In the dead of night, the air was torn by a ferocious thunderstorm. Lightning violently sliced through the sky, and the rain hammered down with a terrifying intensity, as if the very elements were announcing a monumental event. Deep within the grand castle of the Eldoria Kingdom's capital, a woman's shriek echoed—a raw cry of agonizing pain. Queen Seraphina was in the throes of giving birth.
Outside the chamber, King Alaric paced anxiously, his regal composure momentarily shattered by concern for his wife and unborn child. Every roll of thunder mirrored the dread in his chest. Then, a final, piercing scream from Seraphina was instantly followed by the fragile, unmistakable wail of a newborn baby.
The instant the baby's cry cut through the air, the storm broke. The violent rain ceased, the thunder vanished, and the clouds parted. In a flash, a blinding, powerful beam of light shot down from the heavens and bathed the castle. Everyone present gasped in stunned awe. This phenomenon had not occurred in millennia; such a divine blessing had never been witnessed within the Vesperia royal line for thousands of years.
An aged Elf Saint, standing nearby, dropped to one knee and spoke, his voice reverent. "King Alaric, after all this time, the blessing of the Elf God has finally fallen upon the Eldoria Kingdom. Now, after centuries, the Kingdom will rise again!" Hearing this, King Alaric's worried features finally broke into a smile of overwhelming joy.
Inside the quiet room, an elderly Elf nurse, holding a baby wrapped in fine cloths, bowed low and presented him to the Queen. "My Queen, a Prince has been born. You have a son."
Seraphina gently took the baby into her arms. Her eyes were clouded with tears—tears of exhaustion, pain, and profound love. Her son was a perfect mirror of herself: the same shock of snow-white hair, the deep sapphire blue eyes, and skin as pale as fresh milk.
She pressed him close to her chest. At the sudden closeness, the baby began to fret and cry again. She smiled tenderly, a soft, maternal expression washing over her face. With practiced ease, she exposed her breast and guided her nipple to the baby's mouth. He immediately quieted, latching on and drinking deeply. He was the picture of innocent beauty, utterly vulnerable and perfect.
Gazing down at him, Seraphina whispered, "My tiny Prince, you are so beautiful. Your name will be Aedan Vesperia."
As Aedan nursed, his eyes fluttered open. Seraphina immediately froze, stunned. Elf babies typically didn't open their eyes for at least five days after birth, but Aedan had opened his the moment he was born! She stared, then chuckled, a warm sound of wonder. "My Aedan is God-gifted. That is why this has happened."
Just then, King Alaric entered the room, his voice booming with pride. "You are correct, Seraphina. Our Aedan is God-gifted, for the Elf God himself has blessed him."
King Alaric reached out his hand, eager to touch his son, but he paused, confused. A subtle, yet powerful energy field pulsed around Aedan, preventing the King from making contact. He tried again, but the unseen force held firm. When the elderly nurse also attempted to approach, she too was repelled. Everyone in the room was shocked.
The Elf Saint stepped forward again, observing the phenomenon. "I believe this is a decree from the Elf God," he declared. "Prince Aedan is to remain near his mother for now. Only the Queen may touch him. We must wait. This shield will dissipate when it is time." King Alaric conceded, his initial excitement slightly tempered by caution.
He turned to his Queen, his expression hardening with duty. "We must leave now. Beasts and humans have launched a major offensive on the border. We have to stop them." He held her gaze, a profound sadness in his eyes. "We do not know when we will return. Take care of yourself, and our Aedan."
Seraphina's heart sank, but she knew the weight of his duty. She nodded. "Go, but take care of yourself, too." With one last, longing look at his family, King Alaric turned and departed. Seraphina was left alone, gazing lovingly at her shielded son.
Thirteen years passed. Aedan was now a handsome young boy, though his world had been confined to the castle walls. For over a decade, his life had been a routine of intense magical practice and devouring every book on history and the world he could find. He had learned that beyond their Elf Kingdom, the world was teeming with humans, beasts, and demons, and that some creatures were impossibly powerful.
In his solitary training area, he launched a Fireball at a target painted on the far wall. The spell struck with a sickening crack , and the solid stone wall shattered into pieces.
Aedan watched the debris fall, his young face etched with disappointment. Despite his rigorous training, he had only reached Level 3. While this was exceptional for his age, he was a true royal blood, and he felt a desperate need to be infinitely more powerful.
His studies had taught him that the only way to truly increase his power level was to face real combat and defeat a thousand beasts in the wild. But he was strictly forbidden from leaving the castle, a captive of royal safety, unable to experience a single real fight.
But today, I go out.
He swiftly cast an invisibility spell on himself and slipped out of the castle. The guards, completely oblivious, noticed nothing. He headed for the forest bordering the castle grounds, knowing it would be too dangerous to venture further out yet. The moment he was under the open sky and surrounded by the trees, he felt a powerful rush of freedom. He saw a few small, timid creatures—cute little beasts—and, deciding they were unworthy opponents, he let them be and pushed deeper into the woods.
Suddenly, he sensed something—a prickle of awareness on the back of his neck. He quickly spun around, but saw nothing. Must be my imagination, he thought, turning to continue his journey.
In that instant, he darted sideways, narrowly avoiding a massive, lightning-fast strike. He stared in disbelief. Looming over him was an enormous, fanged snake, its scales glinting in the dappled light. This is it, he realized, the one that was stalking me.
Aedan's mind raced, uncertainty clouding his focus. The snake was colossal, and he doubted his Fireball could even breach its skin; he knew the hide of a large beast was incredibly tough.
I have to run.
He bolted, the giant snake slithering after him with alarming speed. He threw a Fireball behind him, but the spell simply vanished on contact with the beast's body, leaving only a faint scorch mark. Thinking quickly, Aedan cast an Ice Magic spell, instantly freezing a patch of ground. The snake's momentum carried it onto the slick ice, and it slid violently, smashing straight into a thick tree trunk.
He used the precious seconds he'd gained to flee, only breathing a sigh of relief when he was safely inside the castle walls. He stumbled into his room and collapsed onto the bed, taking deep, shaky breaths. He had not anticipated his very first outing would be so terrifying.
A moment later, Seraphina entered the room. Seeing his mother, Aedan instantly composed himself. "Mother, you're here."
She sat beside him on the bed. "Aedan, why are you so exhausted? Were you practicing all day again?"
He quickly lied, forcing a firm nod. He had no other believable excuse. Seraphina pulled him into a tender embrace. "Aedan, I've told you many times," she said softly. "You don't need to train so hard. You are meant to be a King, to rule from the throne, not to fight wars. We have thousands of soldiers for that."
Aedan did not argue. He couldn't.
Seraphina then exposed her breast and offered it to him. He immediately latched on, closing his eyes as the warm, rich milk filled his mouth. As he drank, he felt a familiar, powerful surge of Magical Energy flooding his system. His mother possessed immense power that she never utilized, so the raw energy was consistently stored in her milk, which he absorbed every time he nursed. This was the true, hidden reason he had reached Level 3 so quickly. But the exhaustion from his near-death encounter was overwhelming, and he drifted into a deep sleep, still nursing.
Seraphina gently stroked his white hair. In his sleep, Aedan mumbled, "Mother, you are my life. I am nothing without you."
Tears of pure, overwhelming joy welled in Seraphina's eyes. She pulled him closer, hugging her powerful, beloved son to her chest with a fierceness that spoke of eternal devotion.