[..] pov:-
I tilt my head back, watching a flock of birds carve their way across the pale morning sky. For a moment, I envy them how effortlessly they glide, how far they soar. No borders. No politics. No war councils deciding their fate.
Sometimes I wonder if freedom is real or just a story nobles tell their children before adulthood steals the truth away. I'm eighteen now, and even "being human" feels like something I'm slowly forgetting.
A voice cuts through my thoughts like a pebble tossed into still water.
"My, my, brother… still drifting off? Don't tell me you're upset because you got strawberry cake instead of chocolate for your eighteenth birthday."
Of course.
Out of everyone in this mansion, it had to be her.
I turn my head slowly. Arlienne stands beside me, silver hair catching the sunlight like threads of moonlit silk. Her expression is as infuriatingly smug as always.
"What do you want? And stop saying stupid things. Why would I be sad over cake?"
My annoyance leaks out despite my efforts. Keeping calm around Arlienne is a skill I have yet to unlock.
She taps my cheek with one finger.
"Oh, come on. You were clearly devastated that day."
Gods, how annoying can she be?
But her gaze shifts, just slightly, as she adds:
"Anyway… Father's calling us. We should hurry. He looked serious an hour ago."
I stop.
Blink.
Stare.
"…An hour ago?"
She nods proudly, as if she did something impressive.
I sigh. "You're unbelievable. He's going to skin us alive."
Arlienne flicks her hair behind her shoulder.
"I was making strategies, you see. Unlike you, who prefers to 'zoom out,' I actually have duties."
Duties. Right.
It's easy to forget she's two years younger than me. People call her the Silver Strategist of Dawnveil. Soldiers respect her. Nobles envy her mind. Father relies on her. And of course… she possesses the Nullborne Factor. The reason she rose so fast.
Me? I'm just Emerion. A noble by birth, nothing more.
"Let's just go," I mutter. Arguing is pointless. Arlienne has never lost a debate in her life even when she's wrong.
We walk through the long corridor. Sunlight spills through tall glass windows, painting the marble floor in gold. Paintings of past Dawnveil ancestors line the walls smiling proudly, judging silently. Every step echoes in this mansion of velvet and chains.
Two guards pull open the double doors as we approach the council chamber.
Inside, father sits with perfect posture at the head of the long obsidian table. His presence is sharp, controlled the kind of man who can shape nations by his mood alone.
"My children… you are late."
His tone is calm, but the room still tightens around us.
Arlienne bows gracefully.
"Apologies, Father. A black cat crossed our path."
Silence.
Then, surprisingly, father laughs loud, genuine.
"Ah… you truly inherited your mother's charm."
But the warmth fades quickly.
"Let's begin."
The entire air shifts.
"Lagrimor still refuses to surrender," father says, voice heavy.
"Their will is stronger than the hide of a fire dragon."
I glance toward Arlienne. She already knows something. Her eyes gleam calculating. Father looks at her too, the way a general looks at his most reliable weapon.
Something twists in my stomach.
"Emerion," Father begins.
"There is… a solution."
Arlienne leans against the table, her smile razor-sharp.
"Don't make that face, brother. You should be proud. You're about to become the key to victory."
Proud? The unease turns colder.
"A noble house in Lagrimor the House of Sunfury has approached us," she continues smoothly.
"They're dissatisfied with the current rulers. They desire power. And they know they can't seize it alone."
I frown. "What are you talking about…?"
Arlienne raises a finger teasingly.
"Patience, brother. They proposed a marriage between their daughter, Pristilia Sunfury… and you."
My heart drops. The room fades for a heartbeat.
She keeps smiling.
Father speaks next, voice final as steel:
"We have already accepted the proposal. Your wedding will take place in two weeks. Lady Pristilia is already on her way and will arrive in three days."
The blood in my veins burns. Mother and father never allowed me to explore the city. Never let me train outside. Never let me meet people freely. My hobbies? Forbidden. My opinions? Unnecessary.
