swinging wildly—
SMACK
A low groan sounded beside him. His father, Zarek, stirred from sleep, rubbing his reddened cheek. An impressive slap it was.
Zarek blinked in groggy confusion before he moved himself a little closer to Asterius, tucked his little body well under the blanket and pressed a warm kiss on his little forehead.
"I'm glad…"
Asterius's breath caught in his throat.
Zarek went back to sleep, his right hand softly patting Asterius's belly, a wordless lullaby. Asterius, tired from his mental exhaustion, he no longer could fight against the pull of slumber.
"The heavenly body looks at the sleeping face of the Wordless Monarch,
— She smiles"
The morning arrived with a soft warm golden glow, the gentle sunlight slipping through the curtains, smiling brightly at Asterius, still half asleep. He scrunched up his nose, letting out a small sigh, stretching his tiny limbs as much his infant body allowed him to.
"Good morning, Astuu~! Wake up, wake up! It's time for breakfast~!" A sweet, sing-song voice filled the room before a pair of warm hands scooped him up effortlessly. His mother, cradled him in her arms, her face practically glowing with delight.
From the side, a low chuckle sounded.
"You could've let him sleep a little longer, you know."
Zarek gave her an amused look, though he didn't seem all that serious about his complaint. He leaned in slightly, brushing a hand over Asterius's fluffy little hair. "He looks so peaceful when he sleeps."
"He looks even cuter when he's awake, though!" she pouted, pressing a soft kiss to her baby's cheek.
Asterius, still half-asleep, could feel his heart flutter, he missed this more than anything. Callista took him to the washroom with utmost care and got him freshened up, she gently ran her fingers through his soft gums while humming a soft tune and wiped him down with a soft damp towel.
"Phew! All Good now!" she chirped, flashing a radiant smile.
She carried him calm in her hands, cradled, to the dining room, where a great chandelier casted a soft glow on his face. Eyes watching Asterius from everywhere, the maids, the butlers, the gardeners, everyone. Everyone was as close as a part of the Cassian family, despite their role in the family or any, the birth of Asterius felt like everyone became a guardian of his, it wasn't said but it was clear, they wanted to be around him whenever they could.
"He does look pretty cute for his age I suppose" Seliane added. The sister of his who is older by 11 "It's just a baby, what's so thrilling about it?" her remark was rather rude, but her emotions were clear on her face.
"There, there, you don't have to be so shy about it Seli. We all saw you sneaking into him room the other day and stare at him for hours"
"MOM!"
Laughter filled the hall, warm and genuine, weaving a melody of joy that settled over the gathering like a comforting embrace. At the head of the table, Zarek rose from his seat. In one hand, he held a wine glass; in the other, a piece of silverware, which he tapped against the rim of the glass three times. A crisp, clear chime rang out, drawing all eyes to him.
"As you all know," he began, his voice rich with pride, "my beloved wife, Callista, has given birth to a wonderful son. And just as we have stood together as a family through everything, I hope that we will continue to do so for him as well. I raise this toast to my son—Asterius, whom I adore!"
"Cheers!"
Glasses clinked, and the celebration carried on, the night alight with laughter and love.
The grand hall weren't filled with the nobles, but with the very people who made the mansion a noble home. Laughter echoed through the air, warm and unrestrained, as they took turns fussing over the young boy, each one eager to steal a moment with him.
Time flowed steadily, neither rushed nor stagnant, and before anyone knew it, the year 721 had arrived. Five years had passed in the blink of an eye, quiet and uneventful—no further messages from the heavenly bodies, no inexplicable strain on his small body.
Until today.
As always, Asterius woke up and made his way downstairs for breakfast, unaware that this morning would be different.
Then it came.
"A heavenly body greets the worldless monarch after years"
His heart lurched. The cutlery slipped from his fingers, clattering against the plate. A sharp panic seized his chest, a suffocating weight pressing down on him. His father, Zarek, glanced over in confusion, while his mother, Callista, immediately grew tense with concern. Seliane, however, simply pushed a glass of water toward him.
"Asterius?"
But he barely heard her.
"Processing trait transaction"
Asterius' vision blurred. His surroundings warped, the voices around him muffled to a distant hum. His limbs felt impossibly heavy, as if they no longer belonged to him. Sweat trickled down his skin as an unbearable heat surged through his veins.
His chair scraped loudly against the marble floor as he pushed back, stumbling to his feet.
"Asterius?" Callista's voice wavered, her eyes wide with worry.
Zarek, however, had already pieced it together—he had seen this before.
Asterius took a single step forward before his body crumpled. The sound of his collapse was far too loud for someone so small.
"Trait Transaction: 105%"
"ASTERIUS!"
Zarek was at his side in an instant. His worst fear had come true. The same thing that happened five years ago... it was happening again.
Asterius clenched his fists, his breath shallow, his voice barely above a whisper.
"D-Dad... st-stay back… something's ha-happening"
"Trait Transaction: 120%"
His groans weren't bearable, even the swordsmen of Cassian who fought to their brim on a daily basis have heard no pain like that before, and before it was long, he was surrounded by everyone in the mansion.
"Trait Transaction: 135%"
"ASTERIUS!" his parents screamed in unison as his sister stumbled back in worry. No one could tell what he was going through as this looked not like a wound nor an illness they knew of.
"Trait Transaction: 150%"
Zarek could watch no more, the sight of his only son rolling in pain. He picked him up and rushed to the carriage "HURRY! DRIVE TO COUNT MAGNUS!!"
