"Third Prince, Ash, you're up next," said a man dressed in flowing robes of deep indigo silk embroidered with silver constellations that shifted like living stars, a long ceremonial sash of royal crimson draped across one shoulder, the mark of the King's own Voice.
Ash nodded, throat dry, and stepped up onto the platform. The grand hall thrummed with anticipation; every noble, every general, every sibling watched with bated breath. It was finally the day, the day everyone waited for and the one that would define their very lives.
Today was the day he would awaken.
The orb rested at the heart of an altar carved from a single piece of dawnstone, veins of liquid light pulsing beneath its surface. The King's Voice spoke again, voice echoing off vaulted ceilings painted with the deeds of past Solace legends.
"Prince, just place your hand onto the orb. Mana will then begin flowing into your body. The type of mana depends on the affinity you will awaken; the Solace bloodline is known for either fire or light. You must control that mana and form a core within the center of your body."
Ash nodded again and followed the directions. The moment he placed his trembling palm onto the orb… he felt nothing. Seconds bled into minutes. The silence grew heavier than any storm. Then, finally, the orb glowed, so faint it was hardly noticeable, a dying ember instead of the blazing sun everyone expected.
A trickle of mana, pathetic and thin, crawled through his veins like cold water before pooling weakly at his solar plexus. More agonizing minutes passed. When the process finished, a screen shimmered into existence above the altar for all to see.
[Ash Solace
Rank – E
Talent: None
Affinity: None
Bloodline – Normal Mortal]
The moment the screen materialized into the air, the entire room was draped in a deadly silence. The results showing on the screen were nothing short of blasphemy. Not because this family had a long standing of historic figures, no, it was more so because every child from the current King and Queen had been great talents, prodigies they had poured hope and treasure into, dreaming of finally raising their kingdom from the dirt.
Now a stain had been born wearing the Solace name.
Ash stood frozen on the platform, too afraid to even look at his father or mother. The silence stretched until it snapped.
"Pfft! No way!" Draven burst into laughter while standing next to the eldest prince, Aster, who looked at Ash in disgust.
"Tsk." Aster didn't say much but only scoffed. To him, those who couldn't help the kingdom were nothing, and the moment Ash proved talentless, that's exactly what he became… nothing.
The Eldest princess, Shia, she didn't bat a second look at Ash. She was much like Aster, both of them had awakened A rank talents and their views were solely on improving their rank of their kingdom. Seeing that he couldn't help her in any way possible, she completely disregarded him.
The sounds of chatter began to sound off all around, whispers turning to jeers, jeers turning to open mockery. Ash heard none of it clearly. Blood roared in his ears. Without saying anything to anyone he bolted. Feet pounding marble, tears already burning, he stormed out of the room. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe; he only wanted to hide under a rock.
And that's what he did.
He retreated back to his room, slammed the door, locked it, and collapsed into darkness. Curled on cold stone, the scene replayed in his mind over and over until tears slid down his face. The look of scorn on his mother's face, once the woman who called him her sunshine, the complete erasure of acknowledgment on his father's. It was all too much for the sixteen-year-old Ash.
For the rest of the night… no, the entire week, he laid collapsed from exhaustion and stress, all alone in his room.
An entire week passed before he woke again. When he did, he found himself stuck in the same position he'd passed out in, but this time he wasn't alone. Curled on top of him like a protective kitten was Nia, his youngest sister, only fifteen at the time, black-white hair spilling across his chest.
Feeling him stir, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, bright as sunrise.
"Ashy… you scared me. Don't run away again!" She pouted, then threw herself into his arms and cried a few tears, warm against his neck.
Feeling the warmth and feelings, he unconsciously smiled and hugged her tighter.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered.
Over the course of the next year Ash's life only got worse and worse. His privileges were cut short; he became nothing more than a commoner wearing a prince's name. The only thing he still had was his room, and he rarely left it. Anytime he did, Draven was waiting with fists and contempt. Aside from Nia, his second brother was perhaps the only person to acknowledge his existence, and always with violence.
His mother no longer spoke or even looked in his direction. Before she would shower him in kisses, hugs, and motherly love. Now he would have been happy to even be in her presence. His father? Well, the guy never showed fatherly love anyway, so nothing changed.
Then came his three oldest siblings, both talented in their own right, both focused on their own agendas. Aster schemed for alliances; Shia chased notoriety; Draven sought after only battle.
All of it left him nonexistent in their lives.
Only one person was the light in his darkness.
And that was Nia.
The two of them spent all their time together, locked away in his room. They played games carved from star-wood, told each other their dreams, which was a bit funny. When Ash asked her, she only said,
"Hehe, brother, my only dream is to marry you and live happily ever after!"
She always teased like this, but Ash never truly took her seriously. Maybe because of self confidence or doubt, he always turned down her advances.
Despite that the bond between the two grew more and more, until it came to a halt. At the end of that year Nia turned sixteen and she awakened.
And boy was it an awakening.
[Nia Solace
Rank – E
Talent: Sol Invictus Dominion (S Rank), Fire Manipulation (S Rank)
Affinity: Fire and Light
Bloodline: Celestial Emberlight (S-Rank)]
"An S-ranked awakening! This is the first in kingdom history!"
The moment the King's assistant uttered those words, Ash, watching from the shadows, felt his only light snatched away. After her awakening Nia was dragged into endless elite training, every hour scheduled, every day stolen from the thing she liked to do most.
Be around Ash.
So, for the next few months Ash endured the beatings and torture of Draven alone, until the original soul could no longer hold on and faded away from the world of Elaris.
Which brought them back to the current time.
In that single frozen moment, Ash had lived the entire life of the boy whose body he now wore. It didn't warp his outlook on life or affect the way he truly thought, but what it did change, undeniably, was his feelings.
So, standing now in front of the one person who had always been there for him no matter what, as time resumed, he couldn't help but lean forward and take her lips for himself. The sudden action caught Nia off guard, but the moment she realized what happened, she melted, soft and sweet and burning all at once.
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'I won't let you slip through my fingers… You were my light at my lowest… and from now on I will be the one who protects you.'
He pulled back just enough to meet her stunned, radiant eyes.
"I promise, Nia… I will grow stronger."
His voice wasn't timid or scared anymore; it rang with steel and fire and unbreakable resolve. Hearing this, Nia's body shuddered. She tightened her hold on him like she'd never let go.
After a moment they separated. Nia looked at him with eyes that couldn't hide a single drop of what she felt, love, possessiveness, worship, all of it laid bare. But before she could make any further moves, she heard a shout.
"Nia! Your break is over!"
Coming out of the palace onto the training ground was a middle-aged woman dressed in sleek black-and-silver battle leathers laced with phoenix feathers, twin swords crossed on her back, crimson cloak billowing like living flame, the unmistakable garb of the Royal Sword Saint.
Seeing her, Nia grumbled.
"Ashy, I have to get back to training. Once I finish up for the week I will come visit you, okay?" She smiled, bright enough to rival the sun.
Hearing this he smiled and patted her head, fingers lingering in silver-white silk.
"Alright, that's fine."
Nia's smile somehow grew even wider, cheeks flushed rose-gold. She turned and ran off... While going away she only had one thought, repeating like a heartbeat,
'Mine. Mine. Mine. My ASHY.'
A bit troubling… but for the first time in two lifetimes, this was a feeling Ash didn't mind at all.