And now… even my future?
But why am I surprised?
I've always been a puppet in this gilded cage.
"How can you decide this without asking me?" I demand, anger spilling out.
"You never cared what I want. Not once."
Father's gaze sharpens.
"There was no point. As a Dawnveil, your duty is to the nation."
My fists tremble.
Duty. Duty. Duty. Always duty.
"You're creating a civil war!" I shout.
"Helping Sunfury overthrow Lagrimor's rulers will only plunge them deeper into conflict. It won't end anything!"
Arlienne tilts her head with a cold little smirk.
"True… but you're missing the point. A prolonged civil war will weaken Lagrimor beyond repair. And when both sides are exhausted"
Her smile widens.
"we'll deliver the final blow."
I stare at her.
At Father.
At this palace that raised me like a showpiece.
"I'm ashamed to share blood with you."
I slam the door behind me as I storm out, fury burning hotter than any war flame.
This is madness.
All of it.
And I have no intention of becoming their pawn.
Here is a cleaner, more emotional, more professional version of your scene while keeping your core plot, tone, and events the same.
I adjusted pacing, dialogue, tension, and descriptions to feel more like a polished light novel opening.
Time skip
— Emerion Dawnveil —
The night was quiet. Too quiet.
No matter how many times I shifted under the sheets, sleep refused to come.
Why was I even born?
A pawn for alliances, nothing more.
My life… my future… even my identity had been decided before I learned to speak.
And tomorrow, the engagement announcement.
If I stayed, the civil war brewing within Largimor would ignite.
If I ran… that marriage would collapse. One spark removed.
But where would I even go?
I had never stepped outside the mansion without an escort.
I didn't know the roads, the cities, or even the price of bread.
Still…
Maybe freedom was worth that uncertainty.
I exhaled slowly.
"Yes… I should run. If I disappear, the marriage fails. Largimor avoids civil war. Ateris… maybe with my sister's intelligence Ateris can survive the rest."
I glanced out the window. Only a handful of guards patrolled tonight most were deployed to the borders or resting between rotations.
Perfect.
I moved silently through the corridors, heart pounding loud enough I feared the guards could hear it.
I slipped into a servant's chamber, grabbed a set of plain clothes, a half-filled food sack, and my staff the one thing I refused to abandon.
Then I climbed the northern wall.
The stone was cold against my fingers, but the wind felt… liberating.
At the top, I whispered, "I won't miss any of this."
And with a push of magic, I took off into the starless sky.
For the first time in my life, I was flying toward something I chose.
Toward freedom.
Time Skip Morning
By sunrise, exhaustion hit me.
I descended near a coastal marketplace — small, quiet, barely awake. Merchants were just opening their stalls, arranging crates and adjusting awnings.
"So this is… freedom's first stop," I muttered to myself.
But soon, a commotion broke the peaceful morning.
"You owe us tax for set–tin' your stall here," a burly man barked, pounding his fist into his palm.
They were confronting an elderly merchant and a young man with green hair.
"But we already paid the house-trisil taxes this month," the green-haired youth replied politely. "You must be mistaken."
"I don't care who you paid. It wasn't us. Pay up," the thug snarled.
"I don't recall any of you owning this land," the green-haired youth said, voice firming. "On what authority"
"Oh, you got guts, huh?"
The thug's hand reached for his knife. "Maybe we should teach you a lesson."
I was about to step in, but..
A sword flashed.
The green-haired young man slashed upward with fluid precision, meeting the thug's punch and sending him stumbling back.
Wind gathered around his blade.
"I tried to be polite," he sighed.
"You people don't even understand the basics of negotiation. Truly pitiful."
With a swift motion, he unleashed a wind slash, sending both thugs tumbling across the ground.
I stared, stunned.
He suddenly turned to me with a flustered bow.
"Ah! S-sorry about the mess. We, uh haven't even finished setting up the stall. Are you… here to buy something?"
His whole demeanor had changed.