"Updating Trait Database"
Zarek could feel his son's temperature slowly coming back to normal but he wasn't ready to take any chances. Count Magnus was one of the closest friend of Zarek who he could count on at any moment, he was a Royal Court Healer till his 40's, the king later gave him the title of count when he retired and gave him the will to settle where he wished to, and so he chose settle in the Duchy of Cassian.
"Trait Database Updated"
"Initialising Trait Reperform"
That was the last straw for Asterius, his consciousness slipped away like the grains of sand through a mesh. The carriage had never been so fast before and the coachmen had never been so tensed before and within a hour they were rushing the gate of the Count. The doors swung wide as Zarek rushed in with Asterius in his hands almost tripping himself over as he raced through the stairs.
"MAGNUS!" Zarek called out as he opened the door to his office, his voice an epitome of fear and worry "Please look at my child!". He stumbled his way forward as Magnus dashed to get a bed ready.
"What happened here?"
"I don't really know. His body started to heat up and his entire body collapsed"
"Is this the first time?"
"N-no…" Zarek slumped his face in shame.
Magnus sighed in disbelief. He rushed his way to a room behind his office and came back with a jar, an art of a dull ornate. He swiftly pulled out a fist full of the powder within before he placed it on Asterius's chest. He swung his arm twice, elegantly drawing two arches and repeating another more time at the other side. He stepped away from Asterius, revealing a magic circle. He raised his hands, his eyes focused and determined. And with no further wait, he chanted the spell.
"o' great mother of this innocent world. Grant thy blessing to the dire needy and plenish this vessel with the warmth thy grace — high heal"
The ring lit bright by the end of his chant. A golden white light that never failed to amuse Magnus's daughter. She peaked in from the hall way, her little twirled cowlick swaying in amuse with each breath of the breeze.
"He should be better now, for now, I've patched him up. But really Zarek, why didn't you bring him here sooner if this wasn't the first time."
"I didn't think… that it would happen again... it's been a long time since this happened before and that too only once... "
"And you thought that was fine? Having something like this even once isn't any small thing, HE COULD HAVE DIED! "
"Dad… why are you mad at uncle? He is a good uncle.... " a little hand tucked the velvet red cape of Magnus. The teary eyes glinted like the pearl so precious, a weep that melted the anger away from Magnus. He kneeled to the ground hard enough to make the marble floor sound hollow, " I.. uh... PAPA WASN'T MAD AT UNCLE!! We were just joking around mel!!! Right ZAREK?!"
"uhh…. Um.. ye-yeah!... "
The one and only fortune that Magnus has left, Meliora — the only daughter of Magnus. He lost his beloved while he was in the battle field for the Solenyth Thalyssia 712 war, it wasn't a death by the swift of the sword nor by the blaze of an inferno. A death so painful and a death so birthful.
The stale and worn boots dragged through the long corridors as magnus rushed to his beloved, clutching his wounds and panting for life. The room was long, the cries of the child buried under the wailing of the maids and the midwife. She laid on the bed, motionless, gave away her life for the birth of a new one and left from his side like the cruel and loving wife she was.
"Papa was just helping uncle Zarek, you see mel. No one is mad at no one, okay?" He wiped the tears off from her ruby like eyes and pulled her cheeks to draw a cherry like smile.
"Zarek, you should go check on him now, he'll be up soon", Zarek nodded before he left the room to another. He understood the pain of losing a loved one and he knew just how painful it has been for Magnus.
"The heavenly bodies greets the worldless monarch"
He jolted up with every fiber that could move, drenched in sweat, he slowly moved to the side of the bed, pushing himself to his current limits. "Ow," he croaked, surprised at the sheer volume of his own voice. The pain was immense but not to the point to not noticed the accursed blue display that lathered him in a pain far equal to death.
"what do you want?" He blunted out, his tone laced with frustration and ire.
"The heavenly bodies are happy to see the worldless monarch" the words monotonous as always, white text etched onto a blue translucent screen that shone well even in pitch dark.
"what even are you guys? What are you even doing to me?" his face, an epitome of dismay.
"A heavenly body states that the heavenly bodies are the heavenly bodies"
"….... "
The disappointed he plastered his face with was soon replaced by a look of concern and ludicrous. He pitted them more than he did for a stray dog.
"The heavenly bodies are the virtues that makes the world have a bright side" the screen loomed in from of him, the text thicker than before.
"The Virtuous Crown"
His face spelt confusion, he couldn't get the head nor the tail of all this. "I.. uhhh..."
"The heavenly bodies are the Virtuous Crown ;;"
"WHAT EVEN IS THE VIRTUOUS CROWN?!"
It was clear as day that the blue translucent screen was tried of his stupidity, "The Primordial states that the Seven Heavenly Virtues are collectively known as the virtuous crown"
"That's cool and all but I don-"
"Pearl of Humility, Emerald of charity, Diamond of Chastity, Quartz of Kindness, Sapphire of Temperance, Amethyst of Patience and Ruby of Diligence"
"Ohhh, so you people are gemsto-"
"ASTERIUS!" Zarek rushed beside him, hastily looking at him to note his condition.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT NOW?! DOES IT HURT ANYWHERE?????" The visible panic only made Asterius lose his words.
"I… I am all well father, there is nothing to worry abo-"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT?! YOU WERE SCREAMING AS IF YOU LOST YOUR LIMBS A WHILE BACK! HOW CAN I NOT BE WORRIE-"
"Zarek tone it down. That boy is extremely sensitive right now, including all his senses. I know that you are worried about him but right now they just sound like war cries to him. So stop it"
Zarek frowned as he realized that his words of concern were being nothing but a nuisance to his son. "I- sorry Magnus. I got carried away"