Was he two people in one body?
I approached cautiously. "Does… this happen often?"
The elderly man answered before the youth could.
"Of course it does. Merchants are easy targets these days."
"Often…?" I echoed, troubled.
"Why not ask a noble house for protection?" I asked. "You pay significant taxes, don't you?"
They exchanged a look a tired one.
The green-haired youth scratched his head.
"Well, we have asked. But with the war ongoing, all capable soldiers are stationed at the borders. We only get fresh recruits or… weaker ones."
So even the common folk felt the echo of war.
The elder chuckled.
"At least I'm not too worried. My nephew here is strong enough to be an Imperial Knight."
The youth blushed at the praise.
Then he tilted his head at me.
"You look new here. Buying something this early?"
My mind blanked.
What do I say? I can't exactly say I ran away from home to avoid starting a civil war
A sudden explosion ripped through the port.
BOOM.
The ground shook. Smoke billowed upward. Ships burned.
Merchants screamed.
Everything froze for one heartbeat.
What… what is happening!?
Here is a cleaner, sharper, more dramatic version of your scene.
I kept EVERY main idea, every line of logic, every important dialogue, and only improved pacing, clarity, emotional weight, and flow.
The smoke slowly thinned… and the moment it cleared, my breath stopped.
An entire battalion at least two hundred and fifty soldiers marched out from the haze in perfect formation. Their armor glinted crimson under the morning sun, and at their front stood a towering demi-human general. Eight muscular arms, each holding a different weapon, each ready to kill.
My eyes dropped to their sigil.
House Sunfury.
Wait… what?
We were supposed to be allied.
Ateris and Sunfury had a non-aggression pact built on the marriage agreement.
So why attack Dawnveil territory?
As I scanned the crowd, I spotted someone standing beside the general a girl with flowing orange hair and a red dress lined with golden embroidery. Her fan opened with an elegant snap as she watched the burning port with a satisfied smile.
The merchants around us screamed and fled, abandoning their stalls in panic.
I ran away from home… but house Dawnveil hasn't announced it yet. Which means Sunfury has no reason to know.
So if they're attacking now…
We were betrayed.
I gripped my staff tighter, instinct urging me to act
A tap on my shoulder stopped me.
"Don't," the green-haired guy whispered urgently. "They're too many. We need to get out of here."
I wanted to argue… but he was right. We had an elderly man with us. If I fought, I'd drag them into death.
Then the general's voice thundered across the port.
"Princess Pristilia… your brother won't be happy when he learns we broke the marriage agreement with House Dawnveil."
Pristilia?
My body stiffened.
So that orange-haired girl…
She's the one I was supposed to marry.
Pristilia twirled her fan, smirking.
"I told you, I will not be used as a pawn. And besides our surprise attack succeeded even with small numbers."
"That is only because this is not an important trade hub for nation Ateris, Princess," the eight-armed general said patiently.
Pristilia frowned, then scoffed.
"You only know how to fight, General. Ateris owns 60% of the natural resources around this region. If we capture the nearby villages, the tides shift immediately. I guarantee Arlienne, their greatest strategist, never predicted this."
She laughed behind her fan.
The general inclined his head.
"So we plan to use the villages as leverage in negotiation?"
Pristilia nodded with pride.
And suddenly everything aligned in my mind.
Most of Ateris' army was stationed on the western border.
This region the eastern coastal line was nearly undefended.
A counterattack wouldn't come for weeks.
By then, the villages would be occupied, the resources stolen, and Ateris forced to kneel.
I need to do something… but what?
"Let's go," the green-haired guy urged again. "We don't have time."
I exhaled shakily. He was right. I couldn't drag them into this massacre.
For now… retreat.
We turned to slip away
But a cold, commanding voice pierced the air.
"Where do you think you're going?"
We froze instantly.
Pristilia's fan snapped shut as she stepped toward us, her soldiers moving to encircle the market.
Her eyes locked directly onto me.